Barcelona stunned holders Manchester United to win their third Champions League crown with a 2-0 victory here on Wednesday.
Goals from star forwards Samuel Eto’o and Lionel Messi gave the Catalans a deserved victory and denied United from becoming the first team to retain the title since the European Cup became the Champions League in 1993.
It gave the Spaniards a unique treble having already won their domestic league and cup and meant they repeated a feat United achieved in 1999, which Red Devils boss Sir Alex Ferguson had then claimed would never be matched.
It crowned a marvellous debut season for his Barcelona counterpart Pep Guardiola, who at 38 becomes the youngest coach to take European club football’s greatest prize.
For Thierry Henry, it ended years of frustration after his then-team Arsenal lost to Barcelona in the 2006 final.
“Finally I have won it! I have been waiting for so long for this moment,” said the France great, whose daughter celebrated her birthday as well on Wednesday.
“The last five minutes were the longest of my life.
“Even if we were 2-0 up we were playing the best team in the world (referring to the world club championship title United won earlier this year).”
Barca overcame early jitters to dominate large parts of the game as the English club never managed to get their usual high tempo game into gear.
In a clash billed as the match of the century pitting the best two teams in the world – with each one boasting one of the best two players in the world – only one played to their full potential.
And Ferguson may be questioning his team selection having left both Dimitar Berbatov and Carlos Tevez on the United bench as Ryan Giggs played off lone striker Cristiano Ronaldo with Wayne Rooney and Park Ji-Sung confined to disciplined roles on the flanks.
Both sides may a nervy start with Barca goalkeeper Victor Valdes and United’s Park – the first ever Asian player to play in a Champions League final – playing passes straight into touch.
But United settled quickest and Ronaldo had a purple patch in which he terrorised the Spaniards for 10 minutes.
He hit a 25-yard free-kick that Valdes couldn’t hold and former United defender Gerard Pique had to dive in to deflect Park’s follow-up away for a corner.
Ronaldo then lashed a fierce long range drive wide and later, after controlling the ball on his chest, he hit a left-foot volley that sailed agonisingly inches past the post.
The reigning champions were enjoying all the ball and chances but out of the blue Barca took the lead.
Andres Iniesta played in Eto’o who beat Nemanja Vidic inside the box and although Michael Carrick slid in to try to block his shot, he succeeded only in helping it past Edwin van der Sar.
That goal settled Barca into their usual stride and they started to weave the pretty patterns that have been mesmerising opponents all season, carrying them to the remarkable feat of scoring more than 150 goals.
As the half wore on United gradually lost their shape and rhythm with Sir Alex Ferguson responding late on by pushing Rooney up alongside Ronaldo and Giggs out to the left.
Barca began to wrestle control of the game and were keeping the ball with alarming ease.
Ferguson wasted no time in switching tactics, bringing on Tevez for Anderson at the break and reverting to a more regular 4-4-2, the Argentine playing alongside Ronaldo and Giggs dropping back into a deeper role.
But Barca were first to strike on the counter as Henry cut in from the flank and left Ferdinand on the seat of his pants before shooting weakly at van der Sar on 48 minutes.
The Spaniards were totally in the ascendancy and Xavi fired a free-kick off the post on 53 minutes with van der Sar beaten as Barca threatened to run riot.
The reigning champions steadied the ship and Ferguson signalled his intent when he threw Berbatov on for Park with a quarter of the match remaining.
But just as the tide seemed to be turning, Barca extended their lead from the most unlikely source as Xavi picked out Messi at the back post on the edge of the six yard box, the Argentine wizard’s looping header arcing into the top corner on 70 minutes.
Pippinu
Roar Guru
sj you left out the best bit in that list of yours - there's an Australia club in it!! Let's see if people can guess which one: 331. (382.) Suwon Samsung Blue-Wings FC Republic of Korea/2 62,5 332. (285.) Stabaek IF Norge/2 62,0 (326.) FH Hafnafjörður Iceland/2 62,0 (345.) AC Siena Italia/4 62,0 (326.) Clube Náutico Capibaribe Recife Brasil/4 62,0 (382.) Bursaspor K Bursa Türkiye/3 62,0 (285.) Drogheda United Éire/2 62,0 (441.) Shanghai Shenhua FC China/2 62,0 (285.) Catania Calcio Italia/4 62,0 340. (318.) Heart of Midlothian FC Edinburgh Scotland/3 61,5 (244.) Club Sportivo Luqueño, Luque Paraguay/3 61,5 (468.) CD Nacional Madeira Funchal Portugal/3 61,5 (334.) Melbourne Victory FC Australia/3 61,5 344. (338.) St. Mirren FC Paisley Scotland/3 61,0 (437.) FC Groningen Nederland/3 61,0 (398.) AC Bellinzona Schweiz/2 61,0 347. (509.) Arbil Club Iraq/2 60,5 (382.) SC Tavrija Simferopol Ukraina/3 60,5 (162.) CDC Atlético Nacional Medellín Colombia/3 60,5 350. (345.) CD Palestino Santiago Chile/3 60,0 (363.) SC Lokeren Belgique/3 60,0 (345.) Blackburn Rovers FC England/4 60,0 (326.) Le Mans UC France/4 60,0 (388.) CD Isidro Metapán El Salvador/2 60,0 (455.) Falkirk FC Scotland/3 60,0 (229.) Getafe FC España/4 60,0 (426.) Club Atlético Osasuna España/4 60,0 (315.) AS FAR Rabat Maroc/2 60,0 (285.) Real Valladolid Deportivo España/4 60,0 (418.) San Francisco FC La Chorrea Panamá/2 60,0 (308.) Canon Sportif de Yaoundé Cameroun/2 60,0 (308.) Bolton Wanderers FC England/4 60,0 It sits just behind Catania, and interestingly, alongside the real Hearts, and amazingly above Bolton!!!!
Slippery Jim
Guest
Mick, if you want to watch Spanish football, all you need to do is catch a Liverpool game - they often field more Spanish players in their starting 11 than some La Liga clubs! By the way, according to the International Federation for Football History and Statistics, the Spanish League is fourth in the world, and the English first. So it's not all marketing, is it! An English club (Chelsea) deserved Barcelona's place in the final, Barca would never have made it without a referee who didn't know what he was doing, so let's not get too far ahead of ourselves... http://www.iffhs.de/?b6e28fa3002f71504e52d17f7370eff3702bb1c2bb11 England also has three clubs in the top five ranked clubs in the world, Spain one. http://www.iffhs.de/?10f42e00fa2d17f73702fa3016e23c17f7370eff3702bb1c2bbb6f28f53512
Pippinu
Roar Guru
Yes - let's have a referendum to introduce the siesta here (and a 5 hour working day).
Mick
Guest
10 minutes aside barcelona made manchester look like a championship side, they probably should of put 4 past vander sar. Barca too good for most teams, it is just they do not put in on the scoreboard ala the semi were it should of been over after the first leg. I hope the fox sport boys will show some spanish football & stop telling us that english football is streets ahead of the rest, only the marketing is!!!!!!!
Art Sapphire
Guest
Pip - I am very aware of the nocturnal habits of the Spanish after my travels there. They even outdo the Greeks in the late stakes and the Greeks do things very late. The reason for all this late night shenanigans is the siesta - the greatest innovation known to man. Unfortunately, the concept never took hold with the barbarians of the north.
Slippery Jim
Guest
Since Pippu has given us all carte blanche to raise any topic at whim - http://www.chelseafc.com/page/ColumnistsDetails/0,,10268~1667607,00.html Once again Giles Smith has put the whole situation in a nutshell. And he even got his wish with Barca's win...
Pippinu
Roar Guru
off topic?? nothing is off topic on the Roar!! (and in any event, football merges seamlessly into daily life) Your average madrileño is renowned for getting less sleep than any other European. It is easy to find evidence of this claim once you are in Madrid. The restaraunts are empty until about 9:30 at night, the nightclubs are empty until around 2 in the morning. On the trains each morning, everyone looks like death warmed up. Sicilians may have inherited this late dinner business from the Spanish. I can recall on more than one occasion sitting down to dine with my relatives at midnight. Art - you need great stamina to keep up with a madrilieno!! (at least I'm sure you were smart enough not to mention Barca that time)
Art Sapphire
Guest
SJ - I think you will win the FA Cup and this will help the healing process. It will also get you to start writing bright, sunny, positive posts. It will be like footbaling Prozac.
Art Sapphire
Guest
Pip - I could have written about the Castllian girl who took me out clubbing in Madrid and ended up ditching me for a Michael Jackson impersonator. But it would have been off topic.
Slippery Jim
Guest
Art Sapphire, wise words but difficult ones to stomach at this early stage of my lengthy recuperation and justice-grieving process. I fear I am still at the stage of "anger" (stage 2 of the grieving process), "denial" (stage 1) having lasted about the 60 seconds remaining of the second leg of the semi final. Sadly, my emotional sojourn is bleak, with the remaining three stages to look forward to of Bargaining, Depression and Acceptance. I may in fact pass away a drooling wreck in a retirement home before stage five is reached, I only pray that dementia sets in by that stage. To alleviate my suffering, I am paying a visit to Dr F. A. Cup on Saturday night who may prescribe something to make me feel a little better.
Pippinu
Roar Guru
Art great story - I believe every word of it!!
Art Sapphire
Guest
Catalan girls are crazy. I went out with a local girl who worked at the hostel when I visited Barcelona over 20 years ago. She even took me to the villages of Montserrat to celebrate easter with her family. One day she asked me which team I supported and in jest I said Real Madrid. Outraged, she threw a plate at me! I have been a Barca supporter ever since.
Pippinu
Roar Guru
Catalan women - now we're talking!!
Towser
Guest
Slippery JIm Ronaldo is a great player one of the worlds best,no doubt, but he needs space. Modern football at the highest level is about reducing space for attackers. People often wonder why one game great players pop them in from anywhere,but the next their team lost because they had a multitude of half chances ,that never hit the back of the net. Space thats why, or lack of it in the latter case. Thats what half chances are to me at the top level,denial of space. Thats why a creator of space or creators of space like Barcelona win big matches in my book.
Art Sapphire
Guest
SJ - I have been very good chap. Not once did you see me take a position against you regarding the semi. I could understand where you were coming from. But, I feel that I have to do the good samaritan thing and pull you up on it as it is getting out of hand. Things to do to get over the injustice that you have experienced. 1. Drink so much you are incapable of posting rants on this website. 2. Take hallucinogenic drugs. 3. Visit a quack. 4. Take a holiday to Barcelona and pick up some of the local women :)
Slippery Jim
Guest
Towser, I saw a great headline (Might have been on the Guardian) pre-match about the contest between Ronaldo and Messi: "The Showman V The Shy Man. Very clever.
Colin N
Guest
Do people not remember that this was virtually the same Manchester United side that destroyed Arsenal. Admittedly, it was a very poor Arsenal display, but don't those players who played so well in the Semi deserve selection?
Pippinu
Roar Guru
I have defended C Ronaldo in recent weeks on this forum, and I still think he is just about the most complete player ever - but I must say one thing - his reputation for disappointing in big games was further exemplified this morning.
Towser
Guest
I'll back up the remarkable in the modern game regarding Barcelona. Lets even concentrate it more & make it more remarkable & say "Remarkable at the pinnacle of the modern game" as far as club football goes. Dont care what club you follow to see such a dominant performance over a team with the likes of Ronaldo,Rooney,Tevez,Berbatov,Ferdinand in it is dare I say it remarkable. The show pony outdone by the true talent,a man who can dribble the ball with such speed & control in a space smaller than an ants arse. Give Ronaldo no space, hes lost like cutting off his oxygen. Give Messi no space he creates it out of nothing. One particular moment of Messi magic stood out to me. He was weaving in & out down the left, a defender was about to close him down,Messi caressed the ball I would say with the outside of the foot just enough to make 'The ants arse" space. Any less of a touch & the defender would have got the ball,any more & it would have run out. He then somehow managed a very good cross into the middle. The Fozmaster was in Barcelona during last week interviewing their hierachy & checking out what makes the club tick.,particularly from the point of view of producing world class players themselves. If we can ever reproduce anything like the Barcelona way & see Australian players similar to Messi coming off our football production line ,we will be getting it right for both the A-League & the Socceroos.
Pippinu
Roar Guru
Art all good points - somewhere else I refer to six players being Catalan - it is remarkable in the modern game. The days when football fans wanted to see their neighbour playing in the local team over and above seeing a winning team are long, long gone. But in Barca's case, if you're Catalan - you'd love Barca like a member of your own family - I say good 'em all.