Atletico Madrid are Europa League 2012 champions. A brace by Colombian striker Radamel Falcao surged the team from Madrid to a 3-0 win over fellow Spaniards Athletic Bilbao in Bucharest as they claimed their second Europa League trophy in three years.
Falcao came up with two splendid individual efforts in the first-half together with an equally implausible clincher from Diego to make sure that Atletico reclaim the trophy that they last won in 2010.
In the process, Falcao also became the first player to win consecutive Europa League-UEFA Cups with different sides having scored the winning goal for Porto last time, scored a gleaming first-half double to take his tally for this season in all competition to 29 in 29 games.
Atletico were on the frontage immediately from kickoff, electrifying with some penetrating link-up play in the attacking third.
Falcao came up with two splendid individual efforts in the first-half together with an equally implausible clincher from Diego to make sure that Atletico reclaim the trophy that they last won in 2010.
In the process, Falcao also became the first player to win consecutive Europa League-UEFA Cups with different sides having scored the winning goal for Porto last time, scored a gleaming first-half double to take his tally for this season in all competition to 29 in 29 games.
Atletico were on the frontage immediately from kickoff, electrifying with some penetrating link-up play in the attacking third.
Diego the Brazilian attacking midfielder, who missed the 2009 final for Werder Bremen against winners Shakhtar Donetsk due to suspension, added a third goal later in the second-half to hand over Argentinian coach Diego Simeone a trophy just months after he took over.
Atletico Madrid's victory also break Barcelona's record of consecutive wins in European competition as they registered their 12th to shatter the record of 11 set in the 2002-03 Champions League crusade.
Falcao said "I cannot contain my joy,"
"After all that has been said, like that I made a mistake in going to Atletico, I showed them it was no mistake.
"We had highs and lows but we deserved to finish as we have done. The first goal? I didn't have an angle so I simply looked for some space.
"They told me to look for the far post from time to time, and this time I listened," he said with a smile.
"As for my future well we don't know whether Atletico will play in the Champions League or Europa League next season.
"We still have a possibility of the Champions League and we are determined to achieve that."
Simeone paid homage to the players "Winning is always marvellous, but you enjoy it more as a player, because one is on the pitch, one can scream, run, do a lap of honour,"
"When you are a coach you leave that sort of thing to the players. I am proud of the players, happy for the fans, and thank those who brought me to the club in December."
And Bilbao's coach took the accountability of the defeat "I am disappointed, we did not play a good match," said the former Argentina coach, who guided the Argentineans to the 2004 Olympic title.
"I am in charge of the strategy of the squad who failed to achieve its objective, which makes the disappointment even greater.
"Atletico deserved their win, but the scale of it was excessive.
"The feeling of personal responsibility increases in the sense that the difference in quality of the two teams is not the one shown tonight,"
Tags-Football Sports News, Football Score Alert
Atletico Madrid's victory also break Barcelona's record of consecutive wins in European competition as they registered their 12th to shatter the record of 11 set in the 2002-03 Champions League crusade.
Falcao said "I cannot contain my joy,"
"After all that has been said, like that I made a mistake in going to Atletico, I showed them it was no mistake.
"We had highs and lows but we deserved to finish as we have done. The first goal? I didn't have an angle so I simply looked for some space.
"They told me to look for the far post from time to time, and this time I listened," he said with a smile.
"As for my future well we don't know whether Atletico will play in the Champions League or Europa League next season.
"We still have a possibility of the Champions League and we are determined to achieve that."
Simeone paid homage to the players "Winning is always marvellous, but you enjoy it more as a player, because one is on the pitch, one can scream, run, do a lap of honour,"
"When you are a coach you leave that sort of thing to the players. I am proud of the players, happy for the fans, and thank those who brought me to the club in December."
And Bilbao's coach took the accountability of the defeat "I am disappointed, we did not play a good match," said the former Argentina coach, who guided the Argentineans to the 2004 Olympic title.
"I am in charge of the strategy of the squad who failed to achieve its objective, which makes the disappointment even greater.
"Atletico deserved their win, but the scale of it was excessive.
"The feeling of personal responsibility increases in the sense that the difference in quality of the two teams is not the one shown tonight,"
Tags-Football Sports News, Football Score Alert
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