Valencia lift Uefa Cup as Barthez sees red

Spanish champions Valencia won the UEFA Cup for the first time with an efficient  2-0 victory over 10-man Olympique Marseille…

Spanish champions Valencia won the UEFA Cup for the first time with an efficient  2-0 victory over 10-man Olympique Marseille.

Marseille goalkeeper Fabien Barthez was shown a straight red card for a two-footed lunge on Mista in first-half injury time and Vicente converted the resulting penalty.

Vicente then turned provider for Mista to fire past substitute keeper Jeremy Gavanon on 58 minutes, effectively killing off the French side as one half of the full-to-capacity Nya Ullevi stadium vibrated to a sea of orange.

Valencia's first major European trophy since their Cup Winners' Cup triumph of 1980 secured Rafa Benitez's side a league and UEFA Cup double to cap a superb season.

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Victory also made up for the Spaniards' double heartbreak of losing successive Champions League finals in 2000 and 2001.