UEFA Champions League: Istanbul revisited - 8 years on

It has been eight years now since that amazing night at Istanbul.

It was Rafa Benitez’s first season in charge of Liverpool. Liverpool had a glorious history, but had not managed to live up to the glory years of the past. The knockout stages saw one of the most inspiring comebacks in the recent past. The substitutions made by Benitez turned out to be crucial. Liverpool were always the underdogs in the tournament. They managed to get results against the likes of Bayer Leverkusen, Juventus and Chelsea which was some achievement for most fans. The victory against Chelsea was a special moment.

There was always the nervous energy flowing before the final. The highlight of the season was the tactical brilliance of Benitez. Even the common fan could figure on the television that there always seemed to be a plan to counter the threats posed by teams which possessed attackers of high quality. It was no co-incidence that Liverpool managed to get the right results despite being the underdogs in the knockout stages. The atmosphere was special during the season at Anfield on a European night (a term that would be used quite frequently over the next few years).

Liverpool had missed out on the fourth spot in the Premier League. This had meant that the only way that Liverpool could play in the Champions league next season was if they won the Champions League and UEFA agreed to allow them into the group stages.

The inclusion of Harry Kewell in the starting line-up was surprising. He was a player who was abundant with talent but never really managed to sustain his form and fitness at Liverpool. This was his moment to shine and prove his worth. The game started and everything seemed to go wrong for Liverpool. The early goal from Maldini put Milan right on the front foot early on. The injury to Kewell early on meant Smicer coming on in what was to be his last game for Liverpool. The second goal and the third goals just made the world look so different. Milan were always the better side in terms of quality but this just seemed like it would be embarrassing. The through ball to Crespo and the finish was just sublime. It seemed like Milan had their hands on the cup already at half time.

The half time interval ended and all you could notice was the fans in the stadium singing and chanting songs. The chants of “You Will Never Walk Alone” could be heard throughout the stadium. It was quite incredible to watch the fans getting right behind their team when probably it was the worst score they had seen all season. The half time substitutions meant Liverpool now had the experienced Hamann coming on. Milan looked dangerous and seemed like they could make it a cricket score. And then out of nowhere Gerrard scored the first. The atmosphere just changed. There just seemed to be that slight hope that Liverpool could score more. The atmosphere was electric in the stadium. When Smicer scored the second, the impossible started looking possible. Alonso’s rebound completed the greatest 6 minutes in football.

It just did not matter if Liverpool managed to keep the ball or create scoring chances. Dudek’s saves in extra time were just out of the world. The second one off Shevchenko still seems unbelievable, considering it was from point blank range. How Djimi Traore managed to clear the lines or how Carragher stretched and blocked shots after shots was just incredible. The intensity and the passion amongst the players was just brilliant. It would have been cruel had Liverpool managed to lose the game on penalties after an incredible night. The antics of Dudek were enough to make Shevchenko shoot a poor penalty, which was saved by Dudek. The European Cup had returned to Anfield! It was an incredible journey.

Even today 8 years on, as we look back at the match, it generates very strong emotions amongst the supporters. It was the passionate support and immense loyalty towards the club of the fans who had travelled all the way to Istanbul and millions elsewhere who never switched off their television sets even during the worst times, that stood out. There have been some really special European finals but none has ever come close to the one at Istanbul. That moment just made sure values like loyalty and grit always remain deeply rooted amongst young supporters for years to come.