The Spanish club now in the second division knocked the Champions League winners out of the competition pouring in 4 unanswered goals in the second leg to overcome a 4-1 first leg deficit. Coruna found four separate goalscorers as Walter Pandiani, Juan Carlos Valeron, Albert Luque, and Fran Gonzalez dismantled an excellent Milan side.
It was one of the greatest rearguard actions in European footballing history. A whirlwind three goals before the first half had the defending champions rocking on their heels. Then came captain Fran Gonzalez’s winner fourteen minutes before time to give the Galicians, a 5-4 victorious aggregate to send them to the semi-finals to meet Jose Mourinho’s Porto, the eventual winners.
Clarence Seedorf and Alessandro Nesta still remain in the present AC Milan from that historic evening. Today, Massimiliano Allegri is hoping the same fate does not befall his predecessor Carlo Ancelotti eight years ago. He’s looking to replicate what another Italian manager did that year as Claudio Ranieri’s Chelsea won 3-2 on aggregate over Arsenal at Highbury through Wayne Bridge’s winner to progress to the semi-finals and AS Monaco.