Wayne Rooney discussed facing the legendary AC Milan defensive pairing of Alessandro Nesta and Paolo Maldini, with Milan ultimately prevailing over Manchester United in the 2006/07 UEFA Champions League semi-finals.
Rooney, the former England and Red Devils captain, expressed admiration for their performance at the San Siro, where Milan secured a 3-0 victory in the second leg to advance to the final.
Highlighting Nesta and Maldini as formidable opponents, Rooney recounted facing them alongside former teammate Rio Ferdinand in the semi-finals.
Despite United’s 3-2 win at Old Trafford in the first leg, Nesta and Maldini excelled in the second leg, which Milan won 3-0.
“I always remember playing AC Milan in the semi-final of the Champions League,” Rooney recalled. “We beat them 3-2 here [at Old Trafford], and after 10 minutes, I could hear them breathing, thinking we had the upper hand. But at the San Siro, they were like Rolls Royces. I don’t know how they did it.”
Rooney and Ferdinand went on to win the Champions League the following season, defeating Chelsea in a dramatic penalty shoot-out in Moscow.
While United achieved domestic and European success, Rooney admitted to struggling against Chelsea, managed by Jose Mourinho during those seasons.
“The only team I couldn’t beat for a few years was Chelsea,” Rooney revealed. “I used to hate going to Stamford Bridge when Mourinho was there. They were tough to play against, solid, and organized.”
