World Soccer - UK (2022-07)

I

t maynothavebeena great

game, butitwas a greatoccasion

• andthatisatleast as important.
  Therehavebeentimeswhen
  theEuropaLeaguehasfeltlike a
  consolation,thecompetitionthebig
  teams don’t reallywanttowinbutwill
  acceptasmitigationfora poorseason.
  NotthisyearinSeville.Eintracht
  Frankfurt andRangersarenotclubs
  alreadysated on Europeansuccess.
  Forboth,reaching thefinalwasa
  success,fortheirfansbeingthere
  anadventurethatmightnotbe
  repeatedany time soon.
  Predictionsthatasmany as150,0 00
  supportersmightdescend on southern

Spain turnedouttobeexaggerated,

butthe citywasstillfull.Therewere

someviolentclashes,buttheywere

relativelylimitedandforthe most part

fansmixedhappily. Certainlywithinthe

stadium, theatmosphere wasraucous

butrespectful.Forthemost part,this

wasexactlywhatyou wouldwantofa

majorEuropeanoccasion:excitement,

colourandnoiseanda sensefrom

areminderofthe

competition’s

potentialmagic

mostfansthattheyrealisedthiswas a

rareprivilege,thattheycouldnotrely

ontherebeinganotherEuropeanfinal

ina yearortwo.

Suchoccasionscanmakeheroes

ofunlikely figures.Fora timeitlooked

asthoughthatfiguremightbe Joe

Aribo.Whenheleft CharltonAthletic

forRangersin 2019 , hismanagerLee

Bowyertoldhimhewas makinga big

FRANKFURTEDGEOUTRANGERS

INTHROWBACKFINAL

34 WORLDSOCCER

EUROPALEAGUEREVIEW

2022 EUROPALEAGUEFINAL

Opener...JoeAribo

convertsforRangers

Winners...Eintracht

Frankfurtplayers

celebratewiththe

EuropaLeaguetrophy