Mista: "Progress to VCF's last European final still gives me goosebumps"

The last time Valencia CF reached a European final, it was thanks to a goal from one of their most famous strikers of all time. Miguel Ángel Ferrer, better known as Mista, was the man who converted a penalty against Villarreal CF to take his side to the 2004 UEFA Cup final, and the prolific former marksman hopes that he will have a 'successor' this Thursday against Arsenal.

The striker had been brought down by Juliano Belletti inside the box on that memorable day just over 15 years ago (May 6th, 2004). He was not the first choice penalty taker for Valencia CF, but he requested the OK from coach Rafa Benitez and was given permission to take the spot kick. He placed it out of the reach of opposition goalkeeper Pepe Reina and inside the left post, for a 15th minute goal that was enough to take VCF into the final in Gothenburg against Olympique Marseille.

“I had to score," Mista recalls. "I remember that all of my teammates knew that the goal could mean us reaching a big European final, and I didn't want to let them down. I wasn't the penalty specialist at Valencia CF and there were several other players ahead of me in the order, but at that moment I knew that I had to take it."

"I saw Reina in goal and I decided to hit it hard and low. He guessed the right way, but couldn't reach the ball in time to stop it. I felt like the happiest player in the world at that moment, although there was still plenty of time before the final whistle and we had to be very focused," he told VCF Media.

"I wasn't aware at the time what that goal meant. I just wanted to score. When the game ended was when I realised how much it meant for us, for Valencia CF and -above all- for the fans. When we went out from the stadium and Avenida de Suecia was full of people, there was tremendous joy that we had given to our supporters. It was amazing to see so many thousands of Valencianistas enjoying our progression to the UEFA Cup final. It still gives me goosebumps to this day."