The dice is cast, the stage is set, the gladiators are ready as all roads lead to Madrid Spain for the finals of this season’s UEFA Champions League this Saturday the 1st day of June. It is going to be between two English sides, Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool.
This is the second time two English sides are meeting in the finals of the UEFA Champions League.
The first was in 2008 when Manchester United took on Chelsea at the Luznhiki Stadium in Russia. The Red Devils won on penalties after full and extra time had ended 1-1.
10 years later two English clubs are in the finals again. Will it be Tottenham Hotspurs or Liverpool?
Facts About The Host City; MADRID
Madrid is …
• The capital city of Spain and the fourth most-visited city in Europe.
• The sixth largest city in the UEFA area, with a population of around three million.
• First referred to in the Middle Ages as ‘Magerit’ – meaning ‘place of plentiful water’ in Arabic.
• The birthplace of Plácido Domingo, Julio and Enrique Iglesias, Fernando Verdasco, Penélope Cruz and Raúl González.
• The second city to host its fifth European Cup final after London, the Santiago Bernabéu having staged the match in 1957, 1969, 1980 and 2010.
Is located on the River Manzanares, in the middle of Spain, Madrid is the largest city in the Iberian peninsula. It is just shy of 3,000km from last season’s final venue, Kyiv, and around 2,750km from the 2020 final host city, Istanbul.
The Stadium
· The stadium is normally called Wanda Metropolitano because the naming rights were acquired by the Wanda Group, a Chinese real estate company.
· Due to sponsorship regulations UEFA said we should tell you that for this final the stadium should be refered to as Estadio Metropolitano.
· The newly-reconstructed stadium replaced the Vicente Calderón as home of three-time UEFA Europa League winners Atlético Madrid.
· It is named in honour of the original Estadio Metropolitano – Atlético’s home until 1966.
· It opened to the public on 16 September 2017 when Atlético faced Málaga in the Liga; Antoine Griezmann scored the stadium’s first goal in a 1-0 home win.
· Built with environmental concerns in mind, the stadium’s LED lighting and solar panels reduce energy consumption, while recycled rainwater irrigates the pitch.
The UEFA Referees Committee has announced that Damir Skomina will referee the FINAL.
The 42-year-old Slovenian, an international referee since 2002, will have the opportunity to complete a prestigious European club competition “treble”, as he has already officiated at the UEFA Europa League final between Ajax and Manchester United in 2017, as well as the UEFA Super Cup between Chelsea and Atlético in 2012. He also acted as fourth official at the 2013 UEFA Champions League final between Borussia Dortmund and Bayern München.
Skomina has taken charge of four UEFA Champions League matches this season, as well as two UEFA Europa League games.
At the final in Madrid, Skomina will be assisted by his countrymen Jure Praprotnik and Robert Vukan. The fourth official will be Antonio Mateu Lahoz from Spain. The video assistant referee role has been assigned to Danny Makkelie from the Netherlands, who will be supported by Pol van Boekel, Felix Zwayer, and Mark Borsch.
The Trophy
The current UEFA Champions League trophy stands 73.5cm tall and weighs 7.5kg.
A rule introduced in 1968/69 stipulates that the cup becomes the property of any club who win the competition five times or three years in a row. The club then, start a new cycle from zero. Real Madrid, Ajax, Bayern München, Milan, Liverpool and Barcelona all have a version in their trophy rooms. The rule was changed ahead of 2008/09, with the original trophy remaining with UEFA and the clubs awarded a replica.
The current trophy is the fifth version of the current design. It was commissioned by UEFA General Secretary Hans Bangerter after Real Madrid were allowed to keep the original in 1967.
It was designed and made in Berne (near UEFA’s then headquarters) by Jürg Stadelmann.
Jürg Stadelmann recalled: “My father Hans and I went along to Herr Bangerter’s office and covered the whole floor with drawings. He made comments like, ‘The Bulgarians would like the bottom of that. The Spaniards would like this but the Italians would prefer that and the Germans would go for this.’ We put the design together like a jigsaw puzzle.”
The trophy took 340 hours to make, with Stadelmann meeting a strict deadline. “It had to be finished before 28 March,” Stadelmann added, “because I was getting married and taking my wife on a ten-day boat trip to Los Angeles. I did the finer work, then it was finished off by the engraver, Fred Bänninger. On time, I am glad to say.”
The Gladiators
TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR
Tottenham Hotspur was founded in 1882, so the club is 137 years old. They are fondly called the Lilywhites.
In all these years, they have won the league twice in 1951 and 1961. They have won the second division title twice in 1920 and 1950.
Tottenham have won the FA Cup eight times, League cup four times and FA Charity Shield, seven times. In the European scene they have won the UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup once in 1963 and the UEFA Cup twice in 1972 and 1984.
How did they get to the final?
Group B runners-up
Round of 16: 4-0 agg v Dortmund
Quarter-finals: 4-4 agg v Manchester City (won on away goals)
Semi-finals: 3-3 agg v Ajax (won on away goals)
Top scorer: Harry Kane, Lucas Moura (5)
Possible Starting XI:
Hugo Lloris GK
Kieran Trippier DF
Toby Alderweireld DF
Ian Vertonghen DF
Danny Rose DF
Harry Winks MF
Moussa Sissoko MF
Christian Eriksen MF
Lucas Moura FW
Dele Alli FW
Heung-Min Son FW
Coach: Mauricio Pochettino.
LIVERPOOL
Liverpool was founded in 1892, 127 years ago. They are fondly called the Reds. ‘You Will Never Walk Alone’ is their motto.
They have won 18 Premier League titles, 4 second division titles, 7 FA Cups, 8 League Cups, 15 Charity Community Shields and one League Super Cup.
In the European Continent, Liverpool have won the UEFA Champions League 5 times, UEFA Cup 3 times and UEFA Super Cup three times.
How did they get to this final?
Group C runners-up
Round of 16: 3-1 agg v Bayern
Quarter-finals: 6-1 agg v Porto
Semi-finals: 4-3 agg v Barcelona
Top scorers: Roberto Firmino, Sadio Mané and Mohamed Salah (4)
Possible Starting XI:
Alisson Becker GK
Trent Alexander-Arnold DF
Joe Gomez DF
Virgil Van Dijk DF
Andy Robertson DF
Fabinho MF
Jordan Henderson MF
Georginio Wijnaldum MF
Mohamed Salah FW
Roberto Firmino FW
Sadio Mané FW
Liverpool manager: Jurgen Klopp
Head To Head Record
The Reds have had the better of the domestic meetings between these clubs – including two 2-1 victories in the Premier League this season – but their single European tie was a much closer affair. Alec Lindsay gave Liverpool a first-leg advantage in their 1972/73 UEFA Cup semi-final and Steve Heighway’s goal in the return, in between a Martin Peters double, proved decisive.
Tottenham and Liverpool have met 170 times in all competitions, the Reds winning 79 to Spurs’ 48; there have been 43 draws.
Liverpool have lost just one of the teams’ last 14 meetings dating back to the start of 2013, winning nine.
Final meetings in domestic competition
Liverpool 3-1 Tottenham, aet (1981/82 League Cup final)
