Afterwards, they carried on running. They had run for two hours, run themselves into the ground, run themselves delirious, but at the moment of triumph the players of Paris Saint-Germain somehow managed to find a few more yards in them. Ran towards their fans in the corner, ran in wild circles, tore across the Anfield grass as if it were the Champs-Élysées.
One man did not run. As Désiré Doué’s penalty hit the net, Vitinha simply crumpled, his legs finally giving way, his last drop of energy exhausted. Eventually, with his teammates still celebrating 70 yards away, he hauled himself to his feet and was the first to commiserate with Liverpool’s beaten players. Then, after they had dispersed, he simply stood in the centre circle for a few moments, as if finally claiming the turf for which he had spent the whole night fighting.
