‘It’s Painful’ – Gabriel Speaks On Penalty Miss In PSG Defeat

Arsenal centre-back Gabriel Magalhaes has broken his silence following his UEFA Champions League final penalty miss against Paris Saint-Germain on Saturday night.

The Brazilian missed the decisive spot-kick in Budapest that saw the French giants crowned European champions for the second season running.

Kai Havertz had fired The Gunners ahead early on at the Puskas Arena before Ousmane Dembele drew PSG level from the spot midway through the second half after Cristhian Mosquera had fouled Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.

Arsenal felt aggrieved that they were not awarded a penalty in the first half of extra time following a coming together between Noni Madueke and left-back Nuno Mendes.

The Premier League champions’ protests were waved away by referee Daniel Siebert, while the VAR determined that it was not worth a further check, which did not sit well with midfielder Declan Rice and head coach Mikel Arteta, who were both booked for dissent.

With the scores level after 120 minutes of action, penalties determined the 2025/26 UEFA Champions League winners.
Eberechi Eze missed his penalty, while Mendes saw his effort saved by David Raya.

And once Lucas Beraldo struck, it was down to Gabriel to hit the back of the net to keep Arsenal’s European hopes alive.
However, the 28-year-old skied his penalty over the crossbar to confirm PSG’s triumph on penalties.

Now, the former Lille man has taken to Instagram to speak out following Saturday’s final.

“It’s painful, but I’m proud of this team and everything we achieved together this season,” Gabriel posted.

The Arsenal star went on to thank the fans for their support over the course of the campaign, adding: “Thank you to our incredible fans for your support every step of the way.

“You deserve to celebrate this journey with us and enjoy the parade today.

“See you next season.”

Gabriel ‘wanted’ to take penalty
The penalty was Gabriel’s first of his Arsenal career as the north London side went through their threadbare options to determine who would face down Matvey Safonov from 12 yards against the Parisian powerhouses.

Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard and Havertz, three players who nominally would have taken penalties for Arsenal, had already been taken off full-time in extra time, but Arteta is adamant that Gabriel “wanted” to take one of the five spot-kicks.

“He wanted to take it. Normally, the penalty takers would be Bukayo [Saka], Martin [Odegaard] and Kai [Havertz],” Arteta said.

“But we knew if the game went to extra time and penalties, different players would have to step forward.”

Arsenal still had cause for celebration despite Saturday’s heartbreak, having pipped Manchester City to the 2025/26 Premier League title, their first since the 2003/04 ‘Invincibles’ season.
TNT