2007 UEFA Champions League Final
Encyclopedia
The 2007 UEFA Champions League Final was an association football match between A.C. Milan
of Italy and Liverpool F.C.
of England on 23 May 2007 at the Olympic Stadium
, Athens
, Greece. The showpiece event was the final match of the 2006–07 season of Europe's premier cup competition, the UEFA Champions League
. The teams were appearing in the final two years after facing each other in the 2005 final
which Liverpool won 3–2 in a penalty shootout after the match finished 3–3.
Both teams had to pass through five rounds before they reached the final. They both entered in the third qualifying round and won their respective groups before they reached the knockout stage, where matches were contested over two legs, with a match at each team's home ground. Milan's victories varied from close affairs to comfortable victories. They defeated Celtic
by a single goal over two legs, while they beat Manchester United
5–3 on aggregate in the semi-final. Liverpool's matches were mainly all close affairs; they beat defending champions Barcelona
on the away goals rule
in the first knockout round and beat Chelsea
in a penalty shootout in the semi-finals, although they did record a 4–0 aggregate win over PSV Eindhoven in the quarter-finals.
Before the match there were ticketing problems because a large number of fans gained entry to the stadium without valid tickets. After the match, a UEFA spokesman accused Liverpool of having the worst fans in Europe, a claim later denied by UEFA president Michel Platini
. Watched by a crowd of 74,000, Milan took the lead when Andrea Pirlo
's free-kick
deflected off Filippo Inzaghi
in the first half. Milan extended their lead in the second half when Inzaghi scored a second goal, Liverpool scored a late goal through Dirk Kuyt
, but were unable to equalise before the end of the match. Milan won the match 2–1 to win their seventh Champions League.
. The original punishment, reduced on appeal, would have barred them from the Champions League altogether. Their opponents in the third qualifying round were Serbian team Red Star Belgrade
. Two victories, 1–0 at home and 2–1 away, ensured Milan's passage to the group stage of the Champions League. They were drawn in Group H alongside AEK Athens of Greece, Anderlecht
of Belgium and French team Lille
. Milan won three matches, drew one and lost two to finish top of the group with 10 points and progress to the knockout stage.
They were drawn against Scottish team Celtic
. The first leg at Celtic's home ground Celtic Park
finished 0–0. The return leg at Milan's home ground the San Siro
also finished 0–0 after 90 minutes with Celtic managing to limit the goalscoring opportunities Milan had. However, three minutes into extra time Milan scored when Kaká
curled a shot past Celtic goalkeeper Artur Boruc
. Celtic were unable to score the away goal they needed to beat Milan, ensuring the Italians progressed to the quarter finals after a 1–0 aggregate victory. Milan were drawn against German team Bayern Munich
in the quarter-finals. The first leg at the San Siro ended in a 2–2 draw after Bayern had scored an equaliser three minutes into stoppage time. The second leg at Bayern's home ground the Allianz Arena
was more comfortable for Milan, as they scored two first half goals to win the match 2–0 and win the tie 4–2 on aggregate. Milan were drawn against English team Manchester United
in the semi-finals. The first leg at United's home ground Old Trafford
, Kaka score twice to give Milan a 2–1 lead after Cristiano Ronaldo
had scored an early goal. However, two goals from Wayne Rooney
in the second half meant United won the first leg 3–2. The second leg at the San Siro saw Milan win 3–0 to progress to the final after a 5–3 aggregate victory.
of Israel. Liverpool won the first leg 2–1 at their home ground Anfield
and a 1–1 draw in the away leg in Israel ensured Liverpool progressed to the group stage of the competition. Liverpool were drawn in Group C alongside French team Bordeaux
, Dutch team PSV Eindhoven and Galatasaray
of Turkey. After six games including four wins, one draw and one defeat, Liverpool finished top of the group with 13 points to qualify for the knockout stage.
Liverpool were drawn against defending champions Barcelona
in the first knockout round. Before the first leg in Barcelona, there had been a training ground fracas between Craig Bellamy
and John Arne Riise
. Coincidentally, it was Bellamy and Riise who secured a 2–1 victory for Liverpool, completing a comeback after Deco
had given Barcelona the lead. The second leg at Anfield was won 1–0 by Barcelona, however Liverpool progressed to the quarter-finals on the away goals rule, having scored more goals away from home than their opponents. Their opponents in the quarter-finals were PSV Eindhoven, who they had played in the group stage. The first leg at PSV's home ground the Philips Stadion
was won 3–0 by Liverpool all but securing their progression to the semi-finals. The second leg at Anfield was not as one-sided, a 1–0 victory for Liverpool ensured they would progress to the semi-finals courtesy of a 4–0 aggregate victory. Their opponents in the semi-finals were fellow English team Chelsea
. The first leg at Chelsea's home ground Stamford Bridge
was a close affair with Chelsea winning 1–0 courtesy of a first half Joe Cole
goal. The second leg at Anfield was similar, however it was Liverpool who won 1–0 thanks to a Daniel Agger
goal. With the teams tied at 1–1 aggregate after 90 minutes and extra time the tie went to a penalty shootout, which Liverpool won 4–1 to progress to the final.
Opponent
Result
Legs
Knockout stage
Opponent
Result
Legs
Celtic
1–0
0–0 away; 1–0 (aet) home
First knockout round
Barcelona
2–2 (a
)
2–1 away; 0–1 home
Bayern Munich
4–2
2–2 home; 2–0 away
Quarter-finals
PSV Eindhoven4–0
3–0 away; 1–0 home
Manchester United
5–3
2–3 away; 3–0 home
Semi-finals
Chelsea
1–1 (4–1 p)
0–1 away; 1–0 home
, 1969
, 1989
, 1990
, 1994, 2003
), and lost four times (1958
, 1993
, 1995
, 2005
). Liverpool were appearing in their seventh final. They had previously won the competition five times (1977
, 1978
, 1981
, 1984
, 2005
), while they lost the 1985 final
to Juventus
. The final was a rematch of the 2005 final which Liverpool won 3–2 in a penalty shootout, after recovering from a three goal deficit at half-time to level the score at 3–3 after full-time and extra time.
The Olympic Stadium
in Athens
was selected as the venue for the 2007 UEFA Champions League Final at the April 2005 meeting of the UEFA Executive Committee in Tallinn
, Estonia
. The meeting also determined the venues for the 2006 final
and the 2006
and 2007
UEFA Cup finals. Shortly before the final, the UEFA Champions League trophy was returned to UEFA by Ludovic Giuly
, representing the 2006 winners, Barcelona
. UEFA president Michel Platini
then presented the trophy to the Mayor of Athens, Nikitas Kaklamanis
, so that it might be put on display in and around the city. The stadium had hosted the showpiece event before. The most recent was the 1994 final. Coincidentally Milan were the winners, beating Barcelona
4–0. The other final held at the ground was in 1983
, when Hamburg
beat Juventus 1–0. The ground had also played host to the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup
final in 1987, when Ajax beat Lokomotiv Leipzig 1–0.
Adidas
, the official match ball supplier to all major UEFA, FIFA and IOC tournaments, unveiled the official match ball for the 2007 UEFA Champions League final on 9 March 2007, presenting the Adidas Finale Athens. The design of the Adidas Finale Athens was based on the widely recognisable UEFA Champions League Starball logo and was blue and white, representing the colours of the Greek national flag
. The final matched two of the top goal-scorers in the competition that season. Milan's Kaká
finished on top of the scoring charts with ten goals, and Liverpool's Peter Crouch
entered the game tied for third with six goals in total.
Despite being drawn as the "home" team for the match, Milan chose to wear their all-white away strip for the final; they consider that strip to be their "lucky kit" , having won the European Cup five times in those colours. However, Milan had also lost two final wearing all-white, most recently against Liverpool in 2005. This decision by Milan meant that Liverpool played the final in their traditional home kit of red shirts, red shorts and red socks. Each of Liverpool's five European Cup titles were won in their all-red strip, and two of these came when they were playing against Italian teams who played in all-white.
Milan fielded the oldest starting eleven ever in a Champions League final, with the average age at 31 years, 34 days, while Paolo Maldini
was the oldest outfield player ever to play in the final, in what his eighth final at 38 years and 331 days. Milan manager Carlo Ancelotti
opted to start striker Filippo Inzaghi
, who had missed the 2005 final ahead of Alberto Gilardino
. Liverpool manager Rafael Benítez
opted to field a five man midfield with Jermaine Pennant
and Boudewijn Zenden on the wings, while Steven Gerrard was deployed behind lone striker Dirk Kuyt
. Liverpool fielded five of the players that started the 2005 final: Xabi Alonso, Jamie Carragher
, Steve Finnan
, Steven Gerrard and John Arne Riise.
family and sponsors, who received 20,800 tickets. This led to some of the problems before the match. While fans were still queuing to gain entry to the stadium, the Greek police informed them that the stadium was full and denied entry to a number of fans who had genuine tickets. UEFA sources said that as many as 5,000 fans either without tickets or brandishing fakes had entered the 74,000-capacity Olympic Stadium
. Simultaneously, thousands of fans with genuine tickets were refused entry as police closed the entrance to the ground amid fears that allowing any more to enter could have led to a disaster. The resulting situation became disorderly, with some Liverpool fans attempting to break through checkpoints, set up by the Greek police. Greek riot police used tear gas and baton
s to disperse the crowd. UEFA spokesman William Gaillard
blamed Liverpool fans for causing the problems, stating, "Milan supporters didn't face the same problems because they didn't behave in the same way".
A UEFA report released soon after the final branded Liverpool supporters "the worst fans in Europe", with Gaillard stating: "What other set of fans steal tickets from their fellow supporters or out of the hands of children?" However, UEFA President Michel Platini
later denied that Liverpool fans were the worst behaved in Europe. UEFA was itself criticised for poor ticket-checking procedures and for implementing insufficient measures to deal with the large number of fans. Simon Gass, the British ambassador to Greece, said, "Clearly there was some element of breakdown where those fake tickets appeared to be legitimate – that's something UEFA must look at." Meanwhile, Liverpool co-owner Tom Hicks
described UEFA's allocation of 17,000 tickets to each team, knowing that Liverpool would be bringing 40,000 supporters, as "insane" and accused Gaillard of blaming Liverpool fans in order to cover up for his own mistakes. UEFA was further criticised by Milan and Liverpool for their lack of provision for the clubs' disabled fans, providing the clubs with only sixteen disabled tickets each.
allowed Pennant to run into space, he passed the ball to Dirk Kuyt
who passed it back to him, Pennant's subsequent shot was saved by Milan goalkeeper Dida. Minutes later Gerrard won a header which found Pennant, however Gerrard was unable to make decent contact with the ball following Pennant's pass. Milan had their first shot of the match a few minutes later. Kaká received the ball outside the area an moved to his right before shooting, however Liverpool goalkeeper Pepe Reina saved the shot. Liverpool continued to exert pressure leading Milan defender Massimo Oddo
to mis-read a cross from Pennant, the ball reached Gerrard whose shot went over the goal.
Liverpool had another chance in the 27th minute. Frantic defending from Milan to deny the Liverpool forwards a scoring opportunity, led to the ball being passed to Xabi Alonso
, whose shot went wide of the Milan goal. A mistake from Jankulovski allowed Gerrard to pass the ball to Kuyt in the penalty area
, however Kuyt's shot was blocked by Milan defender Alessandro Nesta
. Milan midfielder Gennaro Gattuso
was the first player to receive a yellow card, when he was cautioned in the 40th minute for a foul on Alonso. Minutes later, Alonso fouled Kaká on the edge of the Liverpool penalty area, giving away a free-kick. The subsequent free-kick taken by Andrea Pirlo
deflected off the shoulder of Milan striker Filippo Inzaghi
, and into the Liverpool goal. The deflection resulted in the ball being diverted past Liverpool goalkeeper Pepe Reina, who had dived the other way in anticipation of the ball's original trajectory. Replays showed that the ball struck Inzaghi's upper arm on its way to the goal, but the referee did not judge this to have been a handball. Inzaghi later said that while the deflection was intended, he did not intend for the ball to hit his arm. With no further action in the first half, Milan went into half-time leading 1–0.
, Pirlo played a high pass to Kaká who was ruled to be offside by the assistant referee, despite being behind the defence when the ball was played. Milan had another attack straight after the offisde, but Liverpool defender Daniel Agger
tackled Inzaghi before he could shoot. Liverpool had their first yellow card in the 59th minute when Javier Mascherano received one for bringing down Pirlo. After the yellow card, Liverpool decided to replace Boudewijn Zenden with Harry Kewell
. Liverpool's best goalscoring chance of the match occurred minutes later. Gerrard capitalised on an error by Gattuso to be one-on-one with Dida, but his shot did not possess enough power to beat the Milan goalkeeper.
Liverpool began to exert more pressure, although all their play was in front of the Milan penalty area, while Milan were unable to keep possession of the ball. In an attempt to bring about an equalising goal, Liverpool manager Rafael Benítez
substituted Mascherano for striker Peter Crouch
. Milan had an attack minutes later, but Inzaghi was unable to control the ball. Inzaghi made amends minutes later when he scored Milan's second goal. With Mascherano substituted, Kaká had the space to pick out a pass to Inzaghi, who took the ball to the side of the Liverpool goalkeeper Reina and rolled it into the net to make the score 2–0 to Milan. Liverpool managed to pull one goal back in the 88th minute when Kuyts scored after Agger had flicked on Pennant's corner. However, they were unable to find a second goal, and with the allotted time up the referee blew for full-time with the score 2–1 to Milan.
style="font-size: 90%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align=center>
Liverpool:
|
GK
25
José Manuel Reina
RB
3
Steve Finnan
CB
23
Jamie Carragher
CB
5
Daniel Agger
LB
6
John Arne Riise
DM
14
Xabi Alonso
DM
20
Javier Mascherano
RM
16
Jermaine Pennant
LM
32
Boudewijn Zenden
AM
8
Steven Gerrard
(c)
CF
18
Dirk Kuyt
Substitutes:
GK
1
Jerzy Dudek
DF
2
Álvaro Arbeloa
DF
4
Sami Hyypiä
MF
7
Harry Kewell
MF
11
Mark González
FW
15
Peter Crouch
FW
17
Craig Bellamy
Manager:
Rafael Benítez
The trophy was presented to Milan captain Paolo Maldini
in the Guest of Honour's box, as UEFA President Michel Platini
favoured a return to the past tradition of the winning captain receiving the trophy amongst the fans. It had become customary in recent years to have the presentation on a hastily constructed podium in the centre of the pitch. This was the first time that the trophy was presented to a winning captain by a UEFA president who had actually played against him in the past; during Michel Platini's final seasons with Juventus
, the then-teenager Paolo Maldini was making his professional début with Milan.
Milan manager Carlo Ancelotti
was delighted with his team after their success. Ancelotti's job had been under threat after a run of poor results in December, therefore the victory had extra significance for Ancelotti: "When I think back to December, we had to overcome so many hurdles so that makes it a very special victory." Milan midfielder Clarence Seedorf
, who had his fourth victory in the competition following Milan's triumph was equally proud in the team's achievement: "I am so proud to be part of this team. We worked hard this year, a very difficult year."
A number of Milan players who had played in the 2005 final were delighted with the victory after they lost two years previous. Kaká
claimed victory was all the sweeter as a result: "What happened then was strange, just six minutes when we played not so good and we paid for that." Milan midfielder Gennaro Gattuso
echoed his team-mates sentiments: "The defeat two years ago will stay me for a lifetime, but this is a different story. It's our turn to celebrate now." Striker Filippo Inzaghi
who missed the final in 2005, was delighted to have scored the goals that won the final for Milan: "I've scored quite a few times in Europe, but scoring in the Champions League final is something special." Milan President and owner Silvio Berlusconi
was equally delighted about the success, adding that "the fortune we lacked in Istanbul we had with us tonight."
Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez
was disappointed that his team were unable to match their exploits of 2005, when they beat Milan in a penalty shootout. Despite this he was still proud of his players efforts: "Thank you to our supporters, my staff and players who worked really hard and deserved a bit more." Benitez was already thinking of making transfers in the aftermath of the match, hinting that his team lacked the same calibre of players that Milan had: "You could see the quality they had, and we need to start thinking how we can improve our team."
Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard
was adamant that despite the defeat Liverpool would come back stronger next season: "We've got to pick ourselves up, have a good rest in the summer and then go again next season." Gerrard thought that although Liverpool controlled the first half, they did not control the match as much in the second half as they would have liked. Gerrard echoed his manager's sentiments in regards to new players joining the club: "We need to strengthen and bring some quality into the club. The manager and the people in charge of the club know that and it will be an interesting summer."
Winning the Champions League entitled Milan to compete in the 2007 UEFA Super Cup
against UEFA Cup winners Sevilla
. The match was overshadowed by the death of Sevilla player Antonio Puerta
, which raised the possibility that the Super Cup might not go ahead. It did however, Milan beat Sevilla 3–1 to secure their fifth Super Cup victory. Milan's success also entitled them to compete in the 2007 FIFA Club World Cup
. They entered the competition in the semi-finals, defeating Japanese team Urawa Red Diamonds
1–0 to progress to the final where they faced Argentine team Boca Juniors
. Milan won the match 4–2 to secure their first FIFA World Club Cup triumph.
A.C. Milan
Associazione Calcio Milan, commonly referred to as A.C. Milan or simply Milan , is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Lombardy, that plays in the Serie A. Milan was founded in 1899 by English lace-maker Herbert Kilpin and businessman Alfred Edwards among others...
of Italy and Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
of England on 23 May 2007 at the Olympic Stadium
Olympic Stadium (Athens)
The Olympic Stadium "Spiros Louis" , is part of the Athens Olympic Sports Complex. It is named after the first modern Olympic marathon race winner in 1896, Spiros Louis.-History:...
, Athens
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
, Greece. The showpiece event was the final match of the 2006–07 season of Europe's premier cup competition, the UEFA Champions League
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...
. The teams were appearing in the final two years after facing each other in the 2005 final
2005 UEFA Champions League Final
The 2005 UEFA Champions League Final was the final match of the 2004–05 UEFA Champions League, Europe's primary club football competition. The showpiece event was contested between Liverpool of England and Milan of Italy at the Atatürk Stadium in Istanbul, Turkey on 25 May 2005...
which Liverpool won 3–2 in a penalty shootout after the match finished 3–3.
Both teams had to pass through five rounds before they reached the final. They both entered in the third qualifying round and won their respective groups before they reached the knockout stage, where matches were contested over two legs, with a match at each team's home ground. Milan's victories varied from close affairs to comfortable victories. They defeated Celtic
Celtic F.C.
Celtic Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which currently plays in the Scottish Premier League. The club was established in 1887, and played its first game in 1888. Celtic have won the Scottish League Championship on 42 occasions, most recently in the...
by a single goal over two legs, while they beat 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...
5–3 on aggregate in the semi-final. Liverpool's matches were mainly all close affairs; they beat defending champions Barcelona
FC Barcelona
Futbol Club Barcelona , also known as Barcelona and familiarly as Barça, is a professional football club, based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain....
on the away goals rule
Away goals rule
The away goals rule is a method of breaking ties in association football and other sports when teams play each other twice, once at each team's home ground. By the away goals rule, the team that has scored more goals "away from home" will win if scores are otherwise equal...
in the first knockout round and beat Chelsea
Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
in a penalty shootout in the semi-finals, although they did record a 4–0 aggregate win over PSV Eindhoven in the quarter-finals.
Before the match there were ticketing problems because a large number of fans gained entry to the stadium without valid tickets. After the match, a UEFA spokesman accused Liverpool of having the worst fans in Europe, a claim later denied by UEFA president Michel Platini
Michel Platini
Michel François Platini is a former French football player, manager and current president of UEFA. Platini was a member of the French national team that won the 1984 European Championship, a tournament in which he was the top goalscorer and voted the best player. He participated in the 1978, 1982...
. Watched by a crowd of 74,000, Milan took the lead when Andrea Pirlo
Andrea Pirlo
Andrea Pirlo, Ufficiale OMRI , is an Italian World Cup winning footballer who currently plays for Serie A club Juventus, and for the Italian national team. He is usually deployed as a deep-lying playmaker for both Juventus and Italy and is regarded as one of best players in this position...
's free-kick
Direct free kick
A direct free kick is a method of restarting play in a game of association football following a foul. Unlike an indirect free kick, a goal may be scored directly against the opposing side without the ball having first touched another player.-Award:...
deflected off Filippo Inzaghi
Filippo Inzaghi
Filippo Inzaghi, Ufficiale OMRI commonly known as Pippo, is a World Cup and UEFA Champions League-winning Italian footballer who plays for Serie A club Milan....
in the first half. Milan extended their lead in the second half when Inzaghi scored a second goal, Liverpool scored a late goal through Dirk Kuyt
Dirk Kuyt
Dirk Kuyt is a Dutch footballer who plays for English club Liverpool. He started his career as a striker, but he has been converted into a winger and plays the position for both Liverpool and the Netherlands national team....
, but were unable to equalise before the end of the match. Milan won the match 2–1 to win their seventh Champions League.
Milan
Milan gained entry to the competition by finishing third in the 2005–06 Serie A. Milan had originally finished second in Serie A, but were deducted 30 points for their part in a match-fixing scandal2006 Serie A scandal
The 2006 Italian football scandal involved Italy's top professional football leagues, Serie A and Serie B...
. The original punishment, reduced on appeal, would have barred them from the Champions League altogether. Their opponents in the third qualifying round were Serbian team Red Star Belgrade
Red Star Belgrade
Red Star Belgrade is a football club from Belgrade, Serbia. The club is a part of the Red Star Sports Society.Red Star Belgrade is the most successful Serbian club, with a record of 25 national championships and 23 national cups in both Serbian and ex-Yugoslav competitions...
. Two victories, 1–0 at home and 2–1 away, ensured Milan's passage to the group stage of the Champions League. They were drawn in Group H alongside AEK Athens of Greece, Anderlecht
R.S.C. Anderlecht
Royal Sporting Club Anderlecht, usually known as Anderlecht or RSCA , is a Belgian professional football club based in Anderlecht in the Brussels Capital Region. Anderlecht plays in the Belgian Pro League and is the most successful Belgian football team in European competitions as well as in the...
of Belgium and French team Lille
Lille OSC
LOSC Lille Métropole is a French association football club based in Lille. The club was founded in 1944 as a result of a merger and currently play in Ligue 1, the first division of French football. Lille plays its home matches at the Stade Lille-Metropole in nearby Villeneuve-d'Ascq. In 2012, the...
. Milan won three matches, drew one and lost two to finish top of the group with 10 points and progress to the knockout stage.
They were drawn against Scottish team Celtic
Celtic F.C.
Celtic Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which currently plays in the Scottish Premier League. The club was established in 1887, and played its first game in 1888. Celtic have won the Scottish League Championship on 42 occasions, most recently in the...
. The first leg at Celtic's home ground Celtic Park
Celtic Park
Celtic Park is a football stadium in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which is the home ground of Celtic FC. Celtic Park, an all-seater stadium with a capacity of 60,832, is the largest football stadium in Scotland and the sixth-largest stadium in the United Kingdom, after Murrayfield, Old Trafford,...
finished 0–0. The return leg at Milan's home ground the San Siro
San Siro
The Stadio Giuseppe Meazza, originally and commonly referred to as the San Siro because of its location, officially given its current name on 3 March 1980, is a football stadium located in the San Siro district in Milan, Italy. It is the home of both A.C. Milan and F.C. Internazionale Milano...
also finished 0–0 after 90 minutes with Celtic managing to limit the goalscoring opportunities Milan had. However, three minutes into extra time Milan scored when Kaká
Kaká
Ricardo Izecson dos Santos Leite , commonly known as Kaká , is a Brazilian football attacking midfielder who currently plays for Spanish La Liga club Real Madrid and the Brazilian national team. Kaká started his footballing career at the age of eight, when he began playing for a local club...
curled a shot past Celtic goalkeeper Artur Boruc
Artur Boruc
Artur Boruc is a Polish footballer who plays for Serie A club Fiorentina as a goalkeeper. On 20 October 2008, Boruc was one of 55 players shortlisted for the FIFPro World XI Player Awards.-Pogoń Siedlce:...
. Celtic were unable to score the away goal they needed to beat Milan, ensuring the Italians progressed to the quarter finals after a 1–0 aggregate victory. Milan were drawn against German team 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....
in the quarter-finals. The first leg at the San Siro ended in a 2–2 draw after Bayern had scored an equaliser three minutes into stoppage time. The second leg at Bayern's home ground the Allianz Arena
Allianz Arena
The Allianz Arena is a football stadium in the north of Munich, Bavaria, Germany. The two professional Munich football clubs FC Bayern Munich and TSV 1860 München have played their home games at Allianz Arena since the start of the 2005–06 season...
was more comfortable for Milan, as they scored two first half goals to win the match 2–0 and win the tie 4–2 on aggregate. Milan were drawn against English team 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...
in the semi-finals. The first leg at United's home ground Old Trafford
Old Trafford
Old Trafford commonly refers to two sporting arenas:* Old Trafford, home of Manchester United F.C.* Old Trafford Cricket Ground, home of Lancashire County Cricket ClubOld Trafford can also refer to:...
, Kaka score twice to give Milan a 2–1 lead after Cristiano Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro, OIH, , commonly known as Cristiano Ronaldo, is a Portuguese footballer who plays as a winger or striker for Spanish La Liga club Real Madrid and is the captain of the Portuguese national team...
had scored an early goal. However, two goals from Wayne Rooney
Wayne Rooney
Wayne Mark Rooney is an English footballer who plays as a striker for Premier League club Manchester United and the England national team...
in the second half meant United won the first leg 3–2. The second leg at the San Siro saw Milan win 3–0 to progress to the final after a 5–3 aggregate victory.
Liverpool
Liverpool gained entry to the competition after finishing third in the 2005–06 FA Premier League. As a result of that league position, Liverpool entered the Champions League in the third qualifying round, where there opponents were Maccabi HaifaMaccabi Haifa F.C.
Maccabi Haifa Football Club is an Israeli football team from the city of Haifa, a section of Maccabi Haifa sports club. The club has won 12 championships, 5 State Cups and 4 Toto Cups...
of Israel. Liverpool won the first leg 2–1 at their home ground Anfield
Anfield
Anfield is an association football stadium in the district of Anfield, Liverpool, England, with a seating capacity of 45,522. It has been the home of Liverpool F.C. since their formation in 1892 and was originally the home of Everton F.C. from 1884 to 1892, before they moved to Goodison Park...
and a 1–1 draw in the away leg in Israel ensured Liverpool progressed to the group stage of the competition. Liverpool were drawn in Group C alongside French team Bordeaux
FC Girondins de Bordeaux
Football Club des Girondins de Bordeaux is a French association football club based in the city of Bordeaux. The club currently play in Ligue 1, the first division of French football, and won its last Ligue 1 title in the 2008–09 season....
, Dutch team PSV Eindhoven and Galatasaray
Galatasaray S.K. (football team)
Galatasaray Anonim Şirketi is a Turkish football club, part of the Galatasaray S.K. multi-sport club of Istanbul. Galatasaray is a major sports club in Turkey, holding 17 Turkish Super League titles and the highest number of Turkish Cups....
of Turkey. After six games including four wins, one draw and one defeat, Liverpool finished top of the group with 13 points to qualify for the knockout stage.
Liverpool were drawn against defending champions Barcelona
FC Barcelona
Futbol Club Barcelona , also known as Barcelona and familiarly as Barça, is a professional football club, based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain....
in the first knockout round. Before the first leg in Barcelona, there had been a training ground fracas between Craig Bellamy
Craig Bellamy
Craig Douglas Bellamy is a Welsh footballer who plays as a striker for Liverpool and the Welsh national team. Born in Cardiff, Bellamy was the captain of the Welsh national side for four years after taking over from Ryan Giggs in 2007, but stood down in January 2011 due to constant injuries...
and John Arne Riise
John Arne Riise
John Arne Semundseth Riise is a Norwegian footballer who currently plays as a left wing-back for Fulham and the Norwegian national team. Riise spent seven years playing for Premier League side Liverpool before moving to Roma in 2008...
. Coincidentally, it was Bellamy and Riise who secured a 2–1 victory for Liverpool, completing a comeback after Deco
Deco
Anderson Luís de Souza, OIH , commonly known as Deco, is a Brazilian-born Portuguese professional footballer who currently plays for Fluminense....
had given Barcelona the lead. The second leg at Anfield was won 1–0 by Barcelona, however Liverpool progressed to the quarter-finals on the away goals rule, having scored more goals away from home than their opponents. Their opponents in the quarter-finals were PSV Eindhoven, who they had played in the group stage. The first leg at PSV's home ground the Philips Stadion
Philips Stadion
Philips Stadion is the 35,000 seater stadium of football club, PSV Eindhoven. It was first inaugurated on 31 August 1913. The stadium is located in the Philipsdorp part of the Eindhoven borough of Strijp, close to Eindhoven's city centre....
was won 3–0 by Liverpool all but securing their progression to the semi-finals. The second leg at Anfield was not as one-sided, a 1–0 victory for Liverpool ensured they would progress to the semi-finals courtesy of a 4–0 aggregate victory. Their opponents in the semi-finals were fellow English team Chelsea
Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
. The first leg at Chelsea's home ground Stamford Bridge
Stamford Bridge (stadium)
Stamford Bridge is a football stadium in Fulham, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, West London, and is the home of Chelsea Football Club. The stadium is located within the Moore Park Estate also known as Walham Green and is often referred to as simply The Bridge...
was a close affair with Chelsea winning 1–0 courtesy of a first half Joe Cole
Joe Cole
Joseph John "Joe" Cole is an English footballer who plays for Lille, on loan from Liverpool, and the England national football team as midfielder. He started his career with where he played more than 100 games during five years, until he left for Chelsea in 2003...
goal. The second leg at Anfield was similar, however it was Liverpool who won 1–0 thanks to a Daniel Agger
Daniel Agger
Daniel Munthe Agger is a Danish footballer who plays for Liverpool and the Denmark national football team. He started his senior career at Danish club Brøndby IF in July 2004, with whom he won the 2005 Danish Superliga championship. The Liverpool fans have created a song for him to the tune of...
goal. With the teams tied at 1–1 aggregate after 90 minutes and extra time the tie went to a penalty shootout, which Liverpool won 4–1 to progress to the final.
| Milan | Round | Liverpool | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Opponent | Result | Legs | Qualifying phase | Opponent | Result | Legs | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 Red Star BelgradeRed Star Belgrade Red Star Belgrade is a football club from Belgrade, Serbia. The club is a part of the Red Star Sports Society.Red Star Belgrade is the most successful Serbian club, with a record of 25 national championships and 23 national cups in both Serbian and ex-Yugoslav competitions... |
3–1 | 1–0 home; 2–1 away | Third qualifying round |  Maccabi HaifaMaccabi Haifa F.C. Maccabi Haifa Football Club is an Israeli football team from the city of Haifa, a section of Maccabi Haifa sports club. The club has won 12 championships, 5 State Cups and 4 Toto Cups... |
3–2 | 2–1 home; 1–1 away | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Group stage | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liverpool Liverpool F.C. Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups... |
6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 11 | 5 | 13 | |
| PSV Eindhoven |
6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 10 |
 BordeauxFC Girondins de Bordeaux Football Club des Girondins de Bordeaux is a French association football club based in the city of Bordeaux. The club currently play in Ligue 1, the first division of French football, and won its last Ligue 1 title in the 2008–09 season.... |
6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 7 | −1 | 7 |
 GalatasarayGalatasaray S.K. (football team) Galatasaray Anonim Şirketi is a Turkish football club, part of the Galatasaray S.K. multi-sport club of Istanbul. Galatasaray is a major sports club in Turkey, holding 17 Turkish Super League titles and the highest number of Turkish Cups.... |
6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 7 | 12 | −5 | 4 |
CelticCeltic F.C.
Celtic Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which currently plays in the Scottish Premier League. The club was established in 1887, and played its first game in 1888. Celtic have won the Scottish League Championship on 42 occasions, most recently in the...
BarcelonaFC Barcelona
Futbol Club Barcelona , also known as Barcelona and familiarly as Barça, is a professional football club, based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain....
Away goals rule
The away goals rule is a method of breaking ties in association football and other sports when teams play each other twice, once at each team's home ground. By the away goals rule, the team that has scored more goals "away from home" will win if scores are otherwise equal...
)
Bayern MunichFC 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....
PSV Eindhoven Manchester UnitedManchester 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...
ChelseaChelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
Background
The match was Milan's eleventh appearance in the final. They had won on six occasions (19631963 European Cup Final
The 1963 European Cup Final was a football match between Milan and Benfica, held at Wembley Stadium, London, on 22 May 1963. Milan won the match 2–1, winning the European Cup for the first time.-Match details:-See also:*1962–63 European Cup...
, 1969
1969 European Cup Final
The 1969 European Cup Final was a football match held at the Santiago Bernabéu, Madrid, on 28 May 1969, that saw Milan of Italy play against Ajax of the Netherlands to determine who would be the champions of Europe that season...
, 1989
1989 European Cup Final
The 1989 European Cup Final was a football match held at the Camp Nou in Barcelona, Spain on 24 May 1989, that saw Milan of Italy defeat Steaua Bucureşti of Romania 4–0. Two goals each from Marco van Basten and Ruud Gullit gave the Italian side their third victory in the competition.-Match...
, 1990
1990 European Cup Final
The 1990 European Cup Final was a football match between Milan of Italy and Benfica of Portugal, played on 23 May 1990 at the Praterstadion in Vienna, Austria...
, 1994, 2003
2003 UEFA Champions League Final
The 2003 UEFA Champions League Final was a football match that took place at Old Trafford in Manchester, England on 28 May 2003 to decide the winner of the 2002–03 UEFA Champions League. The match was contested by two Italian teams in the shape of Juventus and Milan. The match made history as the...
), and lost four times (1958
1958 European Cup Final
The 1958 European Cup Final was a football match which took place at Heysel Stadium in Brussels, Belgium, on 28 May 1958. It was contested by Real Madrid of Spain and Milan of Italy. Real Madrid won 3-2 after extra-time to claim their third European Cup in a row.-Match details:-Match...
, 1993
1993 UEFA Champions League Final
The 1993 UEFA Champions League Final was a football match between French club Marseille and Italian club Milan, played on 26 May 1993 at the Olympiastadion in Munich, Germany....
, 1995
1995 UEFA Champions League Final
The 1995 UEFA Champions League Final was the 40th edition and took place in Vienna between AFC Ajax and A.C. Milan. It was Milan's third European Cup final in three years and they were aiming to tie Real Madrid's record of having won the European Cup six times...
, 2005
2005 UEFA Champions League Final
The 2005 UEFA Champions League Final was the final match of the 2004–05 UEFA Champions League, Europe's primary club football competition. The showpiece event was contested between Liverpool of England and Milan of Italy at the Atatürk Stadium in Istanbul, Turkey on 25 May 2005...
). Liverpool were appearing in their seventh final. They had previously won the competition five times (1977
1977 European Cup Final
The 1977 European Cup Final was an association football match between Liverpool of England and Borussia Mönchengladbach of Germany on 25 May 1977 at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome, Italy. The showpiece event was the final match of the 1976–77 season of Europe's premier cup competition, the European Cup...
, 1978
1978 European Cup Final
The 1978 European Cup Final was an association football match between Liverpool of England and Club Brugge of Belgium on 10 May 1978 at Wembley Stadium, London, England. It was the final match of the 1977–78 season of Europe's premier cup competition, the European Cup. Liverpool were the reigning...
, 1981
1981 European Cup Final
The 1981 European Cup Final was an association football match between Liverpool of England and Real Madrid of Spain on 27 May 1981 at the Parc des Princes, Paris, France. It was the final match of the 1980–81 season of Europe's premier cup competition, the European Cup. Liverpool were appearing in...
, 1984
1984 European Cup Final
The 1984 European Cup Final was an association football match between Liverpool of England and Roma of Italy on 30 May 1984 at the Stadio Olimpico, Rome, Italy. It was the final match of the 1983–84 season of Europe's premier cup competition, the UEFA Champions League. Liverpool were appearing in...
, 2005
2005 UEFA Champions League Final
The 2005 UEFA Champions League Final was the final match of the 2004–05 UEFA Champions League, Europe's primary club football competition. The showpiece event was contested between Liverpool of England and Milan of Italy at the Atatürk Stadium in Istanbul, Turkey on 25 May 2005...
), while they lost the 1985 final
1985 European Cup Final
The 1985 European Cup Final was a football match played between Liverpool of England and Juventus of Italy at the Heysel Stadium in Brussels, Belgium on 29 May 1985....
to Juventus
Juventus F.C.
Juventus Football Club S.p.A. , commonly referred to as Juventus and colloquially as Juve , are a professional Italian association football club based in Turin, Piedmont...
. The final was a rematch of the 2005 final which Liverpool won 3–2 in a penalty shootout, after recovering from a three goal deficit at half-time to level the score at 3–3 after full-time and extra time.
The Olympic Stadium
Olympic Stadium (Athens)
The Olympic Stadium "Spiros Louis" , is part of the Athens Olympic Sports Complex. It is named after the first modern Olympic marathon race winner in 1896, Spiros Louis.-History:...
in Athens
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
was selected as the venue for the 2007 UEFA Champions League Final at the April 2005 meeting of the UEFA Executive Committee in Tallinn
Tallinn
Tallinn is the capital and largest city of Estonia. It occupies an area of with a population of 414,940. It is situated on the northern coast of the country, on the banks of the Gulf of Finland, south of Helsinki, east of Stockholm and west of Saint Petersburg. Tallinn's Old Town is in the list...
, Estonia
Estonia
Estonia , officially the Republic of Estonia , is a state in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea, to the south by Latvia , and to the east by Lake Peipsi and the Russian Federation . Across the Baltic Sea lies...
. The meeting also determined the venues for the 2006 final
2006 UEFA Champions League Final
The 2006 UEFA Champions League Final was the final match of the 2005–06 UEFA Champions League, Europe's primary club football competition. The showpiece event was contested between Barcelona of Spain and Arsenal of England at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, Paris, France, on Wednesday, 17...
and the 2006
2006 UEFA Cup Final
The 2006 UEFA Cup Final was a football match that took place at Philips Stadion, Eindhoven, on 10 May 2006. The match was contested by Middlesbrough of England and Sevilla of Spain. Sevilla won the UEFA Cup with a 4–0 win.-Match details:...
and 2007
2007 UEFA Cup Final
-Match statistics:*-See also:*2006–07 UEFA Cup*UEFA Intertoto Cup*2007 UEFA Champions League Final...
UEFA Cup finals. Shortly before the final, the UEFA Champions League trophy was returned to UEFA by Ludovic Giuly
Ludovic Giuly
Ludovic Giuly is a French footballer who plays for Monaco as an attacking midfielder and winger. He represented France at international level, gaining 17 caps over a five-year period, and was a member of their 2003 FIFA Confederations Cup winning squad.-Early career:After starting his career with...
, representing the 2006 winners, Barcelona
FC Barcelona
Futbol Club Barcelona , also known as Barcelona and familiarly as Barça, is a professional football club, based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain....
. UEFA president Michel Platini
Michel Platini
Michel François Platini is a former French football player, manager and current president of UEFA. Platini was a member of the French national team that won the 1984 European Championship, a tournament in which he was the top goalscorer and voted the best player. He participated in the 1978, 1982...
then presented the trophy to the Mayor of Athens, Nikitas Kaklamanis
Nikitas Kaklamanis
Nikitas M. Kaklamanis is a Greek New Democracy politician and former Mayor of Athens. He is also a former Minister for Health and Social Solidarity. In the Greek local elections of 2010 he lost the position of mayor after being defeated by Giorgos Kaminis.-Medical career:Kaklamanis was born in...
, so that it might be put on display in and around the city. The stadium had hosted the showpiece event before. The most recent was the 1994 final. Coincidentally Milan were the winners, beating Barcelona
FC Barcelona
Futbol Club Barcelona , also known as Barcelona and familiarly as Barça, is a professional football club, based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain....
4–0. The other final held at the ground was in 1983
1983 European Cup Final
The 1983 European Cup Final was a football match held at the Olympic Stadium, Athens, on 25 May 1983, that saw Hamburg of Germany defeat Juventus of Italy 1–0. A single goal from Felix Magath eight minutes into the game was enough for Hamburg to claim their first European Cup title.-Match...
, when Hamburg
Hamburger SV
Hamburger Sport-Verein, usually referred to as HSV in Germany and Hamburg in international parlance, is a German multi-sport club based in Hamburg, its largest branch being its football department...
beat Juventus 1–0. The ground had also played host to the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup
UEFA Cup Winners' Cup
The UEFA Cup Winners' Cup was a football club competition contested annually by the most recent winners of all European domestic cup competitions. The cup is one of the many inter-European club competitions that have been organised by UEFA. The first competition was held in the 1960–61 season—but...
final in 1987, when Ajax beat Lokomotiv Leipzig 1–0.
Adidas
Adidas
Adidas AG is a German sports apparel manufacturer and parent company of the Adidas Group, which consists of the Reebok sportswear company, TaylorMade-Adidas golf company , and Rockport...
, the official match ball supplier to all major UEFA, FIFA and IOC tournaments, unveiled the official match ball for the 2007 UEFA Champions League final on 9 March 2007, presenting the Adidas Finale Athens. The design of the Adidas Finale Athens was based on the widely recognisable UEFA Champions League Starball logo and was blue and white, representing the colours of the Greek national flag
Flag of Greece
The flag of Greece , officially recognized by Greece as one of its national symbols, is based on nine equal horizontal stripes of blue alternating with white...
. The final matched two of the top goal-scorers in the competition that season. Milan's Kaká
Kaká
Ricardo Izecson dos Santos Leite , commonly known as Kaká , is a Brazilian football attacking midfielder who currently plays for Spanish La Liga club Real Madrid and the Brazilian national team. Kaká started his footballing career at the age of eight, when he began playing for a local club...
finished on top of the scoring charts with ten goals, and Liverpool's Peter Crouch
Peter Crouch
Peter James Crouch is an English footballer who plays as a striker for Premier League club Stoke City and the England national team.Crouch started his career as a trainee with Tottenham Hotspur...
entered the game tied for third with six goals in total.
Milan fielded the oldest starting eleven ever in a Champions League final, with the average age at 31 years, 34 days, while Paolo Maldini
Paolo Maldini
Paolo Cesare Maldini is an Italian former footballer who played as a left or central defender. He spent all 25 seasons of his career at Serie A club Milan, before retiring at the age of 41 in 2009, becoming a symbol and a legend of the club...
was the oldest outfield player ever to play in the final, in what his eighth final at 38 years and 331 days. Milan manager Carlo Ancelotti
Carlo Ancelotti
Carlo Ancelotti is an Italian football manager, Nicknamed Carletto, Ancelotti played as a midfielder and had a successful career with Roma – captaining the team – with whom he won one Scudetto and 4 Coppa Italia and was part of the legendary late 80's Milan team, with whom he won two Scudetti and...
opted to start striker Filippo Inzaghi
Filippo Inzaghi
Filippo Inzaghi, Ufficiale OMRI commonly known as Pippo, is a World Cup and UEFA Champions League-winning Italian footballer who plays for Serie A club Milan....
, who had missed the 2005 final ahead of Alberto Gilardino
Alberto Gilardino
Alberto Gilardino, Ufficiale OMRI is an Italian World Cup-winning footballer who plays as a striker for Serie A club Fiorentina and the Italian national team....
. Liverpool manager Rafael Benítez
Rafael Benítez
Rafael "Rafa" Benítez Maudes is a football manager, and former player. He is currently unemployed, after leaving as manager of Internazionale in December 2010....
opted to field a five man midfield with Jermaine Pennant
Jermaine Pennant
Jermaine Lloyd Pennant is a footballer who plays for Stoke City in the Premier League.Born in Nottingham, Pennant played for his local side Notts County as a youngster. He earned promising reviews in the youth team at County and Arsenal signed him in 1999...
and Boudewijn Zenden on the wings, while Steven Gerrard was deployed behind lone striker Dirk Kuyt
Dirk Kuyt
Dirk Kuyt is a Dutch footballer who plays for English club Liverpool. He started his career as a striker, but he has been converted into a winger and plays the position for both Liverpool and the Netherlands national team....
. Liverpool fielded five of the players that started the 2005 final: Xabi Alonso, Jamie Carragher
Jamie Carragher
James Lee Duncan "Jamie" Carragher is an English footballer who plays as a defender for Premier League side Liverpool...
, Steve Finnan
Steve Finnan
Stephen John "Steve" Finnan is a retired Irish international footballer who played as a right back. He is the only player to have played in the World Cup, UEFA Champions League, UEFA Cup, all four levels of the English league football and the Football Conference.-Early career:Finnan was born in...
, Steven Gerrard and John Arne Riise.
Problems before the match
Out of 63,800 tickets, only 9,000 tickets for the final went on general sale; the remainder were shared between the two teams, who got 17,000 each, and the 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....
family and sponsors, who received 20,800 tickets. This led to some of the problems before the match. While fans were still queuing to gain entry to the stadium, the Greek police informed them that the stadium was full and denied entry to a number of fans who had genuine tickets. UEFA sources said that as many as 5,000 fans either without tickets or brandishing fakes had entered the 74,000-capacity Olympic Stadium
Olympic Stadium (Athens)
The Olympic Stadium "Spiros Louis" , is part of the Athens Olympic Sports Complex. It is named after the first modern Olympic marathon race winner in 1896, Spiros Louis.-History:...
. Simultaneously, thousands of fans with genuine tickets were refused entry as police closed the entrance to the ground amid fears that allowing any more to enter could have led to a disaster. The resulting situation became disorderly, with some Liverpool fans attempting to break through checkpoints, set up by the Greek police. Greek riot police used tear gas and baton
Club (weapon)
A club is among the simplest of all weapons. A club is essentially a short staff, or stick, usually made of wood, and wielded as a weapon since prehistoric times....
s to disperse the crowd. UEFA spokesman William Gaillard
William Gaillard
William Gaillard is the director of communications and Public Affairs for Union of European Football Associations . He is also the Senior Advisor to the President of UEFA Michel Platini....
blamed Liverpool fans for causing the problems, stating, "Milan supporters didn't face the same problems because they didn't behave in the same way".
A UEFA report released soon after the final branded Liverpool supporters "the worst fans in Europe", with Gaillard stating: "What other set of fans steal tickets from their fellow supporters or out of the hands of children?" However, UEFA President Michel Platini
Michel Platini
Michel François Platini is a former French football player, manager and current president of UEFA. Platini was a member of the French national team that won the 1984 European Championship, a tournament in which he was the top goalscorer and voted the best player. He participated in the 1978, 1982...
later denied that Liverpool fans were the worst behaved in Europe. UEFA was itself criticised for poor ticket-checking procedures and for implementing insufficient measures to deal with the large number of fans. Simon Gass, the British ambassador to Greece, said, "Clearly there was some element of breakdown where those fake tickets appeared to be legitimate – that's something UEFA must look at." Meanwhile, Liverpool co-owner Tom Hicks
Tom Hicks
Thomas Ollis Hicks, Sr. , is an American 'leveraged buyout' businessman living in Dallas, Texas. Despite Forbes Magazine estimating Hicks' wealth at USD 1 billion in 2009, Hicks was unable to pay off joint loans of circa £200 million the following year...
described UEFA's allocation of 17,000 tickets to each team, knowing that Liverpool would be bringing 40,000 supporters, as "insane" and accused Gaillard of blaming Liverpool fans in order to cover up for his own mistakes. UEFA was further criticised by Milan and Liverpool for their lack of provision for the clubs' disabled fans, providing the clubs with only sixteen disabled tickets each.
First half
Liverpool won the toss and kicked off. Playing in a 4-2-3-1 formation, they had the first attack of the match, but Jermaine Pennant could not reach Steven Gerrard's cross-field pass. Milan responded with two low attempts on the Liverpool goal, but Jamie Carragher was able to clear them both. The second clearance led to a corner, from which Milan failed to score. Liverpool had the first chance of the match in the ninth minute. A slip from Milan defender Marek JankulovskiMarek Jankulovski
Marek Jankulovski is a Czech footballer who currently plays for Czech club Baník Ostrava. His former club was Milan. He was voted the 2007 Czech Player of the Year....
allowed Pennant to run into space, he passed the ball to Dirk Kuyt
Dirk Kuyt
Dirk Kuyt is a Dutch footballer who plays for English club Liverpool. He started his career as a striker, but he has been converted into a winger and plays the position for both Liverpool and the Netherlands national team....
who passed it back to him, Pennant's subsequent shot was saved by Milan goalkeeper Dida. Minutes later Gerrard won a header which found Pennant, however Gerrard was unable to make decent contact with the ball following Pennant's pass. Milan had their first shot of the match a few minutes later. Kaká received the ball outside the area an moved to his right before shooting, however Liverpool goalkeeper Pepe Reina saved the shot. Liverpool continued to exert pressure leading Milan defender Massimo Oddo
Massimo Oddo
Massimo Oddo, Ufficiale OMRI, is an Italian professional footballer who plays as a defender for Serie A club Lecce, on loan from Milan. He was part of the Italian squad that won the 2006 FIFA World Cup.-Club career:...
to mis-read a cross from Pennant, the ball reached Gerrard whose shot went over the goal.
Liverpool had another chance in the 27th minute. Frantic defending from Milan to deny the Liverpool forwards a scoring opportunity, led to the ball being passed to Xabi Alonso
Xabi Alonso
Xabier "Xabi" Alonso Olano is a Spanish World Cup-winning footballer who plays for Real Madrid as a midfielder.Alonso began his career at Real Sociedad, the main team of his home region Gipuzkoa. After a brief loan period at Eibar he returned to Sociedad where then manager John Toshack appointed...
, whose shot went wide of the Milan goal. A mistake from Jankulovski allowed Gerrard to pass the ball to Kuyt in the penalty area
Penalty 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...
, however Kuyt's shot was blocked by Milan defender Alessandro Nesta
Alessandro Nesta
Alessandro Nesta, Ufficiale OMRI , is an Italian World Cup-winning footballer who plays as a defender for Serie A club Milan. Considered by many as one of the best centre backs to have ever played the game, he is a four-time member of the annual UEFA Team of the Year.-Early life:Nesta was raised in...
. Milan midfielder Gennaro Gattuso
Gennaro Gattuso
Gennaro Ivan Gattuso, Ufficiale OMRI is an Italian footballer, who plays for Serie A club Milan. He mainly plays as a defensive midfielder. Gattuso is an aggressive, hard tackling player and in his prime, was widely regarded as one of the best defensive midfielders in the world...
was the first player to receive a yellow card, when he was cautioned in the 40th minute for a foul on Alonso. Minutes later, Alonso fouled Kaká on the edge of the Liverpool penalty area, giving away a free-kick. The subsequent free-kick taken by Andrea Pirlo
Andrea Pirlo
Andrea Pirlo, Ufficiale OMRI , is an Italian World Cup winning footballer who currently plays for Serie A club Juventus, and for the Italian national team. He is usually deployed as a deep-lying playmaker for both Juventus and Italy and is regarded as one of best players in this position...
deflected off the shoulder of Milan striker Filippo Inzaghi
Filippo Inzaghi
Filippo Inzaghi, Ufficiale OMRI commonly known as Pippo, is a World Cup and UEFA Champions League-winning Italian footballer who plays for Serie A club Milan....
, and into the Liverpool goal. The deflection resulted in the ball being diverted past Liverpool goalkeeper Pepe Reina, who had dived the other way in anticipation of the ball's original trajectory. Replays showed that the ball struck Inzaghi's upper arm on its way to the goal, but the referee did not judge this to have been a handball. Inzaghi later said that while the deflection was intended, he did not intend for the ball to hit his arm. With no further action in the first half, Milan went into half-time leading 1–0.
Second half
Milan kicked-off the second half. Two minutes into the half, Liverpool had the first attack but Nesta tackled Gerrard before he could reach Kuyt's pass. Jankuloski received a yellow card in the 54th minute when he brought Pennant down. Immediately afterwards, Milan had an attack. Pirlo received the ball from a header by Clarence SeedorfClarence Seedorf
Clarence Clyde Seedorf OON is a Dutch footballer who currently plays as an attacking midfielder for Serie A club Milan. Seedorf is the first player to have won the Champions League with three different clubs - Ajax in 1995, Real Madrid in 1998 and Milan in 2003 and 2007...
, Pirlo played a high pass to Kaká who was ruled to be offside by the assistant referee, despite being behind the defence when the ball was played. Milan had another attack straight after the offisde, but Liverpool defender Daniel Agger
Daniel Agger
Daniel Munthe Agger is a Danish footballer who plays for Liverpool and the Denmark national football team. He started his senior career at Danish club Brøndby IF in July 2004, with whom he won the 2005 Danish Superliga championship. The Liverpool fans have created a song for him to the tune of...
tackled Inzaghi before he could shoot. Liverpool had their first yellow card in the 59th minute when Javier Mascherano received one for bringing down Pirlo. After the yellow card, Liverpool decided to replace Boudewijn Zenden with Harry Kewell
Harry Kewell
Harold "Harry" Kewell is an Australian professional football midfielder who plays for Melbourne Victory in the A-League. Internationally he has received 55 caps, and scored 16 goals, while playing for the Australian national team...
. Liverpool's best goalscoring chance of the match occurred minutes later. Gerrard capitalised on an error by Gattuso to be one-on-one with Dida, but his shot did not possess enough power to beat the Milan goalkeeper.
Liverpool began to exert more pressure, although all their play was in front of the Milan penalty area, while Milan were unable to keep possession of the ball. In an attempt to bring about an equalising goal, Liverpool manager Rafael Benítez
Rafael Benítez
Rafael "Rafa" Benítez Maudes is a football manager, and former player. He is currently unemployed, after leaving as manager of Internazionale in December 2010....
substituted Mascherano for striker Peter Crouch
Peter Crouch
Peter James Crouch is an English footballer who plays as a striker for Premier League club Stoke City and the England national team.Crouch started his career as a trainee with Tottenham Hotspur...
. Milan had an attack minutes later, but Inzaghi was unable to control the ball. Inzaghi made amends minutes later when he scored Milan's second goal. With Mascherano substituted, Kaká had the space to pick out a pass to Inzaghi, who took the ball to the side of the Liverpool goalkeeper Reina and rolled it into the net to make the score 2–0 to Milan. Liverpool managed to pull one goal back in the 88th minute when Kuyts scored after Agger had flicked on Pennant's corner. However, they were unable to find a second goal, and with the allotted time up the referee blew for full-time with the score 2–1 to Milan.
Details
| style="font-size: 90%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"> | Milan: | |||
| GK | 1 |  DidaNelson de Jesus Silva Nélson de Jesus Silva , better known simply as Dida , is a Brazilian former footballer who played as goalkeeper. He first rose to prominence in Brazilian club football in the 1990s with Vitória, Cruzeiro EC and SC Corinthians, where he gained a reputation as a penalty-saving specialist... |
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| RB | 44 |  Massimo OddoMassimo Oddo Massimo Oddo, Ufficiale OMRI, is an Italian professional footballer who plays as a defender for Serie A club Lecce, on loan from Milan. He was part of the Italian squad that won the 2006 FIFA World Cup.-Club career:... |
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| CB | 13 | Alessandro Nesta Alessandro Nesta Alessandro Nesta, Ufficiale OMRI , is an Italian World Cup-winning footballer who plays as a defender for Serie A club Milan. Considered by many as one of the best centre backs to have ever played the game, he is a four-time member of the annual UEFA Team of the Year.-Early life:Nesta was raised in... |
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| CB | 3 | Paolo Maldini Paolo Maldini Paolo Cesare Maldini is an Italian former footballer who played as a left or central defender. He spent all 25 seasons of his career at Serie A club Milan, before retiring at the age of 41 in 2009, becoming a symbol and a legend of the club... (c) |
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| LB | 18 |  Marek JankulovskiMarek Jankulovski Marek Jankulovski is a Czech footballer who currently plays for Czech club Baník Ostrava. His former club was Milan. He was voted the 2007 Czech Player of the Year.... |
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| RM | 8 | Gennaro Gattuso Gennaro Gattuso Gennaro Ivan Gattuso, Ufficiale OMRI is an Italian footballer, who plays for Serie A club Milan. He mainly plays as a defensive midfielder. Gattuso is an aggressive, hard tackling player and in his prime, was widely regarded as one of the best defensive midfielders in the world... |
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| CM | 21 | Andrea Pirlo Andrea Pirlo Andrea Pirlo, Ufficiale OMRI , is an Italian World Cup winning footballer who currently plays for Serie A club Juventus, and for the Italian national team. He is usually deployed as a deep-lying playmaker for both Juventus and Italy and is regarded as one of best players in this position... |
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| CM | 23 | Massimo Ambrosini Massimo Ambrosini Massimo Ambrosini is an Italian footballer who plays as a midfielder and is the captain of Serie A club Milan. He is well known for his aerial ability and tackling.- Club career :... |
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| LM | 10 | Clarence Seedorf Clarence Seedorf Clarence Clyde Seedorf OON is a Dutch footballer who currently plays as an attacking midfielder for Serie A club Milan. Seedorf is the first player to have won the Champions League with three different clubs - Ajax in 1995, Real Madrid in 1998 and Milan in 2003 and 2007... |
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| SS | 22 | Kaká Kaká Ricardo Izecson dos Santos Leite , commonly known as Kaká , is a Brazilian football attacking midfielder who currently plays for Spanish La Liga club Real Madrid and the Brazilian national team. Kaká started his footballing career at the age of eight, when he began playing for a local club... |
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| CF | 9 | Filippo Inzaghi Filippo Inzaghi Filippo Inzaghi, Ufficiale OMRI commonly known as Pippo, is a World Cup and UEFA Champions League-winning Italian footballer who plays for Serie A club Milan.... |
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| GK | 16 | Željko Kalac Željko Kalac Željko Kalac is a retired Australian football goalkeeper. Standing at 2.02m, Kalac is one of the world's tallest professional goalkeepers.... |
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| DF | 2 | Cafu Cafu Marcos Evangelista de Moraes , better known as Cafu, is a former Brazilian footballer who is widely regarded as one of the greatest right-backs ever. He was given this nickname due to his speed up and down the right flank which was reminiscent of Cafuringa, a Brazilian forward from the 1970s... |
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| DF | 4 |  Kakha Kaladze |
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| DF | 19 | Giuseppe Favalli Giuseppe Favalli Giuseppe Favalli is a retired Italian footballer who played as a defender for Serie A clubs Lazio, Internazionale and Milan.-Cremonese:He started his career with then-Serie B squad Cremonese... |
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| MF | 27 | Serginho Sergio Claudio dos Santos Sérgio Cláudio dos Santos is a former association footballer, who last played as a left winger and left back for A.C. Milan. His nickname is Il Concorde, due to his quick and tireless pace on the pitch.-Career:He played for Cruzeiro EC and Bahia, and moved to AC Milan from São Paulo FC in 1999... |
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| MF | 32 | Cristian Brocchi Cristian Brocchi Cristian Brocchi is an Italian footballer, who currently plays for Lazio.-Career:Early careerStarting his career at his native club A.C. Milan youth system, he was loaned to Pro Sesto and Lumezzane in early years.Hellas Verona... |
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| FW | 11 | Alberto Gilardino Alberto Gilardino Alberto Gilardino, Ufficiale OMRI is an Italian World Cup-winning footballer who plays as a striker for Serie A club Fiorentina and the Italian national team.... |
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| Carlo Ancelotti Carlo Ancelotti Carlo Ancelotti is an Italian football manager, Nicknamed Carletto, Ancelotti played as a midfielder and had a successful career with Roma – captaining the team – with whom he won one Scudetto and 4 Coppa Italia and was part of the legendary late 80's Milan team, with whom he won two Scudetti and... |
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José Manuel Reina Steve FinnanSteve Finnan
Stephen John "Steve" Finnan is a retired Irish international footballer who played as a right back. He is the only player to have played in the World Cup, UEFA Champions League, UEFA Cup, all four levels of the English league football and the Football Conference.-Early career:Finnan was born in...
Jamie CarragherJamie Carragher
James Lee Duncan "Jamie" Carragher is an English footballer who plays as a defender for Premier League side Liverpool...
Daniel AggerDaniel Agger
Daniel Munthe Agger is a Danish footballer who plays for Liverpool and the Denmark national football team. He started his senior career at Danish club Brøndby IF in July 2004, with whom he won the 2005 Danish Superliga championship. The Liverpool fans have created a song for him to the tune of...
John Arne RiiseJohn Arne Riise
John Arne Semundseth Riise is a Norwegian footballer who currently plays as a left wing-back for Fulham and the Norwegian national team. Riise spent seven years playing for Premier League side Liverpool before moving to Roma in 2008...
Xabi AlonsoXabi Alonso
Xabier "Xabi" Alonso Olano is a Spanish World Cup-winning footballer who plays for Real Madrid as a midfielder.Alonso began his career at Real Sociedad, the main team of his home region Gipuzkoa. After a brief loan period at Eibar he returned to Sociedad where then manager John Toshack appointed...
Javier Mascherano Jermaine PennantJermaine Pennant
Jermaine Lloyd Pennant is a footballer who plays for Stoke City in the Premier League.Born in Nottingham, Pennant played for his local side Notts County as a youngster. He earned promising reviews in the youth team at County and Arsenal signed him in 1999...
Boudewijn Zenden Steven GerrardSteven Gerrard
Steven George Gerrard MBE is an English footballer who plays for and captains Premier League club Liverpool. He also has 89 caps for the England national team. He has played much of his career in a centre midfielder role, but he has also been used as a second striker and right winger...
(c)
Dirk KuytDirk Kuyt
Dirk Kuyt is a Dutch footballer who plays for English club Liverpool. He started his career as a striker, but he has been converted into a winger and plays the position for both Liverpool and the Netherlands national team....
Jerzy DudekJerzy Dudek
Jerzy Henryk Dudek is a retired Polish footballer who played as a goalkeeper.After beginning his career in his home country, he went on to have successful spells in Netherlands and England, winning the UEFA Champions League with Liverpool in 2005, appearing in 186 official games for the club over...
Álvaro Arbeloa Sami HyypiäSami Hyypiä
Sami Tuomas Hyypiä is a retired European Cup winning Finnish footballer who played in the centre back position. He last played for German Bundesliga side Bayer 04 Leverkusen and was the captain of the Finland national football team. He joined Leverkusen in summer 2009, ending a ten year spell at...
Harry KewellHarry Kewell
Harold "Harry" Kewell is an Australian professional football midfielder who plays for Melbourne Victory in the A-League. Internationally he has received 55 caps, and scored 16 goals, while playing for the Australian national team...
Mark GonzálezMark González
Mark Dennis González Hoffman , commonly known as Mark González, is a South African-born Chilean footballer whose preferred position is as a left winger. Renowned for his lightning pace, he is nicknamed "Speedy González". González currently plays for CSKA Moscow.-Early life:Mark González was born in...
Peter CrouchPeter Crouch
Peter James Crouch is an English footballer who plays as a striker for Premier League club Stoke City and the England national team.Crouch started his career as a trainee with Tottenham Hotspur...
Craig BellamyCraig Bellamy
Craig Douglas Bellamy is a Welsh footballer who plays as a striker for Liverpool and the Welsh national team. Born in Cardiff, Bellamy was the captain of the Welsh national side for four years after taking over from Ryan Giggs in 2007, but stood down in January 2011 due to constant injuries...
Rafael BenítezRafael Benítez
Rafael "Rafa" Benítez Maudes is a football manager, and former player. He is currently unemployed, after leaving as manager of Internazionale in December 2010....
Man of the Match: Filippo InzaghiFilippo Inzaghi Filippo Inzaghi, Ufficiale OMRI commonly known as Pippo, is a World Cup and UEFA Champions League-winning Italian footballer who plays for Serie A club Milan.... (Milan) Assistant referees: Carsten Kadach (GermanyGerman Football Association The German Football Association is the governing body of football in Germany. A founding member of both FIFA and UEFA, the DFB organises the German football leagues, including the national league, the Bundesliga, and the men's and women's national teams. The DFB is based in Frankfurt and is... ) Volker Wezel (GermanyGerman Football Association The German Football Association is the governing body of football in Germany. A founding member of both FIFA and UEFA, the DFB organises the German football leagues, including the national league, the Bundesliga, and the men's and women's national teams. The DFB is based in Frankfurt and is... ) Fourth official: Florian MeyerFlorian Meyer Florian Meyer is a German football referee. He has officiated in the German Football Association since 1996 and he has been a FIFA-referee since 2002. He was fourth official for the 2007 UEFA Champions League Final between A.C. Milan and Liverpool. - External links :* *... (Germany German Football Association The German Football Association is the governing body of football in Germany. A founding member of both FIFA and UEFA, the DFB organises the German football leagues, including the national league, the Bundesliga, and the men's and women's national teams. The DFB is based in Frankfurt and is... ) |
Match Rules
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Post-match
Paolo Maldini
Paolo Cesare Maldini is an Italian former footballer who played as a left or central defender. He spent all 25 seasons of his career at Serie A club Milan, before retiring at the age of 41 in 2009, becoming a symbol and a legend of the club...
in the Guest of Honour's box, as UEFA President Michel Platini
Michel Platini
Michel François Platini is a former French football player, manager and current president of UEFA. Platini was a member of the French national team that won the 1984 European Championship, a tournament in which he was the top goalscorer and voted the best player. He participated in the 1978, 1982...
favoured a return to the past tradition of the winning captain receiving the trophy amongst the fans. It had become customary in recent years to have the presentation on a hastily constructed podium in the centre of the pitch. This was the first time that the trophy was presented to a winning captain by a UEFA president who had actually played against him in the past; during Michel Platini's final seasons with Juventus
Juventus F.C.
Juventus Football Club S.p.A. , commonly referred to as Juventus and colloquially as Juve , are a professional Italian association football club based in Turin, Piedmont...
, the then-teenager Paolo Maldini was making his professional début with Milan.
Milan manager Carlo Ancelotti
Carlo Ancelotti
Carlo Ancelotti is an Italian football manager, Nicknamed Carletto, Ancelotti played as a midfielder and had a successful career with Roma – captaining the team – with whom he won one Scudetto and 4 Coppa Italia and was part of the legendary late 80's Milan team, with whom he won two Scudetti and...
was delighted with his team after their success. Ancelotti's job had been under threat after a run of poor results in December, therefore the victory had extra significance for Ancelotti: "When I think back to December, we had to overcome so many hurdles so that makes it a very special victory." Milan midfielder Clarence Seedorf
Clarence Seedorf
Clarence Clyde Seedorf OON is a Dutch footballer who currently plays as an attacking midfielder for Serie A club Milan. Seedorf is the first player to have won the Champions League with three different clubs - Ajax in 1995, Real Madrid in 1998 and Milan in 2003 and 2007...
, who had his fourth victory in the competition following Milan's triumph was equally proud in the team's achievement: "I am so proud to be part of this team. We worked hard this year, a very difficult year."
A number of Milan players who had played in the 2005 final were delighted with the victory after they lost two years previous. Kaká
Kaká
Ricardo Izecson dos Santos Leite , commonly known as Kaká , is a Brazilian football attacking midfielder who currently plays for Spanish La Liga club Real Madrid and the Brazilian national team. Kaká started his footballing career at the age of eight, when he began playing for a local club...
claimed victory was all the sweeter as a result: "What happened then was strange, just six minutes when we played not so good and we paid for that." Milan midfielder Gennaro Gattuso
Gennaro Gattuso
Gennaro Ivan Gattuso, Ufficiale OMRI is an Italian footballer, who plays for Serie A club Milan. He mainly plays as a defensive midfielder. Gattuso is an aggressive, hard tackling player and in his prime, was widely regarded as one of the best defensive midfielders in the world...
echoed his team-mates sentiments: "The defeat two years ago will stay me for a lifetime, but this is a different story. It's our turn to celebrate now." Striker Filippo Inzaghi
Filippo Inzaghi
Filippo Inzaghi, Ufficiale OMRI commonly known as Pippo, is a World Cup and UEFA Champions League-winning Italian footballer who plays for Serie A club Milan....
who missed the final in 2005, was delighted to have scored the goals that won the final for Milan: "I've scored quite a few times in Europe, but scoring in the Champions League final is something special." Milan President and owner Silvio Berlusconi
Silvio Berlusconi
Silvio Berlusconi , also known as Il Cavaliere – from knighthood to the Order of Merit for Labour which he received in 1977 – is an Italian politician and businessman who served three terms as Prime Minister of Italy, from 1994 to 1995, 2001 to 2006, and 2008 to 2011. Berlusconi is also the...
was equally delighted about the success, adding that "the fortune we lacked in Istanbul we had with us tonight."
Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez
Rafael Benítez
Rafael "Rafa" Benítez Maudes is a football manager, and former player. He is currently unemployed, after leaving as manager of Internazionale in December 2010....
was disappointed that his team were unable to match their exploits of 2005, when they beat Milan in a penalty shootout. Despite this he was still proud of his players efforts: "Thank you to our supporters, my staff and players who worked really hard and deserved a bit more." Benitez was already thinking of making transfers in the aftermath of the match, hinting that his team lacked the same calibre of players that Milan had: "You could see the quality they had, and we need to start thinking how we can improve our team."
Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard
Steven Gerrard
Steven George Gerrard MBE is an English footballer who plays for and captains Premier League club Liverpool. He also has 89 caps for the England national team. He has played much of his career in a centre midfielder role, but he has also been used as a second striker and right winger...
was adamant that despite the defeat Liverpool would come back stronger next season: "We've got to pick ourselves up, have a good rest in the summer and then go again next season." Gerrard thought that although Liverpool controlled the first half, they did not control the match as much in the second half as they would have liked. Gerrard echoed his manager's sentiments in regards to new players joining the club: "We need to strengthen and bring some quality into the club. The manager and the people in charge of the club know that and it will be an interesting summer."
Winning the Champions League entitled Milan to compete in the 2007 UEFA Super Cup
2007 UEFA Super Cup
The 2007 UEFA Super Cup was the 32nd UEFA Super Cup, an annual football match between the winners of the previous season's UEFA Champions League and UEFA Cup competitions. The match was held at the Stade Louis II in Monaco on 31 August 2007 and contested by Milan and Sevilla...
against UEFA Cup winners Sevilla
Sevilla FC
Sevilla Fútbol Club S.A.D. is a Spanish professional football club based in Seville, Spain that plays in the Spanish La Liga championship.They are one of the most successful clubs in Spanish football having won a 1 La Liga title, 5 Spanish "Copa del Rey" Cups, 1 Spanish Super Cup and 2 UEFA...
. The match was overshadowed by the death of Sevilla player Antonio Puerta
Antonio Puerta
Antonio José Puerta Pérez was a Spanish footballer who played solely for Sevilla.Mainly a left midfielder who could also operate as an offensive left back, he died on 28 August 2007, affected with arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy, three days after suffering a series of cardiac...
, which raised the possibility that the Super Cup might not go ahead. It did however, Milan beat Sevilla 3–1 to secure their fifth Super Cup victory. Milan's success also entitled them to compete in the 2007 FIFA Club World Cup
2007 FIFA Club World Cup
The 2007 FIFA Club World Cup was a football tournament played in Japan from 7 December to 16 December 2007. It was the fourth FIFA Club World Cup, a tournament organised by FIFA for the winners of each confederation's top continental club tournament....
. They entered the competition in the semi-finals, defeating Japanese team Urawa Red Diamonds
Urawa Red Diamonds
are a professional association football club playing in Japan's football league, J. League Division 1. One of Japan and Asia's best supported teams, the club has been able to boast the highest average crowds for thirteen of the J-League's twenty season history...
1–0 to progress to the final where they faced Argentine team Boca Juniors
Boca Juniors
Club Atlético Boca Juniors is an Argentine sports club based in La Boca neighborhood of Buenos Aires. It is best known for its professional football team, which currently plays in the Primera División....
. Milan won the match 4–2 to secure their first FIFA World Club Cup triumph.