Ukraine legend Andriy Shevchenko has revealed that he has still not got over AC Milan’s collapse against Liverpool in the 2005 Champions League final.
Milan led 3-0 at half time in Istanbul thanks to Paolo Maldini’s first-minute strike and a double from Hernan Crespo.
However, the Reds fought back to level in five second-half minutes as Steven Gerrard, Vladimir Smicer and Xabi Alonso struck to force extra time.
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Liverpool goalkeeper Jerzy Dudek made an astonishing save from Shevchenko late on before making the decisive stop from the Ukrainian’s penalty in the shootout that followed to secure an improbable victory.
Reflecting on the torment of that night, Shevchenko told Corriere della Sera in quotes carried by MARCA: “The wound is still bleeding. It bothers me that they said that we were carried away by the euphoria.
“Maldini said at half time to be careful.
“The first months after the final I would wake up screaming in the middle of the night thinking about it.
“Now that I am a coach I think about those minutes in which we scored three goals. It is not a criticism of Ancelotti, but I would have stopped the game, changed something.”
Shevchenko left Milan the following year, but only after a seven-year spell at the San Siro that saw him score 173 goals in 296 games across all competitions, winning the Champions League in 2003 and Serie A the following year, as well as finishing as the league’s top scorer in 2000 and 2004.
