Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Joao Neves has taken a subtle dig at Arsenal following his side's Champions League final victory. The French giants secured their second consecutive European crown by defeating the Gunners on penalties in Budapest.
Match Summary
The match ended 1-1 after normal time, with Kai Havertz and Ousmane Dembele scoring for their respective sides. Neither team could find a winner in extra time, leading to a penalty shootout. Eberechi Eze and Gabriel Magalhaes missed for Arsenal, allowing PSG to clinch the trophy.
Neves' Comments
Speaking after the match, Portuguese midfielder Neves said: "The emotion is there. It's the second time I've been a European champion. It's not even the victory itself that pleases me, but playing with such teammates, this staff, and this management. Coming here was the best decision I've ever made. I love everything here. We deserved it today, because PSG were the only team that wanted to play."
He added: "This year was different. It was harder, more physical. We were European champions, so we defended our title. We're part of PSG history. We're all happy. I want to enjoy this with my teammates now."
Enrique's Verdict
PSG boss Luis Enrique also gave his assessment, stating: "I decided a long time ago to stay calm in these situations. I've tried to just enjoy it, because you need luck to win on penalties, but I thought we showed great quality in terms of our penalty kicks as well as from the goalkeeper. I think today both teams deserved to win, but the way we've played the whole season I think we deserve to win the Champions League. Next season, we will try to be there. Why not?"
Enrique acknowledged the challenge posed by Arsenal: "It was the perfect start for them, they scored from one lucky action, and after that it was a pleasure for them as they know how to defend, so it was very tough. We are used to attacking in that way with a lot of players behind the ball. We deserved to draw the match, and in the end we're happy to win the trophy."
