Lyon: After painful defeats in recent continental finals, Diego Simeone’s Atletico Madrid are determined to justify their status as favourites in Wednesday’s Europa League showpiece against Olympique Marseille (OM) in Lyon. The winner automatically qualifies for the Champions League next season.
Atletico lost in extra time to Real Madrid in the Champions League final of 2014, having been seconds away from victory in 90 minutes, and then lost on penalties to their city rivals in the final of the same competition two years later.
An exit from this season’s Champions League in the group stage came as a big surprise for a formidable side spearheaded by Antoine Griezmann in attack, but they have put that behind them to close on glory in Europe’s less prestigious competition.
Atletico are looking to win the Europa League for the third time in nine seasons, after triumphing in 2010 and again in 2012, shortly after ‘Cholo’ Simeone was appointed coach.
“We can’t wait for the final to come around,” full-back Juanfran told ‘Radio Marca’ as Atletico target a first trophy since 2014, when they won La Liga.
“With ‘Cholo’ around lots of things have changed at Atletico. Everything we have experienced in these last few years we will remember forever. I hope we can get another little medal.”
It would be a first, and possibly last major medal as an Atletico player for Griezmann, who was raised not far from Lyon but has spent his whole career in Spain. It is expected that the 27-year-old will soon move to Barcelona.
Atletico have had plenty of heartbreak in European finals down the years, as have Marseille. The French club have previously appeared in four, losing three, the exception being their victory over AC Milan in the inaugural Champions League final in 1993.
Rudi Garcia’s team were not expected to make it this far, having started their European campaign in the qualifying rounds last July.
But after rousing wins over RB Leipzig in the last eight and Salzburg in the semifinals, the club and their passionate fans are now dreaming of glory on home soil.
“Those who won the Champions League in 1993 are still heroes because nobody else has done it since,” midfielder Dimitri Payet was quoted as saying by UEFA.com.
“We know how tough it is. Of course, that’s an added source of motivation, and if we do win the final, our names will be written into the club’s history books forever.”
Payet is ‘optimistic’ he will shake off a minor muscle problem to feature in Wednesday’s game, where Marseille will hope to have a big support behind them.
