Arsenal defender Gabriel has admitted their Champions League penalty shoot-out defeat was “painful” as the Gunners prepared for their open-top bus parade.
Gabriel missed the crucial spot-kick against Paris St Germain as the French champions retained their crown following a 1-1 draw in Budapest.
But the Gunners will put their European heartbreak behind them when they embark on a parade through the streets of north London to celebrate their Premier League title success.
“It’s painful, but I’m proud of this team and everything we achieved together this season,” Gabriel wrote on Instagram.
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“Thank you to our incredible fans for your support every step of the way. You deserve to celebrate this journey with us and enjoy the parade today!
“See you next season!”
Mikel Arteta’s squad were due to leave the Emirates Stadium to begin their 5.6-mile parade route at 2pm.
Thousands of fans began arriving along the route in the early hours of Sunday morning, with around half-a-million expected in total.
The Gunners had been hoping for a double celebration by following up their league success with a first Champions League trophy in the club’s 140-year history.
Kai Havertz fired them into an early lead in the Hungarian capital, but PSG equalised through Ousmane Dembele’s penalty, and Eberechi Eze and Gabriel both missed in the shoot-out.
Arteta’s crestfallen players departed their hotel a few hours after the crushing loss, with the Arsenal manager vowing to use the setback as “fuel” to carry them to glory next season.
An Arsenal fan holds up a Gabriel scarf
An Arsenal fan holds up a Gabriel scarf(Gareth Fuller/PA)
Arteta said: “First of all, you have to go through that pain, digest it and turn it into fuel to improve and to reach a different level.
“I will take a few days with my family and then I will start the process to review what we’ve done.
“We will start to make some very important decisions if we want to reach another level.
“And we’re going to have to show that ambition because we are more than capable of doing it. But it’s going to demand us to be very, very ambitious, very fast and very smart.”