A 48 page celebration special of the miracle of Istanbul
Michelle Morgan Marketing & Promotions Manager
08:47, 11 Jul 2025
File photo dated 25-05-2005 of Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard, who said "We were massive underdogs at the start of the competition and I hold my hands up, I didn't think we were going to go all the way. At half-time, I also thought it was impossible and that I'd be in tears at the end. We had a mountain to climb but we kept fighting to the end." Issue date: Friday May 23, 2025. PA Photo. See PA story SOCCER Liverpool IstanbulWhatTheySaid. Photo credit should read Phil Noble/PA Wire.
It was and it will be the best final ever,” says Rafa Benitez about Liverpool’s fifth European Cup win in 2005. It’s now 20 years since the Reds defied the odds to overcome a 3-0 half-time deficit to AC Milan in Istanbul to triumph on penalties.
In this special Liverpool Echo 48-page celebration of the Miracle of Istanbul we bring you the inside story of how it was achieved, as told by the people who were there.
Rafa Benitez and his players describe in detail what really happened in the dressing toom at the Ataturk ahead of the remarkable second-half turnaround
Steven Gerrard explains why Liverpool’s victory will never be replicated by another side.
Liverpool fans reminisce about how they celebrated the win, in Istanbul, Merseyside and around the globe.
John Arne Riise explains why the players’ respect for Gerrard was crucial in the penalty victory.
What happened next for the Reds’ Champions League winning players.
How the ECHO covered the greatest moment in Liverpool’s history.
Relive the celebration bus parade when 750,000 fans turned the city into the ‘Red Sea’.
Article continues below
Click HERE to buy online and have it delivered directly to your door, or you can purchase it in participating supermarkets, high street retailers and independent newsagents on Merseyside, in Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland from July 2, 2025. Online postage and packaging costs apply.