It was on this day 14 years ago that Manchester United famously triumphed over Chelsea in the rain in Moscow.
Sir Alex's Ferguson's side lifted their second Champions League title following a penalty shootout win over Chelsea at the Luzhniki Stadium. John Terry slipped in his run-up to the spot-kick to win, but it was Edwin van der Sar's save from Nicolas Anelka which sealed the Red Devils victory.
It is a far cry from United's current generation, who have become a social media punchline and seemingly lurch from one crisis to another. Interim boss Ralf Rangnick has overseen a dismal end to the season, and the Red Devils now face a fight to hold on to sixth spot ahead of their final-day clash at Crystal Palace.
The prospect of competing with West Ham United to hold on to a place in Europe's second competition is one that would have been alien to Ferguson's Champions League-winning side. United had already retained their Premier League title - seeing off Chelsea's challenge on both occasions - before their latest showdown with Avram Grant's side.
Jose Mourinho's first spell of dominance in English football was over, and United's last era on top was just about to begin. The Red Devils had twice come close to repeating their Champions League triumph of 1999, only to fall at the semi-final stage to Bayern Leverkusen in 2002 and AC Milan in 2007.
Less than a month prior to the latest showpiece showdown, United had suffered a 2-1 defeat at Stamford Bridge. However, Moscow proved to be the second Champions League success of Ferguson's tenure in the Old Trafford hotseat, and one that cemented their return to the top table.
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Reflecting on his triumph from that night, Ferguson has since revealed his only regret was leaving industrious midfielder Park Ji-sung out of the starting lineup. He told MUFC TV in 2017: "My problem in the 2008 final, maybe I even regret it to this day, was I left Ji-Sung Park out completely in the final. He'd played such a great role and that's the problem when you get to these finals."
Terry's tears and van der Sar's are two of the enduring memories from that night, but it was Cristiano Ronaldo who fired United into an early lead with one of his most iconic goals in a red shirt. The emerging Portuguese superstar rose highest at the far post, and powerfully guided Wes Brown's cross beyond the reach of Petr Cech.
The lead was short-lived, with a deflected Michael Essien long-range strike allowing Frank Lampard to pounce upon a loose ball in the final minute before the break. Ronaldo then risked going from hero to villain, as Cech saved his effort in the penalty shootout.
The save ultimately handed Terry the chance to win Chelsea's first Champions League trophy, but the Blues' skipper memorably slipped in his run-up and saw his spot-kick strike the outside of the post. Anderson, Salomon Kalou and Ryan Giggs all converted their sudden-death efforts, but van der Sar's save from Anelka secured a 6-5 shootout win for United.
Ferguson's second Champions League success was the pinnacle of a new era of success at Old Trafford, and the last of his 26-year reign. United went on to lift a further three Premier League titles, the last of which came in Ferguson's final season in charge in 2013.
The Red Devils thrived on the continental front too, with only Pep Guardiola and a Lionel Messi-inspired Barcelona denying them in two further Champions League finals in 2009 and 2011. Tottenham and Aston Villa were also dispatched in successive League Cup finals in 2009 and 2010.
United have not lifted the Premier League title since Ferguson's retirement, with Mourinho coming closest in 2018. Ronaldo will likely be in the final day line-up at Selhurst Park in what will be a far cry from United's final fixture 14 years ago today.
