Olympiacos won the UEFA Conference League by defeating Fiorentina 1-0 in the final, after extra time, on Wednesday night (29), in Athens.
In its first decision, the Greek club became champions for the first time in its history of a European Cup thanks to a goal from Moroccan striker Ayoub El-Kaabi in the second stage of extra time (116′).
Fiorentina lost for the second year running in the Conference League final, after being defeated in last season’s final by English club West Ham.
Before Olympiacos’ triumph, Panathinaicos were the only Greek club to have reached a European final, when they lost to Johan Cruyff’s Ajax in the 1971 European Champion Clubs’ Cup.
Wednesday’s game seemed to be heading towards penalties until the 116th minute, when El-Kaabi got ahead of his marker to deflect a cross from Argentine Santiago Hezze in the box and score his 16th goal in European competition this season (11th in the Conference League). , of which he finished as top scorer, and 5 in the Europa League including the classification phase).
Fans of the team from Piraeus, a city on the outskirts of Athens, with a majority presence at the stadium in the Greek capital, had to wait a few minutes to celebrate the definitive goal while the play was analyzed by VAR to see if there was an offside.
For Basque coach José Luis Mendilibar, 63, this is the second consecutive European title, after having won the Europa League last year, in the final won by Sevilla against Roma on penalties.
“It’s very good, these people deserve it and we’re going to enjoy it. Mendilibar was touched by a magic wand, that’s two in a row and I hope there are many more to come,” declared Olympiacos’ veteran Spanish midfielder Vicente Iborra.
With this victory, Olympiacos guaranteed participation in the next edition of the Europa League.
After a poor start to the Greek championship, the team changed coach on three occasions, seven times in total over the last two seasons, but has transformed since ‘Mendi’ took charge in February, finishing third in the Greek Super League.
The red-and-black club, the most successful in Greece, with 47 league titles and 28 national Cups, added a continental cup to its vast trophy cabinet.
Olympiacos, which turns 100 next year, has risen to the Olympus of European football.
Source: Gazetaesportiva
Kingston is an accomplished author and journalist, known for his in-depth and engaging writing on sports. He currently works as a writer at 247 News Agency, where he has established himself as a respected voice in the sports industry.
