Liverpool Icon Risks Jose Mourinho’s Wrath with Playful Comment After Controversial Goal

Former Liverpool star Luis Garcia has cheekily revived a long-standing feud with Chelsea and José Mourinho, nearly two decades after his infamous goal sent the Reds to the Champions League final. The Spanish international etched his name in Liverpool’s history books with the decisive goal against Chelsea in the 2005 semi-final, but it has been a source of controversy ever since.

Chelsea fans and Mourinho have long argued that Garcia’s goal in the second leg at Anfield didn’t actually cross the line. However, the referee and his assistant ruled it a goal, and Liverpool advanced to the final, where they famously triumphed over AC Milan to win their fifth European Cup.

The goal came from a Steven Gerrard pass lofted over the Chelsea defense to Milan Baros, who chipped it over goalkeeper Petr Čech. Garcia pounced on the loose ball and directed it towards the goal, but Chelsea’s defenders scrambled to clear it. The officials deemed the ball had crossed the line, much to Mourinho’s dismay.

In new footage shared on X by user @JimmyCully, the moment when Anfield erupted as Garcia scored was shown. Garcia humorously responded by quoting the post, saying: “Who could deny that the ball did cross the line … Top video!!”

Mourinho, who has since won Champions League titles with Inter Milan and enjoyed managerial spells at Chelsea, Real Madrid, and now Fenerbahce, has never hidden his frustration with that goal. Even 14 years later, in 2019, he took a subtle dig at the incident, saying: “Anfield is a magical place to play, it’s a beautiful place to play.”

He added, “They can even score goals that the players don’t score, like what happened in 2005. It wasn’t Garcia who scored the goal, it was the crowd that scored it. But now, with VAR and goal-line technology, that’s no longer possible.”

Despite his lingering frustrations, Mourinho admitted the greatness of Anfield, saying, “Even people who aren’t in love with Liverpool have to admit it’s an incredible club with an incredible stadium and one of the best atmospheres in football. At Anfield, where ‘impossible is nothing,’ almost anything can happen.”

While the controversy may never fully die down, Garcia’s playful comment is a reminder of the goal that continues to stir debate among fans and pundits alike.