PROTECTIVE PARTNER
Who is Edu’s wife Paula and how long has she been married to the Arsenal sporting director?
She even once gave an Arsenal fan the finger for insulting her man
EDU Gaspar was part of the Gunners' invincibles side that went unbeaten throughout the whole 2003-4 season.
The legend, who returned to the club's backroom staff in 2019 and has been influential in Arsenal's resurgence as title contenders, is set to quit — here's everything we know about his supportive wife Paula.
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While the reasons behind Edu's decision remain unclear, on November 4, 2024, the news broke that the highly-rated sporting director has decided to walk away from his role.
Following a reshuffle of key positions, he has been in talks with the club's hierarchy.
Just two days earlier reports emerged that Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis was hoping to bring Edu in as a sort-of CEO specialising in international football across all his endeavours.
Edu, who won 15 caps for Brazil, is married to Paula Gaspar.
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While the footballing man's wife prefers to keep out of the public spotlight, here's what we can piece together about her life and relationship with Edu from the information available.
Marriage
While the couple kept their wedding out of the news, we know that they tied the know on June 12, 1993.
This is because two decades later Edu posted a social media tribute on their anniversary.
He wrote on Instagram: "Today we are celebrating 20 years of marriage!!!"
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Children
Edu and Paula have three children together — a son named Luigi and a daughter named Maria, as well as a third child, whose details remain private.
Luigi was under contract at Arsenal and spent three years in the Gunners’ youth system, playing for the U18s and U23s.
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But rather than waiting to see if he could break into the first team, he decided to move on and continue his career away from the club.
With his contract expiring in 2022, he opted against signing a new deal under his dad’s guidance.
Instead he made the short move to Watford, whose training ground borders Arsenal’s in London Colney.
Edu said: "That's it son! Your first stint in Europe you took on expertly.
“Adaptation to the country, adaptation to a new game model, language, new teammates, new coaches and new ‘difficulties’.
“Always grow! And you've grown a lot in these three years. Congratulations!!! Be proud of it all!
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“Congratulations son!!! Now… fly!!! I love you !!! We will always be together at every step.”
Their daughter Maria works as a fashion model, per her Instagram account.
She is also somewhat of a fan, having been seen around Emirates Stadium during multiple Gunners matches.
Paula is also often seen supporting her husband and children at various events and football matches.
Social media presence
As the wife of a prominent figure in football, Paula has occasionally been in the public eye, particularly through her social media.
She has a private Instagram account with 10.4k followers as of November 2024, where she previously shared glimpses of their family life.
Her bio on the platform reads: "Mother of 3, in love with my family."
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Protective nature
Paula has been a supportive presence in Edu's life throughout his career in football, both as a player and his later roles in management and administration.
She has also shown her protective side when it comes to her family.
In August 2021, she responded to an angry Arsenal supporter who confronted Edu about the club's transfer activities.
Tempers flared around the Emirates flared as the Gunners were outclassed by London rivals Chelsea, with the capacity crowd watching Mikel Arteta's side limp to a 2-0 loss.
One supporter decided to confront Edu by getting out of his seat and berating him from the steps — a confrontation that was later posted on X/Twitter.
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While Edu managed to remain composed throughout the abuse, Paula could not contain her frustration.
After the fan had finished angrily making his point, Gaspar put her middle finger up at him as frustrations boiled over, demonstrating her willingness to stand up for her husband in the face of criticism.
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