By Mohamed Jaward Nyallay
On Saturday night, two of the very best teams in the world will face off each other in the Champions League final. Real Madrid will be playing against city rivals Athletico Madrid, the second Madrid derby final in Europe in three years.
San Siro would be set alight with brilliance, as Real hunt for ‘Undecima ’ (Eleventh Champions League) crown, whiles Athletico would be out to grab their first one.
Both teams have had a fine season so far, despite not winning any silverware. But the later reason is what has made this final more intriguing to watch. A Champions League success is the ultimate glory every team in Europe craves for; winning it would be a great way to close the season.
The last time both teams met in the Champions League final was in 2014, in Lisbon. Athletico Madrid scored first and grinded their teeth to hold to that lead till the dead end of the game. Just when they thought it was all over, Sergio Ramos rose on top of the Athletico defense to head in the equalizer.
The game went in to extra time, by then Athletico were battered with tiredness after trying to defend their single goal lead all night. They imploded and Real crucified them to finish the job. The long awaited Decima dream came to life that night. The script was written and it was amazing.
That defeat was gut-wrenching for Athletico and the scar has been there since. Even though the coach and all the players say they are over it but don’t get carried away, Athletico will be out for blood at San Siro this Saturday.
Athletico striker, Fernando Torres, has described Saturday’s final as “the game of our lives.” Torres has played an instrumental part in taking the team to the final.
Koke Resurrecion, another Athletico player, said in an interview: “you have to play every final like it’s your last.”
Boy! They will play this one like it is their last. The stage is set.
A lot has changed since Lisbon 2014. For Madrid, four of their starters have all gone somewhere else; Xabi Alonso, Angel Di Maria, Samir Khedira and Fabio Coentrao, including the coach who inspired them to La Decima, Carlo Ancelotti.
For Athletico it was an exodus. Star players like Thibout Courtouis, Jao Miranda, Raul Garcia, Jao Simao, Arda Turan and hot headed talisman Diego Costa, all left.
But these changes have not made these teams any weaker. In their place Casemiero, Jese Rodriguez and Lucas Vasquez have all come in the fray for Madrid.
Athletico have recruited players like Griezmann, Nigues, Carasco and a goalkeeper who watched the 2014 final on TV, Oblak.
Zidane v Simeone
Both managers are legends for their teams. Their stories have been amazing so far.
Madrid President, Florentino Perez, took a gamble in January to appoint Zinedine Zidane as the coach of Real Madrid. It was an experiment and it has paid off.
Madrid had always had the group for success; they just needed a choir master to get everyone singing from the same hymn sheet. They are now singing louder than the Vatican Choir.
For the first time in a while there is no foul air coming from the Madrid dressing room; the team is united and everyone is happy. All that boils down to the tremendous respect Zidane commands among players, for his success as a footballer.
Under him, star player, Cristiano Ronaldo, is having a great season. He is performing at the top level in the very biggest games. He scored home and away against AS Roma in the Champions League, single handedly destroyed Werder Bremen in the second leg with his hatrick and outshone Lionel Messi to win the El Classico at Camp Nou.
Zidane took a team that was divided in itself and rejuvenated their league season and he has taken them as far to the Champions League final. Since he defeated Depotivo 5-0 in his first game he went on a 12 game winning streak till the end of the season. He only lost one game and ironically it was against Diego Simeone, the man he is facing in the final.
Simeone’s story is a bit different. He is more experienced than Zidane and goes about conducting his business far more differently.
Ahead of Saturday’s final, Zidane himself praised the Argentine [Simeone]:
“Simeone is one of the best coaches in the world.”
At Athletico, he has created a tale of guts and glory. He has molded this team with blood, sweat and tears. With his charisma he has instilled belief and a never-say-die attitude even in the most pessimistic player.
You just have to look how they took pride in bleeding the noses of the very biggest teams in Europe. This season they foiled the plots of Bayern Munich and Barcelona on their way to the final. They did not do so by playing fantastic football, but replaced beautiful football with precision and doggedness.
The Final
As to who wants the final more, you cannot say. Both teams deserve it. No one’s job is at stake; both coaches could be forgiven for loosing this one. But on the other hand, Athletico could be more heartbroken once more if they don’t boot this one.
Diego Godin, captain of Athletico, has said this game is not about revenge but rather a chance to write their name in Athletico’s history. Athletic Madrid have never won the Champions League. This is their third Champions League final; 1974 and 2014 were the previous two.
Zidane as a player has been to these occasions and has seen it all - the pressure, the pain and the glory. In 2014 he was the assistant coach to Carlo when they lifted the trophy in Lisbon but he could not have imagined that he would visit Milan this Saturday to manage and win his own final as a coach of Los Blancos. He has the potential to rise to the occasion and to disappoint. For both references you just have to look at the 2002 Champions League final and the 2006 World Cup final.
This final is a testimony to the dominance of Spanish football. Real Madrid, Barcelona and Athletico Madrid have been present in at least one of the last three Champions League finals.
But take that aside, there will be no Spanish romance in the final. As soon as referee Mark Clattenburg blows the whistle, all hell will break loose in Italy this weekend, because it is the Madrid derby on a continental level.
The stakes are high. Apart from the glory, pride is also at stake.
(C) Politico 26/05/16
