Havertz reveals he expected Arsenal to cancel Premier League parade after Champions League final defeat

Kai Havertz has revealed he expected Arsenal to call off their Premier League title parade after the club’s penalty shootout defeat to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League final in Budapest.

The German forward, 27, broke the deadlock in that final with a goal in the fifth minute, only for Arsenal to lose on penalties — a crushing end to a night that had promised so much. The defeat came just 11 days after the Gunners clinched the Premier League title for the first time in 22 years, and with the parade already scheduled, Havertz was uncertain it would go ahead.

“To be honest, it was tough,” Havertz told the Guardian. “After the match, I initially thought we would call the whole thing off. By the next morning, things looked different.”

Around 1.5 million supporters lined the streets of North London for the celebration, according to the Metropolitan Police — a turnout that clearly left a mark on the Arsenal striker. “We had a huge season behind us,” he said. “The club had gone 22 years without a league title so that had to be celebrated properly with the fans. I have to say I’ve never experienced anything like it. So many people on the streets, so many supporting us. It ranks among my top three experiences as a professional.”

Arsenal’s run to the Champions League final was only their second appearance in the showpiece match and their first since 2006, which had added extra weight to the occasion — and extra disappointment to the defeat.

With the domestic season behind him, Havertz has now turned his attention to the World Cup with Germany. Julian Nagelsmann’s side have made a strong start, thrashing Curacao 7-1 in their opener before edging Ivory Coast 2-1 to secure top spot in Group E. They face Ecuador next before a last-32 tie against a third-placed side.

Germany were not among the pre-tournament favourites, but Havertz is drawing on the lessons of their group-stage exit at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. “Qatar was anything but successful for us as a team and for me personally,” he acknowledged. “There’s a different energy in our squad now. I was quickly convinced that things would go better this year. We knew we had a duty not to fail early on again. We are Germany. But now the tournament is really just beginning.”