UYL: Barcelona becomes most successful team, Chelsea product Ola Aina holds Nigerian record

Barcelona have become the most successful club in UEFA Youth League history, claiming a record third title following a 4-1 rout of Trabzonpor in Monday's final in Nyon, allnigeriasoccer.com reports.

Diarra, with a brace, Cuenca and Hugo Alba were the scorers of the Barcelona goals, while Bican Tibukoglu netted a consolation for the Turkish club in the 88th minute.

Former Nigeria U23 international Godswill Ekpolo was a key member of the Barcelona side that defeated Benfica to win the inaugural edition of the competition in 2014.

After a four-year wait, the Catalan club lifted the UEFA Youth League trophy again, overcoming a Chelsea team with Tariq Uwakwe in the matchday squad.

Several Nigeria internationals — including Ola Aina, Alex Iwobi, Calvin Bassey, Raphael Onyedika, Frank Onyeka, Sadiq Umar, Chidozie Awaziem, Fisayo Dele-Bashiru and Kelechi Iheanacho — have featured in the UEFA Youth League.

Chelsea academy graduate Ola Aina holds the record as the most decorated Nigerian in UEFA Youth League history.

The Super Eagles right-back was part of the Chelsea youth team that dominated English and European football in the mid-2010s, winning the trophy in the 2014–2015 and 2015–2016 seasons.

Ola Aina (20 appearances) ranks second only to Timothy Eyoma (28) among players of Nigerian descent in UEFA Youth League appearances.

"Tammy, Charlie Colkett, Kasey Palmer, Izzy Brown, Reuben Loftus-Cheek, Andreas Christensen, Fikayo Tomori, there were big names in that team. We reached the final of the FA Youth Cup three times straight," Aina said five years ago.

"We won back-to-back UEFA Youth League titles, the team was on another level, the team was crazy."

Aina's only goal in the UEFA Youth League came against Schalke 04 in September 2014 and a year later, he bagged his only assist in the competition against Maccabi Tel Aviv. 

Ifeanyi Emmanuel 

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