João Neves did not hold back after Paris Saint-Germain beat Arsenal to win the Champions League, suggesting the French side were the only team that really tried to play football on the night.
PSG retained their European crown on Saturday, beating Arsenal 4-3 on penalties after a tense 1-1 draw at the Puskás Aréna in Budapest.
Kai Havertz gave Arsenal an early lead, but Ousmane Dembélé equalised from the spot in the second half before PSG held their nerve in the shootout.
After the match, Neves spoke emotionally about winning the Champions League for the second year in a row.
The Portuguese midfielder said he was proud not just because of the trophy, but because of the teammates, staff and people around him at PSG.
Neves was delighted with his team’s performance
He also described joining the French club as the best decision of his life, making it clear how strongly he feels about the project in Paris.
But the most talked-about part of his interview was his comment about Arsenal.
Speaking to M6, Neves said PSG deserved to win because they were “the only one who wanted to play.”
That line will definitely sting Arsenal fans, especially after such a painful defeat.
From PSG’s point of view, it is easy to understand the emotion. They had more control after equalising, showed more composure in the key moments and then delivered when it mattered in the shootout.
Reuters also described the match as a gruelling final, with PSG becoming the first side since Real Madrid between 2016 and 2018 to retain the Champions League.
Arsenal criticism sounds harsh from the PSG midfielder
For Arsenal, though, the criticism may feel harsh. Finals are not always pretty, and Mikel Arteta clearly set his team up to compete, protect spaces and make PSG uncomfortable.
Arsenal were minutes and penalties away from winning their first Champions League, so calling them unambitious might be a bit unfair.
Neves’ comments are understandable, but also slightly emotional.
PSG won, so they have earned the right to talk with confidence. They showed more calm in the decisive moments, and that is usually what separates champions from nearly-teams.
But Arsenal did not simply “not want to play.” They had a plan, and for long spells it worked. The problem is that they did not finish the job.
Arteta explained the thought process behind Gabriel taking the decisive penalty
Arsenal played like the english league has always been throughout their history before the little before 15 years ago. Launch the ball in the air and hope for the best !!! Are u kidding me, Arsenal was very lucky l. Their first goal came out of a silly mistake and a handball to stop the clearance from Marquinhos. Dembele and Kvara were playing injured. PSG as a whole were very tired. And still beat Arsenal in every football aspect. Arsenal played like a low tabled english club parking the bus and launching balls in the air. Made the whole match boring