Henry elated to finally clinch Champions League crown as stylish Barca whips Man u 2-0
May 28th 2009 09:03
BARCELONA 2-0 MANCHESTER UNITED
Henry elated to finally clinch Champs League crown
Thierry Henry could not hide his delight after finally getting his hands on the Champions League trophy, guy you remember that’s the reason he left Arsenal for Barcelona after Barca beat Arsenal in the champions league final o a few years back. Barcelona comprehensively beat Manchester United 2-0 in the final at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome with goals from Samuel Eto'o and Lionel Messi.
"I've been waiting so long to get this title and finally today," Henry told ITV. "The last five minutes were the longest of my life. You never know what can happen - we were playing against best team in the world.
"It's amazing. All year we played the same way, we wanted to play football. I don't think we started well. We had to play better, then we passed the ball the way we can.
The win was Barcelona's third in Europe's premier club competition following their earlier successes in 1992 and 2006 and completed a treble after their successes in La Liga and the King's Cup.
"I struggle to describe what we have achieved this year. No team has ever done this treble in Spain. It is something amazing,'' he said.
"Apart from the way we play it is also down to the way we fought all season. Look at tonight - in the first 10 minutes we were kind of lucky and playing against a United side who are difficult to beat. But we fight and we never give up.''
"It's my daughter's birthday today so it's a double celebration."
Barcelona goalscorer Samuel Eto'o paid tribute to his team-mates after the game. "I think the credit must go to the good play of the team,'' he said. "I think the victory is much more important than the goal.''
Barca captain Carles Puyol, whose side had gone two years without a trophy prior to this season, added on Canal Plus: "In the first 10 minutes, until the goal, they (United) dominated. With the goal we were able to take control of the match. We were able to play with more calm and were able to play our game.
Manchester United, bidding to become the first team to successfully defend the trophy in the UEFA Champions League era, began an open contest at breakneck speed as Cristiano Ronaldo threatened three times. After ten minutes, however, Eto'o put the Spanish champions ahead and they never looked back. Xavi Hernández struck a post early in the second period and, though the clinching second goal did not arrive until the 70th minute – via, unusually, the head of Messi – Josep Guardiola's side were worthy winners. The 38-year-old becomes the sixth man to lift the European Champion Clubs' Cup as player and coach; United are the sixth club to lose the final as holders.
Ronaldo made his presence felt by unleashing a dipping free-kick that Víctor Valdés could only parry; former United defender Gerard Piqué's last-ditch tackle prevented Ji-Sung Park from converting the rebound. Ronaldo then had Valdés scrambling across goal twice in as many minutes with shots from distance.
Sir Alex Ferguson had said beforehand that his best team-talks "usually come to me about three in the morning" and the Scot sorely needed inspiration in his half-time instructions, opting to introduce Carlos Tévez for Anderson. This did little to stem the tide. Thierry Henry tricked his way past Rio Ferdinand only to shoot weakly against Van der Sar before Xavi curled a free-kick beyond the keeper, the post coming to United's rescue. Then Wayne Rooney's right-wing centre bounced over Park's lunge as the holders began to edge their way back into proceedings, disrupting Barcelona's rhythm though creating little of their own.
Twenty minutes from time, that hard work was undone. Xavi was allowed to advance down the right; with time and space, the midfielder measured a pinpoint cross for Messi, enjoying similar freedom, and the UEFA Champions League's top scorer produced a fabulous header for his ninth goal of this campaign. Valdés promptly denied Ronaldo to preserve the two-goal cushion, yet the better openings continued to come at the other end – Van der Sar frustrating Carles Puyol twice and Iniesta. Sir Alex therefore missed out on joining Bob Paisley as the only manager to lift three European Cups. Instead, Guardiola's superbly inventive Barça became the first Spanish side to win league, cup and UEFA Champions League in the same season.
Josep Guardiola could barely contain his delight as he was applauded both in and out of the conference which followed FC Barcelona's 2-0 defeat of Manchester United FC in the UEFA Champions League final. "We're not the best team in Barça history but we've played the best season," he said of his treble winners. Although Sir Alex Ferguson "expected better" from the holders, he paid tribute to the victors' stylish football and admitted "the better team won".
Josep Guardiola, said “I'm leaving straight away tomorrow – I can't do anything else to top this ... We're very happy, delirious. We're aware that we've done something magnificent. I'd like to congratulate the whole club and the fans. We're not the best team in Barça history but we've played the best season. We've won three titles but it's also about how we've won them. As a player it was great to win this trophy for the first time. Now we have three which isn't as many as others but we're getting closer to a select group of mythical teams. I've said many times that we're fortunate to have the legacy of Cruyff and Charlie Rexach. They were the fathers and we've followed them.
Congratulations are in order for Barca. Well Played, Well Won!Your text goes here
Henry elated to finally clinch Champs League crown
Thierry Henry could not hide his delight after finally getting his hands on the Champions League trophy, guy you remember that’s the reason he left Arsenal for Barcelona after Barca beat Arsenal in the champions league final o a few years back. Barcelona comprehensively beat Manchester United 2-0 in the final at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome with goals from Samuel Eto'o and Lionel Messi.
"I've been waiting so long to get this title and finally today," Henry told ITV. "The last five minutes were the longest of my life. You never know what can happen - we were playing against best team in the world.
"It's amazing. All year we played the same way, we wanted to play football. I don't think we started well. We had to play better, then we passed the ball the way we can.
The win was Barcelona's third in Europe's premier club competition following their earlier successes in 1992 and 2006 and completed a treble after their successes in La Liga and the King's Cup.
"I struggle to describe what we have achieved this year. No team has ever done this treble in Spain. It is something amazing,'' he said.
"Apart from the way we play it is also down to the way we fought all season. Look at tonight - in the first 10 minutes we were kind of lucky and playing against a United side who are difficult to beat. But we fight and we never give up.''
"It's my daughter's birthday today so it's a double celebration."
Barcelona goalscorer Samuel Eto'o paid tribute to his team-mates after the game. "I think the credit must go to the good play of the team,'' he said. "I think the victory is much more important than the goal.''
Barca captain Carles Puyol, whose side had gone two years without a trophy prior to this season, added on Canal Plus: "In the first 10 minutes, until the goal, they (United) dominated. With the goal we were able to take control of the match. We were able to play with more calm and were able to play our game.
Manchester United, bidding to become the first team to successfully defend the trophy in the UEFA Champions League era, began an open contest at breakneck speed as Cristiano Ronaldo threatened three times. After ten minutes, however, Eto'o put the Spanish champions ahead and they never looked back. Xavi Hernández struck a post early in the second period and, though the clinching second goal did not arrive until the 70th minute – via, unusually, the head of Messi – Josep Guardiola's side were worthy winners. The 38-year-old becomes the sixth man to lift the European Champion Clubs' Cup as player and coach; United are the sixth club to lose the final as holders.
Ronaldo made his presence felt by unleashing a dipping free-kick that Víctor Valdés could only parry; former United defender Gerard Piqué's last-ditch tackle prevented Ji-Sung Park from converting the rebound. Ronaldo then had Valdés scrambling across goal twice in as many minutes with shots from distance.
Sir Alex Ferguson had said beforehand that his best team-talks "usually come to me about three in the morning" and the Scot sorely needed inspiration in his half-time instructions, opting to introduce Carlos Tévez for Anderson. This did little to stem the tide. Thierry Henry tricked his way past Rio Ferdinand only to shoot weakly against Van der Sar before Xavi curled a free-kick beyond the keeper, the post coming to United's rescue. Then Wayne Rooney's right-wing centre bounced over Park's lunge as the holders began to edge their way back into proceedings, disrupting Barcelona's rhythm though creating little of their own.
Twenty minutes from time, that hard work was undone. Xavi was allowed to advance down the right; with time and space, the midfielder measured a pinpoint cross for Messi, enjoying similar freedom, and the UEFA Champions League's top scorer produced a fabulous header for his ninth goal of this campaign. Valdés promptly denied Ronaldo to preserve the two-goal cushion, yet the better openings continued to come at the other end – Van der Sar frustrating Carles Puyol twice and Iniesta. Sir Alex therefore missed out on joining Bob Paisley as the only manager to lift three European Cups. Instead, Guardiola's superbly inventive Barça became the first Spanish side to win league, cup and UEFA Champions League in the same season.
Josep Guardiola could barely contain his delight as he was applauded both in and out of the conference which followed FC Barcelona's 2-0 defeat of Manchester United FC in the UEFA Champions League final. "We're not the best team in Barça history but we've played the best season," he said of his treble winners. Although Sir Alex Ferguson "expected better" from the holders, he paid tribute to the victors' stylish football and admitted "the better team won".
Josep Guardiola, said “I'm leaving straight away tomorrow – I can't do anything else to top this ... We're very happy, delirious. We're aware that we've done something magnificent. I'd like to congratulate the whole club and the fans. We're not the best team in Barça history but we've played the best season. We've won three titles but it's also about how we've won them. As a player it was great to win this trophy for the first time. Now we have three which isn't as many as others but we're getting closer to a select group of mythical teams. I've said many times that we're fortunate to have the legacy of Cruyff and Charlie Rexach. They were the fathers and we've followed them.
Congratulations are in order for Barca. Well Played, Well Won!Your text goes here
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