16 May 2013

Chelsea win Europa League

11:36 am on 16 May 2013

Chelsea have won the Europa League football final with a last-minute 2-1 victory over Benfica in Amsterdam.

The Londoners went ahead through Fernando Torres who rounded the Portugese side's goalkeeper in the 59th minute, but Benfica equalised from the penalty spot through Paraguayan sharpshooter Cardozo nine minutes later, after a handball in the Chelsea box.

Serbian defender Branislav Ivanovic headed the matchwinner in the 93rd minute from a corner, to continue Benfica's hoodoo in European competition.

They've now lost their last seven European finals and last won anything in 1963, when they beat Real Madrid in the same city to win the European Cup.

By contrast Chelsea have now won all three of UEFA's major trophies - the first English club to do so.

Ajax Amsterdam, Bayern Munich and Juventus are the only other teams to have won the Europa League, European Cup - now the Champions' League, which Chelsea won last season - and the now defunct Cup Winners' Cup.