Arsenal's Declan Rice reacts to controversial penalty call in Champions League final

Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice has given his verdict on his team being denied a penalty in extra time against Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League final.

The Gunners took an early lead in Budapest, before PSG scored an equaliser in the second half and eventually won the match on penalties 4-3 after centre back Gabriel missed his spot kick. 

Extra time at the Puskas Arena will be remembered for an Arsenal penalty shout in the first period after claims that Noni Madueke was fouled by PSG's Nuno Mendes in the box. 

However, referee Daniel Siebert dismissed the protests from Arsenal's players and coaching staff, with Rice and his manager Mikel Arteta being shown yellow cards for their conduct. 

Rice gives verdict on Madueke extra time penalty claim

As PSG lifted the famous trophy for a second successive season, Rice spoke to TNT Sports and gave his thoughts on the referee's decision to not award a penalty in a crucial period of the match. 

"I’ve not seen it back yet, at first glance on the pitch, I think he’s ahead of Nuno Mendes," Rice said.

"If I’m looking back at the one we got against Bayer Leverkusen, it’s very similar, but I’m not going to get into that.

"I was gutted at the time and thought the ref would go and have a look, but obviously it was not clear enough to be a pen.

"I thought it was, and so did our bench and our players."

This was not the only penalty related incident to overshadow Arsenal's defeat with Eberechi Eze and Gabriel missing their spot kicks in a tense shoot out after a gruelling 120 minutes in the Hungarian capital. 

Missing a penalty in a major final for any player is one of, if not the worst feeling for a player, and it's up the Arsenal players and staff to make sure those two players do not let these match defining moments affect them physically and mentally. 

Reflecting on their misses, Rice offered support to his teammates, and could not speak highly enough of their contributions in a season which has seen Arsenal win their first Premier League title in 22 years. 

"Devastated, to miss a penalty in a Champions League final is not nice, but we love them, we’re with them," Rice responded when asked how Eze and Gabriel are feeling. 

"That happens in football, they are not going to be the last players to miss penalties in finals, everyone’s missed a penalty, and without them two this season we would not have won the Premier League.

"Gabriel, I’ve ran out of words for him as a person, as a player. Eze as well, the crucial goals he’s come up with this year."

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