Carlo Ancelotti of Everton before the Premier League match between Chelsea and Everton at Stamford Bridge on March 8, 2020 in London, England.
Although they failed to take home the Champions League, Carlo Ancelotti believes his 2005 AC Milan squad was better than the sides that won in 2003 and 2007.
The Rossoneri famously saw a 3-0 lead evaporate in just six minutes, as Liverpool fought back to claim an unlikely triumph in Istanbul in 2005.
Ancelotti believes that star-studded squad was the best he coached while at the San Siro, as they were technically superior in his eyes.
“The 2007 side was technically inferior to the 2005 one, which remains the best team with the best performance in a final,” he said during an Instagram Live video. “That 2005 side was even better than the 2003 version.
“We were incredibly motivated in 2007 [against Liverpool]. That motivation helped us to win more than our quality did.
“I watched the [Istanbul final] 10 years later. We played very well in extra time. [Jamie] Carragher told me that they couldn’t take it anymore and they wanted to go to penalties.”
Saturday marked 13 years since Milan beat Manchester United 3-0 in the return leg of the semi-finals to win 5-3 on aggregate, and Ancelotti believes that result helped them push through in the final.
“The goal we conceded in the last minute of the first leg was vey important,” he added. “It made it 3-2 and that pushed us to play a more attacking game.
“We played Liverpool in the final again and we knew that the gods would be on our side this time.”
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