football
UEFA_2007-08,Manchester United FC
Sir Alex Ferguson said “fate had played its hand” after his Manchester United FC side defeated Chelsea FC 6-5 on penalties after a 1-1 draw to win the 2007/08 UEFA Champions League.
Munich remembered
Fifty years on from the Munich air crash, and 40 years since United were first crowned European champions, Edwin van der Sar blocked Nicolas Anelka’s spot-kick to clinch a third European Champion Clubs’ Cup for United and the second of Sir Alex’s reign, John Terry having slipped to miss an earlier effort for Chelsea that would have handed them victory. Sir Bobby Charlton, who survived the Munich disaster and went on to score twice in the 1968 European Cup final win against SL Benfica, led the United players up the stairs at the Luzhniki Stadium to lift the cup on the evening that Ryan Giggs broke his appearance record with his 759th club game. “I said we wouldn’t let the memory of the Busby Babes down,” Sir Alex said. “Fate played its hand today. We had a cause which is important and people with causes become very difficult people to fight against.”
Ronaldo goals
United’s third triumph in the competition was founded on defensive solidity and the brilliance of Cristiano Ronaldo who signalled both his and the club’s intentions by scoring the winner in the opening group match away to his former team Sporting Clube de Portugal, and four more clinical victories soon followed. The Portuguese winger found the net three more times in back-to-back wins over FC Dynamo Kyiv then proved the thorn in Sporting’s side again with a late free-kick at Old Trafford. Only a 1-1 draw at AS Roma prevented United from finishing Group F with a 100 per cent record, although they would erase that minor blip by eliminating Luciano Spalletti’s men in the quarter-finals.
Roma repeat
United’s opponents in the first knockout round, Olympique Lyonnais, came within three minutes of inflicting a first defeat on the English champions only for Carlos Tévez to salvage a 1-1 draw at the Stade de Gerland and Ronaldo to finish the job off in the second leg with another decisive strike. The 23-year-old was in unstoppable form for much of the campaign, moving clear at the top of the UEFA Champions League scoring charts by registering his seventh goal in the quarter-final first leg Roma, as further strikes from Wayne Rooney in Italy and Tévez at Old Trafford ensured the same outcome as 12 months previously.
Magnificent goal
United fans were hoping that similarities with 2006/07 would end there, but must have feared a repeat of the AC Milan defeat a year earlier when Ronaldo missed a penalty three minutes into their semi-final with FC Barcelona in the Camp Nou. However, unlike at San Siro the visitors’ defence – expertly marshalled by Rio Ferdinand – stood firm and United claimed a goalless draw. That game may have lacked the fireworks of United’s visit to the city nine years earlier, when Ole Gunnar Solskjær’s last-gasp goal against FC Bayern München clinched the UEFA Champions League trophy, yet the result proved every bit as vital after Paul Scholes’ magnificent goal 14 minutes into the second leg at Old Trafford carried Sir Alex’s side to Moscow.
Grant takes charge
There they would meet Chelsea in the first all-English final, but the notion the London side would get that far seemed a distant one after the opening match of their campaign. Clawing their way back to claim a 1-1 draw against Rosenborg BK the London side looked every bit a team in trouble. That impression was only magnified when inspirational manager José Mourinho left two days later. The fans were stunned and the press coverage unrelenting, not least when Avram Grant stepped out of the shadows to take over. The Israeli, though, slowly but surely hauled the team back into the domestic and European limelight. Reasons for optimism began to appear very quickly, in fact, with Grant’s first UEFA Champions League outing producing an impressive 2-1 win at Valencia CF.
Drogba goals
Didier Drogba struck the decider in that match, and the powerful Ivorian scored again as Chelsea followed up by defeating FC Schalke 04 2-0 at home. The German side were then held to a goalless draw in Gelsenkirchen, allowing Grant’s men to wrap up qualification with a satisfying 4-0 triumph away to Rosenborg in Trondheim. Chelsea’s final Group B outing ended 0-0 with Valencia, guaranteeing them the strongest defensive record of the opening phase with just two goals conceded.
Sole defeat
Still few were betting on the club reaching Moscow, however, and their 3-0 aggregate win against Greek champions Olympiacos CFP in the first knockout round did little to change that. The quarter-finals provided a stiffer test and also what proved to be the team’s only loss en route to Moscow as they succumbed 2-1 at Fenerbahçe SK, but an early Michael Ballack header calmed nerves in the second leg before Frank Lampard added another to confirm Chelsea’s progress. That set up the club’s fourth semi-final appearance in the last five seasons and their third against Liverpool FC, leaving the players desperate to end their losing streak against their Merseyside rivals.
Extra-time drama
The Anfield noise factor had seemed to swing previous encounters with the Reds, and Chelsea were suffering again when Dirk Kuyt scored 43 minutes into the opening leg. John Arne Riise’s own goal deep into added time turned the tie on its head, though, giving the Blues the advantage going into the return game. They looked set to drive it home as Drogba gave Chelsea a first-half lead only for Fernando Torres to take the tie into extra time. There, a penalty from Lampard – less than a week after the death of his mother – and a sixth goal of the campaign for Drogba put the home side in command and, although Ryan Babel made it 3-2 late on, Chelsea had done enough to reach their first UEFA Champions League showpiece. Lampard would rise to the occasion once again in Moscow, drawing Chelsea level shortly before half-time after Ronaldo had headed United in front. Both sides created chances in a thrilling contest played out in pouring rain, but there were no more goals until the dramatic shootout sealed United’s third triumph.
UEFA_2006-07,AC Milan
AC Milan 2-1 Liverpool FC
As Carlo Ancelotti faced the press after AC Milan had defeated Liverpool FC 2-1 to win the UEFA Champions League in Athens it was clear the Rossoneri coach had completed his own personal odyssey. The journey had been long and arduous, but for the 47-year-old the fact the destination was so unexpected made it all the sweeter.
Difficult period
When AC Milan last played at the OACA Spyro Louis Stadium in the group stage the previous November, Ancelotti’s team were at their lowest ebb. Sixteenth in Serie A, they had won just one of their previous four league matches. Forget about winning the UEFA Champions League, the real challenge was to qualify for the competition again. The form of many of the side had dipped following their exertions helping Italy lift the FIFA World Cup the previous summer and Milan were also feeling the effects of a difficult pre-season.
Points docked
Plans had to be changed at the last minute after they were docked points for their part in the sporting fraud scandal, which meant starting the season earlier than expected in the third qualifying round of the UEFA Champions League. FK Crvena Zvezda were duly beaten, but the affects of having to play those matches would be felt long into the campaign. By the time Milan lost to AEK in November, Ancelotti’s job was on the line. Another Group H defeat would follow against LOSC Lille Métropole at San Siro on Matchday 6 but by then Milan were safely through to the knockout rounds.
Superlative Kaká
The superlative Kaká aside, Milan had looked less than convincing and a narrow 1-0 aggregate victory against Celtic FC in the first knockout round hardly assuaged the doubters. Kaká would get the winner that night, one of ten en route to finishing as the tournament’s leading scorer. A stuttering FC Bayern München were seen off in the quarter-finals to set up what would prove to be a thrilling semi-final against Manchester United FC. United had defeated AS Roma 7-1 at Old Trafford in the previous round and they hit three more in a 3-2 win against Milan. The Rosseneri, however, hit their stride in the return and United had no answer to a brilliant first-half performance that set up a 3-0 win and a rematch of the 2005 final.
Déjà vu
It was a case of déjà vu for Liverpool who had also defeated Chelsea FC in the semi-finals in 2005 and did so again here. Goalkeeper Pepe Reina was the star for the Reds who triumphed in a penalty shoot-out at Anfield after the two sides had swapped 1-0 away wins. Rafael Benítez’s side had eased through a group containing Galatasaray SK, PSV Eindhoven and FC Girondins de Bordeaux before knocking out holders FC Barcelona in the first knockout round and PSV, again, in the last eight. With Chelsea out of the way the psychological mind games could begin. Liverpool had clawed back a 3-0 first-half deficit before beating Milan on penalties in the 2005 final and that match was scrutinised as the Athens return loomed.
‘Greatest victory’
Milan played down talk of revenge but the sense of relief was huge when Filippo Inzaghi deflected in his side’s opener shortly before half-time. A second Inzaghi strike with eight minutes to play sealed Milan’s victory and their seventh European Champion Clubs’ Cup even though Dirk Kuyt reduced the arrears in the final minute. Ancelotti was twice a European Cup winner with Milan as a player and he triumphed again as Rossoneri coach in 2003. Nothing, however, could match victory in Athens. If losing to Liverpool two years previously had been the low point of his career, this was the high. Revenge didn’t come into it. “Very few people expected Milan to win this most important of trophies this season, perhaps nobody expected it,” Ancelotti said. “It is the greatest victory we’ve had. We never lost sight of what we wanted to achieve.”
UEFA_2005-06,FC Barcelona
FC Barcelona 2-1 Arsenal FC
Considering their size and fame, FC Barcelona been under-represented on the list of winners of the European Champion Clubs’ Cup. Frank Rijkaard’s team went a long way to redressing that balance at the Stade de France in Paris on 17 May 2006 when they defeated Arsenal FC 2-1 to claim European club football’s most coveted prize for a second time. Barcelona’s only previous victory in the competition had come in 1992 under Johan Cruyff and they travelled to Paris with another Dutchman looking to avenge final defeats in 1961, 1986 and 1994. In Rijkaard, three times a European Cup winner as a player, they had a coach who knew what it takes to win the competition, and in Ronaldinho, the star capable of delivering what Barça fans dreamed of most.
Ronaldinho star
The thrilling attacking trident of Ronaldinho, Lionel Messi – the club’s Argentine prodigy – and Samuel Eto’o was too much for Werder Bremen, Udinese Calcio and Panathinakos FC to handle as Rijkaard’s side completed their Group C campaign with five wins and a draw from six games with 16 goals scored and just two conceded. Chelsea FC were first up in the knockout stages in a rematch of the 2004/05 last 16 tie between the sides. Chelsea had won then, but this time a 2-1 victory at Stamford Bridge put Barça in the driving seat and a Ronaldinho strike at the Camp Nou confirmed their place in the last eight. SL Benfica, conquerors of 2005 champions Liverpool FC, then AC Milan, finalists in 2005, were duly defeated as Barcelona swept into the final.
Henry dazzles
If Barcelona’s trip to Paris seemed pre-ordained, no one had predicted Arsenal would join them there. The summer sale of Patrick Vieira had left the London club looking light in midfield and a succession of injuries meant Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger was reliant on youth. In the event, the likes of Cesc Fabregas, Philippe Senderos, Emmanuel Eboué and Mathieu Flamini showed no fear of the big stage as Arsenal took Europe by storm. The London side matched Barça’s points haul as they breezed through the group stage against AFC Ajax, AC Sparta Praha and FC Thun, then stepped up a gear to upset Real Madrid CF in the first knockout round, Thierry Henry scoring the only goal of the tie with a mazy dribble through the Merengues’ defence. Juventus were overcome in the quarter-finals before a narrow victory against Villarreal CF, the first-leg win marking the last European match at the Gunners’ historic Highbury ground, swept Arsenal to the final for the first time.
Belletti winner
Jens Lehmann’s last-minute penalty save from Juan Riquelme at El Madrigal made it ten consecutive clean sheets for Arsenal who would end the competition having gone a record 995 minutes unbeaten. Lehmann himself went a competition record 763 minutes without conceding a goal, a run that not even Barcelona could break. Not that the German was counting. His luck turned against the Spanish champions when he became the first player to be dismissed in a European Cup final after bringing down Eto’o only 18 minutes into the game. Arsenal still took the lead through Sol Campbell eight minutes before half-time and an improbable victory began to look increasingly likely as the second half wore on. In his last match for the club, though, veteran striker Henrik Larsson turned the course of the match after coming on on the hour mark, creating goals for first Eto’o then Juliano Belletti as the Catalan side fought back to win.
UEFA_2004-05,AC Milan
AC Milan 3-3 Liverpool FC (aet; Liverpool win 3-2 on penalties)
Liverpool FC returned to the top of European football in thrilling style with a remarkable UEFA Champions League final victory against AC Milan. Trailing 3-0 at half-time in Istanbul, Rafael Benítez’s side stormed back in the second half with three goals in seven minutes to set up a dramatic penalty shoot-out triumph. Andriy Shevchenko, scorer of the winning spot-kick in the 2003 final against Juventus, was this time denied by goalkeeper Jerzy Dudek to give Liverpool a famous victory.
Maldini record
Paolo Maldini’s fastest ever goal in a UEFA Champions League final and two from Hernán Crespo looked to have secured Milan’s third UEFA Champions League crown, but second-half goals by Liverpool’s talismanic captain Steven Gerrard, Vladimír Šmicer and Xabi Alonso wiped out Milan’s seemingly unassailable half-time advantage.
Gerrard strike
Just reaching the final had had Liverpool fans pinching themselves in disbelief. Their side had been defeated by Grazer AK at Anfield in the third qualifying round and then looked to be on their way out in the group stage until a thunderous, late Gerrard strike gave them the 3-1 victory against Olympiacos CFP they needed to advance. Bayer 04 Leverkusen were brushed aside in the Round of 16 to set up an emotional meeting with Juventus FC in the quarter-finals. The tie marked the first time the two sides had met in a competitive match since the Heysel Stadium tragedy on 29 May 1985 when 39 people lost their lives at the final of the European Champion Clubs’ Cup in Brussels.
Chelsea defeated
After a 2-1 victory at Anfield, a superb defensive performance by Liverpool saw off Juve in Turin. Suddenly, Reds fans dared to believe. Chelsea FC were up next in an all-English encounter which Liverpool narrowly won thanks to Luis García’s strike at Anfield, the only goal of the tie. Benítez, a UEFA Cup winner the year before with Valencia CF, had led Liverpool to the final for the first time in 20 years, but few tipped them to overcome Milan in Istanbul.
Milan favourites
After finishing top of their group, the Serie A champions had convincingly defeated Manchester United FC and city rivals FC Internazionale Milano without conceding a goal to reach the final four. PSV Eindhoven pushed them hard in the semi-finals, winning the second leg 3-1 but bowing out on the away-goals rule, but Milan still went into the final as favourites. That billing looked set to be confirmed when Maldini scored after just 52 seconds. But Liverpool had other ideas as they struck back to claim the fifth European Champion Clubs’ Cup trophy for the fifth time.
UEFA_2003-04,AS Monaco FC
AS Monaco FC 0-3 FC Porto
FC Porto followed up their 2003 UEFA Cup success by winning the UEFA Champions League in 2004 with a 3-0 victory against AS Monaco FC in Gelsenkirchen. Playmaker Deco provided the creative spark for José Mourinho’s disciplined side as the Portuguese champions surprised Europe by reclaiming the trophy for the first time since 1987.
United defeated
Despite a comfortable passage through the group stage, Porto started as underdogs when drawn against Manchester United FC in the Round of 16. United duly took the lead in the first leg at the Estádio do Dragão, but two goals from Benni McCarthy turned the tie on its head. Even then United looked likely to advance after leading for much of the second leg at Old Trafford. Costinha’s last minute-strike, however, earned Porto a 1-1 draw and sent them through 3-2 on aggregate. A defiant Mourinho strode from the pitch with arms raised in celebration: Europe had been warned of the depth of his side’s resolve.
Porto advance
Olympique Lyonnais were Porto’s next victims before RC Deportivo La Coruña fell to a solitary Derlei penalty over two legs in the semi-finals. Porto’s resiliant back line, led by the masterful Ricardo Carvalho, had proved too strong for Depor, who had earlier provided one of the shocks of the season by battling back to knockout AC Milan in the quarter-finals after losing the first leg 4-1.
Monaco thrive
Even so, free-scoring Monaco were expected to provide Porto with a sterner test in the final. Didier Deschamps’ side had produced the performance of the group stage on their way to finishing top of Group C, Dado Pršo scoring four as Monaco thrashed Depor 8-3 at the Stade Louis II, and the goals kept flowing in the knockout rounds.
Deco spark
Fernando Morientes scored twice against Real Madrid CF, who had loaned him to Monaco, as the French side recovered from a 4-2 first-leg deficit to advance on the away-goals rule. Monaco hit five more over two legs against Chelsea FC to reach the final 5-3 on aggregate, but in Gelsenkirchen the goals ran dry. Instead it was Porto who played with freedom at the Arena AufSchalke, and goals from Carlos Alberto, Deco and Dmitri Alenichev sealed a convincing victory.
UEFA_2002-03,Juventus FC
Juventus FC 0-0 AC Milan (Milan win 3-2 on penalties)
The 2002/03 UEFA Champions League was dominated by Italy with three Serie A sides reaching the semi-finals. AC Milan, FC Internazionale Milano and Juventus FC all had strong claims to the title, but it was the Rossoneri who emerged victorious at Old Trafford. They had to do it the hard way, though, Andriy Shevchenko scoring the decisive spot-kick in the penalty shoot-out after a tense 120 goalless minutes against Juve.
Inzaghi shines
Milan may have been kept off the scoresheet in Manchester, but it was one of the few occasions that Filippo Inzaghi did not find the net in a terrific campaign for Carlo Ancelotti’s side. Inzaghi hit a hat-trick in Milan’s rout of RC Deportivo La Coruña in the opening group stage and would finish as the tournament’s leading scorer with 12 goals from 16 games.
Madrid defeated
In the second group stage Milan traded blows with defending champions Real Madrid CF, winning one game and losing the other, but they still finished top of Group C to set up a quarter-final meeting with AFC Ajax. The Dutch side were defeated 3-2 on aggregate, and city rivals Inter were Milan’s reward in the semi-finals.
Shevchenko decider
As expected, defences dominated both games. Inter held Milan to a goalless draw in the first leg, but home advantage counted for little in the rematch. Shevchenko broke the deadlock in added time at the end of the first half, and though Obafemi Martins set up a dramatic finish by scoring the equaliser with seven minutes to play, Milan held on to advance on the away-goals rule.
Juve fall short
Juve had been pushed to the limit in their run to the final. The Bianconeri only narrowly progressed from the second group stage after losing three of their six games, and it took an extra-time goal from Pablo Zalayeta to see off FC Barcelona in the quarter-finals. Juve then knocked out holders Madrid to earn a place against Milan in the final, which came just days after they had clinched the Scudetto. But Juve’s celebrations were cut short in Manchester. Both sides hunkered down, and in the battle of the defences it was Milan who came out on top after penalties to become European champions for the sixth time.
UEFA_2001-02,Bayer 04 Leverkusen
Bayer 04 Leverkusen 1-2 Real Madrid CF
Seventy-two teams. One hundred and ninety-seven games. Ten months. One winner. The long and winding road to Glasgow took its toll. But for Real Madrid CF the journey was well worth the while. The reward for Vicente del Bosque’s men was a third UEFA Champions League success, adding to their wins in 1998 and 2000. Madrid progressed through the first group stage with AS Roma as bridesmaid, and again set the pace during the second group stage, becoming the first team into the last eight.
Leverkusen threat
It was here that the threat from Bayer 04 Leverkusen materialised: Klaus Toppmöller’s men burying Liverpool FC’s chances in a tie which saw more plots than a gravedigger. One-nil winners at Anfield, the English side had looked set for the semi-finals until a late goal by Brazilian defender Lúcio made the aggregate score 4-3 to Leverkusen. Their next opponents were Manchester United FC, who succumbed on away goals after Oliver Neuville equalised in a 1-1 draw in the Rheinland. Meanwhile, Madrid had seen off one old foe, holders FC Bayern München, before a combination of class and character helped them past another, FC Barcelona, in a semi-final tie dubbed the ‘match of the century’ by the Spanish press. Zinédine Zidane and Steve McManaman decided the issue with goals that silenced Camp Nou as Madrid prevailed 3-1 over two legs.
Zidane heroics
Zidane was at it again at Hampden Park. After Lúcio had equalised Raúl González’s early strike for Madrid, the French international scored a goal worthy of winning any final. Which it did: his brilliant 44th-minute volley dividing the sides. Madrid were European champions in their centenary year, their ninth such triumph; Leverkusen, runners-up in their domestic league and cup, were second best again.
UEFA_2000-01,FC Bayern München
FC Bayern München 1-1 Valencia CF (Bayern win 5-4 on penalties)
Twenty-five years on from their last European Champion Clubs’ Cup success, FC Bayern München were at it again, lifting the trophy for a fourth time after a penalties win over Valencia CF.
Kahn brilliance
UEFA had billed the Milan final as a ‘footballing opera’ in the city of La Scala – and paying customers certainly got value for money from a match of Wagnerian length. While captains Gaizka Mendieta and Stefan Effenberg traded spot-kicks in normal time, goalkeeper Oliver Kahn held on to one from Mauricio Pellegrino at the end of extra time to secure victory.
Madrid revenge
The 1. Bundesliga club had staked a claim to the title by beating their 1999 nemesis, Manchester United FC, home and away in the quarter-finals. Then, in another revenge mission, they heaped double misery on holders Real Madrid CF – winning 1-0 in the Spanish capital then 2-1 in Bavaria – in a repeat of the previous year’s semi-final.
Anglo-Spanish skirmishes
However, contrary to German media reports, ‘FC Hollywood’ were not the sole attraction. There were two Anglo-Spanish skirmishes in the last eight worthy of attention. Leeds United AFC claimed the scalp of Primera División champions RC Deportivo La Coruña in one; Valencia saw off Arsenal FC on away goals in the other. But when the two met in the next round, there was only one winner: Héctor Cúper’s team, 3-0 on aggregate. Valencia, though, were destined to fall at last, which considering the quality of the opposition and their coach Ottmar Hitzfeld, was no cause for shame.
UEFA_1999-00,Real Madrid CF
Real Madrid CF 3-0 Valencia CF
They used to say Spain was different. Well, it certainly gave novelty value to the 1999/2000 season with the appearance of two Primera División clubs in the UEFA Champions League final – the first time domestic rivals had contested the top prize. Yet given the inflated nature of the competition (the eight autumn groups of four now fed into a spring group stage involving 16 teams) neither Real Madrid CF nor Valencia CF were Spanish champions.
Barcelona thrill
That honour had gone to FC Barcelona, a third team to carry the Iberian challenge into the quarter-finals. Here the Catalan side won a thrilling tie against Chelsea FC 6-4 on aggregate; Valencia hammered S.S. Lazio 5-2 at Mestalla before a 1-0 Rome reverse; while Madrid defeated holders Manchester United FC 3-2 with all five goals coming at Old Trafford.
Bayern test
Vicente del Bosque’s side had hardly impressed when losing Group C matches, 4-2 and 4-1, to FC Bayern München in February and March. Now, though, they were going into a semi-final series against the Bavarians in buoyant mood. Remarkably, Bayern beat them again – 2-1 at the Olympiastadion – but not before a 2-0 success for the Merengues in Madrid.
Madrid triumph
Meanwhile, Valencia enjoyed a 4-1 drubbing of Barcelona before confirming their place at the Stade de France with a narrow 2-1 loss at Camp Nou. In hindsight, it was the least Héctor Cúper’s side deserved. For they were not their usual exuberant selves in the final and Madrid took full advantage with goals from Fernando Morientes, Steve McManaman and Raúl González.
UEFA_1998-99,Manchester United FC
Manchester United FC 2-1 FC Bayern München
To most observers, Manchester United FC’s UEFA Champions League win was the last act in the rehabilitation of English football following the Heysel stadium tragedy. The path to the quarter and semi-finals had been well trod by Sir Alex Ferguson’s side after English clubs were readmitted to European competition in 1990. Yet it always seemed to end in disappointment and talk about the effects of the five-year ban.
Bayern impress
All doubts were erased, though, when United beat Internazionale FC and Juventus FC to reach the final against FC Bayern München. United had trailed 2-0 at the Delle Alpi, 3-1 on aggregate, before fighting back to win with goals from Roy Keane, Dwight Yorke and Andy Cole. Why do it the easy way? Indeed, the Red Devils appeared to have the class and confidence to deal with any situation, including a second-round qualifier against LKS Lódz and a tough early draw comprising Bayern, FC Barcelona and Brøndby IF. The Bavarians actually won the group thanks to home and away wins over Barça and two draws against United.
Solksjaer joy
They followed that with a 6-0 aggregate thrashing of 1. FC Kaiserslautern and then took their chances to defeat FC Dynamo Kyiv in the semi-finals. Mario Basler’s effort divided the sides after a 3-3 draw in Ukraine, and the playmaker struck again with the first goal of the Camp Nou final. But then a miracle happened. United scored twice in the dying seconds, through substitutes Teddy Sheringham and Ole Gunnar Solksjaer, to add the European Champion Clubs’ Cup to their FA Premiership/FA Cup double.
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