The UEFA Champions League: 20 Finals, 20 Unforgettable Moments

In 1992, the European Cup was revamped, reorganized and renamed. The product of this process was the UEFA Champions League; the pinnacle of European club football.

This year, Bayern Munich face Chelsea in what will be the competition's 20th final, the 20th occasion that two teams play the biggest game in their history, and the 20th time that fans are spoiled with unforgettable moments from the world's greatest players.

With this in mind, it is fitting to remember some of the greatest moments that this wonderful competition has produced.

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Munich, 1993: Boli Stuns Milan

The first final pitted Olympique Marseille of France against the mighty A.C. Milan of Italy. A.C. Milan were widely accepted as the world's greatest team at the time, boasting the likes of Maldini, Baresi, van Basten, Papin and Rijkaard, having retained the title three years earlier. 

Meanwhile, Marseille were engulfed in one of football's biggest ever scandals in which they were found guilty of bribing their opponents to lose on the final day of the Ligue 1 season.

During the competition, Milan won every single match they played whilst Marseille narrowly pipped Rangers to win their semi-final group, drawing four games along the way.

However, on the stroke of half-time, center back Basile Boli scored for the French side. The goal itself unmemorable, it's significance anything but. Marseille endured a difficult time after this final, being relegated before the 1993-94 season began, but none of their fans will ever forget this historic upset.

Athens, 1994: Two in a Row for Desailly

The second final saw Milan return to UEFA's showpiece event, but their condition going into the match was rather different. This time they were the underdogs.

Fortunately for the Italians, the result was also different. 

Barcelona had just won their fourth consecutive La Liga title, and had won the European cup in 1992, whereas Milan were without Baresi, Lentini, Costacurta and van Basten, and were only allowed to start three of their various non-Italian stars.

Ultimately, we saw a second consecutive upset, as Milan ran out 4-0 winners, but arguably the most memorable part of this final was Marcel Desailly becoming the first player to win consecutive European Cups with two different teams, showing the immense influence Desailly had on the pitch.

Vienna, 1995: Rijkaard Haunts Milan

The 1995 final saw two of Europe's most famous clubs pitted against each other, as Milan made their third consecutive appearance, while Ajax were hoping to win their first European Cup since 1973.

In a tense affair, Frank Rijkaard, who devoted five years to Milan, played an intricate pass to young sensation Patrick Kluivert, who ruthlessly finished past Rossi with only five minutes remaining.

This was also the first final to feature corporate sponsors on shirts.

Rome, 1996: Jugovic Keeps His Cool

The 1996 final once again pitted the reigning champions against a fellow European giant, as Ajax faced Juventus.

Two mediocre goals in the first half left fans begging for more in the second period, but the second half was no improvement. 

However, the excitement level went into overdrive at the end of the match, as fans prepared to witness the first final to be decided on penalties since 1991.

When Sonny Silooy missed Ajax's fourth penalty, all the pressure was on Vladimir Jugovic to convert his spot kick, and the Serbian duly dispatched. The consequent outpouring of emotion summed up the significance of this moment for Juventus and their followers 

Munich, 1997: Ricken's Stunning Introduction

For the third straight year, the competition's defending champion found themselves in the final. For the third straight year, they lost.

The 1997 final was considered a huge upset, as Borussia Dortmund won their first title against one of Juventus' greatest ever sides.

Additionally, Paulo Sousa joined Marcel Desailly in winning the competition two years in a row, with two different clubs.

But the most unforgettable moment of the final was undoubtedly Lars Ricken's goal. Having seen their lead cut in half by Juventus, Dortmund brought off striker Chapuisat for midfielder Ricken in the 70th minute. Within seconds, Ricken received the ball and, with his very first touch, chipped Peruzzi to score one of the finest goals ever seen in a European Cup final. Simply magic.

Amsterdam, 1998: Mijatovic Restores Madrid's Pride

Real Madrid may have won six European Cups before this final, but this does not tell the whole story.

In many ways, Madrid were considered underachievers in Europe. Despite being the world's biggest club, their last success was 32 years earlier, since then the competition and prestige surrounding the trophy had greatly improved.

In Madrid's way were Juventus, who emulated Milan by reaching three consecutive finals. They also emulated Milan by winning only one.

In a competitive final, in which seven players were booked, Madrid finally broke the deadlock with 20 minutes remaining, as Pedrag Mijatovic cooly rounded Peruzi to end Madrid's drought.

The significance of this goal was unparalleled; it propelled Madrid to newfound heights, and was a catalyst in the development of the Galacticos, a project which started two years later. 

Barcelona, 1999: The Craziest Stoppage Time Ever?

The 1999 final matched up two treble chasing teams: Manchester United and Bayern Munich.

After a colossal effort against Juventus in the semi-finals, Manchester United were short of their two central midfielders: Scholes and Keane, and were considered slight underdogs.

First blood went to the Bavarians when Mario Basler fired past Peter Schmeichel after six minutes. 

Despite twice hitting the woodwork, it appeared as though Bayern had done enough to secure their first title since 1976.

In the 91st minute, a David Beckham corner fell to Ryan Giggs, whose weak shot landed at the feet of Teddy Sheringham, who clinically buried his shot.

Despite the psychological boost, extra time was not an attractive option for United. Many of their players were running on empty, and there were no realistic options on the bench.

As it happened, this was not an issue, as another Beckham corner, in the 93rd minute, found Solskjær, who prodded home United's winner.

Both Pierluigi Collina and the UEFA president called this the most memorable match they had witnessed, and it's tough to disagree.

Paris, 2000: Steve McManaman, Pride of England

Despite being the first final to ever feature two teams from the same country, the highlight of this one-sided match was surprisingly supplied by an Englishman, not a Spaniard. 

Real Madrid, seeking their second win in three years, comfortably defeated Valencia with goals from Morientes and Raul, but sandwiched in between these two straightforward finishes was a memorable volley from Liverpool's own Steve McManaman.

The 2000 final may have lacked the drama of its 1999 counterpart, but this goal in itself eclipsed those of United and Bayern.

Milan, 2001: King Kahn

Valencia made their second consecutive appearance in the final, and although they were soundly beaten a year earlier, they were a stronger team this time round, boasting Gaizka Mendieta—arguably Europe's best player that season.

Bayern also had a strong team which had retained its Bundesliga title, and was looking to avenge the heartbreak they suffered two years earlier.

It did not take long for Valencia to outdo the previous year's effort by scoring a penalty after two minutes.

No less than 16 penalties followed after this, including two more in regular time, one which Bayern missed, one which they scored.

During the shootout, the imperious Oliver Kahn proved the difference, as he saved three Valencia penalties to avenge their loss in 1999.

Glasgow, 2002: Zidane!

Real Madrid were heavy favorites for this match, having won two of the previous four finals, whilst Bayer Leverkusen had never even reached a final. 

However, Leverkusen came through Barcelona, Lyon, Arsenal, Juventus, Liverpool and Manchester United to reach the final while Madrid had a comparatively more manageable route to the final. Madrid had also underachieved domestically, failing to win La Liga.

After Lucio quickly neutralized Raul's opener an upset was on the cards.

That was until Zinedine Zidane stepped up.

The French maestro hit Roberto Carlos's free kick with unbelievable technique, on his weaker foot, to win the match, and also the trophy.

This was Zidane's only winner's medal, having lost two finals with Juventus, but what a way to earn it.

Manchester, 2003: Shevchenko, Prince of Ukraine

For the second time in four seasons, the final was a national derby, but this time the flavour was pasta, not paella. 

Juventus had comfortably won the league that season, while Milan were far behind the Turin club, finishing fourth.

Having had his worst season in Milan, legendary striker Andriy Shevchenko suffered more frustration as his first half goal was wrongly disallowed.

The match finished 0-0, and was fairly bland. After Juve missed three penalties, the weight of the world was on Shevchenko to win Milan their sixth title, in his way was the world's No. 1 goalkeeper.

What followed was one of the coolest penalties you will ever see, and Shevchenko became the first Ukranian player to win the Champions League.

Gelsenkirchen, 2004: Enter Jose Mourinho

This final was probably the most unique of the Champions League era, in that it featured two unfancied teams, neither of which was from Spain, England, Italy or Germany.

There were certainly key moments during the match: Deco's masterful performance, Giuly's crushing injury, and Porto's quickfire double to kill the game off.

But undoubtedly the most memorable and significant detail of this match happened shortly after the match had ended, when Porto's 41-year-old manager, Jose Mourinho, was appointed by Chelsea.

In his first press-conference, he gave himself the immortal nickname 'the special one', and the rest is history.

Istanbul, 2005: Where to Start?

The greatest final of all time. 

That is the title attributed to this breathtaking display of football. Down 3-0 after 54 minutes, Liverpool leveled the match by the hour mark, driven primarily by their inspirational captain, Steven Gerrard.

I could run through all the memorable moments of this match, but this is an article, not a book.

For me, the defining memory of this match was late, late in extra time. Despite their momentum, Milan was the superior side, and they had players like Kaka, Crespo and Shevchenko that could score at any moment. Liverpool, conversely, gave the impression that they were running on fumes. 

After saving Shevchenko's point-blank header, the ball bounced off Dudek and fell straight back to the Ukranian, who was a mere two yards out. Game over?

Quite the contrary. Dudek miraculously and hilariously got his face in between the ball and the goal, and that was the moment everyone watching the game knew that this was Liverpool's trophy.

The save was as memorable as it was fortunate. 

Paris, 2006: Mad Jens Makes History

The 2006 final saw my beloved Arsenal make their only appearance in a final to date, as well as becoming the first side to represent London in a European Cup final.

Most pundits came to the conclusion that the head said Barcelona, but the heart said Arsenal. After all, the former did boast the world's best player, Ronaldinho, as well as Samuel Eto'o: Thierry Henry's only real rival for the title of world's best striker. Meanwhile, Arsenal had reached the final through a tough league campaign, and a defensive crisis which affected most of the previous rounds. They were also saying farewell to Highbury at the end of the season.

Arsenal took the lead and frustrated Barcelona with a disciplined game-plan, before the Catalans surprised the Londoners with their wild-card: Henrik Larsson. The Swede added a new dynamic to Barca's attack and two late goals ultimately won them the match.

Arsenal were left wondering what might have been if Lehmann had not been the first player to be sent off in a final, forcing them to play most of the game with 10 men. Without their main creative force, Robert Pires, who was sacrificed for Manuel Almunia, mistakes were made to allow both Barca goals.

Athens, 2007: Milan's Revenge

After experiencing surely the worst moment in their collective careers two years earlier, Milan's players were hungry for red blood when they faced Liverpool in a rematch of the 2005 final.

Whilst it predictably failed to reach the heights of its predecessor, this match still flirted with the romantic side of football when Dirk Kuyt pulled a goal back for Liverpool, who had been shell-shocked by two predatory finishes by Pippo Inzaghi.

However, Milan had long since gone into lock-down, Italian Style, and an equalizer was never really within reach.

Milan lifting the trophy was a refreshing sight for Italian football, whose name had been tarnished by the Calciopoli  scandal. This, coupled with a World Cup win, reminded us that Italy may be a little down, but certainly not out.

Moscow, 2008: Heartbreak for Terry

Chelsea had endured a tough season, as the iconic Jose Mourinho had left the club earlier in the campaign. After finally conquering Liverpool in the semi-final, this was Chelsea's moment. The final was in Roman Abramovich's back yard. They had come from behind, just as they had done all season while they faced, and defeated adversity as Drogba was sent off in extra time, Petr Cech saved a penalty from Cristiano Ronaldo, the world's best player, and their captain, John Terry, Mr. Chelsea, was to take the match-winning penalty. This was to be the greatest moment in Chelsea's history.

Sadly for the Blues, JT didn't read the script, and slipped in the Russian mud just as he made contact with the ball.

Four more penalties were taken afterwards, but it was a formality, Chelsea was a beaten team, and Manchester United won the first ever all-English final.

Rome, 2009: Big Things Come in Small Packages

The 2009 final was one of the most eagerly anticipated finals ever. For the first time in 10 years the final was contested by the winners of their domestic leagues: Barcelona and Manchester United.

These two teams were by far the best in Europe, and all eyes were on Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. Though they had met a year earlier in the semis, both players had improved since then (particularly the Argentine), and this was the first time they were unofficially accepted as being in a league of their own—a consensus which has further solidified since this match.

Surprisingly, the match was very one-sided, with Manchester United taking it to Barca in the first 10 minutes, and Barca dominating for the rest.

The most memorable moment of this match was surely Lionel Messi's 70th minute goal, where the 5'7" attacker rose above Rio Ferdinand (6'3") and Edwin van der Sar (6'6") to head home his first goal against English opposition, and put the result beyond doubt. 

Madrid, 2010: Mourinho's Transcendence

The 2010 final between Internazionale and Bayern Munich wasn't a bad final, but it was probably the least memorable one in a while (admittedly, the bar was set rather high).

Two good goals from Diego Milito secured the trophy for a defensively-minded Inter side, who counter-attacked very effectively.

However, as was the case in 2004. The implications of the result for Jose Mourinho were perhaps of greater significance than the match itself.

Before winning this Champions League, Mourinho was considered an excellent manager. However, after masterminding Inter's dethroning of Barcelona and subsequent final win, Mourinho propelled himself to the status of a true football god, making him one of the greatest coaches the beautiful game has ever seen.

London, 2011: Barca Show Their Greatness, Abidal Shows His

As in 2009, this final was eagerly anticipated. Many fans believed that Manchester United had learned from their mistakes in 2009, and through a counter-attacking style that Barcelona are unaccustomed to facing, an upset was possible.

As in 2009, this final was surprisingly one-sided. United started energetically, but petered out quickly. By the time Pedro scored, United's players had been chasing shadows for awhile. Despite an admirable rally culminating in a Rooney goal, Barcelona's machine was too well-oiled for the Red Devils to handle and they ultimately succumbed to Los Cules.

What I remember most from this match was the emotional return of Eric Abidal, who had been gravely ill just a few months earlier. As if starting the match wasn't enough, Abidal was able to complete the full 90 minutes. Barcelona showed their class by handing him the captain's armband, which allowed him to be the first one to hoist the trophy.

There wasn't a dry eye in the house.

Munich, 2012: Anything Can Happen

Bayern will become the first team to play the Champions League Final in their own stadium. Chelsea will bid to bring the trophy to London for the first time, but the Blues will also endeavor to prove that they are not cursed in this competition, given the heartache they have suffered in years gone by. Bayern, on the other hand, will look to avenge their finals loss two years earlier.

If the Champions League Final has taught us one thing, it is to expect the unexpected.