The 2008 UEFA Champions League Final (Russian: Финал Лиги чемпионов УЕФА 2008) was a football match that took place on Wednesday, 21 May 2008 at 19:45 BST (22:45 local time). The match was played at the Luzhniki Stadium, home ground of Torpedo and Spartak Moscow, in Moscow, Russia, to determine the winner of the 2007–08 UEFA Champions League. The final was contested by Manchester United and Chelsea, making it an all-English club final for the first time in European Cup or Champions League history. This was only the third time that two clubs from the same country contested in the same Champions League Final – the others being the 2000 and 2003 finals. The game was won by Manchester United 6–5 on penalties, after a 1–1 draw following extra time. Image File history File links Question_book-3. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_England. ... MUFC redirects here. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_England. ... Chelsea Football Club (also known as The Blues or previously The Pensioners) are an English professional football club based in west London. ... is the 141st day of the year (142nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance to the Gregorian calendar. ... The Grand Sports Arena of the Luzhniki Olympic Complex (Большая спортивная арена Олимпийского комплекса Лужники) in Moscow, or briefly Luzhniki Stadium (Стадион Лужники), is the biggest sports stadium in Russia. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_Netherlands. ... Edwin van der Sar (born 29 October 1970 in Voorhout) is a Dutch professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Portugal. ... Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro, OIH (pron. ... “Soccer” redirects here. ... is the 141st day of the year (142nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance to the Gregorian calendar. ... The Grand Sports Arena of the Luzhniki Olympic Complex (Большая спортивная арена Олимпийского комплекса Лужники) in Moscow, or briefly Luzhniki Stadium (Стадион Лужники), is the biggest sports stadium in Russia. ... FC Torpedo Moscow (Russian: Футбольный клуб Торпедо Москва) is a Russian football club, based in Moscow. ... This article is about the football club. ... For other uses, see Moscow (disambiguation). ... The 2007–08 UEFA Champions League is the 16th season of UEFAs premier European club football tournament, the UEFA Champions League, since it was rebranded in 1992, and the 53rd tournament overall. ... UEFA Champions League, which replaced the European Champions Cup, is a seasonal club football competition organised by UEFA since 1992 for the most successful football clubs in Europe. ... MUFC redirects here. ... Chelsea Football Club (also known as The Blues or previously The Pensioners) are an English professional football club based in west London. ... For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ... The 2000 UEFA Champions League Final took place at Stade de France in Paris, France on May 24, 2000. ... The 2003 UEFA Champions League Final took place at Old Trafford in Manchester, England on May 28, 2003. ... Penalty shootouts, officially named kicks from the penalty mark, are a method sometimes used to decide which team progresses to the next stage of a tournament (or wins the tournament) following a draw in a game of football. ... Extra time is an additional period played at the end of some games of football (soccer) if the score is tied after the two standard periods (halves) of play. ...

In a series of coincidences, in the week during which Manchester United qualified for this Final in Russia, Russian side Zenit St Petersburg won the 2008 UEFA Cup Final at the City of Manchester Stadium in Manchester, England. This saw the Russian billionaire owner Roman Abramovich bring Chelsea to the first European Cup final staged in Russia. The Moscow location made this the easternmost final in the tournament's history. It was also Chelsea's first European Cup final in their history. The significance for United was that 2008 marked the 50th anniversary of the Munich air disaster, and the 40th anniversary of United's first European Cup triumph in 1968. FC Zenit (Russian: Футбольный клуб Зенит Санкт-Петербург) is a Russian football club, based in Saint Petersburg. ... The 2008 UEFA Cup Final will be the 50th edition of the European UEFA Cup football club tournament. ... The City of Manchester Stadium (also known as COMS or Eastlands) is a sports venue in Manchester, England. ... This article is about the City of Manchester in England. ... Roman Arkadyevich Abramovich (IPA: ; Russian: ; born on 24 October 1966 in Saratov, Russian SFSR, USSR) earned his money after taking investment advice from Sir Oliver Bienias and Lord James Orchard. ... UEFA Champions League, which replaced the European Champions Cup, is a seasonal club football competition organised by UEFA since 1992 for the most successful football clubs in Europe. ... A plaque at Old Trafford Football Ground remembering the Munich air disaster The Munich air disaster took place on February 6, 1958, when the British European Airways Flight 609 crashed on its third attempt to take off from a slush-covered runway at the Munich-Riem airport in Germany. ... The 1968 European Cup final was held at Wembley Stadium, London, United Kingdom on May 28, 1968 between Manchester United of England and SL Benfica of Portugal Wembley Stadium, London May 28, 1968 Attendance: 100 000 spectators Referee: Concetto Lo Bello (Italy) Scorers: 53 Bobby Charlton 1-0, 75 Jaime...

The final was played on natural grass that was temporarily installed for this match in replacement for the original artificial turf.^[1]

In recent years, the Champions League final has been given an identity of its own with a unique logo, a design concept, and an overall theme. The objective is to help promote the final and enhance the prestige of one of the world's biggest sporting events. The initial idea that inspired the creation of a new identity for each final was to develop a design with a distinctive flavour of the host city. On 31 October in Moscow, the Final's new design was presented to public. The ceremony was held in the press conference room at the Luzhniki Stadium and the design was unveiled in presence of the ambassador for the final, former Russian goalkeeper Rinat Dasayev. is the 304th day of the year (305th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... The Grand Sports Arena of the Luzhniki Olympic Complex (Большая спортивная арена Олимпийского комплекса Лужники) in Moscow, or briefly Luzhniki Stadium (Стадион Лужники), is the biggest sports stadium in Russia. ... Rinat Fayzrakhmanovich Dasayev (Russian: ) (born June 13, 1957 in Astrakhan, Soviet Union) is a Russian former football goalkeeper of Tatar ethnicity, who played in three World Cups with the Soviet national team. ...

Background

Manchester United went into the Champions League final as champions of England for the 17th time and undefeated in the 2007–08 Champions League. Chelsea came second in the league, finishing with two fewer points than United, and had lost just one Champions League game, the quarter-final first leg away to Fenerbahçe. In the Premier League games between the two sides in the 2007–08 season, United won 2–0 at Old Trafford in Avram Grant's first game in charge of Chelsea on 23 September 2007. Chelsea won 2–1 at Stamford Bridge in the return game on 26 April 2008. Chelsea also won the last cup game between the two – a 1–0 win in the 2007 FA Cup Final in May 2007, although United got their own back in the Community Shield the following August – winning 3–0 on penalties after a 1–1 draw in normal time. Current season Fenerbahçe Sport Club centennial logo Fenerbahçe Spor Kulübü (English: ), commonly known as Fenerbahce (pronounced ), is a professional sports club located in Kadıköy-Istanbul, Turkey. ... For other sports leagues which may be referred to by this name, see list of professional sports leagues. ... Old Trafford is an area of Trafford, Greater Manchester, England. ... Avraham (Abraham) Avram Grant (‎; born Avraham Granat, 6 May 1955 in Petah Tikva, Israel) is an Israeli association football manager and current First Team Coach of Chelsea Football Club. ... is the 266th day of the year (267th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... Stamford Bridge is a football stadium on the border of Fulham and Chelsea, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham that is home to Chelsea Football Club. ... is the 116th day of the year (117th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance to the Gregorian calendar. ... The two teams line up prior to kick-off The FA Cup Final 2007 was played on Saturday May 19, 2007 between Chelsea and Manchester United. ... The 2007 FA Community Shield is a football match that will be played on 5 August 2007 between 2006-07 Barclays Premier League champions Manchester United and 2006-07 FA Cup winners Chelsea. ... Penalty shootouts, officially named kicks from the penalty mark, are a method sometimes used to decide which team progresses to the next stage of a tournament (or wins the tournament) following a draw in a game of football. ...

Route to the final

For more details on this topic, see UEFA Champions League 2007-08.

The 2007–08 UEFA Champions League is the 16th season of UEFAs premier European club football tournament, the UEFA Champions League, since it was rebranded in 1992, and the 53rd tournament overall. ...

Manchester United

Manchester United were drawn in Group F along with Roma, Sporting and Dynamo Kyiv. United won their first five group games before securing a 1–1 draw away against Roma, in a game where both teams were already guaranteed to progress from the group, United as group winners. Associazione Sportiva Roma (ISE: IT0001008876) is a major professional football club both in Italy’s Serie A and in European football. ... FC Dynamo Kyiv (Ukrainian: , FK Dynamo Kyiv; Russian: , Dynamo Kiev) is a professional football club from the Ukrainian capital city, Kiev. ...

In the first knockout round, United were drawn against Olympique Lyonnais, against whom they drew the away leg 1–1, thanks to a late equaliser from Carlos Tévez. The Red Devils then won the second leg 1–0 – Cristiano Ronaldo scoring the only goal – to ensure a 2–1 aggregate win and a place in the quarter-finals, where they were again drawn against Roma. Olympique Lyonnais (popularly known as OL, or simply Lyon) is a French football club based in Lyon. ... Carlos Alberto Tévez (born 5 February 1984 in Ciudadela, Buenos Aires) is an Argentine footballer who currently plays for Premier League champions Manchester United. ... Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro, OIH (pron. ...

The quarter-final matches represented the fifth and sixth times these two clubs had met in Europe in just over 12 months. United went to Rome and secured a very creditable 2–0 win, before securing the tie with a record 11th consecutive home Champions League win, winning 1–0. For other uses, see Rome (disambiguation). ...

The semi-final pitted United against FC Barcelona; the teams had not met since the group stage of the 1998–99 tournament, the last time United won it. The teams also had identical records going into the semi-final, each having won eight and drawn two of their ten games, scoring 18 goals and conceding just five. The first leg at the Nou Camp was a drab affair, with United spending most of the game defending, whilst Barcelona tried to pass the ball around them. United were awarded a penalty in the first minute, but Cristiano Ronaldo sent the ball wide, hitting the stanchion behind the goal. That was about as exciting as the first leg got for either team and it ended 0–0. The second leg at Old Trafford was a game of higher tempo, which United won 1–0 thanks to a goal from Paul Scholes after 14 minutes. This result increased Uniteds' consecutive home win record in the Champions League to 12 and ensured that United reached the final unbeaten. Futbol Club Barcelona (Spanish IPA: , Catalan IPA: ), known familiarly as Barça (Spanish IPA: , Catalan IPA: ), is a sports club based in Barcelona, Spain. ... The 1998-99 season of the UEFA Champions League football club tournament was won by Manchester United, coming back from a goal down in the last two minutes of injury time to defeat Bayern Munich 2-1 in a memorable final. ... FC Barcelona playing against Real Madrid the 6th of December 2003 The Camp Nou is a football stadium in Barcelona, Spain. ... Paul Aaron Scholes (born 16 November 1974) is an English football player who has spent his whole career at Manchester United. ...

En-route to the final 2008, United won nine and drew three of their 12 matches, dwarfing their record of four wins and six draws in the ten games they took to reach the final in 1999 (in 1999 there was no first knockout round and teams advanced from the group stage directly into the quarter-finals). United scored 19 goals en-route to the final, Cristiano Ronaldo scoring seven of them, more than any other player.

Chelsea

Chelsea were placed in Group B, along with Schalke 04, Rosenborg and Valencia. Chelsea's first match in the group was against Rosenborg at Stamford Bridge, Chelsea's home ground, where they were held to a 1–1 draw. Two days later manager José Mourinho left Chelsea by mutual consent. Mourinho's replacement was former Israeli national team coach Avram Grant. Chelsea's second match was against Spanish club Valencia, whom they beat 2–1, leaving Chelsea with four points from their two matches. Chelsea's next two matches were against Schalke 04 of Germany. The first match was played at Stamford Bridge. Chelsea won the match 2–0. The return match against Schalke 04 ended in a 0–0 draw. Chelsea's final two matches in their group resulted in a 4–0 demolition of Rosenborg and a 0–0 draw with Valencia. Chelsea progressed as group winners with 12 points out of six games. FC Schalke 04 is a German football club originally from the Schalke district of Gelsenkirchen, North Rhine-Westphalia. ... Rosenborg Ballklub (RBK) is a Norwegian football club from the city of Trondheim, currently playing in the Norwegian Premier League. ... Valencia Club de Fútbol (also known as Valencia or Los Che) are a Spanish professional football club based in Valencia. ... José Mário dos Santos Félix Mourinho, GOIH (pron. ... First international Egypt 7 - 1 Palestine/Eretz Israel (Cairo, Egypt; March 16, 1934) USA 3 - 1 Israel (New York City, USA; September 26, 1948) Biggest win Israel 9 - 0 Chinese Taipei (Wellington, New Zealand; March 23, 1988) Biggest defeat Egypt 7 - 1 Palestine/Eretz Israel (Cairo, Egypt; March 16, 1934...

Chelsea faced Olympiacos in the first knockout round. The first leg in Athens ended in a 0–0 draw. The second leg saw Chelsea run out 3-0 winners with goals from Michael Ballack, Frank Lampard and Salomon Kalou to send Chelsea into the quarter-finals. This article is about the capital of Greece. ... Michael Ballack (born September 26, 1976 in Görlitz, Saxony) is a German football player. ... For Frank Lampard Jr. ... Salomon Kalou (born August 5, 1985 in Oumé, Côte dIvoire) is an Ivorian football player, who currently plays for Chelsea and formerly for the Dutch club Feyenoord Rotterdam. ...

Chelsea were drawn against Fenerbahçe of Turkey in the quarter-finals. The first leg was held at the Sukru Saracoglu Stadium, and ended in a 2–1 loss. Chelsea had opened the scoring when Deivid deflected the ball into his own net, but Fenerbahce equalised on 65 minutes, when Kazim-Richards scored. Deivid won the match for Fenerbahçe with a strike from outside the penalty area in the 81st minute. The second leg at Stamford Bridge was won 2-0 by Chelsea, to claim a 3–2 aggregate victory over the Turkish side. Şükrü SaracoÄŸlu Stadyumu is a football stadium in the district of Fenerbahce, in the Kadikoy region of Istanbul, Turkey. ... Deivid de Souza (born October 22, 1979, also known as Deivid) is a Brazilian soccer player who plays for Fenerbahçe SK. He stands at 180 centimeters and weighs 73 kilograms. ... Colin Kazim-Richards (born in August 26, 1986 in Leytonstone, London) is a professional footballer for who plays for Sheffield United in the Premiership. ...

Chelsea faced fellow English opposition Liverpool in the semi-final. This was the fourth year in succession that these teams had met in the Champions League. The first leg at Anfield was drawn 1–1. The game looked to be heading for a Liverpool win but an own goal by John Arne Riise in the 95th minute gave Chelsea advantage. Chelsea won the second leg 3–2, with goals from Drogba on 33 minutes, Lampard on 98 minutes and Drogba again on 105 minutes sending the Blues through to the first Champions League final in their history. Liverpool Football Club are an English professional football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside, who play in the Premier League; they are historically the most successful club in the history of English football, having won more trophies than any other English club. ... This article is about the football stadium. ... John Arne Semundseth Riise (born September 24, 1980 in Ã…lesund) is a Norwegian football player who currently plays for Liverpool F.C. Riise is renowned for the shooting power and accuracy of his favoured left foot, as well as his excellent physical conditioning, most notably his outstanding stamina levels. ... Didier Yves Drogba Tébily (born March 11, 1978 in Abidjan, Côte dIvoire) is a footballer from Côte dIvoire who currently plays for Chelsea in the English Premier League. ...

Knockout stage

Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Olympique Lyonnais (popularly known as OL, or simply Lyon) is a French football club based in Lyon. ... Carlos Alberto Tévez (born 5 February 1984 in Ciudadela, Buenos Aires) is an Argentine footballer who currently plays for Premier League champions Manchester United. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Greece. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro, OIH (pron. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Greece. ... Michael Ballack (born September 26, 1976 in Görlitz, Saxony) is a German football player. ... For Frank Lampard Jr. ... Salomon Kalou (born August 5, 1985 in Oumé, Côte dIvoire) is an Ivorian football player, who currently plays for Chelsea and formerly for the Dutch club Feyenoord Rotterdam. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Italy. ... Associazione Sportiva Roma (ISE: IT0001008876) is a major professional football club both in Italy’s Serie A and in European football. ... Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro, OIH (pron. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Turkey. ... Current season Fenerbahçe Sport Club centennial logo Fenerbahçe Spor Kulübü (English: ), commonly known as Fenerbahce (pronounced ), is a professional sports club located in Kadıköy-Istanbul, Turkey. ... Deivid de Souza (born October 22, 1979, also known as Deivid) is a Brazilian soccer player who plays for Fenerbahçe SK. He stands at 180 centimeters and weighs 73 kilograms. ... An own goal occurs in football (soccer) and other goal-scoring games when a player scores a goal that is registered against his or her own team. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Italy. ... Carlos Alberto Tévez (born 5 February 1984 in Ciudadela, Buenos Aires) is an Argentine footballer who currently plays for Premier League champions Manchester United. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Turkey. ... Michael Ballack (born September 26, 1976 in Görlitz, Saxony) is a German football player. ... For Frank Lampard Jr. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Spain. ... Futbol Club Barcelona (Spanish IPA: , Catalan IPA: ), known familiarly as Barça (Spanish IPA: , Catalan IPA: ), is a sports club based in Barcelona, Spain. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_England. ... Liverpool Football Club are an English professional football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside, who play in the Premier League; they are historically the most successful club in the history of English football, having won more trophies than any other English club. ... John Arne Semundseth Riise (born September 24, 1980 in Ã…lesund) is a Norwegian football player who currently plays for Liverpool F.C. Riise is renowned for the shooting power and accuracy of his favoured left foot, as well as his excellent physical conditioning, most notably his outstanding stamina levels. ... An own goal occurs in football (soccer) and other goal-scoring games when a player scores a goal that is registered against his or her own team. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Spain. ... Paul Aaron Scholes (born 16 November 1974) is an English football player who has spent his whole career at Manchester United. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_England. ... Extra time is an additional period played at the end of some games of football (soccer) if the score is tied after the two standard periods (halves) of play. ... Didier Yves Drogba Tébily (born March 11, 1978 in Abidjan, Côte dIvoire) is a footballer from Côte dIvoire who currently plays for Chelsea in the English Premier League. ... For Frank Lampard Jr. ... Bonaventure Kalou of the Ivory Coast takes a penalty against Dragoslav Jevrić of S&M during the 2006 World Cup. ...

Leading up to the match

Hotels in Moscow were fully booked, and on the day, bars and pubs were packed. One holiday company gave an alternative to hotels: a cruise ship. Fans could sleep in the cabins, as well as travelling to and returning from Moscow just for the final. A study by Sainsbury's Finance reveals that fans will need spending money of around £624 each to cover hotels, taxis, food and drink etc. The price of one pint of beer rose to £7.50. Sainsbury's Finance estimated that Chelsea and Manchester United fans could take a combined total of £40m spending money with them. The match is expected to generate £200m spending, prize money and TV income, with the two teams sharing £115m.^[2] However, some fans spent much less money, such as intrepid Man United supporter Martin Sheehan, who made the trip, from England to Stockholm by plane, then to Riga, Latvia, followed by a 15 hour bus journey. The total cost for his trip was £85, and took five days.^[3]

A flight to Moscow, which was meant to leave Gatwick Airport for Domodedovo International Airport at 0555 BST to arrive just in time for the match, was cancelled after 6 hours of delay. Supporters waited nearly 6 hours after being told the plane would leave at 1300 BST. A spokesperson for the airport said it was a 'hydraulic fault' with the plane, and the plane would not be able to arrive at 1945 BST. 224 Chelsea supporters were left stranded, each of whom had paid near £1,000 for the day trip. By the time they were told, it was too late to make alternative plans to travel to Moscow.^[4] Gatwick Airport (IATA Airport Code: LGW, ICAO Airport Code: EGKK) is Londons second airport and the second largest airport in the UK after Heathrow. ... “Domodedovo” redirects here. ...

Match

Team news

Sir Alex Ferguson guaranteed a place in the starting line-up for Paul Scholes, after the midfielder had missed the 1999 final through suspension.^[5] He stuck with his regular starting line-up that had served him well all season, with his only real decision being whether to play Park Ji-Sung or Owen Hargreaves in midfield. He decided to start Owen Hargreaves on the right wing instead of his regular role as a defensive midfielder, and deployed Cristiano Ronaldo on the left wing, putting him against Michael Essien. For other persons named Alex Ferguson, see Alex Ferguson (disambiguation). ... Paul Aaron Scholes (born 16 November 1974) is an English football player who has spent his whole career at Manchester United. ... The 1999 UEFA Champions League Final took place at the Camp Nou in Barcelona on 26 May 1999 between English Champions Manchester United and German Champions FC Bayern Munich. ... Parks image projected onto a building in South Korea Park Ji-Sung (Hangul: 박지성) (born February 25, 1981, Seoul, South Korea) is a professional South Korean footballer who plays for the English football club Manchester United in the Premier League, as well as the South Korea national football team. ... Owen Lee Hargreaves (born 20 January 1981 in Calgary, Alberta, Canada) is a professional football midfielder. ... Owen Lee Hargreaves (born 20 January 1981 in Calgary, Alberta, Canada) is a professional football midfielder. ... Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro, OIH (pron. ... Michael Essien (born December 3, 1982 in Ghana) is a Ghanaian International footballer. ...

Avram Grant decided to start with Florent Malouda on the left-wing instead of Salomon Kalou. He also chose to deploy Michael Essien over Paulo Ferreira and Juliano Belletti at right-back and rather than in his preferred midfield position. The rest of Chelsea's team was fairly predictable, with their spine of John Terry, Frank Lampard and Didier Drogba being the key players. Avraham (Abraham) Avram Grant (‎; born Avraham Granat, 6 May 1955 in Petah Tikva, Israel) is an Israeli association football manager and current First Team Coach of Chelsea Football Club. ... Florent Malouda (born June 13, 1980 in Cayenne, French Guiana) is a French professional football player. ... Salomon Kalou (born August 5, 1985 in Oumé, Côte dIvoire) is an Ivorian football player, who currently plays for Chelsea and formerly for the Dutch club Feyenoord Rotterdam. ... Paulo Ferreira (pron. ... He started his career playing for Cruzeiro in 1993. ... For other persons named John Terry, see John Terry (disambiguation). ... For Frank Lampard Jr. ... Didier Yves Drogba Tébily (born March 11, 1978 in Abidjan, Côte dIvoire) is a footballer from Côte dIvoire who currently plays for Chelsea in the English Premier League. ...

Match summary

First Half

Cristiano Ronaldo opened the scoring after 26 minutes. An interchange of passes between Paul Scholes and Wes Brown after a throw-in on the right flank gave Brown time to pick out a cross for Ronaldo, who directed his header past Petr Čech. Chelsea almost equalised in the 33rd minute when Frank Lampard's cross was headed back into the six-yard box by Didier Drogba. United's Rio Ferdinand, under pressure from Michael Ballack, was forced to head the ball towards his own goal and Edwin van der Sar pulled off a superb save to deny Chelsea a goal. United spent the rest of the first half pressing for a second goal, and had two good opportunities to extend their lead, but was denied by a double-save from Čech. Wayne Rooney delivered a long ball into the path of the Ronaldo and the United goalscorer placed his cross on the head of the diving Tévez only for Čech to deny him. Chelsea's failure to clear the loose ball gave Michael Carrick the chance to extend their lead but again Čech was equal to the task with another fine save. Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro, OIH (pron. ... Paul Aaron Scholes (born 16 November 1974) is an English football player who has spent his whole career at Manchester United. ... This article is about Wesley Brown the football player. ... Petr ÄŒech ( ) (born 20 May 1982 in Plzeň, Czechoslovakia) is a Czech international footballer who is currently a goalkeeper for Chelsea F.C. He is considered one of the best goalkeepers in the world. ... For Frank Lampard Jr. ... Didier Yves Drogba Tébily (born March 11, 1978 in Abidjan, Côte dIvoire) is a footballer from Côte dIvoire who currently plays for Chelsea in the English Premier League. ... Rio Gavin Ferdinand (born 7 November 1978 in Peckham, London) is an English footballer of mixed St Lucian,and Anglo-Irish descent. ... Michael Ballack (born September 26, 1976 in Görlitz, Saxony) is a German football player. ... Edwin van der Sar (born 29 October 1970 in Voorhout) is a Dutch professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper. ... Michael Adrian Carrick (born 28 July 1981 in Wallsend, Tyne and Wear) is an English footballer who currently plays for Manchester United as a midfielder. ...

Chelsea survived the pressure and equalised in the dying minutes of the first half. The goal followed from a hopeful long range shot by Michael Essien, being deflected first off Nemanja Vidić and then Rio Ferdinand. The ball's change in direction caused Edwin van der Sar to lose his footing, leaving Lampard, who had made the run from deep, with a simple finish. Michael Essien (born December 3, 1982 in Ghana) is a Ghanaian International footballer. ... Nemanja Vidić (Serbian: Немања Видић) (born October 21, 1981 in Titovo Užice, Serbia, SFR Yugoslavia) is a Serbian footballer. ... Edwin van der Sar (born 29 October 1970 in Voorhout) is a Dutch professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper. ...

Second Half

In the second half, United were on the back foot for long periods. Nevertheless, they managed to contain most of Chelsea's attacks. Chelsea have a few opportunities to take the lead, with Essien breaking free of United's defence in the 54th minute, only to blast his shot too high. Michael Ballack also sent his long shot just off target. Chelsea's closest opportunity to take the lead came in the 77th minute when a Didier Drogba shot struck the post from 20 yards out. Drogba went very close to convert Joe Cole’s low cross home for the winner 4 minutes from time, but blasted wide. Ryan Giggs was then introduced in place of Scholes, making a record 759th appearance for Manchester United. Didier Yves Drogba Tébily (born March 11, 1978 in Abidjan, Côte dIvoire) is a footballer from Côte dIvoire who currently plays for Chelsea in the English Premier League. ... Ryan Joseph Giggs OBE[1] (born Ryan Joseph Wilson on 29 November 1973 in Ely, Cardiff) is a Welsh footballer who has played for Manchester United in the English Premiership for the entirety of his club career to-date. ...

Extra Time

The game moved into extra time, and the thrilling pace was maintained throughout. Both teams had chances to score a vital second goal, with a Lampard left-footer hitting the underside of the crossbar and Ryan Giggs having a shot headed off the line by Terry. Following a fracas involving most of the 22 players and the match officials, Didier Drogba became only the second player in history to be sent off in a European Cup Final – the first being Arsenal's goalkeeper Jens Lehmann in 2006 – for a slap on Vidić. Ryan Joseph Giggs OBE[1] (born Ryan Joseph Wilson on 29 November 1973 in Ely, Cardiff) is a Welsh footballer who has played for Manchester United in the English Premiership for the entirety of his club career to-date. ... Arsenal Football Club (also known as Arsenal, The Arsenal or The Gunners) are an English professional football club based in Holloway, north London. ... For other persons named Jens Lehmann, see Jens Lehmann (disambiguation). ... The 2006 UEFA Champions League Final was a football match between FC Barcelona of Spain and Arsenal F.C. of England. ...

Penalty Shootout

Rio Ferdinand won the toss of the coin, and opted for United to go first in the shootout. Carlos Tévez stepped up first and sent Čech the wrong way. Ballack was next up, shooting powerfully past van der Sar. Carrick buried his spot-kick, as did Juliano Belletti with his first touch of the game. The first miss of the shootout came from Ronaldo, who stuttered in his run-up but Čech dived to his right to save. Lampard then put Chelsea 3-2 ahead. Owen Hargreaves levelled things up with a shot into the top corner. Ashley Cole was the next up, and van der Sar got a strong hand to the ball but couldn’t keep the ball out. Nani then knew that he had to score to keep United in it, and he did it just. Thus it was all up to John Terry to win the Cup for Chelsea. However, Terry lost his footing when planting his standing foot by the ball and, even though Edwin van der Sar was sent the wrong way, Terry's mis-hit effort hit the outside of the right post and went wide. Rio Gavin Ferdinand (born 7 November 1978 in Peckham, London) is an English footballer of mixed St Lucian,and Anglo-Irish descent. ... Carlos Alberto Tévez (born 5 February 1984 in Ciudadela, Buenos Aires) is an Argentine footballer who currently plays for Premier League champions Manchester United. ... He started his career playing for Cruzeiro in 1993. ... Owen Lee Hargreaves (born 20 January 1981 in Calgary, Alberta, Canada) is a professional football midfielder. ... Luís Carlos Almeida da Cunha (born 17 November 1986 in Praia, Cape Verde), better known as Nani, is a Portuguese footballer who currently plays for Manchester United and Portugal. ... For other persons named John Terry, see John Terry (disambiguation). ...

Anderson scored the first penalty in sudden death. Salomon Kalou then sent van der Sar the wrong way to make it 5-5. Giggs was next up and he was also successful. Van der Sar then pulled off the crucial save for United by distracting Nicolas Anelka when he pointed to his left (Chelsea's penalties were all attempted on van der Sar's left side of the goal), but correctly dived to his right to deny Anelka, securing United European football's top prize for the third time in their history. This article is about the Manchester United player. ... Salomon Kalou (born August 5, 1985 in Oumé, Côte dIvoire) is an Ivorian football player, who currently plays for Chelsea and formerly for the Dutch club Feyenoord Rotterdam. ... Nicolas Anelka (born March 14, 1979 in Versailles, France)[1] is a French footballer who plays in the forward position. ...

Match details

Statistics

• UEFA Full Time Report
• UEFA Full Time Statistics

Reactions

After the match

Emotions ran high after the match, with clear contrast between the wide smiles of United's makeshift skipper Rio Ferdinand and the tearful face of Chelsea counterpart John Terry. Chelsea coach Avram Grant, after receiving both his own medal and red-carded striker Didier Drogba's medal, tossed his own into the crowd^[10]. Terry, who had missed the penalty that would have won Chelsea their first ever UEFA Champions League victory, was inconsolable, despite the efforts of Grant, goalkeeper Petr Cech and match official Ľuboš Micheľ. Midfielders Michael Ballack, who has previously lost many finals in his career, and Frank Lampard just stood looking depressed, while winger Joe Cole managed to put on a brave smile for cameras. As Chelsea went up to receive their medals, UEFA chief Michel Platini patted his friend Claude Makelele's head and shared a joke before presenting him with his medal. MUFC redirects here. ... The team captain of a football team, sometimes known as the skipper, is a team member chosen to be the on-pitch leader of the team: it is often one of the older or more experienced members of the squad, or a player that can heavily influence a game. ... Rio Gavin Ferdinand (born 7 November 1978 in Peckham, London) is an English footballer of mixed St Lucian,and Anglo-Irish descent. ... Chelsea Football Club (also known as The Blues or previously The Pensioners) are an English professional football club based in west London. ... For other persons named John Terry, see John Terry (disambiguation). ... Avraham (Abraham) Avram Grant (‎; born Avraham Granat, 6 May 1955 in Petah Tikva, Israel) is an Israeli association football manager and current First Team Coach of Chelsea Football Club. ... Didier Yves Drogba Tébily (born March 11, 1978 in Abidjan, Côte dIvoire) is a footballer from Côte dIvoire who currently plays for Chelsea in the English Premier League. ... UEFA Champions League, which replaced the European Champions Cup, is a seasonal club football competition organised by UEFA since 1992 for the most successful football clubs in Europe. ... The title given to this article is incorrect due to technical limitations. ... ĽuboÅ¡ Micheľ (born May 16, 1968 in Stropkov, Slovakia) is a Slovak football referee. ... Michael Ballack (born September 26, 1976 in Görlitz, Saxony) is a German football player. ... For Frank Lampard Jr. ... For the rock band roadie and chronicler who was murdered, see Joe Cole (roadie). ... The Union Européenne de Football Association or Union of European Football Associations in English, almost always referred to by the acronym UEFA (pronounced (you-AY-fuh) or (oo-Ay-fuh) or ), is the administrative and controlling body for European football. ... Michel François Platini (born June 21, 1955) is a French former football manager and midfielder, and current president of the UEFA (Union of European Football Associations). ... Claude Makelele (born February 18, 1973 in Kinshasa, Zaire) is a French international football (soccer) player, who currently plays defensive midfield for Chelsea in the English Premiership. ...

United, on the other hand, had much to cheer about. Striker Carlos Tevez and winger Nani turned their shirts around so that their name and kit number were on their chests. Cristiano Ronaldo lay chest-down on the grass crying. They made a guard of honour for Chelsea, lining up in two opposite rows and applauding as the Chelsea team walked through. Munich air disaster survivor Bobby Charlton, who had captained United to Champions League victory in 1968, refused Platini's offer of a medal^[11], and looked slightly annoyed with the new rule of a team official leading their team out to collect medals. Cristiano Ronaldo posed for a photograph biting his medal, while midfielders Anderson and Nani performed a samba dance. The men in suits did not let their lack of match time dampen their joy either. Regular captain Gary Neville and South Korean midfielder Park Ji-Sung, who had been a favourite to start the game, both leapt onto their sodden teammates. Match captain Rio Ferdinand and season captain Ryan Giggs (who, in coming on as a substitute, broke Bobby Charlton's record for most appearances for any United player) lifted the trophy together. Carlos Alberto T vez (born February 5, 1984) is an Argentine football striker who made his name with Argentine giant Boca Juniors and currently plays for Brazils Corinthians. ... Luís Carlos Almeida da Cunha (born 17 November 1986 in Praia, Cape Verde), better known as Nani, is a Portuguese footballer who currently plays for Manchester United and Portugal. ... Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro, OIH (pron. ... A plaque at Old Trafford Football Ground remembering the Munich air disaster The Munich air disaster took place on February 6, 1958, when the British European Airways Flight 609 crashed on its third attempt to take off from a slush-covered runway at the Munich-Riem airport in Germany. ... Sir Robert Bobby Charlton, CBE (born 11 October 1937 in Ashington, Northumberland) is a former English professional football player who won the World Cup and was named the European Footballer of the Year in 1966. ... The 1968 European Cup final was held at Wembley Stadium, London, United Kingdom on May 28, 1968 between Manchester United of England and SL Benfica of Portugal Wembley Stadium, London May 28, 1968 Attendance: 100 000 spectators Referee: Concetto Lo Bello (Italy) Scorers: 53 Bobby Charlton 1-0, 75 Jaime... This article is about the Manchester United player. ... Gary Neville (born February 18, 1975 in Bury, Greater Manchester) is an English football player. ... First international South Korea 5 - 3 Mexico (London, England; August 2, 1948) Largest win South Korea 16 - 0 Nepal (Incheon, South Korea; September 29, 2003) Worst defeat Sweden 12 - 0 South Korea (London, England; August 5, 1948) World Cup Appearances 6 (First in 1954) Best result Fourth place, 2002 AFC... Parks image projected onto a building in South Korea Park Ji-Sung (Hangul: 박지성) (born February 25, 1981, Seoul, South Korea) is a professional South Korean footballer who plays for the English football club Manchester United in the Premier League, as well as the South Korea national football team. ... Rio Gavin Ferdinand (born 7 November 1978 in Peckham, London) is an English footballer of mixed St Lucian,and Anglo-Irish descent. ... Ryan Joseph Giggs OBE[1] (born Ryan Joseph Wilson on 29 November 1973 in Ely, Cardiff) is a Welsh footballer who has played for Manchester United in the English Premiership for the entirety of his club career to-date. ... Sir Robert Bobby Charlton, CBE (born 11 October 1937 in Ashington, Northumberland) is a former English professional football player who won the World Cup and was named the European Footballer of the Year in 1966. ...

Later

United manager Sir Alex Ferguson later apologised to Park Ji-Sung for not including him in the first team^[12], while Cristiano Ronaldo made further speculation about his future despite telling press after the game: "I'm not leaving."^[13] Sir Alex Ferguson (born Alexander Chapman Ferguson, December 31, 1941 in Govan, Glasgow) is a Scottish football manager, currently managing Manchester United F.C.. He has won more trophies than any other manager in the history of English football and been in charge of Manchester United for over 1000 matches. ... Parks image projected onto a building in South Korea Park Ji-Sung (Hangul: 박지성) (born February 25, 1981, Seoul, South Korea) is a professional South Korean footballer who plays for the English football club Manchester United in the Premier League, as well as the South Korea national football team. ... Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro, OIH (pron. ...

As a result of the loss, Chelsea trio Didier Drogba (who was sent off for slapping United defender Nemanja Vidic), Andriy Shevchenko and Alex were linked to transfers away from Chelsea^[14]. Ricardo Carvalho, Frank Lampard and Avram Grant all refused to point the finger of blame on Terry, but assistant manager Henk Ten Cate showed annoyance both with Drogba's sending-off (if Drogba had not been sent off, he would have taken the fifth penalty) and Terry's miss^[15]. The question over Avram Grant's future also remained unsure, with owner Roman Abramovich (who witnessed the penalty shootout heartbreak), chief executive Peter Kenyon, director Eugene Tenenbaum and chairman Bruce Buck reportedly deciding over Grant's job within four days after the final^[16]. Didier Yves Drogba Tébily (born March 11, 1978 in Abidjan, Côte dIvoire) is a footballer from Côte dIvoire who currently plays for Chelsea in the English Premier League. ... Nemanja Vidic(Born November 21, 1981) is a footballer from Serbia and Montenegro. ... Andriy Mykolayovych Shevchenko (Ukrainian: , born 29 September 1976, Dvirkivschyna, Kiev Oblast) is a Ukrainian football striker who plays for Chelsea in the Premier League. ... This article is about the Chelsea central defender. ... Ricardo Alberto Silveira Carvalho, OIH (born May 18, 1978 in Amarante, near Porto), pron. ... For Frank Lampard Jr. ... Avraham (Abraham) Avram Grant (‎; born Avraham Granat, 6 May 1955 in Petah Tikva, Israel) is an Israeli association football manager and current First Team Coach of Chelsea Football Club. ... Henk ten Cate (born December 9, 1954 in Amsterdam, Noord-Holland) is a Dutch football coach, and a former professional player. ... Avraham (Abraham) Avram Grant (‎; born Avraham Granat, 6 May 1955 in Petah Tikva, Israel) is an Israeli association football manager and current First Team Coach of Chelsea Football Club. ... Roman Arkadyevich Abramovich (IPA: ; Russian: ; born on 24 October 1966 in Saratov, Russian SFSR, USSR) earned his money after taking investment advice from Sir Oliver Bienias and Lord James Orchard. ... Peter Kenyon (born 1954) is the chief executive of Chelsea Football Club, of the FA Premier League in England, and probably the highest profile sports executive in the United Kingdom. ... Canadian, Eugene Tenenbaum, was brought up loving football, and came to Chelsea with hopes of achiving a new standered of football (or soccer as they call it) in Canada. ... Bruce M. Buck is a founding managing partner of the London office of US law firm Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom ( J.D., Columbia University 1970). ...

Rewards

In addition to the €3 million participation bonus, €5.7 million won from the group stages and €7.7 million from the 3 rounds prior to the final, Manchester United will also receive €7 million for winning the final and becoming champions. Chelsea also received €3 million for participation and €7.7 million for the first three knockout rounds, however received only €5.1 million from the group stages, due to having 2 more draws compared to Manchester United. Chelsea also received €4 million for becoming the runners up.

By becoming finalists, the two clubs will benefit greatly from reaching the final. In addition to the €23.4 million and the €19.8 million earned respectively by the champions and runner-up as prize money, the clubs will receive money from the UEFA market pool share. The market pool share is estimated to have a total value of €280 million, shared between the 32 clubs who qualify for the group stage. The pool is split in proportion to each national association's strength in the television market, with the English Premier League receiving around €50 million from the pool. The money is then split 40:30:20:10 to the four teams who qualified for the Champions League from the 2007-2008 Premier League. This means Manchester United will receive around €20 million and Chelsea around €15 million. The strong presence of the English clubs in the final stages of the competition - three of the four clubs in the semi-final were English - will undoubtedly increase the league's pool share, with possibly more than €50 million being distributed among the clubs. ^[17][18] The 2007-08 Premier League season will be the sixteenth since its establishment, and is set to start in August of 2007. ...

Manchester United will also receive up to £85 million in money from increased sponsorship, television rights and squad value and merchandise sales, as well as places in the following two competitions:

• A place in the 2008 UEFA Super Cup in August versus UEFA Cup winners, Zenit Saint Petersburg, in which €2.8 million will be shared among the two teams.
• A place as Europe's representatives in the 2008 FIFA Club World Cup in Japan against clubs from other confederations.

Bold text The UEFA Cup (also known as European Cup 3, CE3 or C3) is a football competition for European club teams, organized by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA). ... The 2008 UEFA Cup Final will be the 50th edition of the European UEFA Cup football club tournament. ... FC Zenit Saint Petersburg (Russian: ФК Зенит Санкт-Петербург) is a Russian football club from Saint Petersburg. ...

See also

• UEFA Champions League 2007-08
• 2008 UEFA Cup Final

Image File history File links WikiNews-Logo. ... Wikinews is a free-content news source and a project of the Wikimedia Foundation. ... The 2007–08 UEFA Champions League is the 16th season of UEFAs premier European club football tournament, the UEFA Champions League, since it was rebranded in 1992, and the 53rd tournament overall. ... The 2008 UEFA Cup Final will be the 50th edition of the European UEFA Cup football club tournament. ...

References