HAMBURG – Diego Forlan scored his second goal of the game with four minutes remaining in overtime, giving Atletico Madrid a 2-1 victory over Fulham on Wednesday night in the first Europa League final. Clint Dempsey became the first American to play in a European club soccer final when he entered in the 55th minute [...]

HAMBURG, Germany (AFP) – Hamburg on Friday lodged an appeal against the five-match ban imposed on striker Paolo Guerrero for throwing a bottle at a fan after his side’s goalless draw with Hanover last weekend. The sanction means that the season is over for Guerrero, who had just returned from a serious knee injury, and [...]

NYON, Switzerland (AFP) – Three-time winners Liverpool face a tricky Europa League quarter-final against Benfica after Friday’s draw. Rafa Benitez’s team, who last won the UEFA Cup in 2001 after two previous successes in 1973 and 1976, will start as favourites in their bid to claim some silverware after missing out on the FA Cup, [...]

LONDON (AFP) – Fulham manager Roy Hodgson has warned his side not to give up their Europa League dream without a fight when they face Italian giants Juventus in Thursday’s last 16 second leg tie. Hodgson’s unheralded team have exceeded all expectations by reaching the latter stages of Europe’s second-tier competition, but the west London [...]

LIVERPOOL (AFP) – Alberto Aquilani intends to make up for lost time by playing a crucial role as Liverpool look to salvage their season, but may have to sit out Thursday’s crucial Europa League clash with Lille after picking up a virus. Having scored his long-awaited first goal for the club in Monday’s 4-1 win [...]