Johansson pays tribute to Seville

UEFA President Lennart Johansson has paid tribute to the UEFA Cup final host city of Seville and the FC Porto and Celtic FC fans that made last night's match such a memorable occasion.

'Magnificent city'
"We have been delighted with events in this magnificent city," said Mr Johansson, who along with UEFA Chief Executive Gerhard Aigner presented Porto with the trophy after their thrilling 3-2 win in the Estadio Olímpico. He added: "The Executive Committee will continue to look at ways of further improving the format of the UEFA Cup but we noted the genuine success of this year’s competition."

Derlei the hero
The Portuguese champions became the first team to win a trophy on the 'silver goal' rule as they overcame a spirited Celtic challenge to claim the UEFA Cup for the first time. Derlei was the Porto hero as he capped an excellent season in the competition with the winning goal after 115 minutes of an absorbing contest.

Friendly conduct
With thousands of Celtic and Porto fans in in Seville to sample the atmosphere, the conduct of the supporters won praise from Mr Johansson. "The behaviour of the travelling supporters from Scotland and Portugal and the hospitality of the people of Seville has been a joy," he said.

'Important signal'
"There has been a party here which has sent an important signal to football fans everywhere," Mr Johansson continued. "I pay tribute to the magnificent supporters of Celtic and Porto and thank them for what they have contributed to this great occasion."