At 9 pm the stellar Champions League final will be played at the Stade de France in Paris Liverpool-Real Madrid.
Klopp and Ancelotti are still ready to make history, from Benzema to Salah, from Manè to Vinicius, a special night.
Liverpool FC vs Real Madrid
–
–
Eve – Looking out from the highest steps of the Stade de France, you look east and you can see Bondy, where the Mbappé family lives. Inside the great stadium in Saint-Denis, he trains what was to become his team, Real Madrid. In the eyes of Karim Benzema, the desire to take home the cup (it would be the 14th time for the Spaniards, now at a sidereal distance from their pursuers) and the Golden Ball, which almost sure would become inevitable. Opposite, in the eyes of Mohamed Salah, the memory of that foul with which, on the 30 ‘of the first half of the final 4 years ago against Real (at that time it was still possible to play in Kiev) the ruthless Sergio Ramos forced him out in tears. The Reds then lost 3-1 and today “Momo” tweets: “we have a result to straighten out”.
Liverpool and Real Madrid are in their 3 / a final of the Champions League, no one has challenged each other as much as they did in the highlight of the season. Everyone remembers the second one, that of Kiev, few the first, that of 1981 which was always played here in Paris, at the Parco dei Principi: the English won with a goal from Alan Kennedy and then celebrated in a night that became legendary at the “Moulin Rouge “. This time, back to Paris even if it was not expected: UEFA had chosen St. Petersburg but had to change quickly due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Today, L’Equipe reveals the main reasons for that choice: “Ceferin (Aleksander, president of UEFA, ed) did not want the meeting to be held at Wembley after the pressure exerted on UEFA by Boris Johnson – writes the sports newspaper French – On the contrary, he particularly appreciated that Emmanuel Macron was the first president to oppose the Superlega project “.
Jurgen Klopp seemed concentrated and very determined on the eve: Real “slightly favored” for the experience, Thiago Alcantara and Fabinho regularly on the pitch and very clear ideas about the war: “we will also play for Ukraine – he said – because I am sure that in that land someone will be able and willing to look at us. I am happy that we are playing in Paris and not in St. Petersburg, I believe that Russia will understand the message: life continues, even when you try to destroy it “. There was also room for a controversy, not with Real but with the new lawn just placed at the Stade de France: “it’s not good news, even if someone must have thought so …”. Carlo Ancelotti, calmer and more satisfied than ever after his triumph in the Liga, accompanies his team towards his umpteenth final: “we deserve to be here, the players deserve it for everything they have done: if we also deserve to win, the field tomorrow “. To the French present he speaks above all of the great protagonist of this season and this Champions: “Karim Benzema today has more personality on and off the pitch but his quality has not changed, he is still at the top, and neither is his humility” . A smile that recalls the one with which he celebrated his championship victory with a cigar in his mouth: “I’m really enjoying this year, my time with this club and these players. I keep having fun”.
–
