Arsenal defender Gabriel has pledged to remain confident in taking penalties despite his miss in last season’s Champions League final. The Brazilian centre-back was responsible for the decisive spot-kick that he struck over the bar during the shootout against Paris Saint-Germain in the May 2023 final held in Budapest, which ended the English club’s pursuit of their first European Cup.
That penalty was the first Gabriel had ever taken in his professional career, and the 28-year-old admitted the experience left him distraught. Speaking ahead of Arsenal’s Europa League home fixture against Lille, Gabriel said he has learned from the setback and would be willing to step up again if presented with the chance. “If I have another penalty, I will be there to take it,” he said. “My team-mates helped me a lot. I was sad, and I didn’t want to miss a penalty, but I have learned from it and if I have another opportunity, I will be ready to take it.”
In the immediate aftermath, Arsenal teammates provided support, with PSG defender and Brazil teammate Marquinhos notably among the first to console Gabriel. Marquinhos’ gesture was later recognized with UEFA’s inaugural Respect: Beyond the Game Award. Beyond club support, Gabriel credited his national coach Carlo Ancelotti and fellow Brazilian players for helping him move past the disappointment during the World Cup period. “In football everything can happen,” Gabriel reflected. “After the penalty, my team-mates grabbed me. I was sad and I just wanted to forget that moment. After that, I had the World Cup and the Brazilian players and the coach said a lot of positive things to me. Like Marquinhos did when he was there and he helped me a lot.”
Gabriel faces his former club Lille in Thursday’s match, marking his first encounter with the French side since joining Arsenal in 2020 for a reported £27 million. Since his arrival, he has established himself as one of Europe’s leading defenders and earned praise from Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta. Arteta highlighted Gabriel’s significant growth both as a player and a leader within the squad, remarking on his willingness to accept responsibility despite the penalty miss. “His personal transformation and then the way he has evolved all the qualities that he already had to become one of the big leaders of the team and of the club… that also comes with responsibility, he took that responsibility and in that moment it did not go the right way but I’m sure if we had the opportunity to do it again then he would do it again.”
Looking ahead, Gabriel expressed determination to channel the experience into a successful Champions League campaign with Arsenal. “We are very motivated, and we want to attack every trophy,” he said. “We will have another opportunity to win the Champions League. We are ready.”