PSG star reveals text message Gabriel sent him after Champions League celebration

Marquinhos showcased his class in the Champions League final as he ran up to console Gabriel following his decisive miss for Arsenal, with the defender since reaching out

PSG skipper Marquinhos has revealed that Gabriel reached out to thank him for his reaction after his penalty miss cost Arsenal in the Champions League final.

The Parisians retained their crown in Budapest, winning 4-3 on penalties to become only the second team go back-to-back in the Champions League era. Eberechi Eze missed from 12 yards for the Gunners but it was their Brazilian defender that skied the decisive penalty.

Gabriel has been a towering presence for Arsenal this term, but endured a real low. The 28-year-old was immediately consoled after missing by Marquinhos, who ran to him instead of celebrating with team-mates.

The pair have formed a strong bond through their time on the international stage and Marquinhos revealed that Gabriel had reached out. Speaking in a news conference he said: “A day later, I received a message from him thanking me for that moment, for the support, for the hug, and for the words I’d shared with him. I told him it had been my greatest victory that night, and that the reaction it generated was great.

“My mum came over, proud of what I’d done, along with my wife, family and brothers. It was the best accolade I received that night. Players have to move on to the next challenge very quickly. I can’t keep celebrating forever; we’ve got other things to do, and so does he.”

Marquinhos was perhaps ideally placed to understand Gabriel's pain having suffered a similar experience to his international team-mate. He missed the crucial penalty that saw Brazil knocked out of the World Cup last quarter-finals against Croatia back in 2022.

The PSG star opened up on his discussion with Gabriel, complimenting the Arsenal star and underlining that great opportunities lie ahead.

“I told him that, in my opinion, he was the best centre-back in the world this season," said Marquinhos. "He simply didn’t deserve to carry that burden because, of course, we all want to score penalties.

“I told him that nothing about that moment would take away from the wonderful season he’d had and that we were going to need him very much. Those were my words to him, so that he could get over that moment as quickly as possible because we were going to need him very soon here.”