Matvey Safonov capped off the biggest night of his career by helping Paris Saint Germain secure Champions League glory against Arsenal, but the Russian goalkeeper also found himself at the center of one of football’s strangest off pitch stories.
Safonov played a key role as PSG defeated Arsenal on penalties to lift the Champions League trophy, completing a remarkable rise after beginning the season as a backup goalkeeper behind Lucas Chevalier.
Yet while the 26 year old secured European football’s biggest prize, he missed out on a rather unusual offer that had surfaced ahead of the final.
Before kickoff, Russian adult film actress Mary Rock publicly offered Safonov what she described as a “night of passion” for every save he made during the Champions League final.
The actress, who described herself as a PSG supporter, shared a message of encouragement for her fellow Russian on social media.
“Hello Matvey Safonov! As a PSG fan, I wish you luck and victory against Arsenal in the Champions League final,” Rock wrote.
“And to make the triumph even sweeter, I promise you as many passionate nights as you have saves in the match.”
Rock continued to follow the dramatic contest closely, later sharing a screenshot during extra time with the score tied and the caption: “Fingers crossed.”
However, despite PSG ultimately emerging victorious, Safonov technically finished the night without making a save, meaning the unusual promise never came into play.
The goalkeeper conceded early in the match when Kai Havertz found the net inside the opening five minutes, while the game was later pushed to penalties after Ousmane Dembélé converted from the spot to equalize.
Although Safonov did not save a penalty in the shootout either, missed efforts from Eberechi Eze and Gabriel proved decisive as PSG sealed European glory.
Safonov’s wife, influencer Marina Kondratiuk, also joined the conversation online and responded to the viral situation with humor after seeing the actress’ public message.
“A porn actress wished my husband good luck for the Champions League final and promised a hot night for every save,” Marina joked.
“She has no idea that for him, 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.”
For Safonov, though, the unusual subplot is unlikely to matter much.
After arriving from Russian side Krasnodar in 2024 and working his way into PSG’s setup, the goalkeeper now has a Champions League winners medal to celebrate after one of the most memorable nights of his career.