Date: 25th February 2014 at 11:59pm
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article-2235114-161B736A000005DC-982_634x425I remember the Champions’ League game when Chelsea travelled to Istanbul to face Galatasary in October 1999 like it was yesterday. That season was the first season Chelsea had played in the illustrious competition for the elite of Europe, and to the amazement of most opposition fans this was four years before Roman Abramovich turned up. And they all thought we were formed in 2003!

Our baptism in the Champions’ League that season was one that was not to be forgotten. When we played Galatasary, we were yet to play AC Milan in the San Siro where we earned a hard fought 1-1 draw courtesy of “Oh Dennis Wise, scoring a fucking great goal, in the San Siro, with only 10 minutes to go”, and the delights of some of the best football I have ever seen Chelsea play when we beat Feyenoord 3-1 were still to come.

AC Milan 1 Chelsea 1

Feyenoord 1 Chelsea 3

But the most startling result was in many ways the 5-0 hammering we dished out to Galatasary. No English team (apart from West Brom in 1978/9) has beaten Galatasary in their own back yard before or since Chelsea visited in 1999. To say that it is an intimidating place to go would be a massive understatement. We were fully warned beforehand that the team and the hardy 200 or so supporters would be met with a tasty greeting.

BN8LLM_CYAAzICR.jpg largeWe would not be disappointed. A vitriolic welcoming committee brandishing “Welcome to Hell” banners and spitting at anything in Blue were stationed in the airport. At the ground, the Galatasary fans specialise in throwing flares, smoke bombs, coins, and charmingly, bags of piss – not just at the away fans, but at the team as well! But the Chelsea supporters are a stoic bunch and had the gaul to wave a banner proclaiming “Welcome to Hell? We’re Not Bothered”.

What none of us expected was that the team would be equally nonchalent! The line ups that night were:

Galatasaray Mehmet, Popescu, Emre, Arif, Okan, Sukur, Hagi, Fatih, Tugay, Hakan, Capone.
Subs: Inan, Saffet, Ahmet, Umit, Hasan, Marcio, Ergun.
Chelsea De Goey, Babayaro, Leboeuf, Desailly, Deschamps, Poyet, Le Saux, Ferrer, Flo, Morris, Zola.
Subs: Cudicini, Petrescu, Hogh, Sutton, Wise, Ambrosetti, Lambourde.

On 31 minutes Tore Andre Flo, with a lot to do, collected the ball half-way into the Turkish half, and the Norwegian held off the attention of a defender to curl the ball along the ground between Mehmet and the far post. On 48 minutes he was at it again. An excellent build-up involving most of the Chelsea team resulted in a cross which was controlled masterfully by Poyet who cushioned a header for Flo, who with his back to goal from 10 yards out, twists and shoots in one motion, beating Mehmet again. Five minutes later Galatasary set their offside trap just inside their own half, but Zola springs it and makes off with the cheese – the Galatasaray players appeal in vain as they see Flo offside, but not interfering with play. The Chelsea playmaker rounds the keeper with aplomb and slots the ball home to give the home supporters something to moan about. Loudly.

Galatasary 0 Chelsea 5

But we are not finished yet. On 78 minutes the Turkish side have pushed up so far that their defence, standing in the centre circle, can only stand and stare as Flo hares down the left wing and centres to Wise, who makes sure from 10 yards, past the folorn Mehmet. The cherry on the top of the icing on the cake was to come with 3 minutes of normal time left as Ambrosetti (yes really, remember him?), receiving the ball on the left, hits a rasping drive past the despairing left hand of Mehmet and inside his far post.

The match drew to a close as the stadium, which had begun emptying with Chelsea’s third goal, continued to heamorrhage home supporters. To be fair to them, the Galatasary supporters had the grace to applaud some of our goals and the team off the pitch at the final whistle. Well those who were left at any rate.

It was a stunning result and one that shook both England and Europe as a whole. Nobody goes to such an intimidating place and stuffs the Turks like Chelsea did, and to me it remains one of our finest displays and results in our European history.

Will we repeat it tomorrow? Well only time will tell, but somehow I doubt it! Our first Champions’ League campaign ended at the Quarter Final stage at the home of the team with whom we would strike up an intense rivalry during the Roman era – Barcelona. But with some fine performances and massive scalps Chelsea had proved that we belonged at the top level of European football. We did not compete at that level again until 2003/04 but we’ve been there ever since, winning it in 2012 of course in that glorious night in Munich. But that first season planted the seed of what might be possible in the future and how damn good it could be. It is a season that I for one will always look back on with pride and certainly never forget!

 

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