The Miracle of Istanbul, Told by the Men Who Performed It

Jul 8, 2026

A season narrative of Liverpool’s 2004–05 European run culminating in the Istanbul final. The account follows Rafa Benitez’s behind-the-scenes decisions, including squad management and transfer priorities, alongside the club’s mounting belief as opponents are eliminated in the knockout rounds. Key voices from the pitch and staff describe the psychological shift from being seen as underdogs to gaining confidence through match intensity and meticulous preparation. The story frames how Liverpool overcame AC Milan despite tactical complexity and reputational pressure.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryStory & Novel

FormatPDF

Pages31

Reading Time48 min

2004–05 European run and momentum

Building belief despite outsider status

Preparing for the Istanbul final

Match outlook and tactical contrasts

Key performances and confidence gains

Milan’s strengths and Liverpool’s intensity

The miracle of Istanbul, told by the men who performed it Simon Hughes and James Pearce 48m ago In the summer of 2004, the new Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez flew home from Austria after his first competitive game in charge and his mind was ticking. It had been a comfortable 2-0 victory over Grazer AK at the wonderfully named Arnold Schwarzenegger Stadium, taken from the town’s most famous son. Steven Gerrard had scored twice and in Benitez’s words, the team had done “OK”. Yet a lot was happening behind the scenes and not all ofit was settling. He had left Michael Owen on the bench that night because he needed the funds to complete a deal for Xabi Alonso and he did not want England’s star striker cup-tied. Owen would soon move to Real Madrid. Meanwhile, potential new owner Steve Morgan used the journey back to Merseyside as an opportunity to sell his vision of the future, though he would fail to buy the club he supported. It would have been unthinkable at this point that 10 months later, Benitez would lead Liverpool to their fifth European crown. The aim at Anfield was always success but small progressions would have been accepted, considering Liverpool had been only the fourth-best team in the Premier League under his predecessor Gerard Houllier. [https://theathletic.com/1825608/2020/05/23/miracle-of-istanbul-liverpool-gerrard-benitez-carragher-traore-warnock-dudek-smicer-mellor-](https://theathletic.com/1825608/2020/05/23/miracle-of-istanbul-liverpool-gerrard-benitez-carragher-traore-warnock-dudek-smicer-mellor-)ﬁnnan-riise-hamann/ 1/35 5/23/2020 The miracle of Istanbul, told by the men who performed it – The Athletic In 2004-05, European football suited Liverpool. Though a path to the knockout stages was only established in the last Champions League group match against Olympiakos via one of the most dramatic Gerrard goals. Bayer Leverkusen, Juventus and Chelsea were then all dispatched without Liverpool losing a game. Benitez’s team had reached the final in Istanbul, where the opponents were six-time champions AC Milan. This is the story of a football miracle that happened 15 years ago on Monday, told to James Pearce and Simon Hughes by the people who were on the pitch, in the dugout and in the stands. Jamie Carragher: “Despite being one of the most successful clubs in European football, in every round that season, it felt like whoever we faced were favourites. Nobody other than Liverpool supporters seemed to believe in us. People were always saying that we’d get knocked out in the next round but that suited us down to the ground. It was a motivating factor in our success. Rafa was desperate to prove the doubters wrong. Stevie and I certainly were. It gave us the extra yard when it mattered on so many occasions. “Knocking out Chelsea (in the semi-final) was massive but beating Juventus gave me confidence that we could beat Milan because Juventus were Serie A champions. To be honest, Juventus didn’t cause us huge problems. Yes, we were under pressure in the second half at Anfield especially but it wasn’t a tie where I thought we were out of our depth, even though we had players missing and they were at full strength. “I always felt that against Italian teams, except for the first half in the final against Milan. The pace that Italian teams played the game was so slow that I always felt a bit underwhelmed. It was the same against Roma and Inter Milan when they were champions of Italy. “I believed that we were able to beat them because of the intensity of our game compared to theirs. That’s why I think Arsenal were the best we played against because they played with so much pace, it doesn’t give you time to think. With Italian teams, I felt like I was in the right position.” [https://theathletic.com/1825608/2020/05/23/miracle-of-istanbul-liverpool-gerrard-benitez-carragher-traore-warnock-dudek-smicer-mellor-](https://theathletic.com/1825608/2020/05/23/miracle-of-istanbul-liverpool-gerrard-be

FAQs

Why were Liverpool considered underdogs in that season’s European campaign?

Players and commentators describe a broader belief that Liverpool were in transition and likely to be knocked out early, with few expecting them to go far.

What factors drove Liverpool’s confidence going into the Istanbul final?

The narrative emphasizes progress through dramatic knockout results, growing self-belief, and preparations led by Benitez’s attention to detail.

How did Liverpool plan to handle Milan’s tactical strengths in the final?

The story highlights Milan’s experienced defense, strong midfield ball control, and elite attackers, noting the need to manage two different styles—possession play and fast counters.

Jul 8, 2026

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