The Greatest Games by Jamie Carragher

Author:Jamie Carragher [Carragher, Jamie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781473584112
Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd
Published: 2020-11-12T00:00:00+00:00

7

Wednesday, 26 May 1999

1999 UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FINAL

Nou Camp, Barcelona

MANCHESTER

UNITED 2 – 1 BAYERN

MUNICH

Sheringham 90+1

Solskjaer 90+3 Basler 6

‘I always felt that we were going to win the game’

– David Beckham

THE 1999 CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FINAL ended with a travesty of justice. David Beckham was not named man of the match, overlooked for Bayern Munich’s Mario Basler.

I would hazard a guess Basler was nominated because in the mayhem of the 101 seconds between Teddy Sheringham’s equalizer and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s injury-time winner, the dignitaries heading pitchside missed Manchester United’s goals and had no time to change their mind. A final’s most influential player tends to be a member of the victory parade, and as the trophy engraver got to work, Basler was prematurely declared the match-winner.

UEFA made a regrettable error.

Basler was not the game’s best player.

Bayern were not the superior team.

Beckham was markedly better than anyone else on the pitch.

Manchester United were worthy champions.

All of that may sound contentious to those who have never rewatched or studied what Sir Alex Ferguson described as ‘the greatest night of my life’. It certainly contradicts UEFA’s approved story of the evening, which was recently recounted to European football’s governing body by Bayern’s ex-skipper Lothar Matthäus. ‘It’s very rare for a team to lose a Champions League final so undeservedly,’ Matthäus said. ‘We dominated the game for ninety minutes. It was one-way traffic. Manchester United didn’t have many chances. We really controlled the match. There was nothing to suggest United would score.’fn1

Few have challenged these sentiments. Even some of United’s heroes accept the established version of events. Sheringham describes the triumph as the ultimate ‘smash and grab’, Bayern unfortunate to strike the woodwork twice in the closing stages before the Champions League trophy was plucked from their grasp courtesy of a couple of well-directed Beckham corners. My former Liverpool teammate Markus Babbel played for Bayern that night and is adamant Matthäus called it right. ‘We were the better team,’ he insisted. ‘We had so many good chances and hit the bar and the post.’

I felt no compulsion to query the idea that United only turned up for the last three minutes in the Nou Camp. Only after sitting through all ninety-three minutes for this chapter did I realize so many inaccurate claims about the 1999 final have gone unchecked.

With all due respect to Markus, Matthäus and everyone else who considers United’s Champions League win of 1999 ‘undeserved’, I completely disagree.

For a start, Bayern had only themselves to blame for what happened. Basler put them ahead after 6 minutes and they played the next eighty-four like they were the final ten, trying to grind out a 1-0 win rather than proactively pursue a second. Bayern’s spectacular goal attempts came during a hectic finale because United took risks chasing an equalizer, making themselves vulnerable to counter-attacks.

It may have taken United too long to score, but when Sheringham did so it was not against the run of play, nor was it unwarranted. Bayern’s defending in the last ten minutes was insecure and jittery.

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