1999 UEFA Champions League Final

Since neither Manchester United nor Bayern Munich had won their respective leagues in 1997–98, both sides faced a qualifier to enter the 1998–99 Champions League. Manchester United were drawn against Polish champions ŁKS Łódź and won 2–0 on aggregate, goals from Ryan Giggs and Andy Cole in the first leg at Old Trafford giving them the victory.[16][17] Bayern Munich had an easier time against Yugoslavian champions Obilić, winning 4–0 in the first leg at the Olympiastadion with goals from Stefan Effenberg, Giovane Élber, Alexander Zickler and Thorsten Fink, all scored in the space of 17 second-half minutes.[18] In the second leg, played at Partizan's ground in Belgrade, an 88th-minute goal from Lothar Matthäus rescued a 1–1 draw to give Bayern a 5–1 win on aggregate.[19]

In the group stage, Manchester United and Bayern Munich were drawn together in Group D, along with Spanish champions Barcelona and Danish champions Brøndby, in what was soon known as the "group of death".[20] United and Bayern found themselves bottom of the group after the first round of matches, in which Bayern lost 2–1 away to Brøndby after surrendering a 1–0 lead in the last three minutes;[21] United, meanwhile, played out a 3–3 draw at home to Barcelona after twice giving up the lead.[22] The first group stage meeting between United and Bayern took place at the Olympiastadion on matchday 2 and finished in a 2–2 draw; Élber opened the scoring for Bayern before goals from Dwight Yorke and Paul Scholes gave United the lead, only for a Teddy Sheringham own goal – brought about by an error by Peter Schmeichel – to level the scores in the 89th minute.[23]

Matchdays 3 and 4 saw double-headers, with Manchester United taking on Brøndby and Bayern Munich playing Barcelona. Manchester United beat Brøndby 6–2 in their first match at Parken Stadium in Copenhagen,[24] then 5–0 at Old Trafford two weeks later.[25] Bayern also recorded a pair of victories over Barcelona, winning 1–0 at the Olympiastadion[26] and 2–1 at the Camp Nou.[27] On matchday 5, United played their second match against Barcelona – their first trip of the season to the Camp Nou – and again the two sides played out a 3–3 draw.[28] With Bayern beating Brøndby 2–0 at home, the German side moved onto 10 points and took top spot in the group going into the final round of matches, one point ahead of United.[29] Qualification for the quarter-finals was only guaranteed for the group winners,[30] meaning that both United and Bayern had to play for victory in their final match against each other at Old Trafford. United took the lead just before half-time through a Roy Keane strike from just outside the penalty area; however, Hasan Salihamidžić equalised for Bayern in the 55th minute and the game finished as a 1–1 draw. The result meant that Bayern finished as group winners, but United's points total was enough to see them go through as one of the two group runners-up with the best record.[31][32][33]

In the quarter-finals, Bayern Munich were drawn against Group F winners and fellow German side Kaiserslautern, while Manchester United were paired with Group C winners Inter Milan. Two Yorke goals gave United a 2–0 win in their first leg at Old Trafford,[34] while Bayern beat Kaiserslautern by the same scoreline at the Olympiastadion through goals from Élber and Effenberg.[35] In the second leg, Nicola Ventola pulled a goal back for Inter, but Paul Scholes secured United's passage to the semi-finals with a late away goal.[36] Meanwhile, Bayern won convincingly at Kaiserslautern, as goals from Effenberg, Carsten Jancker, Mario Basler and an own goal from Uwe Rösler gave them a 4–0 win, 6–0 on aggregate.[37]

United again came up against Italian opposition in the semi-finals, facing Juventus, who had beaten Greek side Olympiacos in the quarters, and Bayern were drawn against Ukrainian side Dynamo Kyiv, who beat reigning champions Real Madrid to reach the semis. Both first legs finished as draws; Giggs scored in injury time to secure a 1–1 home draw for Manchester United after Antonio Conte had put Juventus ahead midway through the first half,[38] while Bayern also had to come from behind to draw 3–3 in Kyiv.[39] A single goal from Basler proved the difference between Bayern and Dynamo in the second leg, giving the Germans a 4–3 aggregate win.[40] Manchester United fell behind early in the second leg in Turin, as Filippo Inzaghi scored twice in the first 11 minutes. Goals from Keane and Yorke before half-time levelled the tie but gave United the advantage on away goals, before Cole secured victory with the winning goal seven minutes from time.[41]

The capacity of the Camp Nou stadium was reduced from over 100,000 to 92,000 for the final.

The Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona, Spain, was selected as the venue for the final at a meeting of the UEFA Executive Committee in Lisbon, Portugal, on 6 October 1998.[42] The selection process had begun more than four months earlier, in May 1998, when FC Barcelona submitted the Camp Nou as a contender to host the match in recognition of the club's centenary year.[43] The other venues in contention to host the match were London's Wembley Stadium and Marseille's Stade Vélodrome, but the Camp Nou was considered by UEFA's Stadiums Commission to be the favourite for its superior security, comfort and capacity.[44] The Camp Nou had hosted one previous European Cup final: Italian club Milan's 4–0 victory over Steaua București of Romania in 1989. It had also hosted two Cup Winners' Cup finals, in 1972 and 1982; the latter was won on home turf by Barcelona.[45]

The Camp Nou was constructed over three years from 1954 to 1957 as a replacement for Barcelona's previous home, the nearby Camp de Les Corts.[46] The original capacity of the Camp Nou was just over 93,000,[46] but its first major European final, the 1972 Cup Winners' Cup Final, was attended by just 35,000 spectators.[47] 1982 was the stadium's busiest year to date, hosting not only the 1982 Cup Winners' Cup Final, but also five matches at the FIFA World Cup, including the opening match, all three matches in Group A of the second group stage and the semi-final between Poland and Italy. Subsequent renovations meant that by 1999, the stadium's capacity had reached 115,000.[46]

Due to UEFA regulations regarding standing at football matches, the Camp Nou's terraced sections were closed for the 1999 Champions League Final, reducing the capacity to approximately 92,000. Of these, around two-thirds were reserved for the two finalist clubs (approximately 30,000 tickets each). The remaining third was divided between fans of FC Barcelona (around 7,500 tickets), UEFA, and competition sponsors.[48] After an initial announcement that the clubs would only receive 25,000 tickets each, the Independent Manchester United Supporters Association (IMUSA) called that figure "ridiculous", claiming it would push black market prices to "astronomical levels"; the group's spokesman, Lee Hodgkiss, suggested a figure closer to 50,000 would be more appropriate, given the stadium's usual capacity of around 115,000.[49] Despite the club receiving only 30,000 tickets, it was estimated that up to 100,000 Manchester United fans travelled to Barcelona for the final, paying around £300 for flights and around £1,000 for match tickets.[50] Many were able to buy tickets from touts, who had paid up to £400 to buy from Barcelona fans who had bought through their club for the equivalent of £28.[51]

As well as reducing the capacity of the stadium, UEFA also mandated that the Camp Nou pitch be narrowed by 4 metres (13 ft) from 72 metres (236 ft) to 68 metres (223 ft), to match UEFA's 'standard' pitch size.[52]

Pierluigi Collina was the referee for the match.

The match referee was Pierluigi Collina of the Italian Football Federation. Collina was promoted to the FIFA International Referees list in 1995, and took charge of his first UEFA Cup matches in the 1995–96 season. He had only refereed eight Champions League matches before the 1999 final, three of which came in the group stage earlier in the season, including the match between Barcelona and Bayern Munich at the Camp Nou on 4 November 1998; however, he had also taken charge of four matches at the 1996 Summer Olympics, including the final between Nigeria and Argentina, and two group stage matches at the 1998 FIFA World Cup.[53] Collina was supported by fellow Italian officials Gennaro Mazzei and Claudio Puglisi as assistant referees, and fourth official Fiorenzo Treossi.[54]

One of the Nike NK 800 Geo balls used for the final

The match ball for the final was the Nike NK 800 Geo, a white ball with a standard 32-panel design. It featured a large "swoosh" across two adjacent hexagonal panels with the Champions League logo on a pentagonal panel above, and a pattern of five-pointed stars similar to those used in the UEFA Champions League logo over the entire surface of the ball.[55]

As both Manchester United and Bayern Munich's primary kits featured significant amounts of red, UEFA regulations about kit clashes would normally have required both teams to wear their change kits. However, the two clubs felt it would have been a shame for neither to wear their traditional colours, and they agreed to toss a coin to see who would have first choice. Manchester United won the toss and therefore wore their usual European colours of red shirts, white shorts and white socks, while Bayern wore silver shirts, shorts and socks, all with maroon trim.[56]

The opening ceremony featured inflatable versions of recognisable Barcelona landmarks.

Prior to kick-off, opera singer Montserrat Caballé – moving around the field on the back of a golf cart[57] – performed a live version of "Barcelona", a song she recorded with the late Queen lead singer Freddie Mercury in 1987, accompanied by a recording of Mercury on the stadium's electronic screen.[58] The opening ceremony featured inflatable versions of some of Barcelona's most recognisable landmarks,[59] as well as flag-bearers waving flags of the crests of the participating teams. Bayern Munich's fans, meanwhile, created a tifo of the name of their team with thousands of coloured cards.[59]

Midfielders Paul Scholes (left) and Roy Keane were both suspended for the final.

Manchester United left England two days before the final, first flying from Manchester Ringway Airport to Heathrow,[60] where they boarded a Concorde aircraft for the flight to Barcelona.[61] They stayed in the Meliá Gran hotel in the town of Sitges, about 20 miles (32 kilometres) down the coast south-west of Barcelona.[62] Captain Roy Keane and midfielder Paul Scholes both missed out on the final due to suspension; manager Alex Ferguson had originally considered selecting Giggs to join Nicky Butt in central midfield, but ultimately picked David Beckham as a player who could help the team control possession in the middle of the pitch,[52] with Giggs on the right wing and Jesper Blomqvist starting on the left.[63] Keane had suffered an ankle injury in the FA Cup final that would keep him out until the start of the following season,[64] but his suspension rendered the injury irrelevant to his selection.[65] Norwegian defender Henning Berg also missed out through injury, meaning that his compatriot Ronny Johnsen – who had been an early contender to play alongside Butt in midfield[66] – played in central defence alongside Jaap Stam, who overcame an Achilles injury.[67] With Keane out, goalkeeper Schmeichel – who in November 1998 had announced his intention to leave Manchester United at the end of the season[68] – was named as captain for his final Manchester United appearance;[69] this meant that both sides were captained by their goalkeepers, as Oliver Kahn wore the armband for Bayern.[70] As Manchester United's top two goalscorers throughout the season, Cole and Yorke started up front, leaving Sheringham – who had played a part in both goals in the FA Cup Final a few days earlier – on the bench. Also on the bench were fellow striker Ole Gunnar Solskjær, back-up goalkeeper Raimond van der Gouw, defenders David May, Phil Neville and Wes Brown, and midfielder Jonathan Greening.

Bayern coach Ottmar Hitzfeld announced his team's line-up for the final two full days ahead of the match.[71] Injuries also impacted on his selections, with French left-back Bixente Lizarazu and Brazilian forward Élber having suffered season-ending knee injuries.[72][73] Élber's absence resulted in Bayern playing a three-man attack of Basler, Jancker and Zickler, while Lizarazu was replaced on the left flank by Michael Tarnat playing in a wing-back role opposite Markus Babbel on the right.[74] Babbel was originally intended to play a man-marking role on Giggs, with his defensive abilities earning him selection ahead of the more attack-minded Thomas Strunz;[71] however, this was nullified by Giggs' selection on the right wing, where he would play against Tarnat. The Bayern defence was anchored around sweeper Matthäus, who played behind Thomas Linke and Ghana international Samuel Kuffour – the only non-German in the Bayern side (by comparison, Manchester United had four Englishmen in their team); Linke and Kuffour's partnership at centre-back meant club captain Thomas Helmer had to settle for a place on the bench.[70] Effenberg and Jens Jeremies played in central midfield for Bayern, with Jeremies man-marking Beckham.[75]

The teams line up ahead of kick-off.

Six minutes into the match, Johnsen fouled Bayern striker Jancker just outside the area,[76] and Basler placed a low free kick around the United wall to score the first goal, as Schmeichel was caught flat-footed.[76] Although they were now a goal down, United began to dominate possession, but failed to create any clear-cut chances. The Bayern defence remained strong and well-organised, as Cole found out when his close-range effort was quickly closed down by three defenders.[76] As Bayern began to look increasingly dangerous on the counter-attack than their opponents did in possession, Jancker repeatedly tested the United back four with a number of clever runs, some of which were flagged offside.

Cole once again found himself with a chance in the Bayern box, but goalkeeper Kahn hurried out of his goal to punch the ball to safety. At the other end, Basler came close with another free kick before Zickler sent a shot just wide from the edge of the box. As half-time approached, United winger Giggs, playing out of position on the right, sent a weak header towards Kahn from a Cole cross, but that was as close as they were to come to a goal in the first half.

The German team started the second half in a more positive mood, with Jancker forcing a save from Schmeichel within a minute after the restart.[76] Basler was proving to be Bayern's most dangerous player, first firing a 30-yard shot towards goal and then setting up a header for Babbel, who missed the ball entirely. United put together an attack when, after a healthy period of possession, Giggs crossed towards Blomqvist, who could only knock the ball over the bar after a desperate stretch.[76] Another chance for Basler prompted Ferguson to bring on Sheringham.[76] Hitzfeld responded with a substitution of his own, bringing on Mehmet Scholl, who immediately set up Effenberg for a long-range shot that went narrowly wide. Schmeichel kept his side in the game when tipping another Effenberg shot over the bar after 75 minutes.[76][77] Scholl then almost scored from a delicate 20-yard chip after a run from Basler, but the ball bounced back off the post and into Schmeichel's arms.[76] With the game seemingly drifting away from the English side, Ferguson introduced Solskjær with 10 minutes remaining.[76][77] The substitute immediately forced Kahn into a diving save with a header; it was the closest United had come to scoring all game.[76] A minute later, Bayern missed a chance to secure the trophy, when an overhead kick from Jancker came off the crossbar.[76] As the game crept into the last five minutes, United's two substitutes forced Kahn into more saves, firstly through a Sheringham volley and then from another Solskjær header.[78]

United won a corner just as the fourth official indicated three minutes of injury time, and with so little time left for an equaliser, Schmeichel ventured up to Bayern's penalty area. Beckham flighted the corner in just over Schmeichel's head, Yorke put the ball back towards the crowded area, and after Fink failed to clear sufficiently, the ball arrived at the feet of Giggs on the edge of the area. His right-footed snap-shot was weak and poorly struck, but it went straight to Sheringham, who swiped at the shot with his right foot, and nestled the ball in the bottom corner of the net. The goal was timed at 36 seconds into injury time. It looked as if, having been behind for most of the match, United had forced extra time.

Less than 30 seconds after the subsequent kick-off, United forced another corner, but Schmeichel stayed in his penalty area this time, under instruction from Ferguson. Beckham again swung the corner in, finding the head of Sheringham, who nodded the ball down across the face of goal. Solskjær reacted fastest, stuck out a foot and poked the ball into the roof of the Bayern goal for United to take the lead with just 43 seconds of the three minutes of injury time to play. Solskjær celebrated by sliding on his knees, mimicking Basler's earlier celebration, before quickly being mobbed by the United players, substitutes and coaching staff.[80] Schmeichel, in his own penalty area, cartwheeled with glee.[81]

The game restarted, but many Bayern players were overwhelmed with despair, virtually unable to continue and needed the assistance of referee Collina to drag themselves off the ground.[82] They were stunned to have lost a game they had thought won just minutes before (several celebratory flares had already been ignited by the Bayern fans moments before United equalised, and ribbons in the club's colours had already been secured to the trophy itself in preparation for the presentation ceremony).[83] United held onto their lead to record their second European Cup title,[84] and at the final whistle, referee Collina described the cheers from the fans as being like a "lion's roar".[85] Kuffour broke down in tears after the game, beating the floor in despair, and Jancker collapsed in anguish.[86] Matthäus had captained Bayern in the 1987 European Cup Final and lost in similar circumstances to two late Porto goals. He had been substituted with 10 minutes remaining, with victory seemingly assured.[87]