Fan channel AFTV is once again under the scrutiny of fans after an Arsenal fan came up with a wild take regarding the UEFA Champions League.
AFTV, formerly known as ArsenalFanTV, is among the most famous football fans network in the world. Dedicated to London-based club Arsenal FC, the show amasses a remarkable 1.4 million subscribers on YouTube. The channel reached the milestone of 1 billion views across YouTube earlier this year.
Particularly centered around the coverage of the club’s supporters, the highly successful channel boasts incredible popularity across the internet. Renowned personalities, including the likes of Thierry Henry, Unai Emery, and Gary Neville have been guests on the channel.
At the same time, AFTV has notoriously been home to some of the most extreme critiques of the club. So much so that the club had to request the channel for the latter to change their names due to the negative attention AFTV was drawing toward the club. Hector Bellerin even once stated that the fans at AFTV are not “real Gunners.”
Credits to Arsenal’s dissatisfying performances in recent years, AFTV has been home to some of the most exaggerated and freakish takes and rants of avid Arsenal supporters, something which the viewers have come to attain great pleasure from.
As was the case this time around, when one of the more popular characters of AFTV, Julian came up with highly controversial opinions on AFTV’s “The Invincibles Podcast”.
When asked to choose between winning the UCL or winning the Premier League, Julian picked the latter option as he tagged UCL as a “mere cup competition”. The fan stated, “the biggest prize in the world of football is the Premier League trophy.” He went ahead to explain his opinion as he further stated, “Plenty of good teams win the Champions League, but only great teams win the Premier League.”
A truly bizarre opinion, we believe.
Though it is partially correct that winning the UCL requires a luck of the draw, not a single footballing achievement tops the Champions League at the club level. For a top-tier club to win a league it requires them to go through clubs twice a season that are levels below them. The top quarter of a league table usually circles the same 3-4 teams, whereas winning the UCL requires a team to face off against some of the best teams across all of Europe.
The clip is being thrown around Twitter like a hot potato, and the fans haven’t held themselves back while reacting to this take. Some believe that the statement reeks of double standards now that Arsenal is close to winning the league after nearly two decades. Some also believe that feelings from Julian would’ve been different if not for Beletti’s winner in the 2006 UCL final.
Here is how Twitter football is reacting to this take.
This event isn’t outlandish though, as time and again the viewers of the sport have come up with some of the most atrocious beliefs and suppositions ever heard. Media outlets, especially, welcome such opinions as takes such as that of Julian garner immense views and clicks from the audience.