25 May 2024 , 08:00
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It has been a heady few weeks for Liverpool supporters with the departure of the much-loved Jurgen Klopp, and such was the fanfare around his send off last weekend you'd be forgiven for thinking that there was no life at Anfield before the arrival of the German manager in 2015, but of course there was.
And it was on this day back in 2005 that the Reds pulled off one of the greatest feats in European football history when they came from three goals down to beat Carlo Ancelotti's AC Milan on penalties in the greatest Champions League final of all-time.
Rafa Benitez's side rallied for a remarkable victory against all odds as Ancelotti - who faces another Champions League final next weekend - was left stunned.
There were 14 heroes for Liverpool on that day - but what are they up to now? Here, Mirror Football tracks down the men who won Liverpool's fifth European Cup, some 14 years before Klopp would pick up their sixth.
Jerzy Dudek
Jerzy Dudek secured Liverpool's fifth European Cup after saving Andriy Shevchenko's penalty (Getty Images Sport)The Poland international was inspirational in Istanbul, producing some memorable saves during the 120 minutes - including a remarkable double stop froom Andriy Shevchenko - and letting just two penalties beat him in the shootout, saving Shevchenko's decisive kick.
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That final proved to Dudek's last leading role in club football, as he lost his place to Pepe Reina the following season. He later moved to Real Madrid to be their second-choice goalkeeper before hanging up his gloves in 2011 and enjoying a spell as a racing driver.
"It really is like a footballer’s life," he told Liverpool's website when asked about racing in 2016. "You have the discipline, you have a mental coach and someone who’s analysing your performances... there are similarities between playing in goal and racing a car."
Steve Finnan
Steve Finnan fell off the celebrity radar after hanging up his boots (Icon Sport via Getty Images)Liverpool's right-back was viewed by many as "Mr Dependable" during his five years at Anfield, leaving the club in the summer of 2008 before brief spells with Espanyol and Portsmouth. Finnan then slipped off the radar, leaving the glamour of football behind.
The Liverpool ECHO even started a "Where's Steve Finnan?" campaign to locate the lost hero of Istanbul before a reunion event. He was eventually tracked down in 2015, enjoying his new career as a property developer. "I can confirm that I'm safe and well," Finnan told the local newspaper.
"Someone forwarded the ECHO article on to me yesterday. I thought it was funny as I normally think I'm pretty easy to get hold of."
Jamie Carragher
Jamie Carragher is now friends with Gary Neville (Visionhaus via Getty Images)Liverpool's defensive stalwart went on to play 737 games for the club before retiring in the summer 2013 and becoming a much-loved pundit. He currently works for Sky Sports - among other media outlets - where he offers his respected views on the game.
Just as important, though, Carragher has formed an on-screen bromance with Manchester United legend Gary Neville, melting our hearts with their inspirational friendship. If these two great footballing rivals can form an alliance, any of us can.
Sami Hyypia
Sami Hyypia had a brief spell in charge of Brighton (Getty Images)Another Liverpool legend, the Finnish defender left the club in the summer of 2009 to spend the final two years of his playing days at German side Bayer Leverkusen. Since then, he's managed Bayer, Brighton and FC Zurich during his subsequent coaching career.
Hyypia is currently unattached but is enjoying his passion for motorsport. He's shared plenty of pics of himself competing in Motocross and in 2022 he was pictured alongside F1 star Valtteri Bottas at this month's Spanish Grand Prix in Barcelona.
Djimi Traore
Djimi Traore has enjoyed success as a coach (Getty Images)The Mali international's Liverpool career didn't take off after the 2005 final, spending just one more season on Merseyside before representing Charlton, Portsmouth, Rennes, Birmingham, Monaco, Marseille and MLS outfit Seattle Sounders.
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Traore went on to stay in the US after hanging up his boots in 2014, enjoying a five-year spell as Brian Schmetzer's assistant at the Sounders between 2016 and 2021 - winning two MLS Cups (or championships) and the Western Conference four times. He is currently the Head Coach of Right To Dream - an international football academy.
Xabi Alonso
Xabi Alonso is enjoying huge success as a coach (Bayer 04 Leverkusen via Getty Im)The midfielder scored Liverpool's equaliser in the 2005 final, and his career only grew from there. He left Anfield for Real in 2009 and went on to win another Champions League crown in 2014 - as well as the La Liga title, two Spanish Cups and the Spanish Super Cup.
A three-year spell at Bayern Munich followed - winning three consecutive Bundesliga titles, the German Cup and German Super Cup. And let's not forget about Alonso's honours with Spain, lifting the World Cup and two Euros between 2008 and 2012.
After retiring from playing in 2017, Alonso began his coaching career, and it is fair to say it is going well. He took Real Sociedad's B team to promotion to Spain's second tier before joining Bayer Leverkusen and steering them to an historic unbeaten Bundesliga success this term. After losing in the Europa League final on Wednesday, he'll try and seal the German league and cup double this weekend.
Luis Garcia
Luis Garcia's "ghost goal" helped Liverpool become European champions in 2005 (Getty Images Sport)The Spaniard will forever be remembered for his controversial "ghost goal" in the semi-final against Chelsea - a winner that many believe didn't cross the line. Yet his role in the 2005 final was just as important, starting and finishing the game.
Garcia travelled the world after leaving Liverpool in the summer of 2007 - playing in Spain, Greece, Mexico, India and Australia before calling it a day in 2016. He's since moved into punditry and is a regular face on La Liga coverage as well in Liverpool Legends matches.
Steven Gerrard
Steven Gerrard's coaching career has now taken him to Saudi Arabia (Getty Images) Who was Liverpool's Man of the Match in Istanbul? Let us know in the comments below!
One of Liverpool's greatest ever players, Gerrard continued playing for the club until the summer of 2015 - agonisingly missing out a maiden Premier League title in 2013-14. His playing career finished at LA Galaxy in 2016, spending 18 months at the MLS giants.
The midfielder moved into coaching when his playing career ended, starting out in the Liverpool youth setup. He then led Rangers to their first Scottish Premiership title in a decade before moving on to the Premier League with Aston Villa.
Things didn't quite work out for him there though, and after being sacked in November 2022 he now finds himself in the lucrative Saudi Pro League with Al-Ettifaq, who are sixth in the table ahead of the season's final weekend.
John Arne Riise
John Arne Riise is currently coaching in his native Norway (Getty Images)The Norwegian's seven-year Liverpool career came to an end in the summer of 2008 when he joined Roma. After three years in the Italian capital, he enjoyed a three-year spell at Fulham in the Premier League before stints in Cyprus, India and his homeland.
Riise hung up his boots in 2017 and started his coaching career, taking his first job in management in 2020 at Norwegian minnows Flint Tonsberg, and he's also managed women's side Avaldsnes.
Harry Kewell
Kewell's coaching career has taken him to Japan (Getty Images)The 2005 final was perhaps a sign of things to come for Kewell. The Australian was forced out of the Istanbul clash after suffering an injury in the first half and, after a solid 2005-06 campaign, made just 18 appearances during his final two seasons at the club.
Kewell left Liverpool for Galatasaray in 2008, yet he never managed to regain the form that led to the Reds signing him from Leeds in the summer of 2003. After spells in Australia and Qatar he started his coaching career in England, managing four clubs, before a move to Japan's Yokohama F Marinos last year..
Milan Baros
Milan Baros left Liverpool just three months after their Champions League triumph in 2005 (Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images)Famed for wearing the No5 at Liverpool, Baros was at the start of his career when he picked up a Champions League winners' medal in May 2005. He joined Aston Villa three months later and went on to win trophies in France, Turkey and the Czech Republic.
English fans will remember his loan spell at Portsmouth in 2007-08, helping them win the FA Cup final under Harry Redknapp. Baros' career ended at 38 in 2020, the last of Liverpool's 14 Istanbul heroes to play a professional football game.
Dietmar Hamann
Dietmar Hamann is enjoying a successful career in punditry (EMPICS Sport)The first of Benitez's three substitutes in Istanbul, Hamann left Liverpool in the summer of 2006 following their FA Cup final win against West Ham. He went on to play for Manchester City before becoming a player-coach at MK Dons in 2010.
Hamann's managerial career never took off - lasting just four months at Stockport in 2011 - before starting his punditry career over a decade ago. He's been a regular on TV screens across Europe since and his views often appear on websites such as ours.
Vladimir Smicer
Vladimir Smicer once ran for a seat in the European Parliament (Marcio Machado - Liverpool FC)The Czech international left Anfield after scoring the second of Liverpool's three goals in the 2005 final - finding the back of the net on his 32nd birthday. He carried on playing for four more years - representing Bordeaux and Slavia Prague - before calling it a day in 2009.
Since then, Smicer has tried his hand at coaching and politics, unsuccessfully running for a seat in the European Parliament in 2014. A favourite with Liverpool supporters, he regularly appears in the club's charity matches.
Djibril Cisse
Djibril Cisse finished seventh on the French edition of the Masked Singer in 2020 (Getty)The Frenchman is remembered for suffering a horrific leg break during a Premier League game in October 2004, which perhaps stopped him from flourishing at Anfield. That being said, he still made more than 650 career appearances for club and country.
Cisse left Liverpool for Marseille in the summer of 2006 - initially on loan - and later enjoyed spells in Greece, Italy, Qatar, Russia and Switzerland. He also played for Sunderland and QPR in the Premier League and moved into coaching - taking up a position with Marseille's youth team.
The 40-year-old has even appeared on reality TV, starring in France's version of the Masked Singer in 2020. Dressed as the "Skeleton", Cisse came seventh.
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