By the end here in Seville they
could take it no more, but the suffering was worth it and they made it.
Somewhere in the madness a whistle blew and Valencia became Copa Del Rey winners.
For the first time in 1456 days, Barcelona are not the cup winners.
There will be consequences at the
Camp Nou, changes. Lionel Messi’s second-half goal was not enough to cancel out
strikes from Kevin Gameiro and Rodrigo Moreno and a league title is not enough
for a club like this. For Valencia, the cup is certainly enough. There was
wild celebration; this was the culmination of a centenary year that for so long
had been one to endure, but it ended in elation. What an occasion this turned
out to be: on a knife edge, nerves shredded all around this stadium.
As the final minutes slipped by and
players fell, exhaustion gripping everyone; the tension was unbearable with Barcelona throwing
everything at Valencia. So much so that their goalkeeper, Jasper Cillessen, who
had gone up for the last corner, was among those running back when Gonçalo
Guedes ran through all alone.
It
was the second time it had happened, players, staff and coaches leaving the
bench convinced that this was the moment. It was not – Guedes shot wide of the
open goal – but eventually it was over. Halfway through this season Valencia
were only four points off the relegation zone and their manager, Marcelino
García Toral, was under pressure. But the players backed him, the club’s
director general too, and patience paid off. They clinched a Champions League
place on the final day and now they are the cup winners too.
