I was starting to adjust to losing the game and I kept saying to myself: `Keep your dignity and accept it's not your year'. "It's the anniversary of Sir Matt Busby's birthday and I think he was doing a lot of kicking up there It was fantastic and I'm so proud of my players. They never give in."United's winning goalscorer, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, insisted his side deserved their success despite chasing the game for almost 90 minutes "We had to score after the pressure we'd had," he said "Fortunately it was me. It's unbelievable and it's very difficult to describe how I feel just now but if anyone still wonders why I stayed at United they can see why here."The team spirit is just unbelievable. Everyone works together and is in this together."Ferguson warned that his side's hunger for success would lead to more trophies in years to come "The players won't rest on this because they're young It's fantastic They never give in so you always expect something from them. They are incredible human beings."You can talk about tactics all you like but that spirit is unbeatable at times. We got off to a bad start but kept at them and got our reward.
In the last 20 minutes we got caught on the counter-attack but you've got to gamble in a European final."Explaining the thinking behind playing David Beckham in a central midfield role, Ferguson said: " I felt we were a passing team so I put David in the middle because he is a great passer. I knew we would miss his crosses but I had to do it."There was a consoling word for Roy Keane, United's captain, who missed last night's match through suspension "I feel for Roy," Ferguson said "I watched him walking round and he was gutted. He was pleased for the players but to take part in that was something special."Franz Beckenbauer, the Bayern Munich president, was disconsolate "Football can be so dreadful," he said "It was a cruel defeat We came so close. With a couple of seconds remaining the victory was ours but it was not to be."We were the dominant team in the last 20 minutes. We hit the crossbar and the post and we should have extended our lead. I'm not saying Manchester's victory was not deserved, not at all, but it is the most unfortunate defeat I've ever experienced."Bayern's veteran midfielder Lothar Matthaus said: "It's bitter, sad and unbelievable We're all disappointed. We had the match in control for 90 minutes."The Bayern coach, Ottmar Hitzfeld, swallowed his disappointment and paid a gracious tribute to United.
"It could take days or even weeks to recover from this but I must say that Manchester are great champions," he said."Their football has been excellent this season I think they have deserved to win the Champions' League.". AS HE left the podium, Lothar Matthaus took off the loser's medal that some dignitary had placed around his neck. At 38 years of age, he knew he would be getting no further chances to win the one major trophy to have eluded him in a long and much-garlanded career. And he knew something else, something that might have eased the pain a little. He knew this Manchester United side simply refuse to be beaten. At the end, after the second injury-time goal had gone in, the portion of the pitch occupied by the Bayern Munich players looked like a Giacometti sculpture garden. The footballers stood or sat or lay, suddenly frozen in postures of despair.
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