*Unai Emery’s Spanish side win their third Europa League title in eight years

*Sevilla beat Benfica on penalties after a goalless 120 minutes at the Juventus Stadium

*Sevilla’s Kevin Gameiro blasted the ball home to score the winning penalty

*The curse of Bela Guttmann continues for Benfica with their eighth consecutive defeat in a European final

*Former Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson amongst the crowd

Bela Guttmann’s curse continues to haunt Benfica.

The better team over 120 minutes of this tie, they had their hearts broken for the eighth consecutive time in a European cup final, as Sevilla won on penalties.

Veteran striker Oscar Cardozo and Rodrigo missed from the spot, while the Spaniards clinically converted all of their four kicks following a tight Europa League battle.

After winning two European Cups with Benfica, Guttmann furiously quit in 1962 over a pay dispute and declared that the Portuguese side would not win another trophy for 100 years.

Since then they keep stumbling at the final hurdle, including in last year’s Europa League final to Chelsea and now once again this time.

Sevilla, who won the competition in 2006 and 2007 against Middlesbrough and Espanyol respectively, were delighted to add a third to their trophy cabinet.

The hero for Sevilla was goalkeeper Beto, who performed heroics in the game and yet more in the shoot-out.

‘This is the final we dreamed about and it ended up the best way for Sevilla, not just for me,’ he said, after the game.

Manager Unai Emery added: ‘You could see the tiredness and discomfort of the players, but this team has learned how to suffer, has learned to stay big and was prepared for this.

‘We know how to suffer and we know how to fight.’

Benfica coach Jorge Jesus believed his side deserved to win the match at Turin’s Juventus Stadium.

He congratulated Sevilla, but said: ‘Today, in the game, the best team did not win the Europa League. The Benfica players should be congratulated. There is nothing I can criticise.

‘We leave the game with our heads held high and on Sunday there is another final for us.’

He was referring to the Portuguese Cup final this weekend, which if Benfica win would complete a treble for them this season.

But with the Europa League, they could have earned a historic quadruple.

Anybody who observed the first half would not have been surprised it took a penalty shoot-out to separate these teams.

Manchester United target Ezequiel Garay put in an early reducer on Sevilla’s lone striker Carlos Bacca and Guilherme Siqueira foiled the same player with a crucial tackle minutes later.

Federico Fazio exacted revenge with a clumsy foul on Miralem Sulejmani and was shown a yellow card, before Alberto Moreno joined him in the book for another foul on the Serbian right-winger.

Sulejmani, who had already caused Benfica serious problems, didn’t recover from his ordeal and was substituted in the 25th minute, with Andre Almeida coming on.

The brightest spark for Sevilla, as has so often been the case this season, was Croatian playmaker Ivan Rakitic.

One burst forward fooled Benfica’s midfield, although his cross was wayward, later he had a powerful low drive blocked by Eagles skipper Luisao.

Siqueira decided enough was enough and hacked down Los Hispalenes’ magician, also winding up in Felix Brych’s notebook.

It is clear why Rakitic is on the radar of Real Madrid and Sevilla will be lucky to keep hold of him this summer.

Rakitic, awarded man of the match, said: ‘Those who know out city and those who know our fans know that tomorrow is going to be an amazing day.’

Asked if he was going to leave at the end of the season he replied: ’15 people have asked me this question already. Just let me enjoy my special day.

‘I have done my best today, I carry these colours in my heart, and we will see what happens. Let me savour the moment, please.’

It was an attritional first half to say the least, with very few clear cut opportunities until right at the end of the period.

Luisao headed over from a corner and Benfica failed to make the most of a three-on-two situation, but the best opportunity fell to Maxi Pereira, just before the interval.

Benfica hooked the ball into the box and Sevilla’s defence went to sleep. Pereira snuck in behind and forced Beto into a brilliant reflex save from close range.

Rodrigo followed up and Beto denied him too, with another fine save.

Nicolas Gaitan believed he should have had a penalty when Fazio clipped him from behind during stoppage time, just as he was about to pull the trigger.

Replays showed he had a point and Benfica’s players and manager went inside raging.

The second half began in much the same way as the first ended, with the Eagles missing a couple of fine opportunities.

Pereira, pushed into a more attacking role after Sulejmani’s injury, chipped the ball across to Lima who was through on goal.

He controlled it badly, taking the ball wide of Beto’s goal, and his eventual low shot was hacked off the line superbly by Nicolas Pareja, who then blocked a follow up effort.

At the other end only a last-ditch sliding tackle by Luisao kept Reyes from getting away a clean strike at goal from a good position, after Rakitic played him through.

Benfica were aggrieved once more when Moreno seemed to catch Lima in the box, but Brych waved away the appeals once more. It was not as clear as the first incident but Jesus’ team had every right to complain.

Moreno, named in Spain’s provisional 30-man World Cup squad, was not playing like he deserved to be in it. Reyes, meanwhile, showed why he’s not in contention anymore, wasting several good opportunities.

He made way for Chelsea loanee Marko Marin, but the German was ineffectual too as Benfica pushed to avoid extra-time.

Lima forced Beto into a fine save with a long-distance curler, before Garay headed over when he could have scored.

In stoppage time he fired over a volley too; the defender was excellent everywhere apart from in front of goal.

The first half of extra-time was played at walking pace, with Bacca garnering the best chance, his powerful strike with the outside of his right boot inches wide of the top left corner, but he should have hit the target.

Kevin Gameiro, on for the injured Marin, who only lasted 26 minutes, blazed a strike into the near-post side-netting, but it was Benfica who were trying harder to prevent penalties.

They were unable to do it and paid the price, as Beto made two outstanding penalty saves and Gameiro netted the final spot-kick to bring the trophy back to Spain.

Somewhere up there, Guttmann was laughing.

THE CURSE OF BELA GUTTMANN

1963 European Cup – Benfica 1 – 2 AC Milan

1965 European Cup – Benfica 0 – 1 Inter Milan

1968 European Cup – Benfica 1 – 4 Manchester United (AET)

1983 UEFA Cup – Benfica 1 – 2 Anderlecht (On aggregate)

1988 European Cup – Benfica 0 – 0 PSV Eindhoven (5-6 on pens)

1990 European Cup – Benfica 0 – 1 AC Milan

2013 Europa League – Benfica 1-2 Chelsea

2014 Europa League – Benfica 0-0 Sevilla (AET, 4-2 on pens)

—Daily Mail