The 2003 UEFA Champions League final was a football match that took place at Old Trafford in Manchester, England on 28 May 2003 to decide the winner of the 2002–03 UEFA Champions League. The match was contested by two Italian teams: Juventus and Milan. The match made history as it was the first time two clubs from Italy had faced each other in the final. It was also the second intra-national final of the competition, following the all-Spanish 2000 UEFA Champions League final between Real Madrid and Valencia three years earlier. Milan won the match 3–2 via a penalty shoot-out after the game had finished 0–0 after extra time. It gave Milan their sixth success in the European Cup.
Background The match was the first time two clubs from Italy had faced each other in the final; the second intra-national final of the competition, following the all-Spanish 2000 UEFA Champions League final between Real Madrid and Valencia.
Milan reached their ninth final and lost only two matches (Dortmund 1–0, and Real Madrid 3–1). In the semi-finals, they met local rivals Inter Milan; both matches finished equal (0–0; 1–1), but Milan advanced on the away goals rule. Previously Milan won finals in 1963, 1969, 1989, 1990 and 1994, and lost in 1958, 1993 and 1995.
Juventus reached their seventh final. In the semi-final, Juventus met Real Madrid; they lost the first match (2–1), but they won the second (3–1). Key midfielder Pavel Nedvěd picked up a yellow card in the second leg, for a total of three in the tournament, triggering his suspension for the final. Juventus instead deployed Mauro Camoranesi. Previously Juventus won finals in 1985 and 1996, and lost in 1973, 1983, 1997, 1998.
Juventus entered the final as 2002–03 Serie A winners, for the 27th time, and ahead of third placed Milan, as well as 2002 Supercoppa Italiana winners. Milan won the 2002–03 Coppa Italia after defeating Roma in the final.
Venue
Old Trafford, the home of Manchester United, was selected to host the match in December 2001, following a meeting of the UEFA Executive Committee in Nyon, Switzerland, at the same time as Estadio de La Cartuja in Seville was selected to host the 2003 UEFA Cup Final. It was selected ahead of the likes of the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium in Madrid, the Stade de France in Saint-Denis near Paris, and the Amsterdam Arena.
It would be the first time the stadium had hosted a major European final, although it had been the venue for both the two-legged 1968 Intercontinental Cup between Manchester United and Argentine club Estudiantes de La Plata, and the 1991 European Super Cup between Manchester United and Yugoslavian club Red Star Belgrade, which had been scheduled to be played over two legs, only for the Yugoslavian leg to be cancelled due to the wars in the country at the time.
The stadium had recently undergone a major expansion; following the mandatory conversion to an all-seater venue as a result of the Taylor Report and ahead of England hosting UEFA Euro 1996, the stadium's North Stand was expanded to three tiers, with a capacity of 25,500 spectators. This was followed by the addition of second tiers to the East and West Stands, which brought the overall capacity of the stadium to 68,217.
As has taken place for every Champions League final since 1997, a ceremonial handover of the European Champion Clubs' Cup from the holders to the host city took place on 3 April 2003. After receiving the trophy from a representative of holders Real Madrid in the ceremony at the Manchester Town Hall, UEFA Chief Executive Gerhard Aigner presented it to the Lord Mayor of Manchester, Roy Walters. Former Real Madrid players Alfredo Di Stéfano, Francisco Gento, Amancio and Emilio Butragueño, as were Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson, members of the club's 1968 European Cup final team, and members of Liverpool and Manchester City's past European trophy-winning teams.
Also in April 2003, a 24-hour football match – named the "Starball Match" in reference to the logo of the UEFA Champions League – was played in Manchester's Albert Square. It was the second Starball Match, after the inaugural match was held in Glasgow ahead of the 2002 UEFA Champions League final at Hampden Park. Over 1,000 players participated in the match, playing for sides named "Internazionale Manchester" and "Real Mancunian", in reference to Italian club Inter Milan and Spanish club Real Madrid. Internazionale Manchester won the match 252–162.
Route to the final
JuventusRound MilanOpponentAgg.1st leg2nd legQualifying phaseOpponentAgg.1st leg2nd legByeThird qualifying round Slovan Liberec2–2 (a)1–0 (H)1–2 (A)OpponentResultFirst group stageOpponentResult Feyenoord1–1 (A)Matchday 1 Lens2–1 (H) Dynamo Kyiv5–0 (H)Matchday 2 Deportivo La Coruña4–0 (A) Newcastle United2–0 (H)Matchday 3 Bayern Munich2–1 (A) Newcastle United0–1 (A)Matchday 4 Bayern Munich2–1 (H) Feyenoord2–0 (H)Matchday 5 Lens1–2 (A) Dynamo Kyiv2–1 (A)Matchday 6 Deportivo La Coruña1–2 (H)Group E winnersFinal standingsGroup G winnersOpponentResultSecond group stageOpponentResult Deportivo La Coruña2–2 (A)Matchday 1 Real Madrid1–0 (H) Basel4–0 (H)Matchday 2 Borussia Dortmund1–0 (A) Manchester United1–2 (A)Matchday 3 Lokomotiv Moscow1–0 (H) Manchester United0–3 (H)Matchday 4 Lokomotiv Moscow1–0 (A) Deportivo La Coruña3–2 (H)Matchday 5 Real Madrid1–3 (A) Basel1–2 (A)Matchday 6 Borussia Dortmund0–1 (H)Group D runners-upFinal standingsGroup C winnersOpponentAgg.1st leg2nd legKnockout phaseOpponentAgg.1st leg2nd leg Barcelona3–21–1 (H)2–1 (A)Quarter-finals Ajax3–20–0 (A)3–2 (H) Real Madrid4–31–2 (A)3–1 (H)Semi-finals Inter Milan1–1 (a)0–0 (H)1–1 (A)
Match Summary
Refereed by Markus Merk, the final was a tactical match with both teams playing solid defensively. In the 9th minute, Andriy Shevchenko slipped in a back pass from Filippo Inzaghi who scored the goal for Milan, but was ruled offside as Rui Costa was found to obscure Juventus goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon's view. Later in the half, Inzaghi created danger with a hard and fast header that Buffon reflexively saved. At the end of the first half, Juventus' Igor Tudor was replaced by Alessandro Birindelli due to injury.
In the second half, Juventus coach Marcello Lippi replaced Mauro Camoranesi with Antonio Conte, who later struck the crossbar. Marcelo Zalayeta was the final substitution for Juventus, while Milan subbed on Massimo Ambrosini, Roque Júnior and Serginho; Juventus strengthened the attack, while Milan strengthened the flanks and the midfield.
The match ended 0–0 after regulation time. In the 95th minute, Roque Júnior was injured, but Milan having used all substitutions, remained on the pitch, while Juventus lacked attacking conviction and were unable to capitalize. After extra-time, the match remained 0–0 and went to penalty shoot-out. Dida saved Trezeguet's penalty, the first shooter of the penalty takers. After Serginho scored for Milan and Birindelli the subsequent penalty for Juventus, Buffon saved Clarence Seedorf's shot. Zalayeta and Paolo Montero consecutively had their penalties saved by Dida, while Buffon saved Kakha Kaladze's shot. Alessandro Nesta then scored for Milan and Alessandro Del Piero for Juventus, Shevchenko then had the chance to score the decisive penalty, and did; Milan won by a score of 3–2. This gave Milan their sixth European Cup, nine years after their last continental success. Paolo Maldini was named man of the match at the end of the final, and lifted the European Cup as captain of Milan, just as his father Cesare Maldini had done exactly 40 years earlier.
Details
GK 1 Gianluigi BuffonRB 21 Lilian ThuramCB 2 Ciro FerraraCB 5 Igor Tudor LB 4 Paolo MonteroRM 16 Mauro Camoranesi CM 3 Alessio Tacchinardi CM 26 Edgar Davids LM 19 Gianluca ZambrottaCF 17 David TrezeguetCF 10 Alessandro Del Piero (c) Substitutes:GK 12 Antonio ChimentiDF 7 Gianluca PessottoDF 13 Mark IulianoDF 15 Alessandro Birindelli MF 8 Antonio Conte FW 24 Marco Di VaioFW 25 Marcelo Zalayeta Manager: Marcello Lippi GK 12 DidaRB 19 Alessandro Costacurta CB 13 Alessandro NestaCB 3 Paolo Maldini (c)LB 4 Kakha KaladzeRM 8 Gennaro GattusoCM 21 Andrea Pirlo LM 20 Clarence SeedorfAM 10 Rui Costa CF 7 Andriy ShevchenkoCF 9 Filippo InzaghiSubstitutes:GK 18 Christian AbbiatiDF 24 Martin LaursenDF 25 Roque Júnior MF 23 Massimo Ambrosini MF 27 Serginho MF 32 Cristian BrocchiFW 11 RivaldoManager: Carlo Ancelotti
Man of the Match: Paolo Maldini (Milan)
Assistant referees: Christian Schräer (Germany) Heiner Müller (Germany) Fourth official: Wolfgang Stark (Germany)Match rules 90 minutes. 30 minutes of silver goal extra time if necessary. Penalty shoot-out if scores still level. Seven named substitutes. Maximum of three substitutions.
Statistics
+First halfStatisticJuventusMilanGoals scored00Total shots45Shots on target13Ball possession46%54%Corner kicks27Fouls committed1213Offsides04Yellow cards01Red cards00
+Second half and extra timeStatisticJuventusMilanGoals scored00Total shots79Shots on target13Ball possession51%49%Corner kicks36Fouls committed2210Offsides12Yellow cards20Red cards00
+OverallStatisticJuventusMilanGoals scored00Total shots1114Shots on target26Ball possession49%51%Corner kicks513Fouls committed3423Offsides16Yellow cards21Red cards00
Post-match and legacy
Juventus collected their third defeat in the competition under Lippi's management. Juventus was criticised for being to be too dependent on Nedvěd, which struggled in his absence, as well as for Lippi's tactical choices.
The teams would again meet in a feature final several months later in the 2003 Supercoppa Italiana in the United States. The game again required penalties to determine the winners, this time, however, Juventus came out on top.
On 28 May 2023, the 20th anniversary of this final, both teams coincidentally met on the penultimate matchday of their Serie A domestic league, with Milan once again prevailing over Juventus in a 1–0 away victory in Turin. Out of all players and technical staff from both teams that were also present 20 years ago, only Paolo Maldini was still involved with his club as a technical director at the time, shortly before his resignation in early June. Ironically, Pavel Nedvěd, suspended for the 2003 final through accumulation of yellow cards, had also been suspended from his executive duties at Juventus for 8 months in January 2023 due to his club's involvement in violations of financial fair play, and therefore could not attend the game.
See also 2003 UEFA Cup final 2003 UEFA Super Cup 2003 Intercontinental Cup 2003 UEFA Women's Cup final 2002–03 AC Milan season 2002–03 Juventus FC season AC Milan in international football Italian football clubs in international competitions Juventus FC–AC Milan rivalry Juventus FC in international football
References
External links Official Site (Archived)