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It was April 23, but in 2003: Manchester United and Real Madrid offered a memorable Champions League quarter-final second leg and Ronaldo’s hat-trick put an end to Fabien Barthez’s adventure with the Red Devils.
“When the opponent is so big, you have to stand up and applaud”, wrote the official account of the Champions League on Tuesday by publishing a video of Ronaldo “Il Fenomeno”. 21 years ago, on April 23, 2003, the world of football was delighted with a legendary Champions League quarter-final between Sir Alex Ferguson’s Manchester United and Real Madrid of the Galacticos led by Zinédine Zidane. After a 3-1 victory at the Bernabéu, the Whites ended up losing 4-3 at Old Trafford to qualify for the final.
It was the Brazilian idol Ronaldo, Ballon d’Or in 1997 and 2002, who captivated the Mancunian public and who ended up being applauded by the 66,000 spectators when he left in the 67th minute. Before that, he opened the scoring with a cross shot (12th), gave Vicente Del Bosque’s men the lead on a serve from Roberto Carlos (51st) then scored a third goal for Fabien Barthez with a long shot ( 59th). What a recital! Two goals from David Beckham (71st and 84th) gave United an insufficient victory.
Barthez maintained number 1 in EDF
Barthez was already very contested in Ferguson’s group, especially after a rout on the previous Boxing Day, with a heavy 3-1 defeat on December 26, 2002 at Middlesbrough, with goals from Alen Boksic, Szilard Nemeth and Joseph-Désiré Job (three players who have played in the French D1). The “Divine Bald” (becoming “Fabulous Fab” across the Channel) was no longer in the odor of holiness. His Scottish boss has turned the page after this hat-trick from Ronaldo. Roy Carroll finished the season and American Tim Howard was recruited.
” In trouble “ in Manchester, as regretted The world At the time, however, Barthez had retained the confidence of Jacques Santini, the Blues coach, while Grégory Coupet was impeccable in the OL goals. The emblematic goalkeeper of the 98 world champions then made his return to OM in December 2003, finally retaining his place in the selection for Euro 2004 and even for the 2006 World Cup under the orders of Raymond Domenech.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KoPIUSG-vcg
Written by:
Manu Tournoux is a passionate and knowledgeable football enthusiast with a special focus on French football. Born and raised in France, Manu discovered his love for the beautiful game at a young age and developed a deep understanding of the ins and outs of "Le Championnat." His French roots and extensive experience in football journalism have made him an invaluable asset to the French Football Weekly team.
 
 As an author for the website, Manu's expertise includes not only in-depth analysis of Ligue 1 and Ligue 2 matches but also insightful profiles of up-and-coming talents, detailed transfer news, and engaging coverage of the French national team. His captivating writing style and undeniable passion for the game have earned him a loyal following among our readers.
 
 When he's not crafting engaging articles for French Football Weekly, Manu enjoys attending live matches whenever he can, exploring football culture in various French cities, and engaging in spirited debates with fellow fans. Feel free to follow Manu on Twitter and interact with him as he shares his expert opinions, insights, and love for French football.
