'We ate them alive' - Ex-Leeds United favourite names 'magical' Elland Road moment which is favourite of his career
Ex-Leeds United and France international midfielder Olivier Dacourt explains why one night at Elland Road has always stuck with him.
The 50-year-old represnted Leeds between 2000 and 2003, at which time the club was at the peak of its powers in European football.
United qualified for the UEFA Champions League semi-finals during Dacourt's first season at the club, beating 1860 Munich, Besiktas, AC Milan, Lazio and RSC Anderlecht en route to a quarter-final tie with Deportivo La Coruna.
Leeds welcomed the Spanish club to Elland Road on April 4, 2001, defeating Deportivo 3-0 in the first leg courtesy of goals from Ian Harte, Alan Smith and Rio Ferdinand.
In a new interview with L'Equipe, Dacourt - who played in central midfield that evening - has revealed why that night in particular was one of the best memories of his career.
“Leeds [versus] La Coruña, in the quarter-final first leg,” he said, referencing his fondest memory of European football.
“We won 3-0 at Elland Road, it was exceptional. Djalminha, Fran, Scaloni, they had a team of sick people, and we ate them alive. The night after the match, it was improbable, we celebrated it well.
“We knew there was a comeback, but 3-0 in the Champions League - nobody expected us there, it was magical. In the return, we lost 2-0, we suffered but it was enough.”
Leeds weathered a second leg storm, losing 2-0 in A Coruna to go through 3-2 on aggregate which set up a semi-final tie with Valencia, who were ultimately defeated on penalties in the final by Bayern Munich.
As Leeds' financial trouble during the early 2000s began to set in, Dacourt was initially sent on loan to AS Roma, before joining the Italian club permanently following the conclusion of the 2002/03 season for a fee in the region of £4 million.
Dacourt remains a fan favourite of that era given his playing style and participation during what was a relatively successful period on the pitch.