Kanouté earns his spurs at Sevilla

Frédéric Kanouté believes Sevilla FC's UEFA Cup success has vindicated his decision to join the club from Tottenham Hotspur FC last August. A half-time substitute, the Mali striker capped the 4-0 victory against Middlesbrough FC with his sixth goal of the continental campaign as the Andalusian team claimed a first European trophy.

Difficult decision
Kanouté had been preparing last August for what proved to be a pivotal season at Tottenham. Manager Martin Jol had brought in a number of promising recruits for his first full term at the helm and, having registered 21 goals over the previous two campaigns, the French-born forward seemed destined to be part of a new direction for the London club. But when Sevilla came knocking on the eve of the season he could not refuse.

Little choice
A €6.5m switch resulted, with a jaw-dropping €25m buy-out fee inserted into his four-year contract, as he was given the task of stepping into the sizeable void left by Julio Baptista's departure for Real Madrid CF. "I had never won a big trophy before and felt I had to leave England to achieve success," Kanouté told uefa.com after completing the scoring in a comprehensive final triumph.

'Better side won'
The 28-year-old has been hampered by a foot injury over the past three weeks, meaning he was considered fit to start only from the substitutes' bench in Eindhoven. "I was disappointed not to be in the starting lineup, but I understand the coach's decision," said Kanouté, who was in no doubt that the 23rd name to be engraved on the trophy was the correct one. "The better side won. It was a very difficult game, but we deserved the victory."

'Key to success'
Yet the manner of the win surprised the Spanish side's captain Javi Navarro, whose pre-match plea had been for "cool heads and hot hearts". "To be honest, I was surprised how focused we stayed following the first goal," said the 32-year-old, who relished lifting the first silverware of his career. "We stayed true to our game until full time and this has been the key to our success throughout the season." Should they keep the faith for two more league matches, Sevilla could yet crown a memorable campaign with a UEFA Champions League berth.