Alessandro Nesta has had his say on AC Milan's two Champions League final meetings with Liverpool in 2005 and 2007
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Alessandro Nesta, head coach of AC Monza, reacts prior to the Serie A football match between FC Internazionale and AC Monza. FC Internazionale won 3-2 over AC Monza
Alessandro Nesta, head coach of AC Monza, reacts prior to the Serie A football match between FC Internazionale and AC Monza. FC Internazionale won 3-2 over AC Monza
(Image: © 2025 Nicolò Campo)
Alessandro Nesta has hit out at ‘some idiot’ from Liverpool when reflecting on the Reds’ two Champions League final meetings with AC Milan in the noughties. The Italy legend started both encounters as Rafa Benitez’s side famously won in Istanbul after recovering from 3-0 down at half-time in 2005, but lost 2-1 in Athens two years later.
It has been claimed that the Liverpool players heard the Serie A giants celebrating in the dressing room at half-time 20 years ago. But while there have been contrasting accounts from the Milan players themselves, the majority have angrily denied such a suggestion.
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Nesta has now become the latest Milan legend to rubbish such a claim as he hit out at the ‘idiot’ from the Liverpool camp he believes started the rumour.
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“It’s not true that we were celebrating in the locker room at half-time,” he said on Prime Sport Italy. “Some idiot from the other team said that, I don’t even know his name. It was actually quite tense, we knew there was a long way to go.”
Nesta has paid tribute to Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard though for inspiring the Reds comeback, before revealing how the Milan squad reacted to the loss. The midfielder scored their opening goal before winning a penalty for Xabi Alonso to equalise as they netted three times in just six second half minutes.
“Steven Gerrard kept Liverpool afloat, he was an animal back then,” he said. “He was everywhere.
“Afterwards? Nobody talked in the locker room, nobody dared. We went to eat with our families and it was total silence.
“All summer, I’d wake up and think that can’t have really happened. But when we met up again, we said to ourselves it cannot end like this. We just had to get over it.”
Milan would get their revenge over Liverpool in 2007 when a Filippo Inzaghi brace earned them a 2-1 win in Athens.
Nesta and the AC Milan squad were convinced they would win, with the Italian claiming he could tell that the Reds were resigned to defeat.
“That was destiny, we were convinced that we would win,” he said. “Because we couldn’t not win again.
“We actually played worse than the final we lost, but we were more solid and had that belief, right from the start.
“Pippo Inzaghi could barely stand due to muscular problems, Alberto Gilardino was in incredible form, but the coach (Carlo Ancelotti) had this intuition that gets you to win the Champions League.
“He knew Pippo, even in bad shape, could score goals. Kaka was in amazing shape, we were sure that we’d win. Even Liverpool knew it, you could tell.”
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Nesta is now a manager, having returned to Monza last month just seven weeks after initially being sacked as head coach by the Serie A outfit. However, they are enduring a miserable campaign, sitting bottom of the table having won just twice all season.
The 49-year-old admits he suffered with depression after retiring from football, with a career in coaching ultimately helping him cope with his mental health struggles.
“Every day seemed the same, my wife was a saint to put up with me,” he admitted. “I lacked adrenaline and needed competition. So I needed to get back to football and the only way was to be a coach. It is more fun to play, but once the adrenaline kicks in, your mentality does change.”