WATCH: Arsenal fans make Rio Ferdinand PAY for his ‘comments’ on Bukayo Saka on the flight

Rio Ferdinand had claimed that Bukayo Saka was not a World Class player, unlike his international teammate Phil Foden.

WATCH: Arsenal fans make Rio Ferdinand PAY for his ‘comments’ on Bukayo Saka on the flight

Rio Ferdinand claims Bukayo Saka is not world class (Image via Goal)

While featuring on a podcast, Rio Ferdinand claimed that Arsenal star Bukayo Saka was not world-class. He claimed Saka was a good player, but not world-class like Manchester City star Phil Foden. Ferdinand made many fans angry with that statement, claiming it was his anti-Arsenal bias speaking out. 

Just a week after making the controversial statement, he traveled to Portugal to cover the Champions League tie between Arsenal and Porto, which will be played on the 21st night. Unfortunately, the former United defender was stuck on a flight with the Arsenal fans. 

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Realizing Ferdinand was on the flight with them, the Arsenal fans started chanting “Saka is world class” to annoy him. They further started singing many Arsenal songs, with one reminding the United center-back how Arsenal won the league at Old Trafford in 2002. 

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Ferdinand decided to have some fun of his own, asking the flight attendant to let him speak through the PA system. Taking it, he once again repeated how he believed Saka was not a world-class player, leading to mixed reactions from the Arsenal fans. 

Saka is a fantastic player, just not world class yet. He will be one day, just not yet!
Rio Ferdinand to the Arsenal fans in the flight

Rio Ferdinand covers the Champions League with TNT Sports and is in Portugal to cover Arsenal’s first Champions League Knockout match in over 7 years. The last time they featured in a Champions League knockout match was in 2017 when Bayern Munich scored 10 goals in two matches. 

Bukayo Saka hails Arsenal fans as they create new chants 

As Arsenal beat Burnley 0-5 at Turf Moor, the traveling Arsenal fans showed their creative sides. They started singing about how half their team put the ball in the Burnley net, something they sang when they also beat West Ham 0-6. 

Bukayo Saka
Bukayo Saka scored a brace in a 0-5 win over Burnley (Image via Goal)

They then started singing about how stadiums got empty everywhere they went, as the West Ham and Burnley fans started leaving the stadium between the matches. Arsenal star Bukayo Saka, who has scored a brace, said he enjoyed listening to the fans singing out their new chants and loved it.

Yeah it was a lot of fun out there. I really enjoyed it and it's nice to see the fans coming up with new chants and stuff. I just loved it, so I enjoyed it.
Bukayo Saka on the Arsenal fans

Arsenal now wait for their first UCL Round of 16 match in seven years. After topping their group, they have gotten a team that seems to be struggling in the Liga Portugal, seven points off the top. They will be playing at the Estadio de Dragao on 22nd of February. The 2nd leg will be on 12th March. 

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