 ANOTHER glorious chapter in the history of Liverpool Football Club was written here in Istanbul last night as the club won their fifth European Cup after an astonishing fightback against AC Milan. Roared on by at least 40,000 fans, who made the Ataturk Stadium their own, Rafa Benitez's team mounted an extraordinary second half comeback to turn around a three-goal deficit and win the game on penalties. Two Jerzy Dudek saves and a Milan miss during the shoot-out sent the holy grail of European football back to Anfield again - and this time it is taking up permanent residence. Liverpool have now won as many European Cups as every other English side put together. Rafa is the Bos-phor-us said the banner and the Spaniard has now equalled Jose Mourinho's achievement in winning the senior trophy the season after a EUFA Cup triumph. And Istanbul can now take its place proudly alongside the historic nights in Rome, London and Paris; 2005 can be spoken of in the same wondrous terms as 1977, 1978, 1981 and 1984. This was undoubtedly the most dramatic and remarkable of Liverpool's five European cups. Nobody here last night will ever forget it. This was, after all, not the all conquering championship winning teams of vintage past, but a group of players who had contrived to lose to relegated Southampton and Crystal Palace this season. Amid scenes of great emotion and jubilation, Huyton's Steven Gerrard could barely wait to get his hands on the trophy, giving it a cheeky kiss before it was officially presented. He becomes the third Scouser to lift the cup, following in the footsteps of Phil Thompson, and Aston Villa's Denis Mortimer. It had all seemed so improbable little over an hour before as Milan cruised effortlessly to a 3-0 lead and systematically silencing the astonishing mass of red shirts gathered all around this impressive but virtually unreachable stadium. However, two goals within a minute by first Gerrard and then Vladimir Smicer instilled new belief in the players, and new voice in the supporters, before Zabi Alonso's equaliser sent them into ecstasy. Extra time was excruciating and almost unbearable for some, notable for another remarkable Dudek save from Jon Dahn Tomasson. But Liverpool were destined to repeat their penalties victory of Rome in '84 to complete what must surely be the greatest comeback in the history of this stirring competition. Dietmar Hamann, Djibril Cisse and Vladimir Smicer held their nerve to prompt a month of hangovers on the red half of Merseyside. Jay Kelly, from Edge Hill, said:" This is one of the best nights of my life, we were down and out, but we never gave up. To see Steven Gerrard lift the trophy after everything has been written about him, is just really special." | 
