‘I broke into tears’: Socceroo Hrustic helps Eintracht Frankfurt to Europa League crown

Draped in an Australian flag, an emotional Ajdin Hrustic has revealed what went through his mind as the Socceroo stared down an army of Rangers fans to convert a crucial penalty in the shootout that won UEFA Europa League glory for Eintracht Frankfurt.

Hrustic became the first Aussie male to play and win in a major European final since Harry Kewell with Liverpool in the 2005 UEFA Champions League with Thursday morning’s (AEST) 5-4 win on penalties over Rangers in Seville - and the first to win this tournament, Europe’s second-tier competition, or its earlier incarnation, the UEFA Cup.

Scores were locked at 1-1 after the regulation 90 minutes plus extra time, with the 25-year-old entering the fray for the final 15 minutes of the match.

During the huddle before the shootout, Hrustic said manager Oliver Glasner and several of his teammates offered him the chance to take a spot kick, and he did not hesitate.

“All I saw was a wall of blue fans behind the goal,” he told Stan Sport via FaceTime, speaking in the midst of Eintracht’s jubilant on-pitch celebrations.

“I thought, you know what, I cannot embarrass myself right now. So I stepped up and I put it down to side netting.

Eintracht Frankfurt players celebrate a first European title in more than 40 years.Credit: AP

“[Glasner] told us, he always says we’re extraordinary. I’ll have to ask him what he exactly means by that but he says we’re special. He says, ‘we might not be the best players but we always stick behind each other, we fight for each other, and we do everything together.’ This sums up Frankfurt.

“We’re buzzing. I’ve lost my voice a bit, but it’s amazing.”

Hrustic has struggled for regular game time in the Bundesliga this season but his late injection into such a big game is a big show of faith in his ability from Glasner and the Eintracht Frankfurt hierarchy. The midfielder also had a chance to win it during extra time but pulled his shot wide from the edge of the penalty box.

“I should have put that on target if I’m honest,” he said.

Ajdin Hrustic celebrates his successful penalty during the shootout win over Rangers.Credit: Getty

“It wasn’t easy to come on, but I did what I had to do. The manager told me stay behind the ball, try and shoot and get the ball moving left to right. I think I did it quite well.”

For Rangers, this is not the first time an Aussie has helped deliver heartbreak this season after Ange Postecoglou and Tom Rogic’s Celtic beat them to the Scottish Premiership title.

This win also guarantees a spot Eintracht Frankfurt in next year’s UEFA Champions League Group stage, and means Hrustic will come into Socceroos camp high on confidence for next month’s do-or-die World Cup qualification play-offs in Qatar.

As he revealed to this masthead earlier in the week, Hrustic’s parents sold their house in Melbourne when he was 15 years old to help finance his pursuit of a career as a professional footballer in Europe. Now his name will be in the history books forever.

“I left at 15, like I mentioned before, and it wasn’t easy. My family believed in me and it all paid off at the end,” he said. “I’ve got no words, to be honest. I broke into tears after the final whistle and after we put it into the net.”

Eintracht keeper Kevin Trapp saved Aaron Ramsey’s spot kick - Rangers’ fourth - while Eintracht were flawless in their execution, scoring all five.

“I told [Trapp], it’s up to him. I told him, he will do it,” Hrustic said.

“I smashed his head against mine, I think I have a little bump in my head, but I said to him, you’re going to bring us that trophy home. The boys stepped up well. He was the big man who stood in between the sticks and pulled it off.”

Joe Aribo had struck against the run of play in the 57th minute to give Rangers the lead, charging clear after a string of defensive errors and sliding the ball past Trapp.

Ajdin Hrustic celebrates his Europa League triumph draped in the Australian flag.Credit: Stan Sport

The Germans, unbeaten in the competition going into the final and eyeing their first European title since 1980, bounced back as Rafael Borre snuck in between two defenders to turn in a Filip Kostic cross in the 70th.

They now return to Europe’s top club competition for the first time since 1960, when they lost in the European Cup final to Real Madrid in Glasgow.

“We played 13 matches in Europe and we did not lose a single one,” said Glasner. “We took it step-by-step and at the end we were rewarded. I have no words to express what I feel for the players.

“It was the last game of the season, an intense one and everyone squeezed all they had out of them. A great compliment to the players.”

Glasner, in his first season at the club, said it was the team’s mentality that carried them through the difficult season. While Eintracht were unbeatable in Europe, even eliminating more fancied opponents such as Barcelona, they struggled domestically.

“We remained positive and it was only with that spirit that this was possible,” he said.

with Reuters

Watch football’s biggest superstars in the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa Conference League Finals this May on Stan Sport. Liverpool v Real Madrid in Champions League – ad-free, live and on demand on Stan Sport in 4K and 9GEM on Sunday 29 May from and Roma v Feyenoord in the Conference League Final (May 26) – both matches streaming ad-free, live and on demand, only on Stan Sport from 4:30am AEST.

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