Valencia enter League final

However, the ultra-serious 43-year-old Cuper failed to raise much of a smile in the immediate aftermath of his side’s outstanding achievement.

Barca, whose coach Louis van Gaal will not have been encouraged by the white handkerchiefs dangled by the club’s fans well before the end, grabbed two consolation efforts through Frank de Boer and Philip Cocu.

Van Gaal, whose style brought a young impressionable Ajax team the 1995 European Cup but has gone down less well with the more experienced Barcelona players, refused to accept that he should step down despite Barca looking likely to end up with nothing this season.

Valencia will meet Real Madrid in the final in Paris on May 24 — should they prevail they will complete a clean sweep of European trophies having won the Fairs Cup (now the UEFA Cup) in 1962 and 1963 and the 1980 Cup Winners Cup.

Mendieta, who has been at Valencia since 1992, set up Miguel Angullo for what should have been a second-minute strike but his shot was brilliantly headed away for a corner by veteran Barca defender Abelardo.

Barca finally got on the scoresheet with 12 minutes to go when Dutch international Frank de Boer headed home after a mistake by Valencia ‘keeper Santiago Canizares.

Cocu’s last minute effort at least gave Barcelona their first win in six European meetings with their opponents but did little to assuage the fury of the fans.

Mendieta had missed a golden chance to make the game over midway through second-half when he failed to slot the ball past Hesp after a great 1-2 with Argentine star Claudio Lopez.

Abelardo made a dreadful mistake early in the second half letting Claudio Lopez in but his selfless pass to Angullo went astray as the latter sidefooted tamely at Hesp, who true to his recent hesitant form almost let it into the net.

The tepid start to the second-half reflected the muted first-half where Barcelona’s Brazilian World and European Player of the Year Rivaldo had the only shot of note.

The only downside for Valencia was the booking of veteran Italian defender Amadeo Carboni, which meant the 35-year-old will miss the final.