
The 2024 Europa League final was a wonderfully high-quality affair. Xabi Alonso’s rampant Bayer Leverkusen had not lost a single game all season, yet were given a nut-and-bolt dismantling by an Atalanta side inspired by Ademola Lookman, who would go on to be crowned the best African player on the planet.
This year’s edition doesn’t have quite the same stardust.