With the 2007 UEFA Champions League final just round the corner, everyone is looking back to 2005.
Memories are inevitable as well as comparisons ahead of the game on May 23 in Athens. The two clubs are the same, both coaches and many of the players, so is the stage - the Balkans will once again host the battle for the highest prize. Two years ago in Istanbul Liverpool made one of the most amazing comebacks in the football history, fighting back from 3:0 down at half-time to shock mighty Milan on penalties and to lift the trophy. Now everyone is asking the big question: Will it be revenge or not?
According to Alex Ferguson, whose Manchester United went down 3:5 on aggregate against Milan in the semi-final, there is no doubt Italians will win the Cup this time. He told so to his Milan colleague Carlo Ancelotti. “I’d bet for sure that Milan will win the Champions League, I’m absolutely certain of it,” Ferguson said. “I told Carlo at the end of our semi-final that there is no way he can now not win this competition. Carlo gave me a magnificent bottle of wine. But I immediately told him there is no point in giving such a wonderful gift if he then fails in the final. In fact, I told him I would only drink his wine once I see him lifting the Champions Cup.”
Liverpool repeated their way to the 2005 final, beating Chelsea in the semi-final on penalties. Coach Rafael Benitez and his players already gained the reputation of knockout competitions specialists. They cannot win the English championship, but each year they’re winning some tournament. In 2005 it was the Champions League, last year - FA Cup, in fact following another dramatic comeback and penalties shootout against West Ham Utd. Now they have the confidence to say everyone in Europe is afraid of them.
These days Milan players launched an attack on Liverpool’s style of play. Midfield maestro Kaka and hard man Gennaro Gattuso dismissed Liverpool as an inferior side to semi-final opponents Manchester United. Gattuso said: “I feel there is a noticeable difference in talent between Manchester United and Liverpool. Liverpool is like an Italian team of 10 years ago. Every ball a long ball.
All they try to do is defend with everybody behind the ball and one striker. United have far more technical players, who are quick and able to do things on the ball. Liverpool does not have those individuals. It isn’t revenge, it’s footballing history. This final will be different - that I promise.”
The 38-year-old captain Paolo Maldini will do “everything possible” to be fit for one last Champions League Final - his eighth, having four wins and three defeats to his name. And Athens is a familiar stadium for him, holding sweet memories after the Rossoneri beat Barcelona 4:0 there in 1994. Milan has been crowned European champions on six occasions and Maldini played in four of those finals in 1989, 1990, 1994 and 2003. “I always believed we could reach the final this season,” said the veteran of 23 seasons at San Siro. “Now we have the chance to write another great page in our history. The Istanbul defeat in 2005 still hurts but I’m sure Liverpool know they will never win a match like that again.”
Another veteran defender Cafu, 36, has not forgotten the pain of that experience. “We will do everything to beat them and try to forget that defeat. What happened in Istanbul was amazing and unbelievable, one of those things that won’t happen again. I am kind of a cold character and I don’t suffer much because of the past, but it will obviously be special for us to meet Liverpool again - and beat them this time.”
Midfielder Clarence Seedorf has admitted that he wants revenge. “We want to get our revenge against Liverpool, obviously only in a sporting sense. I cried that night in Turkey as it’s tough to lose the Cup in just six minutes,” the Dutchman said.
Champions League top-scorer Kaka believes his team will be purely focused on bringing a seventh European Cup back to Stadio Giuseppe Meazza. “For me the motivation is to once again get to a final, and have the possibility of winning the Champions League, this is my motivation. Everyone is talking about a revenge for what happened in 2005. It happened, we lost that final and Liverpool were the champions. It will always be remembered that way so we have the opportunity to once again make our mark on history.”
Liverpool’s board have offered the players a bonus well in excess of 100 000 pounds sterling a man to make it six Euro Cups.
Anyone who has played a part this season is eligible and manager Rafa Benitez’s rotation policy means the total pot looks like being about 2.5 million pounds. It is understood the incentive scheme was drawn up at the start of the season rather than in the wake of new owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett taking over two months ago.
