Sevilla won the UEFA Europa League trophy for the fifth time in 10 seasons after beating AS Roma 4-1 in a penalty shootout on Wednesday’s final in Budapest.
The game finished 1-1 following extra-time after Paulo Dybala’s opening goal was earlier nilled-off out by an own goal from Roma defender Gianluca Mancini in the 55th minute. The busy match also saw 13 players and coach Jose Mourinho receive yellow cards – a total of 14 yellow cards – making it the highest number ever in a UEFA Europa League game.
Sevilla goalkeeper Yassine Bounou was the hero of the final match with two saves, and for 62-year-old Jose Luis Mendilibar who only took over at Sevilla in March, winning the UEFA Europa League trophy was a landmark achievement.
Gonzalo Montiel, who scored the winning penalty in the 2022 World Cup final, when Argentina beat France, came through again to score the decisive penalty kick after Mancini and Roger Ibanez failed to score for Roma.
“We are going to enjoy this because it has cost a lot and right now I don’t know if I will renew or not and I don’t care,” said Jose Luis Mendilibar, who is not certain to be at the club next season.
The veteran coach was brought in to save the club from relegation and has led them to safety as well as European glory.
“When I arrived I told the players that they were very good but that they were not mentally in the right place and that was my job,” he said.
“They have shown me in the end that they are very good.”
Sevilla has won the Europa League a record seven times, including twice when it was called the UEFA Cup prior to a 2009 rebrand. They have also never lost a UEFA Cup or Europa League final.
For Roma boss Jose Mourinho, the loss was the first European final for the first time after five successes.
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