Eleven UEFA Champions League Finals: A Sports Photographer’s Journey
By Domenic Aquilina
Originally published in 2016.
It all started way back in 2005 with my very first UEFA Champions League Final in Istanbul at the Atatürk Stadium.
And what a final it was to remember!
Liverpool beat AC Milan of Italy in a penalty shoot-out after the 90 minutes produced six goals in a 3–3 thriller. I still remember my gear at that time – my Canon 1D did most of the work in Istanbul.
I vividly recall Steve Gerrard lifting the coveted silverware with such force and excitement during the post-match celebrations. It was during these euphoric moments that I captured my flagship image of Gerrard lifting the trophy, which was later used a number of times by UEFA media sources.
Eleven Finals, Ten Cities
Photographic gear has come a long way since then.
I progressed through the Canon 1D Mark II and later the 1D Mark IIN, the 1D Mark III and IV, and the 1D X. All of them did their job with great competence throughout this long, lovable and amazing journey of 11 UEFA Champions League Finals.
The Finals took me from Istanbul to Paris, Athens, Moscow, Rome, Madrid, London, Munich, Lisbon, Berlin and, of course, Milan in May 2016 – and still counting!
The Technology Moves On
In Milan I had the privilege of trying out the new Canon 1D X Mark II.
The feature which struck me most was the blazing-fast and accurate autofocus system and the high-ISO noise levels.
Needless to say, I ordered one in due course.
The 1D X also did the job as usual in the most reliable manner.
The Canon 5Ds
In Milan I also made use of the Canon 5Ds, which I mainly used for still shots in the build-up to the big final and while roaming around the Champions Village at the Duomo in Milan.
The 5Ds delivered impeccable, stunning captures, most of which were used by UEFA in its UEFA Champions League media sources, such as uefa.com, Twitter and Instagram.
This made the 2016 Final in Milan my best ever as regards delivery of work both to UEFA and to my local paper in Malta, The Malta Independent, for which I freelance on home soil.
At The Malta Independent I also had the lovely capture of Cristiano Ronaldo’s balancing act during the Final – a photograph which the photo editor back in Malta deemed ideal to be featured in the local paper the following day.
Some Favourite Images
A special mention for a favourite capture of mine from that season came at the Estadio Santiago Bernabéu in Madrid, when Real Madrid C.F., who would eventually go on to win the trophy for the 11th time in their history – just like my 11 Finals – hosted Italian side AS Roma.
The heading duel between AS Roma’s Edin Džeko and Pepe of Real Madrid C.F. is one of my finest captures to date.
But my favourite capture from that year’s edition was that of a Real Madrid supporter clutching hands with an Atlético Madrid rival supporter at Piazza Duomo at the Champions Football Festival, hours before the big showdown between these two Spanish giants of football.
Later on, at the photographers’ working area at the Stadio San Siro, I realised that I had hit the uefa.com homepage with this same capture.
I really was happy as can be, and that made my 11th Final even more special.
Depicting What Others Cannot See
Basically, it is all about depicting what others cannot see.
I have always been confident about this, and I have always – and will always – strive to deliver my best captures with this in mind.
Here’s to many more UEFA Champions League Finals!
Archive note
This article was originally written in 2016 and reflects the photographer’s experience, equipment and career at that point. References to the “new” Canon EOS-1D X Mark II, the 11th Final and future Champions League Finals are retained as part of the original historical account.
