Dnipro’s Yevhen Seleznev (right) celebrates after scoring against Napoli during their Europa League semi-final first leg soccer match at the San Paolo stadium.
DPA/Warsaw
Surprise side Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk will again be aiming to upset the odds as well as unite war-hit Ukraine when they take on Sevilla in the Europa League final Wednesday.
The showdown against the Spanish holders in Warsaw is an opportunity for Ukrainians to cheer as one for coach Myron Markevych’s outfit as the conflict between government forces and pro-Russian separatists continues in the east of the former Soviet republic.
After getting past Napoli in the semi-finals to reach a first European final, Markevych said that for at least 90 minutes in the final, Ukraine should be an undivided country and stand as one behind Dnipro.
“I am wishing for this rare moment of unity in time of war. We’ve been playing for the entire Ukraine,” he said.
Dnipro’s best previous performance in Europe was twice reaching the quarter-finals of the old European Cup as Soviet champions in the 1980s.
Since Ukraine’s independence in 1991, the club founded in 1918 with industrial roots has rarely stepped out of the shadow of Dynamo Kiev and 2009 UEFA Cup winners Shakhtar Donetsk - the best league placings have been runners-up in 1993 and again last season under Spaniard Juande Ramos.
It was also an inauspicious start in Europe this season under Markevych. Dnipro, from the south-central industrial city and playing their home games some 400 kilometres away in Kiev because of the conflict in the east, failed to get past the third qualifying round of the Champions League.
After entering the Europa League, an injury-hit side only gained one point from their first three group games but then rallied to finish second to reach the knock-out stage where they went on to eliminate Olympiakos, Ajax, Club Brugge and Napoli.
Ukraine striker Yevhen Seleznyov, who headed the winner in a 1-0 defeat of Napoli in the second leg after also scoring a late equalizer in the first-leg 1-1 draw in Naples, will bring European final experience to the team, having played for Shakhtar in the 2009 triumph over Germany’s Werder Bremen in Istanbul.
“Nobody has backed us. It’s a great surprise for everybody that we’ve gone this far,” he said.
“We all understand clearly what we’re playing for. We have terrific fans as Dnipropetrovsk is a football-mad city. And we all have great team spirit - the main reason of our success, I believe.”
Sevilla are meanwhile seeking their fourth European triumph in 10 years in the competition - and travel to Warsaw without any new injury concerns, with only defender Nico Pareja sidelined.
Sevilla won the UEFA Cup, the Europa League’s predecessor, in 2006 and 2007, and now want to be the first team to defend a Europa League title.
“We can’t deny that we have the chance to write history,” coach Unai Emery told UEFA.com.
“Of course we are grateful to have that chance, to be able to pursue this. We are aiming to achieve something with this team, with Sevilla.
“It shouldn’t feel like pressure or stop us from executing our game plan against Dnipro. It will serve more as motivation, like a dream we can achieve.”
Emery - who will probably leave the club after the final - will have to choose between Sergio Rico and Beto in goal, now that the latter is fit again. Beto was the penalty-saving hero in last season’s final against Benfica, but Rico has done fairly well in his absence.
A 3-2 win at Malaga Saturday gave Sevilla a fifth-place finish in La Liga. If they win Wednesday there will be five Spanish teams in the Champions League.
“We should be very proud of our season,” Emery told reporters after the Malaga win. “In terms of commitment, attitude and performance, we have been excellent. I am very proud of this team.
“Now we need to round things off by winning the Europa League again. We know it will not be easy, but I am sure we are going to turn in a performance full of effort, sacrifice and passion.”
Dnipro have been “the revelation” of this season’s Europa League after eliminating four teams with a much greater pedigree, Emery told UEFA.
“If they beat those teams, they are also capable of beating Sevilla,” he said. “We’ll give them respect. We’ll be humble, we won’t feel like favourites, we’ll compete and be demanding of ourselves.”
