1997 In football saw  Manchester United, Juventus, Bayern Munich and Real Madrid win their domestic League Championships and Chelsea win the English FA Cup Final against Middlesbrough.

Chelsea manager Ruud Gullit dragged the famous club out of the football wilderness in 1997 when they achieved their highest placing in the Premier League (6th) and won the FA Cup for the first time since its only other victory back in 1970.  It was also the first time the Cup was won by a club with a non-British Manager.

Bryan Robson’s Middlesbrough were at the end of a dismal season and were looking to a Wembley triumph as some consolation for their relegation from the top division after being deducted 3 points for a fixture anomaly .  They had also lost the League Cup Final at Wembley during the same season.  It took just 42 seconds for this dream to be shattered.  Chelsea midfielder Roberto Di Matteo controlled the ball just inside the opposition half and strode towards goal unleashing a 25 yard strike which cannoned from the underside of the crossbar into the goal.  Newcastle United legend Jackie Milburn’s 42-year-old record for the fastest FA Cup Final goal was gone.

An injury to Middlesbrough Italian talisman Fabrizio Ravanelli further soured their afternoon and when they had a late first-half goal disallowed for offside it seemed that today was not be one for the men in red jerseys.

The match was largely disappointing in terms of style and skill.  The much awaited clash of Italian Gianfranco Zola for Chelsea and Brazilian Juninho Paulista for Middlesbrough did not eventuate.  Zola and his side never really looked likely to lose after such a great start and they cruised through the match.  The result was put beyond doubt in the 83rd minute when Zola set Eddie Newton up for the second and final goal.

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