Olympiacos secured its first major European trophy in Athens on Wednesday, defeating Fiorentina 1-0 in the Europa Conference League final. It is the first Greek football club to pull off such an achievement.
The victory came after extra time, with Ayoub El Kaabi scoring a late winner to seal the historic triumph. The win is sure to be a career highlight for Olympiacos veterans like Giorgos Masouras, Youssef El Arabi, and of course the captain Kostas Fortounis.
As the match appeared to be destined for a penalty shootout, El Kaabi quickly outmaneuvered the defender assigned to mark him and awkwardly nudged the ball into the net after making contact with Santiago Hezze’s cross.
However, both players and fans endured a long, tense wait as VAR reviewed the play for offside before ultimately awarding the goal.
Olympiacos secures historic win over Fiorentina
Fiorentina had poured its heart into the game, dominating possession and dictating the tempo throughout.
However, its hopes were shattered by the Greek team’s decisive strike in the 116th minute. As the final whistle blew, dejection washed over the Fiorentina players, many of whom slumped to the ground, their shirts pulled over their heads in despair.
Meanwhile, Manager Vincenzo Italiano sat in the dugout, grappling for words after enduring a second consecutive loss in a Europa Conference League final.
In a show of sportsmanship, the Olympiacos players set up a guard of honor for the Fiorentina players while Evangelos Marinakis ascended the podium to distribute medals, joining UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin and Theodoros Theodoridis, the Greek official, in the ceremony.
Olympiacos’ victory marks a significant moment in Greek football history, with previous attempts by Greek teams to win a major European trophy ending in failure.
In the 1970 to 1971 season, Panathinaikos FC reached the final of the European Cup (now known as the UEFA Champions League). They faced AFC Ajax in the final but were defeated 2-0. Now, however, Olympiacos will be returning to Greece with a long sought after European trophy.
What are the next steps for the victorious Greek team?
Olympiacos has secured advancement to next season’s Europa League competition. The renowned Greek team has successfully reached the league phase of the tournament, eliminating the need for qualifiers for the Piraeus outfit this summer.
This development will provide owner Evangelos Marinakis with ample time to address the contracts of 18 players whose deals expire on June 30th.
In the meantime, however, celebrations are sure to be held all night long in Athens, where the historic game was staged.
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