Soccer Football - Europa Conference League - Final - Olympiacos v Fiorentina - Athens, Greece - May 29, 2024 Olympiacos fans celebrate winning the Europa Conference League in Piraeus REUTERS/Stelios Misinas TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY
ATHENS, Greece (Reuters) - Several thousand Olympiakos fans gathered in Piraeus on Wednesday to celebrate their team's victory and the historic first European trophy for a Greek club.
Olympiakos defeated Fiorentina 1-0 after extra time with a goal from Ayoub El Kaabi in the 116th minute at Agia Sophia stadium, home of Olympiakos' rivals AEK Athens.
The port city of Piraeus, just outside Athens where Olympiakos are based, swiftly transformed into a spectacle of fireworks and crimson hues as supporters commenced their celebrations.
"We finally lived what our generation was waiting for. We hope the next generation gets as lucky as ours," Olympiakos fan Giannis Christodoulou said.
"Once in a lifetime, I am overjoyed, it’s fantastic,” fellow Olympiakos fan Diamantis Diamantopoulos added.
The historic victory sent most of Greece, including Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, into a joyful frenzy. Fans celebrated by cheering, chanting slogans, and waving Olympiakos flags in cities across the country, according to local media.
"A true Legend! Olympiakos wins the Conference League and makes history! An astonishing night for the club itself, but also for Greek football as a whole. Congratulations!," Mitsotakis wrote on social media platform X.
In Florence, Fiorentina fans watching the match on big screens at Artemio Franchi Stadium faced another heartbreak as the team suffered a second consecutive defeat in the Europa Conference League final and Italian Cup final loss last season.
"We have lost three finals in 360 days, so this is how we feel," Fiorentina fan Andrea Polignano said.
(Reporting by Tommy Lund in Gdansk and Renee Maltezou in Athens; additional reporting by Alex Fraser and Valentini Anagnostopoulou; editing by Chris Reese)
