Arteta questions referee after Arsenal lose Champions League final to PSG on penalties

Arsenal lost the Champions League final to Paris Saint-Germain on penalties, with Mikel Arteta immediately turning his frustration toward referee Daniel Siebert over a contentious incident in extra time that he believes should have produced a spot-kick for his side.

Kai Havertz gave Arsenal a sixth-minute lead, but Ousmane Dembele levelled from the penalty spot after Cristhian Mosquera brought down Khvicha Kvaratskhelia. Neither side could find a winner across 120 minutes, and Eberechi Eze and Gabriel both missed in the shootout as PSG claimed the trophy.

The flashpoint that drew Arteta’s sharpest criticism came late in extra time, when Noni Madueke went to ground after a challenge from Nuno Mendes inside the penalty area. Siebert waved play on, prompting a furious reaction from Declan Rice and a touchline outburst from Arteta that earned the Arsenal manager a booking.

Speaking after the final whistle, Arteta was unambiguous about his view of the decision. “I watch it back and it could easily be a penalty,” he said. “Especially we see the penalty they gave me this year in the competition. This season, the referee made a decision, and he made a different one with Cristhian Mosquera and that is an important one.”

Arteta also acknowledged the particular cruelty of losing a major final in a shootout after such a consistent campaign. “It is very tough to accept when you are so consistent in the competition all the way to the final and in the end you lose the trophy on penalty kicks,” he said. “So it is a difficult one.”

Arsenal had reached the final having impressed throughout the Champions League campaign, making the defeat all the harder to absorb. The contrast in how the two penalty decisions were judged — one awarded for the foul on Kvaratskhelia, one denied for the challenge on Madueke — is likely to remain a talking point long after the final whistle.