Ole: Sir Matt was watching on in 1999
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer believes Sir Matt Busby was looking down on the 1999 UEFA Champions League final, the day when the legendary former Manchester United boss would have turned 90.
Sir Alex Ferguson’s Reds memorably scored twice in injury time to beat Bayern Munich and clinch the Treble, with the club’s current boss steering the winner high into the net to spark scenes of sheer elation at the Nou Camp.
As a player, the Norwegian was fully aware of the impact Sir Matt had on United. When we asked him about the great Scot, 25 years after he sadly passed away, Solskjaer replied: “Oh, he laid the foundation [for United].
"You can see the way Sir Alex built the club, or rebuilt the club if you like, [it] was on the values of Sir Matt and those beliefs and principles."
Solskjaer still remembers a poignant moment before kick-off at the Nou Camp.
“It would have been his 90th birthday on 26 May in 1999 for the Champions League final so, of course, I’m aware of Sir Matt’s legacy," said Ole.
"There is a story from that night, just before the game, when his son and daughter were in the stadium and there were a couple of doves just flying up [in the air].
Busby, of course, became the first man to guide an English club to success in the European Cup by winning it with United at Wembley in 1968, a decade after the Munich Air Disaster.
The epic triumph secured by Solskjaer's goal in Barcelona was only the second time the Reds lifted the trophy, with a third following in 2008, courtesy of the penalty shoot-out victory over Chelsea in Moscow.
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