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'You feel nothing, you want to forget it all'

2006 Champions League final
2006 Champions League final

In May 2006, we lost the Champions League final in Paris to Barcelona after playing most of the match with 10 men.

The game turned after 18 minutes when Jens Lehmann was sent off for bringing down Samuel Eto'o on the edge of the box. 

 

Speaking exclusively to our 'In Lockdown' podcast, Alex Hleb revealed what it was like to be on the losing side in one of the most important games of his career. 

 

"I knew I was in the team one day before the game," he said. "We had a good team and everybody wanted to play, of course. It was special. Everybody was nervous, it's normal. We were nervous, but with something [extra], you know?

 

"It was still 0-0 [after the red card] and we wanted to fight and give our best. We didn't think about the situation. We understood that everybody would have to do a little bit more because we had one player less. After we scored, Sol Campbell with that fantastic goal, there was so much power in that moment. We needed to fight to the end to try and win. 

 

"You feel nothing [after the final whistle], you want to forget it all. So many friends called me and wanted to support me and offer something good to say, but I didn't want to hear it. I think that feeling lasted for three or four days."

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