The shirt was auctioned on the 13th of November 2006 at The Echo Arena Liverpool. The event was organised by the Liverpool Former Players Association to commemorate the 25th anniversary of Liverpool's 1-0 victory over Los Blancos at the Parc Des Princes in '81.
The deciding goal was scored by Alan Kennedy in the 81st minute. It came from an unlikely source. Firstly, Kennedy was a left-back who seldom found himself in scoring positions. Secondly, the Sunderland-born defender had broken his wrist in the semi-final first leg against Bayern Munich only seven weeks prior.
"In the end I had a metal cast strapped to my wrist. It was a bit cumbersome and heavy and would undoubtedly be classed as dangerous in today's football world."
Kennedy ran upfield to create space for his team-mates, but ended up latching on to Ray Kennedy's throw in. He skipped past one loose challenge and duped Spanish keeper Agustin Rodriguez, blasting a left-foot half-volley into the roof of the net at the near post. Kennedy sprinted onto the athletics track behind the goal and posed, arms outstretched, in front of the jubilant Reds fans who had travelled to Paris.
The occasion in 1981 represented Liverpool's third European Cup final, having previously won the competition in 1977 and 1978. The subsequent victory crowned Bob Paisley the first manager to win the European Cup on three occasions. For Real, it was a ninth final appearance, having triumphed six times; five times consecutively between 1956 and 1960. Their sixth victory was in 1966 and their two defeats came in 1962 and 1964.
Looking forward to the 2018 showdown, there are already some salient similarities between the finals of '81 and '18.
The Reds aren't the dominant force they once were. Kiev signifies a first Champions League Final appearance in eleven years. Real Madrid meanwhile remain among the footballing cognoscenti, having reached the final for the third consecutive year and won three of the last four tournaments.
There is some hope for Liverpool however, they are the underestimated underdogs as they were thirty-seven years before. Times correspondent Norman Fox opines that in 1981 Real were "optimistic at least that they had inherited sufficient skill to outwit the allegedly more prosaic football of Liverpool."
There was some subtle evidence of similar Spanish hubris among both players and manager at the press conference on Monday.
Real midfielder Toni Kroos mused "We'll be better on the ball but they're going to put us under pressure for 90 minutes and will be at 100% or even more." Manager Zinedine Zidane was full of admiration for opposite number Jurgen Klopp but was reluctant to give the Liverpool players too much praise when asked about the achievements of Mo Salah this season. "Cristiano is the best; he shows it every year. Sometimes pressure gets to players and it spurs others on. He is certainly the latter. He's of maximum importance to us."
Los Blancos are rightly favourites. They have the firepower to expose Liverpool's defensive frailties. They possess arguably the best coach in the world and many of the finest players, but it would be foolish to ignore the strengths of their opponents.
Madrid, with such quality on the ball, play a bold defensive high line. Attacking full-back Marcelo is often found out of position and the rapid Mo Salah, with 44 goals to his name this season, can exploit such a flaw. The intelligent Roberto Firmino, who has provided 11 goals and 9 assists in the Champions League this season, also has the ability to outwit the capricious Raphael Varane. Incidentally, Liverpool's left back, cut from the same cloth as Kennedy, is a symbol of the determination alluded to by Kroos. Andy Robertson was released by Celtic as a 15 year-old for being too small and until 2013 played as an amateur for Queen's Park. He held a part-time job at M&S on Sauchiehall Street in Glasgow and also worked for the Scottish FA at Hampden Park, taking telephone bookings for games and concerts and showing people to their seats on matchday.
Robertson was given his first professional contract at Dundee United in the summer of 2013 and signed for Hull City the following season. After three topsy-turvy years at the KCOM Stadium, many Liverpool supporters were underwhelmed by his move to Anfield in 2017. The fee of £8 million now looks miserly for such a consistent performer.
"I always believed in my ability. I just had to work hard and be patient and yeah, at times it didn't look likely. You need a stroke of luck but every chance I've been given, I've taken."
Robertson's rise, and that of Liverpool in Europe this season, have been unlikely. The chances are slim but with a little good fortune this Liverpool team, at the peak of their powers, could get their hands back on old big ears for a sixth time in Kiev.
Quotation References
Kennedy: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/29621283
Norman Fox, Football Correspondent. The Times, (London, England), Thursday May 28, 1981, 8
Kroos: https://www.theguardian.com/football/2018/may/22/toni-kroos-real-madrid-liverpool-champions-league-final-11-animals
Zidane: https://www.theguardian.com/football/2018/may/22/real-madrid-zinedine-zidane-champions-league-jurgen-klopp-liverpool
Robertson: https://www.theguardian.com/football/2018/may/21/andy-robertson-liverpool-real-madrid-interview-champions-league-final
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