Maradona hails Liverpool
2005-05-26 06:22
Istanbul - Argentine legend Diego Maradona paid Liverpool the ultimate compliment after the English Premiership club's dramatic Champions League final victory over AC Milan.
Liverpool fought back from 3-0 down at half-time to draw 3-3 -the biggest comeback in the history of the European Cup - before winning a penalty shoot-out 3-2 at the Ataturk Olympic stadium on Wednesday.
"Not even the Brazil team that won the 1970 World Cup final would have been able to come back from 3-0 down like that," said Maradona, who helped Napoli to the Italian league title in 1987 and 1990 and was in Turkey working for SKY Italia television.
"I thought that there was no way back for Liverpool and I was proved wrong."
The Brazil side that won the World Cup in Mexico 35 years ago included footballing greats such as Pele and Jarzinho and is widely regarded as the best team of all time.
Milan reaction
Meanwhile, Milan coach Carlo Ancelotti was not ashamed of his team, despite them squandering a 0-3 lead.
"I think we played a good final," said Ancelotti. "We lost when we deserved to win. Two years ago we won on penalties when maybe we deserved to lose."
In the 2003 final, Milan played Juventus to a goalless draw before winning on penalties 3-2 in Manchester, England. This time it lost to Liverpool in the early hours of Thursday morning.
A goal after only 52 seconds by Paolo Maldini and two more by Hernan Crespo put Milan seemingly in control after 43 minutes.
But goals by Steven Gerrard, Vladimir Smicer and Xabi Alonso had tied the match by the 60th.
"What happened? It's unexplainable," Ancelotti said. "It was a very strange game. We had six minutes of disorder and that complicated things.
"Compared to Manchester, I thought we covered more ground," the coach continued. "Extra time was played virtually entirely in one end."
Milan controlled extra time but were thwarted by Liverpool goalkeeper Jerzy Dudek, who prevented Milan from winning a seventh European Cup.
"I think we lost with honor," Ancelotti said.
- AFP