Exclusive Interview with Didi Hamann: Celebrating 20 Years Since Liverpool’s Legendary Champions League Triumph

Last updated: 18 March 2025 by Leon Marshal

Dietmar “Didi” Hamann, the legendary midfielder renowned for his crucial role in Liverpool’s unforgettable 2005 Champions League victory in Istanbul, joins the Best Betting Sites team for an exclusive interview. Reflecting on his illustrious career, Hamann delves into the emotions of that historic night, his views on the current football landscape, and the future prospects of his former clubs.

The 20th anniversary of Liverpool’s Epic Comeback

We’re coming up to the 20th anniversary of your famous Champions League triumph with Liverpool in Istanbul, where does that rank in the most special nights of your life?

Probably top, I’d say. When you play as a kid or when you start playing, the two biggest prizes are the Champions League and the World Cup. One in international football, one in club football.

Obviously to win it with Liverpool for the fifth time was incredibly special. The way we did it too made it extra special.

What were your emotions watching the first half of that game from the bench, as AC Milan raced into a 3-0 lead?

Well, the first one goes in, and you think to yourself that you would rather concede after 30 seconds than 89 minutes because you still have the whole game to go. The second goes in and you think it won’t make things any easier. Then the third one goes in, and you think you won’t be winning the Champions League.

I was 31 at the time, and the older you get the more you think about the game and what the manager could do or might be able to do. But the third one was four or five minutes before half time, and I just remember walking into the dressing room feeling completely empty. I didn’t even think about what Rafa could have done or could do because I thought that’s it. We’re playing against the best team in Europe, full of star players. I didn’t think too much about us even having the possibility of turning it around.

I just thought, we worked so hard to get here and now we’ve given it away within 45 minutes. Having said that, I don’t think they were three goals better in the first half. Before the second goal went in, I think we could have had a penalty for handball, and we didn’t get it, but obviously then with the second and third goal, they showed how good they were and it was an incredible AC Milan team.

What were Rafa Benitez’s instructions to you when he sent you on at half time?

We came in and he always gave the players two or three minutes to just cool down, calm down, have a drink, and then he came into the dressing room.

He just said we are making one change. At first Djimi Traore was going to come off. I was going to come on for Djimi, and we were going to play three at the back. Rafa wanted me to come on to try and wrestle back a bit of control in the middle of the park and to give the team a bit more stability with Xabi Alonso, which gave Steven Gerrard the licence to go forward, because he was our biggest goal threat. And that was it, really.

When he said I was coming on, my first reaction was what can I do now, against that team?

But then I left the dressing room. I was only in for about five minutes because I walked outside with Paco Ayestarán, the assistant manager.

Steve Finnan complained about a sore groin after I left, so they got Djimi back out of the shower. He carried on. I’ve got to say, when I warmed up with every second.

“I thought to myself the fans were still singing, probably more out of desperation than hope or thinking that we can turn it around. With every second I thought, they scored three in the first half, why can’t we score three in the second half?”– Didi Hamann on the Miracle of Istanbul.

And it got to a stage then when the teams came out again that I thought to myself, if we get a first goal, I’m pretty sure we will get a second one because we won a lot of cup finals with some of the players in the squad. And every time we made it into a dogfight, we came out on top. So, I thought if we somehow get close to them in the second half, who knows?

How did you and the team turn the game around in the second half?

They had one or two opportunities. I think one was given offside, which was very close, and then I think they had another chance to make it four. Obviously, that would have finished the game, then it would have been a damage limitation not to get beat six or seven.

I think it was the 54th minute when Riise crossed that ball. Obviously, in the game you don’t really realise it, because Cafu blocked the first cross, the ball bounced, and it took a couple of seconds to get back to Riise.

He made no attempt to stop the cross. He just said, come on, have another go. He crossed it again and then it was the perfect header. It’s almost impossible to score from where Stevie scored from. He was yards out, there was only one place to put it, and that’s what he did.

Then the atmosphere in the stadium changed, and I also thought that the Milan players, even though it was a hugely experienced team, I think they felt for at least the five minutes when we got the other two goals, they thought, it might not be all over. By the time they realised it, we were back level.

Do you have a group WhatsApp?

No, unfortunately we haven’t. Obviously, you bump into one or two every now and then when there’s some legends games or some functions. I’m not sure there’s something happening in Liverpool to mark the 20th anniversary. I think I’ll be going over.

It’s always good to see the lads. When you finish playing, everybody goes in different directions. Each player goes their own way and it’s not easy to keep in touch but obviously it’s always good (to see the lads).

If you could come back for one more season, would you want it to be for Newcastle, Liverpool or Manchester City?

I’d probably like to play for Arne. I’d go back to Liverpool, definitely.

Didi’s Thoughts on Manchester City

Does Grealish need to leave?

Well, I think his situation at City will probably depend on what the manager does. I think if Pep Guardiola were to depart, there might be a chance he’d stay. If the manager stays, I think he most certainly will go.

Even if he doesn’t stay, he’s been at the club for so long and as you say, he’s won everything. He had spells where he showed what he can do.

If you ask me now over the four or five years he’s been there, whether he’s been a success, I’d say no. Because there’s just too many and too long periods where he hardly featured, didn’t feature or didn’t really affect the game as much as he should have.

I think he needs a change of scenery, and also, looking ahead to the World Cup, if he wants to go to the World Cup in 2026, you only get so many chances as a player. To do that, and I’m sure Thomas Tuchel would have told him, he probably has to go somewhere else and play regular first team football.

Do you think Guardiola will consider moving on in the summer given the challenges that he has faced this season?

Well, when he signed the contract extension, I think that the contract was signed to calm things down and just bring a bit of stability into the club, because it was really needed at the time because of the 115 charges that the Premier League brought against City.

You know, he’s been there a long time. The people in charge of the football club are the same people that were running Barcelona when he was there, so they are not only colleagues, they’re friends and I’m sure if he wants to go, they would find a solution.

The challenge for City is that next season, they kind of have to create a new team, and I think in modern history, for example, when Ferguson won the Champions League in 1999 and then winning it again with a different team in 2008, he was the last manager to do that. That kind of rebuild requires a lot of patience and a lot of energy. When I look at Pep this season, I’m not sure whether he’s got either at the moment.

“It’s a very testing job, being a Premier League manager. You have to transfer that fire from the manager to the players and make them believe they can win everything again. I’m not sure he can do that. I said that a few months ago.”– Didi Hamann on Pep Guardiola.

I’m not sure how far that time is where he say to himself, maybe somebody else is better equipped for the job. I’d be surprised if he’s still the manager next season, regardless of where they finish.

Who could replace Guardiola?

I would like to think that if Pep Guardiola does go that, he will have quite a big say. They will certainly ask who he thinks is a manager for Manchester City. If you look at the Premier League, obviously the Brighton manager has been doing well, even though he’s dropped off for a bit, but they seem to have come back again.

Whoever follows Guardiola, it doesn’t matter which manager, it will be almost impossible to replicate. We’ve seen how difficult it can be when a legacy or a legendary manager departs football club, normally it takes time for that manager to find their feet – Manchester United when Fergie left and Arsenal when Wenger left – are the two prime examples.

Liverpool actually struggled, quite a few managers didn’t fancy the challenge of following in Klopp’s footsteps and turned down the opportunity. That’s another reason why Slot deserves so much credit for what he has done this season at the club.

Didi’s Thoughts on Liverpool

It’s been a challenging week for Liverpool. Did the loss to Paris Saint-Germain and then Newcastle highlight any weaknesses in Arne Slot’s management?

I don’t have any worries or concerns about Arne’s management after the two defeats, but obviously they’re still in a very strong position in the Premier League. Having said that, there’s nine games to go, 27 points to win or to lose, and they’re 12 ahead.

I wouldn’t be surprised if we get to a situation where we get it down to 6 or 7 points, but eventually Liverpool should hold on.

The last week made me realise, people probably see it differently, what a job the manager has done. Because everybody is talking about this team that’s running away with the Premier League. This is the same team as last year, plus Chiesa.

Other teams brought players in, City brought players in, and bought in January. The other teams bought players, Liverpool haven’t.

People said, it’s a great team, Klopp left a great team. Yes, Klopp left a very good team, but Slot made it into a very, very good team. And I think it just goes to show that the gap between Liverpool and Arsenal, and Liverpool and City, in terms of players and squad, is not as big as the Premier League table says. I think Slot has got the absolute maximum out of the team up to now.

It’s unfortunate to win all the games in the league phase and get knocked out in the last 16 of the Champions League, but they got knocked out by the most in-form team in Europe. You can’t have any qualms about it – it’s just the way it goes. Liverpool did not have the luck of the draw.

“Liverpool have got to be careful. I think they’ve got a long way to go, and psychologically it will leave a scar, these last two games.” – Didi Hamann on Liverpool’s recent defeats.

With reports suggesting that Diaz is on the way out of Liverpool this summer, would Anthony Gordon be an ideal replacement for Arne Slot on the left-hand side?

I like Gordon a lot. I think he was a Liverpool fan as a kid too.

If you look at this, obviously there’s still the situation with Salah, where nobody knows whether he stays or goes. And if I look in the Premier League, you look at Jarrod Bowen and you look at Anthony Gordon as being the only two players that could potentially replace him as a like-for-like.

Anthony Gordon would improve any team in the Premier League. I think that’s how good he is.

Didi’s Thoughts on Newcastle

Will Newcastle be able to kick on to the top four after winning the League Cup?

It could be a huge step. What’s going to happen in the next few months and years remains to be seen, because with financial fair play, Everton and Forest got points taken away from them last season, so that is a warning.

We need to wait and see how much money they can actually spend. But looking back on my career in Liverpool, I think the most important one was the League Cup in 2001. Without the League Cup we wouldn’t have won the UEFA Cup, and probably the FA Cup. And then other things tend to follow because it creates that winning mentality. The first one, I feel, is always the most important.

They’ve been very shrewd with the players they brought in. They didn’t spend stupid money. I think they’ve been pretty wise with it. If they carry on doing this, I think the future could or will be bright.

Newcastle or City (maybe Chelsea too) – who is favourite for that fifth place now?

I would favour Newcastle to finish ahead of both Man City and Chelsea, because Brighton had a huge chance with 10 minutes to go in their 2-2 draw last weekend. It was a one-on-one with the keeper where City could have lost it. It’s been going on for a long time now. They’ve got a lot of players who are in the autumn of their careers, and they’re just a team at the moment. I think the fear factor has gone at the Etihad. Teams go there thinking they can get something, which wasn’t the case before.

Is it a concern? Well, I wouldn’t say it’s a concern, but I think City knows full well that they’re not guaranteed to finish in the top five, and that would obviously mean no Champions League football. I think it would be a disaster for their club if that were to happen.

Is Eddie Howe going to get a statue?

Bottom line, the fact is, he’s the one. A lot of people tried, and he’s the first one to do it – bring silverware to the club – after a long, long time.

Having said that, the financial situation is probably a lot better than it used to be or is now at St. James’ Park.

I think they have a team that can compete, and if they keep all of their best players for a few more years and if he gets in the Champions League, maybe he wins another one, who knows?

I wouldn’t bet against it.

Does the win keep the squad intact for another year?

It probably gives you a better chance because, at the end of the day, the players want to get paid well, but they want to win trophies, and I think it will be hugely important to get in the Champions League because that’s where the best players want to play.

What it does when you win a trophy, it creates an awful lot of trust within the team, because you know when the chips are down, you can trust the man next to you.

And I think this is what a team is all about. And when you’ve got that, anything is possible. So, I expect them to finish in the top five, which will be enough.

I think the Carabao Cup win was huge because it brings people together, it makes you believe that you can beat the best teams in big games. In every respect, in terms of mentality, and belief that you can win, it was absolutely huge lifting that trophy.

Was the win destined?

Well, I’m not sure it was destiny. I probably gave them a better chance after what happened on Wednesday against PSG.

They are a very good team. Obviously, they missed Gordon. Isak was a bit of a question mark. I think it was very important that he was going to play. It was a very good opportunity to win a trophy against a team that just got knocked out of the Champions League, which not too many people expected after the first leg, even though they got outplayed.

“I wouldn’t say it was destiny, but I think they well deserved it.”– Didi Hamann on Newcastle’s win over Liverpool in the Carabao Cup final.

They were the better team on the day. They made Liverpool look moderate. Not many teams have managed to do that this season, and I’m delighted for them.

I was asked before, obviously my longest, my most successful spell was at Liverpool.

What I said before the last 16, I said if Liverpool won the Champions League and Newcastle won the League Cup, I think we’d all be happy.

I think it means a lot more to Newcastle to win that trophy because Liverpool are in a very strong position in the Premier League.

Newcastle have not won a trophy for 60 years. I’m delighted for the club and the fans because I know how much it means for them.

Hamann’s Thoughts on Arsenal

Leroy Sane has been linked with a move to both Arsenal this summer. Does he represent the right fit to bolster Arsenal’s front three?

If you look at Arsenal, I think you need very good players to improve the team. And obviously Saka plays on the right. Sane mainly plays on the right. Saka is injured at the moment.

Sane is a hugely talented player. He’s been at Bayern for five years now. He just hasn’t done it on a consistent basis.

Now, why would he do it now for the next three years when he’s 29? He’s a hugely talented player, but we shouldn’t talk about a player who’s 29 about his talent – we should talk about the impact they have and the medals they’ve won. At that age, you’re looking for guarantees from your performance level, and Sane just hasn’t given me any assurance that he can deliver consistently.

I don’t think Arsenal will be looking at him or certainly not moving for him.

Didi’s Tip for Champions League Success

Are PSG, Real Madrid or Bayern Munich favourites for the Champions League?

I had a feeling that PSG were going to knock Liverpool out. They’re the most in-form team in Europe now.

If you look at Dembele, Barcola, Doue… what a brilliant team they are. For the first time in years – they had all these superstars there previously – I think they’ve got a team who look very united and very together.

I don’t think that was always the case. I think PSG will take care of Villa and I think they will also take care of whoever faces them, whether it’s Real or Arsenal.

It’s probably the stronger half of the draw, but they already knocked the favourites out, so I would make Paris favourites now.

Didi’s Thoughts on International Football

Thomas Tuchel is getting his role as England boss under way finally this week, how do you think he’ll set the Three Lions up in terms of fitting in the star players at his disposal?

I think he’s very pragmatic when he comes to that. I think he knows that a good defence is the base of a successful team. So, I think the first team he will look at is to have a back four and a goalkeeper who he can trust and rely on them to get a clean sheet against the best teams.

There’s a lot of flair players going forward.

Bringing Dan Burn in, I think a lot of people were surprised, but it shows he likes defenders to defend. He also obviously likes to play with the ball, but I think the mix is what makes a team. I would say he’s very pragmatic.

A lot of people were surprised with Dan Burn and Jordan Henderson, but I think when it comes to team selection, I think he’ll be pretty old-fashioned and pragmatic.

Curtis Jones is in England’s squad, what have you made of his season so far under Arne Slot at Liverpool?

I think Curtis Jones has been brilliant.

We’ve talked about Liverpool not bringing any players in. The two players, it feels like Slot brought in are Gravenberch and Curtis Jones, because they hardly featured last season.

They’ve been pretty much regulars. Gravenberch probably even more than Curtis Jones. I’ve watched Curtis Jones for a number of years now, and sometimes I thought maybe it’s not a bad thing if they send him out on loan somewhere, where he can get some games and maybe come back a more mature and a better player. But this year he’s been brilliant, setting up a lot of goals, scoring a few important ones.

I think it’s the first season where he probably feels he contributed, where he played the way he’s capable of.

What does Henderson bring to the squad, and what kind of role do you expect him to play for Tuchel?

“I was surprised that Jordan was included, because I remember a couple of years ago when he was the Liverpool captain and where he struggled to get in the team.” – Didi Hamann on Henderson’s surprise inclusion in the England squad.

People said he’s a player who relies on his energy, on his tenacity and on his aggression. He just simply looked like he didn’t have as much as he used to because he’s hardly been injured.

He’s been a brilliant player for Liverpool, brilliant captain as well. And now he’s two years older. So, I was very surprised because England have got a lot of options in midfield.

Obviously, Mainoo’s got problems at Manchester United now. I think he will be a player who could really play a role in midfield in the future.

I’m not sure why he picked him. If he does pick him, you would like to think he has a role in mind for him. I’m not sure what it will be.