Nasri: Referee 'punished' Arsenal but extra-time penalty not a scandal

Former Arsenal midfielder Samir Nasri said match officials "punished" the Gunners during their Champions League final defeat to Paris Saint-Germain in Budapest, after Gabriel Magalhaes skyed the decisive spot-kick following a 1-1 draw. He argued the referee "systematically whistled against Arsenal" in the second half and was reacting to the side's time-wasting in the first.

One flashpoint came in extra time when substitute Noni Madueke went down in the box under pressure from Nuno Mendes and Arsenal appealed for a penalty. Nasri suggested that had the referee blown for a spot-kick VAR likely would not have overturned it, but he added that the decision not to whistle "is not a scandal" and sits in a subjective grey area.

Despite his criticism of the officiating, Nasri praised PSG coach Luis Enrique for a controlled tactical approach after Kai Havertz’s sixth-minute opener and noted the French side levelled through an Ousmane Dembele penalty.

samir nasri, arsenal, psg, champions league, budapest, gabriel magalhaes, penalty, extra time, var, luis enrique