Lucas Radebe was the guest of honour for Leeds United’s game against Chelsea this week, just under 26 years to the day since he was the hero for his side against Spartak Moscow.
Few figures in Leeds United’s history remain as universally revered as Lucas Radebe, the man known affectionately as the Chief.
Radebe was one of the mainstays of Leeds’ team at the turn of the millennium, having moved to the Premier League in 1994 from the Kaizer Chiefs.
The Elland Road crowd was at its most raucous this week, as Leeds took four points off Chelsea and Liverpool, as Radebe paraded around the pitch before the win over the Blues with the current Kaizer Chiefs under-21s side, as part of his new ambassadorial role.
But Radebe was causing his own jubilant celebrations on this day in 1999, as Leeds matched something last done by Don Revie’s legendary side.
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Lucas Radebe loved it!
Lucas Radebe was the hero as Leeds United beat Spartak Moscow
Radebe was the hero for Leeds as they took on Spartak Moscow in the UEFA Cup, becoming the first side since Revie’s in the 1996/97 season to overcome a first-leg deficit in a European competition.
Spartak Moscow came into the game with a 2-1 lead after a controversial first leg. The first attempt to play had been postponed due to a frozen pitch, as the thermometer hit -22 degrees Celsius in Moscow.
As a result, the game was moved to Bulgaria the following week, and Leeds squandered an early lead to bring a one-goal deficit, and a crucial away goal, back to Elland Road.
A nervy account ensued in West Yorkshire, as Leeds looked to progress to the last 16 of the competition, with Michael Bridges hitting the post and forcing a good save from Andrei Smenatin as O’Leary’s side appeared destined for a frustrating end to their European campaign.
Cometh the hour, cometh the Chief. With 83 minutes on the clock, Stephen McPhail swung in a corner, which goalkeeper Smenatin attempted to meet. Instead, the cross evaded him, and Radebe met with his head at the far post, sparking wild scenes of celebration.
Radebe was already a beloved figure at Leeds. However, having already scored in a win over Partizan Belgrade, this European run turned him into a bona fide club legend.
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Records tumbled for Leeds United on a historic European night
Anyone who was in Elland Road on the night that Radebe scored his dramatic late winner remembers the noise that greeted the goal, which was comparable with the scenes a year later when Lee Bowyer scored against AC Milan.
Several records tumbled on a famous night in Leeds United history, as O’Leary’s side looked ready to challenge for European honours for years to come.
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Not only was the game the first time Leeds had overcome a first-leg deficit in Europe since the 1960s, but it was also the furthest Leeds had progressed in a European competition since reaching the European Cup final in 1975.
The game was also the first time that any English club had beaten Spartak Moscow in a European competition.
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