5:55 PM
pocketstyle
The European club season concludes at Wembley tonight with the UEFA Champions League final between FC Barcelona and Manchester United FC, kicking off at 20.45CET.
Both teams are seeking a fourth European title and a second final triumph at England's national stadium, United having claimed their first continental crown there in 1968 against SL Benfica, 24 years before the Azulgrana got on to the roll of honour by defeating UC Sampdoria.
UEFA.com's team of reporters will bring you the latest from in and around the stadium throughout the day as the atmosphere builds and supporters begin to arrive at the famous arena.
All times local (CET is + hour)
11.20, Wayne Harrison in Hyde Park
Cautious optimism is in plentiful supply among fans enjoying the final day of the UEFA Champions Festival. Chris, a United supporter from Lancaster, admitted to being a "nervous" but thinks the Red Devils have the pace and mobility to cause Barcelona problems.
"We've got more energy about us and if we can keep one or two of their players quiet we can do it. I'm looking at Ji-Sung Park: he's been in immense form of late. With that energy and running we might cause them trouble."
Karl, a Barcelona fan who has travelled from Austria, is hoping Lionel Messi and David Villa – neither of whom have scored for over a month – click into gear. "They've had a break for a few games," he said with a smile. Who would he most like to see score the winner? "Éric Abidal."
Meanwhile, the voices of the many Barcelona fans massed in the park are audible from my position in the UEFA office. Every now and then chants of "oh le le, oh la la, ser del barça es el millor que hi ha," (Or being a Barça fan is the best thing there is) break out. Whether they are so upbeat tonight remains to be seen.
11.08, Tom Kell in LondonPremier League player of the year Gareth Bale made quite an impression in this season's UEFA Champions League and last night gave UEFA.com his thoughts on this evening's final. "I think it's going to be a close game," he said at the UEFA Champions Festival in Hyde Park. "The way Barcelona play it's going to be difficult to stop them, but if anyone can do it then Manchester United can. I think you have to try and attack them. A lot of teams try and defend against them and they're just going to pick you off. You've got to attack. Saying that, I think Barcelona will probably have a bit too much for them."
10.40, Andrew Haslam in LondonAnyone who has been in and around Wembley this week will know how large an event the UEFA Champions League final is, and not just for the 86,000 spectators who will fill the stadium tonight. The match will be aired by 113 broadcast partners in more than 220 territories to an anticipated average audience of over 160m viewers, with a total reach in excess of 300m viewers across the world. This will make it the biggest final in UEFA Champions League history.
The game will be covered by 38 match cameras including the spidercam camera system and helicopter camera. There will be 115 unilateral cabled camera positions and 20 technical camera positions behind the goals – 180 TV cameras in total.
Not surprisingly, media interest is at a peak with 75 TV rights-holder broadcasters and 1,500 TV production and technical staff on site. In addition, there will be 700 written press representatives and 160 photographers in attendance, plus 130 television and radio commentary positions. The TV compound will house approximately 80 trucks and take up 6,000m² of parking.
There has also been plenty of promotion around London, with 200 branded buses around the city, 450 flags, 260 posters and 810 billboards at bus stops, underground and train stations around London, as well as at Heathrow Airport Terminals 1 and 5.
09.50, Paul Bryan in Madrid
Spanish daily El País contains an image of one of the evening's possible stars, Lionel Messi, on its front cover, accompanied by the headline: Barcelona-Manchester, the greatest final at the magical Wembley. Ramon Besa writes that both of these teams are "returning to the scene of their first European Champion Clubs' Cup triumphs," and continues, "among Barça's 24,000 supporters ... will be [Johan] Cruyff. Cruyff, Wembley, United, Barça, the European Cup; this has the look of a brilliant final," the journalist concludes.
Meanwhile, Barcelona-based sports publication Mundo Deportivo leads with "Going for the fourth," while showing their local heroes taking to the Wembley turf ahead of yesterday's training session. "Barça are 90 minutes away from positioning themselves on a privileged podium," says Santi Nolla. "A healthy travelling contingent of [Catalan] fans will be looking to convert the volcanic ash cloud into rays of glory," the paper's director says before predicting, "Josep Guardiola and Leo Messi will be the keys to a final that is now just hours away."
AS writer Santi Giménez, meanwhile, believes tonight's encounter will see "the meeting of two separate philosophies; a quick and highly competitive [Manchester United] and a Barcelona side who live for possession of the ball." That said, Giménez deduces that "we are faced with what will be a game of pure football which promises to be one of those deserved of remaining in our memory."
9.33, Simon Hart at Wembley
Wembley Park Tube station right now resembles a 'Little Catalonia' for the sheer number of Barcelona fans, wrapped in scarves and flags, enjoying the view down Wembley Way. The weather is distinctly unSpanish, however − it is a wet and windy morning here in north London.
9.26, London
A headline in The Sun − All set for the greatest game on earth − encapsulates the mood in the English press as UEFA.com digests the morning editions in England.
Writing in that newspaper, Steven Howard says: "If Manchester United beat a side as good as Barcelona at Wembley tonight, Ferguson will join the pantheon of all-time greats. He will move alongside Bob Paisley as the only British manager to win the trophy three times ...Ferguson says it is the perfect setting for the perfect match between two clubs of outstanding pedigree and tradition. He also feels it could be one of the greatest games the final has seen. What chance a perfect ending?"
In The Telegraph, Jim White writes: "This is the showpiece conclusion the Champions League was invented to deliver, the football equivalent of the heavyweight title fight. And not just any heavyweight championship, either: this is Mohammed Ali against George Foreman. Twenty-seven trophies shared between them this century gives clue to their dominance; here are the game's two leading clubs meeting on the final day of the season to battle for the claim of which is the world's most significant. That is what is at stake."
The Guardian's Kevin McCarra believes a United win "will rank high in the greatest feats of Sir Alex Ferguson", while James Lawton, in The Independent, says: "It will take huge, maybe even superhuman, effort in the midfield, but Manchester United do have the means to win. Ji-Sung Park's recent attack-dog performance against Chelsea might be one point of hope. Barça ooze class, of course, but if United are able to frustrate Lionel Messi to any degree, Wayne Rooney and Javier Hernandez might just plunder the upset victory." His prediction: Barcelona 1-2 Man United.
9.15, Simon Hart at WembleyOne of the best stats in the press kit for tonight's UEFA Champions League final is that Josep Guardiola was just seven when Sir Alex Ferguson embarked on his first European campaign as a manager with Aberdeen FC in 1978. In light of this, it was interesting to hear Sir Alex praise the FC Barcelona coach in his press conference yesterday, when he said: "The most revealing thing about Pep Guardiola is as a young coach he came to the club and in many ways changed the way they played.
"They have a maturity to the team from beating us in Rome to the present day. You can see that maturity and also see how he has changed the way they press the ball, they've been very impressive in the last year in particular. For a young coach he has done fantastically well, he has a good presence about him." Generous words but Sir Alex will be hoping to teach his young pretender a lesson this evening.
9.01, LondonThe UEFA Champions League theme tune has just been played to signal the opening of the final day of the UEFA Champions Festival in Hyde Park, and already fans of both clubs are enjoying the attractions on offer. It's a cloudy morning here in London, with light rain. The Met Office predicts that things will pick up, with a maximum temperature of 18C.
The week-long festival in Hyde Park concludes today with a host of big-name former players meeting in the Ultimate Champions match. The England All-Stars will take on their World counterparts at 13.00 local time as a fitting prelude to the evening's big match.
9.00, London
Keep up to date with all the latest news and exclusive interviews through our official Facebook pages for the UEFA Champions League and UEFA.com.
Read More ...
Both teams are seeking a fourth European title and a second final triumph at England's national stadium, United having claimed their first continental crown there in 1968 against SL Benfica, 24 years before the Azulgrana got on to the roll of honour by defeating UC Sampdoria.
UEFA.com's team of reporters will bring you the latest from in and around the stadium throughout the day as the atmosphere builds and supporters begin to arrive at the famous arena.
All times local (CET is + hour)
11.20, Wayne Harrison in Hyde Park
Cautious optimism is in plentiful supply among fans enjoying the final day of the UEFA Champions Festival. Chris, a United supporter from Lancaster, admitted to being a "nervous" but thinks the Red Devils have the pace and mobility to cause Barcelona problems.
"We've got more energy about us and if we can keep one or two of their players quiet we can do it. I'm looking at Ji-Sung Park: he's been in immense form of late. With that energy and running we might cause them trouble."
Karl, a Barcelona fan who has travelled from Austria, is hoping Lionel Messi and David Villa – neither of whom have scored for over a month – click into gear. "They've had a break for a few games," he said with a smile. Who would he most like to see score the winner? "Éric Abidal."
Meanwhile, the voices of the many Barcelona fans massed in the park are audible from my position in the UEFA office. Every now and then chants of "oh le le, oh la la, ser del barça es el millor que hi ha," (Or being a Barça fan is the best thing there is) break out. Whether they are so upbeat tonight remains to be seen.
11.08, Tom Kell in LondonPremier League player of the year Gareth Bale made quite an impression in this season's UEFA Champions League and last night gave UEFA.com his thoughts on this evening's final. "I think it's going to be a close game," he said at the UEFA Champions Festival in Hyde Park. "The way Barcelona play it's going to be difficult to stop them, but if anyone can do it then Manchester United can. I think you have to try and attack them. A lot of teams try and defend against them and they're just going to pick you off. You've got to attack. Saying that, I think Barcelona will probably have a bit too much for them."
10.40, Andrew Haslam in LondonAnyone who has been in and around Wembley this week will know how large an event the UEFA Champions League final is, and not just for the 86,000 spectators who will fill the stadium tonight. The match will be aired by 113 broadcast partners in more than 220 territories to an anticipated average audience of over 160m viewers, with a total reach in excess of 300m viewers across the world. This will make it the biggest final in UEFA Champions League history.
The game will be covered by 38 match cameras including the spidercam camera system and helicopter camera. There will be 115 unilateral cabled camera positions and 20 technical camera positions behind the goals – 180 TV cameras in total.
Not surprisingly, media interest is at a peak with 75 TV rights-holder broadcasters and 1,500 TV production and technical staff on site. In addition, there will be 700 written press representatives and 160 photographers in attendance, plus 130 television and radio commentary positions. The TV compound will house approximately 80 trucks and take up 6,000m² of parking.
There has also been plenty of promotion around London, with 200 branded buses around the city, 450 flags, 260 posters and 810 billboards at bus stops, underground and train stations around London, as well as at Heathrow Airport Terminals 1 and 5.
09.50, Paul Bryan in Madrid
Spanish daily El País contains an image of one of the evening's possible stars, Lionel Messi, on its front cover, accompanied by the headline: Barcelona-Manchester, the greatest final at the magical Wembley. Ramon Besa writes that both of these teams are "returning to the scene of their first European Champion Clubs' Cup triumphs," and continues, "among Barça's 24,000 supporters ... will be [Johan] Cruyff. Cruyff, Wembley, United, Barça, the European Cup; this has the look of a brilliant final," the journalist concludes.
Meanwhile, Barcelona-based sports publication Mundo Deportivo leads with "Going for the fourth," while showing their local heroes taking to the Wembley turf ahead of yesterday's training session. "Barça are 90 minutes away from positioning themselves on a privileged podium," says Santi Nolla. "A healthy travelling contingent of [Catalan] fans will be looking to convert the volcanic ash cloud into rays of glory," the paper's director says before predicting, "Josep Guardiola and Leo Messi will be the keys to a final that is now just hours away."
AS writer Santi Giménez, meanwhile, believes tonight's encounter will see "the meeting of two separate philosophies; a quick and highly competitive [Manchester United] and a Barcelona side who live for possession of the ball." That said, Giménez deduces that "we are faced with what will be a game of pure football which promises to be one of those deserved of remaining in our memory."
9.33, Simon Hart at Wembley
Wembley Park Tube station right now resembles a 'Little Catalonia' for the sheer number of Barcelona fans, wrapped in scarves and flags, enjoying the view down Wembley Way. The weather is distinctly unSpanish, however − it is a wet and windy morning here in north London.
9.26, London
A headline in The Sun − All set for the greatest game on earth − encapsulates the mood in the English press as UEFA.com digests the morning editions in England.
Writing in that newspaper, Steven Howard says: "If Manchester United beat a side as good as Barcelona at Wembley tonight, Ferguson will join the pantheon of all-time greats. He will move alongside Bob Paisley as the only British manager to win the trophy three times ...Ferguson says it is the perfect setting for the perfect match between two clubs of outstanding pedigree and tradition. He also feels it could be one of the greatest games the final has seen. What chance a perfect ending?"
In The Telegraph, Jim White writes: "This is the showpiece conclusion the Champions League was invented to deliver, the football equivalent of the heavyweight title fight. And not just any heavyweight championship, either: this is Mohammed Ali against George Foreman. Twenty-seven trophies shared between them this century gives clue to their dominance; here are the game's two leading clubs meeting on the final day of the season to battle for the claim of which is the world's most significant. That is what is at stake."
The Guardian's Kevin McCarra believes a United win "will rank high in the greatest feats of Sir Alex Ferguson", while James Lawton, in The Independent, says: "It will take huge, maybe even superhuman, effort in the midfield, but Manchester United do have the means to win. Ji-Sung Park's recent attack-dog performance against Chelsea might be one point of hope. Barça ooze class, of course, but if United are able to frustrate Lionel Messi to any degree, Wayne Rooney and Javier Hernandez might just plunder the upset victory." His prediction: Barcelona 1-2 Man United.
9.15, Simon Hart at WembleyOne of the best stats in the press kit for tonight's UEFA Champions League final is that Josep Guardiola was just seven when Sir Alex Ferguson embarked on his first European campaign as a manager with Aberdeen FC in 1978. In light of this, it was interesting to hear Sir Alex praise the FC Barcelona coach in his press conference yesterday, when he said: "The most revealing thing about Pep Guardiola is as a young coach he came to the club and in many ways changed the way they played.
"They have a maturity to the team from beating us in Rome to the present day. You can see that maturity and also see how he has changed the way they press the ball, they've been very impressive in the last year in particular. For a young coach he has done fantastically well, he has a good presence about him." Generous words but Sir Alex will be hoping to teach his young pretender a lesson this evening.
9.01, LondonThe UEFA Champions League theme tune has just been played to signal the opening of the final day of the UEFA Champions Festival in Hyde Park, and already fans of both clubs are enjoying the attractions on offer. It's a cloudy morning here in London, with light rain. The Met Office predicts that things will pick up, with a maximum temperature of 18C.
The week-long festival in Hyde Park concludes today with a host of big-name former players meeting in the Ultimate Champions match. The England All-Stars will take on their World counterparts at 13.00 local time as a fitting prelude to the evening's big match.
9.00, London
Keep up to date with all the latest news and exclusive interviews through our official Facebook pages for the UEFA Champions League and UEFA.com.
Read More ...
Article Source: uefa.com
Posted in: Quick News
