Marquinhos, the captain of Paris Saint-Germain, revealed what he said to his Brazilian compatriot Gabriel, the Arsenal defender, after missing the decisive penalty kick in the Champions League final.
Arsenal lost to Paris Saint-Germain in Budapest, after the match ended in a 1-1 draw after extra time, before the French team won the title on penalties with a score of 4-3.
Gabriel and Eze missed two kicks for Arsenal, while David Raya blocked Nuno Mendes’ kick, before Gabriel put away the decisive fifth kick, to crown Paris Saint-Germain the title for the second time in a row.
After the match, Marquinhos appeared hugging Gabriel and consoling him, before revealing in statements reported by the British “Mirror” that he remembered the moment he missed a kick against Croatia, which caused Brazil’s exclusion from the last World Cup.
Marquinhos said: “It was a difficult moment for him and a great responsibility. I went through a similar experience and I know how difficult it is when that happens to a player.”
He added: “Gabriel was longing to win this title, and he was under tremendous pressure, realizing that if he lost it, his dream would have been shattered and we would have become champions.”
He continued: “I wanted to dedicate a few minutes from my celebrations to give him this moment, to hug him, and wish him to overcome this shock. I told him that I went through this moment and I know how difficult it is, but he is able to come back strong.”
Marquinhos praised Gabriel, stressing that he had a distinguished season with Arsenal and proved that he is one of the best defenders in the world, adding: “In Brazil, we need him for the World Cup. I just wanted to hug him to show him how much we appreciate him and congratulate him for everything he did this season.”
