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Champions League football! the place where the best teams across Europe come together to establish their superiority over the rest. A tournament, which is held in the highest pedestal by players and coaches alike.If football was theatre, Champions League is its Broadway. Since its inception in 1992, the global showpiece for European football has been the stage for some of the greatest dramas which have unfolded in ‘the beautiful game.’The UEFA Champions League has given football fans a collage of memorable moments to cherish, some joyous, some heart-breaking and a few truly legendary. From Ole Gunnar Solskjaer to Didier Drogba, from FC Porto to Real Madrid, the Champions League has captured a million memories worthy of any diamond-studded scrapbook. Here at Sportskeeda, we try and sort out fifteen of the most momentous images of the Champions League, captured on camera. These memorable images define the magic of the Champions League over the years.
#1 Ole Gunnar Solskjaer injury time winner against Bayern Munich
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If not the most famous comeback from behind wins, the match has to go down in as the most dramatic one.
Bayern Munich were 1-0 up till the 90th minute. But in what was described by Sir Alex Ferguson as “football, bloody hell!”, it took two minutes and 17 seconds of stoppage time for Teddy Sheringham, then Norwegian international Ole Gunnar Solskjaer to turn the game on its head to win United's second European crown.
The perfect capture of Solskjaer’s winner past German keeper Oliver Kahn makes every football fan... speechless.
#2 Zinedine Zidanes volley against Beyer Leverkusen in 2002 finals
Zinedine Zidane was a wizard on the pitch. If you have to associate one moment to a genius who has scored twice in a World Cup final to win his country the World Cup, generally the World Championship winning goal would be the preferred choice.
However, his UEFA Champions League winning goal from a volley against Bayer Leverkusen will perhaps be remembered as the single most memorable moment of this magical player. The importance of the goal has little to do with the tag. What made the goal special was the element of magic associated with it!
This picture perfectly captures one of the greatest footballers in the world at his absolute best.
#3 Mourinho\'s celebration after knocking out Manchester United at Old Trafford in 2004
Jose Mourinho has won a lot of trophies in his career. But the Portuguese will remember a few games more fondly than the 2004 Champions League quarter-finals against Sir Alex Ferguson’s Manchester United.
Mourinho led his Porto side to Old Trafford and a last minute equalizer to hold the Red Devils 1-1 at home meant Porto had knocked United out of the Champions League courtesy of their 2-1 home win.
Mourinho went on to win the trophy with Porto, but the match and particularly this moment, marked the birth of the ‘Special One’.
#4 The Miracle in Istanbul
If Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard started the famous ‘miracle at Istanbul in the 2005 Champions League finals, it was Jerzy Dudek‘s penalty save off Andriy Shevchenko which completed it.
The image signifies the end of what has to go down in history as one of the greatest comeback wins in Champions League finals. AC Milan were in cruise control going into the half-time with a 3-0 lead.
An inspired performance by Steven Gerrard rallied the Merseysiders to make the score-line 3-3 by the final whistle. The match went to the penalties and Dudek finished the match with this famous save off the Ukrainian hitman.
#5 Lionel Messi\'s towering header over Rio Ferdinand in Champions League final
The 2009 Champions League final saw Manchester United take on Barcelona in the finals at Rome. The match was highly anticipated as a Cristiano Ronaldo versus Lionel Messi match up but instead turned into a Messi against the Manchester United defence.
The 70th-minute header by Lionel Messi was Barcelona’s second as the Argentinean outjumped Rio Ferdinand as he sent the ball over Edwin van der Sar, killing the game off in a manner that would go on to irk every Red Devil around the world these following years to come.
#6 Real Madrid winning La Decima
Real Madrid’s relationship with the Champions League is very personal. They are after all, the most successful club in the tournament’s history. Any Madrid fan would openly declare the Champions League to be ‘their own’. But the 2013-2014 win was special even for the Los Blancos.
After Zinedine Zidane’s legendary volley gave them the 2001-2002 Champions League, the Santiago Bernabeu had a 12 year-long-wait till they could win back ‘their’ tournament for a record tenth time.
This picture of the Real Madrid players perfectly reflects what the ‘La Decima’ or the ‘tenth one’ meant for the club.
#7 Drogba wins Chelsea the Champions League with his last kick
Didier Drogba in 2012 was set to leave the club for China. The Stamford Bridge talisman decided to turn up in his favourite blue shirt for the last time in the UEFA Champions League final against Bayern Munich, being played at the German side’s home ground.
The Ivory Coast striker not only rescued his team after scoring with a cracking header on the 89th minute to take the game to the penalties, but also won Chelsea their first Champions League with what was at the time thought to be his last kick for his club of 8 years.
Drogba might have come back for his second spell at the club, but the drama associated with the image cannot dissipate even a bit.
#8 Cristiano Ronaldo returns to \'The Theatre of Dreams\'
Cristiano Ronaldo might have become somewhat of an immortal figure at Real Madrid, but his climb to the top of Mount Olympus certainly began from Old Trafford.
On March 2013, the prodigal son returned to his former haunt, in an electrifying atmosphere at Old Trafford. As required to complete the script, Ronaldo scored against his former club to knock the Red Devils out of the competition.
#9 Galatasaray\'s Hellish welcome to Real Madrid
Champions League is as much about the fans as it is about the players and managers. Galatasaray has never boasted the toughest squad in the competition, but the Turkish club’s fanatical support is famous.
Any player who had the fortune or misfortune to visit the Türk Telekom Arena would tell you the Galatasaray faithful can make any rival player’s time on the pitch hell. The fans seem to have picked up on that and are famous for their ‘welcome to hell’ receptions extended to visiting teams.
This particular welcome for the mighty Real Madrid on April 2013 is our particular favourite. The picture gives a whole new meaning to ‘atmosphere.’
#10 Borussia Dortmund\'s Champions League win in 1997 after beating the legendary Juventus team
If someone has made you believe that Slumdog Millionaire is the biggest underdog story of recent times, think again.
In what is probably the biggest upset in the finals of the Champions League history, an unrated Borussia Dortmund beat the legendary 1996-97 Juventus side boasting Zinedine Zidane, Christian Vieri and Alessandro del Piero. According to
Frank de Boer, the Juventus side was the greatest team on the planet at the time. The picture is a true ode to every underdog story in football.
#11 Beckham\'s broken foot
After firing England to the World Cup with a magical free-kick goal, David Beckham returned to club duty with Manchester United in the Champions League. A horrific tackle from Deportiva La Coruna's Aldo Duscher left Beckham with a broken bone in his foot, ruling him out for up to eight weeks just ahead of the 2002 World Cup.
Beckham, at the moment, was the most recognizable face in football and the incident would be etched in the memory of every football fan in the world.
Beckham miraculously recovered in time but couldn’t help England avoid an early exit from the World Cup held in Korea.
#12 Dortmund\'s loss in the 2013 finals
It is said that history always remembers the winners and not the losers. But, the 2013 Champions League final will always be remembered as the year Borussia Dortmund reached the Champions League final.
A young and entertaining Borussia Dortmund team, against all odds, worked their way to the finals only to lose in the dying minutes of the match. The valiant team lost the finals 2-1 to German rivals Bayern Munich.
But no matter which team you supported for the match, everyone must have applauded the effort put in by the young side.
