Early years: 1963–1978 Arsenal first participated in European football during the
1963–64 season, via the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup. The competition was set up to promote international trade fairs in European cities, featuring clubs from cities playing in matches that hosted trade fairs. As London's representative, Arsenal was paired with Copenhagen team
Copenhagen XI in the first round, played over
two matches. The first match ended in a 7–1 victory for Arsenal, with
Geoff Strong and
Joe Baker both scoring
hat-tricks. Copenhagen XI won the second match 3–2, but lost 9–4 on aggregate. Arsenal faced
RFC Liège in the second round; the Belgian club won 4–2 on aggregate to progress into the quarter-finals. In the
1969–70 season, Arsenal again participated in the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup, after a six-year absence. Having beaten
Glentoran of Northern Ireland, Portugal's
Sporting CP and
Rouen of France, Arsenal played Romanian club
Dinamo Bacău in the quarter-finals. A 1–9 victory on aggregate saw the club progress into the last four, where they faced
Ajax of Amsterdam. The pairing of both clubs pleased Arsenal manager
Bertie Mee, who wanted to play Ajax in the semi-finals to set up a possibility of meeting
Internazionale in the final. It was the fourth successive year the final featured an English club and the first for a London club. An early goal scored by
Eddie Kelly helped Arsenal to what earlier looked to be an improbable victory;
John Radford and
Jon Sammels overturned Anderlecht's advantage to win 3–0 on the night and 4–3 on aggregate. The result ended Arsenal's 17-year wait for a trophy and ensured the club became the third successive English club to win the honour. Arsenal entered the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup the following season as holders of the competition, but did not progress further than the semi-finals, losing on away goals to
1. FC Köln of Germany. The club did however win the league championship for the first time in 18 years, ensuring qualification for the
European Champions Clubs' Cup in the 1971–72 season. Arsenal reached the quarter-finals, where the team lost to holders Ajax, who went on to retain the trophy. Arsenal finished second in the
1972–73 Football League but did not play in the
1973–74 UEFA Cup, because the Football League continued to apply the one-team-per-city rule from the old Fairs Cup, and
Tottenham Hotspur qualified as
League cup winners. In subsequent seasons, the departure of Mee and lack of domestic honours meant that the club did not contest in European football.
Cup Winners' Cup finalists, winners: 1978–1995 Mee was succeeded by
Terry Neill in July 1976. Arsenal returned to European club football in the
1978–79 season, having finished fifth in the previous league campaign. The club contested in the
UEFA Cup for the first time and won their opening leg 3–0 against
1. FC Lokomotive Leipzig; a commanding performance away from home in the second leg allowed Arsenal to win 4–1 at the
Bruno-Plache-Stadion and 7–1 on aggregate. Arsenal progressed past the third round, winning on aggregate against
Hajduk Split but were eliminated by
Red Star Belgrade in the third round after striker
Dušan Savić scored an away goal, two minutes from the end of the match. As winners of the
1979 FA Cup Final, Arsenal entered the
European Cup Winners' Cup in the
1979–80 season. The club defeated
Fenerbahçe,
1. FC Magdeburg and
IFK Göteborg, before facing
Juventus in the semi-finals. After conceding an early penalty scored by
Antonio Cabrini, Arsenal defender
David O'Leary was injured and substituted in the 20th minute, when Juventus striker
Roberto Bettega tackled him.
Marco Tardelli was later sent off for a foul on
Liam Brady and in the 85th minute, Arsenal managed to score an equaliser through a mix-up between
Frank Stapleton and Bettega; the Italian put the ball into his goal net. A goalless draw after normal and extra time meant the final was to be decided on a penalty shootout, with Valencia winning 5–4. Arsenal competed in the UEFA Cup in the
1981–82 and
1982–83 seasons and departed in the first and second round to
FC Winterslag and
Spartak Moscow respectively. The
Heysel Stadium disaster of May 1985, during the
1985 European Cup Final between
Liverpool and Juventus resulted in UEFA, and later
FIFA, imposing a 'worldwide' ban on English teams from participating in European club competitions, initially for an indefinite period. Under
George Graham, Arsenal returned to the European Cup in the 1991–92 season, having won the league championship a season earlier. They went out in the second round to Portuguese team
Benfica in November 1991. The ban arising from the Heysel disaster had prevented Arsenal from competing in the European Cup when they won the league title two years previously, as well as preventing them from competing in the UEFA Cup on two occasions. In the
1993–94 season, Arsenal contested in the European Cup Winners' Cup, having won the
1993 FA Cup Final. The club beat
Odense BK and
Standard Liège to reach the quarter-finals, with the latter described as a "breathtaking performance" by Graham, after winning 7–0 at the
Stade Maurice Dufrasne. Arsenal defeated
Torino of Italy and French representative
Paris Saint-Germain to reach the
1994 European Cup Winners' Cup Final alongside
Parma, staged at Copenhagen. Without top goalscorer
Ian Wright and markers
John Jensen and
Martin Keown, Arsenal went into the final as outsiders. Although Parma began the match the strongest of both teams, Arsenal opened the scoring through a well taken volley by striker
Alan Smith. Defending in numbers, the team held on to record an improbable victory and win the club's second European trophy, after a 24-year wait. After the match Graham praised his team's performance and defended his pragmatic approach; "Sometimes we could go forward a little bit more and entertain a bit more, but we play to our strengths, like we did in this match. There's nothing wrong with having a very, very good defence, believe me. We've proved it, and it's a big plus." As holders of the competition, Arsenal was admitted into the Cup Winners' Cup for the
1994–95 season. They moreover contested in the
1994 European Super Cup, losing to
Milan 2–0 on aggregate. In February 1995, Graham was sacked by Arsenal after it emerged he accepted an illegal £425,000 payment from Norwegian agent
Rune Hauge for two of his clients: Jensen and
Pål Lydersen. He was replaced by caretaker manager
Stewart Houston (
Bruce Rioch in the close season), who managed to take Arsenal into the
1995 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup Final after beating
Sampdoria on penalties in the semi-finals. They however, did not retain the trophy after
Real Zaragoza midfielder
Nayim scored an extra-time goal, lobbing Arsenal goalkeeper
David Seaman.
Arrival of Wenger: 1996–2005 In August 1996, Rioch was dismissed by Arsenal. He was replaced by
Arsène Wenger, who became the club's first manager born outside the British Isles. Wenger had creditable experience in UEFA club competitions; at Monaco he reached the final of the Cup Winners' Cup in 1992, losing 2–0 to
Werder Bremen and took the club into the semi-finals of the European Cup in 1993–94. Wenger wanted Arsenal to become one of the biggest clubs in Europe, emphasising on buying talent from all over the world and patience shown by the club's board and supporters. His first involvement in a European match for Arsenal was against
Borussia Mönchengladbach on 26 September 1996 in the UEFA Cup; Arsenal lost 6–4 on aggregate. Having watched the game from the stands in the first half, he assumed control in the second, suggesting the formation should accommodate four defenders instead of five. Arsenal finished third in the
1996–97 league season, missing out on qualification for the UEFA Champions League by goal difference. They, however qualified for the UEFA Cup first round, but lost to
PAOK Salonika of Greece over two legs in September 1997. Arsenal completed the double in the
1997–98 season, and winning the league ensured the club participated in the Champions League for the first time since its rebranding in 1992. To benefit from increased revenue and higher attendances, Arsenal was granted permission from the Football Association and UEFA to host their home Champions League matches at
Wembley Stadium. The club faced French champions
Lens, Ukraine's
Dynamo Kyiv and
Panathinaikos of Greece in the group stages of the competition. Although they began the campaign in good stead, with two draws and a win, Arsenal lost 3–1 to Dynamo Kyiv and at home to Lens – watched by a record crowd of 73,707, meaning the club could not reach higher than third place, failing to make the quarter-finals. Arsenal ended the
1998–99 league season as runners-up, qualifying for the group stages of the Champions League for the second successive year. Again, Arsenal finished in third spot in their group, this time behind Barcelona and
Fiorentina. The team, however advanced into the UEFA Cup third round and Arsenal chose to revert to playing their home matches at Highbury. Arsenal beat
Nantes and
Deportivo La Coruña over two legs and defeated Werder Bremen in the quarter-final; midfielder Ray Parlour scored a hat-trick in the second leg. In the semi-final against Lens, Arsenal secured a 3–1 aggregate win to face Turkish opposition
Galatasaray in the final, who beat
Leeds United. At Copenhagen, the venue for the
2000 UEFA Cup Final, both Arsenal and Galatasaray played out to a goalless draw in normal and in extra time. Arsenal lost 4–1 in a penalty shootout, with striker
Davor Šuker and midfielder
Patrick Vieira hitting the post and underside of the crossbar respectively. Wenger reflected on the defeat by saying, "We did not play well in the first half, but we were much better afterwards. It is very disappointing." Referred to as the "
Battle of Copenhagen", the incident escalated into a riot between English and Turkish fans, forcing the Danish police to use tear gas in order to restore calm. Arsenal qualified for the group stages of the Champions League in the
2000–01 season, having ended the previous league season in second. The club won their first three matches in Group B, against
Sparta Prague,
Shakhtar Donetsk and
Lazio. A draw away to Lazio at the
Stadio Olimpico ensured qualification into the second group stage, where they were partnered with Bayern Munich, Lyon and
Spartak Moscow. In spite of defender
Sylvinho scoring an early goal in their opening game against Spartak Moscow, Arsenal plummeted to a 4–1 defeat, leaving Wenger to assess that "as a team, we didn't look as solid as we are used to." Wins at Lyon and at home to Spartak Moscow helped Arsenal to qualify for the quarter-finals as the French club failed to capitalise on Arsenal's defeat at Bayern Munich. They faced Spanish club Valencia, winning 2–1 at Highbury but the team were beaten 1–0 at the
Estadio Mestalla, knocked-out on aggregate. In the
2001–02 season, Arsenal played in the Champions League. The club qualified for the second group stage on goal difference but did not reach the quarter-finals, losing their final two matches against Deportivo La Coruña and Juventus. Having won the domestic league for the first time in four years, Wenger revealed the club's and his own intent to win the Champions League, telling French newspaper ''L'Equipe'' "I can't imagine finishing my life without winning the European Cup". Arsenal began the
following season impressively, winning 0–4 at
PSV Eindhoven. The match set a new club record, as midfielder
Gilberto Silva scored the fastest goal, in 20.07 seconds. Although Arsenal lost their last two matches against
Borussia Dortmund and
Auxerre, coinciding with a blip in form domestically, they qualified for the second group stage for the third consecutive season. Striker
Thierry Henry scored his first hat-trick in Europe for Arsenal against
Roma on 27 November 2002 with the player stating; "It's wonderful to score a hat-trick but it's even more important that I did so in a game we've won." Arsenal failed to replicate their form at Roma, drawing their next four matches and losing to Valencia in the final match to finish third in their group and thus, out of the competition. Arsenal entered the Champions League group stage in the
2003–04 season and faced Dynamo Kyiv,
Internazionale and
Lokomotiv Moscow. Without a win in their first three matches, Arsenal faced an early exit from the competition but managed a victory against Dynamo Kyiv, after defender
Ashley Cole scored via a header. At the
San Siro, Arsenal beat Internazionale 5-1, in a performance described as "one of the greatest results in [the club's] history". A win in their final group game against Lokomotiv Moscow was enough for Arsenal to top their group and play an unseeded team in the last 16. Arsenal eliminated
Celta Vigo and faced fellow English club
Chelsea at the quarter-final stage. Going into the first leg, Arsenal were favourites, having played their London rivals three times during the course of the season, winning on each occasion. Former Dutch international
Johan Cruyff backed Arsenal to win the competition, saying "If Arsenal win it playing football the way only they know how then Europe would be proud to have such champions". A
Robert Pires away goal at
Stamford Bridge gave Arsenal an advantage going into the second leg, but Chelsea won 2–1 at Highbury with a late goal from
Wayne Bridge to progress to the semi-finals. A year later, Arsenal exited the Champions League after losing 3-2 to Bayern Munich on aggregate, in the last 16 stage.
Regular qualification, European Cup runners-up: 2005 to 2017 Arsenal qualified for the group stages of the Champions League in the
2005–06 season, finishing first in a group containing Ajax, Sparta Prague and
Thun. The club faced
Real Madrid in the last 16; a solo goal by Henry at the
Estadio Santiago Bernabéu in the first leg inflicted the home team's first defeat in 18 Champions League matches. Arsenal produced a disciplined display at home a fortnight after to reach the quarter-finals and become the sole English representative left in the competition. At home to Juventus, Arsenal won 2–0, and a goalless draw at the
Stadio delle Alpi meant the club progressed into the semi-finals against
Villarreal. In the club's final European match at Higbhury,
Kolo Touré scored a first-half winner to give Arsenal a 1–0 win. A late penalty save by goalkeeper
Jens Lehmann in the second leg sent Arsenal into the
2006 Champions League Final, staged at the
Stade de France, Paris. The result, another goalless draw, was Arsenal's tenth
clean sheet in a row – a new competition record. Defender
Sol Campbell, returning from injury praised the team performance in his post-match interview: "It's brilliant for us. It's also great for the manager Arsène Wenger to get to the final in France – I'm sure he will get a great reception." In the final against Barcelona, Lehmann was sent off in 18th minute for a professional foul on striker
Samuel Eto'o. Wenger reacted by substituting
Robert Pires for goalkeeper
Manuel Almunia, thus altering the formation. As Arsenal finished fourth in the league, in the
following season the club needed to play a third qualifying round, against
Dinamo Zagreb in order to participate in the Champions League group stages. The team won 1–5 on aggregate, including a 2–1 victory in the first European match at the
Emirates Stadium. Arsenal was eliminated in the Round of 16 stage, losing on the away goal ruling to PSV Eindhoven. In the
2007–08 season, Arsenal equalled their biggest home win in European football, scoring seven against Slavia Prague. The club beat holders Milan in the subsequent round, earning critical acclaim for their style of football, not least from
Marcello Lippi: "It would be good for football if Arsenal could win. They play on the ground, they manoeuvre the ball, very, very well. It's very fast and very technical." At the quarter-final stage,
Liverpool defeated Arsenal 5–3 on aggregate to set up a semi-final tie against Chelsea. Arsenal progressed past the group stages of the
2008–09 Champions League season and beat Roma and Villarreal to face
Manchester United in the semi-finals. A 1–0 defeat at
Old Trafford meant Arsenal needed to win by two clear goals to progress, but goals from
Park Ji-sung and
Cristiano Ronaldo in the first eleven minutes ended the club's chances of reaching the
2009 Champions League Final. Wenger in his post-match press conference described the match as "the most disappointing night of my career", adding "I felt the fans were really up for a big night and to disappoint people who stand behind the team so much hurts." Arsenal lost to holders Barcelona 6–3 on aggregate in the quarter-finals
the following season, and in spite of beating the Spanish club 2–1 at the Emirates Stadium in
2010–11, Arsenal again were eliminated, this time at the round of 16. Arsenal exited at the same stage of the competition for the second consecutive season, against Milan. Having lost the away leg 4–0, the team gave a valiant performance in the second leg at home, winning 3–0 on the night, but unable to find the final goal that would have taken the game to extra time. In the
2012–13 season, Arsenal fell at the last 16 stage for the third time in three years, losing 3–1 to Bayern Munich at home, but managing to win 2–0 in the return leg, meaning they went out on the
away goals rule. They were once again eliminated by Bayern Munich in the
2013–14 season after losing 2–0 at home, and drawing 1–1 away at Munich. They were eliminated by Monaco in Round of 16 in the
2014–15 season on away goals, and by Barcelona 5–1 on aggregate in
2015–16. Arsenal exited at the last 16 for the seventh consecutive time to Bayern Munich, losing 10–2 on aggregate. In 2018, Arsenal managed to reach the
semi-finals of the
UEFA Europa League, where they suffered a 2–1 aggregate defeat against
Atlético Madrid. It was the twenty-first straight and last season in which Arsenal was competing in European championships under manager Arsène Wenger, who announced his departure from the club on 20 April 2018.
Post-Wenger era In 2019, under new manager
Unai Emery, Arsenal managed to reach the
final of the
UEFA Europa League, where they lost 4–1 against fellow London club Chelsea. This defeat ensured that Arsenal would spend its third consecutive season since
2017–18 out of the
UEFA Champions League. Next season's
Europa League campaign was a disappointing one as Arsenal bowed out of the competition in the
Round of 32, losing to
Olympiacos on aggregate after extra time. By winning the
2019–20 FA Cup (and finishing 8th in the
league), Arsenal qualified for the
Europa League for the fourth consecutive season. They reached the semi-finals, losing 2–1 on aggregate to
Villarreal, who went on to win the competition. In
2020–21, Arsenal finished eighth in the Premier League, thus failing to qualify for any European competition in
2021–22 for the first time since the
1995–96 season – even missing out on the newly-introduced
Conference League. Arsenal finished fifth in the
2021–22 Premier League, qualifying for the
UEFA Europa League though missing out on a
UEFA Champions League spot by two points to London rivals
Tottenham. Arsenal topped their group consisting of
FC Zürich,
FK Bodø/Glimt, and
PSV Eindhoven, directly qualifying for the Round of 16, where they drew 2–2 on aggregate and lost on penalties against
Sporting CP after extra time. Arsenal finished second in the league in
2022–23, thus qualifying for a
UEFA Champions League spot. In the
2023–24 UEFA Champions League, Arsenal finished top of their group which consisted of
Sevilla FC,
RC Lens, and
PSV Eindhoven, qualifying for the
UEFA Champions League Round of 16 (for the first time since
2016–17), in which Arsenal drew 1–1 on aggregate and won on penalties against
FC Porto, progressing to the quarter-finals for the first time since
2009–10 and breaking a sequence of seven Round of 16 exits in a row, but then lost 3–2 on aggregate to
FC Bayern Munich. After finishing second in back to back seasons in
2023–24, Arsenal qualified for the new format, single-group
UEFA Champions League for the
2024–25 season. In the inaugural year of the
league phase in the
UEFA Champions League, Arsenal finished third, bypassing the playoff round as one of the top eight teams. They reached the semi-finals of the Champions League for the first time since 2009 after thrashing
PSV Eindhoven in the last 16 and defeating
Real Madrid 5-1 on aggregate in the quarter-final, but they were beaten by the eventual winners
Paris Saint-Germain 3-1 on aggregate. Arsenal finished second for a third straight time in
2024-25, meaning that they qualify for the
UEFA Champions League again in
2025-26. They also reached the Champions League final in 2026 ==UEFA club coefficient ranking==