Liverpool Return to Istanbul but Where Are the Champions League 2005 Heroes Now?
Liverpool's Europa League second-leg tie against Besiktas on Thursday night will see the Reds return to the Ataturk Stadium; the venue of their 2005 Champions League final triumph.
That famous night, in which Liverpool came from three goals down to equalise and then defeat Carlo Ancelotti's AC Milan on penalties. It still ranks as one of the greatest, if not the greatest, finals in the history of the sport.
Just five of the 14 Liverpool players who took to the field that night are still playing, with Steven Gerrard the only player still at Liverpool.
On the eve of the club's return to the Ataturk Stadium 10 years on, we look at where the heroes of that wonderful night in Istanbul are now.
Jerzy Dudek
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Jerzy Dudek's Bruce Grobbelaar-esque "jelly legs" to help Liverpool to their penalty shootout victory that night became iconic, but it was to be his last match for the club—replaced by Pepe Reina.
After retiring from football in 2011, Dudek settled in Krakow, Poland, as per Sportowetempo.pl (in Polish).
Steve Finnan
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Steve Finnan didn't enjoy the best of the final in 2005—substituted off at half-time with Liverpool 3-0 down.
He left Anfield in 2007, going on to play for Espanyol and Portsmouth and is still the only player to have played in the World Cup, Champions League, UEFA Cup, Intertoto Cup, all four levels of the English Football League and the Football Conference, according to Sports Pundit.
He retired from football in 2010.
Jamie Carragher
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Defender Jamie Carragher explained after that triumphant night, as per LFC History:
"It is one of the greatest finals of all time. We were all deflated at half-time. We knew we had to get the next goal and we knew we had to push up. When we got the goal Milan just seemed to go. The save Jerzy Dudek made from Shevchenko at the end was unbelievable. I can't believe we've just won.
"
Now retired from football, the 37-year-old works as a television pundit for Sky Sports.
Sami Hyypia
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A colossus in Liverpool's defence back in the day, Sami Hyypia is now having a tough time in football management.
Spells at Bayer Leverkusen and Brighton didn't go as smoothly as his playing career on Merseyside.
He stepped down from the manager's hot seat at Brighton in December 2014, winning just six times in his 26 games in charge.
Djimi Traore
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Former Mali international Djimi Traore was one of the unlikely heroes of that night in May 2005.
After leaving Liverpool the following year he played for Charlton Athletic, Portsmouth, Rennes, Birmingham City, Monaco and Marseille, before finishing his career with Seattle Sounders and retiring this winter, as per Nick Ames of The Guardian.
Xabi Alonso
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Xabi Alonso's penalty at the second attempt against AC Milan was the moment Liverpool fans went delirious, the team having come back from three goals down to equalise.
Alonso now plays for Bayern Munich under Pep Guardiola in the Bundesliga, where he's made 19 league appearances so far this season.
Luis Garcia
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Luis Garcia was a fond favourite with the Liverpool fans and it was his goal against Chelsea in the semi-finals that helped the Reds to reach Istanbul.
Having retired in January 2014, Garcia quickly came out of retirement to join Indian Super League franchise Atletico de Kolkata for the 2014 season.
Steven Gerrard
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Istanbul in 2005 will always be Gerrard's defining moment as a Liverpool captain, but his days at Anfield are now numbered.
Having continued to captain the team ever since, the 34-year-old will move to MLS side LA Galaxy this summer.
John Arne Riise
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John Arne Riise ended his Liverpool career in 2008, having made 348 appearances.
Now 34 years old, Riise plays his football with APOEL in the Cypriot First Division.
Harry Kewell
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Australian Harry Kewell's 2005 Champions League final was short-lived with injury forcing him off after 23 minutes.
Injuries continued to hamper his career and he eventually announced his retirement from football in 2014 at the age of 35, having had stints at Galatasaray, Melbourne Victory, Al-Gharafa and Melbourne Heart.
He now resides in England with his wife, actress Sheree Murphy, and their four children.
Milan Baros
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Milan Baros made just two more appearances for Liverpool after the 2005 Champions League final, leaving the club later that year for Aston Villa.
Since then he has played for Lyon, Portsmouth, Galatasaray, Banik Ostrava, Antalyaspor and now, aged 33, is back with Banik Ostrava in his homeland of the Czech Republic.
Vladimir Smicer (Substitute 23')
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Baros' fellow Czech, Vladimir Smicer, was a 23rd-minute substitute for Kewell in the final and he scored the second of Liverpool's three goals on their second-half comeback trail.
He left the club soon after for Bordeaux, before finishing his career with Slavia Prague in 2009.
In 2014, Smicer recently stood for Czech political party VIZE 2014 in the European Parliament election, as per Rob Cameron of BBC News.
Dietmar Hamann (Substitute 46')
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The half-time introduction of Dietmar Hamann in that final had a positive effect for Liverpool, stabilising their midfield and allowing some freedom to attack.
He went on to play for Bolton, Manchester City and MK Dons, and he now works as a football pundit for several media outlets, including Bleacher Report during last summer's World Cup.
Djibril Cisse (Substitute 85')
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Djibril Cisse was the second of Liverpool's three heroic penalty shootout scorers, coming on as an 85th-minute substitute for Baros.
He left the club to join Marseille, initially on loan and then permanently, in 2006, before spells at Sunderland, Panathinaikos, Lazio, Queens Park Rangers, Al-Gharafa and Kuban Krasnodar.
The 33-year-old is currently playing for Bastia in France's Ligue 1.
Rafael Benitez (Manager)
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With a squad of players largely signed by his predecessor Gerard Houllier, Spaniard Rafa Benitez transformed Liverpool into a Champions League winning side in his first season at the helm.
Benitez would take Liverpool back to the Champions League final in 2007, losing 2-1 to Milan on this occasion, and to within four points of the Premier League title in 2008/09.
During a turbulent few years for the club, Benitez lost his job in 2010, going on to manage Inter Milan, Chelsea and Napoli, where he currently works.
He remains a popular figure amongst many Liverpool fans.
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