Winning the Champions League with Liverpool should have been the beginning of Antonio Núñez’s Anfield career rather than the end of it.
Instead, the Spaniard left after just one season, and more than two decades later he has admitted the move away from Merseyside remains one of the biggest disappointments of his career.
Speaking to Flashscore, the former Reds winger looked back on his brief spell under Rafa Benítez, the unforgettable comeback against AC Milan in Istanbul and why leaving Liverpool proved so difficult to accept.
“Leaving Liverpool was a huge disappointment,” Núñez said.
“I went to Celta afterwards and spent three good years there. I played in La Liga, in the UEFA Cup and experienced many good things, but leaving Liverpool was a huge disappointment. You’re younger and it’s one of the first times you have to deal with something like that.”
Núñez joined Liverpool from Real Madrid in the summer of 2004 as part of the deal which took Michael Owen to the Bernabéu.
Injuries limited his impact during his only campaign at Anfield, but he still made nine Champions League appearances, featuring in the decisive group-stage clash with Olympiacos and knockout ties against Bayer Leverkusen, Juventus and Chelsea before the famous triumph in Istanbul.
Looking back more broadly, the 46-year-old admitted retirement itself also required an adjustment.
“It feels incredible that so many years have passed because the memories feel like yesterday,” he said.
“Life changes completely. As a footballer every day is repetitive and you get used to that, then suddenly everything changes. You have time to do lots of other things, although you miss training every day and you notice the difference physically.”
Liverpool’s European belief grew with every round
Antonio Núñez explained Liverpool were never considered genuine contenders before the 2004-05 Champions League campaign began.
“There was no doubt we weren’t the favourites, nowhere near,” he said. “Liverpool had gone many years without winning the European Cup. Historically it was a great European club, but it wanted to become one again.”
He recalled the excitement throughout the city when Benítez arrived from Valencia.
“That was something we noticed as soon as we arrived. There was great hope that Benítez would turn Liverpool back into an important team in Europe.”
According to Núñez, the turning point came on the final matchday of the group stage. Liverpool needed to beat Olympiacos by two goals after falling behind at Anfield, eventually winning 3-1 thanks to Steven Gerrard’s famous late strike.
“That game was fundamental because we were almost out. We had to win by two goals and started 1-0 down. Then we scored three and it was unbelievable.”
Changing Liverpool’s mentality
“The team started believing in itself in the Champions League. In the league things weren’t going well. We weren’t even in the top four and couldn’t put together a good run of results. But in Europe, for whatever reason, we had confidence, kept getting through each round and started believing more and more.”
Núñez admitted Liverpool also needed “a little bit of luck” in some knockout ties before unexpectedly reaching the final. “We found ourselves in the final without expecting it”, he said.
The interview was recorded shortly after the 21st anniversary of the famous victory, something the former winger still finds remarkable.
“It was only a couple of days ago that we celebrated the anniversary. Twenty-one years have already passed. It was an incredible night that will never be forgotten.”
He believes the match remains one of football’s greatest shared memories.
“Everyone who speaks to me about that match remembers exactly where they watched it. It doesn’t matter if they’re English, Spanish or from somewhere else. Everybody remembers that final.”
Antonio Núñez relives Istanbul
Asked about the famous half-time team talk, Núñez smiled after revealing it is still the question he is asked most often.
“People have asked me what Benítez said at half-time more times than anything else in my life,” he laughed. “The other day I watched the documentary on Netflix and I think Steven Gerrard or Jamie Carragher said exactly the same.”
Instead, he explained what was going through his own mind.
“I always say I know what it feels like to lose a Champions League final because I felt I’d already lost one. And I also know what it feels like to win one.”
Trailing 3-0 against AC Milan, he feared Liverpool were heading for a historic humiliation.
“When I walked into the dressing room I felt I’d lost the final. Milan were so much better than us. You were almost expecting them to score another three goals in the second half and make it an historic humiliation.”
Despite countless stories over the years, Núñez insists there was never one dramatic speech.
“I’ve heard epic speeches and famous phrases that simply weren’t said.”
Benítez’s calmness transformed the mood
Rafael Benitez
Rafael Benitez
“The confidence Benítez transmitted was fundamental. Just the way he spoke to us and how calm he was made a huge difference. He believed in the comeback and never acted as though the match was lost.”
Rather than sitting silently with their heads down, Liverpool’s dressing room became a hive of activity.
“It wasn’t a dressing room where everyone sat in silence with their heads down. There was constant activity and a real desire to solve what was going wrong.”
Benítez worked through tactical adjustments on the board while several players joined the discussion to explain where Milan were causing problems. “There were several tactical corrections”, he noted.
There was even confusion over the substitutions after Steve Finnan picked up an injury.
“First he brought on Djimi Traoré, but then Finnan had a problem. Traoré had already started taking his kit off and was in the showers when someone called him back and told him to get dressed again.”
The mentality was completely different by the time Liverpool returned to the pitch.
“I can’t really explain it, but somehow we all walked back out feeling as though we were only 1-0 down.”
He believes the comeback became inevitable once Liverpool scored.
“The first goal changes everything. You suddenly feel it’s not raining quite so hard anymore. Then the second goal gives you enormous confidence. At that point, nothing can stop you.”
Asked whether Liverpool won the Champions League or Milan lost it, Núñez refused to give either side all the credit: “I’d say it’s 50-50.”
“We came out with the perfect mentality because we refused to give up. But Milan believed they were already champions. They went into the dressing room celebrating and came back out simply waiting for the 45 minutes to pass.”
Once Liverpool levelled, he felt the psychological balance had completely shifted.
“When you’ve already got the trophy in your hands and suddenly you’re level and facing penalties, you’ve got a much bigger chance of losing than winning. Psychologically it’s incredibly difficult to recover from that.”
Time helped ease Liverpool disappointment
Although leaving Liverpool remained a huge blow, Núñez explained that experience eventually changed the way he dealt with setbacks during his career.
“As the years go by, you learn to accept things better,” he said.
He later suffered relegations with Celta Vigo, Huesca and Recreativo de Huelva, experiences that gave him a different perspective after the disappointment of leaving Anfield.
“Going from winning promotion with Deportivo to leaving, joining Recreativo and then being relegated happened when I was 35 or 36. By then I’d experienced so much in football that, of course, it still affects you and frustrates you, but you know how to accept it.”
Looking back over an 18-year playing career, Núñez believes football inevitably brings every possible emotion.
“Football is a rollercoaster. If you’re fortunate enough to play for 17 or 18 years, you’ll experience everything – promotions, relegations and, if you’re very lucky, titles too.”
🇩🇪 Kaishū Sano | “We’ll consider it” ➡️ Director makes clear Liverpool offer for midfielder would be considered https://t.co/Fk6187189h #lfc
— Sport Witness (@Sport_Witness) July 3, 2026