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Greatest European Nights

My Greatest European Night

Lucas Wills was in the Johan Cruyff Arena for one of the most dramatic games in the history of the competition – though he nearly left before it got really good

Ajax 2-3 Tottenham Hotspur

Semi-final second leg

8 May 2019

I had a stinker before I even left the UK. First I had to fly from Luton, then the flight got delayed by six hours because of a bit of drizzle – well, OK, a thunderstorm. We thought we weren’t going to be in time for the game but we ended up getting to Amsterdam about 4pm.    

The atmosphere in the stadium was outrageous. You know what the Ajax fans are like: red and white everywhere, people bouncing and people without tops on (I still don’t know what that’s all about). Once the game started we were getting absolutely battered. We went 2-0 down and I was thinking, “Oh no, this is horrendous.” At that point I decided I needed to just try and enjoy the atmosphere – but I couldn’t. I was fuming. 

Then, on the concourse at half-time, they were playing Three Little Birds and I’m thinking, “‘Don’t worry about a thing’? We’re losing 3-0 in the semi-final of the Champions League. I just want to go home. This is disgusting. But I’m in a different country so I’ve got to stick it out.”

Ajax 2-3 Tottenham Hotspur

Semi-final second leg

8 May 2019

I had a stinker before I even left the UK. First I had to fly from Luton, then the flight got delayed by six hours because of a bit of drizzle – well, OK, a thunderstorm. We thought we weren’t going to be in time for the game but we ended up getting to Amsterdam about 4pm.    

The atmosphere in the stadium was outrageous. You know what the Ajax fans are like: red and white everywhere, people bouncing and people without tops on (I still don’t know what that’s all about). Once the game started we were getting absolutely battered. We went 2-0 down and I was thinking, “Oh no, this is horrendous.” At that point I decided I needed to just try and enjoy the atmosphere – but I couldn’t. I was fuming. 

Then, on the concourse at half-time, they were playing Three Little Birds and I’m thinking, “‘Don’t worry about a thing’? We’re losing 3-0 in the semi-final of the Champions League. I just want to go home. This is disgusting. But I’m in a different country so I’ve got to stick it out.”

Read the full story
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When we scored our first goal in the second half I didn’t really celebrate that much, because I was still annoyed. Then our second went in four minutes later and I screamed. For the next half an hour I was the most nervous I’ve ever been. In the 87th minute, Jan Vertonghen hit the crossbar with a header from four yards when he really should have scored. And I thought, “That’s it. That was our one chance.”

In injury time the Ajax fans were going mental – the whole ground was bouncing and singing, and they were whistling at the referee. I was so tempted to just leave. Then that long ball went up, it was flicked on and bang, Lucas Moura, bottom corner. 

I didn’t really know what to do. I just cried. Then I started jumping around and I’m not sure when I stopped.

Ajax 2-3 Tottenham Hotspur

Semi-final second leg

8 May 2019

I had a stinker before I even left the UK. First I had to fly from Luton, then the flight got delayed by six hours because of a bit of drizzle – well, OK, a thunderstorm. We thought we weren’t going to be in time for the game but we ended up getting to Amsterdam about 4pm.    

The atmosphere in the stadium was outrageous. You know what the Ajax fans are like: red and white everywhere, people bouncing and people without tops on (I still don’t know what that’s all about). Once the game started we were getting absolutely battered. We went 2-0 down and I was thinking, “Oh no, this is horrendous.” At that point I decided I needed to just try and enjoy the atmosphere – but I couldn’t. I was fuming. 

Then, on the concourse at half-time, they were playing Three Little Birds and I’m thinking, “‘Don’t worry about a thing’? We’re losing 3-0 in the semi-final of the Champions League. I just want to go home. This is disgusting. But I’m in a different country so I’ve got to stick it out.”

My Greatest European Night
Greatest European Nights

My Greatest European Night

Lucas Wills was in the Johan Cruyff Arena for one of the most dramatic games in the history of the competition – though he nearly left before it got really good

Ajax 2-3 Tottenham Hotspur

Semi-final second leg

8 May 2019

I had a stinker before I even left the UK. First I had to fly from Luton, then the flight got delayed by six hours because of a bit of drizzle – well, OK, a thunderstorm. We thought we weren’t going to be in time for the game but we ended up getting to Amsterdam about 4pm.    

The atmosphere in the stadium was outrageous. You know what the Ajax fans are like: red and white everywhere, people bouncing and people without tops on (I still don’t know what that’s all about). Once the game started we were getting absolutely battered. We went 2-0 down and I was thinking, “Oh no, this is horrendous.” At that point I decided I needed to just try and enjoy the atmosphere – but I couldn’t. I was fuming. 

Then, on the concourse at half-time, they were playing Three Little Birds and I’m thinking, “‘Don’t worry about a thing’? We’re losing 3-0 in the semi-final of the Champions League. I just want to go home. This is disgusting. But I’m in a different country so I’ve got to stick it out.”

Penalty Pedigree

Etiam erat velit scelerisque in dictum non. Dictum non consectetur a erat nam at. Scelerisque felis imperdiet proin fermentum leo. Nibh tortor id aliquet lectus proin nibh nisl. Nulla at volutpat diam ut venenatis. At urna condimentum mattis pellentesque id nibh tortor id aliquet. Leo a diam sollicitudin tempor id eu nisl nunc mi. Dui vivamus arcu felis bibendum ut. Pharetra convallis posuere morbi leo urna molestie. Adipiscing at in tellus integer feugiat scelerisque. In arcu cursus euismod quis. Dictum non consectetur a erat nam at lectus urna duis. Facilisi nullam vehicula ipsum a arcu cursus. At tempor commodo ullamcorper a lacus vestibulum sed arcu non. Ipsum dolor sit amet consectetur adipiscing elit pellentesque habitant. Vitae sapien pellentesque habitant morbi tristique senectus. Eget nullam non nisi est sit amet facilisis. Ipsum consequat nisl vel pretium lectus quam. Elit sed vulputate mi sit amet mauris commodo quis. Pretium fusce id velit ut tortor pretium viverra suspendisse potenti.

Ajax 2-3 Tottenham Hotspur

Semi-final second leg

8 May 2019

I had a stinker before I even left the UK. First I had to fly from Luton, then the flight got delayed by six hours because of a bit of drizzle – well, OK, a thunderstorm. We thought we weren’t going to be in time for the game but we ended up getting to Amsterdam about 4pm.    

The atmosphere in the stadium was outrageous. You know what the Ajax fans are like: red and white everywhere, people bouncing and people without tops on (I still don’t know what that’s all about). Once the game started we were getting absolutely battered. We went 2-0 down and I was thinking, “Oh no, this is horrendous.” At that point I decided I needed to just try and enjoy the atmosphere – but I couldn’t. I was fuming. 

Then, on the concourse at half-time, they were playing Three Little Birds and I’m thinking, “‘Don’t worry about a thing’? We’re losing 3-0 in the semi-final of the Champions League. I just want to go home. This is disgusting. But I’m in a different country so I’ve got to stick it out.”

Read the full story
Sign up now to get access to this and every premium feature on Champions Journal. You will also get access to member-only competitions and offers. And you get all of that completely free!

When we scored our first goal in the second half I didn’t really celebrate that much, because I was still annoyed. Then our second went in four minutes later and I screamed. For the next half an hour I was the most nervous I’ve ever been. In the 87th minute, Jan Vertonghen hit the crossbar with a header from four yards when he really should have scored. And I thought, “That’s it. That was our one chance.”

In injury time the Ajax fans were going mental – the whole ground was bouncing and singing, and they were whistling at the referee. I was so tempted to just leave. Then that long ball went up, it was flicked on and bang, Lucas Moura, bottom corner. 

I didn’t really know what to do. I just cried. Then I started jumping around and I’m not sure when I stopped.

Ajax 2-3 Tottenham Hotspur

Semi-final second leg

8 May 2019

I had a stinker before I even left the UK. First I had to fly from Luton, then the flight got delayed by six hours because of a bit of drizzle – well, OK, a thunderstorm. We thought we weren’t going to be in time for the game but we ended up getting to Amsterdam about 4pm.    

The atmosphere in the stadium was outrageous. You know what the Ajax fans are like: red and white everywhere, people bouncing and people without tops on (I still don’t know what that’s all about). Once the game started we were getting absolutely battered. We went 2-0 down and I was thinking, “Oh no, this is horrendous.” At that point I decided I needed to just try and enjoy the atmosphere – but I couldn’t. I was fuming. 

Then, on the concourse at half-time, they were playing Three Little Birds and I’m thinking, “‘Don’t worry about a thing’? We’re losing 3-0 in the semi-final of the Champions League. I just want to go home. This is disgusting. But I’m in a different country so I’ve got to stick it out.”

Penalty Pedigree

Etiam erat velit scelerisque in dictum non. Dictum non consectetur a erat nam at. Scelerisque felis imperdiet proin fermentum leo. Nibh tortor id aliquet lectus proin nibh nisl. Nulla at volutpat diam ut venenatis. At urna condimentum mattis pellentesque id nibh tortor id aliquet. Leo a diam sollicitudin tempor id eu nisl nunc mi. Dui vivamus arcu felis bibendum ut. Pharetra convallis posuere morbi leo urna molestie. Adipiscing at in tellus integer feugiat scelerisque. In arcu cursus euismod quis. Dictum non consectetur a erat nam at lectus urna duis. Facilisi nullam vehicula ipsum a arcu cursus. At tempor commodo ullamcorper a lacus vestibulum sed arcu non. Ipsum dolor sit amet consectetur adipiscing elit pellentesque habitant. Vitae sapien pellentesque habitant morbi tristique senectus. Eget nullam non nisi est sit amet facilisis. Ipsum consequat nisl vel pretium lectus quam. Elit sed vulputate mi sit amet mauris commodo quis. Pretium fusce id velit ut tortor pretium viverra suspendisse potenti.

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