Frankfurt win first European trophy in 42 years
Eintracht Frankfurt won the Europa League final after holding their nerve to beat Rangers 5-4 in a clinical penalty shootout as they claimed their first European trophy in 42 years.
Eintracht keeper Kevin Trapp saved Aaron Ramsey's spot kick -- Rangers' fourth -- while Eintracht were flawless in their execution, scoring all five after the game had finished 1-1 after 120 minutes.
Joe Aribo had struck against the run of play in the 57th minute to give Rangers the lead, charging clear after a string of defensive errors and sliding the ball past Trapp.
The Germans, unbeaten in the competition going into the final and eyeing their first European title since 1980, bounced back as Rafael Borre snuck in between two defenders to turn in a Filip Kostic cross in the 70th.
"There is not just one hero. We are all heroes," Trapp said. "It's one of the most beautiful moments of my career. We couldn't have done it without the crowd's support," he added.
Thousands of Frankfurt fans created a sea of white shirts at the Estadio Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan, which along with the blue-clad Rangers half of the ground created a febrile atmosphere.
"We played 13 matches in Europe and we did not lose a single one," said Eintracht coach Oliver Glasner. "We took it step-by-step and at the end we were rewarded. I have no words to express what I feel for the players," added the Austrian, whose side will now compete in next season's Champions League despite finishing in 11th place in the Bundesliga.
Frankfurt are the first Bundesliga team to win the Europa League, or its predecessor the UEFA Cup, since 1997, when Schalke beat Inter Milan on penalties.
They stand to collect around 60 million euros ($63 million) in prize money and bonuses from both competitions, but club president Peter Fischer insisted he would not be blowing the money on signings.
"Just because we have qualified for the Champions League, we will not tear up all our loans and simply buy," he said.
The money will help bridge losses of 70 million euros that the club suffered from often having to play in empty stadiums during the pandemic.
"Of course, the financial income is extremely good for us after two years of the coronavirus. That will really help us for the future," said sports director Markus Kroesche.
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