Arsenal were denied a penalty in the Champions League final for what was believed to be a foul on Noni Madueke by Paris Saint-Germain defender Nuno Mendes.
Declan Rice talks about controversial penalty decision in extra time
Declan Rice believes the penalty not awarded in the Champions League final against Paris Saint-Germain was very similar to the penalty awarded against Bayer Leverkusen. Noni Madueke and PSG defender Nuno Mendes collapsed into the penalty area, arm in arm.
The Arsenal winger was also involved in the incident that Rice referred to when he won a penalty against the German side in the first leg of the round of 16. At that time, Leverkusen defender Malik Tillman was found to have fouled Maduke.
Instead, PSG was awarded a penalty in the final. Cristian Mosquera brought down Juvica Kvaratschelia and Ousmane Dembele equalized with a penalty in the second half.
Asked about the incident between Madueke and Mendes, Rice told TNT Sports after the game: “I haven’t seen it yet. I think at first glance on the pitch he’s above Nuno Mendes. And if you look back at the game we had against Bayer Leverkusen, it’s very similar.”
“But look, I’m not going to get into that. Obviously, at the time I thought the referee was going to see it, so I had a boner.”
“Obviously, it wasn’t clear enough to pen. I thought so, and so did the bench and the players.” Rice was initially furious at the decision and was ordered to protest on the field.
Mikel Arteta thinks it should have been a penalty (Image: TNT Sports)
Meanwhile, Mikel Arteta insists it should have been a spot-kick after watching the replays. The Gunners manager, who also received a yellow card for swearing on the touchline, told TNT Sports at the time:
“Especially if you look at the penalties in this season’s competition. The referee made that decision. He made a different decision against Mosquera. Yes, that is an important decision.”
Rice also spoke about Arteta’s state of mind and what he said in the locker room after the defeat. The midfielder added: “He has a broken bone, yes he has a broken bone. We all have a broken bone, this is the Champions League final, the emotions and the stakes are very high. It’s cruel, it’s cruel, that’s football.”
Follow the Arsenal FB page! For the latest Gunners news and details, visit our dedicated Facebook page.
“But he talked about how much he loves us as a group. You know, what we’ve done this season in terms of how we’ve been giving 100 percent in every game, all things considered, everything that’s been thrown at us.
“I think we’ve come really far as a group this year. I think we’ve come really far. And this is just the beginning for this group. Obviously, we got over the line in the Premier League. It’s a dream come true. This would have been another step forward, but it wasn’t meant to be.”
“But we continue to grow, you know, since I came to this club we had a quarter-final loss, a semi-final and a final. So, look, we keep moving forward, we keep positive. That’s one characteristic of this group, this doesn’t define us.”
Join our new WhatsApp community and receive Mirror Football content every day. Community members also receive special offers, promotions, and advertisements from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can always check out. If you are interested, please read our privacy notice.
