Javi Moreno celebrates one of his goals in the final against Liverpool (Photo: Eurosport)
Indeed that year almost all went a little Deportivo Alavés. The Glorioso ', It is known as the team Mendizorroza, He was about to be crowned champion UEFA Cupin its edition of 2001. The Liverpool, nothing more and nothing less, He stopped her in the cruellest way possible.
that team, masterfully directed by Mané, He stunned Europe with his game and his exploits. One by one they fall rivals in its wake, among them, himself Inter de Milan who he was able to defeat by 0-2 in the second leg in San Siro. Big words.
The whole vitoriano left out another modest Spanish football as is the Vallecano Ray, who signed a dignified participation in that UEFA Cup, but it was the year of Alaves. The semifinal is still remembered against Kaiserslautern, which he shattered by a partial 9-1 (5-1 in the first leg and 1-4 in Germany). Crazy.
ALAVÉS-LIVERPOOL
Then came the great day of the final in Dortmund and the heart of all Vitoria and much of Spain I was with the modest albiazul team, which he had become fashionable her pink shirt in this season's UEFA and playing the final with style luggage Boca Juniors. The Jordi Cruyff, Krmon, Tellez, Against, Javi Moreno and company They had been planted in a European final against a giant of European football which had in its ranks Carragher, Gerrard, Owen o Fowler.
The game started badly for the vitorianos that were put 2-0 down with goals Babbel Y Gerrard and it seemed the logical pressure of playing such games would be able to 'newbies'. Nothing is further from reality. Ivan Alonso, another who made a sublime championship, agreed distances but again the Reds’ They put some ground between the 3-1 work of McAllister.
Go into action Javi Moreno what, with a double, He managed to tie the game at 3 goals for delirium of the fans alavesistas. Liverpool again would go ahead with a goal from Fowler in 73′ but, when all seemed lost, Jordi Cruyffmark the 4-4 in 89′. The match went into extra time.
Jordi Cruyff fight for the ball Steven Gerrard at the end of Dortmund (Photo: Eurosport)
THE Own goal Geli
And that's when cruelty was primed with equipment Mané. The vitorianos fought for an incredible dream and when they get closer, a goal in own door Geli lack of 3 minutes to reach the penalty shootout decided the final for the Liverpool.
It's been quite a few years but we all remember this historic milestone. Modest Rebellion, the humble example that all clubs must take into account not surrender and fight great because in football and in life, dreams can come true.
