Ukrainian Footballer Becomes Top Scorer in European Championship for the First Time in 20 Years
Ukrainian forward Artem Dovbyk of Spanish club Girona has scored 24 goals in the current La Liga season, making him the top scorer in the Spanish championship. This achievement marks the first time since 2004 that a Ukrainian has claimed the title of top scorer in a European championship, ESPN reports. The last Ukrainian to achieve this feat was Andriy Shevchenko, who also scored 24 goals in the 2003-2004 season while playing for Italian club Milan.
Before the final round of La Liga, Artem Dovbyk trailed the leading scorer by two goals. Therefore, in the last match of the Spanish championship this season, he needed to score at least three goals against Granada, which had already been relegated from La Liga.
In the end, Girona triumphed over Granada with a 7-0 victory. Artem Dovbyk scored three goals (two of them from penalties), while another Ukrainian, Viktor Tsygankov, scored twice. As a result, Artem Dovbyk claimed the Pichichi Trophy, awarded to the top scorer of the season in Spain.
Dovbyk's main rival, Villarreal striker Alexander Sørloth, had a chance to catch up with Dovbyk during his team's final game against Osasuna on Saturday. However, the Norwegian forward was injured early in the game and was substituted without scoring a goal.
It is worth noting that Artem Dovbyk joined Girona last summer from Ukrainian club SC Dnipro-1 and has helped transform the small club into a European sensation this season. The Catalan club, partially owned by businessmen from Abu Dhabi, qualified for the UEFA Champions League for the first time this year, finishing third in the Spanish championship.
The Gaze also reported that Italian football club Atalanta from Bergamo secured a 3-0 victory over German club Bayer 04 Leverkusen, winning the UEFA Europa League trophy. This victory marked a significant milestone for Atalanta, as it is their first major achievement on the international stage, having never won a European cup before. With this victory, they also ended Bayer's incredible 51-match unbeaten streak.