For me, the most spectacular and emotional Leverkusen game of the last 30 years was this quarter-final decider against Liverpool. I was there for it at the stadium along with 15 friends and fellow members of the same fan club, De Düssels 96, and I still have the ticket in a photo album where I keep my favourite memories.
Even today, I still love that 2002 Leverkusen team for their absolute determination to turn every game around. We’d lost the first leg 1-0 at Anfield against the clear favourites, and we needed a minor miracle, but the return game got off to a spectacular start when Michael Ballack delivered a hammer blow from distance to make it 1-0. However, just before the break, Abel Xavier levelled the scores.
Ballack’s second goal on 64 minutes put us back in front. It still wasn’t enough because of the away goals rule, but four minutes later, Dimitar Berbatov – my all-time favourite Leverkusen player – found the net to pull us clear at 3-1. Then Jari Litmanen made it 3-2, turning the tie back in Liverpool’s favour, and their players and fans celebrated what felt like a ‘winning goal’. We were shocked. Everyone was shocked. The tension was unbearable.
Now it was time for Lúcio, probably the most dangerous defender in our club’s history. He was the only man up front, lurking in the Liverpool area – right in front of where we were sitting – and he blasted the ball through Jerzy Dudek’s legs and into the net.
Over 22 years later, I still have the images in my head. After his goal, the Brazilian turned towards the corner flag, pulled his shirt over his head and pointed to the sky. It was the start of an incredible party in Leverkusen, which was crowned by the semi-final victory against Manchester United, before Real Madrid and Zinédine Zidane proved too big an obstacle in the final. Last season offered many parallels to 2001/02, except that this time we won two trophies – and the atmosphere in the city was just as great.
For me, the most spectacular and emotional Leverkusen game of the last 30 years was this quarter-final decider against Liverpool. I was there for it at the stadium along with 15 friends and fellow members of the same fan club, De Düssels 96, and I still have the ticket in a photo album where I keep my favourite memories.
Even today, I still love that 2002 Leverkusen team for their absolute determination to turn every game around. We’d lost the first leg 1-0 at Anfield against the clear favourites, and we needed a minor miracle, but the return game got off to a spectacular start when Michael Ballack delivered a hammer blow from distance to make it 1-0. However, just before the break, Abel Xavier levelled the scores.
Ballack’s second goal on 64 minutes put us back in front. It still wasn’t enough because of the away goals rule, but four minutes later, Dimitar Berbatov – my all-time favourite Leverkusen player – found the net to pull us clear at 3-1. Then Jari Litmanen made it 3-2, turning the tie back in Liverpool’s favour, and their players and fans celebrated what felt like a ‘winning goal’. We were shocked. Everyone was shocked. The tension was unbearable.
Now it was time for Lúcio, probably the most dangerous defender in our club’s history. He was the only man up front, lurking in the Liverpool area – right in front of where we were sitting – and he blasted the ball through Jerzy Dudek’s legs and into the net.
Over 22 years later, I still have the images in my head. After his goal, the Brazilian turned towards the corner flag, pulled his shirt over his head and pointed to the sky. It was the start of an incredible party in Leverkusen, which was crowned by the semi-final victory against Manchester United, before Real Madrid and Zinédine Zidane proved too big an obstacle in the final. Last season offered many parallels to 2001/02, except that this time we won two trophies – and the atmosphere in the city was just as great.
For me, the most spectacular and emotional Leverkusen game of the last 30 years was this quarter-final decider against Liverpool. I was there for it at the stadium along with 15 friends and fellow members of the same fan club, De Düssels 96, and I still have the ticket in a photo album where I keep my favourite memories.
Even today, I still love that 2002 Leverkusen team for their absolute determination to turn every game around. We’d lost the first leg 1-0 at Anfield against the clear favourites, and we needed a minor miracle, but the return game got off to a spectacular start when Michael Ballack delivered a hammer blow from distance to make it 1-0. However, just before the break, Abel Xavier levelled the scores.
Ballack’s second goal on 64 minutes put us back in front. It still wasn’t enough because of the away goals rule, but four minutes later, Dimitar Berbatov – my all-time favourite Leverkusen player – found the net to pull us clear at 3-1. Then Jari Litmanen made it 3-2, turning the tie back in Liverpool’s favour, and their players and fans celebrated what felt like a ‘winning goal’. We were shocked. Everyone was shocked. The tension was unbearable.
Now it was time for Lúcio, probably the most dangerous defender in our club’s history. He was the only man up front, lurking in the Liverpool area – right in front of where we were sitting – and he blasted the ball through Jerzy Dudek’s legs and into the net.
Over 22 years later, I still have the images in my head. After his goal, the Brazilian turned towards the corner flag, pulled his shirt over his head and pointed to the sky. It was the start of an incredible party in Leverkusen, which was crowned by the semi-final victory against Manchester United, before Real Madrid and Zinédine Zidane proved too big an obstacle in the final. Last season offered many parallels to 2001/02, except that this time we won two trophies – and the atmosphere in the city was just as great.
For me, the most spectacular and emotional Leverkusen game of the last 30 years was this quarter-final decider against Liverpool. I was there for it at the stadium along with 15 friends and fellow members of the same fan club, De Düssels 96, and I still have the ticket in a photo album where I keep my favourite memories.
Even today, I still love that 2002 Leverkusen team for their absolute determination to turn every game around. We’d lost the first leg 1-0 at Anfield against the clear favourites, and we needed a minor miracle, but the return game got off to a spectacular start when Michael Ballack delivered a hammer blow from distance to make it 1-0. However, just before the break, Abel Xavier levelled the scores.
Ballack’s second goal on 64 minutes put us back in front. It still wasn’t enough because of the away goals rule, but four minutes later, Dimitar Berbatov – my all-time favourite Leverkusen player – found the net to pull us clear at 3-1. Then Jari Litmanen made it 3-2, turning the tie back in Liverpool’s favour, and their players and fans celebrated what felt like a ‘winning goal’. We were shocked. Everyone was shocked. The tension was unbearable.
Now it was time for Lúcio, probably the most dangerous defender in our club’s history. He was the only man up front, lurking in the Liverpool area – right in front of where we were sitting – and he blasted the ball through Jerzy Dudek’s legs and into the net.
Over 22 years later, I still have the images in my head. After his goal, the Brazilian turned towards the corner flag, pulled his shirt over his head and pointed to the sky. It was the start of an incredible party in Leverkusen, which was crowned by the semi-final victory against Manchester United, before Real Madrid and Zinédine Zidane proved too big an obstacle in the final. Last season offered many parallels to 2001/02, except that this time we won two trophies – and the atmosphere in the city was just as great.
For me, the most spectacular and emotional Leverkusen game of the last 30 years was this quarter-final decider against Liverpool. I was there for it at the stadium along with 15 friends and fellow members of the same fan club, De Düssels 96, and I still have the ticket in a photo album where I keep my favourite memories.
Even today, I still love that 2002 Leverkusen team for their absolute determination to turn every game around. We’d lost the first leg 1-0 at Anfield against the clear favourites, and we needed a minor miracle, but the return game got off to a spectacular start when Michael Ballack delivered a hammer blow from distance to make it 1-0. However, just before the break, Abel Xavier levelled the scores.
Ballack’s second goal on 64 minutes put us back in front. It still wasn’t enough because of the away goals rule, but four minutes later, Dimitar Berbatov – my all-time favourite Leverkusen player – found the net to pull us clear at 3-1. Then Jari Litmanen made it 3-2, turning the tie back in Liverpool’s favour, and their players and fans celebrated what felt like a ‘winning goal’. We were shocked. Everyone was shocked. The tension was unbearable.
Now it was time for Lúcio, probably the most dangerous defender in our club’s history. He was the only man up front, lurking in the Liverpool area – right in front of where we were sitting – and he blasted the ball through Jerzy Dudek’s legs and into the net.
Over 22 years later, I still have the images in my head. After his goal, the Brazilian turned towards the corner flag, pulled his shirt over his head and pointed to the sky. It was the start of an incredible party in Leverkusen, which was crowned by the semi-final victory against Manchester United, before Real Madrid and Zinédine Zidane proved too big an obstacle in the final. Last season offered many parallels to 2001/02, except that this time we won two trophies – and the atmosphere in the city was just as great.
For me, the most spectacular and emotional Leverkusen game of the last 30 years was this quarter-final decider against Liverpool. I was there for it at the stadium along with 15 friends and fellow members of the same fan club, De Düssels 96, and I still have the ticket in a photo album where I keep my favourite memories.
Even today, I still love that 2002 Leverkusen team for their absolute determination to turn every game around. We’d lost the first leg 1-0 at Anfield against the clear favourites, and we needed a minor miracle, but the return game got off to a spectacular start when Michael Ballack delivered a hammer blow from distance to make it 1-0. However, just before the break, Abel Xavier levelled the scores.
Ballack’s second goal on 64 minutes put us back in front. It still wasn’t enough because of the away goals rule, but four minutes later, Dimitar Berbatov – my all-time favourite Leverkusen player – found the net to pull us clear at 3-1. Then Jari Litmanen made it 3-2, turning the tie back in Liverpool’s favour, and their players and fans celebrated what felt like a ‘winning goal’. We were shocked. Everyone was shocked. The tension was unbearable.
Now it was time for Lúcio, probably the most dangerous defender in our club’s history. He was the only man up front, lurking in the Liverpool area – right in front of where we were sitting – and he blasted the ball through Jerzy Dudek’s legs and into the net.
Over 22 years later, I still have the images in my head. After his goal, the Brazilian turned towards the corner flag, pulled his shirt over his head and pointed to the sky. It was the start of an incredible party in Leverkusen, which was crowned by the semi-final victory against Manchester United, before Real Madrid and Zinédine Zidane proved too big an obstacle in the final. Last season offered many parallels to 2001/02, except that this time we won two trophies – and the atmosphere in the city was just as great.
