With another full season of European club football in the books, there can be little doubt that the 2020-21 season gave us many memorable moments to be remembered for a very long time.
Of course, it wasn't easy to select just 10 moments which defined the season. However, after giving it some thought, I've decided that the following were the 10 most memorable moments of the season which just wrapped up.
Luis Suárez signs for Atlético Madrid (September 25, 2020)
This transfer would not have been possible at the time if not for the Covid-19 pandemic. Due to the delayed finish to the 2019-20 season, the off-season transfer window was extended. This extension allowed Suárez to leave Barcelona and sign for Atlético Madrid.
Barça had assumed that at 33, the Uruguayan legend's best days were far behind him. Thus, they sold him to the red half of Madrid for just €6 million. This proved to be a colossal mistake; Suárez went on to play a vital role in Atlético's success this season.
Suárez tallied 21 goals in La Liga to spearhead Atlético's first league title victory since 2014. Despite a late-season collapse, Atlético hung on to hold off Barça and cross-town rivals Real Madrid.
Everton 2-2 Liverpool (October 17, 2020)
Although this Merseyside derby took place early in the season, it would be the match which would ruin Liverpool's entire campaign to come.
Among the favourites to win the Premier League and Champions League at the beginning of the season, Liverpool's hopes of silverware received a major blow after Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford's brutal hit on Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk, causing van Dijk to tear his ACL and miss the rest of the season.
Without their best player, Liverpool were nowhere near their best for the remainder of the season. They did not even come close to winning either the Premier League or Champions League - all because of one cheap shot.
Diego Maradona dies at age 60 (November 25, 2020)
There are some days on which it seems that the entire football world stops. The suspension of Serie A last season was one; this was another.
Diego Maradona, perhaps the greatest footballer of all time, died after suffering a heart attack on November 25, 2020. Such was the impact of his death that Alberto Fernández, the President of Argentina, announced three days of national mourning following Maradona's passing.
Not surprisingly, tributes poured in from all over the football world and beyond. Maradona former club Napoli renamed their stadium in his honour. All football matches around the world observed a minute's silence, while every Serie A match featured an image of Maradona on stadium screens in each match's 10th minute.
Frank Lampard fired as Chelsea head coach (January 25, 2021)
Despite heavy off-season investment on transfers, Chelsea were a team in dire straits in January. They were just ninth in the Premier League and had an almost-unwinnable Champions League round of 16 tie against Atlético Madrid to come.
Thus, it came as no surprise when head coach Frank Lampard was fired. His sheer ineptitude and incompetence in the position had been evident throughout the season. Former Paris Saint-Germain and Borussia Dortmund coach Thomas Tuchel would be Lampard's replacement.
Things started to improve at Stamford Bridge almost immediately after Tuchel's appointment. However, what Chelsea fans didn't realize at the time was that Tuchel would be about to give them a finish to the season which they never could have imagined possible.
Chelsea 2-0 Atlético Madrid (March 17, 2021)
Chelsea took a 1-0 lead into the second leg of their Champions League round of 16 tie against Atlético. Despite this lead, many people (myself included) expected the Blues to be soundly beaten in the second leg and exit the tournament.
Instead, Chelsea defied the odds and produced a dominant display against the La Liga leaders. With the victory, the London club reached the Champions League quarterfinals for the first time since 2014.
Chelsea's victory was also a major feather in Thomas Tuchel's cap early in his tenure in the Stamford Bridge dugout. His opposite number Diego Simeone is regarded as arguably the world's best coach; however, Tuchel completely outstrategized Simeone over both legs.
Paris Saint-Germain 0-1 Bayern Munich (April 13, 2021)
Despite trailing 3-2 on aggregate after the first leg, Bayern remained the overwhelming favourites to beat PSG and advance to the Champions League semifinals. The consensus was that Bayern were far and away the world's best team and on course for another Champions League title.
Instead, PSG retained their lead, advancing despite a 1-0 loss. A 3-3 aggregate result saw PSG take it on away goals, avenging their defeat to Bayern in last season's final.
The upset victory also slightly reduced the sting of surrendering the Ligue 1 title for the first time since 2017. Lille denied PSG a fourth consecutive domestic crown.
European Super League proposal and shelving (April 18-21, 2021)
In April 2021, Real Madrid Florentino Pérez attempted to create the European Super League, a semi-closed league which would permanently include 11 other founding clubs. This idea received widespread ridicule and criticism.
Current and former players, coaches, sports analysts, and above all, fans were thoroughly in opposition to the concept. Most believed that it damaged the purity of competition in European club football. Mass protests were even held outside some stadiums.
To the surprise of absolutely nobody, the plan was shelved after nine of the 12 would-be founders withdrew from the league, allowing normal service to resume - at least for now.
Atalanta 1-1 Sassuolo (May 2, 2021)
This was a match in which the real story occurred away from the field. Atalanta's draw against Sassuolo ensured that they would be out of contention for the Serie A title.
The result ensured that Inter Milan would have an unassailable lead at the top of Serie A. It was their first Scudetto since 2010; it also ended Juventus' run of nine straight Serie A titles.
Inter head coach Antonio Conte subsequently left the San Siro by mutual consent three weeks later, having obtained the greatest achievement of his coaching career to date. He would be replaced by Simone Inzaghi.
Final matchday of the La Liga season (May 23, 2021)
This season's La Liga title race came down to the final matchday. Atlético Madrid, who led Real Madrid by two points with one match remaining, had an away fixture against Real Valladolid. Real, meanwhile, hosted Villareal.
A first-half goal scored by Valladolid's Óscar Plano put Real in the driver's seat, but this advantage was later wiped out when Yeremi Pino scored for Villareal. Atlético then came from behind to win 2-1 and clinch the league title.
Although Real scored two late goals through Karim Benzema and Luka Modrić, they would ultimately fall just short. A few days after Real's title race defeat, head coach Zinedine Zidane announced his departure from the club.
Manchester City 0-1 Chelsea (May 29, 2021)
Chelsea completed one of the most remarkable turnarounds in football history by beating Manchester City to win the Champions League. It was the second time that the Londoners won Europe's most prestigious club tournament.
Just four months prior, Chelsea's season looked dead in the water. It turned out that all it took to not only save their season, but make it the club's finest hour, was one simple coaching change.
With this victory, Thomas Tuchel established himself as an immortal in the eyes of the Stamford Bridge faithful. The most unlikely Champions League victory since Porto's underdog run in 2004 is sure to become one of the most iconic club football moments of all time.
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