United Secure Incredible Double In Moscow

CL Final - Victory

The anticipation, the build-up, the excitement, the agony and the eventual ecstasy – the 2008 European Cup final provided Manchester United fans with one of those ‘where were you when that happened’ moments.

Last night’s victory still feels somewhat surreal as the dust settles on the turf of the Luzhniki Stadium, but one thing is an undoubted certainty, the memories of Ryan Giggs and Rio Ferdinand lifting the famous trophy will live on in the memory of every United supporter forever.

50 years on from the Munich Air Disaster, 40 years on from the first European Cup win over Benfica and nine from that night in Barcelona, the timing of this third European Cup win couldn’t have been more apt.

The trophy that Sir Alex Ferguson had craved to pick up once again more than any other is now firmly back in his grasp. At times it felt like the 66-year-old may have to make do with the European success of ’99, none more so than when Cristiano Ronaldo’s penalty was beaten away by Petr Cech, but the Gods were on the side of Ferguson in Moscow as John Terry’s slip allowed United back in with a shout of claiming an incredible victory.

As the legendary Sir Bobby Charlton watched on from the stands, he would have been contented to see his appearance record broken by the man who’d go on to convert the spot-kick practically sealing United’s victory – Ryan Giggs.

Nicolas Anelka’s subsequent saved penalty – and final action of the match – will cement Edwin Van Der Sar’s status as one of the greatest goalkeepers of all time, nine months on from his first game of the season, which coincidentally, also saw the Dutch goalkeeper crowned hero of the day at Wembley in the Community Shield. The only question that remains is why we didn’t sign him up earlier.

A double-winning season that will go down as a golden year in the club’s rich history alongside 1968 and 1999, every player in the squad played their part in making this season a momentous one. However, the undisputed star of the season has been Cristiano Ronaldo, and it was his brilliant header which was perfectly directed past Cech, notching up his 42^nd goal and securing his Champions League Golden Boot in the process.

Nothing new could be said about the talents and performances of the Portuguese winger, but all we can do is hope that Ronaldo won’t be of the mindset that he’s now achieved all he can at the club. With constant unsettling speculation linking his name to Real Madrid, has Ronaldo played his final game for the club?

Despite the pre-match focus largely falling onto Ronaldo’s shoulders, no one individual stood out as the star of the show last night in Moscow, it was a collective effort, with every man in a red shirt working to make the game as difficult as possible for Chelsea. Although United rode their luck on several occasions, Ferdinand and Vidic were once again solid as they have been all season, Carlos Tevez never stopped tracking back and making a nuisance of himself and the midfield trio of Scholes, Carrick and Hargreaves all retained the ball well and tirelessly hustled their blue counterparts.

It was a performance which shared similarities with many of United’s classic performances. The never-say-die attitude was crucial and it was a testament to the mentality of some of the younger players who all found the strength of mind and ability to score past arguably the best goalkeeper in the world. Carlos Tevez, Nani and Anderson all fearlessly stepped up to take penalties which could either make or break them. Each one of them, in their debut season, all duly found the back of the net, and it’s this strength of character and strength in depth which has been the difference between this season and last.

As the team flies back from Russia along with the thousands of fans who also made the trek to the Russian capital, replicating this incredible success next season will be the primary aim of Sir Alex Ferguson, however difficult a task that may be.

Before all that, though, the main thing on the managers’ and players’ minds will rightfully be to enjoy the moment and to rest and recuperate after a testing season, safe in the knowledge that Manchester United are the best team in Europe.