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Hodgson's Fulham eclipse Sir Bobby's Barcelona

Simon Davies' goal ultimately proved to be not enough against Atletico Madrid © Getty Images

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The pain, the pride, the agony and the heartache all belong to Fulham after their magnificent Europa League adventure ultimately ended in despair at the HSH Nordbank Arena on Wednesday night, but when the dust settles and the nightmares of Diego Forlan's winner eventually subside, they will at least be able to take huge satisfaction out of a night when Fulham Football Club was put on the European footballing map.

Roy Hodgson said ahead of the biggest night in Fulham's 131-year history that he wanted to emulate Sir Bobby Robson by becoming the first English manager to lift a European trophy since his good friend led Barcelona to Cup Winners Cup glory 13 years ago. Hodgson fell short of his dream, but even the late, great, Sir Bobby would acknowledge that Hodgson's achievement far outweighs his own.

As Diego Forlan wheeled away, bare-chested, having needed his second piece of good fortune of the night to finally kill off Hodgson's men, it was worth remembering that the Uruguayan's €21 million transfer fee accounts for the cost of the entire Fulham team. That's not to mention the fact that the ball was supplied by his €23 million strike partner Sergio Aguero.

Football matches are not won or lost with cheque books, Madrid were slick at times and were the better team on the night. But when the archives simply chart Fulham as losing finalists in 50 years' time, they should at least be accompanied by articles that acknowledge the huge achievement that reaching the final in Hamburg represented.

Triumphs over Juventus, Hamburg, Wolfsburg and Shakhtar Donetsk will never be forgotten by those who witnessed them. Which club ever comes back from a three-goal deficit against Juventus?

When Hodgson first arrived at Craven Cottage in December 2007, his job was merely one of survival. And with three games left in that particular mission, Fulham were down and out before staging a remarkable comeback from two goals down to win at Manchester City.

Hodgson had a squad worthy of the Championship, yet by working on a largely shoestring budget he has shaped a team capable of challenging for European honours. No wonder Liverpool - given all their financial difficulties - are rumoured to be interested.

Mark Schwarzer, signed by Hodgson for free, has been one of the goalkeepers of the season. Playing in the defence in front of him against Atletico Madrid was Chris Baird - a utility man plucked from Southampton, Aaron Hughes - rescued from a bit-part role at Aston Villa, and Paul Konchesky - a man out of favour at West Ham.

Pulling them all together was Hodgson's defining capture, Brede Hangeland, a man few people in English football knew about before the Fulham boss snapped him up from FC Copenhagen for £2.5 million. How cruel that the winning goal deflected in off the Norwegian, who has been immense for Fulham since he arrived in January 2008.

There are more astute Hodgson captures in the midfield, where Damien Duff, Danny Murphy and Dickson Etuhu were all cast-offs at their former clubs before moving to Craven Cottage. Hodgson cannot claim credit for Murphy's capture, but he has reinvigorated the former Liverpool man's career since handing him the captain's armband.

As for Simon Davies, the talent has always simmered under the surface with the Wales international, but rarely at Spurs or Everton did he produce moments like the goals scored in the Europa League semi-final and final. Davies has never played better football than he has under Hodgson.

The same can be said for the man whose goals fired Fulham to Hamburg: 19-goal Bobby Zamora. Bought for £6.3 million in a deal also involving John Pantsil, how many football supporters truthfully had a chuckle or two when Fulham splashed the cash on a striker who had scored just one goal the previous season?

That has been Hodgson's major achievement: Getting the best out of players written off by the masses. Fulham trod a similar path, written off before the Juventus game, written off against Shakhtar Donestk, told repeatedly that Hamburg in the semis would be a bridge too far. Yet when Forlan scored with four minutes remaining in extra time, for the first time there was a sense that you couldn't write them off.

The glory on the night belonged to Atletico, but pride in the Fulham club crest has surely never been greater.

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