Dubai: Former Real Madrid galatico Luis Figo has thrown his weight behind the Spanish giants for a record 12th triumph at next weekend’s Uefa Champions League final at the National Stadium of Wales in Cardiff.
Figo, who was in Dubai for the announcement of the Premier Futsal competition, however, admitted that Real Madrid will not have it easy against Italian opponents like Juventus. The 2017 final on June 3 will be a repeat of the 1998 showpiece with holders Real Madrid aiming to be the first team to retain the Uefa Champions League crown while Juventus will be seeking a third European title.
“You always have a favourite in every game, but it is not always that the favourite team wins in the end. This will be a beautiful final between two big teams in the world and I really hope that Real Madrid can win this amazing trophy yet again,” Figo told media.
“I am going to Cardiff for the final and it would be really very pleasing to see the team hold aloft the trophy as they have been a great side with Zidane playing his role to perfection this season,” the 44-year-old 2001 Fifa Player of the Year added.
Figo, who visited his close friend and coach Zinedine Zidane in Madrid last week, admitted that the initial stumbling block for the Spaniards was in winning the La Liga last week. “With that out of the way, they can now concentrate on the one huge task they have before them,” Figo noted.
“But they are all positive with the hope that they all have to get one more Champions League title against their names. Juventus is a very compact team. Italian teams are all very competitive and very well-positioned on the pitch. They play like a team and it is always difficult to beat them,” he added.
Zidane is seeking to become the first coach to win the Champions League back-to-back while Sergio Ramos is in line to become the first captain to lift the trophy in successive years in the Champions League era. Real and Juventus will both be competing in their sixth Uefa Champions League final, which equals AC Milan’s record.
Madrid have won all five of their Uefa Champions League finals, claiming a record number of triumphs, while Juventus have lost the fixture more times than any other club. Their only triumph came through a penalty shoot-out against Ajax in 1996.
The defending champions are in their third final in four years, having beaten city rivals Atletico Madrid in both 2014 and 2016, while Juventus had lost to FC Barcelona in the 2015 final. This time, however, there will be a certain Gianluigi Buffon, who will be keen to add a Champions League title to his collection of trophies.
“He [Buffon] is one of the greatest players of all time. I have good memories and bad ones too … when we lost. He is a fantastic person and very good point of reference in our sport. I am very glad to have played against him,” Figo said.
Figo, however, refrained from comparing Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo in the debate of the greatest. “They are both the best in the world. It is always difficult to choose one of them and say he is the best.
“In the end, Ronaldo and Messi are the ones who have been winning all the individual awards in the world of football and that says it all about their tremendous individual talent as footballers. I would never choose between them,” Figo added.
