Filippo Inzaghi reveals Carlo Ancelotti predicted he’d score twice in the Champions League final win over Liverpool.
Today marks the 10th anniversary of the Rossoneri’s triumph in Athens, which saw them gain a measure of revenge over the Reds for their infamous Istanbul collapse.
“That day I woke fired-up,” Inzaghi recalled, writing in Gazzetta dello Sport.
Filippo Inzaghi reveals Carlo Ancelotti predicted he’d score twice in the Champions League final win over Liverpool.
Today marks the 10th anniversary of the Rossoneri’s triumph in Athens, which saw them gain a measure of revenge over the Reds for their infamous Istanbul collapse.
“That day I woke fired-up,” Inzaghi recalled, writing in Gazzetta dello Sport.
“I went to the window and looked out. It was still a long time until the game, and I couldn’t wait to get onto the pitch. I was feeling good, and that’s different from being fit.
“That’s something more: I felt I could do something great. Immortal.
“The confidence was related to our work in training, the skill of my teammates, the awareness that we could take a nice revenge on Liverpool, and also fate because I didn’t play in 2005.
“I also had the calmness of Carlo Ancelotti who told me the night before: ‘Pippo, in the final you’ll score two goals’.
“On the way to the stadium there were a lot of Milan fans who were waving to us and they almost drove our bus. Then, the game.
“The free-kick. [Andrea] Pirlo takes it and I move because I know where his ball is going to go. Maybe I can irritate the goalkeeper, maybe he’ll spill it and I can score.
“In fact it takes a deflection. Goal. 1-0 for us. In the second half we were doing well to hold them off until Kaka looked up and I burst forward.
“It was the ‘longest’ goal of my life. I run with the ball at my foot, I see [Pepe] Reina coming out to meet me.
“I decide to dribble him, I jump over him and I kick it along the ground. Low, low. Precise, precise. Goal!
“I run to the corner flag, crazy with happiness. We won, we’re champions of Europe. They also gave me the Man of the Match.
“I don’t understand anything for a few hours, I don’t eat much at dinner. For 10 nights I won’t sleep.
“And 10 years later the magic of Athens is still within me.”