IFFHS CONTINENTAL NEWS - UEFA CONFERENCE LEAGUE FINAL
Statistics on Conference League final Olympiacos vs Fiorentina 1-0
*Olympiacos became the 1st ever club from Greece to win a European final.
It was the 2nd appearance of a Greek team in the final of a major European competition, after 1971 Champions Cup when Panathinaikos lost to Ajax 0-2.
*José Luis Mendilibar became the 2nd coach to win a major European trophy in 2 consecutive seasons being in charge of different clubs
(2023 Europa League with Sevilla, 2024 Conference League with Olympiacos).
The only precedent: another Spanish coach Rafael Benítez (2004 UEFA Cup with Valencia, 2005 Champions League with Liverpool).
*In his both victorious campaigns, Mendilibar was appointed just a couple of months before triumph (in March 2023 to Sevilla, in February 2024 to Olympiacos).
*In both cases, Mendilibar was third coach of the club in the season in consideration.
In both cases, Mendilibar (now aged 63) became the oldest coach to win the competition in consideration.
*Ayoub El Kaabi has scored the latest winner (timing 115:16) in a major European final since Diego Forlán for Atlético Madrid against Fulham in the 2010 Europa League final (115:36).
*El Kaabi finished his glorious European campaign with 16 goals (5 in Europa League, 11 in Conference League).
Only 3 players managed to score more in a single European season:
Radamel Falcao – 18 in 2010-11 Europa League,
Stéphane Guivarc'h – 17 in 1997-98 (7 in Intertoto Cup, 10 in UEFA Cup),
Cristiano Ronaldo – 17 in 2013-14 Champions League.
*El Kaabi has surpassed by far the best seasonal scoring mark for the players of Greek teams in Europe:
Antonis Antoniadis – 10 goals in Champions Cup 1970-71 with Panathinaikos.
*El Kaabi has also established the new record for most goals scored in a single UEFA club competition knockout stage since the group stages were introduced – 11 (see the table).
The 30-year old striker has done all this in his very first season in European competitions!
| MOST GOALS | IN A | SINGLE | KNOCK-OUT STAGE | OF | EUROPEAN COMPETITION |
| SINCE | GROUP | STAGE | INTRODUCTION | ||
| Player | Season | Nationality | Clubs | Goals | Competition |
| Ayoub El Kaabi | 2023-24 | Morocco | Olympiacos | 11 | Conference League |
| Radamel Falcao | 2010-11 | Colombia | Porto | 10 | Europa League |
| Cristiano Ronaldo | 2016-17 | Portugal | Real Madrid | 10 | Champions League |
| Karim Benzema | 2021-22 | France | Real Madrid | 10 | Champions League |