Ayoub El Kaabi. Remember that name. Millions of Greek football fans have engraved it on the walls of their hallowed temples after his heroics against Italy’s Fiorentina on Wednesday night in Athens won the first ever European trophy for any Greek football club.
Olympiakos won their first major European trophy as El Kaabi’s goal four minutes from the end of extra time was enough to clinch a 1-0 win over Fiorentina, which was the Italian club’s second straight Europa Conference League final defeat.
A lacklustre final played at the home of Olympiakos’ rivals AEK Athens was jolted to life in the 116th minute of extra time when El Kaabi headed home the only goal of a game at the near post from Santiago Hezze’s cross. It took a lengthy VAR check for potential offside, but El Kaabi’s goal was finally given.
It was the Moroccan’s 11th goal -a record, making him the top scorer in the 2023/24 UEFA Europa Conference League. Even the great Cristiano Ronaldo managed 10 goals in the more prestigious UEFA Champions League.
It was also El Kaabi’s 33rd goal of the season and he was rightly named the UEFA Europa Conference League final’s Player of the Match.
Thanks to the Moroccan, Olympiakos ended a 99-year wait to claim their first major European football trophy.
Born and raised in the poor neighborhood of Derb Milla in Casablanca, the 30-year-old Moroccan had played professional football in his home country, China, Turkey, and Qatar. Now, he has written his name in gold in football and Olympiakos’s history.
El Kaabi made his international debut for the Morocco national team in January 2018 during the Africa Nations Championship group stage match against Mauritania, where he scored two goals.
For Olympiakos coach Luis Mendilibar, it was double European honour in his second successive campaign, having led Spanish side Sevilla to UEFA Europa League triumph last season. Now Mendilibar has guided Olympiakos to Greece’s first European club trophy.
Before the history makers from Olympiakos, Panathinaikos were the only previous Greek team to feature in a European final, when they were beaten by Ajax in the 1971 European Cup final at Wembley.
