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BARCELONA: Atletico de Madrid’s football players and staff pose as they celebrate their Spanish League title at the end of the ootballf match against Barcelona at the Camp Nou stadium. Atletico Madrid claimed their 10th Spanish League crown but first in 18 years. —AFP Atletico win Spanish crown

BARCELONA: Atletico Madrid claimed happiness that you cannot explain,” end football has been fair to us.” Barca, pulled up with the recurrence of a Courtois at the Belgian’s near post. home Gabi’s corner. their 10th Spanish League crown yes- said Atletico boss Diego Simeone. “I meanwhile, finish a disappointing sea- hamstring injury that will also make Atletico forced a series of corners Barca then suffered an injury blow terday but first in 18 years after coming want to thank the players and the peo- son without a major trophy for the first him a huge doubt for the Champions without carving out a clear-cut of their own as Busquets had to be from behind to draw 1-1 away at title ple that always believed in us. time in six years. “Congratulations to League final against Real Madrid next chance in their search for an equaliser replaced by Alex Song, whilst Neymar rivals Barcelona. “There is no replacement for hard Atletico. They are deserving champi- weekend. Arda Turan was then also before the break, but the half-time was also introduced by coach Gerardo Alexis Sanchez’s stunning strike work. The team has understood that, ons,” said Barca captain for the day forced off with a hip injury as Adrian whistle also brought frustration on Martino in the search for a winner. fired Barca into the lead on 33 minutes, done the work and today is one of the Andres Iniesta. “We had our chances Lopez and Raul Garcia entered the fray. the part of the Barca players as both Messi did have the ball in the net but Diego Godin’s header four minutes most important days in the history of until the final game but they have Barca grew into the game as the Messi and Sergio Busquets were with 25 minutes remaining, but he was into the second-half was enough to Atletico Madrid.” Goal hero Godin been better and there is nothing more half developed and could have been booked for dissent. flagged offside as he latched onto a give Atletico the point they needed to added that Simeone had fuelled his to say. We are hurt to lose the league in ahead when Pedro Rodriguez waste- David Villa came within inches of an loose ball inside the area. Alves stung become the first side other than Barca players’ belief when they were trailing the final game. fully headed over Dani Alves’ precise equaliser a minute after the restart the palms of Courtois with an effort and Real Madrid to win La Liga in 10 at half-time. “We depended on ourselves to win cross from the right. when his low effort came back off the from 25 yards as Barca camped them- years. “We have fought all year and the and we haven’t done, so there is great When the Catalans did go in front post and the former Barca striker had selves in the Atletico half for the final A point for both sides means that work we have done is amazing. To last disappointment because if we had just after the half hour it was in spec- another opening moments later that 10 minutes. However, despite piling Barca finish the season ahead of third- 38 games against two great teams Real managed to do it the feeling would be tacular fashion as Lionel Messi cush- was smothered by Jose Manuel Pinto bodies forward, Barca failed to carve placed Real Madrid thanks to a better Madrid and Barcelona is incredibly dif- very different.” ioned the ball into Sanchez’s path on in the Barca goal. out another clear opening in the final head-to-head record, three points ficult,” he told Canal Plus. The visitors had started brightly but the right side of the area, but despite However, Simeone’s men only had stages as Atletico saw the game out to adrift of Atletico. “The boss told us at half-time that were dealt a huge blow after just 15 the narrow angle he managed to to wait a minute longer to be level as stretch their unbeaten run against “There is an enormous feeling of we were going to score a goal. In the minutes when top scorer Diego Costa thrash the ball high past Thibaut Godin rose highest in the box to power Barca to six games this season. — AFP Arsenal end trophy drought with thrilling FA Cup win

LONDON: Aaron Ramsey scored an extra-time winner as remaining, Ramsey drilled home the winner in the extra Arsenal ended their nine-year trophy drought by coming period. from two goals down to beat Hull City 3-2 in a gripping “We have conceded early in lots of big games this sea- FA Cup final yesterday. son, but we showed great strength of character to come Appearing in their first ever major final, Hull rocked back, and to score the winner is something I have Arsenal by going 2-0 up inside just eight minutes dreamed of,” Ramsey told ITV. through goals from centre-backs James Chester and It was the Welsh midfielder’s 16th goal of a campaign . that has seen him emerge as Arsenal’s most influential But Santi Cazorla’s sumptuous free-kick reduced the player and brought Arsene Wenger’s side a first trophy arrears in the 17th minute and after Laurent Koscielny since the 2005 FA Cup. netted an equaliser with 19 minutes of normal time Wenger, who is still to extend his contract, which expires shortly, has now won five FA Cups, while Arsenal have equalled Manchester United’s record of 11 success- es in the competition. “We wanted to make history tonight and win the game and we did that in both ways-how not to start the cup final and how to come back,” said Wenger. “I’ve praised the spirit of this team and they showed that today.” Hull faded badly after their stunning start, but ’s side could console themselves with the knowledge that a Europa League place was already secure. “In terms of effort, endeavour and determination you couldn’t fault them to a man,” said Bruce. “Proud? Of course I am. They were magnificent.” Chester had unexpectedly overcome a hamstring LONDON: Arsenal players celebrate after winning the English FA Cup final soccer match between Arsenal and Hull problem to take his place in Hull’s three-man defence, City at . — AP but nobody could have predicted how quickly he would have an impact on the game at a muggy Wembley reduced the arrears with a glorious 25-yard free-kick that Gibbs then wasted a gilt-edged chance to put Arsenal Stadium. arced into the top-right corner. ahead by blazing over from only six yards after being Hull’s fans were still adjusting to the novelty of seeing Arsenal continued to force the issue in the second half teed up by Sanogo, before Cazorla was again refused a their side in an FA Cup final when Chester put them and had three penalty claims turned down by referee Lee penalty following a tangle with David Meyler. Giroud, ahead in the fourth minute, clipping the ball into the bot- Probert in the space of 10 minutes. twice, and Sanogo went close in the closing minutes of tom-left corner from Tom Huddlestone’s mishit volley. Huddlestone appeared to drag Giroud back with his normal time and Arsenal’s dominance spilled over into Huddlestone had been picked out by Stephen Quinn hand, Arsenal substitute Yaya Sanogo saw a header hit extra time, with Giroud heading a cross from Ramsey from a corner and four minutes later, Arsenal were again on the arms and Cazorla was caught by against the bar. exposed at a set-piece. Davies, but Probert allowed play to continue on each Wenger introduced Jack Wilshere and Tomas Rosicky After Ahmed Elmohamady’s free-kick was partially occasion. at half-time of extra time, but it was Ramsey who made cleared, Quinn put the ball into the box from the left and Amid the flurry of appeals, Koscielny headed wide the difference, ghosting onto Giroud’s back-heel and when Alex Bruce’s downward header came back off the from a corner, but in the 71st minute the Frenchman drilling an exquisite half-volley into the bottom-right cor- LONDON: Arsenal’s club captain Thomas Vermaelen post, Davies rattled the rebound home from a tight found the target. Cazorla’s corner was knocked down at ner. Arsenal goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski gave his team’s watches as coach Arsene Wenger (right) holds the tro- angle. the back post and Koscielny swivelled to hook the ball fans one last fright by rushing out of his box and missing phy aloft as he celebrates after his team won the It might have been 3-0 minutes later, with Kieran home from close range despite being flattened by Hull the ball, but Hull substitute Sone Aluko’s effort from out English FA Cup final soccer match. — AP Gibbs heading off the line from Bruce, but Cazorla goalkeeper Allan McGregor. on the left bounced agonisingly wide. —AFP