The 2003 Champions League Final was a shocker, contested by two Italian teams in the shape of Juventus and Milan, making history as the first time that two clubs from Italy had faced each other in the final. It was also the second one-nation final, following the Real Madrid v Valencia match in 2000. Milan won the match via a penalty shootout after the game had finished 0-0 after extra time. It gave Milan their sixth success in the European Cup.
After a decent start, Milan had an Andriy Shevchenko goal ruled out after appeals that Rui Costa had blocked Buffon’s line of view from an offside position. Replays later showed that Rui Costa moved out of Buffon’s line of sight before the shot, but the decision remained. Conte almost scored for Juve after coming on as a sub in the second half, his header clattering against the post with Dida well beaten. Pirlo also hit the bar for Milan. Later, in the second half, both teams began to sit back and not create many chances.
‘Paolo Maldini hoisted the trophy as captain, just as his father had done for the same club in 1963. Clarence Seedorf can disregard a missed penalty in that shoot-out and sink into the satisfaction of becoming the first man to triumph with three different clubs in this competition, after victory with Ajax and Real Madrid. Carlo Ancelotti, once a team-mate of Maldini’s, is no longer to be harangued as a habitual loser among coaches and the ache of his sacking by Juventus in 2001 has vanished. It is the current incumbent in Turin who bears all the misery and Marcello Lippi has now failed in three of his four finals with the club.’
Kevin McCarra,The Guardian, 29th May, 2003
Both Juve and Milan had injuries to defenders, Tudor leaving early in the 1st half after pulling a muscle in his right thigh. In extra time, Roque Júnior limped out due to fatigue and injury, leaving Milan down to 10 men as they had made all 3 allowed substitutions. The penalty-shoot out has caused controversy among some fans as replays showed that Dida was off his goal line when saving penalties from Trezeguet, Zalayeta and Montero. Juventus of course couldn’t be outdone on the cheating, Buffon was also off his goal line while saving a penalty from Seedorf. Andriy Shevchenko bagged the final penalty to win the European Cup for Milan, becoming the first Ukrainian footballer to win a European Cup winner’s medal.
