Vieira - we need Euro success

Arsenal captain Patrick Vieira has called on his side to prove that they are a great team by winning the Champions League.

Vieira admits that even after their double-winning exploits, the Gunners will never be lauded around Europe as one of the all-time greats if they do not win the Champions League.

They have failed to progress past the quarter-finals in the past four seasons but there is confidence at Highbury that they can finally make the breakthrough this year.

Vieira, who insists that he does not need a rest, believes Arsenal have the best chance of all four English entrants, although he accepts Real Madrid and Bayern Munich are their main rivals.

Ahead of tomorrow’s opening group tie against German champions Borussia Dortmund at Highbury, he declared: “We have to show that we’ve learned from our past experiences.

“It’s time for us to show that we are a great side and, if we want to be one of the big clubs in Europe, you have to win the Champions League.

“Every big club has already won the European championship already and, if we want to be one of them, then we have to win it.

“We know we have the side to do it, but there’s a really long way to go yet. This is only the first game and what is important is getting through this stage before planning anything else.”

Manchester United have had a better Champions League pedigree over recent seasons, but Vieira believes the Gunners have the squad to outperform their main domestic rivals at home and abroad.

“When you see the squad we have with Robert Pires, Giovanni van Bronckhorst and Freddie Ljungberg still to come back, that will be fantastic,” he added.

“It’s about self-belief. We really believe in ourselves, we know we have a fantastic side, can score at any time and know we are stronger than we used to be.

“We have more experience in the competition now. That will be very important for us.”

The French international believes that although Arsenal failed to emerge from the second group stage last season, they proved their credentials in their two games against eventual finalists Bayer Leverkusen.

“We were a bit disappointed at getting a draw there and we had a fantastic game against them at home, but then Leverkusen were still in the final,” he observed.

“We thought it should have been us but at least we could prove to ourselves we were not too far away from the best teams.

“All of us want to do something now as we want to achieve something in European football and we know that we can do it.”

As for himself, Vieira was quoted last week as having declared himself to be “cooked” and in dire need of a break from action.

He now insists that was simply a post-match over-reaction after an exhausting schedule of two games in four days and he denied ever professing the need for a rest so early in the season.

“I’m feeling really well,” he maintained.

“I never asked for a rest. I was feeling tired as I’d just played with the French national team on the Sunday and then against Manchester City on the Tuesday.

“But I was happy to play at Charlton last Saturday and I’ll be happy to play against Dortmund.

“I wasn’t happy with the way I was playing as I’m always hard on myself, but I wasn’t too worried as the important thing is that the team are winning. That’s what really matters.”