3 Defining first UEFA Champions League victories
The UEFA Champions League is the trophy upon which the careers of some of the greatest players and managers in the modern game are shaped and defined. Over the years, the competition has played host to some of the most memorable goals, comebacks and moments of magic that have made it the premier tournament in the world club game.
In many aspects of life, there is a famous saying that you always remember your first time, and the experience of lifting the Champions League trophy is no different. Initially introduced to the football calendar in 1955 as the European Champions Clubs' Cup, some of the most illustrious names in the world game have celebrated glory in the competition, and the fine margins also mean many have suffered heartache too.
Inspired by the brilliance of the great Alfredo Di Stéfano, Real Madrid won the first instalment of the competition and retained the trophy for five consecutive years. Their European domination eventually coming to an end in 1960 when Portuguese outfit Benfica defeated Barcelona in the final. However, the club from the Spanish capital have now won the trophy a record 13 times to date.
But while Los Blancos are a name synonymous with the competition, there are many other great stories surrounding the trophy, and the part it has played in the careers of many individuals over the years. Three of those individuals are Pep Guardiola, Sir Alex Ferguson, and José Mourinho, and it was their first respective tastes of success that proved to be pivotal moments in their careers.
#1 – Pep Guardiola – Barcelona 1992
As manager of arguably the greatest-ever team in the history of the game, Pep Guardiola twice won the Champions League trophy as his incredible side enjoyed success in 2009 and 2011. With players like Lionel Messi, Andrés Iniesta and Xavi Hernández at the peak of their game, Barcelona dominated domestically and in Europe under the guidance of Guardiola in his first managerial post.
However, Guardiola is one of the few individuals in the game to experience success in the competition as both a player and a manager, and his first experience of lifting the trophy was as significant for the club as it was for him. Ronald Koeman scored the only goal of the game in extra-time at Wembley as Barcelona defeated Sampdoria in 1992, and with it, the side delivered the trophy to the Camp Nou for the very first time.
Considering the stature of Barcelona in the world game, it seems incredible to think that the club had never been crowned European champions before that time. Different generations had tried and failed to take them to the top with players such as Ladislao Kubala, Johan Cruyff, Diego Maradona and others without success, but it was Cruyff's management that eventually brought European glory.
The situation was not helped by their rivalry with Real Madrid, and having been educated through the ranks of La Masia, Guardiola would have understood the importance of the club finally achieving on the biggest stage of all. At the age of just 22, Cruyff had handed Guardiola the responsibility of playing as the midfield pivot ahead of the Wembley final, and his faith was rewarded.
It was a significant moment for the young and impressionable Guardiola, and lifting the trophy with an appreciation of its importance to the club at an age when youthful exuberance ensures such achievements mean so much more, would have been an important catalyst to his future success.
The intensity of his management and desire for perfection was inspired by Cruyff, the man who masterminded his finest hour in the colours of the Blaugrana and achieving European glory at Wembley, the stadium considered the true home of football, made it all the more special.
His failure to repeat the achievement with Bayern Munich, and so far at Manchester City, plays heavily on his mind.
#2 – Sir Alex Ferguson – Manchester United 1999
Since his arrival at Old Trafford in 1986, Sir Alex Ferguson had claimed a dozen major trophies, including five English Premier League titles, before he finally had his hands on the Champions League trophy. The unforgettable comeback against Bayern Munich at the Camp Nou completed the treble for the club, but it was the glory of becoming European champions that finally brought closure for the fiery Scot.
Ferguson was fuelled with ambition from the time of his appointment, and with a desire to 'knock Liverpool off their perch', it was the European success that defined the history of the Anfield club that grated on him. Manchester United had only won the trophy once before in 1968 under the guidance of Sir Matt Busby, and Ferguson knew that he would have to emulate that achievement before he could be mentioned in the same breath as the former manager.
The success in 1968 came a decade on from the Munich air disaster, as goals from George Best, Brian Kidd and a double from Bobby Charlton defeated Benfica 4-1 after extra-time. The victory was significant in remembering those that never returned from that fateful European Cup tie in Belgrade. However, over the course of the next 30 years, the lack of a repeat success would weigh heavy on the shoulders of those tasked with restoring the club to former glory.
Sir Alex was the figurehead who would eventually draw a line between the past and the future, and the treble-winning success of 1999 was the perfect ending to a decade of domestic success at Old Trafford and set a platform for the next phase of the project. Ferguson claimed his second Champions League trophy in 2008 with a penalty shoot-out victory over Chelsea in Moscow, but it was that night in 1999 that will always be remembered.
With the match in injury-time and Bayern Munich 1-0 ahead, goals from Teddy Sheringham and Ole Gunnar Solskjær reversed the scoreline in one of the most incredible comebacks in the history of the game. It was the stuff of football fantasy, but it was also a testament to the belief that Ferguson inspired in that particular group of players. It will forever remain his crowning moment at Manchester United.
#3 - José Mourinho – Porto 2004
It was the victory that launched the 'special one' statement and ensured that José Mourinho would finally dine with the elite of Europe after starting his career at the very bottom of the pile. The fact that the first of his two Champions League triumphs came with outsiders Porto only adds to the romance of the achievement and how it mirrors his own rise to the top.
The Portuguese manager is one of the most controversial figures in the world game, and his first steps in management highlighted the persona that would define him over the course of the next two decades.
Beating Manchester United on their way to the 2004 final, Mourinho made his legendary run down the Old Trafford touchline as his side scored the crucial goal, and while Sir Alex Ferguson in the opposite dugout would have frowned at his behaviour, a firm respect between the two was also being built.
On paper, Mourinho had no right to make it to the top of his coaching profession at such a young age, but his desire and dedication to succeed against the odds remain the catalyst to everything that he has achieved. Repeating the success with Internazionale in 2010, Mourinho created an 'us against the world' mentality with his Italian side, and that cultural shift was the result of a natural evolution in his career.
In the German city of Gelsenkirchen in May 2004, Porto eased past Monaco with a commanding 3-0 victory through goals from Carlos Alberto, Deco and Dmitri Alenichev.
Despite the achievement, European glory for Porto was a mere stepping stone for Mourinho, and he arrived at Chelsea shortly after with the aim of succeeding at the top of the domestic game.
Once again, he achieved, leading the Stamford Bridge club to successive titles in 2005 and 2006. However, a repeat of European glory would elude him until he arrived in the Italian capital a few years later.