Referee Collina Opens Up on Epic Kuffuor Moment During 1999 UCL Final

• Ghana legend Sammy Kuffuor played in the UEFA Champions League final in 1999
• The former Black Stars defender was heartbroken after the defeat to Manchester United
• Italian referee Pierluigi Collina was the official on the night and had to console Kuffuor

Legendary Italian referee Pierluigi Collina has explained the moment he walked to a visible broken Bayern Munich defender Sammy Kuffuor to console him after the 1999 UEFA Champions League final against Manchester United.

The Germany giants were minutes away from winning the competition when the Red Devils staged the most famous comeback in football history to win the UEFA Champions League.

With few seconds remaining, former Ghana defender Kuffuor was in uncontrollable tears as he broke down in agony staring at defeat.

According Collina, he had to inspire Kuffuor to fight on but it was a little too late for the Bavarians.

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“It was the last two minutes of the Champions League final. I saw the Bayern players on the bench getting ready to celebrate the title,” he said as quoted by GHANAweb.

“The fans in the stadium were happy that their team was crowned with the Champions League title.

“Suddenly Manchester scored two goals in two minutes and overturned the result. I will never forget how the English stands were filled with great noise as if they were roaring lions, while there was a funeral silence in the Bayern stands.

“The Manchester United players were celebrating their second goal hysterically when I saw one of the Bayern players falling to the ground completely desperate and feeling great disappointment.

“I approached him and found nothing to say to him except “Get up and fight, you still have fifty seconds!! At that moment I saw the true face of football, death and life in one stadium, people celebrating madly and desperate people to death!!."

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Kuffuor went on to win the UEFA Champions League two years later with Bayern Munich.

Kuffuor hits back at Gyan

Earlier, Sports Brief reported that former Ghana international Samuel Osei Kuffour has described Asamoah Gyan’s ‘nonsense must stop’ statement over Majeed Ashimeru snub for the Nigeria clash as unfair.

Gyan took to Twitter to slam the technical team of the Black Stars for the omission of Ashimeru in the 27-man squad to face Nigeria.

The Anderlecht midfielder was the conspicuous absentee on the roster despite his fine form for his club in the Belgian Jupiler League.