Laughing Mikel Arteta responds to Wayne Rooney's Arsenal celebrations complaints

Arsenal booked their place in the Champions League final after defeating Atletico Madrid 2-1 on aggregate, ending a 20-year wait to return to European football’s biggest stage. Emotional scenes followed at Emirates Stadium, with Arteta joining his players on the pitch to celebrate the milestone with supporters. The moment marked a major achievement for the club after two decades away from the final competition’s showpiece event.

However, the celebrations drew criticism from Manchester United legend Rooney. Speaking as a pundit, Rooney suggested Arsenal had gone too far given that they had not yet won the trophy.

“They deserve to be in this position, but they haven't won it yet,” Rooney said on Amazon Prime. “The celebrations are a little bit too much. Celebrate when you win.”

Arteta appeared amused when asked about the remarks during Friday’s press conference. The Arsenal boss downplayed the criticism and made clear he was not concerned by outside opinions.

"First of all, I didn't know about it," Arteta said. "You have to respect every opinion and place them where they belong." When asked where exactly those opinions belonged, he added: “Where they belong. I don't know. That's not important.”

While Rooney voiced criticism, Arteta revealed he had received widespread support from fellow managers following Arsenal’s achievement. The Spaniard said many colleagues had reached out to congratulate him on the result, including Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola, his former mentor and current Premier League title rival.

"All of them have been in touch in a really beautiful way and I replied the same thing," Arteta said. "They are a big part of this as well, because they have helped me to develop, to evolve, to learn from them. I feel a huge gratitude for that.

"I had hundreds of messages from a lot of people, from people that have been in my journey since I was little. Back home, from all the clubs, all the managers, obviously a lot of family and friends. It was special. You realise how much value a Champions League final has."

Despite the excitement surrounding the Champions League final against Paris Saint-Germain in Budapest, Arsenal will first battle for the Premier League trophy. With three games remaining and a five-point lead over second-placed Manchester City, Arteta will aim to guide the Gunners to a three-game winning streak. Their final run begins against West Ham this weekend, followed by a clash with Burnley and then a trip to Crystal Palace.