UCL Final - Milan vs. Liverpool... Athens, May 23rd

Milan's Berlusconi seeks revenge against Liverpool

MILAN (Reuters) - AC Milan president Silvio Berlusconi is pleased his side have the chance for revenge against Liverpool in the Champions League final.
Milan overcame Manchester United 5-3 on aggregate on Wednesday to set up a repeat of the 2005 showpiece, which Liverpool won on penalties after storming back from 3-0 down to draw 3-3.

"It is good that it is Liverpool, we were waiting for a return match," the former Italian prime minister told Gazzetta dello Sport on Friday.

"We will go on the attack to win and this time it will not go to penalties."

Liverpool beat Chelsea in their semi-final to progress to the May 23 final in Athens and Berlusconi is relieved Milan will not have to face former striker Andriy Shevchenko, who joined Chelsea at the start of the season.

"I would not have been happy to face Sheva because of our personal relationship. I'm sorry that his team lost but it is better that we don't have to fight with him to lift the cup."

Shevchenko has struggled in his first season in English football and has been constantly linked with a move back to the San Siro.

"He would like to come back, now we will see," Berlusconi said. "Certainly for him the doors are not open, they are wide open."

Media reports have also said Milan are interested in bringing in Juventus and Italy goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon but Berlusconi dismissed the talk.

"Buffon is a really great goalkeeper, definitely the best in Italy. But we have renewed Dida's contract because we are convinced of his worth," Berlusconi said before turning his attention to Barcelona forward Ronaldinho.

"On Ronaldinho the situation is clear. If Barcelona sell him we are in pole position. We are the first in a long line of teams that would like to buy the Brazilian," he added.
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Berlu willing to take sheva back

I dont see why there are so many fans who passionately hate Juventus, Im not going to the lengths of saying that I love them but I dont mind them as a team, they are a good team with some good players and the legends of todays game have probably had a time at that club ZIdane, Henry etc.

I dont think Jim was happy being put in that position, Jimmy its ok if you support Liverpool, Steza came out and said it straight that he was going to support Man United its not like we will treat you with dis-respect.

Originally Posted by Milancelotti

I dont see why there are so many fans who passionately hate Juventus, Im not going to the lengths of saying that I love them but I dont mind them as a team, they are a good team with some good players and the legends of todays game have probably had a time at that club ZIdane, Henry etc.

I dont think Jim was happy being put in that position, Jimmy its ok if you support Liverpool, Steza came out and said it straight that he was going to support Man United its not like we will treat you with dis-respect.

The thing is that Jim also came straight and said that he supports both teams...its not like he was hiding or didnt log in MM till the game is over....

Originally Posted by Oldman

2. After watching last night match between Liverpool and Fulham :

It was so clear and obvious that Pool were under "heavy pressure" by Fulham. It was the opposite situation when Pool gave that kind of pressure to Chelski at the CL Semis. And....everybody could watch how Pool loose their play and final score is Pool 0 - Fulham 1. It is a surprising result but very fair one considering how Pool played so badly against a "mediocre" team Fulham......

Not trying to start anything again but in your brilliant observations Oldman, did you actually happen to see who was playing for Liverpool? To me it seems a bit odd to try and come to any kind of conclusion from watching a starting 11 that probably only contained 3 (5 at the most) players who will start in the Final playing in a league match that doesn't mean anything to them but everything to Fulham's survival.

Liverpool play their reserve team against Fulham. The first team was rested.

The only observation that is interesting from game was return of Kewell. I still thought he was out with long injury. He is very big player.

I much prefer if the englanders are stuck with useing Zenden. Kewell is a different class - and much scary.

Kewell is piddle. pure n simple.

Even i think Kewell is a bit of a waste of space!

He has skill, of that there's no doubt. But the huge over-riding factor is that he's so hit and miss, he's only ever produced a handful of top drawer performances, the rest have been mind numbingly mediocre.

Originally Posted by zlatanov

And ask yourself, if Milan doesn't turn the tide for all of Italian football in Europe and restore their smugged image, how do you think Europeans would see the titles, both in Italy and Europe, won by Juve during the Moggi era given that Juve was seen as the most guilty of all and even had two scudettos taken away from them? How big Juve will look in those other people's eyes, may of whom know Juve as a great team with great record namely from what was achieved under the Moggi era.

If Milan fails and creates the impression that Italian teams are "just not up to it" when all is fair and square, how do you think all those titles won by Juve over the last 10 years will be see given all the doping scandals and trials and last but not least a demotion to serie B for match fixing and what not? You think someone will have respect for those records?

Zlat, Milan is not cleaning the names of Juve, Fiorentina and Lazio. Yes, in short term Milan success will make few people think about it and the image of calcio will not be as bad as it is. But by winning it Milan will clean it's own name only.
When Juve players step on european fields, people will still remember what happened, there will be banners and insults even if Milan or Inter win every single european trophy there is out there.
Juve will earn the respect only by themselves. Only when they'll start winning and playing the football of mid-late 90's, only then Juve will be respected and clean again.

Originally Posted by zlatanov

So all in all, no matter how you cut it, Milan has already stacked up the moneys ... what is left for the taking is merely about prestige for Italian football in general, inluding Juve.
So, get out those Milan banners and flags you keep stashed in you closet and drag your butt to Athens to cheer for Milan ... with Juve in mind

Zlat, zzzz already said how the winner benefits from winning something as big as CL . Tours to Asia, shirts sales, more sponsors will want Milan..... huge % of the big money is allready in Milano and jerseies with Kaka's name will be sold in millions no matter if Milan wins the CL or not, but winning the CL does brings extra profit, extra fame and top class players.
Milan deserves every single penny, every single new fan and every single new player who'll join you. The fottie Milan played after a shock like Calciopoli deserves only respect, but we're all egoists, and as an egoist who cares about his club only, it's my personal feeling that Milan winning the CL can not be good for my team.

And of course, most of this is rubbish ( although i consider it true) and the real reason for me and half of Juventus fans ( the ones who read Juventuz.com can confirm how a heated debate is on about being pro or anti Milan ) is the fact that Juve, although rightfully punished, is the only really punished team in Italy.
Like one guy said it, it's painful to watch the league that had no mercy for Juve, being the winner at the end.
You can't imagine it.... (or maybe you can cause your team was out of Europe for some 2 weeks after the first calciopoli sentences) how it is to watch Roma, team that never deserved to be in CL in first place, going to the 1/4 finals. Milan, who got CL place with the appeal while Juve got -21 from -30 in SERIE B from the same appeal, to win the CL eventually.
Some people on juventuz call it jealousy. It's not jealaousy, it's just anger because the place Juve deserved ( place in European football) is taken by someone else.

So, no hard feelings. Milan, no matter what Mancini and Vieira say, deserved to play CL and with their displays they , and no other team, deserve to win it.
But what i want is Juve to prove figc how they were shoting their foot when they punished the best teams, not Milan, Lazio or Fiorentina to prove it !

my firends, kewell is ten times the player than zenden is.

Wow! A nice invigorating discussion between my good pals Zlat, Hasan, and TONY29.

Honestly... I can see why Tony feels the way he does. Let us try and put ourselves in his shoes. For me at the least, I will admit that whenever Juve played another Europeam team it was only natural for me to cheer for their opponents (sorry Tony). I remember doing this at Juve v Dortmund, Juve v Madrid, Juve v Liverpool 2005.
Now that is not to say that Hasan and Zlat are wrong. I do think whenever an Italian Team wins the CL, it helps build up the prestige of the entire League. It also jusifies keeping the CL coefficient at 4, albeit before Platini(Juventino) turns Europe CL up on its head.
Here is my worry given the possibility that we win on the 23rd May 2007. It is any leftover stuff of MoggiPoli coming out from the latest Napoli investigations. My guess is that some if not most of this stuff is under Court Seal and is yet to come out. Let us hope nothing more is there that can damage Calcio Italia and in our case AC Milan. We barely got the nod to even be in this Championship. Anymore incriminating things out there could cause UEFA to do a Marseille on us.

Originally Posted by Tony29.

@ Vadim ..... it was a joke, i repeat. I'm sure Zlatanov, dru and some others didn't take Rafa avatar seriously or were offended from it. But for peace in the house i'll change it.
Sorry if someone was offended !

I found it funny as hell Tony29 gets his kicks out of pissing on the passionate. I didn't think it malicious. He's cool

Tony29 is just the one to come up with some annoyint stat about something Ronaldo sucks at just to have a laugh at my expense

Originally Posted by Kui

Wow! A nice invigorating discussion between my good pals Zlat, Hasan, and TONY29.

Honestly... I can see why Tony feels the way he does. Let us try and put ourselves in his shoes. For me at the least, I will admit that whenever Juve played another Europeam team it was only natural for me to cheer for their opponents (sorry Tony). I remember doing this at Juve v Dortmund, Juve v Madrid, Juve v Liverpool 2005.
Now that is not to say that Hasan and Zlat are wrong. I do think whenever an Italian Team wins the CL, it helps build up the prestige of the entire League. It also jusifies keeping the CL coefficient at 4, albeit before Platini(Juventino) turns Europe CL up on its head.
Here is my worry given the possibility that we win on the 23rd May 2007. It is any leftover stuff of MoggiPoli coming out from the latest Napoli investigations. My guess is that some if not most of this stuff is under Court Seal and is yet to come out. Let us hope nothing more is there that can damage Calcio Italia and in our case AC Milan. We barely got the nod to even be in this Championship. Anymore incriminating things out there could cause UEFA to do a Marseille on us.

I replied here, Kui : http://www.milanmania.com/forums/sho...780#post430780

Thanks Tony29!

Milan's squad is quite better but Liverpool's coach is quite better

Anyway,that´s the best final that Champions League could have, will be a amazing game

can someone please tell me that why despite being the home team, milan has decided to wear white kit rather than the red black. white kit has been unlucky for them so many times in the final.