FURIOUS Arsenal fans have taken to social media to vent their frustration after they found out their fate in the Champions League quarter and semi-finals.
Following the Gunners’ last-16 shootout victory over Porto on Tuesday, today they discovered who they would be playing next.
Ex-Chelsea star John Obi Mikel drew both Arsenal and Bayern Munich out of the pot
Fans fumed that the draw was rigged online
Former Chelsea star John Obi Mikel was the special guest drawing teams out of the pot.
The first name he picked out was his old rivals Arsenal.
But the next team he picked was none other than the club’s old nemesis Bayern Munich.
The last time the two sides played each other was in 2017, with a devastating victory for the Germans.
Two 5-1 wins at the Allianz Arena and the Emirates meant Bayern won the tie 10-2 on aggregate.
This is the joint second biggest margin for victory over two legs in the competition’s history, only eclipsed by Bayern’s 12-1 win over Sporting Lisbon in 2009.
However, with the result before that game also being 5-1, it means Arsenal have lost each of their last three games against Bayern 5-1.
In fact, from the 12 games they have played against one another, Arsenal have only won three times.
Arsenal have historically struggled against the German giants
Arsenal were then drawn against one of Manchester City or Real Madrid in the semi-final.
Fans flocked to social media to announce their anger with the draw.
One fan said: “Arsenal v Bayern Munich… fix.”
A second said: “Uefa fix the draw on nostalgia… and Bayern have history with Arsenal.”
A third said: “It had to be Bayern or Barca.”
Another said: “Mikel [Arteta] put more fight in than the club to protect our European legacy . If Arsenal win it from this point nobody can say they didn’t deserve it.”
While a fifth added: “That Uefa ball always match arsenal with Bayern that is something written in stars.”
However, a completely new Arsenal team from the last time they faced Bayern who have risen to challenge for the Premier League title and break the club’s last 16 curse has given some fans hope.
One fan said: “I believe we can take on them.”
A second said: “They are making us take out the bigger teams so we’ll have an easy final. Arsenal fans I’ve seen the script.”
A third said: “PRAY FOR BAYERN MUNICH.”
While another added: “Scriptwriters put us in the script of stopping Harry Kane from winning a trophy.”
However, former Tottenham ace Harry Kane will not be backed by travelling Bavarian support after Uefa slapped them with a ban for throwing fireworks on the pitch in their last 16 first leg against Lazio.
Having already received a suspended one-match ban – as well as a £30k fine – for an identical incident in the group stages at Copenhagen in October, Uefa were left with no choice but to impose the ban.
After receiving the ban on Tuesday, Bayern CEO Jan-Christian Dreesen said: “We have to accept this punishment.
“Not only were pyrotechnics set off, but also fired deliberately onto the field, directly endangering bystanders.
“This was such an explicit violation of the conditions of probation that an appeal is unfortunately futile.
“The fact we now have to play away without the support of our fans is a big blow. A small group of individual offenders have done a disservice to all our supporters and the team.”
And this will leave the away end to be filled with home fans, meaning the Emirates could be a sell-out 60,000 fans of just home support.
The quarterfinal match is scheduled for April 9–10, and the second leg is scheduled for April 16–17, one week later.
Arsenal is in the final eight for the first time since 2010.
The Gunners will be boosted by the news that Bayern WON’T have any of their supporters in attendance at the Emirates
The Germans have been slapped with a one-match fan ban for letting off fireworks against Lazio in the last-16