Bayern Munich faced the most disastrous loss ever.

Bayern experienced their most disastrous loss ever.

Twenty-five years ago, on a night in Barcelona, FC Bayern Munich lost the Champions League title to Manchester United in the last moments of play, and it's a night that Lothar Matthaus will never forget. Asking himself the ultimate question, "Did God not want me to hold this cup for the first time?", Matthaus stood motionless next to the bench for five minutes, feeling like a ragdoll.

The 1:2 against Manchester United in the extra time of the Champions League final in 1999 in Barcelona is known as the "mother of all defeats." It wasn't a great or top-class football match but more of a fight, passion, and drama-filled game. Bayern coach Ottmar Hitzfeld summed it up with, "We had three top-class strikers plus Alexander Zickler." The game began with Mario Basler scoring a free kick in the sixth minute, and from then on, the match featured few real chances on both sides.

At half-time, Manchester United coach Alex Ferguson addressed his team, urging them not to lose and be disallowed from touching the cup. To remind his team of the stakes, he said, "The cup is only a few meters away from the pitch, but if we lose, you're not even allowed to touch it. I tell you: Don't come back to the dressing room if you haven't given your best."

In the second half, the Bayern had better opportunities, but with Manchester United missing key players, such as Roy Keane and Paul Scholes, the game was decidedly about the fight, passion, and, of course, the dramatic ending.

At the 90th-minute mark, Mehmet Scholl's shot found the post and the rebound after a fall-back tackle by Carsten Jancker missed its mark, leaving the game undecided. However, legendary words from Ferguson later emerged from the locker room: "The cup is only a few meters away from the pitch, but if we lose, you're not even allowed to touch it. I tell you: Don't come back to the dressing room if you haven't given your best."

Unfortunately for Bayern, the coach's speech seemed to have the desired effect. They became complacent and after an unnecessary return pass by Babbel, Stefan Effenberg had to clear a ball, which resulted in Manchester gaining a corner kick. With the goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel already in Bayern's penalty area, the Bayern's organization was disrupted, and the ball found its way to substitute Teddy Sheringham. He equalized after exactly 90 minutes and 36 seconds of play.

Unfortunately for Bayern, it didn't end there. Within 30 seconds, Manchester won another corner kick. Beckham served, Kahn tried to create space, and pushed Kuffour aside, allowing Sheringham to extend the ball to Solskjaer, who scored after 92 minutes and 17 seconds. The game's commentator, Clive Tyldesley, declared the monumental moment for Manchester United: "Manchester United have reached the Promised Land!"

In the aftermath, Basler also recalled the uncertainty of the game, "When I was substituted in the 89th minute, the champagne was already on its way to us. The hats were ready. I had even put one on for a moment." And he was right to remain optimistic, as the game's outcome was still undecided. Yet, 30 seconds after the equalizer, Manchester won a corner kick. Beckham served, Kahn pushed Kuffour, and Sheringham scored the game-winning goal.

Basler, shocked by the victory, threw his hat aside and ran into the dressing room. "I immediately lit a cigarette. Then Franz came. We didn't speak to each other for five, six minutes, just nodded our heads. Then the boys came. The mood, of course, didn't get any better."

The ultimate message is clear: in football, players must never switch off before the referee blows the whistle. You can never underestimate the unpredictability of the sport.

Outside, an inebriated Alex Ferguson was speaking loudly into the cameras, "I can't believe it! I can't believe it! Football, oh man!" After a brief moment, the realization hit him. He recalled the legendary Manchester United coach, Matt Busby, who had lost a significant portion of his young, talented team, the 'Busby Babes,' in a tragic plane crash in Munich on February 6, 1958. "Today would've been Sir Matt Busby's 90th birthday. He probably must've been cheering us on from above," he added.

Reflecting back, Alex reminisced about the Bayern Munich team. Following their devastating loss, players like Mario Basler and others celebrated rowdily to disco music. Basler, in particular, made quite the scene, "At the presidium, I danced the table to pieces. Rummenigge called me up: You'll get a lifetime contract. I responded: But two of us have to sign." Sadly, Basler wasn't a part of the team when Bayern Munich won the Champions League trophy against Valencia. Players like Kahn, Jeremies, Scholl, Jancker, Linke, Kuffour, and Effenberg found newfound mental strength after that fateful moment. They learned that a game isn't over until the referee blows his whistle for the final time. Both the tight championship races against Leverkusen and Schalke were reflections of this newly developed mental fortitude. Jens Jeremies once stated, "This humiliation by Barcelona made us stronger and drove us to never let go until we reached the top." And that's exactly what they accomplished in 2001 with their Champions League victory.

However, this victory arrived too late for one former Bayern player. Lothar Matthäus, who had departed the club in the spring of 2000, had a great chance to win the Champions League title on May 26, 1999. Before the final in Barcelona, he had devised a secret plan: "If you win all three titles, that would be a fantastic way to retire. This last triumph was denied from Lothar Matthäus, but he remains remembered by fans for the 'Mother of all Defeats.'"