News Archive 2005/06
| 19/05/06 No Champions League glory for
Arsenal Barcelona scored twice late on to stun 10-man Arsenal 2-1 and win the Champions League in a tense, absorbing 50th anniversary final at a rain-drenched Stade de France on Wednesday. Dennis was on the bench but didn't get on as the situation was very hard for Arsenal after Lehmann got sent off just after 18 minutes. Bergkamp, a true Arsenal legend, will get the tribute he deserves later on this site - a major, final update for the site will be up and running after the World Cup at the latest. |
| 17/05/06 Rijkaard praise for 'special'
Bergkamp Barcelona coach Frank Rijkaard has described Arsenal veteran Dennis Bergkamp as an "artist" ahead of the Champions League final in Paris. "Bergkamp is someone special," admitted Rijkaard. "I know him from the days when we played together, he was very young then. In the past few days, there has been a lot of talk about exciting football. But a long time ago, Bergkamp had already started to play an attractive game. He was one of those players who made people turn up to stadium just to watch his game. In a way he was making art, scoring beautiful goals. He has already left a mark in football." |
| 16/05/06 "Fitting script for departing
Bergkamp" The last act in the dramatic career of Dennis Bergkamp will be written on Wednesday and, according to Arsène Wenger, the script is almost perfect. The Dutchman will retire after the Champions League Final against Barcelona in Paris, bringing the curtain down on a 20-year footballing life that has been full of wonderful goals and silver-lined with trophies. Bergkamp was not signed by Wenger but is the epitome of the side he has created — stylish, technical and professional. The manager feels that a swansong in Europe's top club game could not be more fitting. "You can say that Dennis has battled for 10 years to get us where we are," he said. "So I am especially happy for him to be in the Champions League Final on the last day of his career. It could not be a better script for him." |
| 10/05/06 Birthday boy looks forward to
his Final fling Dennis has one game left in his incredible career but it is arguably the biggest. The Dutchman, 37 today, will retire after the Champions League Final next Wednesday and he admits the notion of hanging up his boots has become bigger in his mind as D-day approaches. more... |
| 10/05/06 Happy birthday Dennis! Happy birthday to the Dutch Master, 37 and still going! Let's all hope he gets the best present by winning the Champions League next Wednesday! |
| 08/05/06 Bergkamp - Playing here has been
an honour Of all the memories from Arsenal's farewell to Highbury, few match the moment when Dennis Bergkamp emerged from the bench. "It was emotional personally because it was the end of my career, but saying goodbye to Highbury was a big thing as well," said Bergkamp. more... |
| 08/05/06 Arsenal leave Highbury on a high
after 93 years Arsenal's farewell to Highbury Stadium on Sunday began as the last rites for one of English soccer's great cathedrals but ended as an almighty celebration. After 93 years, the Gunners' 2010th and final match at their north London home before moving down the hill to the new 60,000-seater Emirates Stadium ended in exhilaration. A 4-2 win over Wigan Athletic, thanks to a hat-trick from captain Thierry Henry, allowed Arsenal to jump above arch-rivals Tottenham and grab fourth place in the Premier League and the final Champions League qualifying spot. Bergkamp was given a hero's welcome when he came on for Reyes with 12 minutes left, just as news of West Ham's winning goal from Yossi Benayoun filtered through - and the celebrations could then begin. Dennis nearly chipped in a sentimental goal in the final stages but this time it just wasn't meant to be. Still, so many good Highbury and Bergkamp magic moments have been seen - thanks for the memories, legends live forever! |
| 08/05/06 "Superlative Bergkamp enhanced
our game" Gary Lineker on Dennis: "One runs out of superlatives in describing him as a player: he has great vision, awareness, touch, finish, not to mention selflessness, which for a striker almost sounds like a contradiction in terms." more... |
| 03/05/06 No more walking in a "Burgcamp"
Wonderland On May 17 Dennis Bergkamp hopes to play his last match: the Champions League final in Paris, for Arsenal against Barcelona. It would be the biggest game of his career, an appropriate exit for a footballer who created moments that people will remember decades from now, writes Simon Kuper. more... |
| 28/04/06 Facing the final curtain Soccernet's columnist Norman Hubbard compares three legendary strikers (in their own way): Alan Shearer, Duncan Ferguson and Dennis Bergkamp. more... |
| 28/04/06 Bergkamp turns down coaching
role - for now Dennis has said that he wants a clean break from the sport with which he had dedicated most of his life to when he retires at the end of the season. Bergkamp said: "At the moment I would say I won't become a coach. People say once you have been out of football for a little while you always go back, so maybe I will come back into it. But what I know for sure is that when I stop playing I want a complete break. I think when I retire I need to close that part of my life before I move on to do something else. I think it's important that I relax a little bit." |
| 17/04/06 Bergkamp astonished by Orange
invasion "Quite special," said Dennis Bergkamp with typical modesty when asked about the superb curling finish that capped both the victory over West Brom on Saturday and a day in his honour at Highbury. But then perhaps Bergkamp is not the best judge of Bergkamp Day. The thousands of fans in orange T-shirts, the healthy contingent over from Holland, the roof-lifting ovation when he came on and the words "dream strike partner" from Thierry Henry are a better barometer of the man. more... |
| 17/04/06 Henry: Bergkamp's my dream
strike partner "There's only one Dennis Bergkamp" rang around Highbury on Saturday when the veteran Dutch striker conjured up a goal to grace the day named in his honour. Thierry Henry agrees with the sentiment. "I have always said Dennis Bergkamp will remain the best partner I have ever had," said Henry. "He is a dream for a striker." more... |
| 17/04/06 Bergkamp steers Gunners to
victory Dennis took the plaudits as Arsenal left it late to beat West Bromwich Albion 3-1 at Highbury on Saturday. The Dutchman came off the bench to create one and brilliantly score another after Arsenal had been pegged back. At first The Dutchman created the 2-1 -goal made by Pires on 'Dennis Bergkamp Day' at Highbury and then went one better. The Dutch master rose to the occasion by curling a trademark shot into the top corner of the net to leave the crowd in rapture. Arsene Wenger commented after the match: ""Intelligence and class. Class is of course, most of the time linked to what you can do with the ball, but the intelligence makes you use the technique in an efficient way. It's like somebody who has a big vocabulary but he doesn't say intelligent words, and somebody who has a big vocabulary but he can talk intelligently, and that's what Dennis is all about. What he does, there's always a head and always a brain. And his technique allows him to do what he sees, and what he decides to do." |
| 09/04/06 Dennis still injured Bergkamp has had some minor knocks in the last few months and also this week he missed the action because of a groin injury. Arsenal qualified to the semi-finals in the Champions League but Man Utd was quick to drop the team back on the ground with a 2-0 -win over the Gunners today. Nevertheless, Bergy's injury shouldn't be too serious so hopefully he's fit for next Saturday's WBA-match. On Saturday April 15, Highbury is celebrating Bergkamp's 11 years at the Club with Dennis Bergkamp Day! More info can be found at Arsenal.com. |
| 15/03/06 Bergkamp scores for the reserves After returning from injury Dennis has made a few substitute appearances for the first team and yesterday morning he played 80 minutes in a friendly played behind-closed-doors at the Club's training ground. He made the only goal of the match when Theo Walcott teased his marker on the left of the area and sent over a delightful cross that invited Bergkamp to head home powerfully from close range. |
| 14/02/06 Bergkamp misses the Anfield game Dennis is injured after pulling a calf muscle in training on Sunday and won't be playing against Liverpool tonight. |
| 06/02/06 Iceman hot and bothered Bergkamp says Arsenal are trying to go two steps forward but have taken more than one step back. more... |
| 05/02/06 Site News: New poll of the month See the poll of the month for February. Previous poll results: 55% of you believe that Robin van Persie has what it takes to "replace" Bergkamp at Arsenal's attack. Total of 223 votes were submitted, thanks to all involved. |
| 24/01/06 Bergkamp returns Since last update Bergkamp has started only one match and made some substitute appearances due to minor knocks - until tonight. Still it was a hard night for Arsenal, Wigan scored in the last minute of extra time and got through to the League Cup final. Dennis played the full 120 minutes. |
| 09/12/05 Bergkamp will miss also the
Newcastle game Dennis is unlikely to recover in time for the Premier League trip to Newcastle tomorrow. "Pascal Cygan will be out so will Dennis Bergkamp," Wenger told Arsenal.com. However he added: "Dennis will not be long (out)". |
| 08/12/05 Injury hits Bergkamp's Ajax
farewell Arsenal drew their last Champions League group match with Ajax (0-0). Bergkamp was out with a hamstring tweak. |
| 27/11/05 Arsenal 3-0 Blackburn Bergkamp was a substitute against Wigan and didn't fly to Switzerland to face Thun last week so he started the Premier League match against Blackburn on Saturday. Even though Arsenal won 3-0 Dennis was pretty quiet and didn't have the best of games. Other strikers Henry and van Persie scored one each, once again. |
| 08/11/05 Site News: New poll of the month See the poll of the month for November. Previous poll results: 69% of you think that if Henry isn't available, Van Persie is the best best choice up front with Bergkamp instead of Reyes. Total of 530 votes were submitted, thanks to all involved. |
| 05/11/05 Arsenal 3-1 Sunderland Bergkamp replaced the excellent Van Persie in the 70th minute in today's league match against Sunderland. The 36-year-old striker was making his 300th Premiership appearance for the club and almost scored in the final minutes. Still it was Van Persie and Henry who were sheer class today. |
| 02/11/05 Arsenal into knockout stages Bergkamp played the whole match while Arsenal cantered into the Knockout Stages of the Champions League with a 3-0 win over Sparta Prague at Highbury on Wednesday night. Dennis almost scored in the 14th minute but his close-range shot bounced back off the bar. He had also a few more chances but no luck this time. Still it was Bergkamp who set up his compatriot van Persie to score the second goal with eight minutes left. |
| 01/11/05 Bergkamp getting games Dennis played in all of Arsenal's league matches in October. No goals for him though, it seems that the Dutch master is scoring less and less goals but - of course - it has been always about his ability to provide, not to score. Still Arsenal is struggling in front of the opposition goal at the moment and a few goals from DB10 would be more than welcome before Henry gets fully back in action. |
| 26/09/05 Bergkamp ruled out Dennis is missing from Arsenal's squad for the Champions League game at Ajax. "We've got a few injuries - Bergkamp, Henry, Gilberto and Senderos are out, but I feel we can cope," said Wenger. |
| 15/09/05 Dennis set for Amsterdam trip Arsene Wenger could ask Bergkamp to drive to Amsterdam after the striker hit the winner in Arsenal's 2-1 Champions League victory over FC Thun. Bergkamp has often missed European away games due to his fear of flying. But he could be needed against Ajax in two weeks after Robin Van Persie's red card in the first half at Highbury. "I will make the decision as late as possible. When you make a player travel that far you have to be sure that you will play him," said Wenger. "Seven hours' travel is sometimes tricky if you want to make changes to your plans at the last second." |
| 15/09/05 Bergkamp scores the last-minute
winner Bergkamp came off the bench to save Arsenal's blushes with a last-ditch winner to secure a 2-1 Champions League victory against Swiss minnows FC Thun after Robin van Persie had been sent off. Dennis showed great strength to win the ball inside Thun's penalty area and he poked the ball into the bottom corner to send Highbury into raptures. "We kept battling. We created some chances in the first half and the sending-off made it difficult for us to get going. But we did and we got a goal. They equalised but we kept fighting and there was a good spirit", he commented after the match. Wenger hailed the hero of the night: "He did very well because it's a goal full of class. But not only of class, because we are used to that from Dennis, but full of fight and determination. I feel the determination of Dennis is fantastic, he's a great example for every young player." |
| 11/09/05 Another defeat for Arsenal The Gunners suffered their second defeat of the season against Middlesbrough yesterday (2-1). Bergkamp played the whole game but didn't show any special moves. |
| 25/08/05 Arsenal 4-1 Fulham Bergkamp believes that last night's 4-1 victory over Fulham was just the tonic after Sunday's defeat at Chelsea. He played the full 90 minutes and Cygan's first (of two!) goal was headed home from Bergkamp's free-kick. After the match Dennis commented: "We had to react. It is normal that if you lose a game like that, when we thought you should have got more out of it, you try to come back with a good win and a good performance. We need games like this to realise we are a good team. Although we have lost players and did not win the League last year, it doesn’t mean we are a bad side. And it is these sorts of games that get you back to that level." |
| 22/08/05 Site News: Site back on track After a few months off this site will be updated regularly again. The Gunners have played two league matches so far: Bergkamp was in the starting XI against Newcastle (2-0 home win) but was on the bench for the whole match against Chelsea yesterday. Arsenal suffered 1-0 -defeat. |