Cristiano Ronaldo was on the receiving end of a rough tackle from Dennis Wise before breaking Millwall’s hearts in the 2004 FA Cup final.
Against all odds, Millwall reached their first FA Cup final 20 years ago, only to lose 3-0 to Manchester United in Cardiff. With United now the underdogs against Man City, they might draw inspiration from Wise and his team’s fighting spirit. Wise, known for his tough playing style, famously brought down Ronaldo during the 2004 FA Cup final between Millwall and United.
The Chelsea legend Wise, renowned for his aggressive approach, served as Millwall’s player-manager from 2003 to 2005. His former teammate Nick Chadwick, who was on loan at Millwall from Everton during the 2003/04 season, recalled Wise’s motivational speech the night before the match, which included champagne. To motivate his players at the Millennium Stadium, Wise tackled a young Ronaldo and then pushed him in the face.
On the I Had Trials Once podcast, former United academy player Chadwick reflected on Millwall’s loss to the Red Devils, a match in which he was ineligible to play. Cafu laughed in an angry Cristiano Ronaldo’s face after giving him a six-word warning.
Chadwick said, “Millwall invited me back for the final, so I had to get a cup final suit, and I went down to the Millennium a couple of days earlier. “I was with the injured and suspended players, so we were out two nights before the final, and the night before the final, so come match day, I was exhausted after just six hours of sleep.
“Dennis Wise gave a great speech before the final, and we had a small glass of champagne to toast. “If you wanted to drink it, you drank it; if not, you could just throw it over your shoulder.”
A young Ronaldo helped the Red Devils win the FA Cup final in Wales 20 years ago. Wise, known for his aggressive playing style during his career, made his mark in the final. Chadwick recalled Wise’s clash with Ronaldo in the 18th minute, where Wise, along with David Livermore, tackled the future five-time Ballon d’Or winner.
Wise was upset with Ronaldo for skipping past Tim Cahill and Livermore, delighting United fans. He stopped Ronaldo with a firm challenge and pushed the then-19-year-old in the face as he tried to get up. Chadwick said, “In typical Wisey fashion, I remember him going out after a couple of minutes and smashing into Ronaldo or someone like that.
“It was a message to our team more than Man United, saying, ‘We’re here to win, let’s just have a go.'”
However, Ronaldo had the last laugh. Ronaldo, the first Portuguese player to play in an FA Cup final, scored the opener just before halftime, followed by two goals from Ruud van Nistelrooy in the second half. Since their 2004 triumph, United have won the FA Cup only once more, beating Crystal Palace in the 2016 final.
After a poor season finishing eighth in the Premier League, United have a chance to end on a high note. For the second consecutive season, Erik ten Hag’s men will face Manchester City in the FA Cup final on Saturday, live on talkSPORT.
And like Millwall in 2004, no one is giving United a chance in 2024.
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