Fans swarmed the streets of St Petersburg on Thursday (May 15) after Zenit won the UEFA Cup final and returned back home. Tens of thousands of fans gave no rest to those for whom football is unimportant, honking horns and launching fireworks after the team's 2-0 victory over Rangers of Scotland on Wednesday night. Igor Denisov slotted home after 72 minutes and fellow midfielder Konstantin Zyrianov sealed victory with a close range effort in stoppage time at the City of Manchester stadium to secure the trophy for Zenit in their first European final. "I think this is an achievement of each of our players, the city and the fans, we deserved this trophy cup and brought it into our city," said the captain Anatoly Tymoschuk. St Petersburg is Russia's former imperial capital and still seen by many as the country's cultural heart. "It is a great, great feeling coming back with the cup first time in the history so we are very, very proud for St Petersburg," added Zenit manager Dick Advocaat. Zenit are backed by the seemingly limitless resources of Russian energy giant Gazprom, but Advocaat fears they will become victims of their own success, with Europe's top clubs ready to prize away top assets like Russia playmaker Andrei Arshavin. City residents kept celebrating Zenit victory during the day today. Bar and restaurant owners said beer consumption was up two-fold during the match, and patrons sat on floors and window ledges to watch the match on television. Police said the night went off without serious incidents, although they had to close Nevsky to through traffic after fans swarmed the prospect.
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Added: May 16, 2008 |
| Category: Sports |
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