And so, on successive weekends, four became two, the potential quadruple reduced to a double of the domestic cups. Rather than completing the greatest season ever, Liverpool ended up emulating George Graham’s Arsenal; the 1993 vintage. Their parade will contain one trophy they had not won for 10 years, another they had not touched for 16 but not the two they prized the most and the two that defined the club.
They may have been the best team in Europe this season but the official status rests with Real Madrid. As player and manager, Carlo Ancelotti now has six European Cups, drawing him level with Liverpool. Jurgen Klopp had specialised in finding a way to win, piloting Liverpool through games where they went behind and then prevailed, but this was a comeback too far, even for them. Real proved the one team they could not kill off. An evening that began with tear gas ended with tears. Liverpool could enjoy neither.
