1999 UEFA Champions League Final
Encyclopedia
The 1999 UEFA Champions League Final was a football match that took place on Wednesday, 26 May 1999. The match was played at Camp Nou
in Barcelona
, Spain
, to determine the winner of the 1998–99 UEFA Champions League. The final was contested by Manchester United
and Bayern Munich
. The match is best remembered for Manchester United scoring two last-minute goal
s in injury time to win 2–1, after having trailed for most of the match.
United's victory was the culmination of their Treble-winning season, after they had already won the FA Premier League and the FA Cup earlier in the month. Bayern were also playing for a Treble of their own, having already won the Bundesliga and having already earned a spot in the German Cup final; however, Bayern went on to lose in the final.
Manchester United wore their traditional red shirts, while Bayern Munich donned their grey and burgundy Champions League kit. Referee Pierluigi Collina
has cited it as one of the most memorable matches of his career, due to the "lion's roar" from the crowd at the end of the game.
performed "Barcelona" live, accompanied with a recording by the late rock singer Freddie Mercury
who appeared on the stadium's electronic screen. The day of the final would have been the 90th birthday of former Manchester United manager Sir Matt Busby, who died in 1994, and was the only previous United manager to lead the team to a European Cup title (in 1968). Manchester United goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel
had announced that he would leave in the summer, making the final his last appearance for the club. The suspension of club captain Roy Keane
led to Schmeichel being appointed the team captain for the game.
and midfielder Paul Scholes
both missed out on the final due to suspension.
Ten out of the starting eleven Bayern players were of German
nationality, while four English players started for Manchester United, as well as two more from the rest of the British Isles
.
clumsily fouled Bayern striker Carsten Jancker
just outside the area, and Mario Basler
duly swept home a low free kick around the United wall to hand his team the lead. Contrary to popular belief, the free kick was not a deflection, but rather swerved into Peter Schmeichel
's left hand corner. Despite the bad start, United began to dominate possession but failed to create any clear cut chances despite David Beckham
's tireless running. They seemed to be badly missing influential midfielders Paul Scholes
and Roy Keane
, both of whom were suspended for the final. The German defence remained strong and well organised, as Andy Cole
found out when his close-range effort was quickly closed down by three defenders. As Bayern began to look increasingly more dangerous on the counter-attack than their opponents did in possession, Jancker repeatedly tested the United back four with a number of clever runs, some of which were flagged offside.
Cole once again found himself with a chance in the Bayern box, but keeper Oliver Kahn
came hurtling out of his goal to punch the ball to safety. At the other end, Basler came close with another free kick before Alexander Zickler
sent a shot just wide from the edge of the box. As half time approached, United winger Ryan Giggs
, playing out of position on the right, sent a weak header towards Kahn from a Cole cross, but that was as close as they were to come to a goal in the first half.
, who missed the ball entirely. United put together their best move of the match so far on fifty-five minutes when, after a healthy period of possession, Giggs sent in a cross towards Jesper Blomqvist
who could only knock the ball over the bar after a desperate stretch. Another chance for Basler prompted United manager Alex Ferguson
to bring on striker Teddy Sheringham
to try to regain control of the game. Bayern coach Ottmar Hitzfeld
responded with a substitution of his own, bringing on Mehmet Scholl
, who immediately set up Stefan Effenberg
for a long-range blast which flashed wide. Schmeichel kept his side in the game when tipping another Effenberg shot over the bar after seventy-five minutes. Scholl then almost scored from a delicate twenty yard chip after a mesmerising run from Basler, but the ball bounced back off the post and into the arms of a relieved Schmeichel. With the game seemingly drifting away from the English side, Ferguson introduced striker Ole Gunnar Solskjær
with ten minutes remaining. The substitute immediately forced Kahn into a diving save with a header; the closest United had come to scoring all game. A minute later, Bayern missed a chance to secure the trophy when an overhead kick from Jancker crashed off the crossbar, leaving Schmeichel helpless once again. As the game crept into the last five minutes, United's two substitutes forced Kahn into more saves, firstly through a Sheringham volley and then from another Solskjær header.
. Beckham flighted the corner in just over Schmeichel's head, Dwight Yorke
put the ball back towards the crowded area, and after Thorsten Fink
failed to clear sufficiently, the ball arrived at the feet of Ryan Giggs
on the edge of the area. His right-footed snap-shot was weak and poorly struck, but it went straight to Sheringham, who swiped at the shot with his right foot, and nestled the ball in the bottom corner of the net. The goal was timed at 90:36. It looked as if, having been behind for most of the match, United had forced extra time.
Less than 30 seconds after the subsequent kick-off, United forced another corner, but Schmeichel stayed in his penalty area this time. Beckham again swung the corner in, which was headed downwards by Sheringham. Solskjær shot out a foot and poked the ball into the roof of the Bayern goal for United to take the lead. The goal was timed at 92:17. Solskjær celebrated by sliding on his knees, mimicking Basler's earlier celebration, before quickly being mobbed by the United players, substitutes and coaching staff. Schmeichel, in his own penalty area, cartwheeled with glee.
The game restarted, but many Bayern players were virtually unable to continue and needed the assistance of referee Pierluigi Collina
to drag themselves off the ground. They were stunned to have lost a game they had thought won just minutes before (several celebratory flares had already been ignited by the Munich fans moments before United equalised, and Bayern Munich ribbons had already been secured to the trophy itself in preparation for the presentation ceremony). United held onto their lead to record their second European Cup title. Samuel Kuffour
broke out in tears after the game, beating the floor in despair, and even the giant Carsten Jancker had collapsed in anguish. Matthäus having captained Bayern in the 1987 European Cup Final
and lost in similar circumstances to two late FC Porto goals. He had been substituted with four minutes remaining, with victory seemingly assured, and the European Cup was the only major trophy he had failed to win during his career.
When the trophy was presented to Manchester United, the captain on the night, Peter Schmeichel, who had just finished his final match for the club, and manager Alex Ferguson raised the trophy together.
style="font-size: 90%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align=center>
BAYERN MUNICH:
|
GK
1
Oliver Kahn
(c)
SW
10
Lothar Matthäus
RB
2
Markus Babbel
CB
25
Thomas Linke
CB
4
Samuel Kuffour
LB
18
Michael Tarnat
CM
11
Stefan Effenberg
CM
16
Jens Jeremies
RF
14
Mario Basler
CF
19
Carsten Jancker
LF
21
Alexander Zickler
Substitutes:
GK
22
Bernd Dreher
DF
5
Thomas Helmer
MF
7
Mehmet Scholl
MF
8
Thomas Strunz
MF
17
Thorsten Fink
MF
20
Hasan Salihamidžić
FW
24
Ali Daei
Manager:
Ottmar Hitzfeld
President Lennart Johansson
had left his seat in the stands before Sheringham's equaliser to make his way down to the pitch in order to present the European Cup trophy
, already decorated with Bayern ribbons. When emerging from the tunnel at the final whistle, he was stunned. "I can't believe it," he later said, "The winners are crying and the losers are dancing." When the two teams went to collect their medals, television viewers around the world watched as Matthäus removed his runners-up medal, almost before he received it. He never won the competition, having moved to play in the USA for the New York MetroStars in the MLS
before Bayern next won the European Cup in 2001
. Matthäus later commented that "it was not the best team that won but the luckiest."
In winning the trophy, Manchester United became the first English team to be crowned European Champions since the Heysel
ban in 1985, and also the first team to achieve the English football treble of the Premiership
, FA Cup
and European Cup
in the same season. (Liverpool had won the first ever English football treble in 1984 by winning the First Division
, the Football League Cup
, and the European Cup
- although the League Cup
is not held in the same regard in England). After becoming the first manager to achieve this honour, Alex Ferguson received a knighthood on 12 June 1999 in recognition of his services to the game of football. In the post-match interview, Ferguson produced his now legendary summary of the game: "Football; bloody hell" The final also signalled Peter Schmeichel's last ever game for Manchester United after eight years of service.
The game attracted an average of 15 million viewers on British television with a peak audience of 19 million in injury time. The climax of the game was voted as the 4th greatest sporting moment ever by Channel 4
viewers in a poll in early 2002.
Manchester United became the first team to win the European Cup or Champions League having failed to be the champions of Europe, champions of their country, or the winners of their country's domestic cup the preceding season. They had finished second in the 1997-98
season to Arsenal
, but had qualified through UEFA
's expanded format, which had been introduced a few seasons earlier. Had Bayern won the cup, they would have become the first team to achieve this feat, having also finished second in the Bundesliga
to Kaiserslautern
the season before.
After the treble was secured, much debate arose amongst English football fans as to whether the 1999 Manchester United team was the greatest club side ever, alongside past European Cup winning teams.
United's treble was the first since that of PSV Eindhoven in 1988, and the last until FC Barcelona
completed their treble, 10 years later against United in the 2009 UEFA Champions League Final
.
Camp Nou
Camp Nou , sometimes called "the Nou Camp" in English, is a football stadium in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. The stadium, located in the west of the city, has been the home of FC Barcelona since its construction in 1957....
in Barcelona
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, to determine the winner of the 1998–99 UEFA Champions League. The final was contested by Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
and Bayern Munich
FC Bayern Munich
FC Bayern Munich , is a German sports club based in Munich, Bavaria. It is best known for its professional football team, which is the most successful football club in Germany, having won 22 national titles and 15 cups....
. The match is best remembered for Manchester United scoring two last-minute goal
Last-minute goal
The term "last-minute goal" is used in sport, primarily association football, to describe a goal scored very late in a game. It may not necessarily refer to a goal scored in the actual final minute...
s in injury time to win 2–1, after having trailed for most of the match.
United's victory was the culmination of their Treble-winning season, after they had already won the FA Premier League and the FA Cup earlier in the month. Bayern were also playing for a Treble of their own, having already won the Bundesliga and having already earned a spot in the German Cup final; however, Bayern went on to lose in the final.
Manchester United wore their traditional red shirts, while Bayern Munich donned their grey and burgundy Champions League kit. Referee Pierluigi Collina
Pierluigi Collina
Pierluigi Collina is a former Italian football referee. He is still involved in football as non-paid consultant to the Italian Football Referees Association , and is a member of the UEFA Referees Committee...
has cited it as one of the most memorable matches of his career, due to the "lion's roar" from the crowd at the end of the game.
Pre-match
Prior to kick off, opera singer Montserrat CaballéMontserrat Caballé
Montserrat Caballé is a Spanish operatic soprano. Although she sang a wide variety of roles, she is best known as an exponent of the bel canto repertoire, notably the works of Rossini, Bellini, Donizetti and Verdi....
performed "Barcelona" live, accompanied with a recording by the late rock singer Freddie Mercury
Freddie Mercury
Freddie Mercury was a British musician, singer and songwriter, best known as the lead vocalist of the rock band Queen. As a performer, he was known for his flamboyant stage persona and powerful vocals over a four-octave range...
who appeared on the stadium's electronic screen. The day of the final would have been the 90th birthday of former Manchester United manager Sir Matt Busby, who died in 1994, and was the only previous United manager to lead the team to a European Cup title (in 1968). Manchester United goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel
Peter Schmeichel
Peter Bolesław Schmeichel MBE is a retired Danish professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper, and was voted the "World's Best Goalkeeper" in 1992 and 1993...
had announced that he would leave in the summer, making the final his last appearance for the club. The suspension of club captain Roy Keane
Roy Keane
Roy Maurice Keane is an Irish former footballer and manager. In his 18-year playing career, he played for Cobh Ramblers in the League of Ireland, Nottingham Forest and Manchester United, before ending his career at Celtic in Scotland....
led to Schmeichel being appointed the team captain for the game.
Team news
Manchester United captain Roy KeaneRoy Keane
Roy Maurice Keane is an Irish former footballer and manager. In his 18-year playing career, he played for Cobh Ramblers in the League of Ireland, Nottingham Forest and Manchester United, before ending his career at Celtic in Scotland....
and midfielder Paul Scholes
Paul Scholes
Paul Scholes is a retired English footballer, a one-club man who played his entire professional career for Manchester United.Born in Salford, but later moving to Langley, Scholes excelled in both cricket and football in school. He first trained with Manchester United at the age of 14 after being...
both missed out on the final due to suspension.
Ten out of the starting eleven Bayern players were of German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
nationality, while four English players started for Manchester United, as well as two more from the rest of the British Isles
British Isles
The British Isles are a group of islands off the northwest coast of continental Europe that include the islands of Great Britain and Ireland and over six thousand smaller isles. There are two sovereign states located on the islands: the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and...
.
First half
Six minutes into the match, Ronny JohnsenRonny Johnsen
Jean Ronny Johnsen is a former Norwegian football player. He played as a centre back or defensive midfielder, but was often sidelined because of his many injuries.-Career:...
clumsily fouled Bayern striker Carsten Jancker
Carsten Jancker
Carsten Jancker is a former German professional footballer and current manager.- Career :A striker, Jancker is physically very large for a footballer, standing at . His height and strength have proved to be an advantage when playing as a target man, as displayed during his most successful days at...
just outside the area, and Mario Basler
Mario Basler
Mario Basler is a German former football winger and current manager.- Career :...
duly swept home a low free kick around the United wall to hand his team the lead. Contrary to popular belief, the free kick was not a deflection, but rather swerved into Peter Schmeichel
Peter Schmeichel
Peter Bolesław Schmeichel MBE is a retired Danish professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper, and was voted the "World's Best Goalkeeper" in 1992 and 1993...
's left hand corner. Despite the bad start, United began to dominate possession but failed to create any clear cut chances despite David Beckham
David Beckham
David Robert Joseph Beckham, OBE is an English footballer who plays midfield for Los Angeles Galaxy in Major League Soccer, having previously played for Manchester United, Preston North End, Real Madrid, and A.C...
's tireless running. They seemed to be badly missing influential midfielders Paul Scholes
Paul Scholes
Paul Scholes is a retired English footballer, a one-club man who played his entire professional career for Manchester United.Born in Salford, but later moving to Langley, Scholes excelled in both cricket and football in school. He first trained with Manchester United at the age of 14 after being...
and Roy Keane
Roy Keane
Roy Maurice Keane is an Irish former footballer and manager. In his 18-year playing career, he played for Cobh Ramblers in the League of Ireland, Nottingham Forest and Manchester United, before ending his career at Celtic in Scotland....
, both of whom were suspended for the final. The German defence remained strong and well organised, as Andy Cole
Andy Cole
Andrew Alexander Cole is a retired English footballer. He is most well known by the name Andy Cole , but in 2000, he reputedly asked to be known as Andrew Cole...
found out when his close-range effort was quickly closed down by three defenders. As Bayern began to look increasingly more dangerous on the counter-attack than their opponents did in possession, Jancker repeatedly tested the United back four with a number of clever runs, some of which were flagged offside.
Cole once again found himself with a chance in the Bayern box, but keeper Oliver Kahn
Oliver Kahn
Oliver Rolf Kahn is a former German football goalkeeper. He started his career in the Karlsruher SC Junior team. He had his debut game in the professional squad in 1987...
came hurtling out of his goal to punch the ball to safety. At the other end, Basler came close with another free kick before Alexander Zickler
Alexander Zickler
Alexander "Alex" Zickler is a German former footballer who played as a striker, most notably in a twelve year spell with Bayern Munich.-Club career:...
sent a shot just wide from the edge of the box. As half time approached, United winger Ryan Giggs
Ryan Giggs
Ryan Joseph Giggs OBE is a Welsh professional footballer who plays for Manchester United. Giggs made his first appearance for the club during the 1990–91 season and has been a regular player since the 1991–92 season...
, playing out of position on the right, sent a weak header towards Kahn from a Cole cross, but that was as close as they were to come to a goal in the first half.
Second half
The German team started the second half in a more positive mood with Jancker forcing a save from Schmeichel in the first minute of the restart. Basler was proving to be Bayern's most dangerous player, first firing a thirty-yard shot towards goal and then setting up a header for Markus BabbelMarkus Babbel
Markus Babbel is a former international German football player, who is currently manager of German Bundesliga club Hertha BSC. He played as a defender for clubs in Germany and England.-Career:...
, who missed the ball entirely. United put together their best move of the match so far on fifty-five minutes when, after a healthy period of possession, Giggs sent in a cross towards Jesper Blomqvist
Jesper Blomqvist
Lars Jesper Blomqvist is a Swedish football player.Most recently he has been the playing assistant manager of Superettan side Hammarby from December 2009 to November 2010...
who could only knock the ball over the bar after a desperate stretch. Another chance for Basler prompted United manager Alex Ferguson
Alex Ferguson
Sir Alexander Chapman "Alex" Ferguson, CBE is a Scottish association football manager and former player, currently managing Manchester United, where he has been in charge since 1986...
to bring on striker Teddy Sheringham
Teddy Sheringham
Edward Paul "Teddy" Sheringham MBE is a retired English footballer, and the father of footballer Charlie Sheringham. Sheringham played as a striker, and had a successful career at the club level, winning almost every domestic honour available with his clubs, most notably the Treble with Manchester...
to try to regain control of the game. Bayern coach Ottmar Hitzfeld
Ottmar Hitzfeld
Ottmar Hitzfeld is a German former football player and manager, nicknamed der General ....
responded with a substitution of his own, bringing on Mehmet Scholl
Mehmet Scholl
Mehmet Scholl is a former German football player with Turkish-German ancestry. He played most of his career as an attacking midfielder for Bayern Munich...
, who immediately set up Stefan Effenberg
Stefan Effenberg
Stefan Effenberg is a retired German footballer. A central midfielder, he possessed leadership skills, powerful shooting ability, physical strength, but also a fearsome and controversial character....
for a long-range blast which flashed wide. Schmeichel kept his side in the game when tipping another Effenberg shot over the bar after seventy-five minutes. Scholl then almost scored from a delicate twenty yard chip after a mesmerising run from Basler, but the ball bounced back off the post and into the arms of a relieved Schmeichel. With the game seemingly drifting away from the English side, Ferguson introduced striker Ole Gunnar Solskjær
Ole Gunnar Solskjær
Ole Gunnar Solskjær is the manager of Norwegian first division side Molde. He is better known as a former footballer who spent most of his career playing for Manchester United. Often dubbed "the baby-faced assassin," he played 366 times for the Red Devils and scored 126 goals during a very...
with ten minutes remaining. The substitute immediately forced Kahn into a diving save with a header; the closest United had come to scoring all game. A minute later, Bayern missed a chance to secure the trophy when an overhead kick from Jancker crashed off the crossbar, leaving Schmeichel helpless once again. As the game crept into the last five minutes, United's two substitutes forced Kahn into more saves, firstly through a Sheringham volley and then from another Solskjær header.
Injury time
United won a corner just as the fourth official indicated three minutes of injury time, and in a last-ditch attempt at an equaliser, Peter Schmeichel ventured up to Bayern's penalty areaPenalty area
The penalty area , is an area of an association football pitch. It is rectangular and extends to each side of the goal and in front of it. Within the penalty area is the penalty spot , which is from the goal line, directly in-line with the centre of the goal...
. Beckham flighted the corner in just over Schmeichel's head, Dwight Yorke
Dwight Yorke
Dwight Eversley Yorke is a Trinidad and Tobago former football player. He played for Aston Villa for most of his career, followed by stints with Manchester United, Blackburn Rovers, Birmingham City, Sydney FC and Sunderland...
put the ball back towards the crowded area, and after Thorsten Fink
Thorsten Fink
Thorsten Fink is a German football coach and former player, currently manager of Bundesliga club Hamburger SV.-Career:...
failed to clear sufficiently, the ball arrived at the feet of Ryan Giggs
Ryan Giggs
Ryan Joseph Giggs OBE is a Welsh professional footballer who plays for Manchester United. Giggs made his first appearance for the club during the 1990–91 season and has been a regular player since the 1991–92 season...
on the edge of the area. His right-footed snap-shot was weak and poorly struck, but it went straight to Sheringham, who swiped at the shot with his right foot, and nestled the ball in the bottom corner of the net. The goal was timed at 90:36. It looked as if, having been behind for most of the match, United had forced extra time.
Less than 30 seconds after the subsequent kick-off, United forced another corner, but Schmeichel stayed in his penalty area this time. Beckham again swung the corner in, which was headed downwards by Sheringham. Solskjær shot out a foot and poked the ball into the roof of the Bayern goal for United to take the lead. The goal was timed at 92:17. Solskjær celebrated by sliding on his knees, mimicking Basler's earlier celebration, before quickly being mobbed by the United players, substitutes and coaching staff. Schmeichel, in his own penalty area, cartwheeled with glee.
The game restarted, but many Bayern players were virtually unable to continue and needed the assistance of referee Pierluigi Collina
Pierluigi Collina
Pierluigi Collina is a former Italian football referee. He is still involved in football as non-paid consultant to the Italian Football Referees Association , and is a member of the UEFA Referees Committee...
to drag themselves off the ground. They were stunned to have lost a game they had thought won just minutes before (several celebratory flares had already been ignited by the Munich fans moments before United equalised, and Bayern Munich ribbons had already been secured to the trophy itself in preparation for the presentation ceremony). United held onto their lead to record their second European Cup title. Samuel Kuffour
Samuel Kuffour
Samuel Osei Kuffour is a retired Ghanaian professional footballer who played as a defender.Known for his great physical power, he is best remembered for his time with Bayern Munich, whom he represented for over a decade, winning a total of 17 major titles, and playing in nearly 250 official...
broke out in tears after the game, beating the floor in despair, and even the giant Carsten Jancker had collapsed in anguish. Matthäus having captained Bayern in the 1987 European Cup Final
1987 European Cup Final
The 1987 European Cup Final was a football match held at the Prater Stadium, Vienna, on 27 May 1987, that saw Porto of Portugal defeat Bayern Munich of West Germany 2–1...
and lost in similar circumstances to two late FC Porto goals. He had been substituted with four minutes remaining, with victory seemingly assured, and the European Cup was the only major trophy he had failed to win during his career.
When the trophy was presented to Manchester United, the captain on the night, Peter Schmeichel, who had just finished his final match for the club, and manager Alex Ferguson raised the trophy together.
Match details
| style="font-size: 90%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"> | MANCHESTER UNITED: | |||
| GK | 1 |  Peter SchmeichelPeter Schmeichel Peter Bolesław Schmeichel MBE is a retired Danish professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper, and was voted the "World's Best Goalkeeper" in 1992 and 1993... (c) |
||
| RB | 2 |  Gary NevilleGary Neville Gary Alexander Neville is a former English footballer. He is England's most capped right-back and was Manchester United's club captain for five years.... |
||
| CB | 5 |  Ronny JohnsenRonny Johnsen Jean Ronny Johnsen is a former Norwegian football player. He played as a centre back or defensive midfielder, but was often sidelined because of his many injuries.-Career:... |
||
| CB | 6 |  Jaap StamJaap Stam Jakob "Jaap" Stam is a retired Dutch football player who was twice voted best defender in the 1998–99 and 1999–2000 UEFA Champions League. He played for several European clubs like PSV Eindhoven, Manchester United, S.S. Lazio, A.C. Milan and AFC Ajax before retiring in October 2007... |
||
| LB | 3 |  Denis IrwinDenis Irwin Denis Joseph Irwin is a former Irish football player who is best known for his long and successful stint at Manchester United, where he established himself as one of the most important players in the United team that won a host of domestic and European trophies in his time there between 1990 and... |
||
| RM | 11 |  Ryan GiggsRyan Giggs Ryan Joseph Giggs OBE is a Welsh professional footballer who plays for Manchester United. Giggs made his first appearance for the club during the 1990–91 season and has been a regular player since the 1991–92 season... |
||
| CM | 7 | David Beckham David Beckham David Robert Joseph Beckham, OBE is an English footballer who plays midfield for Los Angeles Galaxy in Major League Soccer, having previously played for Manchester United, Preston North End, Real Madrid, and A.C... |
||
| CM | 8 | Nicky Butt Nicky Butt Nicholas "Nicky" Butt is an English footballer. He began his career with Manchester United and spent 12 years in their first-team before moving to Newcastle United in 2004. He spent one season on loan to Birmingham City in 2005–06... |
||
| LM | 15 |  Jesper BlomqvistJesper Blomqvist Lars Jesper Blomqvist is a Swedish football player.Most recently he has been the playing assistant manager of Superettan side Hammarby from December 2009 to November 2010... |
||
| CF | 19 |  Dwight YorkeDwight Yorke Dwight Eversley Yorke is a Trinidad and Tobago former football player. He played for Aston Villa for most of his career, followed by stints with Manchester United, Blackburn Rovers, Birmingham City, Sydney FC and Sunderland... |
||
| CF | 9 | Andy Cole Andy Cole Andrew Alexander Cole is a retired English footballer. He is most well known by the name Andy Cole , but in 2000, he reputedly asked to be known as Andrew Cole... |
||
| Substitutes: | ||||
| GK | 17 | Raimond van der Gouw Raimond van der Gouw Raimond van der Gouw is a former Dutch footballer, who played as a goalkeeper.After a successful career with Vitesse and well into his 30s, he moved to Manchester United, also experiencing relative recognition, although he played very sparingly; he scored his only goal in the last game of his... |
||
| DF | 4 | David May |
||
| DF | 12 | Philip Neville Philip Neville Philip John "Phil" Neville is an English footballer who captains Premier League club Everton. Neville also played for England from 1996 until 2007... |
||
| DF | 30 | Wes Brown Wes Brown Wesley Michael "Wes" Brown is an English footballer who plays as a defender for Sunderland. Before joining Sunderland, Brown had spent his entire career at Old Trafford, having joined the Manchester United youth team in 1996... |
||
| MF | 34 | Jonathan Greening Jonathan Greening Jonathan Greening is an English footballer who plays as a midfielder for Nottingham Forest.He began his career in 1996 with York City, but moved to Manchester United in 1998, with whom he won the 1998–99 UEFA Champions League as a non-playing substitute in the final... |
||
| FW | 10 | Teddy Sheringham Teddy Sheringham Edward Paul "Teddy" Sheringham MBE is a retired English footballer, and the father of footballer Charlie Sheringham. Sheringham played as a striker, and had a successful career at the club level, winning almost every domestic honour available with his clubs, most notably the Treble with Manchester... |
||
| FW | 20 | Ole Gunnar Solskjær Ole Gunnar Solskjær Ole Gunnar Solskjær is the manager of Norwegian first division side Molde. He is better known as a former footballer who spent most of his career playing for Manchester United. Often dubbed "the baby-faced assassin," he played 366 times for the Red Devils and scored 126 goals during a very... |
||
| Manager: | ||||
 Alex FergusonAlex Ferguson Sir Alexander Chapman "Alex" Ferguson, CBE is a Scottish association football manager and former player, currently managing Manchester United, where he has been in charge since 1986... |
||||
Oliver KahnOliver Kahn
Oliver Rolf Kahn is a former German football goalkeeper. He started his career in the Karlsruher SC Junior team. He had his debut game in the professional squad in 1987...
(c)
Lothar MatthäusLothar Matthäus
Lothar Herbert Matthäus , is a German football manager and former player.In 1990, he was named European Footballer of the Year and World Soccer Player of the Year after captaining West Germany to victory in the 1990 World Cup...
Markus BabbelMarkus Babbel
Markus Babbel is a former international German football player, who is currently manager of German Bundesliga club Hertha BSC. He played as a defender for clubs in Germany and England.-Career:...
Thomas LinkeThomas Linke
Thomas Linke is a retired German professional footballer who played as a central defender.Linke was remembered as a hard-nosed tackler with tremendous heading ability, and played in 13 Bundesliga seasons in representation of Schalke 04 and Bayern Munich, totalling 340 games.Having gained his first...
Samuel KuffourSamuel Kuffour
Samuel Osei Kuffour is a retired Ghanaian professional footballer who played as a defender.Known for his great physical power, he is best remembered for his time with Bayern Munich, whom he represented for over a decade, winning a total of 17 major titles, and playing in nearly 250 official...
Michael TarnatMichael Tarnat
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Stefan Effenberg is a retired German footballer. A central midfielder, he possessed leadership skills, powerful shooting ability, physical strength, but also a fearsome and controversial character....
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Man of the Match: Mario Basler Mario Basler Mario Basler is a German former football winger and current manager.- Career :... (Bayern Munich) Assistant referees: Gennaro Mazzei (Italy) Claudio Puglisi Claudio Puglisi Claudio Puglisi is an Italian former football referee and linesman. He was implicated in the 2006 Serie A scandal for his contacts with Leonardo Meani before an April 2005 match with Chievo Verona.-References:... (Italy) Reserve referee: Fiorenzo Treossi (Italy) |
Aftermath
The game's ending was so unexpected that UEFAUEFA
The Union of European Football Associations , almost always referred to by its acronym UEFA is the administrative and controlling body for European association football, futsal and beach soccer....
President Lennart Johansson
Lennart Johansson
Lennart Johansson was the president of UEFA, the Union of European Football Associations from 1990 until 2007. Johansson is probably most famous for starting the UEFA Champions League and for bringing the UEFA European Football Championship to his native Sweden.He started as a bandy leader in AIK...
had left his seat in the stands before Sheringham's equaliser to make his way down to the pitch in order to present the European Cup trophy
European Champion Clubs' Cup
The European Champion Clubs' Cup, also known as Coupe des Clubs Champions Européens, or simply the European Cup, is a trophy awarded annually by UEFA to the football club that wins the UEFA Champions League...
, already decorated with Bayern ribbons. When emerging from the tunnel at the final whistle, he was stunned. "I can't believe it," he later said, "The winners are crying and the losers are dancing." When the two teams went to collect their medals, television viewers around the world watched as Matthäus removed his runners-up medal, almost before he received it. He never won the competition, having moved to play in the USA for the New York MetroStars in the MLS
Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer is a professional soccer league based in the United States and sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation . The league is composed of 19 teams — 16 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada...
before Bayern next won the European Cup in 2001
UEFA Champions League 2000-01
The 2000–01 UEFA Champions League was the ninth edition of the UEFA Champions League, UEFA's premier European club football tournament, since it was renamed from the European Cup in 1992, and the 46th tournament overall. The competition was won by Bayern Munich , who beat Valencia 5–4 on...
. Matthäus later commented that "it was not the best team that won but the luckiest."
In winning the trophy, Manchester United became the first English team to be crowned European Champions since the Heysel
Heysel Stadium disaster
The Heysel Stadium disaster occurred on 29 May 1985 when escaping fans were pressed against a wall in the Heysel Stadium in Brussels, Belgium, as a result of rioting before the start of the 1985 European Cup Final between Liverpool of England and Juventus of Italy...
ban in 1985, and also the first team to achieve the English football treble of the Premiership
FA Premier League
The Premier League is an English professional league for association football clubs. At the top of the English football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with The Football League. The Premier...
, FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
and European Cup
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
in the same season. (Liverpool had won the first ever English football treble in 1984 by winning the First Division
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
, the Football League Cup
Football League Cup
The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...
, and the European Cup
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
- although the League Cup
Football League Cup
The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...
is not held in the same regard in England). After becoming the first manager to achieve this honour, Alex Ferguson received a knighthood on 12 June 1999 in recognition of his services to the game of football. In the post-match interview, Ferguson produced his now legendary summary of the game: "Football; bloody hell" The final also signalled Peter Schmeichel's last ever game for Manchester United after eight years of service.
The game attracted an average of 15 million viewers on British television with a peak audience of 19 million in injury time. The climax of the game was voted as the 4th greatest sporting moment ever by Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
viewers in a poll in early 2002.
Manchester United became the first team to win the European Cup or Champions League having failed to be the champions of Europe, champions of their country, or the winners of their country's domestic cup the preceding season. They had finished second in the 1997-98
FA Premier League 1997-98
The FA Premier League 1997-98 season saw Arsenal lift their first league title since 1991, and also become only the second team to win the 'double' of the FA Cup and league title twice...
season to Arsenal
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
, but had qualified through UEFA
UEFA
The Union of European Football Associations , almost always referred to by its acronym UEFA is the administrative and controlling body for European association football, futsal and beach soccer....
's expanded format, which had been introduced a few seasons earlier. Had Bayern won the cup, they would have become the first team to achieve this feat, having also finished second in the Bundesliga
Fußball-Bundesliga
The Fußball-Bundesliga is a professional association football league in Germany. At the top of Germany's football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. It is contested by 18 teams and operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the 2. Bundesliga...
to Kaiserslautern
1. FC Kaiserslautern
1. Fußball-Club Kaiserslautern, also known as 1. FCK, FCK or simply Kaiserslautern, is a German association football club based in Kaiserslautern, Rhineland-Palatinate. On 2 June 1900, Germania 1896 and FG Kaiserslautern merged to create FC 1900...
the season before.
After the treble was secured, much debate arose amongst English football fans as to whether the 1999 Manchester United team was the greatest club side ever, alongside past European Cup winning teams.
United's treble was the first since that of PSV Eindhoven in 1988, and the last until FC Barcelona
FC Barcelona
Futbol Club Barcelona , also known as Barcelona and familiarly as Barça, is a professional football club, based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain....
completed their treble, 10 years later against United in the 2009 UEFA Champions League Final
2009 UEFA Champions League Final
The 2009 UEFA Champions League Final was played on 27 May 2009 at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome, Italy. The match determined the winners of the 2008–09 season of the UEFA Champions League, a tournament for the top football clubs in Europe. The match was won by Barcelona of Spain, who beat England's...
.
See also
- 1998–99 Manchester United F.C. season
- The Treble
- 1998–99 UEFA Champions League
External links
- United crowned kings of Europe, BBC, May 26, 1999