Featured Image Credit: UEFA
Angry fans are convinced the Europa League final was ‘rigged’ in favour of Sevilla, who beat AS Roma on penalties on Wednesday.
Sevilla claimed a record-extending seventh Europa League title as they beat Jose Mourinho’s Roma in Budapest.
Paulo Dybala opened the scoring with a tidy left-footed finish in the 34th minute, with the La Liga outfit levelling through an own-goal by Gianluca Mancini.
The game went into extra-time before a penalty shootout, where Jose Luis Mendilibar’s team secured the win after Gonzalo Montiel converted his retaken penalty.
Jose Mourinho cuts an angry figure on the touchline. Image: Alamy
Sevilla’s victory over Roma, though, didn’t go down well among fans on social media as they made their feelings known towards the showdown.
They believe the contest was ‘rigged’ as disgruntled supporters referenced Fernando’s supposed handball in the box and the retaken penalty in the shootout.
One Twitter user wrote: “This game was rigged. Roma and Mourinho were robbed. Football lost today. I don’t understand how Sevilla got away with a blatant handball.”
A second tweeted: “The AS Roma vs Sevilla game was rigged against Jose Mourinho. It should not have gone to penalties.”
A third added: “This match was clearly rigged for Sevilla.”
A fourth said: “Rigged for Sevilla, Roma Robbed.”
Another commented: “This was so rigged for Sevilla to win. Absolutely can’t stand then.”
After the result, Mourinho gave his runners-up medal to a young fan in the crowd while Mendilibar spoke of the importance of scoring straight after the break.
“When they scored against us, you think that it will be very difficult to score against them. The equaliser came quickly in the second half and gave us the strength to continue in the fight to win the game,” said the Sevilla boss.
“I’m happy to be here, to have won for the club, which was having a hard time when we got here. We have done something good that can have repercussions for the good of the club.
“When I take a holiday, I will know what we have done. We started badly, they played comfortably. And then, in the second half, we changed and it was tough.
“In extra time, nothing happened, but we had the success of the penalties.”
Footage shows Jose Mourinho throwing his Europa League runners-up medal into the crowd
Featured Image Credit: BT Sport/Twitter
Jose Mourinho threw his Europa League runners-up medal to a young fan in the crowd after his AS Roma side were beaten by Sevilla on penalties.
Sevilla were crowned Europa League champions for a seventh time on Wednesday evening. An own goal from Gianluca Mancini cancelled out Paulo Dybala’s opener for the Italian giants and both teams could not be separated after 120 minutes.
Sevilla, however, extended their incredible record in the competition after Gonzalo Montiel guided home the winning spot-kick.
Jose Luis Mendilibar’s side soon celebrated their Europa League triumph but before lifting the trophy, Jose Mourinho picked up his medal and gave it to a young fan in the Puskas Arena crowd. You can see that moment below.
As you can see in the pictures above, a young boy posed with the Europa League runners-up medal after Mourinho swiftly made his way down the tunnel.
Mourinho’s unbeaten streak in European finals came to an end on Wednesday and after the full-time whistle, he opened up about the defeat.
He said via RomaPress: “Tonight we died of mental and physical fatigue, there are so many episodes to talk about. Without the trophy in our hands, we are tired and proud.
“You can lose a game, but never your professionalism. I won five finals and lost this one, but I’ve never been more proud than I am tonight. The guys gave it all.”
Mourinho added: “The truth is that we are all very sad, with or without crying the truth is this. We will get home dead of tiredness because of tonight’s unfair refereeing display.
“Great game, great final, intense, gritty, vibrant, but the referee seemed Spanish. Too many yellow cards for us then he doesn’t give Lamela his second yellow allowing him to take a penalty in the end.”
The 60-year-old, who has been heavily linked with Real Madrid and PSG of late, also touched on his future in Rome.
“My future? I’m serious, I said a few months ago that if I had contact with any other club I would say it to the ownership, I wouldn’t do anything secretly,” he said.
“I talked to the club in December when Portugal asked about me, so far I haven’t talked to anyone because there is no team I’ve spoken to.”
“I can’t say objectively that I will stay. I have another year of contract with Roma, the situation is clear.”
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