Wenger: Barcelona defeat was the worst day of my football life

Arsene Wenger last night admitted he is desperate to avenge the biggest regret of his managerial career.

Wenger is still haunted by ­Arsenal’s defeat to Barcelona in the 2006 Champions League final and yesterday’s draw threw up another meeting of the footballing purists.

Arsenal boss Wenger is more focused on knocking out the reigning European champions than Thierry Henry’s emotional first return to the Emirates since leaving in 2007.

The reason Wenger cannot forget the final in Paris is that Jens Lehmann was sent off for a ­professional foul after just 18 minutes and yet Arsenal still came desperately close to beating Barcelona.

Wenger, who has never won the European Cup in an otherwise glittering managerial career, said: “Of course it is the biggest regret. When a referee makes a decision like that he has to be ­absolutely sure.

“You cannot kill a final that one billion people watch. Yes, we have regrets. I do not say we could not win the game. Thierry had two good chances. But it was not the game that everybody expected on the day.

“We had a fantastic season in the Champions League, we only lost one game and that was the final, in the whole season. The game was not there. Eleven against 11, it would have been a fantastic game.

“Then we had to take Pires off, and he still hates me today! We took a great player out who could have added to the quality of the game.

“You never forget completely about the game and in a Champions League final you know you will not get back there necessarily the next year. You never forget it, but you have to focus on what is in front of you in this job.

“I did an interview recently about ten years at Arsenal. I was surprised at how much I remembered from every single little disappointment. I thought I had forgotten but every little detail came out in my head.”

It will be a rematch between Arsenal and Barcelona, an emotional return for Henry and also a ­showdown between fit-again Cesc Fabregas and Lionel Messi – team-mates in the same youth team at the Nou Camp.

Wenger said: “Henry had a fantastic time at Arsenal, and we are forever grateful but, on the day, you think really we will be focused on how Thierry will feel on the day? We will be focused on our game. The rest will be disrespectful.

“We are always in contact. But I believe what is important is on the day that everyone sees a good ­football game and that we win it! The best way is to focus on us and not too much on our opponents.

“Fabregas and Messi are completely different players. What is interesting is that they played together in the youth team.

“When I spoke with Fabregas’s mother when she brought him here at 16, she said they always won 6-0, 7-0, 8-0 or 9-0 because Pique, Messi and Fabregas played in the same team.

"There will certainly be some emotion there but Fabregas is a winner, he wants first to qualify. I believe Cesc goes into every single game to win it – if it was Barcelona or someone else, he will just want to qualify.

“I believe we will not be favourites but, for me, it will be a 50-50 game. That’s how we have to take it. Of course they are a good side, so are we. We have to make sure we have the belief and focus right.”

Wenger, however, is “80 per cent” he will be without William Gallas for the quarter final first leg as the French defender has now been sent to the same rehabilitation centre near Biarritz which was used by Ashley Cole.

Gallas, 32, is recovering from a calf injury and Wenger admits that Arsenal have yet to reach agreement on a new contract after failing to thrash out a deal after the first meeting.

Wenger said: “He is in a rehabilitation centre in France. The progress is not as quick as I expected it to be. We need to be a little patient. He had two recurrences of the calf so we have to be more patient than before.

“But it will not affect the contract. We have had one meeting and will have another. It is a muscle problem. If it was a joint problem, his knees ageing then I would say ‘hmmm’. But it is a minor muscle problem and we are confident.”

Wenger insists going out of Europe will hit title rivals Chelsea hard and also challenged his players to send out a strong message against West Ham today.

Wenger added: “On a fatigue factor, yes certainly physically Chelsea have an advantage. However, mentally they have a big disadvantage because it is a huge disappointment to go out.

“This is a big weekend for us. Every time in this kind of situation, we took advantage. Last weekend at Hull, it was difficult for us.

“Now it is important, at home, there is no other issue for us than three points in every single game.”