It is a merciless reality of life that true greatness is more often than not defined by one chance and one moment; and this life reality is exhibited poetically in its greatest metaphor – football.
If Ole Gunnar Solksjear hadn’t scored that last gasp winner against Bayern Munich in 1999 would Manchester United be what it is right now? And where would Barca be without Henrik Larsson’s equaliser and that Samuel Eto’o winner against Arsenal in 2006? Where would Arsenal be had they won that final…?
Although everything does happen for a reason, winning defines and tonight two clubs that have dominated and in some ways re-shaped football for the last half decade meet at the doorstep of true greatness.
Since that win in 1999 United have moved on to become the most recognised football brand in world football.
What’s been more impressive though has been United’s success on the field over the past five years or so. Sir Alex Ferguson has lifted the Red Devils to a level of consistent success that has rarely been seen in history…
Looking back through time the Real Madrid team that won five consecutive European Cup titles from 1956 to 60 stands out as the first great side. Ajax’s Total Football side which won three straight European Cups from 1971 to 73 are next, followed by Bayern Munich who also won three straight from in 1974, 75 and 76. There is also the Liverpool team – European Cup winners in 1977, 78, 81 and 84 – and finally the magnificent AC Milan of Gullit, van Basten and Rijkaard, European Cup winners in 1989 and 90, and unquestionably Europe’s top side at the time.
Cruyff’s Barca dream team of the early nineties were a good team but they lost to Milan in the 1994 Champions League final and could never claim to have been a truly dominant force in Europe. Marcelo Lippi’s mid-nineties Juventus were a wonderful side too – winning the Champions League in 1996 and reaching the final in 97 and 98 – and were perhaps the closest to joining the aforementioned sides for what they stood for. And then there were the Madrid Galacticos, but their fame in the end came more from their glamour than on-field domination.
So all in all, through history it is Real Madrid 1955 to 1960, Ajax 70 to 73, Munich 74 to 78, Liverpool 77 to 84 and AC Milan 88 to 1994.
This Man United team are right there at their doorstep. Four league titles in five years, a Fifa Club World Cup, a Champions League title, four semi-final appearances and now a third final, it’s an impressive roll-call.
A win in this evening’s final would not only hail the most successful period in club history but would also confirm this Man United era as one of the greatest in football history.
In the other corner is Barcelona a team that has redefined the template on how to play football. As K’homotho Mokhojane said, Barca play a style that is ahead of their time. It is quite simply exquisite, a vision of the future. And their record to go with it is equally stunning. Three consecutive La Liga titles, five in all since 2004. One Club World Cup title and treble winners in 2009 – this is the beautiful culmination of Ronaldihno’s Barca that won the Champions League in 2006, from where Barcelona have gone on to become the finest side in Europe.
That is why these two teams are so special, that in this day and age they have kept winning for such a sustained period and why tonight’s final, for those with fanciful hearts, is so special. It is without doubt the biggest Champions League final of the last ten years, a true heavyweight bout.
Of course, in the grander scale of things tonight isn’t Armageddon. Whatever happens Sir Alex will stay at United.
Having surpassed Liverpool with 19 English league titles, and with United under his stewardship becoming the team with the most FA Cups, surely now Sir Alex’s next target is to equal Liverpool’s tally of five European Cups and even surpass it. That is the mentality of the man.
Sir Alex has frequently stated he wants United to join Ajax and Munich on four European Cups, if that is achieved tonight his next target will move on to five and move on to surpassing AC Milan on seven. He will be there for five more years.
For Barca, Pep Guardiola too will stay, he will continue to try evolving and perfecting his team’s style even further. Barcelona’s ultimate desire is to be Spain’s greatest club; their target is Real Madrid, 30 La Liga titles and ten European Cups. That is not to say this will all be achieved with Pep at the helm, or with this team, but he won’t be leaving Barca anytime soon – not with the relationship he has with Xavi and Iniesta, not with Jose Mourinho still around and not having moved closer to knocking Madrid off their perch.
But before we get too lost though here is the crux again; this match will in American speak crown a dynasty. The winner tonight will join the Madrid side of the 50’s, Cruyff’s Ajax, Beckenbauer’s Munich, Paisley’s Liverpool and Sacchi’s AC Milan as the greatest teams ever to play this beautiful game.
This is the Dynasty Final, immortality awaits…
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