Ryan Babel, part of the last Liverpool team to defeat Real Madrid in 2009, reflects on his Champions League experiences in an exclusive interview with Theo Squires of the ECHO.
It’s been over 15 years since Liverpool last defeated Real Madrid, a club they initially dominated, winning their first three official encounters, including the 1981 European Cup final. However, in recent years, Real Madrid has become a formidable foe for Liverpool, beating them in two Champions League finals, eliminating them from European competition twice, and winning seven out of the eight encounters since the Reds’ last victory in 2009.
Liverpool has scored only four goals in these eight meetings—remarkably the same number they scored in just 90 minutes during their last win over the Spanish giants.
In March 2009, Liverpool triumphed 4-0 over Juande Ramos’ side in one of Anfield’s most iconic European nights. Babel played a pivotal role, leaving Sergio Ramos behind before delivering a precise cross for Steven Gerrard to volley home. He had also come on as a substitute in the 1-0 first-leg victory at the Bernabeu. For Babel, these moments are among his happiest memories at Liverpool.
“Absolutely amazing memories,” Babel says in the interview. “We dominated and were really, really good. We were actually the better team and we deserved to win the way we did. So again, it doesn’t happen too often against Madrid. So that’s why I think definitely it’s an historical game.”
He continues, “You know, at the end it was not even an easy ball to take for Stevie. So, you know, he made my assist definitely look great! It was with a little bounce. But again, you know, it’s Steven Gerrard, so I’m not surprised.”
Babel adds, “Yeah, it was an amazing feeling, you know, Anfield exploding and of course, one of my great memories of being a Liverpool player.”
He also reflects on manager Rafa Benítez’s tactical genius. “Rafa’s ability to tactically dissect the opponent was very good. So he understood where the weaknesses often were. And we would, the whole week, train how to take advantage of those weaknesses and I think that was Rafa’s strength.”
Regarding the 2009 victory, Babel notes, “We had the advantage, of course, having first won 1-0 at the Bernabeu. And we knew at home that they had to come to Anfield. And we were definitely anticipating those moments.”
Although some may downplay Liverpool’s victory, suggesting Real Madrid wasn’t at its strongest, Babel argues that the Spanish side, despite not being European champions, was still a force. “They were still reigning La Liga champions, and came to Anfield with a side full of global superstars,” he explains. “You don’t sniff at a starting XI that contains all of Iker Casillas, Sergio Ramos, Pepe, Fabio Cannavaro, Wesley Sneijder, Raul and Arjen Robben.”
Babel recalls a memorable exchange with Sneijder, who had arrogantly predicted a Madrid victory prior to the match. “I remember very well prior to that game we had an international break and Wesley (Sneijder) was pretty arrogant saying like, you know, ‘Next week we’re going to beat you guys.’ And I was like, ’I don’t think so.’”
Despite this, Babel is quick to acknowledge that the Real Madrid team still featured some of the world’s best players. “I think that would be unfair to say it was a poor Real Madrid side. I mean, they had Pepe at his peak of his career. They had Sergio Ramos at the peak of his career. They had Casillas at the peak of his career.”
Babel’s career at Liverpool was marked by inconsistency, but he often shone in the Champions League, with many of his best moments coming in European competitions. Of his 22 goals for the club, seven came in the Champions League, and nine of his 15 assists were in continental play. Even though he made just 26 appearances in the Champions League, Babel admits that the unique atmosphere of Anfield during European nights helped bring out the best in him.
“Champions League games, especially with Liverpool and then even more especially at Anfield, were incredibly different,” he explains. “The energy was different, especially at that time. You would feel already that somehow we had the confidence to play against any team.”
He adds, “Once a team is performing at its all-time high, then of course the individual players can even pop out more. And I had those moments as well.”
Earlier this month, Babel announced his retirement from football and recently released a musical short film, “After the Whistle,” on his YouTube channel. Having been without a club for nearly a year, Babel reveals that he hadn’t initially planned to retire but came to peace with the decision over the summer. His film, a personal reflection of his career, is a creative endeavor filled with both highs and lows.
“I’ve been without a club for just under a year,” Babel shares. “It was actually last November. So that marks almost a year. Why now? Because I was actually still looking around, if I was able to find a different team to play for. I did not quit football because I wanted to quit.”
Reflecting on his career and musical journey, he says, “‘After The Whistle’ is basically a short film that takes you through the journey of my career, the highs and the lows. It’s a little bit under 30 minutes.”
The film includes old clips, but Babel also worked with actors to create a more creative and enjoyable experience for viewers. He adds, “I’m a creative person. Always have been. I remember the early days that I was also involved with music where I got a lot of criticism, obviously, but that has been basically my form of exercising my hobbies.”
The Liverpool segment of the film blends glory moments with music, where Babel raps about his time at the club and the responsibilities that came with living abroad. “Since I joined Liverpool, that was the first time I’m living abroad, living by myself,” he shares. “I’m kind of describing that at that time I was, at the beginning, a little bit all over the place, enjoying the freedom.”
He concludes, “And that is how I wanted to capture it on film and show it to the audience and be honest about it.”
