PSG won a Champions League final in Budapest on Saturday, beating Arsenal 1-1 on extra time and 5-4 on penalties. But the post-match spotlight has been split between Matvei Safonov’s mixed performance and the cheeky comeback from his wife, Marina Kondratiuk, a
PSG’s Champions League night in Budapest was all tension—then it all boiled down to a shootout. The final finished 1-1 after extra time, with Arsenal punished on penalties as PSG edged through 5-4.
Matvei Safonov was part of the winning side, even if the narrative around his display wasn’t simple. There were calls that he could have done more when Kai Havertz struck early for Arsenal. and Safonov also failed to save a penalty. Eberechi Eze and Gabriel had shots that went off target as the drama dragged on. but the result still landed in PSG’s hands.
The strange twist is that the spotlight off the pitch landed on Safonov’s home life before the final—after OnlyFans model Mary Rock offered the goalkeeper a deal that was never going to be taken at face value. Rock posted last week addressing “Matvey Safonov” as a PSG fan. wishing him luck and victory against Arsenal in the Champions League final. Then she added a promise designed to sweeten the outcome: “I promise you as many passionate nights as you have saves in the match!”.
Rock’s pitch didn’t land the way she likely expected. Safonov’s wife. Marina Kondratiuk. hit back with a comment that kept the tone light while also making her priorities clear. Speaking ahead of the match. she said: “An adult actress wished my husband good luck for the Champions League final and promised a hot night for every save.”.
Kondratiuk then added that Safonov wouldn’t be treating the offer as romance at all. In her view, “passionate nights mean doing crosswords, watching the quiz show ‘What? Where? When?’ and going to bed at 11.30pm because, damn it, he has to get up early the next day for training.”
Rock later responded again, admitting she would not be watching the final. She said she has to travel, adding: “Unfortunately, I have to travel, so I’ll avoid looking at the screen. But as soon as the result is in, I hope I can send him a message on Instagram.”
Asked what message she would send, Rock said she hoped it would be “a hot note,” before returning to the practical alternative that Safonov’s wife had already turned into a joke: “We can do crosswords together and talk about it.”
That detail has been impossible to ignore in the run-up to this final. partly because Safonov’s role in the match itself didn’t produce the clean highlight the wager would demand. His team won. but he didn’t make a save in the game. despite being positioned as a hero in the aftermath. Havertz provided Arsenal’s only shot on target when he scored in the sixth minute. and the goalkeeper’s failure to stop a penalty later added fuel to the debate.
Even so, Safonov’s domestic image remains tied to routine rather than headlines. The Russian is proudly married and often shares snaps of his adventures with Kondratiuk on social media.
He joined PSG from Krasnodar in Russia for around £17.3million and initially moved into the squad as back-up to Gianluigi Donnarumma. This year. his path to starting football shifted again: he was supposed to be second choice behind Lucas Chevalier. but the 24-year-old was displaced and Safonov became PSG’s undisputed No 1.
For all the Champions League stakes in Budapest, the loudest moment for Safonov before the final may have come from an unexpected corner—an adult actress promising “passionate nights,” only to be answered with crosswords, quiz shows, and an 11.30pm bedtime.
PSG Arsenal Champions League final Matvei Safonov Marina Kondratiuk Mary Rock OnlyFans penalties Budapest Kai Havertz Eberechi Eze Gabriel