I WANT TO SEE DIEGO TRIUMPH
I HOPE tonight that it’s Gabi, Atletico Madrid’s captain, lifting the Champions League trophy in Milan. I still feel for the club and their manager Diego Simeone after the last final between the two Madrid clubs in Lisbon two years ago, when Real equalised in the third minute of injury time and went on to win in extra time. I was there that night and was surrounded by Atleti fans and the disappointment on their faces has stayed with me. They were league champions then but to lose that game to your biggest rivals was a bitter blow and, after playing second fiddle in the city for their entire history, this is a chance for them to put it right. Psychologically, Real, with their 10 European Cups, still have a stranglehold on this trophy and will approach this game with an expectation to win. The one person who won’t share that mentality is Atletico’s outstanding manager Simeone, who continues to build and then rebuild a team that punches above its weight against the powerhouses of Spain. The purists will want a Real Madrid win — Atletico are as defensive as any team you can remember in big games. But I can’t help admiring their intensity and organisation, especially Diego Godin at the back. Another man I should mention is my old Anfield team-mate Fernando Torres, who probably can’t believe he’s playing in a Champions League final for his hometown club after his ups and downs of the last few years. If Atletico win I’m sure it will mean even more to him than the World Cup or European Championships he has won with Spain.