When Ancelotti faced Liverpool in Istanbul - Who played and where are they now?

Carlo Ancelotti last met Liverpool in the 2004/05 Champions League final which turned out to be one of the greatest matches in history...

Carlo Ancelotti's Real Madrid are all set to lock horns against Liverpool in the final of the Champions League 2021/22 season.

This will be the third time that the Italian manager will meet the Reds in a Champions League final.

The first time Ancelotti faced the Reds was in Istanbul in the final of 2004/05 season which is considered as one of the greatest matches of all time.

The historic Champions League final saw Carlo Ancelotti's AC Milan face Rafael Benitez's Liverpool in Istanbul on May 25, 2005.

Milan, who started the game as favourites, took a three-goal lead in the first half itself but the Reds staged a miraculous comeback in the second half to overturn the 3-0 deficit.

Paolo Maldini scored in the first minute of the match while Hernan Crespo scored a brace for the Serie A giants. For Liverpool, Steven Gerrard, Vladimir Smicer and Xabi Alonso were on target.

The Premier League side eventually clinched the tie in the penalty shootout winning 3-2 and bagging their fifth Champions League tie.

Dida - Goalkeeper

Dida played at AC Milan for 10 years winning the Champions League twice and one Serie A title. He retired from professional football in 2015 after spending a season at Brazilian club Internacional. After retirement, Dida went back to AC Milan where he initially served as the goalkeeping coach of the U17 side. In the 2020-21 season, he was promoted as one of the goalkeeping coaches of the senior team.

Cafu - Right-Back

The legendary defender played for clubs like AS Roma, Sao Paulo and Palmeiras before joining AC Milan in 2003. At Milan, Cafu had won the Champions League in the 2006-07 season. Cafu retired from professional football in 2008. He is currently one of the legacy ambassadors of the Qatar World Cup 2022.

Jaap Stam - Centre Back

The Dutch defender played for clubs like Manchester United, PSV Eindhoven and Lazio before joining AC Milan in 2004. He last played Ajax before retiring from professional football in 2007.

Stam began his coaching career by managing Dutch club PEC Zwolle as their caretaker manager in 2009. After that he managed English club Reading FC and Dutch side Feyenoord. Since 2020, he is the manager of MLS side FC Cincinnati.

Alessandro Nesta - Centre Back

The Italian legend joined AC Milan from Lazio in 2010 and spent 10 seasons at the club. He later played for MLS side Montreal Impact and ISL club Chennaiyin FC in the inaugural season before retiring from professional football.

Post-retirement, he managed Miami FC, Perugia and Frosinone.

Paolo Maldini - Left Back

Widely considered as one of the greatest to have ever graced the game, Paolo Maldini was a one-club man who played at Milan from 1984 to 2009. Even after retirement, he continued the relationship with the club and is currently the technical director of AC Milan.

Gennaro Gattuso - Defensive Midfielder

The hot-headed defensive midfielder played for clubs like Perugia, Rangers and Salernitana before joining AC Milan in 1999 where he spent 13 seasons. In 2012, he played for Swiss top division side Sion for a year before retiring in 2013.

After retirement, he managed top Serie A clubs like Palermo, AC Milan and Napoli. In May 2021, he was appointed as the head coach of Fiorentina but after only two months even before his tenure could begin, the contact was mutually terminated by the player and the club.

Andrea Pirlo - Right Midfielder

Pirlo is one of the most distinguished midfielders of the modern era. He has 116 caps for Italy and did not play club football outside of his homeland until the twilight of his career. He is one of those rare players who played at all three Serie A giants Inter Milan, AC Milan and Juventus. In 2017, he retired while playing for New York City FC after he kept struggling with various physical problems.

He returned to Juventus as a manager in 2020 but was relieved of his duties at the end of the season.

Clarence Seedorf - Left Midfielder

The Dutchman played for clubs like Ajax, Real Madrid and Inter Milan before joining AC Milan in 2002 where he spent 10 seasons. He went to Brazil in the final two years of his professional career and played for Botafogo before retiring in 2014.

After retirement, he managed AC Milan, Deportivo La Coruna and Chinese Super League side Shenzhen. He also managed the Cameroon national team. Right now, he's working as a media pundit.

Kaka - Attacking Midfielder

The Brazilian midfielder played for Real Madrid and Sao Paulo other than AC Milan at the peak of his career. In 2014 he signed for MLS side Orlando City. Kaka retired from professional football in 2017.

Andriy Shevchenko - Forward

The legendary Ukrainian forward played for Chelsea and Dynamo Kyiv apart from AC Milan where he had two stints (1999-2006, 2008-2009). He retired from professional football in 2012.

In 2016, he served the Ukraine national as an assistant coach for a brief period before joining them as the head coach, a job he continued until 2021. He then joined Genoa as their manager but was sacked from his position in January 2022.

Hernán Crespo - Forward

The legendary Argentine forward played for clubs like Inter Milan, Parma, Lazio and Chelsea other than AC Milan in his long and illustrious professional career. He retired from football in 2012.

Crespo joined Brazilian giants Sao Paulo as their head coach in February 2021 on a two-year deal. He won the Campeonato Paulista, the club's first trophy in eight years.

Jon Dahl Tomasson - Substitute

The former Denmark international joined AC Milan from Feyenoord in 2002 and spent three seasons at the club. Tomasson also played for clubs like Newcastle United and Villarreal. He retired from professional football in 2011.

After retirement, he worked as an assistant coach at several clubs as well as in the Denmark national team between 2016 to 2020. In 2020, he was appointed as the head coach Malmo before parting ways in 2021.

Rui Costa - Substitute

The Portugueseattacking midfielder joined AC Milan from Fiorentina in 2005 and spent five seasons at the club. He also played for Benfica in two stints (1990-1994) (2006-2008). He retired from professional football in 2008 after which he served Benfica as a sporting director and vice president. He has since been elected as the club President in 2021.

Serginho - Substitute

The Brazilian winger joined AC Milan from Sao Paulo in 1999 and spent nine seasons at the club before retiring from professional football in 2008. Other than Milan and Sao Paulo, Serginho also played for Flamengo and Cruzeiro. He retired from professional football in 2008. Post-retirement, he became a football agent.