Juan Sartori has delivered an emotional Sunderland message after the Black Cats’ historic European qualification
Sunderland booked their place in European competition for the first time in two generations after beating Chelsea at the Stadium of Light, completing one of the most remarkable seasons in the club’s modern history. Régis Le Bris’ side finished seventh in the Premier League just one year after winning promotion through the Championship play-offs, having gone from League One to Europe in the space of four years.
It sparked emotional scenes at full-time, with players, staff, supporters and members of the club’s ownership group all celebrating a landmark moment in Sunderland’s history. Sartori, who remains a significant figure in Sunderland’s ownership structure alongside Kyril Louis-Dreyfus, posted a family picture from the Stadium of Light pitch after the game. Writing on social media, Sartori said: “One of the best moments of my life. “@sunderlandafc in the Europa League.”
The message underlined the emotion of the occasion for those at the top of the club, with Sunderland’s ownership having overseen a dramatic transformation in recent years. The Black Cats were still in League One as recently as 2022, but have since won promotion to the Championship, returned to the Premier League and now secured European football after an astonishing first season back in the top flight.
Sartori was pictured on the pitch with his family after the final whistle, with Sunderland supporters still celebrating in the stands following one of the great Stadium of Light occasions. The result also capped a major season for Louis-Dreyfus and the wider ownership group, who backed the club heavily last summer and have seen that ambition rewarded with one of the most unexpected European qualifications of the Premier League era.
Sunderland secured European qualification for the first time since 1973-74, ending a 53-year wait for continental football. The Black Cats also finished seventh in the Premier League, sealing only their fifth top-flight top-10 finish in 70 years and completing a remarkable rise from League One to Europe in four years.
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