Ukraine’s Shakhtar prevail in last UEFA Cup final in Istanbul

Hurriyet Daily News with wires

Shakhtar become the first team from Ukraine to lift a European trophy since the break-up of the Soviet Union, while they will also be the last team to lift the UEFA Cup before its re-launch as the Europa League next season.   

All three goals were scored by Brazilians as Luiz Adriano, one of Shakhtar's four-pronged Brazilian attacking unit, opened the scoring after 25 minutes by lifting the ball over keeper Tim Wiese. Samba flair oozed through the Ukrainian champions, but they lacked brawn.

That was provided by Naldo, the Werder defender nicknamed "The Beast," which proved to be a muscular and stubborn barrier to his opposing countrymen.

The Beast supplied the equalizer 10 minutes after Adriano’s goal, unleashing a free kick that Shakhtar goalkeeper Andriy Pyatov pushed into his own goal.

Little was getting past Naldo until his own goalkeeper’s own flap, with Jadson's first-time shot from Darijo Srna's cross squirmed under Wiese in the 97th minute after the teams had been locked 1-1 at the end of normal time in the match at Istanbul's Sukru Saracoglu stadium.

The victory was a vindication of Shakhtar coach Mircea Lucescu's policy of luring Brazilian youngsters to add flair to his emerging side. All five started in the biggest game at the club since Ukraine gained independence with the breakup of the Soviet Union in 1991.

"It is bigger because it is the last and maybe we can keep the trophy," Lucescu told reporters after the match. "We don’t have to make a copy of it."

"The team is very young and I hope no young players leave this team because we have bigger objectives. We want to do well in the Champions League now," the 63-year-old Romanian added.

Lucescu, popular with Istanbul rivals Galatasaray and Besiktas after winning the national league with both, confirmed he was interested in another stint in Turkish football - just not yet.

"I had a good time at Galatasaray and I had a good time at Besiktas," Lucescu said Thursday. "I have good relations even with Fenerbahce supporters. I think sometimes about returning to Turkey but I am not sure when."

Lucescu added he first wants to stay at least another year at Shakhtar.

Shakhtar was the better side throughout the game while Bremen seemed to be badly missing Diego, its Brazilian playmaker, suspended after a yellow card in the semifinal win over Hamburg.

"We knew they were very fast and we knew we had to deny them space but it didn’t really work out," Bremen coach Thomas Schaaf said.

"We weren’t able to attack as much as we usually are able to do," Schaaf said. "Our ball control wasn’t good enough,” he said.

The UEFA Cup will become the Europa League next season, a revamped competition UEFA hopes will enhance the image and profile of European football's second-tier tournament.