Liverpool are the champions of Europe by winning the champions league for the fifth time ever in the history of the team. Also they get to keep the trophy at Anfield forever (until they go to Stanley Park.) This means only 3 teams have won the competition five or more times. The fantastic comeback in Istanbul made Liverpool have the best comeback ever in history. Liverpool at half time thought they were going to loose the trophy embarrassed by being 3:0 down. The fans went silent, but at the beginning of half time they were singing even though they were 3:0 down. Being the champions of Europe is something to be pleased of but the problem is will Liverpool even be in the next champions league in 2006….

As Liverpool didn’t get in the top four of the Barclays Premiership they have to get into the Champions League by the UEFA giving them special permission after winning the champs league. Lots of people think Liverpool should be in the next year’s competition with Chelsea, Arsenal, Man utd and Everton. One of the people that thinks that they should be a fifth English team in the competition is Gerard Houllier the new manager of the French champions Lyon. He said, "I was really so pleased that Liverpool won the Champions League for the fans, the players and the club," He added, "I'd be gutted if they are not in the Champions League next season. Common sense should prevail and the winners of the Champions League should be the first ones to defend it." Nick Parry said" The rest of the world wants us in it. There's a weight of expectation behind us now," They are two of many people that think Liverpool should be in the next champions league. Now it’s all up to the FA persuading UEFA getting them in it.

The thing is how did Liverpool get in the final of Europe. It all started will a champions league qualifier first leg against GAK that Liverpool won 2:0 with two Steven Gerrard goals. The second leg didn’t go so well with a 0:1 lose by a goal by Tokic but Liverpool still won 2:1 on aggregate. The next step was Liverpool was in the first round playing Monaco and won 2:0 by a Djibril Cisse and Milan Baros scoring. Then it was a disappointing 0:1 lose to Olympiacos the Greek side. So that means Liverpool made a bad record that no side had lost against a Greek for over 20 years when Tottenham lost against one of the Greek teams. Then they played Deportivo La Coruna that was the only team to draw at Anfield in the champions league after a 0:0 draw. 2 weeks later they played the same team but away this time. Liverpool got a 0:1 win over them to get all 3 points by a own goal that Andrade kindly scored (if he didn’t score Milan Baros would have scored it). It was a bad day for Liverpool against Monaco the second time losing to a hand ball goal by Saviola. This meant that they needed to win 1:0 or by 2 clear goals to get into the last 16. At half time Liverpool was 0:1 down against Olympiacos by a Rivaldo goal. But at the end of the game pongolle scored a goal follow by a goal by Neil Mellor and a fantastic goal by Steven Gerrard that put Liverpool into the next round of the champions league that is the last 6.

Liverpool come second in the group stage of the competition (round 1) and went on to play Bayer 04 Leverkusen Liverpool was expected to go out this round as the under dogs but was also expected to go out when they were 0:1 down at half against Olympiacos and needed three goals. Liverpool went on to a good start by a goal by Luis Garcia just 10 minutes in. 20 minutes later that was doubled to be 2:0 by a goal that John Arne Riise. About 3 minutes from full time Dietmar Hamann scored a third goal. But as the Liverpool team thought it was over by Jerzy Dudek’s mistake Franca gave play Bayer 04 Leverkusen a chance of going thought with an away goal. This made the end score 3:1 to Liverpool. They had then had to play the second leg at Bayarena only needing a draw or even lose by 1 goal to go thought. 26 minutes in Luis Garcia scored a goal to give Liverpool that away goal they needed, so Bayer 04 Leverkusen needed four goals to win on three goals to go into extra time. The problem only got worse when six minutes later Luis Garcia scored a second away goal that made Liverpool know they are going thought to the quarter final. They them made it worse for poor Bayer 04 Leverkusen by Milan Baros scoring a third away goal making Liverpool 100% sure they were going thought to that special quarter final for the second time in six years. That did not stop the over side scoring a goal that Krzynowek put into the back of the net. So that meant Liverpool went into the quarterfinal winning 6:2 on aggregate.

The next team Liverpool had to play against was Juventus that Liverpool was the under dogs again and every body said that Liverpool won’t even stand a change against then. Phil Thompson the ex-Liverpool player still believed that Liverpool could still go thought to the semi final against Chelsea or Bayern Munich. But they had a problem that the Juventus goalkeeper had only let two goals in the last eight champions league games. The last time these two clubs played 39 people got killed by a fence that fell on them and Liverpool was banned from the champions league for the next six years. Then they started the game, and Liverpool was the better side and scored a goal just 10 minutes in by Sami Hyypia. The lead double then Luis Garcia’s best goal in his career came along to make it 2:0 to the home side at Anfield. Liverpool still was the best side until cannavaro scored 63 minutes in the when Scott Carson made a mistake and Juventus got the away goal they needed. That means Liverpool had to draw or win the second leg and they’re away performance is not very good. They went out in the first half defending very well with Jamie Carragher in the way of every ball that came at him. In the second half Liverpool wasn’t doing as well and Juventus were throwing ever thing at Jerzy Dudek. But ever the goalkeeper or Liverpool’s great defence was in way of a winning goal. Liverpool did hold on to a 2:1 win on aggregate win over the Italian champions to go on and play Chelsea in the semi final.

Liverpool than had to go to Stamford Bridge to play in the semi final of the Champion league against Chelsea as they beat Bayern Munich. Liverpool was the under dogs again like they always are. In the game Chelsea nearly scored the first goal by Frank Lampard’s unmissible shot. He scores 9/10 or those goals. Then about 8 minutes later Milan Baros had a chance to score and he should not of miss that. The thing is Milan Baros has only scored 2 goals since December 19^th 2004 and the semi final first leg was on April 27^th 2005, which is 4 months. In the second half Liverpool and Chelsea were playing in midfield and have the odd 1 or 2 shoots at goal every now and then. At ended 0:0 and Chelsea and Liverpool were very pleased with the result. There is a little problem for Liverpool, as they didn’t get an away goal meaning Liverpool must win or get a 0:0 draw and go into extra time. So Liverpool and Chelsea game second leg kicked off a week later and came despair for Chelsea as Luis Garcia scored a goal 4 minutes in the game meaning there will be no extra time. Chelsea thought the game had shoot after shoot but they couldn’t get past Jamie Carragher. They had 6 minutes injury time that Chelsea kept pushing for the equaliser to get into the final and Jamie Carragher kept stopping them. But with 30 seconds to go Gudjohnsen made the Liverpool fans go quiet and gave a shock on the players when he missed by about 2 inches on his favourite shot. He scores 9/10 of them. Liverpool managed to hold on to their first win over Chelsea this season and the first champions league final in 21 years. Jose Mourinho said the best side lost but Chelsea could have gone thought to the final if they scored just one goal. Stall the Chelsea fans were saying Luis Garcia’s goal didn’t cross the line. 2days later they found out that the ball did not pass the line but Liverpool was still in the final will AC Milan to go for gold and bring the champion league trophy to Anfield once again forever.

Liverpool got to the champion league final expected to go out of the first round yet here they are the under dogs again like the rest of the season in the competition. Phil Thompson said "if Liverpool can beet the Italian champions why not AC Milan". After finishing fifth in the Barclays Premiership them need to win to have any chance of being in the ne xt champions league. All of the fans and players of Liverpool was confidant they can win it and prove and show the rest of Europe a side from England can win the biggest tournament. Rafael Benitez said, "we have nothing to lose" meaning go out there and try your best. The players and fans now that if they win this there is a big chance Steven Gerrard will stay at Anfield for another year. Liverpool are one of the best sides in the world and deserve to win more than any other side for the Premierships sake.

 So on the 25^th of May the final finally started for Liverpool after 21 long years. The Premiership side of Liverpool came out the first half of the Final going 1:0 down just 50 seconds in the game disappointing the Liverpool team and fans. The goal came by Maldini. After that it was still all AC Milan shooting in every direction to get the second goal. It all just got worse for Liverpool in Istanbul having Harry Kewell coming off 23 minutes of the game and that messed up rafa’s plans. So on came Vladimar Smicer for his game for the team. Just as Liverpool was getting in the game a bit Shevchenko passed to Crespo and he put the ball past Jerzy Dudek into the back of the net. It continued getting worse when Crespo scored again just before half time making Liverpool have to do the impossible.

At half time Liverpool went in with their heads down in shame of being 3:0 down but Rafael Benitez was not going to give up yet and make Liverpool do the impossible because the games not over yet. "If AC Milan can score three in a half why can’t they" said Phil Thompson. Meanwhile Rafael Benitez said to his team 'Don't let your heads drop. All the players who will get on the pitch after half time have to keep their heads held high. We are Liverpool, you are playing for Liverpool. Do not forget that. You have to hold your heads high for the supporters. You have to do it for them. You cannot call yourselves Liverpool players if you have your heads down. If we create a few chances we have the possibility of getting back into this. Believe you can do it and we will. Give yourselves the chance to be heroes'. After that they were all really to play the second half and obey Rafael Benitez’s speech and try and get those 3goals.

Liverpool came out as their Champions league side came to get ready do the impossible. So they came out but AC Milan were the best side until Steven headed Liverpool’s first headed goal in the whole competition to make it 3:1 and give them some hope. Two minutes later Vladimir Smicer scored his last goal for Liverpool before leaving and bringing them back in it to 3:2. It was not over yet they had a penalty after Steven Gerrard was pushed over. Xabi Alonso came up to take the penalty and Dida saved it but Xabi Alonso came forward and scored that one to put things level. Then AC Milan fight back to get a goal but just like he did against Chelsea, Jamie Carragher stopped every ball go past him. Liverpool lasted to the end to get the unexpected 3:3 then they were 3:0 down. In extra time it was the same as the second half of normal play AC Milan taking shoots everywhere and Liverpool defending for the cup. Everybody thought it was over then 4 minutes from time Jerzy Dudek made a double save to keep Liverpool in with the chance of winning the champions league. At the end of extra time it was still 3:3 and had to go into penalties.