Friday, 6 May 2011

Portuguese Europa League Final in Dublin


Portuguese Liga rivals FC Porto and SC Braga will contest the 2010/11 UEFA Europa League final in Dublin and, as UEFA.com reveals, one-nation European showpieces are not unusual.

The 2010/11 UEFA Europa League final will see Portuguese sides meet in a major continental final for the first time, as Liga titleholders FC Porto face SC Braga in Dublin on 18 May. Yet one-nation showpieces are not unusual: seven UEFA Cup finals have been contested by teams representing the same national association. UEFA.com looks back.

1971/72
Wolverhampton Wanderers FC 1-2 Tottenham Hotspur FC 
Tottenham Hotspur FC 1-1 Wolverhampton Wanderers FC
(Tottenham win 3-2 on aggregate)
The first UEFA Cup final was an all-English affair, much to the disappointment of Spurs striker Alan Mullery. "You expect surprises in Europe, but we had already played Wolves twice in the league," he explained. "We both knew what to expect." Two Martin Chivers goals helped Bill Nicholson's side grab a 2-1 away win, with Mullery on target in the second leg as goalkeeper Pat Jennings helped prevent a Wolves fightback.

1979/80
VfL Borussia Mönchengladbach 3-2 Eintracht Frankfurt
Eintracht Frankfurt 1-0 VfL Borussia Mönchengladbach
(agg 3-3, Eintracht win on away goals)
After two all-German semi-finals Mönchengladbach were favourites to win the trophy. A 19-year-old Lothar Matthäus scored as they won the home leg 3-2 and the return looked set to end 0-0 when another youngster, Fred Schaub, poked in the winner for Eintracht four minutes after his late introduction. "The ball came to me on my stronger left foot," said Schaub, who was tragically killed in a car accident in 2003. "It was an indescribable feeling when it went in; the whole stadium went nuts."

1989/90 
Juventus 3-1 ACF Fiorentina
ACF Fiorentina 0-0 Juventus
(Juventus win 3-1 on aggregate)
Juventus won their second UEFA Cup with Roberto Baggio on the losing side against the club he would join the following month. After a 3-1 victory in Turin, the Bianconeri held the Viola to a goalless draw on neutral ground in Avellino despite playing with ten men for the last 30 minutes. It was not enough to save coach Dino Zoff's job. "Fate is cruel sometimes," the former goalkeeper said. "But lifting the UEFA Cup was consolation for this huge disappointment."

1990/91
FC Internazionale Milano 2-0 AS Roma
AS Roma 1-0 FC Internazionale Milano
(Inter win 2-1 on aggregate)
Giovanni Trapattoni's Inter prevailed in the second successive all-Italian final, with a Matthäus penalty and Nicola Berti's goal earning a 2-0 win at San Siro. The Giallorossi dominated the return fixture but scored only once, through Ruggiero Rizzitelli ten minutes from time. "We had a great match," said Roma coach Ottavio Bianchi. "We penned them into their box for most of the game. Unfortunately it wasn't enough."

1994/95
Parma FC 1-0 Juventus
Juventus 1-1 Parma FC
(Parma win 2-1 on aggregate)
In his second all-Italian UEFA Cup final, this time in a Juventus shirt, Roberto Baggio was upstaged by another Baggio, as Parma midfielder Dino scored the only goal in the first leg before cancelling out Gianluca Vialli's strike in the return fixture. The final came soon after Juventus left-back Andrea Fortunato had died aged 23 of a rare form of leukemia. "I know the Juventus players would have dedicated this trophy to him," said Parma coach Nevio Scala. "I want to do the same."

1997/98
FC Internazionale Milano 3-0 S.S. Lazio
Sven-Göran Eriksson's Lazio lost the only game of their 1997/98 European campaign at the Parc des Princes as the first one-legged UEFA Cup final went Inter's way. Iván Zamorano put them ahead on five minutes and things got worse for the Biancocelesti when Lazio substitute Matías Almeyda got himself sent off. Javier Zanetti and Ronaldo rounded off the scoring. "They deserved to win," conceded Eriksson, "but not 3-0."

2006/07
Sevilla FC 2-2 RCD Espanyol
(aet, Sevilla win 3-1 on penalties)
For only the second time in the competition's history a side successfully defended the UEFA Cup, Sevilla matching Real Madrid CF's achievements in 1985 and 1986. Juande Ramos's men prevailed in a shoot-out at Glasgow's Hampden Park, with Andrés Palop saving three spot kicks. "Penalties are about intuition and luck and it was on our side tonight," the goalkeeper said.


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