Manolas’s uncle had beaten Real Madrid

Manolas’s uncle had beaten Real Madrid: Stelios could pass on to his nephew the experience of defeating the Madrid club. That family story takes on added significance alongside Kostas Manolas’s role as Barcelona’s tormentor in the 2018 Champions League. In Roma’s 3-0 victory, he scored the third goal. Manolas got ahead of Semedo and sent a glancing header across goal, beyond Ter Stegen.

The result had seemed to leave Barcelona with a comfortable cushion. Ernesto Valverde’s team had won the first leg 4-1. At Camp Nou, Dzeko’s goal, which made it 3-1, did not appear likely to put qualification at risk in the return. Luis Suárez then scored for Barcelona. But Manolas completed Roma’s 3-0 win, making the Olympic Stadium in Rome a painful memory for the Catalan club.

The family connection also reaches back to another meeting with Madrid. The draw on August 6 paired the Madrid club with AEK. Madrid were the reigning champions, having won the tournament the previous season amid a turbulent campaign. The club was in crisis and finished fifth in La Liga, a long way behind Barcelona. Bernabéu’s successor left office after an electoral process in which Ramón Mendoza was the only pre-candidate. Mendoza arrived with three signings described as spectacular: Hugo Sánchez, Gordillo and Maceda. The European Cup was his great ambition, but his term began in the UEFA Cup.

In the first leg, the Greeks took to the Olympic Stadium pitch intent on taking on Madrid, as Amancio had warned. Madrid made a very poor impression in Athens. Molowny complained about another issue Amancio had flagged. The return, Madrid’s first European tie under Mendoza’s presidency, ended in a heavy 5-0 win for the Madrid club: Molowny’s team scored four times in half an hour, settling the outcome. Madrid also recorded a 4-0 win over Borussia Mönchengladbach among its European comebacks. After further comebacks against Borussia Mönchengladbach and then Inter in the semi-final, Madrid retained its crown in the final against Cologne.

Stelios Manolas wore no shirt other than AEK’s and retired in 1998 after 19 seasons at the club. Kostas grew up with football stories at home; in the family’s account, his goal past Ter Stegen remains its crown jewel.