Players you might have forgot won the Europa League

The Europa League may not be the cream of continental silverware — that right is reserved for the Champions League — but there remains a certain allure and prestige of winning the iconic competition.

Indeed, this is a tournament not to be sniffed at. Winners of the Champions League’s little brother stretch back to Bob Paisley’s Liverpool, Bobby Robson’s Ipswich Town and Louis van Gaal’s Ajax. The competition is, quite simply, bristling with moments of historic greatness.

It is not simply a backdoor to the Champions League, though that is certainly one of the perks. Since its rebranding from the Uefa Cup to the Europa League in 2009-10, top clubs have continued to conjure up moments of sporting excellence.

Atalanta are the defending champions, securing just their second major honour with a comfortable victory over a Bayer Leverkusen side that were unbeaten across all competitions last season. Of course, over the years this has been known as Sevilla’s tournament, with seven titles overall.

During their wins, and many others, some big names have appeared in the Europa League final. We all remember the Eden Hazards and Paul Pogbas of previous finals, but there are a few other notable names to have scooped a medal since the rebranding over a decade ago…

Sergio Aguero (Atletico Madrid)

Winning season: 2009-10

Let’s start with a biggie. Sergio Aguero, the instinctive goal-getter who fired Man City to plenty of trophies and kept fans off their seats for nearly a decade. But, there was one frontier the Argentine was unable to cross with the Citizens, and that was in Europe.

Continental silverware may have eluded Aguero in the north-west, but he had already secured European success in his career. In 2009-10, Atletico Madrid, under Quique Sanchez Flores, famously beat Roy Hodgson’s Fulham in the Hamburg final, with Aguero providing two assists in a 2-1 win.

Atleti were knocked out of the Champions League group stages, and so dropped down to the Europa League. Wins over Galatasaray, Sporting CP, Valencia and Liverpool set up a contest against the Cottagers. The Londoners took it to extra-time, but a Diego Forlan brace broke Fulham hearts.

Joel Robles (Atletico Madrid)

Winning season: 2009-10

It’s a strange collection of medals for the former Everton goalkeeper: an FA Cup win with Wigan, and a Europa League triumph with Atletico Madrid. The Spaniard famously started in the historic 1-0 win over Man City at Wembley, keeping a clean sheet as Roberto Martinez’s side pulled off the unthinkable.

Unfortunately, he could only muster a spot on the bench as Atleti put Fulham to the sword. A young, up-and-coming shot-stopper, he was playing second fiddle to another young, up-and-coming shot-stopper, a certain David de Gea. Atleti triumphed to a rousing Madrid procession and finished comfortably in the top half of the La Liga table, while Wigan infamously clinched unprecedented silverware but simultaneously suffered the ignominy of relegation.

Joao Moutinho (Porto)

Winning season: 2010-11

Moutinho patrolled the Wolves midfield during their Europa League voyage in 2019-20, which was ended by eventual champions Sevilla. But, elimination was probably not as much a dispiriting blow to the ageing midfield general as some of his younger compatriots, as he already has a medal sitting proudly on his mantlepiece.

The 2010-11 Europa League final was an all-Portugal affair, with Andre Villas-Boas’ Porto taking on a Domingos-inspired Braga. It was a tame encounter in Dublin, with Radamel Falcao scoring the only goal of the game at the Aviva Stadium, but it put AVB on the map as the Second Coming of Jose Mourinho.

Nicolas Otamendi (Porto)

Winning season: 2010-11

Villas-Boas’ Dragons may have included midfield architects like Moutinho, goalscoring fiends of Falcao’s ilk and exceptional fledging talent from across the Atlantic in James Rodriguez, but he also had a pretty formidable backline, with Otamendi the chief policeman in that watertight rearguard.

With such experience in Europe, it seems almost bizarre how Man City continued to falter in the latter stages. But, former centre-back Otamendi had already sauntered across the final frontier; keeping the all-important clean sheet on that day against Braga.

Thibaut Courtois (Atletico Madrid) 

Winning season: 2011-12

Wait, you thought Sevilla were the dominant Europa League force of the 2010s? Au contraire, my dear friend! Diego Simeone may have reached two Champions League finals and scooped two La Liga titles amid the backdrop of Spain’s dominant duopoly of Real and Barca, but he also has two Europa league medals to his name.

After winning the competition in 2010, Atleti thought ‘that was pretty good’ and decided to do it again two years later. De Gea was gone, but they brought in another goalkeeping starlet in Courtois, on loan from Chelsea, and he was exceptional in the 3-0 final win over Marcelo Bielsa’s Athletic Bilbao.

Falcao was the star of the show again with a clinical brace, while Brazilian maestro Diego showcased his Samba silk and even Arda Turan, back when he was actually good, produced a masterclass. But, it was Courtois, Miranda and Co. who built up a bulwark at the back.

Nathan Ake (Chelsea)

Winning season: 2012-13

Nathan Ake is a European champion, winning the Champions League with Man City in 2022-23. But that wasn’t his first triumph in Europe.

Rafa Benitez moved to Stamford Bridge to much displeasure among the Chelsea fanbase in 2012. Pitchforks were at the ready and unsavoury banners were unfurled due to his association with Liverpool and previous comments made about the club. But he succeeded where he had previously done so with Valencia nine years prior, by lifting the Europa League.

Among his charges was a young Dutchman by the name of Ake, a technical defender who featured twice in the lead-up to the final in Amsterdam, where Chelsea triumphed 2-1 over Benfica. And Benitez left the capital a satisfied man even though he didn’t win over the Blues faithful.

Stephane Mbia (Sevilla)

Winning seasons: 2013-14, 2014-15

Stephane Mbia’s ill-fated switch to Queens Park Rangers in 2012 will be largely remembered for that kick out at Thomas Vermaelen against Arsenal. That red card was a premonition of things to come as QPR ultimately suffered relegation at the end of the season, and Mbia traded London for Andalusia.

He may have found life in the Premier League tough, but under Unai Emery, he found a home at the base of his midfield; protecting the backline and starring alongside the likes of Ivan Rakitic and Alberto Moreno at left-back. In the 2013-14 final, his midfield exploits helped keep a clean sheet against Benfica in a goalless draw and he even scored in the penalty shootout.

And, he would be at it again the following season as Los Nervionenses beat Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk 3-2 in the Warsaw showpiece, alongside another future Premier League relegation sufferer, Grzegorz Krychowiak. Good enough to win a Europa League, but not good enough to keep QPR and West Brom afloat.

Denis Suarez (Sevilla)

Winning season: 2014-15

Up there with Arsenal’s most baffling and atrocious loan signings. We’re talking about Kim Kallstrom territory. But, prior to that 2019 disaster-class at the Emirates, Suarez was making headways as one of Europe’s most promising youngsters, having shone on loan at Sevilla in 2014-15 from Barcelona.

The Spaniard scored the club’s third-most Europa League goals that season en route to the final, but he was unfortunately an unused substitute in the main event. That didn’t stop him earning a move to Villarreal and then back to Barcelona, then back to Villarreal (via Celta Vigo). But he hasn’t really kicked on as many were hoping for him.

Fernando Llorente (Sevilla)

Winning season: 2015-16

One of those players that you feel must have half a dozen or so Europa League medals knocking about in his basement, but Llorente has only actually clinched the title once, and he was an unused substitute in that final against Liverpool.

He started in the 2011-12 final for Athletic Bilbao under Bielsa, but was unable to impact the game as Simeone’s Atleti ran riot. However, he triumphed four years later as Sevilla completed their three-peat, with a 3-1 win over Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool.

Conor Gallagher (Chelsea)

Winning season: 2018/19

The England international has had quite the career already, but his biggest triumph so far came before he even kicked a ball in professional football. In 2017, he famously took home the FIFA U-17 World Cup, starring in that exceptional Three Lions side — managed by Steve Cooper — which included players like Phil Foden and Jadon Sancho.

He also helped Swansea to the Championship play-offs under Cooper in 2019-20, while playing a starring role in the Premier League on loan at Crystal Palace and finally Chelsea. His departure to Atletico Madrid ruffled a lot of feathers among the Chelsea faithful.

But, before he was regularly captaining Chelsea, he made the bench in 2018-19 as Maurizio Sarri’s Blues battered and bruised Arsenal 4-1 in the Baku final. He also scooped the club’s Academy Player of the Year award that season to boot.

Jamie Cumming (Chelsea)

Winning season: 2018-19

Another youngster handed a berth on the bench in 2018-19. Cumming never played for Chelsea’s first team, spending a lot of time out on loan. He’s now at Oxford United permanently, aged 25, but he will never forget that night in Azerbaijan.

Pervis Estupinan (Villarreal)

Winning season: 2020-21

Estupinan is a name that has been thrown more into the spotlight in recent years after helping Brighton secure Europa League football in 2022-23. But that wasn’t his first foray in the tournament. Estupinan was part of the Villarreal side that beat Manchester United on penalties in the 2020-21 final (though he was an unused substitute).

Ramiro Funes Mori (Villarreal)

Winning season: 2020-21

Another unused substitute in that 2020-21 final was Funes Mori, of former Everton fame. This turned out to be Funes Mori’s final season at Villarreal before joining Saudi club Al-Nassr, and he clocked up two thirds of his Europa League appearances in 2020/21 in the group stage.

And what about the UEFA Cup…..

Prior to the Europa League rebranding, there were some pretty considerable names who lifted the UEFA Cup that you may not remember. We won’t go into too much detail but here are just a handful of recipients to jog your memory.

Fernandinho (Shakhtar Donetsk 2008-09)

Willian (Shakhtar Donetsk 2008-09)

Andrey Arshavin (Zenit Saint Petersburg 2007-08)

Dani Alves (Sevilla 2005-06, 2006-07)

Yuri Zhirkov (CSKA Moscow 2004-05)

Nuno Espirito Santo (Porto 2002-03)

Robin van Persie (Feyenoord 2001-02)

Gheorghe Hagi (Galatasaray 1999-2000)

Gianluigi Buffon (Parma 1998-99)

Ronaldo (Inter Milan 1997-98)

Diego Simeone (Inter Milan 1997-98)