Arsenal fans spent £12,000 on tifo for PSG game before club ‘denied request’
Arsenal fans' quest to unveil a huge tifo for their Champions League clash with Paris Saint-Germain has led to £12,000 in donations being refunded.
Gooners are looking to create a special atmosphere in their semi-final first leg tie at the Emirates next Tuesday night.
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It's the north London outfit's first appearance in the last-four of Europe's premier competition in 15 years.
But in a blow for the Ashburton Army - an Arsenal supporters' group - three designs featuring boss Mikel Arteta and star players Martin Odegaard, Bukayo Saka, William Saliba and Declan Rice failed to be approved by the club.
The designs were inspired by hit Netflix show 'Money Heist', which is also known as La Casa de Papel.
In two of the tifos, that title was changed to 'La Casa de Mikel'.
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Two of the designs also contained a chess board, with one message reading, 'One by onem they fall', while the other tifo had no words on.
The chessboard element appears to be a reference to the tifo that Real Madrid supporters unfurled prior to the quarter-final second leg tie between the two teams at the Bernabeu last week.
Meanwhile another simply had Saka, Odegaard, Rice and Saliba standing behind Arteta, with a message reading, 'Welcome to N5.'
But unfortunately for the Ashburton Army, who sit in the lower Clock End tier behind the goal, their proposals haven't been granted.
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It comes just weeks after they successfully had a huge tifo showing Thierry Henry's celebration after his winner at Madrid in 2006, before the first leg against Los Blancos.
A statement from the Ashburton Army on read: "In just 24 hours, Arsenal fans came together to raise over £10,000 to fund what would have been our biggest ever display for the Champions League semi-final against PSG.
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"Unfortunately, the club has declined our proposed design, and there won’t be a display in the Clock End.
";As a result, everyone who contributed will be fully refunded.
"This doesn’t change the importance of the game – we still need every single one of you on it, bring the noise and backing the team like never before.
"Thank you to everyone who donated, we are grateful for your continued support."
According to the , Arsenal didn't reject the tifos, but they simply couldn't accept the proposal due to an issue around timing.
It also remains to be seen how Arsenal will be celebrating the match, having left white or red carrier bags on seats for fans to hold up before kick-off against Real.
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Pyrotechnics were also on show, with fireworks and red smoke let off as players made their way onto the pitch.
Arteta has been keen to stress how much a raucous atmosphere fuels the players as they look to become the first Arsenal squad to lift the Champions League.
Hailing the noise generated after the 3-0 win over Real, Arteta said: "It’s a beautiful night at the highest stage in the Champions League against the team that has dominated this competition.
"We had an incredible performance in an amazing atmosphere, something I haven't seen before here, and we created a magic night."
It's the second meeting between Arsenal and PSG this season, with the Gunners emerging as 2-0 victors in the league phase on home soil in October.
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