Watching the joyous post-match scenes in Athens, it was hard to escape the fact that, for all their faults, UEFA’s decision-makers do get some things right, and the introduction of the Europa Conference League is certainly one of those things.
The victors celebrating an historic night was not a one-off. This is the third season in a row that the Conference League winners have thoroughly enjoyed a rare evening in the spotlight. In becoming the first Greek side to win a senior men’s UEFA club tournament, Olympiacos followed fellow history-makers West Ham United, who won their first trophy in over 40 years in 2023, and long-suffering Roma winning the inaugural trophy in 2022.
The wider impact on Greek football cannot be understated. Discussions of coefficients and league rankings may not set the pulses racing, but for countries like Greece, they are central to creating more nights like this. It was only 20 years ago that the Greek Super League was ranked the sixth best in Europe, with three teams in the 2003-04 Champions League group stage. Those three clubs – Olympiacos, Panathinaikos and AEK Athens – then provided the bulk of Greece’s Euro 2004-winning squad.
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Denne historien er fra July 2024-utgaven av World Soccer.
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