Arsenal are through to the Champions League quarter-finals after eliminating Porto on Tuesday night at the Emirates Stadium in London. The aggregate score after the regular 90 minutes and extra-time was tied at 1:1, but the Gunners emerged victorious in a nail-biting penalty shootout, securing their spot in the quarterfinals for the first time in 14 years.
Porto boss Sergio Conceicao on the reason for his heated exhange with Mikel Arteta last night: pic.twitter.com/KjzxHIotNf
— Sports Brief (@sportsbriefcom) March 13, 2024
The match, however, was overshadowed by post-game controversies involving both team managers. Porto’s Sergio Conceicao leveled serious accusations at Arsenal’s Mikel Arteta, claiming the Gunners’ boss insulted his family in Spanish during the match. “Arteta turned to the bench and insulted my family in Spanish” Conceicao revealed in a post-match statement. He added a detail, noting: “The person he insulted is no longer among us” and advised Arteta to focus on coaching his talent-rich team.
Arteta, when confronted with these allegations, chose not to engage, offering a simple “No comment. Thanks very much” in response. The North London club has since refuted Conceicao’s claims, stating that no offensive remarks were made towards the Porto manager.
The incident has cast a shadow over Arsenal’s achievement, with Arteta expressing mixed emotions post-victory. Reflecting on the team’s long-awaited return to the Champions League quarterfinals, he shared: “I’m so happy… it’s been 14 years” capturing the bittersweet nature of the night’s events.