It was a moment in time that, only now, do you look back on and appreciate the effort that must have been required to make it possible—on all sides.
We’re in Hamburg, Germany, and the 2010 Europa League final is four minutes away from going to a penalty shootout. Premier League underdogs Fulham had somehow got this far. But Roy Hodgson’s team looked out on their feet.
A squad made up largely of experienced professionals who had drifted through bigger clubs were just clinging on. Opponents Atletico Madrid were trying to force the issue as the more talented side, but Fulham’s exhaustion seemed to be contagious.