And so in the end, there it was: the most famous smile in Spanish football. Late, very late on Saturday, Joaquín Sánchez lifted the Copa del Rey into the sky in Seville, his city, having become the only player in Real Betis’s history to win the competition for a second time. It took 17 years and two days but Betis have the third cup in their history and their captain has the perfect last dance. He was there when they won it in 2005, and he was there again last night, two months off his 41st birthday as a dramatic penalty shootout delivered his dream.
This final, he had said, was a reward for 20 years of love for the game and it was hard not to love this moment, his moment. All of theirs. Hard too not to feel sad for Yunus Musah, whose missed penalty saw the trophy slip from Valencia’s grasp. Joaquín, who missed the vital spot-kick that put Spain out of the World Cup 20 long years ago, knows how that feels. He almost felt it again too, his own effort here just squeezing in at the post. He escaped, Musah didn’t, and at 12.50am Juan Miranda scored to spark wild scenes, people running across the pitch. He had also been there in 2005, last time Betis won this competition — as a fan, aged five.
