27 May 2011

Born winners, regular guys and great friends will come out on top in Champions League final

This was my Champions League final preview for STV's Sports Blog


Pic: ©Reuters


On Saturday night, we will witness two of Europe’s heavyweights go into battle on the hallowed turf of Wembley, the site of the pair’s maiden European coronations.

As preposterous as it may seem on the face of it, both sides could be also labelled as Europe’s great underachievers, alongside Juventus. Both sides bring to the table proud histories: histories of success, and of sparkling football; commitment to developing their own, and imposing their style.

Manchester United enter this final fresh from knocking Liverpool off their domestic perch; Barcelona having emerged the victor of a gruelling series against a Real Madrid side desperate to make amends for last November’s memorable 5-0 manita at the Camp Nou.

If the plaudits for Sir Alex Ferguson’s side have been reserved, qualified even, they are inverse to the unanimity of those bestowed upon the blaugrana. But where there is no divergence is in their eagerness to make up for lost time and write some new history, trailing as they do their principal domestic rivals’ illustrious tallies in the greatest club competition of them all. Bitter foes have been put in their place domestically and now both seek to reel them in here too.

2009’s final may have represented a slap in the face for United, being as it was their first ever defeat in a European final; but Barcelona are no strangers to the pain of defeat on the ultimate stage. It is scarcely believable now that they took the field here at the old Wembley 19 years ago against Sampdoria having never worn the continent’s crown.

The competition had served up a turd on a stick in the final the year before, as a gifted Red Star Belgrade cynically played for penalties en route to victory against Marseille; but as 1992’s final entered the final ten minutes of additional time goalless, nobody could complain of a lack of entertainment.

This was Johann Cruyff’s Dream Team of Hristo Stoichkov, José María Bakero et al with a young Josep Guardiola giving the prompts from midfield. Spoiling tactics simply weren’t part of their vocabulary. Their opponents, with Gianluca Vialli, Roberto Mancini and the flying Atillio Lombardo in their pomp correctly sensed this might be the only chance for Samp, and were keen to seize it.

Nonetheless, as the game edged towards penalties one could sense the Catalans’ growing angst. They had agonisingly lost the ’86 to final to Steaua Bucharest in Seville through that particular lottery, and now the nightmare scenario was looming again.

Those with longer memories cast their minds back the days of Helenio Herrera, and Barça’s great team of that era who had the historical misfortune to coexist with Real during their staggering five-cup European haul. Herrera got the boot for bowing out to the Madrid club at the semi final stage in Europe, and went on to dominate the competition with Inter.

Barcelona’s solitary final in 1961 saw them go trophyless after five goal thriller against Benfica. The hopes and dreams of a nation weighed heavily on the shoulders of the 11 men on the park in London.

With 111 minutes on the clock, they won a free-kick just outside the opposing D. The referee, Aron Schmidhuber, flashed a card as the Sampdoria defence tried to slow things down. The tension amongst both ranks was palpable. Schmidhuber drew on his whistle. Stoichkov and Bakero teed the ball up for Ronald Koeman to blast home. At long last, the wait was over.

It’s possible to speak of a Barcelona before 1992 and after, but one central stand binds both eras and it represented in two figures; Cruyff, the star of the 1970s whose intellectual blueprint imported from Ajax underpins the club’s philosophy to this day, and the man who carries that tradition as he returns to the site of that famous win this weekend, Pep Guardiola.

Through the good times and the bad, that philosophy has been imprinted on the very DNA of the club to the extent where then-president Joan Laporta baulked at the possibility of hiring José Mourinho three summers ago, preferring to promote the untested Guardiola from his post in charge of Barcelona’s B side.

On the field, the team were in turmoil and the last two years of the Frank Rijkaard era had left Real in the ascendent. Having finished third, and 18 points behind a Real team who had hammered them 4-1 before the season ended, the task to turn it around was enormous. Many people questioned whether Guardiola had the credentials to do so.

That seems a very long time ago now.

It is not just that Barcelona have been incredibly successful, though they have. It is not just that they have dished out humiliation upon humiliation on Real, although that helps too. It is not that they won all six available trophies in Guardiola’s first 18 months in charge, but this is a large part of it; victory on Saturday we see him become the clubs most successful coach in its starred history.

Winning is important, and here we have a team of born winners. But is the fact that they been so successful with this unique Barcelona style that brings the greatest satisfaction of all. The players belief in each other and the method is what marks this Barcelona side as being something different, something truly special indeed.

It’s not even about a desire to be remembered as being amongst the greatest of all time, as many outsiders are already keen to label them. All such debate and speculation remains the domain of the press, the blogosphere, and fans. As anyone with the benefit of meeting them will tell you, this is a humble group, with no room for egos. They love each other, and they love winning together. It is this work ethic, this willingness to die for each other, that the club’s sizable contingent brings to most successful national side in Spain’s history.

Born winners, sure; but just regular guys too, and above all great friends. Equally - as anyone in the know will tell you again - any talk of this game carrying extra pressure, as some have claimed, as they seek to cement their place in the pantheon of all-time great sides is wide of the mark. Nobody within the camp is interested in that nonsense. Winning remains the prime objective.

To what degree we can attribute all of this success to Guardiola is the subject of much debate. What should not be up for debate is that there is more to Guardiola than meets the public eye, particularly the Anglophone eye. Polite and erudite, he is also a man of strong will whose first move on taking the reins was to show Ronaldinho and midfield mainstay Deco the door.

Samuel Eto’o, a born winner but equally a prickly and at times difficult presence should have followed suit, but no club was willing to match Barcelona’s modest demands. He put up with Eto’o, who responded with one of his finest seasons there to date as the club swept all. He was still moved unceremoniously on as a makeweight that summer in Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s move from Inter.

It is often said that Barcelona lack a plan B, and it was with that in mind that the Swede was purchased, but that’s not exactly true either. If the incessant pressing game is the most noticeable imprint of Pep on an already gifted team, that does a disservice to his keen tactical mind and micro-managing skills. When needed, he has proven adept at tweaking matters to turn the tide in game, and has surprised us on occasion with his line-ups and starting positions. A motivator, intelligent, an idealist; but also a very pragmatic and shrewd observer.

It soon became clear that in coaching terms, Guardiola has the head of a man ten years senior on his shoulders. But then, even in his playing days, his colleagues likened him to a coach on the field. The burning question in every culé’s mind is just for how much longer he will stay, a question he has repeatedly refused to settle and on more than one occasion this season stoked.

To hear those within the club speak of their opponents shows their genuine respect. Xavi, on more than one occasion and all sincerity has spoken of being in awe at Paul Scholes. It’s unlikely now, as the body begins to fail, that Scholes will play any significant part in this final. But the praise and admiration for Ryan Giggs is only fractionally less effusive.

Lionel Messi singled out Wayne Rooney for praise this week saying "Rooney is a huge player, very skillful and very quick. He's a fully rounded player that can create danger at any time". When they speak of 2009, it is not to express sentiments of superiority to United but a gushing delight across the board of having played exceptionally well. At the same time, they also remember just how badly United rattled them before Eto’o struck against the run of play to put them in front.

Likewise, the players were keen to express their delight at facing another team who like to attack after qualifying from the semi-finals, and we shouldn’t see that as the veiled dig at their opponents in that round that some chose to read it as. When asked on Monday what scared him the most about United, Guardiola replied “Everything”. He wasn’t being flippant, either.

So, although the regard for Manchester United is genuine, there is also a sense that they may be a little off the mark, at least stylistically, in their conception. Specifically, it is as if the 2008 semi final between these teams - where Ferguson’s side set-out to strangle the life out of their opponents - never happened. Given the available personnel, such a catenaccio-style lockdown remains unlikely but what is also unlikely is that United will be quite so dazzled as they were in Rome.

Guardiola’s nascent employment of Messi in the false nine role caught them off guard and ensured it was a night to forget for Ferdinand, Carrick and Vidic who were at a loss as how to pick the double World Footballer of the Year up. Whatever they should expect, they should expect that a more defined stratagem will be in place tomorrow.

Many connected with Barcelona will be surprised to have seen Nani fall out of favour of late. From being their best player for vast swathes of the season, the feeling amongst people in Catalonia is that he should be complementing, not supplanted by, another player who they hold in high regard, the fit-again Antonio Valencia. United will not go out to spoil, that is for sure, but there is a disconnect in the minds of many aficionados here between their image of Manchester United and the sort of Manchester United we are likely to see in the final.

Much has been made of the disruption to Barcelona’s travel plans brought about by fears of a repeat of last season, when volcanic ash meant they had to make a grueling two day journey to Milan to take on Inter in a first leg that effectively sealed the tie. Not that anyone connected to the club ever sought to use that as an excuse. But this week, Xavi accepted that it had not been ideal and the club moved swiftly this time to avoid any complications.

There two ways of looking at this. Under Guardiola, Barcelona have made a point of traveling to away games at the latest possible time. Domestically, this means they fly off to away days the same day, which is not a problem given the amount of 8pm, 9pm and 10pm kick-offs in La Liga.

Sometimes, this caused problems of course; during the Spanish air-traffic controllers strike they arrived on the pitch at Osasuna a minute after the already delayed kick-off time. Guardiola has firm beliefs as to the benefits of this approach, however. He wants his players to be as comfortable as possible, and sees this as another tool towards maximising advantage. As meticulous as he is, the idea of an Italian style retiro, where the players are hauled off and holed up in a hotel two nights before games would be anathema.

So will these extra days spent in London be an advantage of a disadvantage? One school of thought holds that this will, in fact, have upset their routine and may take the players from their familiar comfort zone. Another holds that moving so decisively and swiftly to defuse the chances of anything going wrong was the right move, and that at any rate finals must involve a degree of upheaval inconsistent with their league-style preparations.

This writer’s thoughts are firmly in line with the latter. Besides, anyone following the photographed Twitter antics of Carles Puyol and Gerard Piqué at the Emirates yesterday would struggle to argue that these guys aren’t having fun.

On the field, the forward and midfield lines pick themselves. Question marks remain over the defensive configuration. It is a joy to see Eric Abidal back in action so soon after what initially was feared to be a potentially career-ending tumour. During Puyol’s long absences and Piqué’s erratic mid-season form, the Frenchman was a colossus, enjoying comfortably his best season at the club since moving from Lyon.

But doubts remain as to whether he’ll start. The consensus is that Mascherano will partner Piqué in the centre, with Puyol playing left back as he did in Rome two years ago. Sergio Busquets of course is more than capable of playing in the backline, but his centrality to the team and superior use of the ball means he is needed to play the anchoring role.

The mood of relaxed confidence in the camp was epitomised by what club president Sandro Rosell said today “The future of this team doesn't depend on one game. Whatever happens on Saturday, the season is already excellent." They will play to win; but also without fear and without underestimating their opponents in slightest.

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La Liga, última jornada: The relegation showdown that never was…

Don’t believe the hype.

 

 In another Spanish season where the title march was a procession, where Real Madrid came second in a one-horse race, where the top two shellacked all in sight, dropping a ridiculous total of 40 points (out of a possible total of 228) between them, we wanted something to look forward to.

Villarreal and Valencia had occupied the remaining Champions League berths since the 18th of the December; matchday 16, and the last before the winter break. Almería had been doomed for weeks.

But the relegation battle had proved intriguing. Getafe, who had been close to the Europa League spots in March, had slipped close to the abyss, along with Real Sociedad who’s strong first half showing was too a distant memory. Mallorca, preposterously, had followed them. One place for the drop to the Liga Adelante remained. Six clubs were at risk. The amount of possible permutations, rendered even more confusing by primacy of head-to-head records was simply mind-boggling. We expected something to look forward to as the final day’s relegation battle got underway.

Unfortunately nobody told Valencia’s Aritz Aduriz. A mere four minutes were on the clock at the Riazor when the former Mallorca forward slotted the ball home to put visiting Valencia into the lead. The stadium descended into a deathly silence.

And well it might. Deportivo might just be the most boring team in La Liga these past two seasons, a sad state of affairs for a team once famed for their swashbuckling brand of attacking football. A team synonymous with names like Diego Tristán, Bebeto, Djalminha, Roy Makaay, Albert Luque (stop sniggering, Geordies. He was once rather good; honest!), and Juan Carlos Valeron at his peak is now the team of… Riki. Once Super Depor, they are now just a super bore. They don’t concede much, that it is true- 10 teams who finished above them (including all three of next season’s Europa League qualifiers) have a poorer record in this regard. But they also can’t score to save their lives; literally so, as it proved on the night. 31 goals in 38 matches left them tied with Leo Messi, and 9 behind this season’s pichichi Cristiano Ronaldo. And it’s not just this season either; last year saw a marginally better return of 35, whereas the previous season’s respectable 7th finish saw a moderate 47. Frankly, watching Depor has become something of a chore, and this is why they’ll be plying their trade in the Liga Adelante next term.

And of course, it had to be Valencia. Valencia who had broken their hearts on the final day of the 1993/94 season, denying them a first La Liga title courtesy of Miroslav Djukic’s last gasp spot kick miss. They huffed, they puffed. They threw men forward with an abandon not seen in these parts for many a year. And then in the depths of injury time, Roberto Soldado- a curious absentee from this week’s national squad list- stepped up to administer the coup de grace. Valeron, the one remaining link from a happier time when the Galician club were one of Europe’s most feared sides slumped to the turf as the whistle went. The dream was over. And it was extinguished without so much as a whimper.

It is hard to see where Depor can go from here. The squad is light and distinctly lacking in quality. The money which enabled them to punch above their weight for so long has long dried up. A provincial side, hailing from a city of some 250,000 people, their rise had been meteoric; their fall protracted and painful. Their Galician rivals, Celta de Vigo have languished in the lower tier for several years now and it will be of no consolation to anyone in A Coruña to see that rivalry renewed. They join Hércules and the comically poor Almería in making the drop, with Real Betis and Rayo Vallecano confirmed to go up. Agonisingly, they might not even have a derby to look forward to; for in the final standings, Celta squeezed ahead of Valladolid to make the final promotion play-off place.

As for other highlights, well, there was Kun Aguero’s fantastic hat-trick against Mallorca in what now appears to have been his final game for Atlético de Madrid. Speaking of hat-tricks, Manolito Adebayor signed off from his loan tenure at Real Madrid with one of his own in an 8-1 pummeling of Almería. But of course the real story there was Cristiano Ronaldo notching up goals 39 and 40 of a phenomenal season to finally smash the record held by Hugo Sanchez and Telmo Zarra to the satisfaction of all outside the Marca editorial team. This takes the Portuguese up to preposterous total of of 66 goals in 63 league games since joining the meringue, and a barely believable 86 from 89 in all competitive matches.

Since the final curtain fell on this season’s domestic campaign we’ve been treated to flurry of comings and goings, and signs of plenty more to come. Real Madrid, having already secured the services of Nuri Sahin and Hamit Altintop the previous week, are reported to have secured the services of Benfica flyer Fábio Coentrão, if reports from Portugal’s A Bola are anything to go by. Across town, the story has been even more dramatic. On Monday, talisman Sergio Aguero handed in a transfer request and at this early stage a crosstown switch to el Real looks distinctly likely. Meanwhile, much to everyone’s expectations, goalkeeper David De Gea’s transfer to Manchester United for some €20m was confirmed late on Tuesday. Manager Quique Sanchez Flores exited the club, with erstwhile nemesis and Atleti icon turned persona non grata, Diego Forlán, surely set to follow.

Wednesday’s big news saw Real’s sporting director Jorge Valdano fired, no doubt the great pleasure of José Mourinho. Valdano was at pains to state the move was not of his choosing, “I am not the one who turned Real Madrid into a battlefield. All my efforts this season were directed toward restraint,” he continued. “It has been a long time since I have spoken personally to Mourinho. We greet each other politely, but he sought to deal with people other than me. My responsibilities with the first team were reduced. I did not feel comfortable in that situation.”

Florentino Perez summed the move up as being inevitable given the naked contempt that has existed between the Argentine World Cup winner and the club’s superstar manager. “We have decided to end the contractual relationship with Jorge Valdano. The experience of this season has shown the need for a new organisational structure giving authority to the coach and avoiding dysfunctions” he said, his use of the word ‘dysfunction’ echoing the sentiment of Mourinho in a concurrence that will surely hurt his long time lieutenant as he departs. “I do not want to hide the pain I feel at the exit of Jorge Valdano, but my feelings cannot be a reason for not taking the necessary decisions. There were two people filling a sporting role between whom there was no understanding. Ignoring the evidence is not practical for anyone.”

Recognising such nuanced matters as practicalities? Surely this must be a first for the construction chief.

It’s not just Quique who’ll be looking for a new job before the coming season begins. Sevilla’s Gregorio Manzano- who presided over a fine second half of the campaign after initially struggling to steady the ship having being appointed following the club’s poor start- was stoical in his response to not being offered the extension his efforts had surely merited. “They gave me no reason, and i didn’t ask for any either”, he said. “I don’t feel abandoned. This is how football goes”. Up in the Basque County, Real Sociedad parted ways with Martín Lasarte. His side had endured a brutal finish to the campaign but in truth, hovering around the Europa League spots had represented a false position for a newly promoted side who has barely even bothered to reinforce their ranks in the close season. Staying up was a commendable achievement, but now they will look for a new man to help them push on. Roberto Olabe, Miroslav Djukic and Miguel Angel Lotina- técnicos at relegated Almería, Hércules, and Depor respectively- were the others to be turfed out.

Team of the Season (4-3-3)

Goalkeeper: Carlos Kameni (Espanyol) Consistently excellent over several seasons, the Cameroon international was in fine form again and let’s face it, based on the amount of work he had to endure during his side’s wretched 2011 run, must shade it from the impeccable Victor Valdes.

Full Back: Dani Alves (Barcelona), Marcelo (Real Madrid)

Daniel Alves’ inclusion in this team is the ultimate no-brainer. He may rile opposition fans with his niggle and occasional bouts of theatricality, but nobody can doubt the man’s energy, drive and commitment. In a season where he contributed bags of assists, the fact that he goes into this weekend’s Champions League final as the player with the fourth most touches in the opposition’s half in that competition tells you that even for a Brazilian, he is much more than just a full back. On the opposite flank his compatriot Marcelo, once derided, must surely be the league’s most improved player over the last 18 months. Dropped back from the attacking berth he generally occupied under Manuel Pellegrini, he has added defensive awareness to his game. But he still retains his attacking instincts, and his profitable partnership with Cristiano Ronaldo was devastating throughout the season.

Central Defence: Ricardo Carvalho (Real Madrid), Eric Abidal (Barcelona)

Until suffering from a liver tumour in March, the Frenchman enjoyed comfortably his best season in a Barcelona shirt. Previously preferred at full back, his move to the heart of the defence compensated for Carles Puyol’s injury absence and Gerard Piqué flaky mid-season form. Far from a sympathy vote, this is a fair reflection of a wonderful campaign for the former Lyon man who may yet play against Manchester United on Saturday having recently been eased back into first team duties. Alongside him, it’s hard to look beyond Ricardo Carvalho. I must confess to having a soft spot for the Portuguese. A colleague once described his wiliness, saying that “100% of the time he’s breaking the rules in one way or another; 99% of the time he gets away with it”. It’s true that Mourinho’s trusty compatriot is as clever as they come, but his goal threat, know-how and all round uber-cool composure show that he’s lost little from the time where he made John Terry look like the best defender in the world to British eyes. How Chelsea could have done with him during their winter woes.

Midfield: Xavi (Barcelona), Borja Valero (Villarreal), Ivan Rakitic (Sevilla)

Xabi Alonso, Mesut Ozil and Andrés Iniesta were a hair’s breadth short of making the first selection, but one must recongise the excellence of the three who made the cut. On Xavi, no elaboration is necessary. Borja Valero was the man who made Villarreal tick, combining good defensive positioning and displaying a clever and competent range of passing to bring out the best in the likes of Nilmar and Giuseppe Rossi up front. Ivan Rakitic, singularly uninterested at Schalke, arrived at Sevilla for a modest sum in January, and turned the stuttering Andalusian club’s season around with a string of superb performances. Graceful, direct, cunning with his passes and with an eye for goal to boot, he was a joy to watch for a team who been all too laboured in all they did before he rolled into town.

Forwards: Lionel Messi (Barcelona), Giuseppe Rossi (Villarreal), Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid) Just imagine for a moment.

You’re a defender, and in front of you see the see the world’s two best attackers, nominally wide but cutting in from the ‘wrong’ flank onto their favoured shooting feet. You can hack, pull and kick all you want. Messi, with that incredible low centre of gravity and admirable refusal to hit the turf will dance around you. Nine times out of ten, you’ll already know what he’s about to do; shift the ball inside to strike it home. You know, and yet you find yourself powerless to effect any change on the outcome. On the other side, any such physical defiance will carry no truck with the Portuguese. Probably, you’re not big or strong enough to match the ex-Manchester United man’s physicality. Try and you’ll most likely bounce off him. Get lucky, and he’s liable to sky the resulting fee-kick into the top corner, or slot home the penalty kick. Sir Alex Ferguson once described the effect a young Ryan Giggs had on opposing defenders as being akin to ‘twisted blood’. Double that. And then double it again for good measure.

In the middle of the pair, this year saw Giuseppe Rossi finally announce his arrival as a truly world class talent. He settled at Villarreal from day dot, and has improved steadily each coming season. Whether leading the line, dropping deep, or working the channels, his intelligence and movement make him a constant distraction to opposing backlines. With the clinical finishing he’s added to his game, the New Jersey-born Italy striker is sure to be a menace to the league’s defences for many more years to come.

Angel Di Maria has also blossomed into a world class talent this term, and Kun Aguero’s continued brilliance is guaranteed to earn him a move to whichever of the continents elite clubs he chooses this summer. Juan Mata’s emergence showed Valencia supporters that there is life after the two Davids last summer, and as for the one who remained in Spain, trekking up the coast to Barcelona, he might have endured his worse goal return in 7 years, but his willingness to embrace the team ethic has shown that there is more to his game than just goals. He still managed 18 of those, incidentally. Lastly, mention must surely go to Fernando Llorente whose emergence will leave Fernando Torres sweating over the chances of holding down his starting berth ahead of the Euros next year. And let’s not forget Roberto Soldado either.

This article originally appeared in Back Page Football 

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