Dutch midfielder Clarence Seedorf broke down in tears of joy after becoming the first player to win the European Cup with three different clubs last night. Seedorf was adding to his successes with Ajax Amsterdam in 1995 and Real Madrid in 1998, writes Michael Walker.
"It's incredible, incredible," Seedorf said in an emotional reaction after the game. "I don't have any words. I am so, so happy."
Sobbing, Seedorf - one of two Milan players to have his penalty saved - added: "It has just been a great spectacle for us, a great atmosphere today, a great stadium.
"I think Milan deserved it, during the game we were the better team. I think."
Asked what he felt, Milan manager Carlo Ancelotti said: "Satisfaction, joy - I'm feeling all these things equally at the moment."
Ancelotti was sacked by Juventus in 2001 but said he did not want to talk about any feelings of vindication.
"Tomorrow there'll be plenty of time to talk about things like that," he said.
"For now I just want to celebrate with my players."
It may not have been a classic but Old Trafford enjoyed the special atmosphere that only two Italian clubs can bring to a game.
Manchester was annexed by Italian football's northern league yesterday and even the statues in Albert Square seemed to be nodding in agreement that the first all-Italian European Cup final was a definitive restating of Italian football's rediscovery.
Seeing Milan and Juventus hellbent on entertainment as well as intrigue, Arsene Wenger was probably the only one giving Real Madrid a thought. The game in Spain has rightly been heralded for free-wheeling attacking. One by-product has been the eclipse of Serie A, seen as stale and backward. But not this season and not last night.
It was Milan's weaving, orchestrated by the ever-shimmering Rui Costa, versus Juve's straight lines, in which Edgar Davids dictated the direction. It was Andriy Shevchenko's electricity versus Paolo Montero unplugged. It was sweet forward movement versus defensive wrestling.If this is the sort of fare they serve up in Serie A the neutral would take it.
The temptation on such a night is to see Italian football having spiralled upwards.
The evidence made the temptation sensible. Football's incessant appetite means that we cannot remember the events of last week never mind last year. But it is worth salvaging the memory of March 19th, 2002 and Liverpool's defeat of Roma last March before considering May 28th, 2003.
Guardian Service
:quality(70)/cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/YVIRIOZQ35EWRPZXR27KGMO6YU.png)