Arsenal secured their place in the Champions League final after beating Atletico Madrid, but one player could face a UEFA ban after an altercation with Marc Pubill following the final whistle
Gabriel Jesus could still face punishment for appearing to strike Atletico Madrid defender Marc Pubill following Arsenal’s victory over the Spanish side, potentially jeopardising his chances of featuring in the Champions League final.
Video footage from the Emirates Stadium surfaced showing Pubill seemingly attempting to disrupt the Gunners’ post-match celebrations, which Jesus took exception to. The Brazilian was then seen apparently slapping Pubill across the face.
Atletico’s Pubill had already shoved a celebrating Viktor Gyokeres from behind. The Swedish striker had been linking arms with Cristhian Mosquera and Jesus, who responded angrily.
The footage shows Mosquera trying to usher Pubill away, but Jesus’ response appeared more forceful as he seemed to make contact with the opposition player. Myles Lewis-Skelly and Declan Rice ultimately defused the situation and directed Pubill towards the tunnel.
It is understood UEFA are presently examining the official reports from the semi-final encounter, and after that, any incidents flagged will trigger proceedings and could lead to disciplinary measures.
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UEFA’s Disciplinary Panel will reach their conclusions based on a post-match report compiled by a Match Delegate.
Jesus remained on the bench throughout an evening that witnessed several heated exchanges. Diego Simeone had a tense confrontation with Arsenal transfer chief Andrea Berta, who previously worked with him in the Spanish capital.
Jesus has played a limited role in the Champions League this season, mainly being introduced from the substitutes’ bench by Mikel Arteta. The former Manchester City striker has appeared in every knockout round but now faces an anxious wait to discover whether he’ll be eligible for the final in Budapest.
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Arsenal will head to the Puskas Arena to face either Bayern Munich or Paris Saint-Germain once the Premier League season concludes. The Gunners have just over three weeks to complete their domestic fixtures before their focus shifts entirely to the European showpiece.
The heated post-match confrontation on Tuesday didn’t dampen the mood for long as Arsenal’s players threw themselves into ecstatic celebrations with their fans in north London.
Speaking on Amazon Prime, match-winner Bukayo Saka said: “Hey, you’re taking me away from the celebrations man! It’s so beautiful.
“What it means to us, what it means to the fans. We’re all so happy.
“This game is a high-pressure game, and it means a lot to both sides. We managed to manage [the game] well and take ourselves to the final, so we’re happy.”
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