I’ll never forget May 25th 2005 – ‘Istanbul Day’ celebrates its 20th anniversary this Sunday, rather fittingly with Liverpool receiving the Premier League trophy, taking them onto 20 top flight titles.
Nor will I forget the bitter aftermath of that extraordinary triumph in Turkey.
Despite Liverpool winning the Champions League in thrilling fashion, defeating a star-studded AC Milan side after extra time and a penalty shoot-out, there was no shortage of begrudgers declaring that the Mighty Reds should not be allowed to defend their title the next season.
Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard lifting the UEFA Champions League trophy at Ataturk Olympic Stadium in Istanbul in 2005.
Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard lifting the UEFA Champions League trophy at Ataturk Olympic Stadium in Istanbul in 2005.
Why not? Well, there was no guarantee then that the Champions League title-holders had an automatic right to be in the following season’s competition.
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The expectation was that if you were good enough to lift ‘Ol’ Big Ears’ then you’d be easily good enough to qualify for the following campaign through your domestic league.
Yet in England, as new boss Rafa Benitez adjusted to his new environment, Liverpool had finished in the embarrassingly lowly position of… fifth. That’s right. Fifth.
No, not fifteenth (nor even sixteenth or seventeenth…). Fifth.
The Reds were left especially red-faced as they had finished behind city rivals Everton, for the first time since the Toffees had last won the league, way back in 1987.
Liverpool's Luis Garcia (right) puts the ball past Chelsea's John Terry to score during the Champions League semi-final, second leg match at Anfield on Tuesday May 3 2005
Liverpool's Luis Garcia (right) puts the ball past Chelsea's John Terry to score during the Champions League semi-final, second leg match at Anfield on Tuesday May 3 2005
Still, fifth place wasn’t terrible, despite what that sore loser, then Chelsea boss Jose Moaninho, had to say about Liverpool. He was still hurting from being beaten in the Champions League semi-final second leg by the power of the Anfield crowd and the net-busting only goal of the tie from Luis Garcia.
Those were very different times, however.
It wasn’t just Evertonians who argued that Liverpool shouldn’t get into 2005/6 Champions League, fearing that they might lose their well-earned place.
Fans of other clubs complained about Liverpool getting ‘special treatment’, even though it had always been the case that the European Cup-holders could defend their crown.
Now, though, supporters of one of those clubs who were most vociferously, vehemently opposed to a side so far off the top of the table getting into Europe’s top club tournament have absolutely no problem with their side potentially reaching next season’s Champions League.
That might seem very tough on certain clubs who have had far better domestic campaigns.
The race for the Champions League is heating up
The race for the Champions League is heating up
Nottingham Forest might miss out on reaching the Champions League, despite having spent much of this season in the top three, and even money-bags Manchester City and Chelsea are not certain of involvement at the time of writing.
However, I’m not a hypocrite. The winners of the Europa League, a fine competition, absolutely deserve to be in the 2025-26 Champions League, whether that turns out to be Manchester United or Tottenham Hotspur.
It does not matter that they have both stunk the Premier League out, especially recently.
Perhaps, though, the followers of whichever team does earn that place will also learn some humility and put their own bias aside in the future.
On the subject of humility, Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola let himself down a bagful with his appalling behaviour after their FA Cup Final defeat to Crystal Palace.
Guardiola is unsure how to prepare for next season
Guardiola is unsure how to prepare for next season(Martin Rickett/PA)
Guardiola’s lack of grace, fulminating on the pitch at Palace goalkeeper Dean Henderson, was shameful. The keeper’s crime? Not getting sent off.
The last time I checked, that was the responsibility of the match officials, and the VAR team – and City can have very few complaints about those chaps going against them too often.
Compare and contrast how Liverpool accepted their League Cup Final loss to Newcastle United. Red players immediately congratulated their conquerors, knowing that what the victory meant to them, the club, and its supporters.
A first ever senior trophy for Crystal Palace was well-deserved, and Guardiola should be ashamed of himself for his post-match actions and words.
Dean Henderson (left) and Daniel Munoz celebrated Palace’s win
Dean Henderson (left) and Daniel Munoz celebrated Palace’s win(Mike Egerton/PA)
Pep then compounded his embarrassment by claiming that City HAD won a trophy this season – the Community Shield. The Community Fupping Shield.
One of my colleagues, who shall remain nameless (but it rhymes with Leil Noughran), once humiliated himself in the office by letting out a screech of delight when Michael Owen scored a late winner in a Community Shield ‘Final’. I’ve rarely typed a more pitiful phrase.
Those of us present when that ear-splitting celebration echoed around the Donegall Street office were utterly nonplussed at his reaction. Most of us weren’t even watching the game.
I genuinely had no idea when the club I support, Liverpool, last won the Community Shield. 2022 against Manchester City, Google tells me.
The argument that it’s a serious trophy because you have to win the Premier League or the FA Cup to be in it isn’t worth engaging with – but I’ll say this: you get a trophy for winning those.
The same applies to the European Super Cup. I love European competition, it’s the benchmark, but winning the Champions League or Europa League is what matters, not some glorified friendly.
Guardiola and his protégé, Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta, have slipped into this mode of claiming the Community Shield counts. It simply doesn’t.
To put it into perspective, the top 10 on the Charity/ Community Shield roll of honour still includes the ‘English Professionals XI’ and the ‘English Amateurs XI’, with four and two wins respectively.
The overall list of winners also includes the ‘English World Cup XI’ in 1950 – and they were humiliated at that tournament by losing to the United States of America.
The trophies that matter for English clubs are these, in this order: Champions League, Premier League, Europa League, FA Cup, League Cup, Conference League.
Anything else is pathetic straw-clutching.