In the 2000s the Champions League gave us ten finals with seven different winners. We saw Real Madrid reach nine titles, Milan playing three finals in five years and Barcelona making history. In between came two meetings of Milan and Liverpool: one in Istanbul and the other in Athens.
2000 · Paris: Real Madrid – Valencia 3-0
On 24 May 2000, at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, two clubs from the same country met in the final for the first time. Morientes headed in on 39 minutes, McManaman volleyed on 67 and Raúl scored on 75, finishing a breakaway by rounding Cañizares.
Real Madrid reached eight titles and Vicente del Bosque won his first as their coach. McManaman became the first Englishman to lift the trophy with a club outside England.
2001 · Milan: Bayern Munich – Valencia 1-1 (5-4 pens)
On 23 May 2001, at San Siro, both goals came from the spot: Mendieta on 3 minutes and Effenberg early in the second half. In the shoot-out Oliver Kahn saved from Zahovič, turned Carboni's shot onto the woodwork and finally stopped Pellegrino.
Valencia lost their second final in a row. Kahn also won a fair play award for going to console Cañizares, and Ottmar Hitzfeld became the second coach to win the trophy with two clubs.
2002 · Glasgow: Real Madrid – Bayer Leverkusen 2-1
On 15 May 2002, at Hampden Park, Raúl scored on 8 minutes and Lúcio equalised six minutes later. On 45 minutes Zinedine Zidane met Roberto Carlos's cross with a left-footed volley into the top corner, one of the finest goals in the competition's history.
Real wore the white centenary shirt by adidas, with a gold anniversary crest, gold numbers and gold trim on the collar, and no sponsor on the chest. A minute's silence was held before kick-off for Valeriy Lobanovskyi.
2003 · Manchester: Milan – Juventus 0-0 (3-2 pens)
On 28 May 2003 Old Trafford hosted the first all-Italian final. Juventus played without the suspended Nedvěd, and a Shevchenko goal on 9 minutes was ruled out.
In the shoot-out Dida saved three and Buffon two, and Shevchenko scored the winner. Milan, in all white, won their sixth title and Paolo Maldini lifted the cup 40 years after his father, Cesare.
2004 · Gelsenkirchen: Porto – Monaco 3-0
On 26 May 2004, at the Arena AufSchalke, José Mourinho's Porto beat Didier Deschamps's Monaco. Carlos Alberto scored on 39 minutes, Deco on 71 and Alenichev on 75.
A week later Mourinho left for Chelsea. It was Porto's second European Cup, 17 years after their first, and it came a year after they won the UEFA Cup.
2005 · Istanbul: Liverpool – Milan 3-3 (3-2 pens)
On 25 May 2005, at the Atatürk Olympic Stadium, Milan led through Maldini in the first minute and two goals from Crespo (39', 44'). In the second half Gerrard, Šmicer and Xabi Alonso, from the rebound of his own penalty, levelled within six minutes.
In extra time Jerzy Dudek made a double save from Shevchenko, and in the shoot-out he stopped Pirlo and, finally, Shevchenko again. Liverpool in red, Milan in white: the "Miracle of Istanbul" gave the English club its fifth title, and with it the right to keep the trophy and wear the special sleeve badge.
2006 · Paris: Barcelona – Arsenal 2-1
On 17 May 2006, again at the Stade de France, Jens Lehmann was sent off on 18 minutes for bringing down Eto'o, the first player shown a red card in a final. Arsenal led through Sol Campbell on 37 minutes, but substitute Henrik Larsson set up the goals by Eto'o (76') and Belletti (81').
Because both first-choice kits featured red, Arsenal wore their yellow away kit and Barça their blaugrana. It was the first final for a London club.
2007 · Athens: Milan – Liverpool 2-1
On 23 May 2007 the Olympic Stadium (OAKA) hosted the rematch of Istanbul. Filippo Inzaghi scored on 45 minutes, when a Pirlo free kick deflected off him, and again on 82, while Kuyt headed one back on 89.
Milan were the designated home side but chose their white "maglia fortunata", the lucky shirt, while Liverpool wore all red. Maldini, aged 38 years and 331 days, became the oldest outfield player in a final, and Kaká finished the season as top scorer with ten goals.
The night had its shadows: only about 9,000 tickets went on general sale, thousands of fans without valid tickets got into the stadium and some ticket holders were left outside. Police used tear gas, and the row between UEFA and Liverpool over who was to blame went on for a long time.
2008 · Moscow: Manchester United – Chelsea 1-1 (6-5 pens)
On 21 May 2008, at the Luzhniki, the first all-English final was also the first held in Russia. Kick-off was at 22:45 Moscow time, so it was also the first final to start on one day and finish on the next. Cristiano Ronaldo scored on 26 minutes and Lampard equalised on 45, while Drogba was sent off in extra time for slapping Vidić.
In the shoot-out Čech saved from Ronaldo, Terry slipped and hit the post, and Van der Sar saved from Anelka. The title came 50 years after the Munich air disaster and 40 years after United's first European triumph.
2009 · Rome: Barcelona – Manchester United 2-0
On 27 May 2009, at the Stadio Olimpico, Eto'o scored on 10 minutes and Messi made it 2-0 on 70, heading in Xavi's cross. In his first season Pep Guardiola won the first treble by a Spanish club, despite missing the suspended Dani Alves and Abidal and the injured Márquez.
Barça wore a one-off version of the blaugrana shirt, with a gold Nike swoosh and the UNICEF logo, never worn again. United played in their white away kit, the first time they wore it in a final.
The decade's legacy
Real Madrid, Milan and Barcelona won two titles each, and from 2005 to 2009 at least one English club played in every final. Istanbul and Athens gave Liverpool and Milan one great night each.
The shirts wrote their own history too: Real's centenary white, Milan's "lucky" white, Liverpool's red of Istanbul and Barça's gold detail in Rome are collector's pieces today.
See our Champions League club jerseys at sportarena.gr.
Photo: Liverpool supporters at Syntagma Square on the day of the Athens final, 23 May 2007 – Αντιγόνη, Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.