14
SPORT
Bay of Plenty Times Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Our People, Our Place, Your Paper
FACE OFF Best of British in Champions League final
RIVALS: Left, Avram Grant and striker Didier Drogba; right, Sir Alex Ferguson and Cristiano Ronaldo. PICTURES/ REUTERS
Chelsea: make it a Special One Ronaldo: Time to get Real CHAMPIONS LEAGUE
I
T is the day Roman Abramovich has been waiting for since he watched Manchester United and Real Madrid play one of the classic European Cup ties at Old Trafford five years ago and decided he would like a football club. Not just any old club — but one with the potential to reach that sort of level, and quickly. He would certainly not have envisaged taking five years to progress as far as a Champions’ League final, least of all when Claudio Ranieri’s team made the semifinals against Monaco within nine months of the Russian’s spectacular takeover in July 2003. Ranieri blew his chance by throwing away the tie — though club officials had been turning against him long before that — and Jose Mourinho, the selfproclaimed ‘Special One’, twice suffered the humiliation of defeat at the same stage by Liverpool. When Chelsea were 1-0 down with a minute to play at Anfield in this season’s semifinal, Abramovich must have been musing on the Russian equivalent of ‘‘always the bridesmaid, never the bride’’. But John Arne Riise’s own-goal tipped the balance — so it is Chelsea, frequently reminded by Liverpool fans that ‘‘you ain’t got no history’’, who will take on United with an opportunity to make some at last. ‘‘It was a dream of the club more than anything to be in the final,’’ said Avram Grant, their much-ridiculed manager, finally having won some of the respect due to him. ‘‘The Champions’ League final is the most important game in European, probably world, football.’’ Speculation that only becoming champions of Europe or England this season could save him from the sack has been modified to suggestions that a ‘‘glorious failure’’ might suffice. Had neither Wigan nor Bolton brought anticlimax to the Premier League pursuit of United with late equalisers at Stamford Bridge, Chelsea would already be celebrating a glorious success. The consolation is they still have the chance of beating United over a 90-minute sprint instead of the sevenmonth chase that Grant began with a 2-0 defeat at Old Trafford last September. United claim a psychological advantage from having held off that title challenge; Chelsea claim the extra
motivation is theirs, strengthened by a 2-1 win over the Reds last month, when Sir Alex rested half-a-dozen players. Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech says: ‘‘They have already got one trophy — and we don’t want to see them celebrating again, so this is extra motivation. It took a lot of energy and hard work to get to the final and we go to win, because you don’t just want to be part of it. Something I was taught as a kid whenever we played in a final was that history remembers only the winners. If you don’t win the final, you’ve got the same as the people who lose in the group stage.’’ From his vantage point, Cech was able to observe how United were beaten at Stamford Bridge: ‘‘We put them under pressure and they couldn’t play because we didn’t allow them to. They are not
used to playing under pressure. John Obi Mikel, the object of an undignified tug-of-war between the two clubs three years ago after claiming he was forced against his will into signing for United, said: ‘‘It’s going to be a very tactical game. Neither team is going to come out too hard. You have to sit and wait for your opportunity. Grant remains optimistic: ‘‘There are two good teams in this final. Our last game against United and our semi-final against Liverpool were good games. I think it will be a good game, but you never know.’’ Will it be failure or inglorious victory? As in last year’s FA Cup final, everyone who believes blue is the colour — even Abramovich himself — will surely settle for the latter.
— Independent
SOCCER
L
ate on Thursday, May 14, this might have been the diary entry of Cristiano Ronaldo, aged 23 1⁄4, before his head hit the pillow: ‘‘Training at Carrington. Afterwards field queries about my future from the English and foreign media. Many enquiries. Answer fewer questions about my talent and the team’s Champions League final prospects. To London, and Football Writers’ Dinner, with Sir Alex. Receive my second successive Football Writers’ Footballer of the Year trophy. My acceptance speech is well received, I think. I make them laugh. I get a standing ovation.’’ He will have slept a content though, one suspects, somewhat confused young man. In the coming few days, the
Portuguese can be assured of two things: Persistent acclaim for his extravagant abilities, and anticipation of them proving significant when Manchester United meet Chelsea in Moscow; but also the need to respond to constant speculation about his career once the final is won or lost. With Real Madrid, via their media conduits, making their desire to claim the ultimate footballing possession all too evident, one senses the United midfielder is desperately attempting to be as diplomatic as his ambition will allow. So why should he consider abandoning United, particularly having signed a new five-year contract only last year? He plays in the most-watched league in the world, is revered by the United faithful and, you suspect, grudgingly by followers of every other
Uefa Champions League Final. Luzhniki Stadium, Moscow. 6.45 am tomorrow (NZT)
Manager: Sir Alex Ferguson Premier League: 1st
Manager: Avram Grant Premier League: 2nd Champions League Group stages: Won section with Schalke, Rosenborg and Valencia. First Knockout round: bt Olympiakos 3-1 agg Qtr-finals: bt Fenerbahce 3-2 agg Semifinals: bt Liverpool 4-3 agg
Champions League Group stages: Won section with Roma, Sporting Lisbon, Dynamo Kiev. First Knockout round: bt Lyon 2-1 agg Qtr-finals: bt Roma 3-0 agg Semifinals: bt Barcelona 1-0 agg
European Honours Cup-winners Cup: Winners 1970-71, 1997-98
European Honours Champions League (and European Cup): Winners 1967-68, 1998-99 Cup-winners’ Cup: Winners 1990-91
TV: ESPN, live from 6.30am
Likely line-ups
club, too. Under the guidance of a manager he admires and trusts, he has scored 41 goals this season. He is popular with his team-mates. And yet. He will have been at Old Trafford for five years come the summer. If United are triumphant in Moscow, he will have won it all: A Champions’ League medal, two domestic titles and an FA Cup winner’s medal. No one would blame the world’s most complete attacking midfielder if he decided that he had come to the end of his run at the Theatre of Dreams and demanded a new stage. If ever a man is leaving his options open, it is Ronaldo, who, it is claimed, could become the world’s highest-paid player, on £10 million ($26 million) a year, if he accepts Real’s overtures. ‘‘Everyone knows I’m very happy here. I think I’m at the right club. I want to stay,’’ he said. He did leave the impression there may be another Premier League season in him. ‘‘I enjoy my time playing here in the Premier League. It’s fantastic. At the moment it’s the best football in the world. I’m very happy at the club. They are fantastic. ‘‘The boss is the reason I’m here. He has helped me a lot. I feel very good. I want to carry on. ‘‘A year ago, the lads said, ‘You’ll never have a season like that again, you’ll never score 23 goals’. Now I have 41. Next season I don’t know what I’m going to do. If I score only 20 or 30, maybe people will start to criticise.’’ The irony is there are two question marks against his quality. The first is his constant appealing for free-kicks, which are not always justified. Even Sir Bobby Charlton issued a small but succinct home truth: ‘‘He’s not perfect. He sometimes tries to get something he hasn’t really earned.’’ There is also a belief in some quarters that he is not a ‘‘big-game player’’. The eyes gleam contemptuously at this: ‘‘I scored two against Arsenal. I score against Liverpool. I score against every team in England. I am very happy with my season. I need to show nothing. I win every award.’’ This is a young man who will never suffer from false modesty. It does not make him angry, he claims, ‘‘because I know I’m the best’’. Few would argue with that blunt piece of self-assessment.
— Independent
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