Ayoub El Kaabi struck four minutes from the end of extra time as Olympiakos beat Fiorentina in the Europa Conference League final to become the first Greek club side to win a European trophy.
The Moroccan striker, hero of Olympiakos’ run to the final, stooped low to head in Santiago Hezze’s cross and spark pandemonium in the AEK Arena in Athens.
A lengthy video assistant referee check confirmed El Kaabi’s 11th goal of the competition and their place in Greek footballing history.
It is a second year of dramatic heartbreak for Fiorentina after the Italian side were beaten by West Ham in last season’s final thanks to Jarrod Bowen’s late goal.
Olympiakos flew out of the blocks as they attempted to reward their ferocious support, who had travelled the short distance from Piraeus to the home of their rivals AEK in northern Athens.
It was only the second time a Greek team had reached a European final while Fiorentina were playing in their sixth.
Both sides traded blows in a first half that promised goalmouth action but resulted in few clear chances.
Olympiakos thrashed Unai Emery’s fancied Villa side 6-2 on aggregate in the semi-finals but they still came into this game as underdogs against a Fiorentina team looking to right the wrongs of last season.
Panathinaikos were the only previous Greek team to feature in a European final, when they were beaten by Ajax in the 1971 European Cup final at Wembley.
(Editor: Oloyede Oworu)
