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Gabriel Magalhaes has broken his silence following his decisive penalty miss in Arsenal’s Champions League final loss to Paris Saint-Germain, describing the moment as “painful.” The Brazilian centre-back saw his spot-kick sail over the bar in Budapest, allowing the French side to claim their second consecutive European title. Despite the heartbreak, Gabriel emphasised his pride in what the Gunners accomplished across a historic season.

Shootout heartbreak ends Arsenal’s double dream

Mikel Arteta’s men entered the Champions League final as newly crowned Premier League winners and made a flying start when Kai Havertz opened the scoring in the sixth minute. However, Paris Saint-Germain fought back, with Ousmane Dembele converting from the penalty spot in the second half to bring the game level. The contest then went to penalties after a tense stalemate. While David Raya managed to deny Nuno Mendes, Eberechi Eze missed his attempt soon after. The decisive moment came when Gabriel stepped up for Arsenal’s fifth penalty but sent his shot over the crossbar, triggering ecstatic celebrations for Luis Enrique’s side.

Gabriel’s message to the Arsenal faithful

Addressing Arsenal supporters on social media, Gabriel admitted his deep disappointment but reiterated his immense pride in the team’s achievements this season, including ending a 22-year wait for a Premier League title.

“It’s painful, but I’m proud of this team and everything we achieved together this season,” the defender wrote. “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!!! Love, Big Gabi.”

Arteta backs Gabriel’s bravery

In the aftermath of the defeat, Mikel Arteta defended Gabriel’s decision to take the crucial penalty. The Arsenal manager explained that the Brazilian had volunteered to take the fifth spot-kick after the team’s usual penalty takers had either been substituted or were unavailable following an exhausting 120 minutes of play.

“He (Gabriel) wanted to take number five honestly. We have prepared and trained for this moment. Normally the penalty takers would be Bukayo [Saka], Martin [Odegaard], Kai [Havertz] for sure. We knew that if we got extra time on penalties, the penalty takers would be different players, still with the quality when you see Ebz [Eberechi Eze] take penalties in training, he doesn’t miss any, but then you have to do it in this moment. It’s unfortunate not to have the same precision and efficiency that they had and that’s the reason that we haven’t won,” Arteta said.

London turns red for Premier League title parade

There will be little time for Arsenal to dwell on their Champions League heartbreak, as the club’s Premier League title parade is taking place today. Thousands of supporters have already gathered across north London to celebrate the Gunners’ first domestic league crown in over two decades, resulting in widespread travel disruptions throughout the city. Despite the disappointment in Budapest, the atmosphere in Islington remains jubilant, with Arteta and his squad leading the celebrations along a 5.6-mile victory route.