UEFA has extended a warm thank you to Dublin, the Football Association of Ireland, and all of the fans after the Europa League Final was staged at the Aviva Stadium last night, May 22.
In a statement on Thursday, UEFA said it "would like to extend heartfelt thanks to Atalanta BC, Bayer 04 Leverkusen, and all the fans who participated in last night’s UEFA Europa League final in Dublin.
"Your passion and enthusiasm created a brilliant atmosphere, making the event truly unforgettable."
UEFA added: "Special thanks go to the Football Association of Ireland, local authorities, and all the services participating in the match organisation. Your hard work and dedication were instrumental in making everybody feel safe and welcome.
"We are also pleased to confirm that match officials noted no single incident throughout the event, which is a testament to the sportsmanship and respect shown by all attendees.
"UEFA remains committed to providing the best possible experience for football fans, and your unwavering support plays a crucial role in achieving that goal. Thank you for making the 2024 UEFA Europa League final a resounding success.
?? THANK YOU, DUBLIN!
To @Atalanta_BC, @bayer04fussball, @FAIreland, both sets of fans and everybody involved in Wednesday's #UELfinal, thank you!
Your passion, enthusiasm and hard work created a brilliant atmosphere and a truly unforgettable occasion.
— UEFA (@UEFA) May 23, 2024
Italian club Atalanta are Europa League champions after beating Bayer Leverkusen 3-0 last night.
Ademola Lookman was the hero for Atalanta, firing in a magnificent hattrick to secure the club's second major trophy in their 116-year history.
A sold-out Aviva Stadium, covered in the red and black of Leverkusen and the blue and black of Atalanta, looked on as Lookman scored twice inside the opening 26 minutes to put the Italian side in dreamland.
Seemingly impossible comebacks have been a hallmark of Bayer Leverkusen this season, with the German side becoming the first Bundesliga side in history to complete a league season without losing a game.
Prior to Wednesday night's final, Leverkusen had not lost in any of the 51 games they had played in all competitions, frequently rescuing results with dramatic late goals.
It was not to be on this occasion, with Lookman putting the seal on a deserved Atalanta victory with 15 minutes remaining.
Leverkusen did not start the game like a side that has not lost this season, often surrounding possession to their well-disciplined Italian opponents.
They were made to pay after 12 minutes when Lookman stole in at the back post to fire into an unguarded net after a cutback from the excellent Teun Koopmeiners.
Lookman doubled his and Atalanta's tally 14 minutes later after Leverkusen again surrendered possession inside their own half.
The 26-year-old forward cut inside Granit Xhaka before curling a delightful effort past the despairing dive of Matej Kovar from 25 yards.
Leverkusen have rescued results from similar positions in the past, coming back from two goals down on three separate occasions during their run to the Europa League final.
There was to be no fairytale end to what had been a fairytale season, however. Lookman saw to that.
With Leverkusen committing numbers in search of a route back into the game, Atalanta had more space to counterattack, with Gianluca Scamacca feeding Lookman on the edge of the Leverkusen penalty area.
There was still plenty for Lookman to do, but the 26-year-old evaded a challenge from Emond Tapsoba before cracking an unstoppable left-footed shot into the top corner, leaving Kovar with no chance.
It was the first-ever hattrick in a Europa League final and the first hattrick in any single-leg European final since 1961.
"I’m just happy we won today," Lookman said after the full-time whistle. "We’re going to celebrate - we made history tonight."
Atalanta manager Gian Piero Giasperini praised Lookman for his "historic" hattrick after Wednesday's final.
"Tonight he achieved something which will remain in the annals of football history - a stunning hat-trick," Giasperini told reporters.
He also paid tribute to Covid-19 victims in Bergamo, the Italian city where Atalanta is located which was also one of the worst-affected areas during the early stages of the pandemic.
"We won’t be able to do away with all that pain, but we have put a smile on the face of the Bergamasco people."
Leverkusen manager Xabi Alonso was magnanimous in defeat, stating that the club's attempt to win a historic unbeaten treble was "not meant to be".
"We couldn’t cope with many difficult situations because Atalanta demand so much from you," Alonso told TNT Sports.
"The unbeaten run has come to an end, but congratulations to Atalanta. They deserved it. Once they scored the first goal, that gave them a lot of energy. It was not about tactics, today individually they were better and as a team as well."
Already crowned Bundesliga champions, Leverkusen can still end their season on a high when they face second division side Kaiserslautern in the German Cup final on Saturday.
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