Tale of two Turks: Champions League final pits two greats of the game

European football’s showpiece event is returning to the football-loving city, eighteen years after Ataturk Olympic Stadium hosted what is now known as the “Miracle of Istanbul”.

In the 2005 Champions League final, Liverpool made the mother of all comeback to script a famous victory.

The monumental clash in the Turkish city pitted two of European football's powerhouses, Italy’s AC Milan and British side Liverpool.

In the first half, Milan had run riot, largely thanks to goals from Maldini and a brace by Argentine striker Crespo. By halftime, the Italian side was 3-0.

In the second half, the English side made a meteoric comeback to equalise the score and take the match to a penalty shootout – with Gerrard, Vladimír Šmicer and Xabi Alonso putting one each.

Polish goalkeeper Jerzy Dudek cemented his legacy for Liverpool, emerging as the hero of the shoot-out. It remains, to this day, one of Liverpool’s crowning glories.

English v Italian sides again

Saturday’s trophy match will see two giants take on one another from the same nations as before - one English and one Italian, albeit in a different era.

However, there is a small link to that time in 2005. One player famously omitted from Carlo Ancelotti’s AC Milan squad in 2005 is Italian Simone Inzaghi. Now he’s Inter Milan's head coach.

Inter Milan last lifted the coveted European title in 2010, defeating a powerful Barcelona side in the semi-final before winning against Bayern Munich in the final.

The all-conquering Manchester City are widely tipped to be the favourites. Pep Guardiola’s side has been in red-hot form this season, led by the goal-machine Norwegian striker Erling Haaland.

Türkiye’s involvement on field

Saturday will see both sides with footballers with familial ties to Türkiye as they prepare to battle each other on the field.

Manchester City's Ilkay Gundoğan is a Turkish German who has played 12 times in the Champions League, scoring once and providing two assists.

Inter Milan playmaker Hakan Calhanoglu is Türkiye's national team captain and has a goal, and two assists to his name in this season’s top-flight European competition.

When and where is the game

On Saturday, June 10, Ataturk Olympic Stadium – opened in 2002 – will host another showpiece game.

It was earlier slated to stage the 2020 final between France's Paris Saint-Germain and Germany's Bayern Munich on May 30, 2020.

However, the match was relocated to Lisbon due to the Covid pandemic.

The Istanbul stadium is now ready for the big day – with an array of features, from a new hybrid pitch, updated dressing rooms, and renovated VIP lounges.

The athletics track has been lowered to improve visibility for those who have made the journey to cheer on the Italian 'I Nerazzuri' or the English 'Blues'.

The Ataturk Olympic Stadium is located in the Basaksehir district of Istanbul.

It now has a capacity for around 72,000 fans, making it the largest stadium in Türkiye.

History of the stadium

The stadium takes its name from the founder and first President of the Republic of Türkiye, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk.

It took around three years to complete, as construction began in 1999.

It was completed in 2022 for a cost of US$140 million.

The Ataturk Olympic Stadium has also hosted several Turkish Cup final games and many prestigious musical acts, such as Irish rockers U2 who have performed at the venue.

The UEFA Champions League final is expected to boost Istanbul's economy by around $80 million.