10 May 2024
By Roger Kennedy
roger@TheCork.ie
When recalling the 1998/99 Champions League, there’s no doubt a mix of joy and sadness on the part of Roy Keane.
Cork’s most famous footballing son was instrumental in Manchester United’s famous treble-winning campaign – which was headlined by victory in the Champions League.
But after captaining his side to an incredible win in the semi-final, Keane was suspended for the final… watching on helplessly as his teammates battled Bayern Munich in the final.
Let’s celebrate the 25th anniversary of Keane’s definitive season in football.
Keep ‘em Keane
Of course, United are a million miles away from winning the Champions League right now.
The Paddy Power football betting markets have the Red Devils as a contender for a top-six finish these days but little more – they have fallen behind the likes of Mancunian rivals City, Liverpool, and Arsenal in the Premier League pecking order.
United are also nowhere to be seen in the Champions League odds – Real Madrid are the 4/7 favourites to defeat 4/1 underdogs Borussia Dortmund in the 2024 final.
But 25 years ago, the football landscape was a whole lot different.
Led by the incomparable Sir Alex Ferguson, Manchester United were the best team in England – perennially winning the Premier League title.
However, success on the continent had proven elusive – yes, United won the Cup Winners’ Cup in 1991, but the European Cup (which latterly became the Champions League) is the prize that all teams want to win.
The Manchester outfit hadn’t tasted success in that competition since 1968, but the class of 1998/99 were different animals – led, in ferocious fashion, by captain Keane.
But they didn’t have things easy. United had to qualify through the play-off rounds – defeating Polish outfit LKS Lodz – before being drawn in a so-called ‘group of death’ against Barcelona, Bayern Munich, and Brondby.
Kings of Europe
It was a curious affair.
United only won two of their six group games, but drew the other four – enough to see them finish second in Group D behind Bayern.
The Red Devils blasted 20 goals – albeit 11 of them came in home and away games against Brondby – with Keane on the mark against the Danes and in the group decider against Bayern.
Incredibly, United had never won on Italian soil before – that record would be put to the test against Inter Milan in the quarter-finals.
As it was, Ferguson’s men won the first leg at Old Trafford 2-0 thanks to a Dwight Yorke brace, so the second leg at the San Siro was less of a pressing matter – in the end, United drew 1-1 courtesy of a late Paul Scholes strike.
Ironically, they would be drawn against another Italian club in the semis – the silverware-laden Juventus their opponents.
A 1-1 draw at Old Trafford handed the Italians the advantage of an away goal ahead of the second leg, with United’s failure to win in the country before also something of a concern for their travelling fans.
When Filippo Inzaghi scored twice in 11 minutes at the Stadio delle Alpi, United’s hopes appeared to be in tatters – but that discounted the remarkable leadership qualities of Keane.
He hauled his side back into the tie, scoring the first and driving United up the pitch. Yorke and Andy Cole would both find the scoresheet in a stirring victory, which was tarnished somewhat by the cards picked up by Keane and Scholes, which would see them miss the final.
And what about that final… Teddy Sheringham and Ole Gunnar Solskjær netting late, late goals to defeat Bayern 2-1.
Even Keane, watching on from the stands at the Nou Camp, was smiling as United ended their long wait for success in the Champions League.
