Milan Baros played his long overdue farewell match last week at the age of 44, more than six years after he first retired from football. The Milan Baros farewell match had been delayed since July 2020, when the pandemic put a stop to any proper send-off for one of Liverpool’s European champions. It finally went ahead in Ostrava, the city where his career began, at the City Stadium in Ostrava-Vitkovice.
Baros split the night in two, turning out for Banik Ostrava in the first half before switching into a team of former internationals for the second. That second side included Petr Cech, Tomas Rosicky and Vladimir Smicer, old teammates from both Liverpool and the Czech Republic who shared some of the biggest nights of his career. Full details of the occasion emerged in a report on Milan Baros’ farewell match.
For Liverpool supporters watching on, the occasion was a reminder of what Baros gave the club across four years on Merseyside, and of a Champions League final he started before Istanbul turned into folklore.
Top Scorer and European Champion: The Unsung 2004/05 Numbers
Baros signed for Liverpool in 2001 and left in August 2005, scoring 27 goals in 108 appearances during his time at the club. Strikers from that era often get overlooked when supporters list Liverpool’s great forwards, and Baros is one of them.
In the 2004/05 season he finished as the club’s joint top scorer in all competitions with 13 goals, two of which came in Europe on the way to Istanbul. He started that final against AC Milan and played until the 85th minute, with the score locked at 3-3, before Liverpool went on to win the Champions League on penalties.
Golden Boots and Final Night Caps: Dissecting Baros at His Peak
Baros’ rise was not confined to club football. At Euro 2004, still only 22, he claimed the tournament’s Golden Boot with five goals as the Czech Republic reached the semi-finals. It was the form that announced him as one of Europe’s most feared young forwards.
He went on to become his country’s second highest goal scorer of all time, with 41 goals in 93 caps. That record still places him above almost every other Czech forward of his generation, and it sits alongside his Champions League winner’s medal as proof of just how good he was at his peak.
Anfield Legacy Secured as Former Teammates Pay Tribute
Baros spoke with visible emotion once the match in Ostrava had finished, addressing the crowd that had turned out to see him off.
“It’s been six years since the end of my career, the boys have grown up and I’m glad I was able to play with them thanks to this. Everything ends eventually, today was the last time. Thank you to everyone who came.”
He returned to the microphone to thank the supporters directly before leaving the pitch for the final time.
“We enjoyed this together, but everything comes to an end eventually. Today was the last time, but I’ll keep coming to watch and cheer with you. Banik will always stay in my heart, I’ll always support it. A huge thank you to everyone who came and created this wonderful atmosphere.”
Vladimir Smicer, who played alongside Baros at both Liverpool and with the Czech Republic, described him as a selfless presence in the dressing room. “He was a great team-mate, always giving a hundred percent on the pitch. He loved the team, loved the dressing room and wanted the group to stick together off the pitch too,” Smicer said.
Smicer also recalled how difficult Baros’ move to England had been at first. “It was a huge jump for him, he needed time to adjust, he didn’t know the language, but he managed, started scoring goals, and the high point was winning the Champions League final,” he said. He added that the turnout in Ostrava spoke for itself. “Not everyone in Czechia manages to sell out a whole stadium for their farewell,” Smicer said.
Jerzy Dudek, part of that same penalty shootout in Istanbul, pointed to Baros’ importance that season. “That whole season he was a very important player for Liverpool. And that’s why we’re here today, for him, a legend of football,” Dudek said.
Petr Cech, a Czech Republic teammate for years, summed up the respect Baros still commands. “A great team-mate and team player. He’d do anything for the team. He loves football, and whenever he steps onto the pitch he always gives everything he’s got,” Cech said.
Liverpool have moved on a long way since that Istanbul side, with the current squad busy chasing fresh silverware, including our recent Liverpool victory coverage from Bournemouth, while the club works through the usual transfer market updates ahead of January. Baros belongs to a different generation of this club, but the scenes in Ostrava showed how much that 2004/05 group still means to the people who watched them win it all.
Carragher on City financial verdict: Titles should be stripped
Carragher on City financial verdict: Titles should be stripped
Real Madrid want to sign Liverpool player in 2027
Liverpool News