Zoltán Gera on the Europa League final, Budapest and Fulham's 2009/10 run

When the first whistle blows in the 2023 UEFA Europa League final, the memories are sure to come rushing back for Zoltán Gera.

The former Hungary midfielder was a key member of the Fulham side that defied the odds to reach the first final of the newly rebranded competition in 2010, scoring six goals as the west London outsiders beat the likes of Juventus and Wolfsburg before their extra-time loss to Atlético de Madrid. The official ambassador for this season's decider, Gera looks back on that epic run and picks out the places to visit – and tastes to savour – in the host city.

Fulham qualified for the Europa League by finishing seventh in the 2008/09 Premier League – it was and remains the club's highest ever finish. What were your ambitions in Europe? 

There were no huge expectations. We had to play from the very first rounds and considered the first few matches as preparation games. The main thing was to enjoy the games and show ourselves in Europe. As we got closer and closer to moving on from the group stage, we became really hungry for success. When we won [in the round of 32] against Shakhtar Donetsk, a very good team with fabulous Brazilian players and an excellent coach, it was a huge success for us. We craved winning even more. We were riding the wave and enjoying every moment of it.

Fulham were drawn in a tricky group and needed to win their final match away to Basel to reach the knockout stage… 

It was really cold in December in Switzerland, around -10C. It was a great match against a great team and the most important of all the games in the group stage, because it decided which club would progress. The Europa League could have ended for us that night.

Then you defeated Juventus thanks to one of the all-time great European comebacks, recovering from a 3-1 loss in Italy by winning 4-1 at a bouncing Craven Cottage, despite getting off to the worst possible start. 

It was perhaps the biggest win for me, not only with Fulham but of my entire career. This was a special situation. We lost the first match 3-1 in Turin and, back home, Juventus were leading 1-0 by the second minute. From that moment, it was really difficult for us. But we had the whole team and the whole club supporting us, and the atmosphere the fans created was simply amazing. So the match changed, we started to believe we could actually win and, later, that perhaps reaching the next round was possible.

You scored two goals that night, including the coolly-taken penalty that brought the tie level on aggregate not long after half-time. How were your nerves when a hush descended in west London and you found yourself standing over the ball? 

I didn't normally take penalties for Fulham. Danny Murphy was in charge of them, but he was suspended that night and Clint Dempsey started on the bench. So I got the ball and felt really confident – I'd scored penalties before. If you're trembling, you'll probably miss.

Fulham then defeated Wolfsburg in the last eight and Hamburg in the semi-finals, a tie decided by your winning goal in a 2-1 home victory. 

Wolfsburg were an exceptional team back then; they'd won the Bundesliga title not long before with Edin Džeko. It was actually really difficult to play against them, but we beat them 2-1 at home and scored a very early goal away to win 1-0. We were playing under huge pressure in the semi-final but gained more and more confidence, knowing we'd already had tough matches. We were a really well-organised team and knew we could always score a couple of goals.

Your final opponents, Atlético de Madrid, were another superb team, but you ran them very close, only losing to a Diego Forlán goal four minutes from the end of extra time. What are your standout memories of that day and the game? 

It was a really long day – I spent it in my hotel room and time went by so slowly. We had the right attitude and there was no fear or insecurity on our part. Unfortunately, our opponents were better. Sergio Agüero and Diego Forlán were the two Atlético forwards – that tells you a lot about the team. They were very strong. We played well and, when Forlán decided the match, we'd already started thinking about where to put the ball during the shoot-out. However, at that point, there was both physical and mental fatigue. In my case it was more physical: I had cramps all over my body. Maybe the fact that Atlético were able to keep the ball, and we had to run more, was the difference.

Does it go down as one of your best seasons personally? 

Absolutely. The fact I could show what I was capable of in the Europa League was a huge success for me. It was a great period in my team's history and my own career. I used to be a winger or midfielder. This was the season I became the team's forward, a No10, which raised my career up another level.

How has the Europa League changed in the 13 years since then? 

I think it's more exciting – there are better teams in the competition, especially if you look at how they play in their own leagues. The competition is more intense every year, and the teams have more quality players. I think the changes are obvious.

You played eight seasons in Budapest for Ferencváros and represented Hungary in the city on multiple occasions. How would you describe the football culture here? 

It's growing, unquestionably, because the national team have done so well over the past six to eight years and we have this new stadium, the Puskás Aréna. Most of the time when the national team plays, it's full. Also, Ferencváros have done ever so well in the Europa League. The city and the country love football. I saw Ferencváros play in front of 50,000 supporters in this stadium this season and the atmosphere was magnificent.

How would you suggest fans spend their spare hours in Budapest? 

I have lots of recommendations and lots of places to see. If you visit Heroes' Square you will find a lot of Hungarian history. And if you go to the castle on Buda hill, you'll get a view of Budapest and learn a little bit more about the city. There's the Danube with its bridges too – there are so many interesting places. I don't think one or two days is enough. You need at least three days to see Budapest and its surroundings. I think everyone who visits enjoys the city. And, in May and June, the weather is usually really nice.

And what should everyone be eating and drinking while sightseeing? 

You have to try Hungarian stew, which we call Pörkölt. And also goulash and soup. Hungarian dishes are a little heavy, which I like, but you can try different things like Halászlé, which is a Hungarian fish soup from the lakes that comes with lots of paprika. Hungarian pancakes are good too and you have to sample Túrógombóc, which is like a dumpling with cottage cheese inside. There are nice red and white wines, but you have to try Pálinka, a spirit made from fruit – you can use peaches or plums. It's quite strong but good for your stomach before food.