Sevilla won the Europa League on penalties after defeating Roma.
After Gianluca Mancini and Roger Ibanez failed to convert for Roma, Gonzalo Montiel scored the game-winning penalty in the 2022 World Cup final.
On Wednesday, Sevilla discovered their Europa League magic formula, defeating Roma 4-1 on penalties in Budapest to make it a perfect seven out of seven finals appearances.
After Paulo Dybala’s opening was cancelled out by an own goal by Roma defender Gianluca Mancini, the game ended 1-1 after extra time. At a noisy Puskas Arena, a bad-tempered yet tense encounter went to a shootout, with Sevilla goalkeeper Yassine Bounou proving the hero with two saves.
Gonzalo Montiel, who scored the game-winning penalty in the 2022 World Cup final, converted the deciding penalty after Roma’s Mancini and Roger Ibanez failed to convert.
The victory is a remarkable accomplishment for 62-year-old Jose Luis Mendilibar, who took over as Sevilla manager in March and is now enjoying his first major championship.
“We are going to enjoy this because it has cost a lot and right now I don’t know if I will renew or not and I don’t care,” said the Spaniard, who is not certain to be at the club next season.
The veteran coach was hired to save the team from relegation and has since led them to safety and European triumph.
“When I arrived I told the players that they were very good but that they were not mentally in the right place and that was my job,” he said.
“They have shown me in the end that they are very good.”
