UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin said he was surprised by Real Madrid’s success in qualifying for the European Champions League (UCL) final, and likened it to a cat that has nine lives.
Madrid penetrated the final after going through a thrilling match. Madrid were able to beat Chelsea 3-1 in the first leg of the quarter-finals, but lost 3-2 at the Bernabeu. They also qualified for the semi-finals with a 6-3 aggregate.
Editor’s Choice
A similar situation also occurred in the semi-finals. Madrid had lost 4-3 against Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium, but turned things around in Benarbeu with a 3-1 score. Madrid also faced Liverpool in the top party.
When asked about the favorite team that will lift the Champions League trophy, Ceferin refused to name names. As the number one in UEFA, he should not show partiality.
However, Ceferin did not mind to provide an analysis of the final match. According to Ceferin, he did not expect Madrid to qualify for the top party in the mirror from the results of the semi-final first leg.
“I doubt that Real Madrid can get rid of Manchester City in the semi-finals, especially after losing the first game. But obviously they have nine lives like a cat,” Ceferin told Slovenian media 24ur quoted by page AS.
“They are an experienced team. But in my opinion, their defense is weak. They have an extraordinary Karim Benzema, and I have said several times he is a great player who is not highly valued in the history of football. Luka Modric is getting better and better.”
“But Liverpool have a lot of young players, and they have important experience playing in finals. I can’t possibly predict who will win, because it’s a general rule to be impartial. It will be a very interesting final.”
/data/photo/2022/05/17/62836216cc1d9.jpg "Why is the sun setting? This is the explanation according to science")