ISTANBUL
It was billed as “The Specialists against The Special One.”
Serial winners Sevilla facing off against a Roma side guided by Jose Mourinho, one of the most successful managers in football history.
After more than two hours of thrills, it was Sevilla that came out on top in Budapest, clinching a record-extending seventh UEFA Europe League title after a penalty shootout.
The Spanish club boasts a 133-year history decorated with trophies.
When it comes to the Europa League, the second-tier continental championship known as the UEFA Cup until the 2009-10 season, they are the undisputed kings.
Sevilla have seven titles to their name, three of which came in successive seasons from 2014 and 2016, the first and only club to achieve the feat.
The club also has a perfect record in the competition’s final: seven out of seven.
Their first title win was back in 2006, when they hammered English side Middlesbrough 4-0 in the final in Eindhoven.
Sevilla have since won the competition in 2007, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2020, and now 2023.
Trophy count
A total of 29 clubs from 11 different countries have won the UEFA Cup or Europa League in the past 52 years.
Spanish sides lead the way with 14 trophies – seven for Sevilla, three for Atletico Madrid, two for Real Madrid, and one apiece for Valencia and Villareal.
England and Italy are next on the list with nine wins each, while teams from Germany have lifted the trophy on seven occasions.
When it comes to clubs, Sevilla are followed by Liverpool, Juventus, Inter Milan and Atletico Madrid, all of whom have three titles.
Winnings
The winner of the Europa League pockets a sizeable cash price and gets an automatic spot in the next season’s Champions League.
A team that wins all its group games and goes on to lift the trophy can earn around $25 million.
The reward for each group stage victory is over $688,000 and exceeds $3 million in the semifinals.
The two finalists this year received an additional amount of over $5 million, with the champions also taking home another reward of more than $9 million.
