By Samuel A. June 1, 2023
Sevilla have won the Europa League final, beating Roma 4-1 on penalties following a 1-1 draw after extra time. The Spanish side came from 1-0 down to take the game to penalties in which they stepped up to win the competition once again. Gonzalo Montiel, who initially missed his deciding penalty to win it for the La Liga side, scored the retake after VAR spotted encroachment by Roma’s keeper. The victory extends Sevilla’s Europa League record as they lift the trophy for a record seventh time. In addition to winning the competition, they have also secured qualification for next season’s Champions League.
A cagey first half was brought to life when Roma opened the scoring in the 34th minute with a cool finish from Paolo Dybala after a smart through ball from Gianluca Mancini. However, the delight didn’t last long for Mancini, as he spun a cross from Jesus Navas into his own net to make it 1-1 in the 55th minute. Sevilla had a penalty decision overturned by VAR at a point in the game, but in the end, no side could break the deadlock after 90 minutes of play.
Extra time was perhaps most notable for a galore of yellow cards, taking the total on the night up to 13, but still, neither Roma nor Sevilla were able to add the winning goal. Chris Smalling was a inches away from writing himself into Roma history with a looping header in the 10th additional minute after extra time, and then it all went down to penalties, where Sevilla reigned supreme, as they won 4-1, with their players being clinical from the spot, and of course, Bounou’s heroics.
“When it comes to penalties, it’s really hard to lose,” Smalling said after the game. “We are very disappointed, we came here determined to win and we gave everything. In penalty shootouts, it is a lottery, and those who came forward did very well in my eyes. You all saw the disappointment of everyone and the opponent’s celebration will stay with us for a while. We must have another opportunity next season too.”
It was a special night for Sevilla, but most importantly for Jesus Navas, as he achieved a record equalling fourth Europa League medal to his collection. All four have come with Sevilla, with today’s medal coming 17 years after his first.
After the victory, Navas called for Jose Luis Mendilibar to remain as Sevilla’s manager. “It’s unbelievable with the year we’ve had. We have suffered a lot and again we have done it, this is very big” he said. “The team stood up and pulled everything out because Sevilla are very big and we have fought like nobody else. The fans carry us and this is a competition that has given us a lot. We’re back to making history, to being among the greats. It’s all been said about Mendilibar. He’s transformed us and made us bring out the best in ourselves. He deserves to stay with us for a long time to come. He’s had a tough time too and now he has to enjoy it.”
There was a person that was not happy with the result, especially because of the refereeing decisions, was Jose Mourinho. The Portuguese had never lost an European final until Wednesday night, but he had an excuse of wrong refereeing decisions. “It is an unfair result with events against us”, said Mou. “The referee seemed Spanish, yellows everywhere. Lamela should have been sent off. Penalties are penalties…. Did the referee have any influence on the result? Not one, but many. I gave the medal to a fan because I always give silver medals as a present. I keep the gold ones and give away the silver ones.”
The manager also spoke about his future at Roma: “I want to stay at Roma but my players deserve more… and I also deserve more. I’m really tired to be manager, head of communication, face of the club. I want to stay, but with right conditions to give my best.”
Each and every Sevilla player involved this evening will remember this game for the rest of their lives and, for a few of the players, it caps off an extra special campaign. There was a moment of perfect symmetry for Gonzalo Montiel who, at the second time of asking, added a Europa League-winning penalty to the one that won the final of the 2022 World Cup for Argentina in December. His team-mates Bono and Youssef En- Nesyri also enjoyed a fantastic World Cup with Morocco, who became the first African team to reach the semi- final. This season has been a long and taxing one, but it is one that will live long in the memory of those players.
