Xabi Alonso won the 2005 Champions League Final with Liverpool against Milan, overturning a three-goal deficit. Tomorrow, he’ll meet the Rossoneri for the first time as a coach.
Xabi Alonso’s Bayer Leverkusen host Milan in a Champions League game on Tuesday night.
The former Spanish midfielder played against the Rossoneri six times as a footballer and his first meeting on the pitch with the Diavoli was particularly meaningful as it was in a Champions League Final won by his club Liverpool in Istanbul.
It was one of the most epic finals ever. Milan were 3-0 up at the break, but they conceded three times in the second half and ultimately lost on penalties.
Xabi Alonso’s ‘pleasant’ Liverpool memory against Milan
Xabi Alonso greatly contributed to Liverpool’s win by scoring the equaliser at minute 60.
“It was fundamental for my career; 20 years later, we are still talking about that game,” the Spaniard said at a pre-match press conference on Monday, as quoted by TMW.
“It’s a pleasant memory. Even if we lost to Milan two years later, that was still an incredible night. However, it was 20 years ago, and now we must think about tomorrow. Milan are in the Champions League history. I’ve always followed them from Sacchi to Capello. They’ve had great players, and it’s an honour to face them.”
Carlo Ancelotti coached Milan in 2005, and Xabi Alonso played under the Italian tactician in 2023-14 when he won his second Champions League title as a footballer with Real Madrid.
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