# 2000–01 UEFA Champions League

The 2000–01 [UEFA Champions League](https://www.edgepedia.org/uefa-champions-league) was the ninth edition of UEFA's top club competition, won by FC Bayern München, who beat [Valencia CF](https://www.edgepedia.org/valencia-cf) 5-4 on penalties after a 1-1 draw following extra time in the final at the [Giuseppe Meazza](https://www.edgepedia.org/giuseppe-meazza) stadium in Milan on 23 May 2001.<sup>[1](https://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/news/0250-0c50f100ffeb-3a3b0ec790a0-1000/)</sup> It was Bayern's fourth European Champion Clubs' Cup and their first in 25 years, while Valencia finished as runners-up for a second consecutive season.<sup>[1](https://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/news/0250-0c50f100ffeb-3a3b0ec790a0-1000/)</sup>

| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Winners | FC Bayern München, fourth European title, first since 1976<sup>[1](https://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/news/0250-0c50f100ffeb-3a3b0ec790a0-1000/)</sup> |
| Final | Bayern München 1-1 Valencia CF (aet, 5-4 on penalties), Giuseppe Meazza, Milan, 23 May 2001; goals Mendieta 2' (pen), Effenberg 50' (pen)<sup>[1](https://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/news/0250-0c50f100ffeb-3a3b0ec790a0-1000/)</sup> |
| Attendance | 74,500 at San Siro<sup>[2](https://fcbayern.com/en/club/honours/champions-league/champions-league-winner-2001)</sup> |
| Scale | 314 matches, 449 goals, 2.86 goals per match, a goal every 31 minutes; 32 teams in the final tournament, 72 including qualifying<sup>[3](https://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/history/seasons/2000/statistics/)</sup> |
| Top scorer | Raúl González (Real Madrid), 7 goals<sup>[3](https://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/history/seasons/2000/statistics/)</sup> |
| Most clean sheets | Valencia, 9<sup>[3](https://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/history/seasons/2000/statistics/)</sup> |
| Most appearances | Carew 17, Kahn 16, Pellegrino 16<sup>[4](https://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/history/seasons/2000/)</sup> |

## The final

UEFA had billed the Milan final as a "footballing opera" in the city of [La Scala](https://www.edgepedia.org/la-scala), and the match ran to Wagnerian length. Captains [Gaizka Mendieta](https://www.edgepedia.org/gaizka-mendieta) and [Stefan Effenberg](https://www.edgepedia.org/stefan-effenberg) traded spot-kicks in normal time, Mendieta converting a second-minute penalty for Valencia and Effenberg equalizing from the spot on 50 minutes after a handball by Carboni, and no further goals came in extra time.<sup>[1](https://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/news/0250-0c50f100ffeb-3a3b0ec790a0-1000/)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[5](https://www.theguardian.com/football/2001/may/23/minutebyminute.sport)</sup>

**The shootout.** Bayern's Paulo Sergio missed the first kick, and the first five rounds ended level at three each. [Oliver Kahn](https://www.edgepedia.org/oliver-kahn) saved from Zahovic and Carboni, Santiago Cañizares saved from [Patrik Andersson](https://www.edgepedia.org/patrik-andersson), and after Effenberg, Baraja, Lizarazu, and González all scored, Kahn held [Mauricio Pellegrino](https://www.edgepedia.org/mauricio-pellegrino)'s kick at the end of extra time to secure the 5-4 win.<sup>[1](https://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/news/0250-0c50f100ffeb-3a3b0ec790a0-1000/)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[2](https://fcbayern.com/en/club/honours/champions-league/champions-league-winner-2001)</sup> Bayern's lineup that night was Kahn; Kuffour, Andersson, Linke, Sagnol; Effenberg, Hargreaves, Lizarazu, Salihamidzic; Elber, Scholl, with Ottmar Hitzfeld as coach.<sup>[2](https://fcbayern.com/en/club/honours/champions-league/champions-league-winner-2001)</sup>

## Bayern's road to Milan

Bayern won Group F of the first group stage with 11 points from 3 wins, 2 draws, and 1 loss, ahead of Paris Saint-Germain, Rosenborg, and [Helsingborg](https://www.edgepedia.org/helsingborg), then topped Group C of the second group stage with 13 points ahead of Arsenal, Olympique Lyonnais, and Spartak Moscow.<sup>[2](https://fcbayern.com/en/club/honours/champions-league/champions-league-winner-2001)</sup>

The knockout rounds were a series of settled scores. In the quarter-finals Bayern beat Manchester United, the side that had beaten them in the 1999 final, home and away, winning 1-0 at [Old Trafford](https://www.edgepedia.org/old-trafford) and 2-1 in Munich.<sup>[1](https://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/news/0250-0c50f100ffeb-3a3b0ec790a0-1000/)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[2](https://fcbayern.com/en/club/honours/champions-league/champions-league-winner-2001)</sup> In the semi-finals they overcame holders Real Madrid, winners of the previous year's semi-final between the two, taking a 1-0 win in the Spanish capital on 1 May and a 2-1 win in Bavaria on 9 May.<sup>[1](https://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/news/0250-0c50f100ffeb-3a3b0ec790a0-1000/)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[2](https://fcbayern.com/en/club/honours/champions-league/champions-league-winner-2001)</sup>

## Valencia's second straight final

Valencia, coached by [Héctor Cúper](https://www.edgepedia.org/hector-cuper), reached the final for the second season running after losing the 2000 final to Real Madrid. In the quarter-finals they eliminated Arsenal on away goals, and in the semi-finals they beat Leeds United 3-0 on aggregate, with goals from Giovane Elber and Jens Jeremies reported for Bayern's own semi-final tie and Leeds having earlier claimed the scalp of Primera División champions Deportivo La Coruña in the last eight.<sup>[1](https://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/news/0250-0c50f100ffeb-3a3b0ec790a0-1000/)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[6](https://www.theguardian.com/football/2001/sep/10/championsleague.sport1)</sup> Valencia's defensive record underpinned the run: their 9 clean sheets led all clubs in the competition, ahead of Bayern's 8.<sup>[3](https://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/history/seasons/2000/statistics/)</sup>

## The season in numbers

The competition's 314 matches produced 449 goals, 2.86 per match, or one goal every 31 minutes.<sup>[3](https://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/history/seasons/2000/statistics/)</sup> Real Madrid scored the most goals of any club with 35, followed by Leeds and Bayern with 24 each and Valencia with 23.<sup>[3](https://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/history/seasons/2000/statistics/)</sup> Raúl González led the scoring charts with 7 goals, ahead of six players tied on 6: Simone (Monaco), Iván Helguera (Real Madrid), Rivaldo (Barcelona), Jardel (Galatasaray), and Bowyer (Leeds).<sup>[3](https://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/history/seasons/2000/statistics/)</sup> [John Carew](https://www.edgepedia.org/john-carew) made the most appearances with 17, followed by Oliver Kahn and Mauricio Pellegrino with 16 each.<sup>[4](https://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/history/seasons/2000/)</sup>

## References

1. [2000/01: Kahn saves day for Bayern, UEFA.com](https://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/news/0250-0c50f100ffeb-3a3b0ec790a0-1000/)
2. [Winner 2001, fcbayern.com](https://fcbayern.com/en/club/honours/champions-league/champions-league-winner-2001)
3. [Season 2000/01 Stats, UEFA.com](https://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/history/seasons/2000/statistics/)
4. [Season 2000/01, UEFA.com](https://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/history/seasons/2000/)
5. [Bayern Munich 1-1 Valencia, minute by minute, The Guardian](https://www.theguardian.com/football/2001/may/23/minutebyminute.sport)
6. [Finals, semi-finals and quarter-finals 2000-2001, The Guardian](https://www.theguardian.com/football/2001/sep/10/championsleague.sport1)

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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Association football › Football competitions and records › Competitions and recurring events › UEFA competitions › UEFA club competitions › European Cup and UEFA Champions League*

*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*

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License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license
