Athletic Bilbao and Atletico Madrid set up an all-Spanish Europa League final Thursday as La Liga found some solace after the Champions League misery suffered by Barcelona and Real Madrid. Athletic reached its first European final in 35 years when it grabbed a winner two minutes from time to beat Sporting Lisbon 3-1 in their semifinal second leg for a 4-3 aggregate. Fernando Llorente scored the crucial goal just as the tie was heading for extra-time when he bundled a cross from Ibai Gomex over the line and past Rui Patricio in the Portuguese goal. In the May 9 final in Bucharest it will face 2010 winner Atletico which beat countrymen Valencia 1-0 for a 5-2 aggregate win. Athletic went in front against Sporting with a goal after 17 minutes at its San Mames home which took it level on aggregate, but ahead on away goals. Iker Muniain crossed from the right, the dangerous Llorente chested the ball back, and Markel Susaeta was on hand to volley the ball past Patricio. The Portuguese were level on the night a minute before half-time when Ricky van Wolfswinkel's left-footed shot beat Gorka Iraizoz in the Athletic goal. But in time added-on at the end of the first half, Ibai Gomez made it 2-1 on the night to the Spanish side, and 3-3 on aggregate, when he was set up by the impressive Llorente before beating Patricio. As the tie headed towards extra-time, Llorente found the target to put Athletic into a first European final since 1977. Terry eligible to lift trophy, says UEFA UEFA says Chelsea captain John Terry is eligible to lift the Champions League trophy even though he is suspended for the final. UEFA says in a statement to The Associated Press that “John Terry will be allowed to lift the trophy if Chelsea win, and collect medals.” UEFA says Terry can join his teammates in the dressing room in Munich on May 19. However, he cannot sit on the bench with coaches and substitutes during the match. Terry will miss the final after being sent off for putting his knee into Barcelona forward Alexis Sanchez's back during Chelsea's semifinal win Tuesday. FIFPro urges UEFA to wipe Champions League bans The global football players' union wants UEFA to clear six suspended Bayern Munich and Chelsea players to play in the Champions League final. FIFPro said it's “unreasonable and disproportionate” that players should miss “the match of the year” in Munich on May 19 after receiving a yellow card in the semifinals. Bayern's David Alaba, Holger Badstuber and Luiz Gustavo, and Chelsea's Branislav Ivanovic, Raul Meireles and Ramires are serving one-match UEFA bans for getting their third booking in the competition. FIFPro said some of the yellow-card offenses were “petty or unfortunate,” adding that it would “applaud” a yellow-card amnesty rule which already applies after the quarterfinals stage in UEFA's European Championship and FIFA's World Cup.
