SAINT-DENIS: Barcelona is champion of Europe for the first time in 14 years. Arsenal still doesn't know what it feels like. A week after capturing its second straight Spanish League title, Barcelona regained the Champions League title by rallying to beat the Gunners 2-1 on Wednesday.

While both clubs will return for next season's Champions League, Barcelona gets automatic berth in the group stage while Arsenal — a fourth place finisher in the English Premier League — must get there through the qualifying phase.

Arsenal's talismanic striker Thierry Henry is still thinking about whether to stay at Arsenal, where he has played for seven years, or move somewhere else to capture more trophies. He repeatedly has been linked with Barcelona.

Huge blow

``With the sledgehammer blow that we just took it's difficult to think about all that,'' the French star said in reference to Arsenal's loss to Barcelona in its first Champions League final. But he said the decision wasn't far away.

``Before the World Cup, very soon,'' he said.

While Barcelona celebrated its first Champions League triumph since 1992, it left a bad taste for Henry and Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger, both of whom blamed Norwegian referee Terje Hauge.

``I don't know if the ref had a Barcelona shirt on or something,'' Henry said. ``If they don't want us to win it, just say it right from the start. I always expect the ref to do his job. I don't think he did.

``No disrespect to Barcelona. I feel we played better than them when it was 11 against 11,'' Henry said. ``We can be proud, we can be more than proud, but I'm sorry, some of the refereeing today was horrendous.''

Angry Wenger

He wasn't the only Frenchman blaming the referee.

``I'm very angry,'' said Wenger, who appeared on course to becoming the first French coach to win the European club title. ``I'm frustrated at losing the match but I'm angry at conceding an offside goal. It's difficult to accept losing the game on a poor decision.

``That goal was offside and it was proven on television. At this level, we should not accept this and we have to do something about it.''

Wenger referred to the 76th-minute goal by Cameroon striker Samuel Eto'o, the first of two in five minutes that rallied Barcelona from a 1-0 deficit caused by Sol Campbell's first-half header.

Juliano Belletti's winner in the 81st enabled Barcelona prevail over a Gunners side reduced to 10 men in the 18th minute with the ejection of goalkeeper Jens Lehmann.

The German was shown a straight red card for tripping a goal bound Eto'o and Arsenal wound up packing the midfield, leaving Henry up front alone.

"Arsenal started really well and I think the sending off changed the game dramatically — there's no doubt about that,'' Barcelona coach Frank Rijkaard said.

``It was a pity for the game itself, but you have to live with it. Even with 10 men they were dangerous.

``When they went 1-0 ahead it gave them a lot of mental strength and team spirit,'' Rijkaard said. ``But when we scored our equalising goal, mentally this changed them — something broke in them.''

As for the beaten Henry, he's thinking of changing his tactics.

``I think I'm going to learn how to cheat, how to fall and roll on the ground,'' he said. ``I'm not usually a troublemaker or anything, but I've just seen on TV that Eto'o was offside. With 10 players, you can fight, but you can't fight against the referee. It really makes you sick to lose like that. It kills you.''

— AP

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