Info About The Champion League Final [Archive]

28,04,06, 18:40

This year's UEFA Champions League final will be the fifth time the showpiece of the European Champions Clubs' Cup has been held in Paris, the city which was the venue for the first such occasion back in 1956. With a misty eye on the past, uefa.com takes a look at the four previous Paris matches.

1956 - Real Madrid CF 4-3 Stade de Reims Champagne
Madrid began their great love affair with the competition in the city of romance at the Parc des Princes, where French side Reims were their opponents in the very first final of what was then known locally as the Coupe Champions Européens. Four goals were shared in an epic first half as the Spanish side rallied from two down to go in on level terms at the break. Michel Hidalgo, who went on to become the French national team manager, restored Reims's lead, but Marquitos equalised for Madrid and Héctor Rial rounded off a thrilling first final by scoring the winner eleven minutes from time. Despite the region's great wine-producing tradition, the champagne corks were not popping in Reims, but Madrid.

1975 - FC Bayern München 2-0 Leeds United AFC
When the final returned to Paris in 1975, holders Bayern, led by the incomparable Franz Beckenbauer, took on English champions Leeds at the Parc des Princes. English champions Leeds began the match the brighter and had two efforts ruled out, but Bayern - who had won the trophy for the first time the previous year - held firm and exploited their tiring opponents in the final 20 minutes. Dettmar Cramer's side went ahead through Franz 'Bulle' Roth in the 71st minute and Gerd Müller's clinical finish 12 minutes later meant the German outfit became the fifth club to win the trophy in successive seasons.

1981 - Liverpool FC 1-0 Real Madrid CF
By the time Paris staged the 1981 final, the competition was in the grip of English domination, with Liverpool and Nottingham Forest FC winning the trophy two times each in the previous four years. How fitting, then, that the original dominant force of European football, Madrid, arrived in the French capital determined to break the English stranglehold. The match itself, billed as a potential classic, was a disappointing affair although it was ultimately settled by one moment of brilliance from Liverpool full-back Alan Kennedy. A man who was to forge a reputation for scoring important goals, Kennedy burst into the Madrid penalty area in the 82nd minute, latched on to a left-wing throw-in and blasted an unstoppable left-footed shot high past goalkeeper Agustín Rodriguez to take the trophy to Anfield for the third time.

2000 - Real Madrid CF 3-0 Valencia CF
The turn of the millennium brought the climax of Europe's premier football competition back to Paris, this time at the new Stade de France, where two teams from the same country met in the final for the first time in the competition's history. The all-Spanish affair was dominated by Madrid, with Valencia perhaps overawed by their first final, as Vicente Del Bosque's side swept to their eighth triumph in convincing style. Fernando Morientes gave Real the lead before half-time and a stunning volley by Steve McManaman made it two, before Raúl González completed the scoring with 15 minutes to go. At the final whistle, Real symbolically removed the black shirts they had played in to receive the trophy in their more traditional all-white strip.

28,04,06, 18:41

Now Finally the one thing everyone wants to see.... The Cup :bigsmile:

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The UEFA Champions League trophy enjoys iconic status throughout the football world and every player dreams of being lucky enough to hold it aloft with his team-mates to be crowned kings of Europe.

Vision of glory
On 17 May at the Stade de France, this year's winning captain will lift the giant prize above his head and become engulfed in a sea of tickertape and hyper-charged joy. There will be a brand new trophy in his privileged hands this time round, which was unveiled by UEFA in Paris on 10 March. The updated version is an exact replica of the classic cup, complete with those huge, curved handles and all the weight of history etched into it with the names of the 50 previous winners.

Fifth victory
The old cup now sits gleaming and proud in the impressive trophy room at Anfield, the home of Liverpool FC, as UEFA awarded it to Rafael Benítez's side permanently following their famous victory in the 2005 final against AC Milan. The dedication marked the fact that the English club have won the European Champion Clubs' Cup no fewer than five times.

Paris handover
Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard took part in the new trophy's first public appearance in the French capital, joining Real Madrid CF legend Francisco Gento to officially hand it over to UEFA Chief Executive Lars-Christer Olsson. Mr Olsson in turn passed it on to the Lord Mayor of Paris Bertrand Delanoë for safekeeping and public display in the city in the build-up to the final, maintaining a tradition which began in 1997 in Munich.

Times change
Gento himself took part in a record six of Madrid's nine triumphs, though back in his era of the 1950s and 1960s, the cup more closely resembled the international UEFA European Championship trophy. The present design, commissioned at a cost of €6,500, was seen for the first time in 1967 when it was won by Celtic FC. The shape was approved by UEFA's then general secretary Hans Bangerter as an amalgam of several other suggestions by Berne trophy specialist Hans Stadelmann, with special thought given to national preferences across the continent.

Super models
The finishing touches were made by engraver Fred Bänninger after 340 hours of painstaking, loving craft orchestrated by Stadelmann's son, Jürg, and it stands 62cm tall, weighing 7.5kg. The silverware in Liverpool's permanent possession is, fittingly, the fifth model to be cast in the competition's history. The original was awarded to Real Madrid following their sixth victory in 1966. Milan (six wins), FC Bayern München and AFC Ajax (both four) own the other trophies.

Turkish delight
The trophy's enudring appeal was shown a month before the 50th final in Istanbul in 2005. When it arrived in the Turkish capital, hundreds of thousands gathered in pouring rain to watch the trophy being paraded through the city on an open-top bus; two television channels screened the entire tour and the accompanying media circus forced police to bring the spectacle to a halt in the middle of the motorway.

Gerrard affection
Gerrard later made clear his own feelings about the UEFA Champions League trophy after celebrating Liverpool's penalty shoot-out success against Milan. Describing lifting it as "the best feeling ever", he went on to spend the whole night with the cup, taking it to bed with him and sleeping with it in his hotel room. His look of longing while staring at the new trophy in Paris spoke volumes of his desire: he did not want Istanbul to be a one-night stand.

28,04,06, 18:42

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Barcelona deservedly clinched a Champions League final place against Arsenal in Paris after a draw with AC Milan at the Nou Camp.
Milan keeper Dida kept Barcelona at bay, saving twice from Samuel Eto'o and also denying Henrik Larsson.

Juliano Belletti missed an open goal after the break as Barcelona dominated.

Andriy Shevchenko missed Milan's best chance and had a goal ruled out, but Barcelona defended a narrow first-leg lead and now play Arsenal on 17 May.

Milan were in desperate need of an early goal, and Kaka almost provided it inside the first minute when he shot narrowly wide.

But Barcelona soon seized the initiative, and Eto'o twice had chances to score the goal that would have virtually stamped their passport into the final.

Milan keeper Dida plunged bravely at his feet to save, then in the 15th minute he denied Eto'o again with a vital block that allowed Alessandro Costacurta to clear to safety.

But the Italian giants were not to be discounted and Shevchenko should have done better than shoot into the side-netting seven minutes later.

Shevchenko then headed straight at Victor Valdes four minutes after half-time as the pressure mounted on Milan to make the breakthrough.

Belletti should have put Barcelona in front after 53 minutes when he was set up by a brilliant combination from Ronaldinho and Ludovic Giuly.

Giuly then volleyed narrowly over from Ronaldinho's cross as the play switched from end to end.

Both sides made changes after 67 minutes, Barcelona sending on Henrik Larsson for Giuly and Milan replacing Gennaro Gattuso with the more attack-minded Rui Costa.

The Swede almost marked his entry with a goal seven minutes later when he met Eto'o's cross with a diving header, but he could only direct it straight at the defiant Dida.

There was instant drama when Shevchenko headed home, but referee Markus Merk ruled the goal out for a foul on Carles Puyol, a decision that infuriated the Milan bench.

Barcelona then kept possession for long periods to frustrate Milan and clinch their place in the final.

28,04,06, 18:45

Arsenal get their Champions League campaign underway with a 2-1 win over FC Thun thanks to Dennis Bergkamp's late goal
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Markus Rosenburg scores for Ajax during Arsenal's 2-1 win in Amsterdam, the last goal they let in on the way to the final
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Thierry Henry surpasses Ian Wright as Arsenal's leading goalscorer with a spectacular brace against Sparta Prague
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Robin van Persie nets a brace against Sparta at Highbury to give Arsenal a place in the last 16 of the Champions League
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28,04,06, 18:49

Robert Pires scores a late penalty as Arsenal beat FC Thun 1-0, a club record sixth consecutive European win
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Arsene Wenger sees Thierry Henry miss a penalty as his side draw 0-0 with Ajax at Highbury in their last group game
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Thierry Henry celebrates after scoring a wonder goal at the Bernabeu against Real Madrid in the first leg of the last 16
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Jens Lehmann makes a stunning double save in the second leg as Arsenal draw 0-0 with Real Madrid to progress
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28,04,06, 18:51

Cesc Fabregas stars against Juventus in the quarter-finals, scoring the first and setting up Thierry Henry for the second
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Pavel Nedved sees red at the Stadio Delle Alpi as Arsenal keep another clean sheet to comfortably make it to the semi-finals
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Play is halted in the semi-final against Villarreal as a squirrel makes an unexpected appearance by the North Bank
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Kolo Toure is mobbed by his team-mates after giving the Gunners the lead just before half-time against Villarreal
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28,04,06, 18:52

Jens Lehmann is the hero in the semi-final second leg at El Madrigal saving Juan Roman Riquelme's last-minute penalty
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Lehmann's heroics seal victory for Arsenal - the Gunners will face AC Milan or Barcelona in Paris in the final on 17 May
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28,04,06, 18:55

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Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger pinpointed Ronaldinho as Barcelona's key threat after watching the Catalan side reach the Champions League final.

"Ronaldinho, at any moment, can do something special," said Wenger after Barcelona beat AC Milan on aggregate to progress to the 17 May Paris showpiece.

Wenger added: "I think we have a chance and let's prepare well.

"If you are capable of grabbing your chance you can win the final. We want to make it our destiny, of course."

Barcelona coach Frank Rijkaard insisted he had not turned his thoughts to the final against Arsenal.

He said: "It feels good - we are very happy to be in the final. If you qualify it has gone as planned, so we are satisfied.

"We had to work really hard for it, but at the moment I am thinking nothing about the final.

"I am just thinking about the next game against Cadiz, because every game is very important for us.

"These games are more important and we will see about the final when it is our next game.

"We had self-belief - and without self-belief you can't play at this level."

Milan were furious that Andriy Shevchenko's 68th minute header was ruled out for a foul on Carles Puyol.

Coach Carlos Ancelotti said: "It was absolutely legal. He jumped and hardly touched Puyol.

"It was a goal, Puyol lost his balance. With a referee of this level you can't have mistake like that. We feel penalised.

"We gave our all, it was an excellent game against a very strong side. We were on equal terms in both games.

"As in the first leg we looked for the win, we created some things and of course gave them some opportunities as well. The team did everything that I wanted from and that they could do.

"The only regret is that we weren't able to get the goal we deserved."

28,04,06, 18:56

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Arsenal FC midfielder Aleksandr Hleb has eased fears that he could miss the UEFA Champions League final with a knee injury. The Belarussian international responded to press speculation about his fitness by telling the Pressball newspaper in his homeland: "The possibility of surgery was discussed but because of the final, we have decided to stick to a week of rest, massage and physiotherapy."

'Obviously sore'
Hleb should therefore be available to face FC Barcelona in Paris on 17 May, despite acknowledging that there is a problem with the joint. "When I showed the knee to the doctor, he said there was a danger of cartilage damage, but it turns out that the meniscus is OK but other parts of the knee are damaged. The knee is obviously sore."

'I heard it crunch'
Hleb underwent a scan on Wednesday after hurting his knee during Arsenal's UEFA Champions League semi-final away to Villarreal CF the night before. "Early in the match, I took a blow to the knee – I heard it crunch and thought I might have to be substituted," the 24-year-old explained. "But the pain died down, I felt better and played the full 90 minutes. Maybe because I had taken painkillers before the game for a bruised leg."

28,04,06, 18:57

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Barcelona starlet Andres Iniesta is relishing the prospect of locking horns with Arsenal's Cesc Fabregas in the UEFA Champions League final in Paris.

Although Iniesta is three years older than his Gunners counterpart, the pair were both in Barca's youth ranks at the same time and have played together for Spain's Under-21 side.

There are more than a few similarities between their games also with both creative, probing midfielders with a great range of passing.

Iniesta, who has been at Camp Nou since the age of 12, is hoping he will get the chance to renew acquaintance with his old sparring partner at the Stade de France on May 17 and believes the North Londoners are worthy finalists.

"It would be beautiful to have a duel with Cesc in Paris, I think it's good that two young players like us will be there," he told radio Marca.

"Arsenal are a great team, they have many qualities, if they have made the final it's because they deserve it.

"There are no favourites for the final - that's not trying to play mind-games, it's just the truth is that there are no favourites in finals."

28,04,06, 18:58

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Fifty years on from the first European Champion Clubs' Cup final in Paris, the climax of the world's foremost club football competition returns to the French capital on 17 May in its contemporary guise as the UEFA Champions League final. In 1956, at the Parc des Princes, a Spanish team, Real Madrid CF, did battle with a French one, Stade de Reims, and history has repeated itself to an extent. This time, however, it is Madrid's great rivals Barcelona CF facing an Arsenal FC side managed by a Frenchman and featuring six French players in their squad.

Henry vs Ronaldinho
Two of those – Thierry Henry and Robert Pirès – were part of the France squad that won the FIFA World Cup by beating Brazil at the Stade de France, the venue for next month's final. Once again Henry and Pirès will have to overcome some of the best Brazil has to offer if they are to add a UEFA Champions League winner's medal to their World Cup and European Championship medals. Barcelona can call on six Brazilian-born players to help their cause, including perhaps the only one on the planet with a greater claim than Henry to the title of world's best player at the moment. Ronaldinho had only just turned 18 when Brazil lost that final to France, but he too has a sentimental attachment to Paris, having played for two seasons with Paris Saint-Germain FC after leaving Brazil in 2001.

Under-achievers
After catching the eye at the 2002 World Cup, it was Ronaldinho’s move to Barcelona that really started his meteoric rise up the unofficial world rankings, and it was also the start of a new era for the Catalan club. Despite the magnitude of everything about them, Barcelona, like Arsenal, can be described as under-achievers as far as Europe’s highest table is concerned. While Madrid have won the European Cup nine times, more than anyone else, Barcelona have still only one victory to show for an illustrious history that includes some of the greatest players ever to play the game: Maradona, Cruyff, Laudrup, Hagi, Koeman, Stoitchkov, Schuster, Lineker, Kluivert, Figo – the list is almost endless.

'Long wait'
Frank Rijkaard never played for them, but he is rapidly writing his own chapter in the club's story. The Dutchman's particular brand of man-management, motivation and tactical guile ended the club's six-year run without a trophy by landing the league title last season, and now they are on the verge of a momentous double. "The fans are happy because it's a long time since we've been in a final like this, and since they've had a team that plays as well as this," said their Brazilian midfield anchor man Edmílson after Wednesday's nervous night in the Camp Nou. He, too, will be only too happy to return to France where he played with distinction for Olympique Lyonnais.

'Great team'
For team-mate Ludovic Giuly it will be a proud moment to walk out at his national stadium, two years after limping off in his previous UEFA Champions League final appearance, for AS Monaco FC. "Arsenal's a great team with some great players, including some French ones who I know well," he said. "I think it will be a great final, very open, and it's great for all the French players who play in these two teams." Arsenal will no doubt start the final as they started the whole campaign – as outsiders – but only the brave will bet against Arsène Wenger's multi-national team upsetting the favourites, as they did against both Madrid and Juventus earlier in the competition.

Vieira departed
It is of course an irony they have reached their first final – the first time any club from England's capital has made it – in this of all seasons when they struggled for so long after the departure of their talismanic former captain, Patrick Vieira. For several seasons, when they were either winning or coming close to the Premiership title, they were expected to reproduce their domestic form in Europe but they never did.

'Very happy'
"There was always a big doubt about Arsenal and Europe, for years," said Wenger on Tuesday night, "even when we were dominating the championships. That's why I'm very happy that finally we got there when nobody expected us to go, and with a side who had no chance at the start. I would say it completes the work of nine and a half years that, with a lot of effort, rewards all the people who work with me. I always had the support of the board, no matter what kind of decision I made for all these years, and I think the best way to reward them now is to go into the final and win it."

01,05,06, 15:25

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When Arsenal FC take on FC Barcelona in the UEFA Champions League final at the Stade de France on 17 May, they will be playing for national pride as well as the glory of their clubs, as the match will decide which country has won the most European Champion Clubs' Cups.

Ten apiece
Liverpool FC's triumph against AC Milan a year ago – their fifth overall - meant England joined Italy and Spain on ten victories apiece in Europe's premier club competition, with Germany and the Netherlands trailing on six. Spain were given a significant head start when Real Madrid CF won the first five finals, subsequently increasing their total to nine.

Wembley win
A second Spanish winner did not arrive until 1991/92, when Barcelona claimed their only title to date at the one-time European home of Arsenal, Wembley. The golden era for English sides came between 1976 and 1981 when they lifted the trophy six times in a row, with three successes for Liverpool, two for Nottingham Forest FC and one for Aston Villa FC. Manchester United FC sealed England's other two triumphs, meaning Arsenal would be the nation's fifth different champion.

Final specialists
Barcelona's progress ensures the 20th appearance by a Spanish team in the European Cup final, four behind Italy. English clubs have proved specialists when it comes to finals, with their ten trophies coming from only 12 attempts. German sides have participated in more finals – 13 – but have won less than half.

Paris precedent
The only teams from England to return as runners-up were Leeds United AFC, who lost in 1975 to FC Bayern München, and Liverpool, whose defeat by Juventus in 1985 was overshadowed by the Heysel disaster. Surprisingly, this is only the second Anglo-Spanish final, with the sole precedent also coming in Paris. It went the way of the English, with Liverpool beating Real Madrid 1-0 in 1981.

London pride
Although fans of rival clubs Tottenham Hotspur FC and Chelsea FC might disagree, Arsenal are helping to put London on the map. They are the first side from the English capital to reach this stage, making it the largest city to have a European Cup finalist. Had Arsenal lost their semi-final to Villarreal CF, the Spanish town would have become the second-smallest ever represented at the final, behind Monte Carlo, home to AS Monaco FC.

Slight return
Despite their famous names and illustrious histories, Arsenal and Barcelona are remarkably short on continental silverware, with just one European Cup between them. That tally will be doubled on 17 May when one of the two will recover some ground on their domestic adversaries.

01,05,06, 15:31

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Michael Carrick says he accepts that if Arsenal win the UEFA Champions League and deny Tottenham a place in the competition then The Gunners will have fully deserved it.
A repeat scenario of last season's dispute between Everton and Liverpool looks increasingly likely as Arsene Wenger has led his side to the final of Europe's biggest competition whilst Spurs retain a four point stranglehold in the race for fourth place.
Uefa clarified the rules after allowing both Merseyside clubs to qualify for this year's campaign, and Spurs will now miss out should lightning strike twice.
Carrick admits he would be severely disappointed should Arsenal triumph in Paris on May 17, but the England midfielder has sportingly accepted that Spurs' bitter rivals would have earned their place in next season's competition.
"If they go and win the Champions League then we'll have to say fair play, they've won the biggest club competition there and they'll have deserved it," Carrick told The Mirror.
"If we finish fourth and they win it, then it will be hard to take but they were the rules at the start of the season and you have to accept it.
"After we drew at Arsenal last Saturday someone said 'We're in Europe' but there wasn't even a reaction in the dressing room.
"We're really focused on getting fourth because if we don't get there now after being there for so long it will be a big disappointment."
Whatever their final destiny it has been a superb season for Martin Jol's side, and Carrick believes having a strong core of English talent has been crucial to making the North Londoners a formidable side again.
"In the past Tottenham were seen as a soft touch and Martin was keen to stamp that out," Carrick added.
"The English backbone is a big part of that and there's some lads like Aaron Lennon and Michael Dawson who are pushing for a place as well. "And to get five players on the pitch at the same time as we did for England against Uruguay shows how far Tottenham have come as a club and a team."
Team-mate Paul Robinson also admits he will be cheering on Barcelona in Paris on May 17 as the final could make or break Spurs' season.
"I watched Arsenal against Villarreal and if I had been stood in their goal for that split-second I would have just walked out of the way and let Riquelme score the penalty," said Robinson.
"I was willing him to score. You like to see English teams doing well in Europe but I wanted Villarreal to win. "I just hope Barcelona beat them because it means we're in the Champions League."

03,05,06, 12:21

Ronaldinho & Thierry Henry face the media
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Details have been issued of the media open days to be staged by the UEFA Champions League finalists FC Barcelona and Arsenal FC in the week leading up to the final at the Stade de France on Wednesday 17 May. The open days will give media representatives the chance to interview coaches and players. UEFA said today that due to heavy demand, there may not be other opportunities to do so before the teams arrive in Paris.

Barcelona
Barcelona have scheduled their media open day for Wednesday 10 May at the Camp Nou, starting with a training session at 11.00CET on the pitch at La Masía adjacent to the stadium. The interview session will begin once training has been completed. Accreditation will be required. Requests should be sent to Francesc Orenes using premsa@club.fcbarcelona.com by Friday 5 May, indicating any preferences for interviews. Accreditations for the international media can be collected at the reception in the Barcelona offices (Access 11). At the Camp Nou, media should use Access 7 and Gate 15 (Porta 15). Local media with season passes do not require additional accreditation.

Arsenal
Arsenal will hold their media open day 24 hours later on Thursday 11 May. The event will take place at the Arsenal training complex at London Colney. The nearest town is Shenley, Hertfordshire. As in Barcelona, the open day will commence with a training session at 11.00 local time (12.00CET), with the interview session getting under way at approximately 12.30. A press card will be required in order to gain access.

Final arrangements
Media arrangements preceding the final have also been confirmed. Arsenal will stick to their routine of not training at the venue, while Barcelona will train at the Stade de France on Tuesday 16 May. Their session is scheduled to start at 19.00CET and will be open to the media. Arsenal's training session at London Colney on Monday 15 May will be open to the media for 15 minutes, and the gates will be opened at 12.00.

Pre-match plans
At the Stade de France, Arsenal, represented by manager Arsène Wenger and two players, will hold their pre-match press conference at 17.45 on Tuesday 16 May. Barcelona's press conference, featuring coach Frank Rijkaard and two players will follow at approximately 18.30. Accreditation will be required for the press conferences and the Barcelona training session, and only media whose applications have been approved by UEFA will be able to attend. Accreditations can be collected from the accreditation centre adjacent to the Stade de France on Monday (16.00-18.00) or Tuesday (10.00-13.00 and 15.00-20.00). On the day of the final, the accreditation centre will be open from 10.00-21.00.

03,05,06, 12:28

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FC Barcelona defender Giovanni van Bronckhorst was delighted at reaching the UEFA Champions League final at AC Milan's expense. With his old club Arsenal FC awaiting at the Stade de France on 17 May, the Dutch international is one of several players looking forward to taking on former team-mates.

'Amazing'
"Playing in the final is like a dream come true," the 31-year-old said, "especially against my former club, that makes it even more amazing." Van Bronckhorst left Highbury for the Camp Nou, initially on loan, in 2003 after a mixed two-season spell in England. A cruciate ligament injury and the coming of age of Ashley Cole both played a part in the €13.5m signing's troubles, but his fortunes changed at Barcelona.

Impressive start
Coach Frank Rijkaard was sufficiently impressed with the full-back's first term to award him a three-year contract and this season he has been ever-present in Barça's European adventure. The versatile Dutchman says there is no secret to his Spanish success other than good old-fashioned graft. "You have to work hard for success and the team worked very hard against Milan. In the end we were rewarded."

Unsung hero
Another player to gain reward for his efforts is French international Ludovic Giuly. One of the Blaugrana's unsung heroes, Giuly is often overlooked in favour of more illustrious team-mates such as Ronaldinho, Samuel Eto'o and Deco. Yet it was his goal that proved the difference against Milan, and if selected in Paris, the fleet-footed forward will be another encountering an erstwhile colleague.

French foes
Thierry Henry was at AS Monaco FC when Giuly arrived in the principality from Olympique Lyonnais in January 1998, and the compatriots are familiar with one other. "Arsenal are a great team with some great players, including French ones whom I know well," the 29-year-old said. "I think it will be a good, open final with great players and it's fabulous for all the Frenchmen who play for these teams."

Cesc good friends
The old boys' network does not end there. Arsenal's Cesc Fabregas came to London from Barcelona as a 16-year-old in September 2003. A lifelong Barça fan, who came through their youth system, he should know the opposition as well as anyone. Meanwhile, a second Camp Nou left-back, Sylvinho, will be on more than nodding terms with the Arsenal staff following his two seasons with the Gunners prior to transferring to RC Celta de Vigo in the 2001/02 campaign. The 32-year-old moved to the Catalan capital in 2004.

Mallorca team-mates
Another case of friends reunited will be Cameroonian international duo Eto'o and Lauren. Although the Arsenal full-back is out for the season through injury, he will doubtless exchange pleasantries with the striker with whom he shared the RCD Mallorca dressing-room during the 1999/00 season.

Cosmopolitan flavour
Nor will that be the only meeting of expatriates. Fredrik Ljungberg will renew acquaintances with Sweden team-mate Henrik Larsson, Dennis Bergkamp and Robin van Persie will cross swords with fellow Dutchmen Van Bronckhorst and Mark van Bommel, while Highbury midfielder Gilberto faces Brazilian countrymen Ronaldinho, Edmílson and Thiago Motta. All in all, the UEFA Champions League showpiece will be a truly international affair, but for this most prestigious of finals, friendships will certainly have to be put on hold.

05,05,06, 14:44

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The new UEFA Champions League trophy will make the latest stop on its nostalgic tour of France in Marseille today before returning to the capital ahead of the final at the Stade de France on 17 May.

On the road
With Liverpool FC keeping the trophy having secured their fifth success last season, the latest version of the prestigious silverware was first unveiled in Paris on 10 March before the draw for the quarter-finals. Since then it has been displayed at Stade de Reims Champagne, AS Monaco FC and AS Saint-Etienne as part of a series of events to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the European Champion Clubs' Cup.

First final
On 3 April, Reims, who lost 4-3 to Real Madrid CF in the inaugural final in Paris in 1956 and were runners-up again three years later, staged the first celebration with guest appearances from former greats including Raymond Kopa, Francisco Gento and Emilio Butragueño. Five days later, the trophy was presented at the home of another beaten finalist, Monaco. Defender Gaël Givet and goalkeeper Flavio Roma are among the survivors from the side beaten 3-0 by FC Porto two years ago, and they were delighted to be within touching distance of the coveted prize again. "The cup looks as glamorous as ever," Givet said. "It's the trophy that every player wants and I hope one day I will get another opportunity to win it."

Huge interest
The third stop of the tour took in Saint-Etienne, another French team with bittersweet memories of Europe's premier club competition. Les Verts, who went down 1-0 to FC Bayern München in the 1976 final, dedicated the weekend of 22/23 April to their supporters, organising stadium tours and photograph sessions with the trophy. Queues formed outside the gates of the Stade Geoffroy-Guichard from the early hours, and the tours, departing at ten-minute intervals, continued relentlessly throughout the weekend. An estimated 10,000 fans are believed to have attended.

Marseille honour
France's sole European champion, Olympique de Marseille, who defeated AC Milan in their second final in 1993, have the honour of receiving the trophy last. It will be displayed at La Commanderie, Marseille's training ground, on Friday morning, with players from the UEFA Champions League-winning side making guest appearances alongside potential future stars from the youth academy. Basile Boli, scorer of the winning goal in Munich 13 years ago, will feature in a special programme on the club's television channel OMTV at the Stade Vélodrome before Saturday's Ligue 1 match against RC Strasbourg.

05,05,06, 14:47

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The UEFA Champions League final between FC Barcelona and Arsenal FC at the Stade de France on 17 May will be preceded by an innovative public football festival called the UEFA Champions Festival.

Host of activities
The event, taking place over five days just opposite the Eiffel Tower in Paris, will be opened by former France captain Laurent Blanc at 10:00CET on Saturday 13 May and run until 18:30CET on the day of the final. The festival will be a celebration of European club football and will include a host of football events and fun activities. It will be open to all fans in the city of Paris and there is no entry fee.

Open to all
"When we decided to come back to Paris to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the first European Cup final, there was no way we could celebrate with a 'private party'," said UEFA President Lennart Johansson. "Our aim was to throw the doors wide open and invite everybody to join in."

Whole village
With the support of the UEFA Champions League's official sponsors, UEFA and the French Football Federation have created a whole village dedicated to football. A giant video screen will be an impressive feature and fans will be able to buy official souvenirs. They will also have the opportunity to take a closer look at the new UEFA Champions League trophy which will be on display after its tour around France.

Starball Match
On Sunday 14 May at 10:00CET, the Starball Match will kick-off. This is a 50-hour non-stop football game that will take place on the main pitch at the place Trocadéro, and will feature two five-a-side teams consisting of around 500 players each. In another celebration marking 50 years since the first European Champion Clubs' Cup final – which also took place in Paris - it was decided to extend the length of the match to 50 hours, instead of the 'normal' 24-hour period used in previous editions. The match will last until Tuesday 16 May at 12:30CET.

Young Champions
On 13-14 May, just across the River Seine at the Stade Emile Anthoine near the Eiffel Tower, the UEFA Young Champions tournament will take place. The tournament is designed for youngsters aged between ten and 16, and 128 teams will play a five-a-side round-robin competition, with the best teams going through to play the semi-finals and final at 18:00CET on 17 May on the main pitch at the Champions Festival site.

05,05,06, 14:53

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Tottenham Hotspur FC and Arsenal FC will battle it out on Sunday afternoon for the fourth and final UEFA Champions League position on offer to England.

Dramatic finish
Arsenal's 3-1 victory at Manchester City FC last night means they are one point behind Tottenham before this weekend's final round of Premiership fixtures. If Arsenal get a better result at home against Wigan Athletic FC than Tottenham manage at West Ham United FC, then the UEFA Champions League finalists will leapfrog their north London rivals and enter Europe's premier club competition again.

UEFA rules
Even if Tottenham ultimately take fourth place, their entry into the UEFA Champions League would still depend on whether Arsenal triumph against FC Barcelona in this season's final in Paris on 17 May. If that is the case, then Arsenal will qualify as holders and, under UEFA rules that say no more than four clubs from one country can play in the competition, Tottenham would drop into the UEFA Cup. Manchester United FC are also one point ahead of Liverpool FC as they compete for second spot behind Chelsea FC and a place in the group stage, with the team which finishes third having to start in the third qualifying round.

Celtic hope
Like Tottenham, Scottish champions Celtic FC will also be cheering on Barcelona in the French capital, as victory for the Catalan club would send Celtic straight into the 2006/07 group stage, rather than having to enter in the third qualifying round. They would take the place on offer to the Spanish champions, with Barcelona's entry for next season's competition coming as title-holders.

Knock-on effects
If that happens, Scotland's runners-up Heart of Midlothian FC would still enter the second qualifying round although the champions of Israel, Sweden and Slovakia would feel a benefit. Maccabi Haifa FC would move from the second qualifying round to the third. Djurgårdens IF, the Swedish title-holders of 2005, and the Slovakian entrants, looking like being MFK Ružomberok, would in turn begin in the second qualifying round rather than the first.

Provisional access list - 2006/07 UEFA Champions League
Teams in bold already confirmed in position
IOC Stage Club

TBC Grp 2005/06 winners
ESP Grp FC Barcelona
ESP Grp Real Madrid CF
ESP Q3 Valencia CF
ESP Q3 CA Osasuna
ENG Grp Chelsea FC
ENG Grp Manchester United FC*
ENG Q3 Liverpool FC*
ENG Q3 Tottenham Hotspur FC
ITA Grp Juventus*
ITA Grp AC Milan*
ITA Q3 FC Internazionale Milano*
ITA Q3 ACF Fiorentina
FRA Grp Olympique Lyonnais
FRA Grp FC Girondins de Bordeaux
FRA Q3 LOSC Lille Métropole
GER Grp FC Bayern München*
GER Grp Hamburger SV*
GER Q3 Werder Bremen
POR Grp FC Porto
POR Grp Sporting Clube de Portugal*
POR Q3 SL Benfica*
NED Grp PSV Eindhoven
NED Q3 AFC Ajax
GRE Grp Olympiacos CFP
GRE Q3 AEK Athens FC
BEL Grp RSC Anderlecht*
BEL Q3 R. Standard de Liège*
SCO Q3 Celtic FC
SCO Q2 Heart of Midlothian FC
TUR Q3 Fenerbahçe SK*
TUR Q2 Galatasaray SK*
CZE Q3 FC Slovan Liberec
CZE Q2 FK Teplice
RUS Q3 PFC CSKA Moskva
RUS Q2 FC Spartak Moskva
AUT Q3 FK Austria Wien*
AUT Q2 SV Austria Salzburg*
UKR Q3 FC Dynamo Kyiv*
UKR Q2 FC Shakhtar Donetsk*
ISR Q2 Maccabi Haifa FC
SCG Q2 FK Crvena Zvezda
POL Q2 Legia Warszawa
SUI Q2 FC Basel 1893
NOR Q2 Vålerenga IF
BUL Q2 PFC Levski Sofia
CRO Q2 NK Dinamo Zagreb
DEN Q2 FC København
HUN Q2 Újpesti TE
ROU Q2 AFC Rapid Bucuresti
SWE Q1 Djurgårdens IF
SVK Q1 MFK Ružomberok
SLO Q1 NK Domžale
CYP Q1 Apollon Limassol FC
BIH Q1 NK Široki Brijeg
LAT Q1 FHK Liepajas Metalurgs
FIN Q1 Myllykosken Pallo-47
MOL Q1 FC Sheriff
GEO Q1 FC Sioni Bolnisi
LIT Q1 FK Ekranas
ISL Q1 FH Hafnarfjördur
MKD Q1 FK Rabotnicki
IRL Q1 Cork City FC
BLS Q1 FC Shakhtyor Soligorsk
ARM Q1 FC Pyunik
MLT Q1 Birkirkara FC
ALB Q1 KS Elbasani
EST Q1 FC TVMK Tallinn
NIR Q1 Linfield FC
WAL Q1 Total Network Solutions FC
LUX Q1 F91 Dudelange
AZE Q1 PFC Karvan Evlakh
FAR Q1 B36 Tórshavn
KAZ Q1 FK Aktobe

* Team confirmed for UEFA Champions League, either group stage or qualifying, although final league position not confirmed

08,05,06, 23:38

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Success against Arsenal FC in the UEFA Champions League final could see FC Barcelona take Europe's biggest prize and defend their domestic title in the same season for the second time in their history.

Successful sides
In the 50 years of the competition, 13 teams have managed to lift the European Champion Clubs' Cup and retain their domestic crown in the same campaign - and it would have been 14 had Olympique de Marseille not been stripped of their French championship in 1992/93 following a match-rigging scandal.

Exclusive club
However, only three of those sides have won this particular double on more than one occasion - AFC Ajax, Liverpool FC and FC Bayern München - and Barça would join this exclusive club by overcoming Arsenal, having previously landed the European Cup as defending Spanish champions in 1991/92.

Madrid pioneers
As with so many European records, Real Madrid CF were pioneers in this department, although it was not until their third European Cup success of 1957/58 that they were able to combine a continental triumph with back-to-back Spanish titles as they ousted AC Milan 3-2 in the final.

The 1960s
SL Benfica achieved a similar feat in 1960/61 before Celtic FC combined glory against FC Internazionale Milano in Lisbon with regaining the Scottish crown in 1966/67. And with two teams having completed this double in the 1960s, three were to do so in the 1970s.

Ajax's first
Ajax's 1972/73 European Cup coronation coincided with a second consecutive Dutch title, while Bayern's 1973/74 success came in a season when they secured their third straight German championship. Liverpool then lifted the 1976/77 European Cup having sealed the 1975/76 and 1976/77 titles in England.

Steaua on a roll
Liverpool attained this unusual double for a second time in 1983/84 in the campaign after Hamburger SV's only European Cup to date coincided with their sole successful defence of the Bundesliga bauble. FC Steaua Bucuresti's solitary continental championship of 1985/86 came with a run of five Romanian titles.

PSV progress
PSV Eindhoven then became the fourth and final side to combine a European Cup with a retained domestic crown as their victory against Benfica on penalties in the 1987/88 showpiece coincided with the third in a series of four consecutive Dutch titles.

Peak period
The 1990s proved to be an even more glorious decade for European Cup-winning domestic title defenders as four different clubs completed the double in the space of five seasons: FK Crvena Zvezda in 1990/91, Barcelona in 1991/92, Milan in 1993/94 and Ajax in 1994/95.

Marseille break
That would have been five in a row had Marseille not been deprived of their 1992/93 French title, but despite the larger squads and bigger budgets of the burgeoning UEFA Champions League, Europe's top teams have struggled to match that kind of consistency since.

Two in two
Just two sides have won the UEFA Champions League and regained national supremacy since Ajax in 1994/95: Bayern in 2000/01 and FC Porto in 2003/04. Now, Barça could follow in their footsteps and become the first to boast two European Cup triumphs combined with successful title defences in two attempts.

08,05,06, 23:41

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Arsenal FC clinched their place in next season's UEFA Champions League after a dramatic last day of fixtures in the English Premiership saw them leapfrog their north London rivals Tottenham Hotspur FC into the fourth and final qualifying position.

Final game joy
Arsenal went into their final match at Highbury a point adrift of Tottenham, and secured a 4-2 win against Wigan Athletic FC thanks in large part to a superb hat-trick from Thierry Henry. Martin Jol's Tottenham were defeated 2-1 at FA Cup finalists West Ham United FC. Spurs, who had a number of players struck down by food poisoning before the match at Upton Park, had occupied fourth place since 3 December but had to settle for a place in the UEFA Cup after goals from Carl Fletcher and Yossi Benayoun sealed victory for West Ham. Blackburn Rovers FC, who rounded off their campaign with a 2-0 victory against Manchester City FC, will also compete in the UEFA Cup next term.

United clinch second
Meanwhile, Manchester United FC secured direct access to the UEFA Champions League group stage with a 4-0 triumph against Charlton Athletic FC, leaving Liverpool FC in third place despite ending their campaign with a 3-1 win at Portsmouth FC. The champions Chelsea FC lost for the second time in a week, 1-0 at Newcastle United FC, while Bolton Wanderers FC, Aston Villa FC and Fulham FC ended their seasons with a win. Finally, Everton FC fought back from 2-0 down to draw against West Bromwich Albion FC.

09,05,06, 11:23

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Europe's premier club competition was launched one month after UEFA's first Congress, held in Vienna on 2 March 1955 yet, curiously, the so-called "European Cup" was not a UEFA initiative.

French founders
Whereas many of UEFA's founder members were more interested in establishing a national team competition, the French sports daily L'Equipe and their then-editor Gabriel Hanot, were championing the cause for a European-wide club competition. Hanot, together with colleague Jacques Ferran, designed a blueprint for a challenge tournament to be played on Wednesdays under floodlights.

Sporting record
The tournament initiated by L'Equipe did not stipulate that the participating teams had to be champions of their country, but they invited clubs who they considered had the most fan appeal. Representatives of 16 clubs were invited to meetings on 2 and 3 April 1955 and the L'Equipe rules were unanimously approved. The first European Champions Clubs' Cup fixture was played in Lisbon and Sporting Clube de Portugal were held to a 3-3 draw by FK Partizan. The Yugoslav side won the return leg in Belgrade 5-2 to advance to the next round.

Madrid dominate
Real Madrid CF immediately made the tournament their own by winning the first five finals. Since then, other clubs have also enjoyed fruitful runs in the competition with AFC Ajax and FC Bayern München both completing three consecutive wins. However, no one club has been able to claim long-term domination. Ajax waited 22 years to add a fourth title to the hat-trick obtained in the early 1970s; Madrid's win in 1998 was their first in 32 years; and Bayern's penalty shoot-out success in Milan in 2001 ended a 26-year wait for their fourth success.

Liverpool success
Liverpool FC's four victories between 1977 and 1984 deserve special mention as the English club won its four trophies with essentially different teams. The Reds European pedigree shone brightly again in 2005 when they battled back from 3-0 down to defeat AC Milan on penalties in what was perhaps the competition’s most exciting and memorable final.

Honours list
Real Madrid CF have been the most successful side in the UEFA Champions League, winning the competition three times. They are also the most successful side overall with nine triumphs, followed by six for AC Milan, five for Liverpool and four each for Bayern and Ajax. Madrid also hold the record for final appearances, with 12. Milan's 2002/03 success came after a marathon 19 games from the third qualifying round of the competition all the way to their penalty shoot-out success against Juventus FC in the final.

Competition change
The major turning point in the evolution of the competition came in the 1992/93 season when the UEFA Champions League, involving a group phase in addition to the traditional knock-out elements, was officially inaugurated after a pilot group stage during the previous season. The popularity of the group phase has witnessed the competition grow from eight to 32 teams with matches taking place on Tuesdays and Wednesdays across Europe.

09,05,06, 11:25

• 2004 - 2005 Liverpool
• 2003 - 2004 Porto
• 2002 - 2003 Milan
• 2001 - 2002 Real Madrid
• 2000 - 2001 Bayern
• 1999 - 2000 Real Madrid
• 1998 - 1999 Man. United
• 1997 - 1998 Real Madrid
• 1996 - 1997 Dortmund
• 1995 - 1996 Juventus
• 1994 - 1995 Ajax
• 1993 - 1994 Milan
• 1992 - 1993 Marseille
• 1991 - 1992 Barcelona
• 1990 - 1991 Crvena Zvezda
• 1989 - 1990 Milan
• 1988 - 1989 Milan
• 1987 - 1988 PSV
• 1986 - 1987 Porto
• 1985 - 1986 Steaua
• 1984 - 1985 Juventus
• 1983 - 1984 Liverpool
• 1982 - 1983 Hamburg
• 1981 - 1982 Villa
• 1980 - 1981 Liverpool
• 1979 - 1980 Notts Forest
• 1978 - 1979 Notts Forest
• 1977 - 1978 Liverpool
• 1976 - 1977 Liverpool
• 1975 - 1976 Bayern
• 1974 - 1975 Bayern
• 1973 - 1974 Bayern
• 1972 - 1973 Ajax
• 1971 - 1972 Ajax
• 1970 - 1971 Ajax
• 1969 - 1970 Feyenoord
• 1968 - 1969 Milan
• 1967 - 1968 Man. United
• 1966 - 1967 Celtic
• 1965 - 1966 Real Madrid
• 1964 - 1965 Internazionale
• 1963 - 1964 Internazionale
• 1962 - 1963 Milan
• 1961 - 1962 Benfica
• 1960 - 1961 Benfica
• 1959 - 1960 Real Madrid
• 1958 - 1959 Real Madrid
• 1957 - 1958 Real Madrid
• 1956 - 1957 Real Madrid
• 1955 - 1956 Real Madrid

16,05,06, 00:31

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Mention the word Barcelona and the name Ronaldinho inevitably follows as night does day.

But according to former Barcelona coach Radomir Antic, who managed the club in 2003, it is the team's lesser lights who have impressed him this season.

Antic told BBC Sport: "This team is mentally very, very strong.

"They have good leaders all over the pitch - Victor Valdes in goal, Rafael Marquez and Carles Puyol in defence and Deco in midfield who's a great player."

Antic added: "Yes Samuel Eto'o and Ronaldinho, Xavi, Iniesta are good, skilful players, but these other squad members are natural leaders and are ready to face any situation.

"Barcelona are very strong and composed, and in every game they produce something interesting.

"They have got great balance in their passing game.

"What I really like about Barcelona is that they look to attack - for my mind many other champions are too defensively-orientated."

Antic pointed to Barcelona's 3-0 away win over rivals Real Madrid at the Bernabeu in November as a turning point in a season which has seen them win the Spanish league as well as reach the Champions League final where they face Arsenal.

One commentator described that Barcelona victory over Real as being "the sort of game you wanted to frame and hang up in your front room".

Antic said: "That win was very important for Barcelona as it gave them the confidence to show they could play with authority in difficult situations.

"It showed Barcelona are a side that had the confidence to play for 90 minutes."

Antic also highlighted the contribution of Ludovic Giuly and Henrik Larsson, who have often played vital roles when they have come off the bench.

"Larsson has been very important in the league, while Giuly's goal against AC Milan in the first-leg Champions League semi-final at the San Siro showed his quality."

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Frank Rijkaard replaced Antic at the end of the 2002-03 season as Barcelona coach and after a difficult start the Dutchman has blossomed at the Nou Camp.

"He has given the team great stability," added Antic, who as well as coaching Barca has managed Atletico and Real Madrid during his time in Spain.

"Rijkaard was clever in dealing with the provocation of (Jose) Mourinho earlier this season when Barcelona played Chelsea in the Champions League.

"He made sure all he did was talk about his own side."

Antic forecast Barcelona will beat Arsenal in Wednesday's final at the Stade de France.

"Sevilla's win over Middlesbrough in the Uefa Cup final demonstrated English sides are not good enough defensively.

"I know Arsenal have not conceded a goal in the Champions League this season, but I think they give possibilities to opposition players before they receive the ball.

"They don't pressurise the player enough before he gets the ball - that costs them energy and allows the opposition space."

16,05,06, 00:35

Alan Hansen
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"You've got two of the best players on the planet at the moment in Thierry Henry and Ronaldinho"

I think all the ingredients are in place for a classic Champions League final.

You've got two exceptional attacking teams full of players who can pass and move and have brilliant touch and technique.

Plus you've got two of the best players on the planet at the moment in Thierry Henry and Ronaldinho.

For a team in transition and with a lot of exciting young players Arsenal have done wonders to get to a final most people wouldn't have expected them to reach this year.

Despite that, if Arsenal lose, it will turn out to be a disappointing season for them, with no trophies.

But it would be a dream for them to win it and would be ironic that when they were winning the Premiership and putting an unbeaten domestic league season together, they couldn't win in Europe.

Now they're in their worst league position in five years but are in the Champions League final with a chance of winning it.

That might suggest their game is better suited to a European style of football than the Premiership.

"Arsenal are now playing a brand of football we saw from them a couple of years ago"

If you look at the poor run Arsenal had in the Premiership this season, it seemed that every second week they were going to the north-west and getting bullied out of games by the likes of Bolton, Blackburn and a few others.

But they got Eboue and Toure back from the African Cup of Nations and tightened up defensively.

They instilled more steel and solidity and are now playing a brand of football we saw from them a couple of years ago.

Arsenal have set records for the number of games and minutes they last conceded a Champions League goal but the strikers Barcelona have got will trouble anybody.

When you look at the teams Arsenal have faced in the Champions League, Real Madrid were a disgrace, while Juventus weren't too clever.

I think the best team Arsenal will come up against will be Barcelona in the final.

Arsenal have to make Ronaldinho and Samuel Eto'o play badly and at the same time their best players have to produce something out of nothing.

Big-name players produce on the big stage, as we saw Steven Gerrard do in the FA Cup final on Saturday, and Henry will relish this opportunity to shine.

"If Arsenal can win, English football could dominate Europe for the next four or five years"

You could argue that whoever has the best game between Henry and Ronaldinho will win the game.

You can only judge how strong your league is by the Champions League and bringing home the trophy will show how strong the product is, especially as Arsenal are only fourth in the Premiership.

If you look across Europe then Barcelona are probably the strongest side.
But again, as we saw on Saturday, the best side and the favourites don't always have it their own way.

Arsenal will have to do to Barcelona what Barcelona will try to do to them - close down the star players, and deny them any sort of space to work in.

If Arsenal can win, English football could dominate Europe for the next four or five years as English clubs did in the 1970s and '80s.

16,05,06, 00:37

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Deco has played down Barcelona's favourites tag ahead of Wednesday's Champions League final with Arsenal.

The midfielder is the only member of Barca's squad to have won the European Cup - he helped Porto to glory in 2004.

However, he said: "We can't say we are the better team. Even if we were it wouldn't guarantee us victory.

"If you don't respect your opponents things can start going wrong. We need to be serious and fully concentrated so that we don't make any errors."

Deco insists that his side will not be taking the Gunners lightly and added: "AC Milan were winning 3-0 last year against Liverpool and ended up losing in the end.

"The fact that Lionel Messi will be with us will make us stronger but we don't know if he will play in the final" ~ Barcelona midfielder Deco

"We need to be serious, calm and fully concentrated so that we don't make any errors."

Deco was also upbeat after news that Argentina striker Lionel Messi has been included in Barcelona's 22-man squad, despite not having played for more than two months.

Messi tore a thigh muscle during the second leg of the knock-out tie against Chelsea on 7 March.

The 18-year-old trained with the team on Monday but coach Frank Rijkaard will leave it late before deciding if he will select him.

"The fact that Messi will be with us will make us stronger but we don't know if he will play in the final," said Deco.

16,05,06, 00:39

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Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger admits he is ready to deal with the summer exit of some of his key players but is firmly focused on Champions League glory.

Arsenal face Barcelona in Wednesday's final in Paris - potentially the last game for Thierry Henry, Ashley Cole and Robert Pires.

"That is not decided and we will cope with all that," said Wenger.

"The important thing is we go together to Paris, win the trophy and then what happens, we will cope with it."

Striker Henry has been tipped for a move to fellow Champions League finalists Barcelona and defender Cole has been linked to Real Madrid.

Midfielder Pires, who has been offered only a one-year extension to his Gunners contract, will make a decision over his future after the Paris final.

"If the team plays its game, I'm not worried about Thierry" ~ Arsene Wenger

However, Wenger's sole focus is the clash with Barcelona and he added: "What is important is not what will happen in one month or two months but what we achieve together.

"We have prepared the present and the future.

"The future is ahead of schedule, that's the only thing I can say. The players have shown that during the season."

Henry has one year left on his Highbury deal and the 28-year-old has set the start of the World Cup on 9 June as his deadline for making a decision about signing a new Arsenal contract.

He could be convinced to stay at Arsenal after the club booked a place in the qualifying stages of next season's Champions League and the fact they are moving to a new stadium in the summer.

But Wenger is confident his captain will not let the uncertainty over his future affect him for the match against the Catalan side.

"I feel on an occasion like this what is important is winning the trophy," he said.

"You don't care what happens the next day or the day after but on the day you want to bring back the trophy."

Henry will be playing on home territory and, although there will be a great weight of expectation on the striker, Wenger is keen not to place too much pressure on his captain.

"Of course, the big players like him and Ronaldinho or Eto'o will be under pressure to perform," he added.

"What happens in this sort of game is that people will always compare but I do not want too much pressure on Thierry.

"If we play well as a team, which I'm convinced we will, Thierry will automatically be very good.

"If we do not play well as a team Thierry will suffer - and we have seen that against Villarreal away from home, where the team refused to play and where we suffered offensively.

"So my main concern is that the team plays its game then I am not worried about Thierry."

16,05,06, 00:50

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It might seem like an impossible task - beating the best side in Europe, a side that contains the stellar talents of Ronaldinho, Eto'o and Puyol.

But as legendary Italian manager Alberto Zaccheroni tells BBC Sport, it is a task within Arsenal's reach.

Zaccheroni - twice voted Serie A manager of the year - reveals what Arsenal must do to be crowned European champions.

DEALING WITH RONALDINHO
Zaccheroni says: "Because of Ronaldinho's quality, Wenger will make Arsenal as compact as possible on the right-hand side.

"Barca do have quality on their ring - but not to the same extent.

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"Ronaldinho will be taken by the right-back and the midfielder closest to the right-back at the time.

"Ronaldinho starts on the left-hand-side, but he doesn't play with his left foot - so they will try to force him outside.

"Why? Because if you force him outside, you give him fewer options to play.

"Ronaldinho is not a player who is constantly involved. He plays with a lot of quality, but not a lot of quantity.

"So they will keep it compact, try to force him out and try to put a two-on-one on him so they can win the ball.

"I don't think Arsene Wenger will attempt to man-mark him.

"If Arsenal were to try that, Ronaldinho could drift into the middle and Samuel Eto'o would go to the left, and Barca would wreak just as much havoc.

"When Barca played Milan in the semi-finals and Cafu came on, Ronaldinho drifted into the middle and Eto'o went to play against Cafu - and they caused all sorts of problems."

CONTAINING THE OTHER BARCA THREATS
Zaccheroni says: "To stop Barca playing, you have to watch the spaces.

"What does that mean? Well, Eto'o and Giuly are really good at attacking the space between and behind the back four.

"You have to stop Ronaldinho playing his through-balls, and stop the other two exploiting the space behind the defence."

THE SECOND KEY AREA
Zaccheroni says: "It's vitally important that Arsenal keep Barca under pressure in midfield, because it's not just Ronaldinho - there's Deco, Iniesta and Van Bommel - players with a lot of quality.

"They can create problems, because they are also capable of playing the killer through-ball.

"Arsenal shouldn't worry about letting Barca have space on the flanks - Belletti or Van Bronckhorst are not so much of a danger as the men in the centre.

"Barca don't cause as many problems with crosses, because while Eto'o is OK in the air, Ronaldinho and Giuly are not so much of a threat.

"Arsenal as an English team are very good at dealing with crosses. So I would give more freedom to Belletti and Van Bronckhorst - they will not be able to hurt Arsenal in the same way."

WHICH SYSTEM?
Zaccheroni says: "Against Arsenal, Barca will play the classic 4-3-3 - different to the way they played against Milan.

"Against Milan, Rijkaard put a man on Kaka and played three at the back - but he will not do that in the final, because Arsenal do not have the same creative midfield threat as Milan did in Kaka.

"I don't think Wenger will change his tactics or system.

"Arsenal's best chance of success will come if they go wide and attack down the flanks.

"If Arsenal are brave enough to attack Barca, they can succeed - because Barca's biggest weakness is at the back.

"They are not very well-organised. If you attack the back four, you can beat them.

"In the semis, Milan couldn't play down the flanks. They failed to offer a threat out wide - and that cost them."

ARSENAL'S ATTACKING WORRY
Zaccheroni says: "My biggest worry with Arsenal is that they might not be able to put enough pressure on the Barca rearguard.

"Wenger will continue to use Thierry Henry in the same way as he has throughout the Champions League - as a lone striker.

"But to put the weak link of Barca's defence under pressure, you maybe need more than one man - even if that one man is Henry.

"Eventually Barcelona will make a mistake, but you have to put them under pressure.

"Arsenal's system of counter-attack has worked brilliantly for them in Europe - but they need to apply as much pressure as they can to the Barca back four.

"They need to play as they did against Juve in Turin, and not as they did against Villarreal in the second leg."

WHAT HENRY MUST DO
Zaccheroni says: "Henry must look to get one-on-one against Rafael Marquez rather than Carles Puyol.

"Rijkaard will get his defence to play a deeper line than usual, so they deny Henry the space behind them that he likes to exploit with his pace.

"But that could favour Arsenal in the midfield battle - it creates more space in midfield.

"And Arsenal can use that midfield space to attack the flanks."

FINAL WORDS
Zaccheroni says: "I'm not Wenger, but I would say this: the mindset makes all the difference in the final.

"I would trust my players. I would repeat their achievements in making the final.

"I would tell them that I trust their abilities. 'What you have done in the past was right, and I trust you again.

"'Trust your ability, trust yourselves. You deserve to be in the final; you are a strong team.'"

THE ZACCHERONI PREDICTION
Zaccheroni says: "It's always hard to know what will happen in the Champions League final - just look at what happened in Istanbul last year.

"On paper, Barca might seem to be the favourites, because they are the more technically accomplished team.

"But they are not as well organised as Arsenal.

"And that leaves it beautifully poised at 50-50...."

16,05,06, 00:54

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Emmanuel Eboue intends to use his lightning speed to quell the threat of Ronaldinho at the Stade de France on Wednesday night.

Since taking over from the unfortunate, injured Lauren in January, the right back has graced the likes of the Bernabeu and Stadio Delle Alpi in Arsenal’s successful Champions League run. At the first of those grounds, he managed to stifle another skilful Brazilian, Robinho. It is an experience that puts him in good stead for his tussle with the FIFA World Player of the Year on Wednesday.

“It was my dream to play against Real Madrid at the Bernabeu,” said Eboue. “I wasn’t scared to be up against Robinho because the boss encouraged me and had confidence in me. I took his advice about how to play in that match and did as well as I possibly could.

“[On Wednesday] I know I’m going to be up against Ronaldinho, one of the world’s top players. I’m not afraid. I think I will learn a lot from the experience. The way I see it this is an opportunity to prove myself. I’m going to do everything I can to have a good match for myself and the team.

“I’m aware that I’m quick and it’s something I try to profit from when I play. When we play against Barcelona I’m going to try and use my speed and my technical ability to match Ronaldinho.”

In less than 18 months, Eboue has gone from playing in front of a few thousand fans in the Belgian League to 80,000 screaming supporters at the Stade de France in Europe’s biggest game of the year

“It’s a fantastic occasion for me,” said the 22-year-old. “It’s difficult to believe I’ve been at Arsenal [little more] than a year and now I’m playing in the Champions League Final.

“I know that Barcelona are a very good football team, a quick passing team. Their players move around a lot so we’re going to have to be careful. But we’re going to focus right until the very end of the match and give our best to stop their forwards getting in behind us. We’re going to have to play intelligently.”

16,05,06, 00:56

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Winning the Champions League Final will not satisfy Arsène Wenger.

The Arsenal manager is a purist and a perfectionist; a man who can accept victory easily but dwells on his defeats. It is an attitude that has driven him on to a superb career in management.

That will surely peak in Paris on Wednesday night should Arsenal beat Barcelona to lift the Champions League trophy. But no matter the result, it will not make Wenger a contented coach.

"My career will never be good enough for me,” he said. “That it is the way I am.

"If you think about what we could have won and didn't then what you did win is just normal.

“In this job, consistency is quality. I want to win the Premiership, the League Cup, the FA Cup and the European Cup - every year.

"You can all be five-minute success stories but five, 10 or 15 years takes a special stamina in your motivation. That is linked with quality."

Given this attitude, you will not be surprised to hear that Wenger will not accept second-best in Paris on Wednesday.

"We are here to win the final,” he said. “We want to win the trophy for the Club and I believe we will do it. We want to be recognised as a team that can win the biggest trophies. It is a natural step and we want to give our all.”

16,05,06, 00:59

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FC Barcelona may go into Wednesday's UEFA Champions League final as many people's favourites, but coach Frank Rijkaard is taking nothing for granted.
No easy job

The 44-year-old Dutchman has already led his side to the Spanish title this season, but he is well aware that winning a league and European Champion Clubs' Cup double will be anything but a formality as his side take on Arsenal FC at the Stade de France in Paris. "I don't care what the outside world is saying about who are the favourites because I know in a final you don't have any favourites," he said. "It's a one-off game and you have a lot of things that can be of influence on the game - things like the tension, the nerves, the system, the tactics. You just have to go for it but I strongly deny that we can speak about a favourite."

Glittering career
After a glittering playing career with AFC Ajax, Real Zaragoza and AC Milan, Rijkaard is making a name for himself as a coach. His winning goal for Milan in the 1990 final gave Rijkaard the second of three European Cups as a player, and now he is looking to open his account from the bench. Fellow countryman Johan Cruyff - a European Cup winner as a coach and a player - believes Rijkaard is more than capable of doing that, saying of his Barcelona side: "I think he's created a very good team, a passionate team, a footballing team, an offensive team which means that I think he did a good job, a great job."

"Arsenal are one of those teams with a lot of skill and technique but they go for it and for me that's also the English mentality" ~ Frank Rijkaard

English mentality
However, even Rijkaard's all-star Barça will have their work cut out against Arsenal. He said: "Arsenal are one of those teams with a lot of skill and technique but they go for it and for me that's also the English mentality - let's not wait and see, lets go for it, lets kill them, lets take them." While a fourth-placed finish in the Premiership suggests an Arsenal team in transition, Rijkaard was unstinting in his praise for Arsène Wenger's youthful side, saying: "Normally if you are changing the team and a lot of youngsters come in you can see that they have a lot of talent but you have to wait a while until they get there, but I think they have progressed amazingly well. I have really enjoyed watching some of their games."

Mercurial Henry
Whether he will enjoy watching them quite as much in Paris may depend upon the form of the Gunners' mercurial captain Thierry Henry. Arguably one of the best strikers Europe has ever produced, an uncertain contractual situation at Highbury has led many to suggest that he might be arriving at Camp Nou this summer. Rijkaard was not about to indulge such speculation but he would not deny that the Frenchman was the kind of player that any coach would love to have. He said: "If you ask any coach of a professional team at this moment if he would like Thierry Henry, what would they say? 'Yes,' because he's a great player so why shouldn't I say that he's a great player?" A great player and a great competitor - a man after Rijkaard's own heart in every sense.

16,05,06, 01:02

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Arsène Wenger believes Arsenal FC's progress to the UEFA Champions League final has taken the club to another level on the worldwide stage, but the Frenchman is still not satisfied.

Spanish flavour
The English club have eliminated Real Madrid CF, Juventus and Villarreal CF en route to Wednesday's meeting with yet another Spanish side, FC Barcelona, at the Stade de France, and Wenger says his team's success this season shows how much they have developed. "Many people were saying that their 'dream final' was Arsenal against Barcelona, which acknowledges that they think we play good football," he said. "With the excitement this game provokes, Arsenal have become a bigger team throughout the world but of course you always want more and we want to be recognised as a team who can win the biggest trophies."

Mental preparations
Having guided the club to the final of the European Champion Clubs' Cup for the first time, Wenger is on the brink of a historic achievement and he wants to make sure his players are in the best possible shape for Wednesday night. "My biggest job is to get the team in the right frame of mind, to make sure they are focused and determined to do the job. You cannot correct everything, you just want to keep the team going as well as they can and prepare them mentally."

Fourth-placed fillip
Arsenal have already secured a berth in the third qualifying round of next season's competition having overhauled north London neighbours Tottenham Hotspur FC to wrest fourth place in the Premiership on the season's final day, and Wenger hopes that achievement will enable his players to relax more in Paris. "We'll play under less negative pressure now; it should give us some more positive vibes to go into the final and of course it is an advantage to be already in the qualifying stage for next season. For me, it has a positive impact."

Henry homecoming
Inevitably, much of the pre-match attention will focus on Arsenal's French captain Thierry Henry, whose future is yet to be resolved with Barcelona suggested as one potential summer destination. Wenger is attempting to ease the burden on his prolific striker, explaining: "Thierry has a responsibility in these kind of games that he certainly will not deny and he has an advantage in that he knows Paris and the Stade de France. The big players will be under pressure to perform but personally, I don't want too much pressure on Thierry; if we play well as a team, he will be automatically good. If we do not play well as a team, Thierry will suffer. My main concern is that the team plays its game and then I'm not worried about Thierry."

"We have prepared for the present and the future and the future is ahead of schedule" ~ Arsène Wenger

Final hurrah
Henry is not the only Arsenal player who could be making his farewell appearance, with Dennis Bergkamp retiring in the summer and the futures of a number of others shrouded in uncertainty. Their manager, however, is concerned only with the here and now. "On an occasion like this, it is winning the trophy that counts; you don't care what happens the next day or the day after that," said Wenger, who has developed a reputation for putting faith in young players. "The main thing is to win and then what happens, happens. What is important is not what might happen in one or two months, it is what we achieve together. We have prepared for the present and the future and the future is ahead of schedule." The present, however, has the chance for one last hurrah on Wednesday evening.

16,05,06, 01:04

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The European Champion Clubs' Cup final returns to Paris on Wednesday exactly half a century after the first final, and if Arsenal FC and FC Barcelona produce as much excitement as Stade de Reims Champagne and Real Madrid CF did in 1956, the Stade de France crowd are in for a treat.

Kopa inspiration
More than 38,000 fans crammed inside the Parc des Princes to witness the inaugural final, with the majority hoping that the French champions Reims would prevail. Inspired by their brilliant striker Raymond Kopa, Albert Batteux's team had reached the final in exhilarating style - beating Danish club AGF Århus, the Hungarians of Vörös Lobogo and Scottish side Hibernian FC - and were regarded by many as favourites.

'Everybody was excited'
While the media coverage was far less intense than nowadays, there was still a huge sense of anticipation ahead of Madrid's visit. "The mere fact we were playing Real Madrid was an important event because they were already regarded as the biggest club in the world," former Reims midfielder Michel Hidalgo told uefa.com. "They not only had Spanish stars but also foreign stars like Alfredo di Stéfano. Everybody was excited. It was obvious even then that the European Cup was very special."

Hidalgo confidence
Madrid had overcome the mighty AC Milan en route to Paris, but Hidalgo was still optimistic before the game. "We knew about Madrid but we also had an excellent side and we all believed we would win, particularly having beaten the Hungarians who were one of the best teams around," he said. The French confidence appeared well founded when Michel Leblond and Jean Templin put the red-and-whites 2-0 up inside ten minutes.

Two-goal lead
"I remember heading in the opening goal but the rest of the game is a bit of a blur," said former defender Leblond. "The biggest problem for us was our defending. Defence was never Reims' strong point and we were missing our best defender, Armand Penverne, for the final." Madrid exploited those defensive frailties, as Di Stéfano reduced the arrears before laying on a second goal for fellow Argentinian Héctor Rial. Reims raised their game again after the interval, though, and with the fans behind them, the French side started to get on top. When Hidalgo converted Kopa's free-kick just after the hour it looked as though the trophy would be staying in France.

'It hurt a lot'
However, defender Manuel Marquitos equalised on 67 minutes and Rial made it 4-3 eleven minutes from time. "Football can be cruel," Kopa told uefa.com. "When you think we were 3-2 up with only a quarter of the match left, it's difficult to accept that we lost." Kopa would make up for the disappointment by winning the trophy in Madrid colours for each of the next three seasons. "It hurt a lot but looking back I count myself lucky that Real won in 1956," continued the France legend. "Otherwise they wouldn't have been in the competition the following year and I might not have ended up with three winners' medals!"

"We just had the misfortune to be around at the same time as that incredible Real Madrid team Reims goalkeeper" ~ Dominique Colonna

'Incredible team'
It proved to be the closest Reims, currently in Ligue 2, would come to conquering Europe. Seven-times domestic champions, they lost again to Madrid in the final three years later, this time 2-0, and French fans had to wait until Olympique de Marseille's 1992/93 triumph to claim continental supremacy. "We just had the misfortune to be around at the same time as that incredible Real Madrid team," reflected Dominique Colonna, the Reims goalkeeper in 1959. "If it wasn't for them, Reims might have dominated Europe for years."

16,05,06, 01:06

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Galatasaray SK, FC Shakhtar Donetsk and FC Zürich are all celebrating title triumphs, while ACF Fiorentina and LOSC Lille Métropole are also on the up.

Dramatic finishes
Galatasaray claimed the Turkish championship at the expense of long-time leaders Fenerbahçe SK, as they won and their fierce rivals drew. Over in Ukraine, Shakhtar were 2-1 victors against FC Dynamo Kyiv in a play-off to decide the title while in Switzerland, Zürich leapfrogged FC Basel 1893 after profiting from the same scoreline in their final-day encounter. Unlike Fenerbahçe and Dynamo, Basel will not have the consolation of UEFA Champions League entry next season.

Picture clearer
Elsewhere, Fiorentina and Lille also had memorable weekends after clinching the last qualifying positions on offer in Italy and France respectively. Both clubs have UEFA Champions League experience, and will be joined in the qualifying rounds by AEK Athens FC and FK Mladá Boleslav who secured second spot in Greece and the Czech Republic respectively. The Spanish picture will become clearer after Real Madrid CF travel to Sevilla FC and Valencia CF visit CA Osasuna on Tuesday. Both home teams are battling for fourth place.

16,05,06, 01:08

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As FC Barcelona look ahead to their UEFA Champions League final against Arsenal FC at the Stade de France on Wednesday, Portugal midfielder Deco is the only member of their star-studded squad to have won the competition, triumphing with FC Porto against AS Monaco FC two seasons ago.

Hot tips
However, while José Mourinho's Porto stunned the football establishment by reaching that showpiece, Barcelona have been hot tips from the start. Having claimed a first league title in six attempts in 2004/05, the Blaugrana have raised the bar this term, tightening their defence and continuing to score with aplomb to retain the Spanish championship. That form, combined with an unbeaten run to the UEFA Champions League final, has made them favourites to lift the greatest European prize.

Different circumstances
"This final is very different to my last one because we reached that final a little by surprise," Deco explained. "Now everyone says Barça are going as favourites, although I do not see it that way. We do not feel like favourites. After what everyone has said, if we do not win then the disappointment will be greater for the fans, but for the players it would be the same."

Arsenal euphoria
Camp Nou coach Frank Rijkaard has earned plaudits for his ability to shield his players from the media glare and ensure their minds remain focused on the job in hand. While Barça may be staying calm, it has been suggested that Arsenal's young side have struggled to keep their heads since they defeated Villarreal CF in the semi-finals.

Wise heads
Deco disagreed. "[Arsenal] will not feel a lot of pressure because they have a mix of young players and veterans who have already won many trophies," the 28-year-old said. "They have players like [Thierry] Henry, [Sol] Campbell, [Dennis] Bergkamp and [Robert] Pirès - players with maturity and the experience of playing in the [FIFA] World Cup. Barça also have a fairly young team, but neither side need feel nervous."

Team game
All the pre-match build-up has concentrated on the clubs' most prominent performers - Barça's Ronaldinho and Arsenal's Henry - but while Deco recognises these stars' contributions to their clubs' success this term, he is under no illusions about the strength of the teams as a whole. "Journalists always ask whether the teams depend only on one player, but Arsenal have come this far because of the strength of their whole squad and so have we," he stated.

Messi situation
With fierce competition for places in Rijkaard's starting lineup, Lionel Messi has been given just a two per cent chance of making the squad. The 18-year-old Argentinian tore a thigh muscle in the second leg of the first knockout round tie against Chelsea FC in March and is still not fully fit. Touted as one the world's best youngsters, Messi is fast becoming a favourite at Camp Nou among both supporters and players.

Deco despondent
Deco feels for his colleague and praised his efforts this season. "It would be very tough if Messi was to miss the final, not just for the team, but also for him because he would love to play in a game like this," he said. "He has helped us a lot and was the key to victory in the first game against Chelsea."

16,05,06, 01:10

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As if leading Arsenal FC in their first UEFA Champions League final was not motivation enough, Thierry Henry has extra reason for wanting to shine at the Stade de France on Wednesday evening.

Parisian childhood
The Arsenal captain was brought up in the Paris suburb of Les Ulis in the Essone district, and says his childhood experiences there - and some influential advice - moulded him into the player he is today. "Everything comes from my dad," he said. "The way I play, my desire, my commitment, everything is from him. He always taught me never to be satisfied which is why, even when I've scored goals and played well, I always play things down and think about the next game. That's my philosophy and that's why I've reached where I am and why I'm playing the football I am right now. The way I grew up definitely helped me to become what I am. That desire and anger - in the right way - drives me always."

Anger management
Henry believes harnessing that anger is partially responsible for his success at club and international level, explaining: "People are scared of anger but sometimes you have to mention it. [Wayne] Rooney is a good example - you can see the anger in his eyes. Sometimes people criticise me for the way I look on the pitch, but I'm not scared of anger or using it to drive you on in a positive way. It's something you need to master, without that anger I wouldn't be the same player. I'm not afraid to use it. Anything that was difficult for me, any difficult situations in the game, I am upset with myself but I then try to turn it around in the next game to make sure it doesn't happen again."

Street education
The 28-year-old draws parallels with two other sports to illustrate his point that maintaining hunger is a fundamental requirement at the game's highest echelon. "If a boxer doesn't have that anger any more and he gets in the ring, he's dead. I love basketball and Michael Jordan was perhaps the best player there will ever be, but you never saw him smiling on the court. If you don't have that anger factor any more you might as well stay home."

Winners' hallmark
Henry believes all great players have that desire but demonstrate it in different ways, adding: "People talk about Ronaldinho smiling but I can tell you, inside there are no smiles. You always get trouble when you play on the street, that's why you get tough and why I always say there's no better school than the street. When I see Rooney and Ronaldinho, I see players who, in different ways, are from the street. You cannot teach that, you need to have that in you."

Strive for perfection
The French international admits his relentless search for perfection is what pushes him on, saying: "You can never reach perfection but that is what I'm trying to do because it's the only way you can progress. No one is perfect but trying to reach it will keep you on your toes. I am happy but there is a difference between that and being satisfied. If we win on Wednesday I'll be more than happy but you can never be satisfied - when you are, it means you relax. I will be happy but I want to carry on." Arsenal will hope Henry's boundless will to win makes his homecoming a satisfactory experience, for the club if not the captain.

16,05,06, 01:12

14 Sep: Arsenal 2-1 FC Thun
27 Sep: Ajax 1-2 Arsenal
18 Oct: Sparta Prague 0-2 Arsenal
2 Nov: Arsenal 3-0 Sparta Prague
22 Nov: FC Thun 0-1 Arsenal
7 Dec: Arsenal 0-0 Ajax
21 Feb: Real Madrid 0-1 Arsenal
8 March: Arsenal 0-0 Real Madrid
28 March: Arsenal 2-0 Juventus
5 April: Juventus 0-0 Arsenal
19 April: Arsenal 1-0 Villarreal
25 April: Villarreal 0-0 Arsenal

16,05,06, 10:17

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger could face a dilemma if central defender Philippe Senderos and stop-gap left-back Mathieu Flamini are declared fit.

Senderos (knee) and Flamini (hamstring) should be back from injury and will be challenging Sol Campbell and Ashley Cole for starting places.

Barcelona are giving forward Lionel Messi as much time as possible to recover from a thigh injury.

He has not played for two months because of the problem.

BIG MATCH NOTES

Undefeated sides clash in Champions League final

When Arsenal and FC Barcelona meet in Saint-Dénis on Wednesday, two undefeated sides will contest the final of this season's Champions League.
The two teams have recorded eight victories and four draws each in their first 12 matches.
It is the third time since the competition began in 1992 that two teams have reached the final unbeaten.
This also occurred in 1992/93 and 93/94. In the former final, Olympique Marseille beat AC Milan by 1-0.
Milan made amends in style the next season by beating Barcelona 4-0.

Arsenal retain watertight defence in knockout phase

Arsenal have not conceded a Champions League goal since 27 September 2005.
The sequences of 10 consecutive clean sheets and 919 minutes without letting in a goal are both Champions League records.

Rijkaard can join exclusive club

Barcelona coach Frank Rijkaard won the Champions League three times (1989, 1990 and 1995) as a player and hopes to join the short list of Champions Cup/Champions League winners as player and trainer.
Only four people have done this - Miguel Munoz, Giovanni Trapattoni, Johan Cruyff and Carlo Ancelotti.
Ancelotti was the last to accomplish the feat and he was one of the players who partnered Rijkaard as a player, winning the 1988/89 and 1989/90 Champions Cup trophies with AC Milan.
In the latter final, Rijkaard scored the only goal of the match as the 'rossoneri' overcame Benfica.
By 1995, Rijkaard had returned to the club where he started his professional career, Amsterdam-based side Ajax.
In the final against former employer AC Milan, he provided the assist for Patrick Kluivert's match winner.

Arsenal can complete a set of European silverware

If Arsenal beat Barcelona, they will add the missing piece in a set of European silverware.
In 1969/70, Arsenal's Fairs Cup win gave the Londoners their first European honours.
In 1993/94, the Gunners added the Cup Winners' Cup to their trophy cabinet.
Only four clubs, including Arsenal's opponents Barcelona, have won all three European competitions at least once.
Barca have won the Champions Cup/Champions League once, the Cup Winners' Cup four times and the Fairs Cup/Uefa Cup three times.
The other teams that have completed the set are Ajax, Bayern Munich and Juventus and therefore Arsenal can become the first English club to accomplish the feat.

Neither finalists have fond memories of shoot-outs deciding finals in European competition

In the 1979/80 Cup Winners' Cup final, Arsenal were denied by another Spanish side - Valencia - in a penalty shoot-out.
After 120 minutes of football, the match was scoreless. Valencia's Mario Kempes and Arsenal's Liam Brady both missed the opening spot-kicks.
The following nine were converted before Graham Rix saw his attempt parried by Valencia goalkeeper-turned-hero, Carlos Pereira.
Barcelona were involved in the most embarrassing penalty shoot-out, from the point of view of the takers at least, in the 1985/86 Champions Cup final.
Barca custodian Urruti saved the first two attempts by Steaua Bucharest, but surrendered two goals after that.
All four Barcelona penalties were saved by Steaua goalie Helmuth Ducadam, who became a European legend overnight.
In the final of the 1999/2000 Uefa Cup, Arsenal's shootout woes made Galatasaray the first ever Turkish winners of European silverware.
Gala goalkeeper Claudio Taffarel saw Arsenal's Davor Suker and Patrick Vieira both hit the woodwork, as his team mates made no mistake from the spot.

Definitions of terms used:-
Champions League (CL) - only group phase matches and beyond of this competition which began in 1992/1993.
Champions Cup/Champions League - all matches played since it began in 1955/1956 including qualification matches.
European matches - all matches played in the major European tournaments (Fairs Cup, Uefa Cup, Cup Winners' Cup, Champions Cup, Champions League).
Uefa Super Cups, Intertoto Cups and the old Intercontinental Cup competition are excluded.

Head-to-Head

FC Barcelona and Arsenal have met each other twice in Europe. In the 1999/2000 Champions League first round group phase, these sides drew 1-1 at the Camp Nou, but the Spaniards won 2-4 in London.
Arsenal players Thierry Henry, Fredrik Ljungberg and Dennis Bergkamp were involved in both encounters. Barcelona's Gabri made one substitute appearance, whilst Xavi and Carles Puyol were on the bench for both legs.
Barcelona have played 51 European matches against clubs from England and have won 24, drawn 14 and lost 13. The Spaniards have outscored the English clubs by 101-63.
Barca have been eliminated from European competition by English clubs on six occasions. They have eliminated English clubs from the knock-out stages 12 times.
The Catalan-based club have met English opposition in three European finals. After winning the Fairs Cup in 1958 and 1960 by defeating London XI and Birmingham City respectively, the Catalans lost the final of the 1991 Cup Winners' Cup against Manchester United (2-1).
Arsenal have played 20 European matches against clubs from Spain and have won seven, drawn five and lost eight.
Arsenal have been eliminated from European competition by Spanish clubs on three occasions, including the lost Cup Winners' Cup finals to Valencia (1980) and Real Zaragoza (1995).
Arsenal have knocked out three Spanish clubs from European competition, including Real Madrid in this season's Champions League second round.

European history

The best result by Barcelona in the Champions League is finishing runners-up to AC Milan in 1993/94.
In 1992, Barcelona won the Champions Cup. They have also amassed four Cup Winners' Cups, three Uefa Cups and two European Super Cups.
This is Barca's 10th season in the Champions League.
Arsenal's best result in the Champions League is reaching the final of this year's competition.
The Londoners are making their eighth appearance in the CL main competition.
Arsenal's European trophies are the 1969/1970 Fairs Cup and the 1993/94 Cup Winners' Cup.

Current European form

Barcelona are unbeaten in their last 12 Champions League matches. Their last loss was the 4-2 defeat at Chelsea last season.
Barcelona's club record unbeaten run in the Champions League stands at 16 and was set between May 2002 and April 2003.
Barcelona have kept a clean sheet in their last four CL matches, thereby equalling the club record for most successive clean sheets in the Champions League which was set between February and March 2003.
Together with Arsenal, Barcelona are the only unbeaten team in this season's Champions League.
Arsenal's undefeated run in the Champions League is now 13 matches, which is a club record in the competition. The club record in European competition stands at 16 and was set between September 1993 and April 1995.
This Champions League season, the Gunners have so far won eight matches and drawn four, outscoring their opponents by 14-2.
The only players that have scored against Arsenal this CL season are Nelson Ferreira (FC Thun) and Markus Rosenberg (Ajax).
Arsenal have kept a clean sheet in each of their last 10 CL matches. The previous CL record was held by AC Milan, who kept seven clean sheets in the 2004/05 season.
The 10 consecutive clean sheets also mark an all-time record in all European competitions. The previous record of nine was set by Ajax in the late 1980s.
The 919 minutes without conceding a goal is also a Champions League record, clearly ahead of Ajax's run of 658 minutes without conceding a goal, set in 1996.

Player and disciplinary info

Rafael Marquez, Carles Puyol and Mark van Bommel (Barcelona) will be suspended if they receive a yellow card.
Arsenal's Kolo Habib Toure and Matthieu Flamini will be suspended if they receive a yellow card.
Xavi is the most experienced Barcelona player with 57 CL appearances.
The other players in the Barcelona squad with at least 50 Champions League matches are Carles Puyol (56) and Deco (52).
Ronaldinho and Deco are the most prolific goalscorers in Barcelona's squad with 11 career goals in the Champions League. Samuel Eto'o is on 10 goals.
Ronaldinho (seven) and Samuel Eto'o (five) are Barcelona's top scorers this Champions League season.
Giovanni van Bronckhorst is the only Barcelona player to have played in every Champions League match this season.
Van Bronckhorst was signed from Arsenal in 2003. He played 11 Champions League matches for the Gunners.
Arsenal goalkeeper Jens Lehmann has been in goal for seven of the 10 clean sheet matches and also kept a clean sheet in his last match before this season's run - the 1-0 win against Bayern Munich.
In total, Lehmann has kept goal for Arsenal for 745 minutes without conceding a goal. This is a CL record previously held by Edwin van der Sar, who in the 1995/96 season did not concede a goal for 658 minutes while playing for Ajax.
The last player to score against Lehmann was Hasan Salihamidzic in the 65th minute of Bayern's 3-1 victory against Arsenal in last season's Champions League.
Thierry Henry is Arsenal's most experienced player and top scorer in this competition with 78 matches and 41 goals. His 69 matches for Arsenal in the competition are the most by an Arsenal player.
Henry has scored 49 goals in all European competitions and can become the seventh player to net 50 times if he scores against Barcelona.
Fredrik Ljungberg has made more appearances in the Champions League than any other Swede (59).
Kolo Toure (Ivory Coast, 36) and Lauren (Cameroon, 53) are also the CL record appearance makers for their countries.
Cesc Fabregas is the only Arsenal player to have appeared in every Champions League match this season.
Henry clinched his fourth English top scorer title this season by netting 27 goals in the Premiership.

Other miscellaneous facts

FC Barcelona have already clinched the Spanish league title.
Arsenal ensured themselves of Champions League qualification by finishing fourth in the Premiership.

16,05,06, 10:21

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Former Arsenal defender Lee Dixon has tipped the Gunners to beat Barcelona in Wednesday's Champions League final.

Dixon told BBC Sport: "Personally, I think Arsenal are better suited to playing a fluent Barcelona team rather than a regimented AC Milan side.

"Both teams love to attack and that's good for us - it's a final we can win.

"Defensively, Arsenal have broken all sorts of records in Europe and with the pace of Jose Antonio Reyes and Thierry Henry they have the ability to score."

Dixon's confidence over Arsenal's chances in the final in Paris is also based on the way the Gunners have reserved their best performances this season for Europe.

"This is a very young Arsenal side and the Champions League has offered the players some respite from the Premiership," said Dixon, who played for Arsenal between 1988 and 2002.

"We were 30 seconds away from penalties" ~ Lee Dixon remembers the 1995 European Cup Winners' Cup final

"In the league away from Highbury they have been bullied, pushed off the ball and outfought - that is why they have lost so many games on their travels.

"But when they've been away in Europe they have come up against a different type of football, where they have not been kicked off the ball and the players have liked it."

Henry was born in the Les Ulis suburbs of Paris and one of the final's sub-plots will be whether the showdown will be the French international striker's final match for Arsenal.

The 28-year-old striker has yet to renew his contract, which ends in 2007, and has repeatedly been linked to Arsenal's Champions League opponents Barcelona.

Henry has said he will make a decision over his Arsenal future before the start of the World Cup on June 9.

"I change my mind from day to day as to whether Thierry will stay or go," said Dixon.

"When you saw him kiss the Highbury turf for the last time in the game against Wigan, you can't help but think he is ready to leave.

"Likewise if Arsenal win the final he might speculate that he has achieved everything he can with the club.

"But, to be honest, Thierry is quite a private person and I don't know him well enough to speculate on which way he is thinking.

"What I do know is that the club is bigger than any one player and if Thierry does leave the club will find somebody else.

"Don't forget that is what happened when Ian Wright left."

Dixon was part of the Arsenal side that won the European Cup Winners' Cup against Parma in Copenhagen in 1994.

"You do get a feeling that you're going to win certain games," he added.

"We got battered against Parma but once Alan Smith scored there was a sense we were going to win.

"That is invaluable. You get the feeling you can climb mountains and knock down walls.

"Team spirit is much talked about but if you have that among a group of talented players that have bonded together you can beat anyone.

"Defender Martin Keown used to tell us that Arsenal's team spirit was so good we could have beaten Brazil."

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In 1995 Dixon played in a second successive European Cup Winners' Cup final, although his memories of that occasion are altogether less happy.

Arsenal lost to Real Zaragoza in Paris in the Parc des Princes stadium after Nayim's astonishing lob over David Seaman in the game's final minute of extra-time.

"We were 30 seconds away from penalties," said Dixon.

"I was the first penalty-taker and I was already thinking I was going to put the ball to the keeper's left.

"Waiting for the referee to blow his whistle I looked up and saw Nayim pick up the ball.

"I wondered why he was shooting and I turned around and looked at David Seaman and I saw how Nayim had hit the ball and I knew it was in. The rest is history."

Eleven years on, Dixon is anticipating Arsenal will be making a very different sort of history by winning the Champions League for the first time.

16,05,06, 10:32

Arsenal are in the Champions League final for the first time in their history - but they face a tough task in Paris when they play Barcelona.

The in-form Catalans recently retained their Primera Liga title and start Wednesday's game as favourites.

But can the Gunners expect to upset the odds? BBC Sport investigates how the omens are shaping up for the Gunners.

CAPITAL GAINS?

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It may seem surprising that Arsenal are the first team from London to reach the final of the European Cup or Champions League.

But in the competition's 50-year history, only five countries have had a team from their capital city take the honours.

Spain leads the way, with Real Madrid's nine triumphs, which makes them by far the competition's most successful club.

Amsterdam-based Ajax have four wins - although some may argue whether they qualify as a capital city club.

Although Amsterdam is the capital of the Netherlands, the seat of government of the country is based elsewhere, in The Hague.

Lisbon-based Benfica earned back-to-back triumphs for Portugal in 1961 and 1962 but have not taken the crown since.

Crvena Zvezda, better known in English as Red Star Belgrade, lifted the crown in 1991. Now the capital city of Serbia and Montenegro, Belgrade was also the capital of the former Yugoslavia when the club won.

To date, the only other capital city club to lift the European Cup was Romania's Steaua Bucharest, who beat Barcelona on penalties to triumph in 1986.

Capital city clubs who have made it to the final and flopped are Partizan Belgrade (1966), Athens-based Panathinaikos (1971), Atletico Madrid (1974) and Roma (1984).

Despite their reputation as footballing powerhouses, England, Italy, Germany and France have never seen a team from their capital lift the crown - a fact Arsenal will hope to change.

Verdict: Bad omen

FIRST-TIME NERVES?

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The 50 finals of the European Cup and Champions League have been contested by 37 different teams representing 13 different countries.

Of those 37 teams, 22 lost on their first appearance in the final. Only 15 teams have won on their first final appearance.

And there are some big-name casualties on that list.

Barcelona were beaten on their first appearance in the final in 1961 against Benfica - and AC Milan (1958), Ajax (1969) and Juventus (1973) also lost.

Others, such as Eintracht Frankfurt (1960), Panathinaikos (1971), Leeds (1975) and Malmo (1979) have never repeated their trip to the final after losing at their first attempt.

Verdict: Bad omen

ENGLISH HEART?

Much has been made of the continental flavour of Arsene Wenger's Arsenal side.

Their only regular English starters are Sol Campbell and Ashley Cole and injury has reduced both to bit-part players since the turn of the year.

But Arsenal can take heart from the fact that English clubs have by far the best record in Europe when it comes to first-time appearances in the European Cup final.

Manchester United (1968), Liverpool, (1977), Nottingham Forest (1979) and Aston Villa (1982) all won in their first appearance in the final.

Of the English debutants, only Leeds, beaten 2-0 by Bayern Munich in 1975, did not taste success.

The first-time record of Spanish clubs is not great. Real Madrid won the inaugural tournament in 1956 but Barcelona (1961), Atletico Madrid (1974) and Valencia (2000) were first-time failures.

Italian clubs are among the biggest in European football but as first-time finalists they have not performed well. Their sole success (Inter Milan in 1964) contrasts with five failures - Fiorentina (1957), AC Milan (1958), Juventus (1973), Roma (1984) and Sampdoria (1992).

Four different French teams have reached the final and all lost on their first appearance. Stade de Reims (1956), St Etienne (1976), Marseille (1991) and Monaco (2004) were the unlucky outfits.

Even the ice-cool Germans have not fared so well. Bayern Munich (1974) and Borussia Dortmund (1997) won on their first final appearance.

However, Eintracht Frankfurt (1960), Borussia Moenchengladbach (1977), Hamburg (1980) and Bayer Leverkusen (2002) slipped up.

Verdict: Good omen

16,05,06, 10:39

LEAGUE OF CHAMPIONS?

The European Cup was only open to domestic league winners and the cup holders from 1955-56 until 1991-92.

Since the introduction of the Champions League in 1992-93, the competition has grown and teams that do not win their domestic league can enter.

The 13 Champions League campaigns to date have led to domestic champions crowned as winners on eight occasions.

On the other five occasions, a club that did not win its domestic league triumphed in the cup.

Arsenal were runners-up to Chelsea last season and must try to emulate Manchester United in 1999, Real Madrid in 2000 and Bayern Munich in 2001, who all won the competition after finishing second the previous season.

Barcelona qualified as champions, which would seem to give them the edge in terms of the overall history of the Champions League - but recent years have been favourable to clubs that did not top their domestic league.

Verdict: The jury is out

PAIN IN SPAIN?

Since the inception of the Champions League in 1992-93, English clubs have taken on Spanish clubs 66 times.

And it is very much advantage Spain.

Of the matches, Spanish clubs have won 28 times, compared to English clubs' tally of 18 - with 20 draws.

Plenty of English clubs have taken a beating against Spanish opposition, with Barcelona being punishers-in-chief.

The Catalans famously dished out a 4-0 humiliation to Manchester United at the Nou Camp in November 1994.

They beat Arsenal 4-2 at Highbury in October 1999 and thrashed Chelsea 5-1 in Barcelona in the quarter-finals in April 2000, overturning a 3-1 deficit in the process.

A 4-0 rout of Leeds United came in September 2000 and they beat Liverpool 3-1 at Anfield in the second group stage in November 2001.

Even the few English wins have not been entirely glorious.

Newcastle's 3-2 home triumph in the group stage in 1997-98 was memorable in itself - but both clubs crashed out in the group stages.

Chelsea's 3-1 home win over Barca in the 1999-2000 quarter-final was undone by that 5-1 extra-time reverse in the Nou Camp.

Only the Blues' 4-2 home win over Barcelona in the 2004-05 quarter-final proved significant, helping them to a 5-4 aggregate win.

Verdict: Bad omen

THE FRENCH CONNECTION

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Many column inches have been written about the link between Paris and the two big stars who will be on display in the final.

Arsenal's Thierry Henry is returning to his home city, while Barcelona's Ronaldinho first moved to Europe in 2001 to play for Paris Saint-Germain, where he spent two seasons.

Both will want to be the returning hero - but as a four-time European Cup final venue, Paris has been kind and cruel to English and Spanish clubs.

Liverpool beat Real Madrid 1-0 there in 1981 to lift their third European Cup at the expense of the Spanish giants - but it was also the venue of Leeds' 2-0 defeat by Munich in 1975.

Real Madrid beat their compatriots Valencia 3-0 in the all-Spanish final of 2000, while the Galacticos saw off Stade de Reims in the first competition back in 1956.

Verdict: The jury is out

THE VERDICT
There is no denying that the omens justify Arsenal's tag of underdogs for the final.

The bad outweigh the good by three to one, with two split decisions.

Happily for the Gunners, omens do not always prove decisive - and they need look no further than last season's final for inspiration.

Liverpool were second favourites going into the match against AC Milan. And even hardcore Reds fans pretty much gave up as their side trailed 3-0 at half-time.

What happened afterwards - Liverpool fought back to 3-3 before winning 3-2 on penalties - is part of European Cup folklore.

And Arsenal will hope to become a part of that on 17 May.

16,05,06, 10:43

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After seeing off Real Madrid, Juventus and Villarreal, Arsenal have just one more obstacle to overcome in their quest to become European champions for the first time.

But what an obstacle. Barcelona, La Liga champions and widely regarded as the finest club side on the continent, will stand in Arsenal's way at the Stade de France.

On paper, Barca are a formidable force with Ronaldinho, Eto'o, Deco, Giuly and Xavi offering pace, power and flair going forward, while Carlos Puyol marshals a defence which has conceded just four times in this season's competition.

So how can Arsenal penetrate such powerful opponents in Paris? Who do Barcelona fear in the Arsenal side? How will the Final be won and lost? We asked Inigo Gurruchaga of El Pais for his expert insight ahead of Wednesday's big game.

Inigo, Barcelona will start Wednesday's Final as favourites to win. But do they have weaknesses Arsenal can exploit?

"Their weakest point is in the full-back positions, where they don't have the same marking disciplines as they do in other areas of the pitch. The former Arsenal boys, Silvinho and Van Bronckhorst, are very good going forward but they are not natural defenders. The same applies to Presas Oleguer on the right, he is a super player but is more fragile defensively. Barcelona have very good defenders in the centre and Edmilson offers extra protection as the holding midfield player, but they can be exploited on the wings.

"The goalkeeper, Victor Valdes, is another possible weakness. There is a lot of pressure on him in every match. He is a very self-assured man but there have been games this season when he has been at fault and he doesn't have the stature of his team-mates. He's not in the Spanish squad and there is pressure on him performing in a big match like this."

England v Spain has been a common theme in European competition this season. What factors will decide Wednesday's game?

"Traditionally the question has been about which team imposes its rhythm on the game. There is a slower pace to the Spanish game, they wait and wait to find an opening, and some English teams in the past have been hypnotised by that. When Manchester United lost 4-0 in the Nou Camp, they were unable to find their rhythm, they couldn't measure their runs. But when an English team can put in place a high-tempo English game, Spanish teams can be blown away, they cannot cope. It's more ambiguous with Barcelona v Arsenal, but the rhythm of Arsenal's game is faster and if they can impose that then Barcelona will have difficulties."

How do you expect Barcelona to approach the game? Which Arsenal players do they see as the greatest threat?

"I think there is one big question for Barcelona and that is to stop Cesc Fabregas. Putting pressure on him in midfield will be the main focus for Frank Rijkaard. Deco and Edmilson will need to pressure him as soon as he has the ball and try to stop him finding his passes. Barcelona's aim will be find opportunities and stop Arsenal's counter-attacking game. The conducter for Arsenal has been Fabregas and it is a beautiful thing for Cesc because he comes from Barcelona and he ends the season against his childhood team, but they will look to break him. He looks for Henry and that is the point where Barcelona will have to put pressure on him. I think Villarreal did well, they gave him no space. Fabregas is a crucial link for Arsenal to move forward and Deco in particular will look to stop him deep in the Arsenal half."

How is Fabregas perceived in Barcelona and Spain?

"First, I should say that he was unknown a year ago. People ask who he is because they had not seen him play in Spain before he went to England, like for example Gaizka Mendieta or even Lauren and Reyes. They knew those players' background but Cesc was unknown because he hadn't had an opportunity at Barcelona. Now he is in the Spanish national side and there is a great curiosity about him. They have not seen him a lot and there are questions about how good he is. There is no resentment about him leaving, he is not seen as betraying Barcelona, he has taken the decision to have a beautiful life in London. It was a justified calculation to leave Barcelona because he had Xavi and Iniesta - both young players - ahead of him."

16,05,06, 10:45

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Thierry Henry has embarked on an incredible journey since leaving Paris for the Clairefontaine football academy at the age of 13. This week he returns to the city which moulded him as a player, and as a man.

The Arsenal captain was born and raised in Les Ulis, a south-west suburb of the French capital. His skills were honed on the streets and his values were instilled by his father.

The Henry who leads Arsenal out at the Stade de France on Wednesday night is, at first glance, a very different creature to the one who left Paris as a teenager. He has fame, a fortune and a fanbase stretching across the world.

But inside, Henry has not changed a great deal. As he explained at his pre-match press conference, the values and 'anger' he learnt as a young boy still shape the man who now has the Champions League trophy in his sights.

"When I have that grumpy face on the pitch people wonder where it comes from and it's pretty simple. Everything comes from my dad, the way I play, the desire, the commitment," he says.

"My dad always taught me never to be satisfied with what you have, so you understand why when I score goals I play things down. That is my philosophy, and that's why I have reached what I reached and I'm playing the football I'm playing.

"It's a long time since I went back [to Les Ulis]. But the way I was brought up there prepared me to be what I am right now. That desire, that anger, in the right way, drives me always.

"I think people are scared of anger. Sometimes people give me aggro about the way I am on the pitch, the way I look. But I'm not scared of anger. I use it to drive me on in a positive way. It's one thing you need to master, it's really difficult, but without that anger I wouldn't be the same player.

"Maybe it had something to do with having a difficult upbringing. There is always aggro when you play on the streets, that is why you get tough, and that anger factor is important. When I see Rooney and Ronaldinho, I see players from the streets. You cannot teach that, you need to have that in you. That's why I want to have it in me."

When Henry refers to 'anger', he is not talking about losing his temper. He is talking about the burning desire to strive for more success and the tendency to put pressure on himself rather than his team-mates.

That's why, if Arsenal are crowned European champions on Wednesday night, his happiness will be temporary. It won't be long before he is looking ahead to the next challenge, the next chance to prove himself.

"There is a difference between being happy and satisfied," says Henry. "If we win the Cup I will be happy but when you are satisfied you relax, and I want to carry on. I keep my trophies but no, I don't cherish them. What I cherish is the respect of the game, just to play football.

"You can never reach perfection and I am trying to do it, that's the only way you can try to get better. We know that in the game nobody is perfect, we know everybody will miss something so trying to reach perfection will keep you on your toes. I'm trying to do that."

And Henry's philosophy is the same regardless of whether he is playing on the biggest stage in club football or on the beach with his family.

"It doesn't matter if it's an important game," he smiles. "If you come with me on holiday and see me with my dad, if I score I will take the mick out of him. If I lose a game of two on two, I won't talk to them for at least an hour!"

16,05,06, 11:14

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When Stade de Reims Champagne locked horns with Real Madrid CF in the first European Champion Clubs' Cup final in Paris in 1956 it looked certain that both clubs would go on to enjoy glorious futures. But while the Spanish side built emphatically on that 4-3 victory at the Parc des Princes 50 years ago, their French counterparts have fallen sadly by the wayside.

Worrying decline
Since claiming the last of their six league titles in 1962, Reims have been in steady decline, moving between France's top two divisions before slumping to an unprecedented low in 1992 when they became an amateur club after going into liquidation. Still playing in the famous red-and-white jerseys that once enchanted a nation, the club from France's Champagne region have clambered back up to Ligue 2, but their current fight against relegation is a far cry from the early years.

Rave reviews
Founded in 1931, Reims clinched their first league title in 1949 and were soon earning rave reviews with their audacious, attacking style. The captain Robert Jonquet was a fundamental part of the initial success, as was winger Albert Batteux, although his role became more significant still when he was appointed coach in 1950.

Total football
Batteux stimulated his players with innovative methods and encouraged them to play with total freedom. "They displayed extraordinary style and verve," said former Reims striker Georges Lech. "Jonquet would do these chest controls in his own area, then set up counterattacks with clever flicks. That is what 'le jeu à la rémoise' was all about." Defender Simon Zimny added: "At one time Raymond Kopa was being berated for dribbling too much but Bébert told him to ignore the critics and dribble even more because he knew that was Kopa's strength."

[B]European trophy
A second title followed in 1953 and was accompanied by Reims' first international triumph against AC Milan in the Latin Cup. The team grew stronger as more talent arrived through the extensive scouting network established by sports director Pierre Perchat. "Everybody wanted to join Reims because they'd become the team of France," Zimni said. "We played our European games in the capital and the whole country was behind us." Armand Penverne, Jean Vincent, Roger Piantoni and Just Fontaine were among the acquisitions, and Reims provided the core of the France side that finished third at 1958 FIFA World Cup.

Star names
Les Rouge et Blanc lost to Madrid for a second time in the 1959 Champion Clubs' Cup final, but they would never get so close to the summit again. As results began to falter Reims failed to adjust, continuing to rely on a policy of signing star names rather than planning for the long term. The youth academy set up by Batteux, who had used his own players to coach the local kids, was left to perish, and a series of failed signings put the club in a precarious financial state.

Instant results
In many ways Reims were paying a price for their early achievements. Successive presidents vowed to return the club to its former position but failed to lay the necessary foundations. "When Serge Bazelaire became president in 1977 he wanted so much so quickly," said Zimni. "He set his sights too high and the situation worsened." Reims have not played in the top flight since 1979, but even today their fans are among the most demanding in France. "They're impossible to satisfy," claimed Lech. "They want to see fast one-touch football and back-heels because they still remember the days when Kopa used to dribble round six players."

Bright future?
But like most football romanticists, Lech remains hopeful that Reims will sparkle again. "I'd love Reims to reach the level they were at in 1958," he said. "They have a fantastic tradition and maybe one day they'll create another team worthy of the club's great name."

16,05,06, 11:16

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Kick off in the 2005/06 UEFA Champions League final between FC Barcelona and Arsenal FC is drawing ever closer, and uefa.com diarist Giovanni van Bronckhorst is getting tired of waiting.

We are now fully focused on Wednesday's final and it is the only thing that everybody at the club is talking about. It means a great deal to everybody associated with Barcelona and now we are tired of waiting and just want the match to start.

'My old club'
I wouldn't say I'm glad that we are facing Arsenal in the final because they are a great side and will be tough to beat. But they are my old club and they play open attacking football like us so it should be a good game for the fans. I've kept in touch with some of the players and staff at Arsenal and I'm really happy for them that they have made it to Paris. Arsenal are a great club and they deserve to be in the big finals like this. There is talent throughout their team and I think they have now just about recovered from the loss of Patrick Vieira.

A great keeper
The young guys are coming through at Arsenal and starting to play really well. Obviously everybody knows about Thierry Henry, but I've also been really impressed by the midfield and guys like Cesc Fabregas and Gilberto. They have a solid defence and that has been one of the keys to their success. It's amazing how few goals Arsenal have conceded in this tournament. After a few problems with the defence it has all come together and they have a great keeper in Jens Lehmann.

Nobody overawed
We have the greatest respect for Arsenal and there is no way we are thinking about ourselves as favourites. There isn't such a thing in a final like this and the only thing that matters is the way the teams perform on the day. We have players who have performed at the highest level and so I don't think anyone will be overawed by the occasion. We have prepared really well for this match and we know that we have the team to win the trophy. If we can play our game then I think we can be confident. We just have to concentrate on carving out the opportunities for our strikers because we know we have the players who can score.

'We can do enough'
It will be a fantastic night for the club and I'm sure the atmosphere in Paris will be amazing. We have worked very hard to get to this point and nobody wants to spoil things now. We will give it everything we have on the night and I'm sure we can do enough to win.

16,05,06, 11:19

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To English supporters of a certain age, the chant: 'Boring, boring Arsenal,' is a familiar one. Under one of Arsène Wenger's predecessors, George Graham, Arsenal FC were the masters of the low-scoring victory.

Exciting goalkeeper
However, since the French revolution brought continental verve to London, N5, one thing that the Gunners could never be accused of is being dull. It was almost a measure of their desire to entertain when they finally settled on a No1 goalkeeper in the form of the charismatic Jens Lehmann. In his third season at the club, the 36-year-old former FC Schalke 04 and BV Borussia Dortmund player has gone from a questionable asset to an unequivocal hero at Highbury having made the dramatic penalty save in the dying minutes of their UEFA Champions League semi-final against Villarreal CF which sent the English club to their first final.

'We love him'
As he denied Juan Román Riquelme from the spot at El Madrigal, all memories of Lehmann's occasionally cavalier goalkeeping style were erased. As his captain Thierry Henry said: "Jens has been pretty consistent this year. Some moments of madness but, you know, we love him." Ousting Oliver Kahn from the No1 shirt with the national team proved that there was plenty of method to Lehmann's madness, and the fact that Arsenal have not conceded a UEFA Champions League goal when he has been on the pitch this season is a measure of the confidence he has given his side.

"Sometimes you're fortunate to have some lucky moments in life" ~ Jens Lehmann

Fortune smiles
Yet it took that spot-kick save against Villarreal for the goalkeeper to really make the headlines. Lehmann said: "Obviously, it happened that the referee gave this penalty and I said to myself: 'Well, I came here not to concede goals and probably now I need some intuition combined with luck'. I was a little bit surprised because it took a while before he actually took the penalty, and I didn't really know what to do with myself. I was jumping forward, backward, sideways. Finally, I was happy that he ran up to the ball and took it. Sometimes you're fortunate to have some lucky moments in life."

Not over yet
True to his slightly austere approach, Lehmann refused to celebrate his save until the final whistle. "The game wasn't finished and I'm not a friend of celebrating penalties when it hasn't been decisive," he said. "It turned out to be decisive a couple of minutes later, but not at that moment." That save marked the culmination of Lehmann's return after some shaky performances the previous season had seen him dropped in favour of Manual Almunia. When the Spaniard also experienced a dip in form, the German made sure he seized his chance to reclaim the No1 shirt."I was average and was dropped by the manager," he remembers. "It was a tough time, I had to consider whether to leave the club, but my family is involved and we all wanted to stay here."

'Completely focused'
That decision to persevere has paid off, and now Lehmann has the chance to help Arsenal claim a first European Cup triumph. However, the euphoria of the occasion is not getting to him just yet. "I am completely focused and I think it's better to ask me how I'm feeling after the final because the job is not yet done," he said.

16,05,06, 11:21

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Carles Puyol is not just responsible for marshalling FC Barcelona's defence when the Catalan giants take on Arsenal in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday, he also has the job of ensuring that every player is prepared and knows their role as he carries out his duties as club captain.

Iconic figure
The 28-year-old central defender has been at Camp Nou since 1994 and understands what the current team's achievements mean to the club and its supporters. Having made his name in the first team as a right-back, Puyol has become an icon in the middle of the back four with his no-nonsense tackling, his reading of the game and his evident determination. "You always hope to play in a game like this one day when you come to a club like Barcelona, who play in the UEFA Champions League almost every season," he said.

Henry danger
Surrounded by some of the world's most technically gifted attacking players, the skipper's contributions to the recent success of Frank Rijkaard's team has often gone unnoticed, but he has been assigned arguably the toughest job of any of the Barcelona squad; stopping Thierry Henry. While he and his team-mates have indicated their respect for the Arsenal team as a whole, Puyol knows the media and fans will all be watching him closely in the knowledge that Henry could produce something at any moment to shatter Blaugrana hopes in Paris.

Shared responsibility
The Spanish international is keen to relieve the pressure on himself and points to the fact that Arsené Wenger's side contains several stars capable of causing problems. "You cannot focus just on one player because there are many great players who will be dangerous," Puyol said. "Arsenal are a strong team defensively, in that all their players work very hard and they break forward very quickly."

"When you go to play a game like this, you are always confident that you are going to win" ~ Carles Puyol

Special occasion
Arsenal's confidence comes as no surprise to Puyol, who believes that the occasion itself has boosted the determination among both teams. "It is logical that they should predict that they will win," he said. "It would be very strange if someone came out and said that are going to lose. When you go to play a game like this, you are always confident that you are going to win and then whatever happens is another story.

'Great quality'
"We know that we are capable of winning every title that we go for," he added. "The challenge is to work hard and not become complacent, because that would be our undoing. As usual, we intend to keep possession and work as a team. They are strong at the back because they keep their lines very tight, but when they have the ball they move it with great quality."

'Even bigger'
As a veteran of the six barren years that Barça endured when they failed to win any silverware before last season's title, Puyol appreciates the good times as much as the club's followers as he has always been a supporter and remains one today. He was delighted to be a witness as 1.2m fans took to the streets of 'La Ciutat Contal' to mark the club's second successive Primera División crown, but a bigger party may yet be round the corner. "If we win in Paris, then I think the celebrations will be even bigger than the other day," he said.

16,05,06, 18:39

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Arsenal midfielder Cesc Fabregas has paid tribute to Patrick Vieira ahead of the London club's Champions League final against Barcelona on Wednesday.

Vieira, 30, left the Gunners for Juventus last summer but his successor Fabregas says he has reaped the benefit of learning under his former team-mate.

"Patrick was very helpful to me not only on the pitch but also off it," said the 19-year-old.

"I will always be grateful to him for what he did for me."

Vieira spent nearly nine years at Highbury but, despite their domestic success, the Gunners always fell short in Europe during his time at the club.

It is ironic that the club have reached their inaugural Champions League final in the first season after his exit and, in the process, overcame his Juventus side.

Vieira was overshadowed by Fabregas during that game but the teenager is modest about his performance and insists the influence of the two years he spent playing under his former team-mate will have a long-lasting effect.

"Everyone was scared of leaving Barcelona as it is one of the best teams in the world" ~ Cesc Fabregas

He added: "As a person he is a fantastic guy and I will always remember the time that I spent with him on and off the pitch."

Fabregas will be up against the club he left as a 16-year-old when he takes to the Stade de France pitch for the Champions League final.

He says he left Barcelona in search of a tougher challenge and, while he still has strong ties with the Nou Camp outfit, he maintains there will be no room for sentiment as he attempts to topple the Catalan side.

"Everyone was scared of leaving Barcelona as it is one of the best teams in the world so everyone was like 'there is nothing better than this so why should I leave even if I'm on the bench?'," said Fabregas.

"I'm not like this. All I want is to work hard and play. I wasn't doing it by winning 20-0 or 30-0 every weekend. "I don't think you work hard for this and I thought the best decision was to come here."

He has no doubts that he made the right move and confirmed: "No, I never thought I had made a mistake. I knew that it takes time to get the physical strength.

"But fortunately the Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger believed in me and I showed him that I could be in the team.

"At the moment, all I'm thinking about is Arsenal. All I want is to win this trophy for this club and the people who are in it and, of course, for Arsene Wenger and the fans because I believe that they deserve it."

16,05,06, 18:42

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One of the linesmen for the Champions League final has protested his impartiality after being photographed in a Barcelona shirt on Monday.

Norwegian Ole Hermann Borgan wore the shirt for a photoshoot with his local newspaper, Drammens Tidende.

"There is no reason to doubt my impartiality - I don't support either of the teams," Borgan said.

Uefa has no plans to replace Borgan for the final in Paris on Wednesday, a spokesperson told BBC Sport.

Arsenal have refused to comment on the story before their manager, Arsene Wenger, gives his pre-match news conference at 1645 BST on Tuesday.

The newspaper wanted Borgan to wear both Arsenal and Barcelona shirts for the photoshoot, according to its sports editor Per Jan Brekke.

"There is an unwritten rule that officials must not do anything which will cast doubt on their impartiality" ~ Rune Pedersen - Norway's referees' chief

But the official found out he only owned a Barca shirt - and this was the picture that appeared in Tuesday's edition of the paper.

"It was both insensitive and stupid of me. I did not think deeply enough about the situation and the consequences when I was asked to dress up in the shirt," Borgan said.

The officials for the final will all be Norwegian, with Terje Hauge the main man in charge. Steinar Holvik and Borgan will run the lines.

"We are on our way to Paris to do a good job - nothing more, nothing less," Borgan said.

Norway's referees chief, Rune Pedersen, agreed that Borgan had been unwise to pose in the shirt.

"There is an unwritten rule that officials must not do anything which will cast doubt on their impartiality," he said.

16,05,06, 18:49

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So, what were you up to at the age of 19? Playing in the most prestigious game in club football against the team you supported as a boy? No, me neither.

For most teenagers, it's a fantasy scenario. For Cesc Fabregas, it's a reality. Less than three years after leaving Barcelona for Arsenal, he will line up against his former club in Paris at the Champions League Final.

Fabregas' meteoric rise scaled new heights this week when he was named in Spain's World Cup squad. But where would he be now if he hadn't taken the bold decision to leave his home country? Realistically, Fabregas would still be battling for recognition at the Nou Camp. As he explains, it was a lack of opportunity which hastened his departure.

"It is always difficult to make a 16-year-old train with the first team, maybe just Arsène Wenger does that," says Fabregas. "I wasn't asking to train with the first team, I just wanted to be pushed me up one year or two years to make me mature a bit more and make me play against older people. So I thought the best decision was to come to Arsenal.

"No one really did that before because everyone was scared of leaving Barcelona, one of the best teams in the world. Everyone was saying 'there is nothing better than this' but I wasn't happy just winning 20-0 every week in the youth team like we did, I wanted to work hard and I wasn't doing that.

"It is always difficult to leave a great team but I knew I was going to a great team as well. When I came here I talked to Arsène Wenger and Mr Dein and that was important because it is not usual for them to talk to a 16-year-old. I saw everything and I really liked London so I made my decision.

"My mum and dad always gave me the best advice for me and it definitely meant coming to Arsenal for my future and not only as a footballer but also as a person.

"I spent six years there and learnt a lot, I made a lot of friends, not just my team-mates but coaches. It will be really special for me on Wednesday but I know exactly what I want and that is to win the trophy for Arsenal."

As a fan, Fabregas knows his Barcelona history. He knows one European Cup is a poor return for one of the sport's most famous names and believes that, as favourites, there is more pressure on his former club than his current employers.

"It's true that the pressure is very high, they have been trying to win it since 1992," says Fabregas. "They have lost three Finals so the pressure is high but also for us because it's our first time. If we could make one win out of one Final it would be the best thing.

"I was talking to [Barcelona players] Iniesta, Puyol and Xavi when we met last Monday in the national team and they know it's going to be difficult. When they talk about our players they say they are fantastic. It's a funny situation, when I am in England everyone says 'good luck', then I go to Barcelona they say 'don't play well, please' so it is strange for me.

"Are they beatable? Of course, otherwise there is no point playing. They are a great team and they have shown that in the last two years. But we've gone through against Madrid and Juventus when we were not the favourites.

"I think it is going to be different because they play with three in midfield, not like Madrid and Juventus, so perhaps we will have to defend a bit more and try to create spaces when we have the ball. But I think we both play the same kind of football and we will see a good game."

16,05,06, 21:07

Few people have experienced as much triumph and disaster in football as Sir Bobby Charlton. He survived Manchester United FC's 1958 Munich air crash tragedy but seven team-mates and 21 others perished. Ten years later, Charlton scored as Sir Matt Busby's United became the first English winners of the European Champion Clubs' Cup by defeating SL Benfica at Wembley. Sir Bobby gives his memories of the competition.

The whole world watches European football, especially the UEFA Champions League and the European Cup, as it used to be known. It's really important and ever since I was a boy, I used to hear tales of the great players from Real Madrid [CF] and other teams from various countries. I couldn't see them play because there were no television pictures like today.

It was a great adventure to go and play the top teams in Europe. We thought we were OK over in England, but when you go abroad and play against all these different types of football, it's a big challenge and it was very difficult at first.

Sir Matt was instrumental in us going into Europe in the first place, against the wishes of the Football League. They said we had enough fixtures as it was and we didn't need any more, but Sir Matt thought this was the future and it was important for us to be part of it. He started it all, so the English game has a lot to thank him for.

Being a young team, we thought we could go ahead and perform as well as anyone, but of course the Munich air crash [on 6 February 1958] put a stop to all that as far as we were concerned. Had the crash not happened, we would have won it that year I think.

Winning in 1968 was a very emotional night for Manchester United and it was something the club felt just had to be done. We had to prove we could still do it, so it was a big thing for the club, for the city and for the English game when it finally happened. The crash had been a big blow for the country, and certainly the national team, with so many players killed.

To be able to say you have won the European Cup is a very big plus and I'm really proud of it. To play against the best, have a career and be able to say 'We did as well as we possibly could' makes you feel good about the whole thing. It has become so much more difficult to win it now because the quality of the teams has improved over the years.

My own hero was Alfredo Di Stéfano. The first time I saw him play for Real Madrid, I couldn't believe one player could have such an influence on a team. When they beat us in Madrid in the 1957 semi-final, the first time we entered, he was unbelievable. I was watching from the stands and couldn't understand how one man could have so much talent and ability. He was the most intelligent player I ever saw.

I'm very proud to know Alfredo. He's one of the few men who can say, 'Maybe I was the best player of all time.' I played with the great George Best and he was marvellous. He had his own mind and he would go off and do things that were impossible for anyone else.

"George had this magical ability and skill. The best match he played was probably the one against Benfica in Lisbon in 1966" ~ Sir Bobby Charlton

George had this magical ability and skill. The best match he played was probably the one against Benfica in Lisbon in 1966. It was a hostile environment, but within about 15 minutes he'd ended the game as far as Benfica were concerned [United winning 5-1]. George was just explosive, had unbelievable control and a cheekiness about him which gave the public a lot to enjoy. He was one of the great players in world football.

16,05,06, 21:09

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Sol Campbell and Aleksandr Hleb have their own personal motivation for wanting Arsenal FC to overcome FC Barcelona in the UEFA Champions League final at the Stade de France.

Testing times
The English international centre-back and his Belarussian team-mate have endured testing seasons, albeit for different reasons. Campbell has struggled for form and fitness and, after being substituted at half-time of the club's 3-2 home defeat by West Ham United FC on 1 February, did not play again until mid-April due to ankle and toe injuries before breaking his nose on his comeback at Portsmouth FC. Hleb, meanwhile, missed two months last autumn having sustained a knee injury on international duty with Belarus and at first toiled to meet the demands of Premiership football following a summer move from VfB Stuttgart.

Acclimatisation period
"I initially found it really difficult to adapt to English football," Hleb said. "I thought I might have made a mistake and I wasn't sure if the move was right for me." Since returning to action in December, however, the 25-year-old midfielder has successfully adapted to Highbury life and knows exactly where the credit for his improvement should lie. "The support I have had from everyone at this club, particularly the manager and the team - players like Thierry Henry, Cesc Fabregas and José Antonio Reyes - has been fantastic and now everything is going really well and I'm very happy. I feel at home here now."

Hard times
Campbell is equally frank about his recent travails: "This has been the most difficult year of my career, playing wise and health wise. I couldn't get a run of games going since Christmas. You're always going to get injuries but it has been very hard for me." Having belatedly returned for the second leg of the UEFA Champions League semi-final at Villarreal CF and helped the Londoners to a tenth successive clean sheet in the competition, the 31-year-old kept his place for the last three matches of the Premiership season as Arsenal overtook his old team Tottenham Hotspur FC to qualify for next season's UEFA Champions League via fourth place. He admits his comeback was a cathartic experience: "People talk about killing two birds with one stone but the past four games, I feel like I've killed about a thousand birds."

Ignore the hype
With their problems seemingly behind them, both men are eagerly anticipating Wednesday's final. Campbell believes the UEFA Champions League showpiece is the most high-pressured fixture in club football, explaining: "There's a lot of hype around the game but we have to forget that and concentrate on playing our own game. It's a massive game and reaching finals like this is what any player wants to achieve. Barcelona will keep the ball and look for angles, and we'll have to get tight on Ronaldinho, you can't give him too much time."

Final resolve
For his part, Hleb has flourished on the right of midfield where his perceptive passing frequently unlocks defences. The Belarussian has been used as part of the 4-5-1 formation that Arsène Wenger has favoured throughout the knockout rounds, but stresses that the manner of performance is less crucial than the final outcome. "The most important thing is to get that trophy," he said. "It doesn't matter what you do to win, or how you win, but that you win." For Hleb and Campbell, that would be the perfect way to mark their respective revivals.

16,05,06, 21:11

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Henrik Larsson is eyeing a unique treble as he prepares to play his final game for FC Barcelona in Wednesday's UEFA Champions League final against Arsenal FC at the Stade de France.

Ultimate accolade
The 34-year-old Sweden striker already has two Primera División titles from his two seasons with the Catalan giants and having collected an MBE award last week for his services to British sport during his stay with Celtic FC, he is hoping to cap his Barcelona career with the ultimate accolade. "It was fantastic to be given such a fine award by the British ambassador at the Camp Nou, but if I could win a Champions League medal on Wednesday that would be even better," Larsson told uefa

Unhappy memories
For Larsson, the Paris final also offers the opportunity to exorcise some demons from his time at Celtic, particularly the 2002/03 UEFA Cup final defeat by FC Porto. The Swede was an inspirational figure for Celtic in Seville, scoring twice before José Mourinho's side ran out 3-2 winners, and while the setback still rankles Larsson is determined to redress the balance against Arsenal.

'Desperate to win'
"It was an enormous disappointment to score two goals and still not win a cup final," he said. "I have tried not to think too much about that game. It happened. Hopefully it will go better this time and I am desperate to win. We know it will be difficult against a very good Arsenal side, but then again we have a pretty good team as well."

Celtic gift
Larsson could become a Celtic hero once again as a Barcelona victory would catapult the Scottish champions into the group stage of next season's UEFA Champions League, thereby avoiding a third qualifying round tie. The thought of helping his old club appeals to a player who recorded 242 goals in seven campaigns in Glasgow, but first and foremost he is focusing on the Blaugrana.

Goalscoring dream
"I'm aware that if we win, Celtic would qualify directly," Larsson added. "We will obviously do our best to win, that's why we are here. It would obviously be fantastic to score the winning goal, but at the same time it's not just about me. It's about what we can do, so if I don't score in the final and we win, no one would be happier than me."

Swedish return
Whatever the outcome, Larsson will return to Sweden this summer and rejoin Helsingborgs IF, the club where he broke through in the early 1990s. Former Barcelona legend Johan Cruyff and coach Frank Rijkaard have both asked him to reconsider and stay at the Camp Nou, but faced with the prospect of the substitutes' bench next term, Larsson is determined to play regularly for another couple of seasons before hanging up his boots.

Off the bench
"I like playing football and I am sitting on the bench too much for my liking," he said. "I will soon be 35 and it feels like I have a couple more years left in my body, so I would rather go home and play football." Even so, a hero's sendoff would do nicely.

16,05,06, 21:12

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Ole Hermann Borgan has been replaced as assistant referee for Wednesday's UEFA Champions League final between FC Barcelona and Arsenal FC.

Sundet selected
The UEFA Referees Committee has decided that the Norwegian should be substituted by his compatriot Arild Sundet. He will fly to Paris from Norway on Wednesday morning. The decision comes after a photograph of Borgan wearing a Barcelona replica shirt was published in his local newspaper. The full team of officials for the final is now referee Terje Hauge, assistants Sundet and Steinar Holvik, with Tom Henning Øvrebø acting as fourth official

16,05,06, 21:18

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So much of the focus in this season's UEFA Champions League has been on the supreme attacking abilities of Ronaldinho and Thierry Henry that it could easily be forgotten that in many of the European Champion Clubs' Cup finals since the first here in Paris 50 years ago, the heroes have not been star strikers but goalkeepers.

Ducadam, Dida and Dudek
Helmut Ducadam 20 years ago, Dida in 2003 and Jerzy Dudek last season in Istanbul have all been match-winners. And with this year's protagonists, Arsenal FC and FC Barcelona, seemingly so well matched maybe a goalkeeper will take the plaudits again. Arsenal custodian Jens Lehmann has played the role before, starring in FC Schalke 04's UEFA Cup triumph in 1997 and Arsenal's semi-final victory over Villarreal CF. Conversely, Víctor Valdés is regarded by some as Barcelona's weakest link.

Valdés mission
However, the young Catalan has been a regular in the Barça lineup since the 2003/04 campaign and has time on his side in his quest to follow up his underage international honours by breaking into the senior Spain squad. First, though, comes the task of stopping Thierry Henry and company. Speaking at the pre-match press conference in the Stade de France, the 24-year-old said: "It is not just Henry. We have to take account of all the Arsenal players and not just pay attention to Henry. Arsenal have had a wonderful season and they have great players and play a very attacking game. I can see this final being a great one."

Messi boost
Valdés also has good news for Blaugrana fans about a fellow graduate of the club's La Masia youth programme, Lionel Messi. The Argentinian teenager came through a morning training session in Barcelona. "He is a great player to have on your team but it is up to the coach to decide [whether he plays]," Valdés said. "I can't really say anything except that he is recovering well."

Cesc appeal
Like Valdés and Messi, Cesc Fabregas came through the Barcelona system. This term he has emerged as the heartbeat of the Arsenal midfield, and Barça captain Carles Puyol is well aware of the threat the 19-year-old poses. "He has had an impressive season," Puyol said. "He is now one of the most important Arsenal players. He moves all over the midfield and has freedom and space - and the confidence of his coach."

Puyol praise
Puyol, however, disputes assertions that Barça are favourites. "Outsiders can think what they want about us being favourites but we respect Arsenal a lot and any final is 50-50," he said. "Arsenal are very strong in defence and very good on the break and they have quality players who play that way perfectly."

Henry again
And the shaggy-haired defender, who faces the unenviable task of nullifying Henry, echoes his goalkeeper's comments on the French forward. "For me, Henry is one of the best players in the world. He's very fast and extremely dangerous but we can't afford just to concentrate on him because they have so many other good players who can also cause problems."

16,05,06, 21:20

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Arsenal FC go into tomorrow's UEFA Champions League final against FC Barcelona as underdogs, and that's a situation that suits them down to the ground according to Swedish international midfielder Fredrik Ljungberg.

Contrasting fortunes
Prior to this season the Gunners have often flattered to deceive in Europe; often dominant on the domestic scene, even going a record 50 games unbeaten in the Premiership, the English team seemed afflicted by stage fright all too often when that familiar music to herald the start of another UEFA Champions League tie began to play.

Quarter-final exits
This is their eighth successive attempt to win the biggest club prize of all with their best performance before this campaign being two quarter-final appearances. On the first occasion, they lost on away goals to Valencia CF after the two sides shared four goals, while more recently Chelsea FC denied them a place in the last four with a 3-2 aggregate triumph that included a 2-1 victory at Highbury.

Mystery
Why Arsenal have so often floundered when they were expected to succeed is a question that has been asked on an annual basis in recent times; this year, the question is why have they succeeded in reaching the final for the first time when they were least expected to do so. No one has yet come up with a definitive answer but Ljungberg gave it his best shot at today's press conference.

Change of luck
"We all felt it was a bit strange because we played so well in the Premiership," he said. "Sometimes in the Champions League we played really well as well, we just didn't get the results. Of course sometimes you need a bit of luck but this season we've been a bit more the underdogs. In the past we've been seen as favourites before games and the teams we played maybe tried to stop us from playing. This season we've been underdogs sometimes. That's one theory, but I'm just very happy to be in the final."

Open game
Whether Arsenal can clear the final hurdle and carry off the new European Champion Clubs' Cup will depend to a great extent on themselves, but also their formidable opponents. "Barcelona are a great side and it's going to be a tough game," said Ljungberg. "At the same time they like going forward and that will create a lot of space for us to go forward. There are specific things we need to think about, but I'm going to keep that for myself and we'll see tomorrow."

No man-marking
The key figure among the opposition is the mercurial Brazilian Ronaldinho, but Arsenal insist they have no special plan to deal with him. Ironically, had they chosen a close-marking policy then their own Brazilian Gilberto would have been entrusted with the task. "I've never played against him before so it's going to be a bit different," said Gilberto, "but Arsène Wenger has never asked me to mark man-to-man, just to play my normal game. It's not just about stopping him, it's a collective game and if we all do our job we have a good chance of winning."

Pressure situation
Asked whether he had any special words of advice for his less experienced team-mates in the face of not just one Brazilian, but three or four, Gilberto said: "Not much, they watch Spanish football every week so they know quite a bit about them. There's no need to tell them this is an important game, they know that already. Sometimes it's not the best thing to say a lot to them in the days before the final when there's a lot of pressure anyway."

16,05,06, 21:24

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If Paris is the city of romance, then football lovers will have the opportunity of a public display of affection on Wednesday evening when FC Barcelona and Arsenal FC meet in the UEFA Champions League final at the Stade de France.

Attractive prospect
The match brings together two of club football's most attractive teams with the newly-crowned Spanish champions having scored 114 goals in all competitions this season, while Arsenal's progress to their first European Champion Clubs' Cup showpiece has been most notable for a record-breaking ten successive clean sheets and the elimination of Real Madrid CF, Juventus and Villarreal CF. The game pits the tournament's best attack against its most formidable defence, with Barcelona's 12 games having brought 22 goals while Arsenal have been breached just twice overall.

Historical concern
Barça have reason for caution, however. The last time they were involved in a UEFA Champions League final that was a classic-in-the-making, against AC Milan in 1994, they lost 4-0 – and they have lifted the trophy only once in their illustrious history, in 1992. Frank Rijkaard, who is bidding to become only the fifth man to claim the prize as player and coach, is in relaxed mood, though, saying: "We're just happy to be here, history doesn't weigh heavily on us right now. All we can do is work hard to achieve good results and try to make the fans proud of us. No more, no less. Arsenal are a good team with great players and it's interesting to have two worthy opponents in the final."

Psychology scorned
Rijkaard may have Lionel Messi available again after two months out with a thigh injury sustained in the second leg of the first knockout round victory against Chelsea FC. He refutes the idea that knocking out a side that finished the English Premiership season 24 points above Arsenal gives Barça an edge. "A final is a unique occasion. Arsenal are a high-level team with lots of quality and I don't believe in psychological advantages. That's dangerous. Let's just show how we can play." The Dutchman also offers a glimpse into the philosophy that makes his team so popular, explaining: "Football is a serious game but the term 'game' means you should also try to enjoy it. There should be joy on the pitch. If you take it too seriously, it becomes a job. Team spirit, tactics and public perception are all important but you must find a balance between enjoyment and work."

Wenger pragmatism
Arsène Wenger would seem to share that approach, although a switch to 4-5-1 in this UEFA Champions League campaign is evidence of the Arsenal manager's more pragmatic side, something he is keen to emphasise. "Of course it would be fantastic if it was a classic but we are a little bit selfish and we want to win," admitted the Frenchman, who believes his charges have drawn strength from their defensive excellence. "In a final, it's very important you can rely on a strong defence. It gives you the belief to exploit every opportunity you get."

New trophy
With a new trophy on offer to the winners following Liverpool FC's fifth victory in Istanbul last May, Wenger says being crowned kings of Europe would be the perfect way to confirm his young side's remarkable development over the last few months. "The belief in our team was diminished at the start of the season and we had to rebuild our confidence, but I always had belief in the team. That has been lonely at times but we have humility, hunger, strength, togetherness and of course talent. We have peaked at the right moment and want to finish the job." The stage is set for a classic.
• The two finalists will enjoy significant financial benefit from their successful runs to the Paris showpiece. If they win at the Stade de France, Arsenal are guaranteed revenue of around €37.3m; if they finish as runners-up, they will pick up approximately €34.7m. Success for Barcelona means approximately €31.5m in total revenue. If the Spanish club lose, their income will amount to close to €28.9m. Included in the total for participating in the final, the UEFA Champions League winners will collect approximately €6.4m, with the runners-up receiving approximately €3.8m.

17,05,06, 13:35

Arsenal central defender Philippe Senderos is fit after a knee injury but Gunners boss Arsene Wenger seems set to stick with Sol Campbell at the back.

Stop-gap left-back Mathieu Flamini (hamstring) should be also be available and will be challenging Ashley Cole for a starting place.

Barcelona are giving forward Lionel Messi as much time as possible to recover from a thigh injury.
He has not played for two months because of the problem.

Arsenal (from): Lehmann, Almunia, Poom, Cole, Senderos, Toure, Clichy, Campbell, Eboue, Djourou, Flamini, Ljungberg, Pires, Gilberto, Hleb, Reyes, Fabregas, Song, Henry, Van Persie, Bergkamp.
Barcelona (from): Jorquera, Ruben, Valdes, Belletti, Edmilson, Marquez, Mora, Presas, Puyol, Rodri, Sylvinho, Van Bronckhorst, Deco, Gabri, Giuly, Iniesta, Motta, Ronaldinho, Van Bommel, Verdu, Hernandez, Eto'o, Ezquerro, Larsson, Lopez, Messi.

BIG MATCH NOTES

Undefeated sides clash in Champions League final

When Arsenal and FC Barcelona meet in Saint-Dénis on Wednesday, two undefeated sides will contest the final of this season's Champions League.

The two teams have recorded eight victories and four draws each in their first 12 matches.

It is the third time since the competition began in 1992 that two teams have reached the final unbeaten.

This also occurred in 1992/93 and 93/94. In the former final, Olympique Marseille beat AC Milan by 1-0.
Milan made amends in style the next season by beating Barcelona 4-0.

Arsenal retain watertight defence in knockout phase

Arsenal have not conceded a Champions League goal since 27 September 2005.

The sequences of 10 consecutive clean sheets and 919 minutes without letting in a goal are both Champions League records.

Rijkaard can join exclusive club

Barcelona coach Frank Rijkaard won the Champions League three times (1989, 1990 and 1995) as a player and hopes to join the short list of Champions Cup/Champions League winners as player and trainer.

Only four people have done this - Miguel Munoz, Giovanni Trapattoni, Johan Cruyff and Carlo Ancelotti.

Ancelotti was the last to accomplish the feat and he was one of the players who partnered Rijkaard as a player, winning the 1988/89 and 1989/90 Champions Cup trophies with AC Milan.

In the latter final, Rijkaard scored the only goal of the match as the 'rossoneri' overcame Benfica.

By 1995, Rijkaard had returned to the club where he started his professional career, Amsterdam-based side Ajax.

In the final against former employer AC Milan, he provided the assist for Patrick Kluivert's match winner.

Arsenal can complete a set of European silverware

If Arsenal beat Barcelona, they will add the missing piece in a set of European silverware.

In 1969/70, Arsenal's Fairs Cup win gave the Londoners their first European honours.

In 1993/94, the Gunners added the Cup Winners' Cup to their trophy cabinet.
Only four clubs, including Arsenal's opponents Barcelona, have won all three European competitions at least once.

Barca have won the Champions Cup/Champions League once, the Cup Winners' Cup four times and the Fairs Cup/Uefa Cup three times.

The other teams that have completed the set are Ajax, Bayern Munich and Juventus and therefore Arsenal can become the first English club to accomplish the feat.

Neither finalists have fond memories of shoot-outs deciding finals in European competition

In the 1979/80 Cup Winners' Cup final, Arsenal were denied by another Spanish side - Valencia - in a penalty shoot-out.

After 120 minutes of football, the match was scoreless. Valencia's Mario Kempes and Arsenal's Liam Brady both missed the opening spot-kicks.

The following nine were converted before Graham Rix saw his attempt parried by Valencia goalkeeper-turned-hero, Carlos Pereira.

Barcelona were involved in the most embarrassing penalty shoot-out, from the point of view of the takers at least, in the 1985/86 Champions Cup final.

Barca custodian Urruti saved the first two attempts by Steaua Bucharest, but surrendered two goals after that.

All four Barcelona penalties were saved by Steaua goalie Helmuth Ducadam, who became a European legend overnight.

In the final of the 1999/2000 Uefa Cup, Arsenal's shootout woes made Galatasaray the first ever Turkish winners of European silverware.
Gala goalkeeper Claudio Taffarel saw Arsenal's Davor Suker and Patrick Vieira both hit the woodwork, as his team mates made no mistake from the spot.

17,05,06, 13:36

Definitions of terms used:-

Champions League (CL) - only group phase matches and beyond of this competition which began in 1992/1993.
Champions Cup/Champions League - all matches played since it began in 1955/1956 including qualification matches.
European matches - all matches played in the major European tournaments (Fairs Cup, Uefa Cup, Cup Winners' Cup, Champions Cup, Champions League).
Uefa Super Cups, Intertoto Cups and the old Intercontinental Cup competition are excluded.

Head-to-Head

FC Barcelona and Arsenal have met each other twice in Europe. In the 1999/2000 Champions League first round group phase, these sides drew 1-1 at the Camp Nou, but the Spaniards won 2-4 in London.
Arsenal players Thierry Henry, Fredrik Ljungberg and Dennis Bergkamp were involved in both encounters. Barcelona's Gabri made one substitute appearance, whilst Xavi and Carles Puyol were on the bench for both legs.
Barcelona have played 51 European matches against clubs from England and have won 24, drawn 14 and lost 13. The Spaniards have outscored the English clubs by 101-63.
Barca have been eliminated from European competition by English clubs on six occasions. They have eliminated English clubs from the knock-out stages 12 times.
The Catalan-based club have met English opposition in three European finals. After winning the Fairs Cup in 1958 and 1960 by defeating London XI and Birmingham City respectively, the Catalans lost the final of the 1991 Cup Winners' Cup against Manchester United (2-1).
Arsenal have played 20 European matches against clubs from Spain and have won seven, drawn five and lost eight.
Arsenal have been eliminated from European competition by Spanish clubs on three occasions, including the lost Cup Winners' Cup finals to Valencia (1980) and Real Zaragoza (1995).
Arsenal have knocked out three Spanish clubs from European competition, including Real Madrid in this season's Champions League second round.

European history

The best result by Barcelona in the Champions League is finishing runners-up to AC Milan in 1993/94.
In 1992, Barcelona won the Champions Cup. They have also amassed four Cup Winners' Cups, three Uefa Cups and two European Super Cups.
This is Barca's 10th season in the Champions League.
Arsenal's best result in the Champions League is reaching the final of this year's competition.
The Londoners are making their eighth appearance in the CL main competition.
Arsenal's European trophies are the 1969/1970 Fairs Cup and the 1993/94 Cup Winners' Cup.

Current European form

Barcelona are unbeaten in their last 12 Champions League matches. Their last loss was the 4-2 defeat at Chelsea last season.
Barcelona's club record unbeaten run in the Champions League stands at 16 and was set between May 2002 and April 2003.
Barcelona have kept a clean sheet in their last four CL matches, thereby equalling the club record for most successive clean sheets in the Champions League which was set between February and March 2003.
Together with Arsenal, Barcelona are the only unbeaten team in this season's Champions League.
Arsenal's undefeated run in the Champions League is now 13 matches, which is a club record in the competition. The club record in European competition stands at 16 and was set between September 1993 and April 1995.
This Champions League season, the Gunners have so far won eight matches and drawn four, outscoring their opponents by 14-2.
The only players that have scored against Arsenal this CL season are Nelson Ferreira (FC Thun) and Markus Rosenberg (Ajax).
Arsenal have kept a clean sheet in each of their last 10 CL matches. The previous CL record was held by AC Milan, who kept seven clean sheets in the 2004/05 season.
The 10 consecutive clean sheets also mark an all-time record in all European competitions. The previous record of nine was set by Ajax in the late 1980s.
The 919 minutes without conceding a goal is also a Champions League record, clearly ahead of Ajax's run of 658 minutes without conceding a goal, set in 1996.

Player and disciplinary info

Rafael Marquez, Carles Puyol and Mark van Bommel (Barcelona) will be suspended if they receive a yellow card.
Arsenal's Kolo Habib Toure and Matthieu Flamini will be suspended if they receive a yellow card.
Xavi is the most experienced Barcelona player with 57 CL appearances.
The other players in the Barcelona squad with at least 50 Champions League matches are Carles Puyol (56) and Deco (52).
Ronaldinho and Deco are the most prolific goalscorers in Barcelona's squad with 11 career goals in the Champions League. Samuel Eto'o is on 10 goals.
Ronaldinho (seven) and Samuel Eto'o (five) are Barcelona's top scorers this Champions League season.
Giovanni van Bronckhorst is the only Barcelona player to have played in every Champions League match this season.
Van Bronckhorst was signed from Arsenal in 2003. He played 11 Champions League matches for the Gunners.
Arsenal goalkeeper Jens Lehmann has been in goal for seven of the 10 clean sheet matches and also kept a clean sheet in his last match before this season's run - the 1-0 win against Bayern Munich.
In total, Lehmann has kept goal for Arsenal for 745 minutes without conceding a goal. This is a CL record previously held by Edwin van der Sar, who in the 1995/96 season did not concede a goal for 658 minutes while playing for Ajax.
The last player to score against Lehmann was Hasan Salihamidzic in the 65th minute of Bayern's 3-1 victory against Arsenal in last season's Champions League.
Thierry Henry is Arsenal's most experienced player and top scorer in this competition with 78 matches and 41 goals. His 69 matches for Arsenal in the competition are the most by an Arsenal player.
Henry has scored 49 goals in all European competitions and can become the seventh player to net 50 times if he scores against Barcelona.
Fredrik Ljungberg has made more appearances in the Champions League than any other Swede (59).
Kolo Toure (Ivory Coast, 36) and Lauren (Cameroon, 53) are also the CL record appearance makers for their countries.
Cesc Fabregas is the only Arsenal player to have appeared in every Champions League match this season.
Henry clinched his fourth English top scorer title this season by netting 27 goals in the Premiership.

Other miscellaneous facts

FC Barcelona have already clinched the Spanish league title. Arsenal ensured themselves of Champions League qualification by finishing fourth in the Premiership.

17,05,06, 13:39

Arsenal's Ashley Cole will be out to banish his Ronaldinho nightmare when he faces the Brazilian in the Champions League final against Barcelona.

Cole admits he was caught out when Ronaldinho set up Brazil's first goal against England in the 2002 World Cup.

"I've fell for one of his stepovers at the World Cup," said the left-back. "He nearly put me on the floor.

"He is an amazing player but hopefully it brings out the best in you when you play against the best in the world."

Ronaldinho picked up the ball in his own half during the quarter-final between the two countries in Japan before running at the heart of a backtracking England defence.

He laid the ball to Rivaldo to equalise for Brazil before his free-kick, which looped over keeper David Seaman, earned Brazil a 2-1 victory.

Ronaldinho was later sent-off but had already inflicted the damage.

The memory still lingers in Cole's memory but he has warned that Arsenal will also have to be wary of Barcelona's other attacking players, including striker Samuel Eto'o and midfielder Deco.

"He's probably had a lot on his mind and to do what he has done he's been unbelievable" ~ Ashley Cole on Thierry Henry

He added: "It's not just Ronaldinho but Eto'o and Deco plus other great players and it is going to be a tough game."

Arsenal have their own star player in captain Thierry Henry and Cole has praised the striker for his goalscoring exploits this season, despite the speculation surrounding his future.

Barcelona are aiming to sign the Frenchman this summer, and Henry has repeatedly said he will decide his future before the World Cup starts next month.

"He's probably had a lot on his mind and to do what he has done he's been unbelievable," said Cole.

"He's a great captain and he gets everybody up for the game which you want your captain to do.

"He's scores goals and sets them up. What more do you want in a player? He's a great person as well."

"You always know he is going to give 100% and you always feel you are going to win the game with him in your side and he has done brilliant this season.

"People say he's a moaner but he's nothing like that. He's a great guy and a great player and a natural born winner."

20,05,06, 12:27

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Barcelona scored twice in the last 14 minutes to beat 10-man Arsenal in the Champions League final in Paris.

Sol Campbell's thumping header gave Arsenal a 37th minute lead - after goalkeeper Jens Lehmann had been sent off for bringing down Samuel Eto'o.

Thierry Henry missed a crucial chance to give Arsenal a two-goal lead before Eto'o fired home with 14 minutes left.

Henrik Larsson then set up fellow substitute Juliano Belletti four minutes later to sink the Gunners.

Henry started the game in sensational fashion and could have twice given Arsenal the lead in the first three minutes.

He turned brilliantly in the Barcelona box, only to be denied by the diving Victor Valdes from point-blank range.

From the resulting short corner, he fired in an angled drive which was pushed to safety by Valdes.

Lehmann had already shown his quality with two stops from Ludovic Giuly and Deco, but the German international was shown the red card after just 18 minutes.

Eto'o bore down on goal after being played in by Ronaldinho but was upended by the Arsenal goalkeeper as he tried to round him.

The ball fell to Giuly, who tapped home the loose ball, but referee Terje Hauge had already blown for the foul.

The Norwegian official eventually showed the red card to Lehmann, prompting a hasty substitution by Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger.

The unlucky man was Robert Pires, who was hauled off in possibly his last game for the club to make way for replacement goalkeeper Manuel Almunia.

With the numerical advantage, Barcelona started to take control but were stunned when Arsenal went ahead after 37 minutes.

The Gunners were fortunate to be given a free-kick when Emmanuel Eboue tumbled threatrically under a challenge from Carles Puyol.

But they made the most of Hauge's generosity, Campbell heading home Henry's free-kick past Valdes.

Arsenal hung on desperately for the remainder of the first-half, with Almunia brilliantly turning Eto'o's shot onto the post.

Barcelona made a half-time change, Andres Iniesta coming on for the injured Edmilson.

And the substitute tested Almunia after 51 minutes, the keeper doing well to clutch a shot that skidded off the wet surface.

Barcelona continued to pile on the pressure, Almunia again distinguishing himself by pushing away Ronaldinho's cross.

http://upload4.postimage.org/242806/_41656498_etoo_new203.jpg (http://upload4.postimage.org/cell_phones/sim_cards/simalert/242806/photo_hosting.html)

But Arsenal were still dangerous on the break. Henry and Cesc Fabregas combined to set up Aleksander Hleb, but he pulled his shot wide.

Freddie Ljungberg was also denied by a brilliant save from Valdes as he took advantage of poor defending by Oleguer.

Henry then had a glorious chance to double Arsenal's advantage after 69 minutes, but Valdes saved low down to keep Barcelona's hopes alive.

It was to prove the pivotal moment of an enthralling final.

Former Celtic star Larsson helped break Arsenal's resistance by delivering a deft pass into the path of Eto'o, who tucked a neat finish past Almunia at the near post.

Then substitute Belletti gave Barcelona the lead with 10 minutes to go after being picked out by Larsson's right-wing cross.

It was a killer blow from which Arsenal never looked likely to recover.

Barcelona: Valdes, Oleguer (Belletti 71), Marquez, Puyol, Van Bronckhorst, Deco, Edmilson (Iniesta 45), Van Bommel (Larsson 61), Giuly, Eto'o, Ronaldinho.

Subs Not Used: Jorquera, Motta, Xavi, Sylvinho.

Booked: Oleguer, Larsson.

Goals: Eto'o 76, Belletti 80.

Arsenal: Lehmann, Eboue, Toure, Campbell, Cole, Pires (Almunia 20), Silva, Fabregas (Flamini 74), Hleb (Reyes 85), Ljungberg, Henry.

Subs Not Used: Bergkamp, Van Persie, Senderos, Clichy.

Sent Off: Lehmann (18).

Booked: Eboue, Henry.

Goals: Campbell 37.

Att: 79,500

Ref: Terje Hauge (Norway).

20,05,06, 12:29

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger was left frustrated by the manner of his side's 2-1 defeat by Barcelona in the Champions League final in Paris.

Barca scored two goals in the last 15 minutes to win, and Wenger said: "The referee made a big mistake at a crucial moment - their first goal was offside.

"The way we lost is very difficult to take because we played fantastically, like we have the whole European season.

"But in the final, people only remember the team that has won."

Arsenal were reduced to 10 men when goalkeeper Jens Lehmann was sent off for a foul on Samuel Eto'o.

But they initally made light of that setback to go 1-0 up before half-time through Sol Campbell's header.

"I thought we could hang on and I knew nerves would play a part in their game as time went on," said Wenger.

"They did not look especially dangerous. I was confident because I know we can defend well against their style of passing.

"The fatigue factor was always there but they did not force us into a position where we really had to defend with their creative play.

"We were quite comfortable. It was more a question of concentration."

Wenger was adamant that his young side will be a force in Europe again next season despite missing out on the silverware this time.

"We will be back, of course," said Wenger. "I believe this team has grown a lot this season.

"We have plenty of good young players behind this team and I would like to thank them all because they have been fantastic.

"We are already strong and sometimes if you can transform your frustration at defeat in such a game as this then you can come back stronger - and we will do that."

Jens Lehmann understood why referee Terje Hauge sent him off rather than allowing play to unfold.

"He could have given advantage to Barcelona but the referee had to make a very quick decision," said the German international.

"We have done very well and fought fantastically. It was a great achievement from the team to play 10 against 11 against a good side.

"But unfortunately I think their first goal was offside. We had a referee in the final who makes two decisions against us."

Arsenal winger Freddie Ljungberg felt his side had missed the chance to kill off Barcelona.

"When we led 1-0 they had a lot of possesion but we had some good chances to score again ourselves," said the Swede.

"We could have won it and this is hard for us.

"They are a great side but I felt we controlled the game quite well. They had the ball out on the flanks but that is all they had.

"Unfortunately, they equalised and things got more difficult for us."

Gunners left-back Ashley Cole preferred to stay positive rather than join in the criticism of the match officials.

"We lost the game but it's not worth moaning about the offside, it's finished, we have to get on with it," he explained.

"The lads deserve credit, they've chipped in and done well as a team."

Sol Campbell added: "Losing Jens so early on was always going to cause problems, but we battled well.

"A few decisions went against us but you just have to keep going. We have done well this season, it's a shame we couldn't just finish off the game.

"We passed the ball well. Barcelona are a great team and passed it around well, too, but we had a couple of chances where if it goes our way they're dead and buried."