Carlo Ancelotti does not need reminding about what happened on this day 17 years ago. Thoughts of that wild night in Istanbul in 2005 always resurface for the Real Madrid coach in late May, but those memories are even more urgent because the 62-year-old is preparing for another Champions League final against Liverpool on Saturday in Paris.
This will be the third time the Italian has faced the Merseyside club in European football’s showpiece game. That first meeting will forever haunt Ancelotti. His Milan side were 3-0 up at half-time in the Ataturk Stadium but lost on penalties after Liverpool made a stunning comeback. The Serie A team got their revenge two years later but Milan’s 2-1 victory in Athens ranks way down the list of memorable Champions League finals. The drama of Istanbul makes it unforgettable.
