John Arne Riise drilled in a trademark free-kick from distance as APOEL clinched the Cypriot Cup for the second year in succession, following a 4-2 win over AEL Limassol.
Cyprus’ most successful club, for whom their cup victory was a record 21st in their history, will now be looking to clinch an unprecedented second successive double.
Riise, whose goal gave the Nicosia club a commanding 4-1 lead, was delighted with his memorable strike. Speaking after the game, he said (via uefa.com): “It has been amazing. It has been a long time since I last played in a final. We deserved the victory. We were poor in the opening 30 minutes but then we improved. When I scored, I knew the game was finished which was why I celebrated it so much in front of our fans.”
You can watch his delightful goal in the video below:
Riise, now 34, joined APOEL last year after spells with Roma and Fulham. Prior to that, he spent seven years at Anfield, making 339 appearances and scoring 30 goals in all competitions. He was an integral part of the side that won the Champions League in 2005, as well as the FA Cup twelve months later.
He became renowned for his memorable striking of the ball, particularly from long-range, just as this impressive effort against Manchester United will remind you…