Gonzalo Montiel appears like a silent force, a player whose career arc reads like a script written for the most dramatic moments in football. Call him Mr. Wolf if you like, a nickname that fits a man called in to solve problems on the field. Who would have told him that this season would crown him world champion with Argentina and Europa League champion with Sevilla? The surprises keep coming, and Montiel simply keeps delivering.
Relating to
- Penalties decided the Europa League final between Sevilla and Roma.
Even in his wildest dreams, the scope of his roles would stretch beyond trophies. Just six months prior, in Qatar, Montiel rode the crest of a moment after assisting Lionel Messi and then delivered a decisive penalty that helped Argentina clinch the long awaited World Cup title.
The referee ordered a replay.
Would the odds align again in the same season? In Budapest Montiel sprinted from the midway line to the penalty spot, ready to relive his hero moment. The whistle blew, he struck, and Rui Patricio anticipated him perfectly. The chance slipped away at that moment, leaving Montiel with a hurdle to clear later in the night.
He is still king: Sevilla wins seventh Europa League on penalties
It felt almost too cinematic to be true. Not again, yet yes again. VAR, the tech that once canceled a crucial Ocampos effort, surfaced to awardMontiel a fresh opportunity. Patricio moved first, the shootout began, and then Montiel found the needed margin. Sevilla claimed their seventh Europa League title in a dramatic finish.
“I felt a sting of mistake, but when I saw the keeper go early I realized I had another chance. I did not waste it this time”, Montiel said after the final whistle at the Puskás Arena.
from the counter
The match did not unfold as Qatar had, nor did it echo the overtime dramas of Budapest. Nahuel Molina could not extend the schedule, and Jesus Navas found the air thinning as the minutes wore on. In this game Montiel added fresh legs to the mix, a spark that he hoped would redefine what leadership looks like in a big moment. It is a question whether Lionel Scaloni expected him to carry the weight of legend, but Montiel was not about to hand back a single moment without a fight.
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Europa League Final: Sevilla v Rome
“I am privileged. I thank God for raising a trophy”, Montiel said, keeping his thoughts concise after the shootout. The Basque coach Mendilibar later spoke about the planned lineup and how the last choice to take the fifth penalty changed the night for good.
Montiel: “I kept going”
Was the drive to keep pushing born from a desire to repeat history or simply from a stubborn belief that the moment would come again? Montiel offered that it felt like a necessary path, a decision to move forward regardless of what fate might throw next.
Year of Montiel, the penalty that sealed World Cup glory for Argentina, the champion penalty that sealed the Europa League for Sevilla. A moment captured in a glimpse of a social feed as much as in a stadium roar. The scene echoed through the season and beyond, a reminder that a single kick can write a player into the annals of football lore.
His expressions stayed calm, ready for the victory lap that followed with an Argentine flag on his face and a World Cup triumph bright in his eyes. The caption honoring longtime friends who grew up where he did stood as a testament to where his strength comes from and why these moments matter so deeply to the people who know him best.