Famous former Italian referee Pierluigi Colina has named the 1999 UEFA Champions League final between Manchester United and Bayern Munich as his the greatest moment of his career.
Bayern Munich were on the cusp of glory after Mario Basler handed them a first half lead with an intelligent free kick.
The Bavarians appeared to have closed the game with the slim lead as Samuel Osei Kuffour and his teammates were controlling the game.
But Manchester United leveled the scoreline courtesy substitute forward Teddy Sheringham deep into injury time before his substitute mate Ole Gunnar Solksjear poked in an instinctive winner at the death to clinch a 2-1 victory for the English giants.
Colina, who officiated numerous games during his career, says that night in Barcelona left an indelible mark in his mind.
"It was the last two minutes, I saw the Bayern players on the bench preparing to celebrate the title, the fans were happy in the stadium with their team being crowned the Champions League title.”
“Suddenly, Manchester scored two goals in two minutes and reversed the score. I will never forget how the English side were bursting with great noise as if they were lions roaring, while there was funeral silence in the Bayern stands,”
“The man United players were celebrating their second goal hysterically when I saw a Bayern player completely hopelessly fall to the ground and he was feeling great disappointment. I approached him and found nothing to say to him except, “Get up and fight you still have twenty seconds!!.
“At that moment, I saw the true face of football, death and life in one stadium, people celebrating madly and people desperate to death !! ”