Sky Sports Reveals Best Ever Sport Decision
Sky Sports have announced the result of its search to find the best ever decision in sport, as voted for by the public, with Sir Alex Ferguson’s use of substitutes during the 1999 UEFA Champions League Final coming out on top.
The now retired manager sent on strikers Teddy Sheringham and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer with the Premier League champions trailing Bayern Munich 1-0. However goals from both substitutes in the 91st and 93rd minute, respectively, secured the title and an unprecedented treble for United.
This Champions League-winning decision beat 49 others selected by Sky Sports experts.
Sky Sports experts delved into sporting history to pick out the game-changing moments, covering all sports, across the last 100 years or so.
Eight of the top ten are football-related, including Barcelona’s decision to take a chance on a young Lionel Messi, Arsenal’s decision to appoint Arsene Wenger and Ferguson features again with his decision to buy Eric Cantona in 1992.
The only non-football decisions to make the top ten were Nelson Mandela’s decision to wear a South African jersey for the 1995 Rugby World Cup final and Muhammad Ali’s ‘rope-a-dope’ tactics in the ‘Thriller in Manila’.
The full top ten decisions are:
1. Sir Alex Ferguson’s substitutions in the 1999 UEFA Champions League Final.
2. Barcelona deciding to pay the medical fees of an 11-year-old Lional Messi on the condition that he moved to Spain and signed for the club.
3. Rafa Benitez bringing on midfielder Didi Hammann for defender Steve Finnan in the 2005 Champions League final, helping them fight back to 3-3 before triumphing on penalties.
4. Alex Ferguson deciding to sign Eric Cantona from Leeds United for a bargain £1million.
5. Arsenal’s decision to appoint Frenchman Arsene Wenger, transforming the team and bringing signings such as Thierry Henry and Patrick Vieira.
6. Nelson Mandela’s decision to wear the Springbok jersey to the 1995 Rugby World Cup Final, a hated symbol of the apartheid era, to signify a united nation and galvanising the South African team to upset the odds and beat the All Blacks.
7. Liverpool replacing the departing Kevin Keegan with Kenny Dalgish, who went on to score 31 goals in a brilliant debut season, going on to manage the team twice.
8. Muhammad Ali choosing ‘rope-a-dope’ tactics in his eigth round knockout of George Foreman giving him the heavyweight title for the second time.
9. ‘Russian Linesman’ Tofiq Bahramov (who was actually from Azerbaijan), deciding that Geoff Hurst’s ‘goal’ in extra time in the 1966 World Cup Final should stand.
10. The Football League’s decision in 1981 to take on board Jimmy Hill’s idea to award 3 points for a win, to promote a more attacking style of football.
Find out more about the top 10 best decisions in sport at www.skysports.com/decisions
