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Liverpool have been paired against Roma in the semi-final of the Champions League.

34 years ago the Italian giants played Dundee United in the semi-final of the the same competition.

Roma ran out 3-0 winners in the second leg before they then lost to Liverpool in the final on penalties but it wasn't a fair fight for the men from Tannadice.

Jim McLean spoke of his anger that his Dundee United players were cheated out of the chance to become European Cup winners.

Roma director Riccardo Viola has confirmed his club gave French referee Michel Vautrot £50,000 ahead of the second leg of their semi-final against United in April, 1984.

(Image: Daily Record)

McLean's men had stormed to a 2-0 lead at Tannadice but lost the return in the Olympic Stadium 3-0 as Roma progressed to the Final, which they lost on penalties to Liverpool.

Suspicion has long lingered around Vautrot, who awarded Roma a second-half penalty, and McLean has revealed former SFA secretary Ernie Walker demanded a UEFA probe.

But the beaks in Switzerland didn't want to know - and United's defeat has, until now, remained one of the greatest hard-luck tales in Scottish football history.

McLean said: "Roma were under pressure because the European Cup Final was being played in their own Olympic Stadium but it is no excuse to stoop so low as to cheat their way there.

"I'm glad the truth has come out and, now it has, I feel for my former players and Dundee United fans who were denied the greatest game the club would ever have played.

"A European Cup Final would have been wonderful for everyone.

"We had the players to beat Liverpool in that final - we had the players to beat any team when we were on song. I would have loved the opportunity for them to have played in the Final because some of the results they achieved that season were unbelievable. The defeat left a bad taste in my mouth and I'm sad to say we were right, even though we never thought of asking for a probe and accepted we lost over two legs.

"However, a couple of months after the match Ernie Walker told me had done everything within his power to have UEFA look closely into the game.

"He was convinced an attempt at least had been made to bribe the referee but UEFA brushed his suspicions under the carpet."

Viola spoke with Italian television company Mediaset Premium this week and his comments were picked up yesterday by most newspapers in the country.

Viola is the son of Roma's late president, Dino, and was on the board of the Serie A club at the time of the semi-final. He said: "Roma gave a middle man 100 million lire (£50,000) destined for referee Vautrot. That is true and a shameful fact.

"Spartaco Landini, the director of football at Genoa, came to see my father. He told him Vautrot was a friend of his and that we could get at him via another friend but the referee would have to be given 100million lire.

"He said a dinner would be organised with the referee on the eve of the game and a signal to show the deal had been done would be demanded.

"During the dinner a waiter went up to the referee saying 'Telephone call for Mr Vautrot'. That was the prearranged signal.

"Vautrot left the table and when he returned said, 'My friend Paolo rang and he sends you his best wishes'. Then I got up, rang my father and told him, 'Message received'.

"All this was done because we had a difficult game ahead of us against Dundee United. Going out of the competition would have had serious repercussions."

Roma raced to a 2-0 half-time lead courtesy of a double from Roberto Pruzzo, cancelling out first-leg strikes by Davie Dodds and Derek Stark.

The crucial goal was a 58th-minute penalty converted by Agostino di Bartolomei, a troubled character who would commit suicide on the 10th anniversary of his side's defeat to Liverpool by shooting himself.

(Image: Daily Record)

McLean added: "I had angered the Italian press following the first leg when one of their reporters had asked if we were on drugs after our 2-0 win. I joked that if we were I hoped we were still on them for the next game.

"That translated in the Italian press that we were using drugs and only added to the hostility.

"Walter Smith and our reserve keeper, John Gardiner, took punches to the ribs and back as they protected me from Roma players and officials as I walked off the pitch at the end of the second leg.

"I was obsessed only with our performance, not looking for excuses, so never thought about blaming the referee.

"I pointed the finger at the players at the time but now I feel cheated although I'm pleased the truth is finally out there, even if it won't do anything for Dundee United in 2011.

"Any individual or club that stoops so low as to go in for this tactic deserves to be nowhere near the game. It's an utter disgrace because I've always tried to believe football is honest.

"I'm pleased Liverpool won the Final, even if we were denied the chance to play in it. I'm glad a bunch of cheaters didn't win."