 Match programme cover | |||||||
| Event | 1998–99 UEFA Cup | ||||||
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| Date | 12 May 1999 | ||||||
| Venue | Luzhniki Stadium,Moscow | ||||||
| Man of the Match | Hernán Crespo (Parma)[1] | ||||||
| Referee | Hugh Dallas (Scotland)[2] | ||||||
| Attendance | 61,000[3] | ||||||
←1998 2000 → | |||||||
The1999 UEFA Cup final was anassociation football match played on 12 May 1999 at theLuzhniki Stadium inMoscow to determine the winners of the1998–99 UEFA Cup. The match was contested byParma of Italy andMarseille of France. Parma won the match 3–0 to claim their second UEFA Cup and fourth European trophy, having previously won theUEFA Cup Winners' Cup and theUEFA Super Cup on one occasion each. There were 61,000 spectators at the match, making it the highest-attended single-legged UEFA Cup/Europa League final.[4]
This was Parma's second UEFA Cup final, having defeatedJuventus in1995. They had won the1992–93 European Cup Winners' Cup and the1993 European Super Cup and lost the1994 European Cup Winners' Cup final. Marseille had won theUEFA Champions League in1993 after losing the1991 final.
TheLuzhniki Stadium inMoscow,Russia played host to the match, havingnever previously hosted a major European final.
| Parma | Marseille | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Opponent | Result | Legs | Round | Opponent | Result | Legs |
 Fenerbahçe | 3–2 | 0–1 away; 3–1 home | First round |  Sigma Olomouc | 6–2 | 2–2 away; 4–0 home |
 Wisła Kraków | 3–2 | 1–1 away; 2–1 home | Second round |  Werder Bremen | 3–2 | 1–1 away; 2–1 home |
 Rangers | 4–2 | 1–1 away; 3–1 home | Third round |  Monaco | 3–2 | 2–2 away; 1–0 home |
| Bordeaux | 7–2 | 1–2 away; 6–0 home | Quarter-finals |  Celta Vigo | 2–1 | 2–1 home; 0–0 away |
| Atlético Madrid | 5–2 | 3–1 away; 2–1 home | Semi-finals |  Bologna | 1–1 (a) | 0–0 home; 1–1 away |
While Parma's selection for the match was more straightforward, underdogs Marseille had five players suspended for the final after the team's semi-final victory overBologna, which ended in a fight in the players' tunnel at theStadio Renato Dall'Ara.Fabrizio Ravanelli,Peter Luccin andWilliam Gallas received yellow cards which barred their participation in the final.[5]Christophe Dugarry andHamada Jambay would serve the first match of their respective and five- and four-match suspensions on the sidelines for the final for their involvement in the brawl.[6]
Hugh Dallas, the Scottish referee who had also officiated in the Franco-Italian1998 World Cup quarter-final, conducted thecoin toss, which was won by Marseille captainLaurent Blanc and the Frenchman elected to shoot towards his team's own fans in the second half.Roberto Sensini, Parma's captain, chose to kick the match off.[citation needed]
The first 25 minutes saw a cautious Marseille side play much of their football in their own half, only to knock it long to their isolated frontmenRobert Pires andFlorian Maurice. Following such an occasion, Sensini hit a long ball forward towardsJuan Sebastián Verón, whose headed flick-on looked not to be dangerous until a lazy headed backpass from the experienced Laurent Blanc giftedHernán Crespo one-on-one with the keeper; the Argentine coolly lobbedStéphane Porato with his first touch to give Parma the lead after 26 minutes.[citation needed]
Ten minutes later, as the Italians continued to dominate the match, a Parma attack twice looked to have been ended by Marseille's defence, but the ball foundLilian Thuram in an advanced right-back position on both occasions. On the second occasion, Thuram was able to slide in to findDiego Fuser five yards from the byline and just onside. He whipped in a deep cross, andPaolo Vanoli directed his header past Marseille's goalkeeper into the net to double Parma's advantage.[citation needed]
Five minutes before the hour mark, Thuram surged forward down the right before giving the ball to Verón outside him. Verón chipped the ball into the penalty area with a ball looking to be destined for Crespo's boot, a fine dummy duped the Marseille's defence and gaveEnrico Chiesa the opportunity to volley home emphatically from 12 yards to make it 3–0 and seal a Parma victory.[citation needed]
The end of the game saw Parma control the game and keep their lead on the scoreboard against a valiant but dominated Marseille team.[citation needed]
          Parma |      Marseille |
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Man of the Match: Assistant referees: | Match rules
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