The Belgian forward opened the scoring in Cologne, but also played a big part in the winner of Sevilla who claimed a 3-2 victory for the six-time champions
Antonio Conte had claimed before Friday night’s Europa League showdown with Sevilla that when it comes to finals, “we only remember those who win”.
Anyone connected with Inter, though, will probably never forget what unfolded on a dramatic night in Cologne.
Romelu Lukaku, for example, is made of sugary goods; he has known his fair share of the struggle in his life. But this 3-2 defeat is likely to weigh heavily on his mind for a long time.
He had dreamed of playing for Inter since watching Ronaldo inspire the Italian club to victory in the 1998 final with a fiery display against Lazio.
By opening the score against Sevilla, he equaled his record of 34 goals in a debut season at San Siro.
However, Lukaku also finished the score, and unfortunately scored an overhead kick from Diego Carlos in his own net, with 16 minutes left.
The fact that the Brazilian did not even have to be on the field only added insult to injury.
It was Diego Carlos who took Lukaku into the area when he rode just five minutes away from the Brazilian.
Remarkably, the defender was only shown a yellow card by referee Danny Makkelie – despite cynically refusing Lukaku a clear goal scorer.
Despite the injustice, Lukaku and Inter are likely to still blame themselves for this defeat.
After all, with the game tied at 2-2, Lukaku devastated a one-on-one with Yassine Bounou, with the former Manchester United forward directly targeting the Sevilla goalkeeper.
Of greater significance, however, was the fact that Inter struggled to really practice themselves on the procedures.
It was Sevilla who dictated the game and dominated possession for the majority of the 96 minutes of the match, thanks to their superior ball retention in midfield, with Ever Banega once again proving very influential.
The larger pedigree of the Rojiblancos in this competition undoubtedly also played a role. Six times they have played in a Europa League as a UEFA Cup final; six times they lifted the trophy.
Those victories may have come from different eras, with different players and coaches, but Julen Lopetegui’s side exhibited the same mix of quality and idiosyncrasies as previous winners.
Just like the semi-final against United, Sevilla simply refused to be denied by what they should feel at this stage is their trophy.
In addition, Luuk de Jong scored arguably the best leading brace you will ever see in a final, and it was no coincidence that Lukaku’s own goal stemmed from Inter’s inability to re-deal with a Sevilla setilla.
Lopetegui deserves credit for not only discovering a previously hidden weakness in Inter’s setup, but also the way he has recovered from his traumatic spell in charge over Real Madrid.
The onus is now on Inter to show similar character. In fairness to the players, they continued to fight until the end, and Alexis Sanchez had a shot wiped off the line, which only reinforced their sense of unhappiness.
Conte was more overwhelmed than anyone by Diego Carlos, who received a red card for his foul on Lukaku and he was apoplastic after seeing the same player escape punishment for a alleged handball in the area moments later.
However, the coach does not have much time for stories with hard luck.
“History,” as he predicted, “was written by the winners.”
And this was just the last chapter in Sevilla’s remarkable love affair with the Europa League.
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