Greek team Olympiacos creates history by winning over Fiorentina in European Conference League finale.
Ayoub El Kaabi ended the 2022-23 Greek Championship on a high note by scoring a 116th-minute goal through a header from Santiago Hezze's cross in a match where the final seemed headed to penalties.
The Olympiacos supporters in Agia Sophia Stadium, home to rival club AEK Athens, celebrated frantically only to cease their celebration until a tense VAR examination confirmed the goal.
Fiorentina, undefeated in this tournament's season, faced a heartbreaking repeat of last year's Conference League final loss to West Ham.
"First European championship for Olympiacos and first for me," stated Stefan Jovetic, a former Fiorentina player, to TNT Sports. "I'm really proud of my team. You could see the atmosphere here. We rocked all year and surely deserved this."
"I just want to compliment Fiorentina, two years in a row in the final, it's a remarkable team," Jovetic added, showing empathy for the defeated team. "It's unfortunate for them, they gave their best and I wish them all the best."
Jovetic was uncertain whether the VAR was reviewing a penalty or an offside call, but when it was confirmed it was offside, he knew it was a goal.
Jovetic referenced he couldn't wait to join the "astonishing" celebrations taking place less than 20 km away in Piraeus, the port city south of Athens. Olympiacos' home base.
Images and recordings depicted chaotic, joyful scenes in the streets as thousands of fans gathered to celebrate. Fireworks and red smoke from flares lit the sky.
Olympiacos' Spanish head coach, Jose Luis Mendilibar, now has two consecutive European trophies under his belt after leading Sevilla to a Europa League title last year.
The success marks a turnaround for Mendilibar, who'd been the third coach hired by Olympiacos that season after the team experienced a challenging start to the campaign.
The notion that Olympiacos would even be in the final appeared unlikely given their 1-4 loss at home to Maccabi Tel Aviv in the round of 16. However, their 6-1 win in the second leg turned the game around.
Next, Olympiacos demonstrated supreme abilities in penalties away to Fenerbahce at a highly charged atmosphere. And lastly, they defeated Aston Villa in the semifinals.
El Kaabi also took their victory, scoring five goals in the two matches against the English premier league club. With it, he finished the tournament as the top scorer with 11 goals in nine games, increasing his seasonal tally to 33 goals in 50 games across all competitions.
By winning the championship, Olympiacos secured a spot in next year's Europa League.
Read also:
- Prodigies of sport: Littler's predecessors
- Nagelsmann's announcement: A restless Christmas for national team players
- What sports fans prefer to watch on television
- The calm before the upheaval: Nagelsmann's European Championship plans
The winning goal against Fiorentina in the European Conference League finale was scored through a header from Santiago Hezze's cross in a football match.
Following their historic victory, Olympiacos fans celebrated enthusiastically in the streets of Piraeus, the team's home base.
Source:
