It has been 20 years since Liverpool defied the odds to pull off the most dramatic comeback in Champions League history and beat AC Milan to be crowned the Champions of Europe. On that famous night in Istanbul, Rafa Benitez's men overturned a three-goal deficit before Jerzy Dudek's heroics between the sticks ensured that the trophy returned to Merseyside for the first time since 1984.
The manner of the victory means that it will always have a place in folklore, and Liverpool fans past and present have and will ensure that it is a day never forgotten. However, had the game happened two decades later, the Reds may instead be mourning defeat rather than celebrating triumph for one very specific reason.
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Why Liverpool May Not Have Won 2005 Today
The reason all comes down to what happened in the penalty shootout
The images of Dudek denying Andrea Pirlo and Ballon d'Or winner Andriy Shevchenko in what was the Pole's finest hour are ones that will forever be etched in the minds and hearts of Liverpool supporters. However, those images are also the reason why the Reds perhaps shouldn’t have won that game.
While the saves made were indeed excellent given the stakes, they required a certain amount of gamesmanship at best, and blatant cheating at worst. Dudek could be seen coming well off his line for every single spot kick, taking three steps forward as Pirlo stepped up, while also jumping forward as Shevchenko attempted to place his effort down the middle.
While the rules on what goalkeepers were allowed to do in shootouts were not as strict in 2005, recent amendments would mean that Dudek would no doubt be punished if he dared to leap off his line the way he did in Istanbul.
Law 14 of the International Football Association Board (IFAB) rulebook states that a: "goalkeeper must have one of his/her feet partly on the goalline (or above it if jumping) when the kick is taken." Thus, Dudek would have been punished for his antics and both Pirlo and Shevchenko would’ve been allowed to retake their penalties.
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Goalkeepers Who Have Fallen Foul to IFAB Rule
An AC Milan goalkeeper has been punished for that very offence
Mike Maignan
Several goalkeepers have been punished by this very rule since it was added in 2019, with one of those ironically being Milan’s current number one, Mike Maignan.
The Frenchman made a crucial penalty save during France’s Euro 2024 clash against Poland, only for the referee to force the penalty to be retaken because the 28-year-old had stepped off his line with both feet. Robert Lewandowski would go on to convert his second effort.
Afterwards, Maignan mocked the ruling, taking to Instagram, as per the BBC, to joke: "New IFAB rules for penalties in 2026: Goalkeepers must have their backs turned at the time of the shot. In case of a save, an indirect free-kick."
All statistics courtesy of UEFA - accurate as of 25/05/2025.