This week, the stage of the 1/2 final of the Champions League of the current season began. In this regard, PlanetFootball referred to the history of this European cup tournament and prepared an unusual selection with the title: “7 clubs whose reaching the Champions League semifinals is hard to believe.”
“Bavaria” — “Dynamo,” 21.04.199. Michael Tarnat against Andriy ShevchenkoAmong others in this list was Kyiv’s “Dynamo,” which, as is well known, participated in the Champions League semifinals of the 1998/99 season.
Here is what the publication wrote about the Ukrainian giant.
“The old feeling of the “European Cup” of the Champions League has faded over time, but in 1998-99 it was still present.
Of the four semifinalists, “Manchester United,” “Bavaria,” and “Dynamo” chased the trebles (victory in three tournaments within one season, usually - winning the championship title, national Cup, and European cup, - editor’s note) - at that time it was still a rare, unprecedented achievement.
And just look at the four coaches who competed for a place in the Champions League final that season: Ancelotti, Ferguson, Hitzfeld, Lobanovsky. Football legacy or whatever you can call it?
Under the guidance of the influential football grandmaster Valeriy Lobanovskyi, “Dynamo” could boast of having young Andriy Shevchenko and Serhiy Rebrov in its squad and could truly have gone all the way in the Champions League that season.
“Dynamo” displayed its stunning quality, earning four points against the English champions, “Arsenal,” in the group stage, and then knocking out the current holder of the Champions League trophy, “Real,” in the quarterfinals.
In the first leg of the semifinal, “Dynamo” was leading by two goals against “Bavaria,” but in the end conceded two goals, leading to a thrilling 3:3 draw in the Ukrainian capital. For this, “Dynamo” paid with a 1:0 defeat to “Bavaria” in the return match.”
Additionally, besides “Dynamo,” the following teams were also included in this selection: “Rangers” (season-1992/93), “Nantes” (1995/96), “Panathinaikos” (1995/96), “Leeds” (2000/01), “Deportivo” (2003/04), “Schalke” (2010/11).
