Tonight's Champions League final will not only decide Europe's champions but also whether Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo is the world's best player
Tonight's Champions League final will not only decide Europe's champions but also whether Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo is the world's best player
Even though Barcelona had great trouble overcoming Chelsea in the semi-final, it's nice to see the dream final come about in the Champions League.
Barcelona against Manchester United is the match everyone wanted. Two worlds meet in Rome tonight.
On one side we have the artistry and ballet of Barcelona.
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On the other, the more dynamic style of Manchester United. It is very difficult to forecast which will be the more successful team.
I really can't say which player is the best, but one thing is for sure: Europe's footballer of the year and the world footballer of the year will go to the one whose club wins the Champions League.
Today's final promises to be of the highest standard as both teams have won their domestic league titles in style.
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Both clubs also have impressive squads and I envy Sir Alex Ferguson's attacking options at United.
If he doesn't pick Ronaldo or Wayne Rooney he has fantastic alternatives in Dimitar Berbatov and Carlos Tevez.
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It's a similar situation at Barcelona where Bojan Krkic or Eidur Gudjohnsen are alternatives for Samuel Eto'o, Messi and Thierry Henry.
Italian football has not been able to keep pace with Spain and England this season, and England with United, Liverpool, and Champions League semi-finalists Chelsea and Arsenal are now Europe's top football power leaving all comment aside on the debt levels of these clubs.
Italy's AC Milan could not mount a challenge, partly as a result of injury to Kaka, while Juventus are in a rebuilding phase.
As expected, Inter Milan won the Serie A with room to spare for a third successive domestic league title. When you have a striker of the quality of Zlatan Ibrahimovic little can go wrong.
Coach Jose Mourinho has stabilised the club. I believe Inter will be even stronger next season because Mourinho will form a team more in his own image.
In Germany, I have congratulated VfL Wolfsburg on winning the Bundesliga. Under coach Felix Magath, Wolfsburg had the fittest team with several good players and the financial backing of Volkswagen.
We at Bayern Munich had to be content in the end with second place. We didn't deserve any better this season.
After the dismissal of coach Juergen Klinsmann, caretaker Jupp Heynckes did the best he could in the short time at his disposal to qualify directly for next season's Champions League.
I hope Dutch coach Louis van Gaal, who takes over in July, will give the team a new look next season.
I am sure Real Madrid are saying much the same thing in Spain. The new president will want to re-equip the team and the signings of top players perhaps Ronaldo and Kaka would again shift the power in Europe.
I am fairly certain that next season Barcelona will not be able to have it as easy as they did this term in La Liga. You can be sure Real will buy themselves a new white ballet.
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