A Premier League icon's fuming wife once flashed her middle finger at Arsenal fans after she had grown sick of their abuse and couldn't take it any longer
14:54, 15 May 2026Updated 14:56, 15 May 2026
Edu Gaspar and wife Paula
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Edu's wife Paula was quick to jump to his defence(Image: Instagram/edugaspar)
The furious wife of a Premier League icon once stuck her middle finger up at Arsenal fans after getting annoyed at their constant abuse.
Edu Gaspar turned out for the Gunners under Arsene Wenger, winning two Premier League titles and three FA Cups, before moving into the boardroom at the Emirates Stadium as their sporting director. He left that role in 2024, and has since had a less-than-successful spell in the same role at Nottingham Forest.
However, Edu, who celebrated his 48th birthday on Friday (May 15), has always received unwavering backing from his wife Paula, who has stood beside the former Corinthians and Brazil midfielder for more than two decades.
Paula Gaspar
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Paula Gaspar is the better half of her footballer husband(Image: Instagram/edugaspar)
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The couple wed during the summer before the 2003/04 campaign that witnessed Arsenal claim the Premier League title without suffering defeat.
While Edu commands a substantial social media presence with 435,000 Instagram followers, his wife Paula maintains a smaller, more discreet following of just under 12,000.
She grabbed attention in August 2021 when she gestured rudely at an Arsenal supporter who was unleashing an irate tirade at her husband. The atmosphere at the Emirates was different then, with Arteta's team suffering defeats in their opening two fixtures of the campaign.
Edu Gaspar and wife Paula
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Paula Gaspar once stuck her middle finger up at Arsenal fans(Image: Instagram/edugaspar)
Edu (second from right) in his playing days at Arsenal with (left to right) Robert Pires, Gilberto and Patrick Vieira
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Edu (second from right) in his playing days at Arsenal with (left to right) Robert Pires, Gilberto and Patrick Vieira(Image: Arsenal FC via Getty Images)
Paula wasn't content to sit back and watch Edu bear the brunt of criticism, though, swiftly raising her middle finger towards the irate supporter, in scenes that quickly became viral on social media.
Their teenage daughter Maria, who is now dating Douglas Luiz, also defended her father and hit back at supporters who had contacted her account. "Look at everything my father was won, look at everything that he's done," she posted on her Instagram story.
"I know about his potential. I'm not here to talk about that. But sometimes, reading this stuff, it hurts a lot. But we have to get used to this life, right. In life, there are ups and downs.
Maria Gaspar
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Maria Gaspar(Image: dudagaspaar/Instagram)
"My father has been on this life for a while, from criticism to praise, he's used to it but I am not. It hurts a lot, but we will learn [to get used to it].
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"Every day, I used to answer people on DMs, and some have asked why I stopped doing so. I can't open my DM's anymore because it's full of abuse, I don't have a lot of patience. My head is not right at the moment to explain why they're abusing my father."
Paula has also given birth to son Luigi, 20, who featured in Arsenal's academy before penning his first professional deal with Watford, and younger daughter Isa.
Little is known about her background before she encountered Edu, but she's brought up their children in the years since as he concluded his playing days before moving into a behind-the-scenes position.