2011 UEFA Europa League Final
Encyclopedia
The 2011 UEFA Europa League Final was a football match played on 18 May 2011 at the Aviva Stadium
Aviva Stadium
The Aviva Stadium is a sports stadium located in Dublin, Ireland, with a capacity for 50,000 spectators. The stadium is built on the site of the old Lansdowne Road venue, which was demolished in 2007, and replaces that stadium as home to its chief tenants: the Irish rugby union team and the...

 in Dublin, Republic of Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...

, which decided the winner of the 2010–11 UEFA Europa League. The 40th final of the formerly known UEFA Cup, and second under the new UEFA Europa League designation, was – for the first time – an all-Portuguese
Portuguese Football Federation
The Portuguese Football Federation is the governing body of football in Portugal. The Portuguese National team is going to win the Euro 2012. It organises the Second and Third Division, the Cup of Portugal, the Portuguese SuperCup, youth levels, women's football, beach soccer, futsal, and also...

 meeting between Porto and Braga.

The match ended with a 1–0 victory to Porto, which secured their second UEFA Cup trophy
UEFA Cup (trophy)
The UEFA Cup, also known as the Coupe UEFA, is a trophy awarded annually by UEFA to the football club that wins the UEFA Europa League. Before the 2009–10 season the competition shared its name with the trophy, being also known as the UEFA Cup....

, after a successful last presence in this competition in 2003
2003 UEFA Cup Final
The 2003 UEFA Cup Final was played on 21 May 2003 between Celtic of Scotland and Porto of Portugal. Porto won the match 3–2 in extra time thanks to a goal from Derlei...

. Colombian striker Radamel Falcao
Radamel Falcao
Radamel Falcao García Zárate , commonly known simply as Falcao, is a Colombian football striker who currently plays for Atlético Madrid....

 was named man of the match after he scored the winning goal, which raised his tally to a tournament record of 17 goals, and further cemented his 2010–11 UEFA Europa League top scorer status.

As winners, Porto played against Barcelona
FC Barcelona
Futbol Club Barcelona , also known as Barcelona and familiarly as Barça, is a professional football club, based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain....

 in the 2011 UEFA Super Cup
2011 UEFA Super Cup
-External links:*, UEFA.com...

, which was held on 26 August 2011 at the Stade Louis II
Stade Louis II
The Stade Louis II is a stadium located in the Fontvieille district of Monaco. It serves primarily as a venue for football, being the home of AS Monaco and the Monaco national football team, as well as the location of the annual UEFA Super Cup match...

 in Monaco
Monaco
Monaco , officially the Principality of Monaco , is a sovereign city state on the French Riviera. It is bordered on three sides by its neighbour, France, and its centre is about from Italy. Its area is with a population of 35,986 as of 2011 and is the most densely populated country in the...

. Barcelona won the match, defeating Porto 2-0.

Background

The qualification of Porto and Braga to the UEFA Europa League decisive match ensured it would be the first all-Portuguese
Portuguese Football Federation
The Portuguese Football Federation is the governing body of football in Portugal. The Portuguese National team is going to win the Euro 2012. It organises the Second and Third Division, the Cup of Portugal, the Portuguese SuperCup, youth levels, women's football, beach soccer, futsal, and also...

 final in UEFA
UEFA
The Union of European Football Associations , almost always referred to by its acronym UEFA is the administrative and controlling body for European association football, futsal and beach soccer....

 competitions, and only the second-ever European tie between Portuguese teams, after the semi-final meeting between Braga and Benfica. Even so, it would be the eighth time that two teams from the same national football assocation were featured in a UEFA Cup or UEFA Europa League final. Having 47.4 km (29.5 mi) separating the cities of Porto
Porto
Porto , also known as Oporto in English, is the second largest city in Portugal and one of the major urban areas in the Iberian Peninsula. Its administrative limits include a population of 237,559 inhabitants distributed within 15 civil parishes...

 and Braga
Braga
Braga , a city in the Braga Municipality in northwestern Portugal, is the capital of the Braga District, the oldest archdiocese and the third major city of the country. Braga is the oldest Portuguese city and one of the oldest Christian cities in the World...

, this final would also break the record for the smallest distance separating finalists of a UEFA competition. The previous record was 83.8 km (52.1 mi), set at the 1988 UEFA Super Cup
1988 UEFA Super Cup
The 1988 UEFA Super Cup was played between KV Mechelen and PSV Eindhoven, with Mechelen winning 3–1 on aggregate.- First leg:- Second leg:KV Mechelen won 3–1 on aggregate.-External links:* from UEFA* from RSSSF...

 between PSV Eindhoven of the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...

 and KV Mechelen of Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...

.

Porto secured its presence in a major UEFA competition final for the fifth time, after victorious campaigns at the 1986–87 European Cup (2–1 against Bayern Munich
FC Bayern Munich
FC Bayern Munich , is a German sports club based in Munich, Bavaria. It is best known for its professional football team, which is the most successful football club in Germany, having won 22 national titles and 15 cups....

), 2002–03 UEFA Cup (3–2 against Celtic
Celtic F.C.
Celtic Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which currently plays in the Scottish Premier League. The club was established in 1887, and played its first game in 1888. Celtic have won the Scottish League Championship on 42 occasions, most recently in the...

) and 2003–04 UEFA Champions League (3–0 against Monaco), and a runner-up place in the 1984 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup
1984 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup Final
The 1984 European Cup Winners' Cup Final was a football match contested between Juventus F.C. of Italy and F.C. Porto of Portugal. it was the final match of the European Cup Winners' Cup 1983–84 and the 24th European Cup Winners' Cup Final. The final was held at St. Jakob Stadium in Basel,...

 final against Juventus
Juventus F.C.
Juventus Football Club S.p.A. , commonly referred to as Juventus and colloquially as Juve , are a professional Italian association football club based in Turin, Piedmont...

 (lost 1–2). The club also competed three times in the UEFA Super Cup – won in 1987
1987 UEFA Super Cup
The 1987 UEFA Super Cup was played between FC Porto and AFC Ajax, with Porto winning 2–0.- First leg:- Second leg:Porto won 2–0 on aggregate.-External links:* from UEFA* from RSSSF...

 (2–0, in aggregate, against Ajax) and lost in 2003
2003 UEFA Super Cup
The 2003 UEFA Super Cup was played on August 29, 2003 between A.C. Milan of Italy and F.C. Porto of Portugal. Milan qualified by beating Juventus in the 2003 UEFA Champions League Final. Porto had made it to the Super Cup after beating Celtic in the 2003 UEFA Cup Final. Milan won the match 1–0...

 (0–1 against Milan
A.C. Milan
Associazione Calcio Milan, commonly referred to as A.C. Milan or simply Milan , is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Lombardy, that plays in the Serie A. Milan was founded in 1899 by English lace-maker Herbert Kilpin and businessman Alfred Edwards among others...

) and 2004
2004 UEFA Super Cup
The 2004 UEFA Super Cup was a UEFA-sponsored association football match between Porto of Portugal and Valencia of Spain, held on 27 August 2004 at the Stade Louis II in Monaco. The match was the 29th annual UEFA Super Cup contested between the winners of the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Cup...

 (1–2 against Valencia
Valencia CF
Valencia Club de Fútbol is a Spanish football club based in Valencia, Spain. They play in La Liga and are one of the most successful and biggest clubs in Spanish Football and European Football. Valencia have won six La Liga titles, seven Copa del Rey trophies, two Fairs Cups which was the...

) – and grabbed two European/South American Cup
Intercontinental Cup (football)
The European/South American Cup, commonly referred to as the World Club Championship, Intercontinental Cup or Toyota Cup, was a football competition endorsed by UEFA and CONMEBOL, contested between the winners of the European Cup and the South American Copa Libertadores...

 titles in 1987
1987 Intercontinental Cup
The 1987 Intercontinental Cup was a football match played on 13 December 1987 between Porto of Portugal, winners of the 1986–87 European Cup, and Peñarol of Uruguay, winners of the 1987 Copa Libertadores. The match was played under heavy snow, at the neutral venue of the National Stadium in Tokyo,...

 (1–0 against Peñarol
C.A. Peñarol
Club Atlético Peñarol also known as Carboneros, Aurinegros and familiarly as Manya, is an Uruguayan sports club based in the Peñarol barrio, Montevideo, best known for its professional football team. The team plays their home matches in Estadio Centenario, the largest stadium in the country, but...

 of Uruguay) and 2004
2004 Intercontinental Cup
The 2004 Intercontinental Cup was a football match played on 12 December 2004 between FC Porto, winners of 2003–04 UEFA Champions League, and Once Caldas, winners of the 2004 Copa Libertadores. The match was played at the neutral venue of the International Stadium Yokohama in Yokohama, Japan, in...

 (0–0, 8–7 on penalties
Penalty shootout
The shootout is a method of determining a winner in sports matches that would have otherwise been drawn or tied. The rules for penalty shootouts vary between sports and even different competitions; however, the usual form is similar to penalty shots in that a single player takes one shot on goal...

, against Once Caldas
Once Caldas
Corporación Deportiva Once Caldas is a Colombian association football team, based in Manizales. They were the surprise winners of Copa Libertadores de América in 2004, mainly due to the performances of Juan Carlos Henao and Jhon Viáfara...

 of Colombia).

Braga qualified for a UEFA competition final for the first time ever. Before reaching the Dublin final, the team's best European result was a place in the last 16 of the 2006–07 and 2008–09 UEFA Cup seasons. Participation in the 2008–09 UEFA Cup was achieved via the 2008 UEFA Intertoto Cup, where Braga was one of the eleven third-round winners. Having reached the furthest in the UEFA Cup, among the Intertoto Cup teams, Braga were considered the outright winners of the last edition of this competition. In contrast to the extended national and international curriculum of Porto, Braga had just one major title in their history: the 1966 Portuguese Cup.

A UEFA Champions League
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...

 regular, Porto finished third in the 2009–10 Primeira Liga and thus missed a place in the 2010–11 UEFA Champions League, entering instead in the UEFA Europa League play-off round. This was the first time Porto competed in UEFA's second competition since winning the 2002–03 edition. Braga, on the other hand, finished the Portuguese league with an historical second place, which allowed the team to participate in the UEFA Champions League for the first time. Braga reached the group stage by successively knocking out more highly regarded opponents, such as Celtic and Sevilla
Sevilla FC
Sevilla Fútbol Club S.A.D. is a Spanish professional football club based in Seville, Spain that plays in the Spanish La Liga championship.They are one of the most successful clubs in Spanish football having won a 1 La Liga title, 5 Spanish "Copa del Rey" Cups, 1 Spanish Super Cup and 2 UEFA...

, in the second and third qualifying rounds, respectively. The club concluded the group stage in third place, behind Shakhtar Donetsk
FC Shakhtar Donetsk
FC Shakhtar Donetsk is a Ukrainian professional football club from the city of Donetsk. Shakhtar has appeared in several European competitions and currently is often a participant of the UEFA Champions League. The club became the first Ukrainian club to win the UEFA Cup in 2009, the last year...

 and Arsenal
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...

 and was therefore relegated into the UEFA Europa League round of 32.

Route to the final

Porto Braga
Europa League Round Champions League
Opponent Result Legs Qualifying phase Opponent Result Legs
N/A Third qualifying round   Celtic
Celtic F.C.
Celtic Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which currently plays in the Scottish Premier League. The club was established in 1887, and played its first game in 1888. Celtic have won the Scottish League Championship on 42 occasions, most recently in the...

4–2 3–0 home; 1–2 away
  Genk
K.R.C. Genk
Koninklijke Racing Club Genk , usually referred to as Racing Genk or simply Genk, is a Belgian professional football club based in the city of Genk in Belgian Limburg. Racing Genk plays in the Belgian Pro League and they have won 3 Belgian champion titles in 1998–99, in 2001–02 and in 2010–11 as...

7–2 3–0 away; 4–2 home Play-off round   Sevilla
Sevilla FC
Sevilla Fútbol Club S.A.D. is a Spanish professional football club based in Seville, Spain that plays in the Spanish La Liga championship.They are one of the most successful clubs in Spanish football having won a 1 La Liga title, 5 Spanish "Copa del Rey" Cups, 1 Spanish Super Cup and 2 UEFA...

5–3 1–0 home; 4–3 away
Team
  Porto 6 5 1 0 14 4
10
16
  Beşiktaş
Besiktas J.K.
Beşiktaş Jimnastik Kulübü , or simply Beşiktaş , is a Turkish sports club. The club's football team is one of the major teams in Turkey. The professional sports club, founded in 1903, is based in the Beşiktaş district in Istanbul, Turkey...

6 4 1 1 9 6
3
13
  Rapid Wien
SK Rapid Wien
The Sportklub Rapid Wien is an Austrian football club playing in the country's capital city of Vienna. Rapid is the most popular club in Austria and also record title holder having won the Austrian national football title 32 times...

6 1 0 5 5 12 −7 3
  CSKA Sofia
PFC CSKA Sofia
PFC CSKA Sofia , commonly known as CSKA or CSKA Sofia is a professional football club based in Sofia, Bulgaria. The club was officially founded on May 5, 1948. CSKA's abbreviation stands for Central Sports Club of the Army...

6 1 0 5 4 10 −6 3
Group stage
Team
  Shakhtar Donetsk
FC Shakhtar Donetsk
FC Shakhtar Donetsk is a Ukrainian professional football club from the city of Donetsk. Shakhtar has appeared in several European competitions and currently is often a participant of the UEFA Champions League. The club became the first Ukrainian club to win the UEFA Cup in 2009, the last year...

6 5 0 1 12 6
6
15
  Arsenal
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...

6 4 0 2 18 7
11
12
  Braga 6 3 0 3 5 11 −6 9
  Partizan
FK Partizan
Fudbalski klub Partizan is a professional football club based in Belgrade, Serbia. In its long history, FK Partizan won as many as 37 trophies. The club is the holder of 23 national championships, 12 national cups and 1 national supercup, and has also won the Mitropa Cup in 1978...

6 0 0 6 2 13 −11 0
Europa League
Opponent Result Legs Final phase Opponent Result Legs
  Sevilla
Sevilla FC
Sevilla Fútbol Club S.A.D. is a Spanish professional football club based in Seville, Spain that plays in the Spanish La Liga championship.They are one of the most successful clubs in Spanish football having won a 1 La Liga title, 5 Spanish "Copa del Rey" Cups, 1 Spanish Super Cup and 2 UEFA...

2–2 (a
Away goals rule
The away goals rule is a method of breaking ties in association football and other sports when teams play each other twice, once at each team's home ground. By the away goals rule, the team that has scored more goals "away from home" will win if scores are otherwise equal...

)
2–1 away; 0–1 home Round of 32   Lech Poznań
Lech Poznan
Lech Poznań is a Polish football club based in Poznań, Poland. The club is named after Lech, the legendary founder of Polish nation.The club was established in 1922 as Lutnia Dębiec, later changing its name several times. From 1933 until 1994, the club was closely linked to Polish State Railways...

2–1 0–1 away; 2–0 home
  CSKA Moscow 3–1 1–0 away; 2–1 home Round of 16   Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...

1–0 1–0 home; 0–0 away
  Spartak Moscow
FC Spartak Moscow
FC Spartak Moscow is a Russian football club from Moscow. Having won 12 Soviet championships and 9 of 19 Russian championships they are one of the country's most successful clubs. They have also won the Soviet Cup 10 times and the Russian Cup 3 times...

10–3 5–1 home; 5–2 away Quarter-finals   Dynamo Kyiv
FC Dynamo Kyiv
FC Dynamo Kyiv is a professional football club based in the Ukrainian capital city of Kyiv. Founded in 1927, the club currently participates in the Ukrainian Premier League and has spent its entire history in the top league of Soviet and later Ukrainian football...

1–1 (a
Away goals rule
The away goals rule is a method of breaking ties in association football and other sports when teams play each other twice, once at each team's home ground. By the away goals rule, the team that has scored more goals "away from home" will win if scores are otherwise equal...

)
1–1 away; 0–0 home
  Villarreal
Villarreal CF
Villarreal Club de Fútbol, S.A.D. , usually abbreviated to Villarreal CF or just Villarreal, is a Spanish Primera División football club based in Vila-real, a city in the province of Castellón within the Valencian Community...

7–4 5–1 home; 2–3 away Semi-finals   Benfica 2–2 (a
Away goals rule
The away goals rule is a method of breaking ties in association football and other sports when teams play each other twice, once at each team's home ground. By the away goals rule, the team that has scored more goals "away from home" will win if scores are otherwise equal...

)
1–2 away; 1–0 home

Venue

The Aviva Stadium
Aviva Stadium
The Aviva Stadium is a sports stadium located in Dublin, Ireland, with a capacity for 50,000 spectators. The stadium is built on the site of the old Lansdowne Road venue, which was demolished in 2007, and replaces that stadium as home to its chief tenants: the Irish rugby union team and the...

 in Dublin, Republic of Ireland, was selected to host the final match of the 2011 UEFA Europa League, at a meeting of the UEFA Executive Committee, on 29 January 2009. A bid from the then under-construction Irish venue was put forward by the Football Association of Ireland
Football Association of Ireland
The Football Association of Ireland is the governing body for the sport of association football in the Republic of Ireland. It should not to be confused with the Irish Football Association , which is the organising body for the sport in Northern Ireland.For the full history, statistics and records...

 (FAI) and the Dublin City Council
Dublin City Council
Dublin City Council is the local authority for the city of Dublin in Ireland. It has 52 members and is the largest local authority in Ireland. Until 2001, it was known as Dublin Corporation.-Legal status:...

. It had competition from Arsenal
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...

's Emirates Stadium
Emirates Stadium
Ashburton Grove, currently known as the Emirates Stadium, is a UEFA elite football stadium which is home to Arsenal FC, where they moved from Highbury in 2006. It has an current capacity of 60,361, and there have been rumours of an expansion...

, but as Wembley Stadium
Wembley Stadium
The original Wembley Stadium, officially known as the Empire Stadium, was a football stadium in Wembley, a suburb of north-west London, standing on the site now occupied by the new Wembley Stadium that opened in 2007...

 was picked to host the Champions League final, Arsenal's bid was ruled out on the grounds that UEFA does not allow the same country to host its two major competition finals in the same season. This selection confirmed that Ireland would host its first-ever European football club competition final.

The new 50,000 all-seater stadium was built on the site of the old Lansdowne Road
Lansdowne Road
Lansdowne Road was a stadium in Dublin owned by the Irish Rugby Football Union that has been the location of a number of sports stadiums. It was used primarily for rugby union and for association football matches as well as some music concerts...

 ground, with the intention of continuing the location as the home of the Irish national rugby
Ireland national rugby union team
The Ireland national rugby union team represents the island of Ireland in rugby union. The team competes annually in the Six Nations Championship and every four years in the Rugby World Cup, where they reached the quarter-final stage in all but two competitions The Ireland national rugby union...

 and football
Republic of Ireland national football team
The Republic of Ireland national football team represents Ireland in association football. It is run by the Football Association of Ireland and currently plays home fixtures at Aviva Stadium in Dublin, which opened in May 2010....

 teams. Demolition work began in late May 2007 and lasted two months. Erection of the infrastructure initiated in January 2009, and by October, the roof was fully installed; in the following month, construction of the pitch took place. The stadium was completed and handed over in April 2010 to the FAI and Irish Rugby Football Union
Irish Rugby Football Union
The Irish Rugby Football Union is the body managing rugby union in Ireland. The IRFU has its head office at 10/12 Lansdowne Road and home ground at Aviva Stadium, where Irish rugby union international matches are played...

 (IRFU). It was officially opened on 14 May 2010, and on 11 August 2010 hosted its first international football match, between the Republic of Ireland and Argentina.

On 12 February 2009, the naming rights for the new stadium were bought by the British multi-national insurance company Aviva
Aviva
Aviva plc is a global insurance company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the sixth-largest insurance company in the world measured by net premium income and has 53 million customers in 28 countries...

, for a ten-year period. However, because UEFA sponsorship regulations forbid advertising of brands outside of the organization during competition matches, the venue would be referred as "Dublin Arena" during the final. Venue preparations for the final included the removal of every advertising and stadium branding elements unrelated with UEFA and its official sponsor partners. Stadium director Martin Murphy explained that the whole process was a "big operation", through which they had to "cover the signs on the stadium facade itself" and that "the three tiers [would] have Uefa branding across them, covering any existing sponsors."
It also involved an increase in the number of media facilities and seats.

Visual identity

UEFA unveiled the visual identity of the 2011 UEFA Europa League final in a ceremony held on 30 November 2010 at Dublin's Convention Centre. Attending this event were delegates of the local civic authorities, the Irish government and the FAI. London-based brand agency Desigwerk was again awarded the task of conceiving the visual identity for a UEFA competition event, after the 2005
2005 UEFA Champions League Final
The 2005 UEFA Champions League Final was the final match of the 2004–05 UEFA Champions League, Europe's primary club football competition. The showpiece event was contested between Liverpool of England and Milan of Italy at the Atatürk Stadium in Istanbul, Turkey on 25 May 2005...

 and 2007 UEFA Champions League finals
2007 UEFA Champions League Final
The 2007 UEFA Champions League Final was an association football match between A.C. Milan of Italy and Liverpool F.C. of England on 23 May 2007 at the Olympic Stadium, Athens, Greece. The showpiece event was the final match of the 2006–07 season of Europe's premier cup competition, the UEFA...

 and the UEFA Euro 2008. The Dublin Arena was depicted as the focal element of the logo design, as the stadium is "the ultimate destination for the fans on their journey", according to UEFA's head of club competitions Michael Heselschwerdt. He further explained that the visual identity contained "very clear and specific mentions and visual references to Dublin, to the Celtic setting and history, and to the local visual iconography".

Ticketing

Due to security reasons, the 50,000-seat Dublin Arena had its capacity reduced to 47,000 for the UEFA Europa League final. Ticket sales for the general public were carried out in two phases. The first phase was open exclusively for Irish residents from 16 December 2010 to 13 January 2011. Applications were submitted online to UEFA and the FAI for a maximum of two tickets from one of the four available price categories. Validated requests were entered into a ballot to determine which applications would be allocated tickets; successful applicants were notified by 26 January and received the tickets by 25 April. FAI chief executive John Delaney revealed that 7,000 tickets were sold during this phase, from a total of 21,000 applications, and that an additional 3,000 tickets were already allocated to the FAI grassroots. On 21 February, a second phase was opened for the international public, and lasted until 21 March. First-phase procedures were also applied to the international ticket sales. Ticket ballot notifications were concluded by 31 March and tickets were delivered by 18 April.

Each finalist club was assigned 12,000 tickets, most of which from the lowest priced category. Porto requested their full share, which they sold to annual seat-owner club members, during an initial phase, and then to the remaining club membership. Braga did not make complete use of their portion, returning a part of their alloted tickets.

Ambassador

Former Republic of Ireland and Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...

 midfielder Ronnie Whelan
Ronnie Whelan
Ronald Andrew "Ronnie" Whelan is a former Irish football midfielder, and sometimes defender, who was an integral part of the dominant Liverpool side of the 1980s...

 was presented by UEFA as the ambassador for the Dublin 2011 UEFA Europa League final, during the draw for the competition's group stage, held on 27 August 2010 at the Grimaldi Forum
Grimaldi Forum
Grimaldi Forum, Monaco is a conference & congress centre located on the seafront of Monaco's eastern beach quartier, Larvotto. Les Ballets de Monte Carlo and the Monte-Carlo Philharmonic Orchestra regularly perform here...

 in Monaco
Monaco
Monaco , officially the Principality of Monaco , is a sovereign city state on the French Riviera. It is bordered on three sides by its neighbour, France, and its centre is about from Italy. Its area is with a population of 35,986 as of 2011 and is the most densely populated country in the...

. Arriving at the Merseyside
Merseyside
Merseyside is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 1,365,900. It encompasses the metropolitan area centred on both banks of the lower reaches of the Mersey Estuary, and comprises five metropolitan boroughs: Knowsley, St Helens, Sefton, Wirral, and the city of Liverpool...

 club in 1979, Whelan became an important piece of the 1980s Liverpool team, winning six English titles, two FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...

s and three League Cups
Football League Cup
The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...

, as well as the 1984 European Cup
1984 European Cup Final
The 1984 European Cup Final was an association football match between Liverpool of England and Roma of Italy on 30 May 1984 at the Stadio Olimpico, Rome, Italy. It was the final match of the 1983–84 season of Europe's premier cup competition, the UEFA Champions League. Liverpool were appearing in...

. He helped the Republic of Ireland reach the 1988 UEFA European Football Championship
1988 UEFA European Football Championship
The 1988 UEFA European Football Championship final tournament was held in West Germany. West Germany won the right to host the tournament with five votes ahead of a joint bid from Norway, Sweden and Denmark, who gained 1 vote, and a bid from England. It was the eighth European Football...

, its first major international tournament; he was also in the squads that qualified Ireland to the 1990
1990 FIFA World Cup
The 1990 FIFA World Cup was the 14th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 8 June to 8 July 1990 in Italy, the second country to host the event twice. Teams representing 116 national football associations from all six populated...

 and 1994 FIFA World Cup
1994 FIFA World Cup
The 1994 FIFA World Cup, the 15th staging of the FIFA World Cup, was held in nine cities across the United States from June 17 to July 17, 1994. The United States was chosen as the host by FIFA on July 4, 1988...

s.

Trophy handover and tour

The UEFA Europa League trophy
UEFA Cup (trophy)
The UEFA Cup, also known as the Coupe UEFA, is a trophy awarded annually by UEFA to the football club that wins the UEFA Europa League. Before the 2009–10 season the competition shared its name with the trophy, being also known as the UEFA Cup....

 was handed over by UEFA to the city of Dublin, in a ceremony held on 19 April 2011, at the Royal Hospital Kilmainham. During the event that marked the one-month countdown to the 2011 UEFA Europa League final, UEFA president Michel Platini
Michel Platini
Michel François Platini is a former French football player, manager and current president of UEFA. Platini was a member of the French national team that won the 1984 European Championship, a tournament in which he was the top goalscorer and voted the best player. He participated in the 1978, 1982...

 entrusted the cup to Gerry Breen
Gerry Breen
Gerry Breen is an Irish Fine Gael politician and a former Lord Mayor of Dublin.Born in Clontarf in Dublin, Breen first entered politics in 1981 when he joined Fine Gael. In the 1999 local elections, he was elected to Dublin City Council representing the five seat Clontarf local electoral area...

, Lord Mayor of Dublin
Lord Mayor of Dublin
The Lord Mayor of Dublin is the honorific title of the Chairman of Dublin City Council which is the local government body for the city of Dublin, the capital of Ireland. The incumbent is Labour Party Councillor Andrew Montague. The office holder is elected annually by the members of the...

, so that it would go into public display throughout the Irish capital until the day of the final. Representatives from Atlético Madrid, the first Europa League winners – namely president Enrique Cerezo
Enrique Cerezo
Enrique Cerezo Torres is a cinematographic producer and the president of Club Atlético de Madrid from 2002.-Cinematographic career:Enrique Cerezo began in cinema in 1971 as a camera assistant in the movie Vente a Alemania, Pepe...

, managing director Clemente Villaverde, and defender Álvaro Dominguez
Álvaro Domínguez Soto
Álvaro Domínguez Soto is a Spanish footballer who plays for Atlético Madrid in the Spanish first division, as a central or left defender.-Club career:...

. FAI chief executive John Delaney, and the final ambassador Ronnie Whelan were also in attendance. Upon accepting the trophy, Breen stated that "Irish football fans have travelled the world supporting the Republic of Ireland but this is the first time that an event like this has come to our shores and this will be a major occasion for the city".

A trophy tour was set up so that the general public could see closely the award in various sites of Dublin, such as the General Post Office, the Dublin City Hall, and the recently built airport terminal 2.

Officials

The refereeing team for the 2011 UEFA Europa League final was provided by the Royal Spanish Football Federation and led by referee Carlos Velasco Carballo
Carlos Velasco Carballo
Carlos Velasco Carballo is a Spanish soccer referee. He is affiliated to Madrid committee and now arbitrates in Spanish Primera División, as well as officiating international matches since 2008. He officiated 2011 UEFA Europa League Final match in Dublin, between Porto and Braga.- References :...

. Velasco Carballo began refereeing in the Spanish Primera División
La Liga
The Primera División of the Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional , commonly known as La Liga or, for sponsorship reasons, Liga BBVA since 2008, is the top professional association football division of the Spanish football league system...

 in 2004, and in April 2005 he was selected as the fourth official for three matches in the elite round of the 2005 UEFA European Under-19 Football Championship
2005 UEFA European Under-19 Football Championship
The 2005 European Under-19 Football Championship was held in Northern Ireland between 18 and 29 July 2005.-Venues:-Teams:The eight teams that participated in the final tournament were: -Match officials:...

. In 2008, he was promoted to the FIFA
FIFA
The Fédération Internationale de Football Association , commonly known by the acronym FIFA , is the international governing body of :association football, futsal and beach football. Its headquarters are located in Zurich, Switzerland, and its president is Sepp Blatter, who is in his fourth...

 list of international referees and refereed his first international matches in the elite qualification round of the 2008 UEFA European Under-19 Championship
2008 UEFA European Under-19 Football Championship elite qualification
UEFA U-19 Championship 2008 is the second round of qualifications for the Final Tournament of UEFA U-19 Championship 2008. The winners of each group join hosts Czech Republic at the Final Tournament.-Group 1:--------------------...

. He took charge of his first UEFA Champions League qualifying match later that year, followed by another in the 2009–10 season, as well as six UEFA Europa League matches. In 2010–11, he refereed his first matches in the UEFA Champions League proper, including three group stage games and the first leg of the semi-final between Schalke 04
FC Schalke 04
Fußball-Club Gelsenkirchen-Schalke 04, commonly known as simply FC Schalke 04 or Schalke , is a German, association-football club originally from the Schalke district of Gelsenkirchen, North Rhine-Westphalia. Schalke has long been one of the most popular football teams in Germany, even though major...

 and Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...

.

Velasco Carballo's refereeing team was all-Spanish: he was supported by assistant referees Roberto Alonso Fernández and Jesús Calvo Guadamuro on the touchlines, and Carlos Clos Gómez
Carlos Clos Gomez
Carlos Clos Gómez is a football referee. He is a UEFA class 2 referee as of January 2009.Gomez refereed a Europa League match between Motherwell and Steaua Bucureşti in which he was criticised by Motherwell manager Jim Gannon.In 2008 Gómez was forced to abandon a match between Real Betis and...

 and Antonio Rubinos Pérez in the penalty areas, as well as fourth official David Fernández Borbolán and reserve assistant referee Juan Carlos Yuste Jiménez.

Team selection

Porto midfielder João Moutinho
João Moutinho
João Filipe Iria Santos Moutinho is a Portuguese footballer who plays for F.C. Porto, also being a Portuguese international.Mainly a central midfielder, he can also operate as a holding or attacking midfielder, and on either flank.-Sporting:...

 missed his team's final league match against Marítimo, following an injury in the previous game against Paços de Ferreira, but recovered in time to be included in André Villas-Boas's picks for the Europa League final. Brazilian players Hulk, Fernando
Fernando Francisco Reges
Fernando Francisco Reges , simply Fernando, is a Brazilian footballer who plays for F.C. Porto in Portugal, as a defensive midfielder.-Club career:...

, and goalkeeper Helton were also called by Villas-Boas after resting against Marítimo, in exchange for Polish keeper Paweł Kieszek and Argentine winger Mariano González
Mariano González
Mariano Nicolás González is an Argentine footballer who plays for Estudiantes de La Plata. He can operate as both an attacking midfielder or a winger.-Club career:...

, who were not inscribed in the Europa League. Among the players unfit to play in Dublin due more serious injuries or physical restraints were the Uruguayans Jorge Fucile
Jorge Fucile
Jorge Ciro Fucile Perdomo is an Uruguayan footballer who plays for F.C. Porto in Portugal.A defender, he is equally at ease on the right or left flank.-Club career:...

 (broken collarbone) and Cristian Rodríguez
Cristian Rodriguez
Cristian Gabriel Rodríguez Barotti is an Uruguayan footballer who plays for F.C. Porto in Portugal, mainly as a left winger....

, as well as Portuguese leftback Emídio Rafael
Emídio Rafael
Emídio Rafael Augusto Silva is a Portuguese footballer who plays for F.C. Porto as a left defender.-Football career:...

 (broken fibula).

Braga's manager Domingos Paciência had no major physical impediments among his players. Despite pre-selected for the league match against Sporting, defenders Miguel Garcia
Miguel Garcia (footballer)
Miguel Ângelo Moita Garcia is a Portuguese footballer who plays for Orduspor in Turkey, mainly as a right defender.-Club career:...

 and Rodríguez, and striker Paulo César
Paulo César Rocha Rosa
Paulo César Rocha Rosa, known as Paulo César , is a Brazilian footballer who plays for Sporting Clube de Braga in Portugal, as a striker.-Football career:...

 were deemed unfit to play and were left out by caution. They were reintegrated in the group that was to play in Dublin.

Summary

Coming into this final once again as underdogs, Braga quickly showed signs of their intent as Custódio missed an early chance to goal with a wide shot from the right side of the penalty area. In response, on the 7th minute, Hulk jinked three Braga defenders and sent the ball inches away from the top-left corner. Soon after, Braga transitioned into a more defensive strategy, holding much of Porto's attacks. The rest of the first half was characterized by few opportunities and excessive tackling, until the 44th minute, when Porto broke the deadlock. A loose pass from Alberto Rodriguez allowed Fredy Guarín to recover the ball on the midfield and execute a perfect deep cross for unmarked Radamel Falcao
Radamel Falcao
Radamel Falcao García Zárate , commonly known simply as Falcao, is a Colombian football striker who currently plays for Atlético Madrid....

 to conclude with a header into the top left corner, out of reach for Braga's keeper Artur Moraes. This was Falcao's 17th goal in the competition, which further cemented his already confirmed 2010–11 UEFA Europa League top scorer status, and contributed for his pick as man of the match.

Paciência introduced Kaká and Mossoró
José Márcio da Costa
José Márcio da Costa, aka Mossoró , is a Brazilian footballer who plays for S.C. Braga in the Portuguese first division, as a midfielder.His nickname stems for his birthplace.-Football career:...

 into the game, right after half-time, and it took no time for the latter to create Braga's best opportunity to level the score. Stealing the ball from an unaware Rolando
Rolando (Portuguese footballer)
Rolando Jorge Pires da Fonseca , simply Rolando, is a Cape Verdean-born Portuguese footballer who plays for F.C. Porto as a central defender.-Club career:...

, he raced towards Helton only to see his shot defended by the keeper's legs. Braga began pressing Porto and substitute Meyong had a chance for goal on the 77th minute, but his shot at the edge of the box ended in Helton's hands. Porto continued holding off Braga's attempts and created more danger in counter-attacks, but the score would not change until the final whistle.

Details


|
style="font-size: 90%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"> PORTO:
GK 1   Helton (c)
RB 21   Cristian Săpunaru
Cristian Sapunaru
Ionuţ Cristian Săpunaru is a Romanian footballer who plays for F.C. Porto in Portugal. Mainly a right defender, he can also play as centre back.-Club career:...

 
CB 14   Rolando
Rolando (Portuguese footballer)
Rolando Jorge Pires da Fonseca , simply Rolando, is a Cape Verdean-born Portuguese footballer who plays for F.C. Porto as a central defender.-Club career:...

 
CB 30   Nicolás Otamendi
Nicolás Otamendi
Nicolás Hernán Gonzalo Otamendi is an Argentine football centre back who plays for F.C. Porto in the Portuguese Liga.-Vélez Sársfield:...

LB 5   Álvaro Pereira
Alvaro Pereira
Álvaro Daniel Pereira Barragán is an Uruguayan footballer who plays for Futebol Clube do Porto in Portugal.On the left side, he can play as either a defender or midfielder.-Early years:...

DM 25   Fernando
Fernando Francisco Reges
Fernando Francisco Reges , simply Fernando, is a Brazilian footballer who plays for F.C. Porto in Portugal, as a defensive midfielder.-Club career:...

CM 6   Fredy Guarín 
CM 8   João Moutinho
João Moutinho
João Filipe Iria Santos Moutinho is a Portuguese footballer who plays for F.C. Porto, also being a Portuguese international.Mainly a central midfielder, he can also operate as a holding or attacking midfielder, and on either flank.-Sporting:...

RW 12   Hulk
LW 17   Silvestre Varela
Silvestre Varela
Silvestre Manuel Gonçalves Varela is a Portuguese footballer who plays for F.C. Porto in the Portuguese first division, as a winger.-Club career:...

 
CF 9   Radamel Falcao
Radamel Falcao
Radamel Falcao García Zárate , commonly known simply as Falcao, is a Colombian football striker who currently plays for Atlético Madrid....

Substitutes:
GK 24   Beto
DF 4   Maicon
Maicon Pereira Roque
Maicon Pereira Roque , simply Maicon, is a Brazilian footballer who plays for F.C. Porto in the Portuguese first division, as a central defender.-Football career:...

MF 7   Fernando Belluschi
Fernando Belluschi
Fernando Daniel Belluschi is an Argentine football midfielder who currently plays for FC Porto in the Portuguese first division.- Career :...

 
FW 18   Walter
Walter Henrique da Silva
Walter Henrique da Silva , simply Walter, is a Brazilian footballer who plays for F.C. Porto in Portugal, as a striker.-Early career:...

FW 19   James Rodríguez 
MF 23   Josef Souza
MF 28   Rúben Micael
Rúben Micael
Rúben Micael Freitas da Ressureição , known as Micael, is a Portuguese footballer who plays for Real Zaragoza on loan from Atlético Madrid in Spain, as a midfielder.-Early years / Nacional:...

Manager:
  André Villas-Boas
style="font-size: 90%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align=center> BRAGA: | GK 1   Artur Moraes RB 15   Miguel Garcia
Miguel Garcia (footballer)
Miguel Ângelo Moita Garcia is a Portuguese footballer who plays for Orduspor in Turkey, mainly as a right defender.-Club career:...

  CB 3   Paulão
Paulo Afonso Santos Júnior
Paulo Afonso Santos Júnior known as Paulão is a Brazilian football player currently playing for Saint-Étienne.-External links:...

CB 2   Alberto Rodríguez  LB 28   Sílvio
Sílvio Manuel Pereira
Sílvio Manuel Azevedo Ferreira Sá Pereira, simply Sílvio, is a Portuguese footballer who plays for Atlético Madrid in Spain. A defender, he is equally at ease as a right or left back.-External links:****...

  DM 27   Custódio DM 88   Vandinho
Vanderson Válter de Almeida
Vanderson Válter de Almeida, aka Vandinho , is a Brazilian footballer who plays for Al Sharjah SC in the United Arab Emirates, as a central midfielder.-Football career:...

 (c) CM 45   Hugo Viana
Hugo Viana
Hugo Miguel Ferreira Gomes Viana is a Portuguese footballer who plays for Sporting de Braga as a central midfielder.His main assets are good set-pieces and passing skills...

  RW 30   Alan
Alan Osório da Costa Silva
Alan Osório da Costa Silva, simply Alan , is a Brazilian footballer who plays for Sporting Clube de Braga in Portugal, mainly as a winger.-Football career:...

LW 9   Paulo César
Paulo César Rocha Rosa
Paulo César Rocha Rosa, known as Paulo César , is a Brazilian footballer who plays for Sporting Clube de Braga in Portugal, as a striker.-Football career:...

CF 18   Lima
Rodrigo José Lima dos Santos
Rodrigo José Lima dos Santos, known as Lima , is a Brazilian footballer who plays for S.C. Braga in Portugal, as a striker.-Football career:...

  Substitutes: GK 42   Cristiano
Cristiano Pereira Figueiredo
Cristiano Pereira Figueiredo, simply Cristiano , is a Portuguese footballer who plays for Valencia CF as a goalkeeper.-Football career:...

DF 4   Kaká  MF 8   Mossoró
José Márcio da Costa
José Márcio da Costa, aka Mossoró , is a Brazilian footballer who plays for S.C. Braga in the Portuguese first division, as a midfielder.His nickname stems for his birthplace.-Football career:...

  FW 10   Hélder Barbosa
Hélder Barbosa
Hélder Jorge Leal Rodrigues Barbosa is a Portuguese footballer who plays for S.C. Braga as a left winger.-Porto:A product of F.C...

FW 19   Albert Meyong  DF 20   Elderson
Uwa Elderson Echiéjilé
Uwa Elderson Echiéjilé is a Nigerian footballer who plays for Sporting de Braga in Portugal, as a left defender.-Club career:...

MF 25   Leandro Salino
Leandro Salino
Leandro Salino do Carmo, known as Salino , is a Brazilian footballer who plays for Sporting de Braga in Portugal, as a defensive midfielder.-Honours:*Minas Gerais State League: 2005*Guanabara Cup: 2007...

Manager:   Domingos Paciência

Man of the Match:

  Radamel Falcao
Radamel Falcao
Radamel Falcao García Zárate , commonly known simply as Falcao, is a Colombian football striker who currently plays for Atlético Madrid....

 (Porto)

Assistant referees:

  Roberto Alonso Fernández (touchline)

  Jesús Calvo Guadamuro (touchline)

  Carlos Clos Gómez
Carlos Clos Gomez
Carlos Clos Gómez is a football referee. He is a UEFA class 2 referee as of January 2009.Gomez refereed a Europa League match between Motherwell and Steaua Bucureşti in which he was criticised by Motherwell manager Jim Gannon.In 2008 Gómez was forced to abandon a match between Real Betis and...

 (penalty area)

  Antonio Rubinos Pérez (penalty area)

Fourth official:

  David Fernández Borbolán

Reserve official:

  Juan Carlos Yuste Jiménez

Statistics

First half
Porto Braga
Goals scored 1 0
Total shots 5 5
Shots on target 1 1
Ball possession 58% 42%
Corner kicks 3 0
Fouls committed 11 10
Offsides 3 1
Yellow cards 0 2
Red cards 0 0


Second half
Porto Braga
Goals scored 0 0
Total shots 3 4
Shots on target 0 2
Ball possession 50% 50%
Corner kicks 4 3
Fouls committed 12 9
Offsides 1 5
Yellow cards 3 3
Red cards 0 0


Overall
Porto Braga
Goals scored 1 0
Total shots 8 9
Shots on target 1 3
Ball possession 55% 45%
Corner kicks 7 3
Fouls committed 23 19
Offsides 4 6
Yellow cards 3 5
Red cards 0 0


See also

  • 2010–11 UEFA Europa League
  • 2011 UEFA Champions League Final
    2011 UEFA Champions League Final
    The 2011 UEFA Champions League Final was a football match played on 28 May 2011 at Wembley Stadium in London that decided the winner of the 2010–11 season of the UEFA Champions League. The winners received the European Champion Clubs' Cup...

  • 2011 UEFA Super Cup
    2011 UEFA Super Cup
    -External links:*, UEFA.com...


External links

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