Arsenal stars Declan Rice and Noni Madueke have accused critics of “jealousy” after the club’s Champions League final defeat to Paris Saint-Germain.
A day after Arsenal were beaten on penalties by PSG following a 1-1 draw in the final, the Gunners celebrated their Premier League title triumph with an open-top bus parade through north London.
Madueke used social media to take aim at critics, posting a picture alongside Rice with the Premier League trophy and writing: “Champions! Whilst others are tweeting and posting. Thank you God. The glory is yours!”
Rice replied in the comments, writing “Jealousy everywhere” alongside four laughing emojis.
The posts appeared to be a response to jibes from rival supporters and players in the aftermath of Arsenal’s European disappointment. Among them was Djed Spence, who revisited an Arsenal social media post from February that had mocked him after a north London derby defeat.
At the time, Arsenal had posted footage of Spence being dispossessed with the caption “Locked up.” Shortly after PSG’s victory was confirmed, the Tottenham defender responded by reposting it with eye and unlocked-padlock emojis.
Arsenal’s defeat in Budapest denied Mikel Arteta’s side the chance to complete a league and Champions League double, but the club’s first English title in 22 years ensured celebrations continued on Sunday.
Addressing supporters during the parade, Rice said Arsenal would use the final defeat as motivation.
“I love this team, I love the manager. To see the joy we can give people, it’s crazy,” he said. “But next year we’re coming back for more. Lock in or get locked out.”
The England midfielder added that the pain of losing the Champions League final would fuel the squad’s ambitions going forward.
“We are going to use this moment to add fuel to the upcoming seasons,” Rice said. “There is no reason why we are stopping here. Next season we are going to go even stronger and we are going to be ready again.”
Madueke, Rice and Spence are now set to join up with the England squad ahead of their World Cup preparations, with club rivalries temporarily put aside as they focus on international duty.
