The longest Europa League season came down to a defender's spectacular shot and a striker trying to keep it out. Instead of blocking Diego Carlos' overhead kick _ which was going wide _ Romelu Lukaku deflected it into his own net. That handed Sevilla a 3-2 win in the final Friday and a record sixth Europa League title. (Source: AP)
And it gave Lukaku the distinction of scoring for both teams. (Source: AP)
The Belgium striker had given Inter a perfect start with an early goal after winning his first duel with Diego Carlos, who could easily have been sent off in the process. The Brazilian defender was the last defender when he fouled Lukaku on a counterattack in the third minute but was only given a yellow card. (Source: AP)
Lukaku scored the spot kick, but Sevilla fought its way back into the game with two headers from Luuk de Jong, setting the stage for Diego Carlos to hit his game-winning kick in the 74th. (Source: AP)
"If you win the penalty and it's a red card, if indeed it was a red card, then ultimately the match would have been a lot less tough," Inter coach Antonio Conte said through a translator. "The referee made a decision in the end. That's the way he read this decision and there's also VAR, but we know VAR is used differently in every different country." Conte also hinted he could leave Inter after his first season as coach brought runner-up finishes in Serie A and the Europa League. The loss extended Inter's wait for a first European trophy since Jose Mourinho led the Italian club to the Champions League title in 2010. (Source: AP)
Sevilla has won the Europa League in four of the last seven seasons. (Source: AP)
In a season defined by the coronavirus pandemic, Sevilla finished with a player on the field who had his own season disrupted by a positive test for COVID-19. Serbian midfielder Nemanja Gudelj was a late arrival to the Europa League tournament "bubble" in Germany after a period in isolation following his positive test last month. He didn't report any symptoms. He was welcomed by his teammates with hugs last week and was a late substitute in the semifinal win over Manchester United before replacing Diego Carlos in the 86th minute of the final. (Source: AP)