'Welcome to hell' — The night Manchester United lost a vicious war with Galatasaray in Istanbul
manchestereveningnews.co.ukAn uneasy smile was etched across Eric Cantona's face as Manchester United arrived at Istanbul airport in 1993. United's players were besieged by waves of anger as they reluctantly emerged from the terminal.
Galatasary's supporters had gathered in the airport foyer and the hate was palpable. United were 2,000 miles from home. It felt like way more. The battalion of ultras chanted 'no way out' and the noise refused to dissipate as it hurled towards its intended targets.
United's stars were well accustomed to dealing with such environments but this just felt different. This was unprecedented hostility. United's players and staff couldn't wait to get to the team hotel, but their airport welcome was just the beginning. This is the forgotten story of when Manchester United went to hell. United had played Galatasary in the second round first leg of the relatively newly-rebranded Champions League at Old Trafford in October 1993 and the game had finished in a 3-3 draw.
They then travelled to Istanbul for the second leg of the fixture Sir Alex Ferguson had ended the club's 26-year wait for a Premier League title earlier that year and he was on the cusp of creating something special in Manchester.
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