The Miracle of Istanbul : A Look Back at One of the Greatest Sporting Comebacks of All Time

It was a night that will live long in the memory of Liverpool fans around the world. The Miracle of Istanbul, as it is now known, saw the Reds produce one of the greatest comebacks in football history to defeat AC Milan in the 2005 Champions League final.

18 years have now passed since that historic night, and while the memories remain fresh in the minds of fans, not all of the cast members from that evening still look the same.

Vladimir Smicer, who scored the second of Liverpool’s three goals in their remarkable comeback, looks dramatically different these days. Gone is the clean-shaven face and spiky hair that Reds fans were used to during the midfielder’s playing days at Anfield. In its place is a more slicked back hairstyle and rough beard, which may well be for the best when you consider that Smicer seems to enjoy playing ice hockey in his spare time these days.

But despite his new look, Smicer remains a beloved figure among Liverpool fans. Now a TV pundit and a Reds ambassador, the former Czech Republic international spoke in 2017 about his role in Liverpool’s comeback against Milan in the 2005 final.

“I was determined to enjoy it,” Smicer said. “We were already 1-0 down and by half-time it was 3-0. I don’t think we actually played that badly, it was just that Milan were so good. Kaka was brilliant.”

It was Steven Gerrard who started theLiverpool fightback just after half-time, but it was Smicer’s goal that pulled the Merseysiders back to within one goal of their opponents. “I scored a few goals from outside the box but none as important as that one,” Smicer added. “When I hit it, I knew it had come off the sweet spot! Maybe Dida saw it a bit late and wasn’t expecting it to come so fast.”

Smicer’s goal gave Liverpool the belief they needed to mount their comeback, and soon Xabi Alonso scored the equalizer to level the scores at 3-3, setting the stage for Jerzy Dudek’s heroics in the penalty shootout.

“When Jerzy made the miracle save from Shevchenko I thought: ‘Come on, this is our cup. This has to be our night,’” Smicer recalled.

And it was indeed Liverpool’s night. The Reds went on to win the penalty shootout 3-2, with Dudek saving two spot kicks to secure an improbable fifth European Cup for the club.

18 years on, the memories of that historic night in Istanbul remain as fresh as ever for Liverpool fans. And while not all of the cast members from that evening still look the same, Smicer’s goal and the heroics of the entire team will forever be etched in the annals of football history.