and hard in their hotel dining room that the party broke up
only when staff began laying breakfast around them at 7.30am
yesterday. Being sensationally late was only fitting, given
the way United's players overcame Bayern Munich in stoppage
time at the Nou Camp.
United's 2-1 victory sent shockwaves around Europe. Many
observers wondered if this was the greatest final yet, in
climax if not content. Most acknowledged that the English, a
faded force in the European Cup since the horrors of Heysel,
were back among the elite. The Italians, serial finalists in
recent years, could provide only the referee this time
I looked at the names on the cup and there was Ajax,
Borussia Dortmund, Juventus and Real Madrid and then
Manchester United," said Alex Ferguson yesterday. "I said to
myself 'that is what it is all about'."
United's delight was England's. Champions of Europe like
David Beckham, Teddy Sheringham, Andy Cole, Nicky Butt, the
Nevilles plus Paul Scholes, who was suspended for the final
but helped his team reach Barcelona, will all be named in
Kevin Keegan's squad today for next week's highly
significant Euro 2000 qualifier against Sweden. Optimism
will be rocketing, the banter among the players at Bisham
keener than usual. Keegan can use United's momentum to build
England's.
Psychologically, United's triumph means that football's
mother country is no longer the Aunt Sally of the global
game. It was as if the national team had won in Barcelona,
not just England's most celebrated club side. Heathrow's
baggage-handlers even programmed in a special message on the
screens for those passengers arriving on flights from Munich
yesterday. "Manchester United 2, Bayern Munich 1," it read.
"Welcome to England, home of the European champions." PS:
your bags are in Kuala Lumpur.
United certainly shed some baggage on Wednesday. The 31
years of hurt disappeared in one memorable minute. "The time
was up and I looked around and I saw the cup was on its way
down and it had Bayern Munich's colours on it," said
Beckham. "Two minutes later, I had it in my own hands."
Beckham's chaos-causing corners set the scene for Teddy
Sheringham's equaliser and then Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's
winner.
The seeds to the revival, to the seizing of a game hitherto
largely controlled by Jens Jeremies, Sammy Kuffour and Mario
Basler, were laid during Ferguson's stirring half-time talk.
"I said that the cup will only be 6ft away from you at the
end of the game," United's manager recalled. "If you lose,
you won't be able to touch it. You have got to find a way to
effect people's lives through motivation. But you have to
have players who can be motivated. Some people can just
melt."
Ferguson's players just grew stronger on an emotional night
for United, who prevailed on Sir Matt Busby's birthday
against a side from Munich. "Back in the dressing room Bobby
Charlton and I were chatting about how these things happen,"
added Ferguson. "It was a fairy tale. You could tell Matt
Busby was looking down on me. I said a few weeks ago that I
hope there is some meaning to the final being on Matt's
birthday and against Bayern Munich.
"It was just brilliant the way it happened: Peter
Schmeichel's last game for us and there he is, up there in
their box, having a helping hand in the first goal. I had
got to the stage where I felt we had to accept defeat. I was
gearing up to face the question about 'do you think you will
ever win it?'
"I do feel a sense of fulfilment now that I didn't have
before. My players cannot be ignored now in terms of the
history of this club. Some of the '68 team were at the party
last night. They were proud of them. Twenty years from now,
when people talk about the main characteristic of this team,
they will always be remembered for their last-minute goals,
for never giving in. Two goals in injury time? Who would
have believed it?"
Ferguson, typically, voiced his determination to make the
most of his final three years at Old Trafford. "I don't want
to finish by not having won anything since Barcelona. That
would be a waste of talent for the players and myself.
"What is required now is to show that we can get better and
drive ourselves to other challenges."
One challenge that will be given a Giggs-style dropped
shoulder to is FIFA's daft World Club Cup in January
(probably in Brazil). "There's no chance of us going," said
Ferguson. Bayern will now be UEFA's representatives.
Ferguson's men will contest the European Super Cup against
Lazio, the UEFA Cup winners, in Monaco, on Aug 27.
Ferguson's achievements, which are likely to bring him a
knighthood as well as a long residency in the best-seller
list for his forthcoming autobiography, were acknowledged by
Keegan yesterday. "Alex has gone past Bob Paisley by winning
the Treble," said Keegan, who played for Liverpool under
Paisley.
"That's more of an achievement than anything we accomplished
at Liverpool because of the sheer difficulty of winning the
European Cup now there are so many more fixtures. You can
put them both together as the greats along with Bill Shankly
and Matt Busby." This season's stats say it all: played 63,
lost four, scored 128 goals. United had earned that party.