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Gabriel Magalhaes missed the decisive penalty as Arsenalwere beaten in a shootout by Paris Saint-Germain, who retained the Champions League title with a 4-3 win on penalties after a tense final at the Puskás Aréna.
Mikel Arteta’s side had recently celebrated winning the Premier League title for the first time in 22 years, but missed out on a historic double in heartbreaking fashion.
In a touching post-match moment, PSG captain Marquinhos consoled his international teammate Gabriel as PSG players celebrated their triumph.
Reports from The Telegraph claim Arsenal have sacked former Liverpool club doctor Zaf Iqbal shortly after their Champions League final defeat.
The 51-year-old is a highly respected sports medicine specialist who had been with Arsenal since February 2024. He, however, was called into a meeting last Monday and informed that he would be leaving the club with immediate effect.
It remains unclear what formal process preceded the decision. Last month, Arsenal commissioned Spanish physiotherapist Joaquín Acedo, a long-time associate of Mikel Arteta, to review the club’s injury record following a season in which several key players spent lengthy periods on the sidelines.
There is no confirmation that Iqbal’s departure is connected to Acedo’s review, although the decision reportedly came as a surprise to both Iqbal and other members of the medical department.
He was informed of the decision by chief executive Richard Garlick, who was promoted to the role by Josh Kroenke in September.
Arsenal endured a number of significant injury setbacks despite winning the Premier League title. Players including Martin Odegaard, Bukayo Saka, Jurrien Timber and Kai Havertz all missed substantial periods of the campaign.
The club played 63 competitive matches across four competitions, in addition to five pre-season friendlies.Arteta’s demanding training methods are widely recognised within the game, with the Arsenal manager favouring sessions that replicate match intensity.
While that approach helped deliver the club’s first league title in 22 years and a place in the Champions League final, it has also prompted discussion about player workload.
Not all injuries were workload-related. Mikel Merino, for example, suffered a broken foot in January and did not return until the final day of the season.
Dr. Zaf Iqbal headed Arsenal’s sports medicine and performance department and brought extensive experience to the role.
Before joining Arsenal, he spent nearly eight years at Crystal Palace and more than four years at Liverpool, where he became head of sports medicine. He also previously worked at Tottenham Hotspur with both the academy and first-team setup.
In addition, Iqbal serves as chair of the Football Association Medical Society, which supports sports medicine professionals throughout the game.
Dr Zafar Iqbal spent four-and-a-half years at Anfield, leaving the club in January 2015 for personal reasons following a family illness.
Based at Liverpool’s Melwood training ground, Dr Iqbal oversaw the medical care of all first-team players. His responsibilities included conducting medical examinations for prospective signings, providing pitchside support on matchdays, and working closely with the club’s medical and sports science departments to develop individual fitness programmes.
A lifelong Liverpool supporter, Iqbal previously worked with League Two side Leyton Orient and England’s youth teams before joining Tottenham Hotspur. He was promoted to first-team doctor at Spurs in 2008 before making the move to Anfield.