Tusport - News - Arteta rails at decisions as Arsenal fall to PSG on pens

Mikel Arteta cut a wounded yet defiant figure after Arsenal FC lost the UEFA Champions League final to Paris Saint-Germain on penalties, lamenting crucial decisions he felt went against his side. Speaking in the immediate aftermath, the Spaniard argued that consistency in officiating deserted Arsenal at decisive moments, particularly inside the penalty area. He referenced incidents across this season’s competition, including one involving Nuno Mendes and Noni Madueke and another call related to Cristhian Mosquera, to illustrate what he sees as uneven standards. “I watch it back and [Mendes on Madueke] could easily be a penalty,” Arteta said, reflecting on precedent he believes was set earlier in the tournament. “This season, the referee made a decision, and he made a different one with Cristhian Mosquera and that is an important one.” The final itself was a cagey, high-stakes affair. After 120 tense minutes, the score remained level and the trophy was decided from the spot. Arsenal’s brave run—remarkably their first appearance in the showpiece for 22 years—ended in heartbreak, while PSG secured back-to-back European crowns. Arteta congratulated the French champions, acknowledging their quality and organization under an elite coaching staff. “They are a superb team and I congratulate them. Individual quality they have, the manner they are coached, they are a top, top team.” Even as he aired his frustration at the penalty-area calls—“When something had to go our way, especially in the boxes... those didn’t go for us”—Arteta’s message to his players remained one of pride and perspective. He underlined the resilience shown throughout a campaign that also delivered domestic glory, and he urged the squad to absorb the pain as fuel for another push. “It is just a privilege to manage this group. We got a big one and missed out on the biggest one,” he said, insisting the experience would sharpen Arsenal’s ambition rather than blunt it. Arteta stressed the emotional toll of losing a final by the slimmest of margins, but he framed the setback as part of a longer journey. “You have to go through the emotions and if you’re in pain, then go through the pain. Think you could do something else, then learn from it.” With a modern, aggressive style that has carried Arsenal deep into Europe, the manager believes the team now owns a platform to return. Whether reflecting on marginal refereeing calls or the ruthlessness required in penalty shootouts, his conclusion was clear: Arsenal will come back wiser, harder—and still hungry.