European football titans Juventus and Barcelona square off in a dream UEFA Champions League Final in Berlin – here’s what to look forward to in this clash
Photo: Eurosport
[dropcap]B[/dropcap]oth Juventus and Barcelona are of Europe’s elite footballing pedigree, and are striving for a historic treble of trophies. So, it’s perhaps fitting that the two titans square off against one another to determine who the King of European Football is.
And with tickets for the glittery final in Berlin selling for up to £12,000 ($24,961), it is certainly a show that promises quality with, perhaps, a dose of drama.
Making Amends & Gunning for Glory
Following a painful defeat to Atletico Madrid in last year’s Champions League quarter-finals, Barcelona has been raring to make amends all season. And Barca has begun by picking up this season’s La Liga title.
“This is the first,” remarked defensive midfielder Sergio Busquets after the game, referring to Barca’s quest to chase a memorable treble.
“It’s time to celebrate because this (La Liga) is the most difficult competition – you face all the teams. Now we have one trophy, we’re missing two and there are two games to go. It’s certainly a historic season,” he said.
Busquets was referring to facing off against Athletic Bilbao in the Copa del Rey (King’s Cup) Final on May 31, as well as the Champions League Final on Jun 7.
The old lady seeking to make new history
Despite Juventus going in as underdogs (with Barcelona having superstars such as Lionel Messi, Neymar and Luis Suarez), there is almost a quiet sense of belief in Italy that they will emerge winners of the Champions League trophy at the end of the 90 minutes.
Italian football agent David Sale, 45, based in Rome, said, “Everybody here thinks Juventus is going to win. They have such a good quality going into these finals, and many in the market are saying that they will win in Berlin.” And Sale, who works with players in Serie A and La Liga, thinks that now that the “Old Lady” has come so far, she would be hungry to make a new, glorious history.
“Tevez has been a mastermind this season, and when you combine that with Pogba and Pirlo, you get a masterpiece. More importantly, I think Juve have a tremendous team spirit now, and the players are really feeling it, so for me they have the best chance of lifting the title,” affirmed Sale.
Photo: Juventus.com
In Safe Hands?
Following his appointment by the UEFA Referees Committee, Turkey’s Cüneyt Çakır has been tasked as the man to referee the Final. In total, Çakır has taken charge of 70 UEFA matches and his last high-profile Champions League fixture was the round-of-16 first-leg match between Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea, in France.
It looks like the Final is in safe hands but we can only hope.
No bad blood or biting
After the incident involving Juventus’ Giorgio Chiellini and Barcelona’s Suarez at the last World Cup, where the Uruguayan bit the Italian on the shoulder, it seems that all the pre-match talk has been clouded by their reunion on the pitch. However, Chiellini insisted that he bears no grudge against Suarez, ahead of their showdown next week.
The Juventus vice-captain said, “It’s been a week since we’ve qualified for the Champions League Final and everybody is asking me about Luis Suarez.”
“For me there’s no problem with the issue. I don’t need to talk to him, (and) I don’t feel any grudge towards him. I don’t feel anything. I will mark Suarez just like Karim Benzema or I’ll mark Leo Messi just like I did with Cristiano Ronaldo, and Neymar like Gareth Bale,” he said.
Perhaps it’s time to let bygones be bygones – and leave it to the football to do the talking. Let the Champions League Final begin and may the greatest titan emerge victorious.
By Ash Hashim
Don’t miss out on the action in the UEFA Champions League Final between Juventus and Barcelona on Jun 7, 2.45am.
ADVERTISEMENTS