Real Madrid had looked like the best team in Europe that season and many would have backed them to go on and beat Jose Mourinho's old side, Chelsea, in the final.
Instead, they were left licking their wounds – and Mourinho was so upset by the loss he was reduced to tears.
“Cristiano, Kaka, Sergio Ramos. They are three monsters of football, there is no doubt about that. But they are also human. That night is the only time I have ever cried after a football match,” he told Marca.
“I remember it well: me and Aitor [Karanka] parked in the car in front of my house, crying. It was very hard to take because in that 2011-12 season we were the best team in Europe.
“We had a very clearly defined playing identity. We were always very well organised defensively above anything else on the pitch and everyone knew exactly what they had to do.
“There was also lots of discipline and organisation behind that team's game. And we were capable of making transitions that were very explosive, quick and direct towards the objective, always looking towards the goal with connections that were almost unstoppable.
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“They were great players who played like a true team. In the end, that was the key to everything.”
This article was most recently revised and updated 4 years ago
