Depending on the results of the final round in La Liga this upcoming weekend, Atlético Madrid can finish as high as ninth and as low as eleventh in Spain.  Fulham completed their 2009-10 in the Barclays Premier League in twelfth position.  All mattered not as they both navigated through massive European obstacles to arrive at the HSH Nordbank Arena in Hamburg on Wednesday evening to compete for the inaugural UEFA Europa League final, the newly reorganized UEFA Cup.

At the dawn of this season, Atlético Madrid held high aspirations domestically and internationally.  Los colchoneros qualified for the UEFA Champions League the past two seasons on the final matchday, holding off Sevilla in 2008 and Villarreal in 2009 to finish both years fourth in the league.  In addition, Atlético progressed easily through the Champions League group stage the previous campaign and lost on away goals to FC Porto in the first knockout round, so they expected to get at least that far if not farther.

Mediocre in the league and underwhelming in this year’s Champions League group stage, and Atlético struggled to achieve a draw against Cypriot champions APOEL Nicosia in the final group stage match just to receive the parachute to the Round of 32 in the Europa League.

Sergio Asenjo, their twenty-year-old goalkeeper of the future whom they bought from Real Valladolid for €6 million, struggled mightily and eventually sat on the bench in favor of nineteen-year-old David de Gea.

The team coped with unrest in the coaching ranks as Abel Resino was sacked in late October following Atlético’s horrendous start in favor of Quique Sánchez Flores.  Sánchez Flores could relate to Resino’s position, as he was also fired after a poor beginning to the 2007-08 season by Valencia after he guided Los Che to consecutive Champions League appearances.  Valencia would regret that decision because they chose Ronald Koeman as Quique’s successor, and coupled with Valencia’s growing financial problems, the Koeman era turned into an unmitigated disaster.

Realizing that any potential accomplishment in La Liga would be a fruitless endeavor, Atlético Madrid started to focus on cup competitions to salvage any sort of pride in this season.  This change in priority and the new influence of Quique Sánchez Flores heightened the waning confidence and play of the squad members.

Despite this expected rise in form, Atlético president Enrique Cerezo Torres and the Atlético technical staff must have shaken their heads and pulled out their hair numerous times because of their team’s schizophrenic personality.  Inexplicably pathetic matches against lower table teams such as Tenerife, Almería, and Real Zaragoza would follow inspirational performances against Sevilla, Barcelona, and Valencia.  Playing to the competition is usually portrayed as a pejorative because it implies that the team takes inferior opposition for granted while gearing up for tougher clubs, but in this particular case, for some strange reason, Atlético Madrid effectively employed this policy.

On their path to the Copa del Rey final, they encountered only one La Liga team, Racing Santander, and only in this tie did Atlético perform up to their capabilities in the first leg, dismissing the Cantabrians 4-0 to render the second leg virtually meaningless.

With the quality of teams they opposed in the Europa League, however, they could not help but play at a high level since their adversaries were such accomplished teams.

Galatasaray, Sporting Clube de Portugal, Valencia, and Liverpool.  Winners of fourteen different European trophies.  In recent years, facing these types of teams in succession would occur in the Champions League knockout stages. not the UEFA Cup/Europa League, but they did not faze the men from the capital.  As many have pointed out, Atlético Madrid did not win a single match in the Champions League group stage, and they only won two matches out of eight in the Europa League knockout stage on their way to the final.  Cup competitions, however, comprise of a completely different mentality and strategy than league play, and in all four knockout ties, it would be hard to argue that Atlético Madrid was not the better team over two legs in each tie.

Rarely does any team convincingly win every round, and Atlético was no exception.  They advance on three separate occasions on the away goals rule, and in the semifinal, it took extra time to settle the tie.  In the final against Fulham, in a match destined for penalties, Atlético scored what proved to be the cup-winning goal in the 116th minute, the 26th minute of extra time.  Three different times during their run to the Europa League crown, Atlético needed a late goal in the 90th minute and beyond.  There was only one man that scored all three: the indomitable Diego Forlán.

Notoriously nicknamed “Diego Forlorn” for his goal-scoring inadequacies at Manchester United, Diego Forlán worked tirelessly to shake this reputation when he made his move from Manchester United to Villarreal in 2004.  Three successful seasons at Villarreal substantiated the talent that United saw in him when they signed him from Independiente in 2003, including the Pichichi trophy (top goal-scorer in La Liga) in 2005 and a semifinal run in the 2005-06 Champions League where they topped their group while Manchester United finished last in that same group.

Forlán, always the humble and consummate professional, never said a venomous word about his former employers, especially when Villarreal and Manchester United played twice in the group stage.  He actually praised Sir Alex Ferguson and the Manchester United fans for their support during his two season stay despite his difficulties, but deep in his heart, he must have felt a little glee about preventing United from proceeding to the knockout stage.

When Fernando Torres moved to Liverpool for a club record £26.5 million in the summer of 2007, Atlético Madrid used some of that money to buy Forlán for €21 million from Villarreal.  86 goals in 153 appearances in all competitions for Atlético demonstrated further his status as a world-class striker, but his match-winning exploits in this season’s Europa League enhances his standing as not just a goal-scorer but also as a forward who scores the most important goals.

In the 90th minute of the second leg against Galatasaray at the Ali Sami Yen Stadium in Istanbul, appropriately nicknamed “Hell” because of its intimidating atmosphere, Forlán clinched the tie that was a couple of minutes away from extra time.  Quique Sánchez Flores did not include him in the starting eleven against Galatasaray, and he only came in after Sergio Agüero suffered a facial injury near the end of the first half.  No complaints or attitude came from Forlán, and he scored the ticket into the Round of 16.

Against Liverpool in the second leg of the semifinal at Anfield, Forlán stuck the lance in Liverpool’s side again with an extra-time winner in the 102nd minute that scrapped any semblance of a successful season for Liverpool.  One of Forlán’s few positive achievements at Manchester United was a two-goal effort at Anfield to defeat Liverpool 1-2, and the Manchester United faithful still laud that accomplishment, and as the chant goes, “He came from Uruguay, he made the Scousers cry.”  If Manchester United were not to win a European trophy, it was imperative for United fans that Liverpool did not win either, and the former United man was more than willing to haunt Liverpool yet again.

In the final against Fulham, the pre-game ceremonies contained more action than the first thirty minutes of the match because both teams showed their fraying nerves about competing in a European final.  Only three players from both teams’ starting elevens had competed in a showcase final of European club football, José Antonio Reyes with Arsenal, Mark Schwarzer for Middlesbrough, and Danny Murphy with Liverpool.  Elementary errors from both sides littered the opening stages of the match, and an errant pass by Paul Konchesky ultimately led to Atlético’s first goal that was scored by none other than Diego Forlán in the 32nd minute.

The goal came from a quick counter-attack, and it started with Reyes rampaging down the right flank and passing it into the center for Simão Sabrosa who purposefully made a lung-bursting run down the center of the pitch.  Simão then passed it first-time in the air to Agüero at the D; Agüero headed it down and took the shot off the volley, but he completely mishit it.  Luckily, it went into Forlán’s direction, and Forlán directed it to the left far post past a helpless Schwarzer.  It was debatable whether Forlán was offside, but Forlán’s positioning saved Agüero’s shot from rolling harmlessly wide and ascended Atlético in the lead.

After Simon Davies’ clinical volley five minutes late equalized the score at 1-1, balance reigned the rest of regulation, and extra time loomed in Hamburg.

Five minutes away from penalty kicks, Fulham looked tired and played for penalties.  Fulham’s journey to the Europa League final began on July 30 in the third qualifying round in Lithuania against FK Vètra, and sixty-three matches later and 115 minutes into the final where they left every last part of their energy on the pitch, no one would question them if they wanted to go into penalties.  Diego Forlán, however, prevented the lottery of penalty kicks with the cup-winning goal in the 116th minute.

Kun Agüero did most of the work on the left flank, making one last oxygen-inducing run to keep Antonio López lead pass from crossing the end line for a goal kick.  One-on-one with Fulham central defender Aaron Hughes, Agüero’s cross at the six-yard box was back flicked by Forlán, and it took a slight deflection off Brede Hangeland and into the back of the net.

A last flurry from Fulham in the second minute of stoppage time went for naught, and Atlético Madrid won its first European trophy in forty-eight years when they won the 1961-62 European Cup Winners’ Cup.

Amidst the immediate joy once referee Nicola Rizzoli whistled for fulltime, Diego Forlán merely raised his arms in the air and instantly went to hug and shake the hands of his opponents, specifically Chris Baird and Aaron Hughes.  He could have ran to the center circle and celebrated with his teammates, and no one would have blamed him, but the class that he carries at all times signals the kind of man and player that young player should strive to emulate.

This column would be remiss not to laud Fulham FC for its fairy-tale run from near relegation from the Football League in 1996 to seventh in the Premier League last season to a European final this season.  Roy Hodgson deservedly received the LMA Manager of the Year, voted on by his fellow managers in the Football League, and no one will ever forget their run to the final, toppling European powers Shakhtar Donetsk, Hamburg, and Juventus.

The night, however, belongs to Atlético Madrid.  If one said that a Spanish and an English team would meet in a European final, and the team from Madrid won, probably the last answer purported would be Atlético Madrid defeating Fulham in the Europa League final.  For a few days and months, Atlético own the city of Madrid over their eternal rivals Real, and if Atlético complete the cup double with a win over Sevilla in the Copa del Rey next Wednesday, they will have accomplished one of the unique coups in Spanish football history.  What other team than Atlético Madrid to complete such a bipolar season: average in league, perfect in cup.

It is hard to separate the difference between the bubble that is football at its highest level and the reality of the world right now.  I read Spanish news everyday and the headlines are very similar to those here in the United States.

Apparently Real Madrid were the affected by a Madoff-type  Ponzi scandal.  They seemed to be  According to Cadena Ser El Larguero Real Madrid received a €70 million credit from Banco Santander.   This money is in an effort to obtain Manchester United star and reigning World Player of the Year Cristiano Ronaldo this coming summer.  Based on this line of credit, it seems like the Portuguese international will most likely be wearing white next season.

Part of me says that Madrid is a step closer towards getting their man and this whole saga can come to an end.  Another part sees this as the microcosm of why the economies around the world are in the crapper.  Although they have seen increased profitability in Chile and the further aperture of the Asian market, things are not so good for them in Spain. The news could not have come out at a worse time when Spain´s economic situation gets more dire by the day for one of the biggest banks in the Europe Union.  Banco Santander announced last week that their attributable profit fell  and are about to announce the loss of 300 jobs in the consumer finance division as a result of a ¨reorganization¨ that is taking place in that end of the bank.

Part of me wants to say, ¨screw Real Madrid or any other club that gets a line of credit like this¨.  Screw the people that approved this loan.   Banks like Santander and BBVA are reluctant to lend money to people because of fears that they would have their bottom line affected.   This all occurred after Spanish Prime Minister Jose María Rodríguez Zapater scolded them in a

I feel bad for Juan Doe.  The one that is struggling to make ends meet.  The family that is rejected a loan to buy their house and be able to raise their family with dignity.  Worst of all, this money does not stay in Spain.  The money is going to England as a pit stop and into the pockets of Manchester United who have to pay off significant interests on the loan that the Glazers got for their hostile take over of the Mancunian side.   This could be money that could be helped in generating more jobs in a country that has the highest percentage of unemployment in the entire European Union (over 14%).

I mean now is not the time to use money for matters such as these.   The economics of the world do not allow rich bastards like these to use up what little credit and resources there are in order to fulfill these fantasy football circle jerk sessions.  Maybe Vicente Boluda should check out the streets of Madrid and other small towns that are being affected by the financial irresponsibility.

What do you think about Madrid´s line of credit for Cristiano Ronaldo?

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After Lio Messi plays on Sunday in Pamplona, he will head to Switzerland to sit alongside Cristiano Ronaldo.  On Saturday, FIFA.com made a poll and the Barcelona superstar over his Manchester United counterpart.

If you are a betting man and base your investment on precedent, chances are that the Portuguese international will come out on top.  Although there is evidence that Messi has a better shot at obtaining the award.  Although Ronaldo obtained the Balon D’Or which is given out by France Football based on a group of writers that vote for the award.

He also has the blessing of a poll that was set up by Barclays (they are the main sponsor of the Premier League… surprise, surprise!) that has Ronaldo ahead of Messi by more than two to one.  I am not surprised of that result.   FIFA’s poll has Messi ahead of Ronaldo 47-34.

The FIFA World Player of the Year bases their award on the votes of national team coaches and captains.   In the Saturday’s Gazzetta dello Sport, they are reporting that Messi is the winner.

According to French daily L’Equipe, the Swedish international might make a travel once again into European waters.   The French paper is reporting that the former Barcelona striker will be deciding in the next week whether he will accept an offer to play for Olympique Marseille during the transfer window.  He will be their main acquisition for the French side for the second half of the football season.  His experience and goal-scoring knack would also be eligible for UEFA Cup play as he is not cup-tied for this year.  Marseille will be facing Dutch side FC Twente in the round of 32.

Larsson, 37, would also be a welcome sight in Ligue 1 play as his “future” club could use him as they are only six point behind the seven-time defending champs Lyon.   This news comes as a relative shock to many as Larsson had stated in the past that he returned to Sweden in order to retire.  The shock was greater especially after clubs like Manchester United and Barcelona were looking to give him extensions to contracts that they had with them as respective times in the past four years but he chose to go back home for a second stint with Helsingborgs.

Larsson began his career in 1989 with Högaborg and then moved  to Helsingborgs in 1990.   His play caught the attention of Feyenoord.  In four years there, he scored 33 goals and the future seemed bright- but no one knew how bright it would.  After a brilliant 1994 World Cup, Larsson went to Scottish side Rangers.  His career would take a meteoric rise.   While with the Hoops,  he became one of the most prolific scorers in the game.  His highest output was in 2000-01 where he would score a combined 44 goals that year, earning him the European Golden Boot.

He would move to Barcelona in 2004 and would win everything imagineable with a side that included players like Ronaldinho, Samuel, Eto’o, Ludovic Giuly, Deco, and a young boy named Lionel Messi.  In his two years with the blaugrana he won two league titles, a Spanish Super Cup, and a Champions League trophy. Larsson would return to Helsingborgs, with a loan spell to Manchester United sandwiched in the middle.

A former teammate of mine that had a style of play “similar” to Steven Gerrard (and would be insulted as he is a Man Utd.  fan)described the ties in one word- mouthwatering.  I will use this term only once as I could sound redundant.  Each one of these ties could end up being the best ones for different reasons.  What they all have in common is that theycan all put on a show.

vs.

If you want you are a coach and want to teach kids about technique, please record this matchup- you will not be disappointed.  These are two of the most explosive and fluid teams in Europe and there is a great potential for some epic goals here.  Cesc Fabregas, Emanuel Adebayor, and Theo Walcott on one side against Francesco Totti, Mancini, Alberto Aquilani, Julio Baptista, and Mirko Vucinic on the other there is no other way to play than offensive.

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Former Rijkaard assistant Henk Ten Cate’s side is probably the Cinderella of the tournament having bumped off Inter for the top spot in their group.  Villarreal is one of the top offensive sids in La Liga and they have a solid defense, but the craziness that is going to play in Greece could give The Yellow Submarine some fits.

  vs.  

Barcelona got their man.  This was one of the teams that the blaugrana wanted to face off against.   With that said, they will still have to bring their A Game to the  Stade Gerland in order to finish it quickly.  Barca should not get too confident as players like Karim Benzema (who they are trying to woo) and Juninho could put them in bind very quickly.

All eyes will be on these two stars on offense, but Barcelona will have to continue with the rampant offense in order to get through players like Jeremy Toulalan and Cris on defense. Although this might not be the best Lyon has fielded during their seven-year reign in France, they are already motivated to make move in Europe.  This is one of the best defensive sides the French giants have fielded, so Barca will have to do what they have done to teams like that this season.

  vs. 

This tie has the biggest storyline for La Liga fans.  It is captivating based on the rich history of both clubs at the international level.  The only thing that prevents this tie from being spicier is Real Madrid’s current form losing three of their last five overall.  Yet there is something about the nine-time European champs that never see them die.   Their “solutions” that include the signings of Klass-Jan Huntelaar, Lassana Diarra, and Dani Parejo give the decimated Madrid side more depth.   Also there is a possibility that if Madrid have not gained any ground on Barcelona by that time and are still striking distance of Champions League spots, they will put all of their energies on a run towards a tenth orejona.

Liverpool is Liverpool.  They have the depth and firepower to win this once again.  They also have the coach to lead them there.  Madrid will face one of their favorite coaches that they have never been able to get- Rafa Benítez.
Fernando Torres comes back to face his eternal “boogeyman”.  In 11 matches that he played against Real Madrid, he was only able to score once.  His reputation was made based on this match alone.  He was looked as a “choker” because he was not able to performin big games.  All of that pressure seemed to leave him as soon as he bolted for Anfield.  Now El Niño is one of the top goalscorers in all of Europe and plays like a liberated man.

Now the big question is… could those ghosts come back and haunt him again?

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This is the British Tabloids’ dream matchup.  My God are the quotes going to be flying leading up to this matchup.  The defending champs will have their first big obstacle towards repeating. Obviously these two teams are great on the pitch, but the biggest plot is the two men on the respective benches.   I don’t see The Special One and The Eternal One hugging each other after this is all over.    This matchup will face one of the best defensive teams in the business against a Manchester side that is getting back in form.

Inter is currently rock solid in their backline.  Iván Ramiro Córdoba is one of the best defenders on the planet right now.  The Inter captain is one factor that has calmed the seas in Mourinho’s first months as neroazzurri boss

vs. 

If there is a lopsided matchup, this is my choice right here.  If there is an equalizer here it could be the winter hibernation that the Bundesliga champs go into.  If you go on precedent alone, that is what the Bavarians do and this year is no exception.

  vs. 

This one will be a showcase in South American talent.   There is a possibility that these two teams can field up to 13 players from Latin America at the same time.   If you plan to attend these matches, it will be well worth the price of admission.   As a matter of fact, this matchup could take everyone by storm and could be the most competitive.

  vs. 

If this is not the most evenly-matched tie, it is surely 1A after United and Inter. This match will surely be a grudge match.  O Chelsea will scratch and bite in order to get to to the quarters and they will have to do so against an Italian side.   This is the first time almost five years that The Blues face an Italian side.  The last time they did was back in 2004 when they faced Lazio in the group stage of the tournament.  That year, they would reach the semis of the tournament

Claudio Rainieri will bring the two-time European champs to the not- so- hostile crowd of Stamford Bridge where he would be making his not-so-triumphant return.  Rainieri will not be welcomed with cheers and a standing ovation by the Blues faithful.   Abramovich sacked the Italian after his first season (2003-04) owning the team and replaced him with Jose Mourinho.  Under Mourinho Chelsea won their first Premiership title in over half a century in 2004-05 and would back that up by repeating the following season.

It’s too soon to make any predictions for these ties.  The boys here at LLT will make their predictions prior to the game being played.  We will let you know went to send your predictions in.  As always the grand prize is a pat on the back and a big ego.  The away leg will be played on February 24 and 25th and the return will be played on March 10 and 11th.

The protracted saga that is Cristiano Ronaldo’s on again, off again transfer to Real Madrid took another bizarre turn yesterday as Alex Ferguson launched a stinging attack on the Madrid hierarchy. Ferguson denounced those at Real Madrid as a ‘mob’ and added that,”I would not sell them a virus.”

Not talk befitting a knight of the realm but Ferguson is not one to hold back when his path is crossed. His world renowned ire reared its head following claims by Real Madrid director, Pedro Trapote, that a secret deal had been brokered to bring Ronaldo to the Bernabeu.   

Ferguson went on to criticise the way Real Madrid conduct their business when pursuing a player and vowed to ignore the speculation surrounding the Ballon D’Or winner. It is clear the United manager now regards this as a matter of principle and not merely unwanted advances from another big club. Real Madrid’s public courtship of the Portuguese star has gotten under the skin of those at Old Trafford and this soap opera looks set to rumble on. Anyone hoping for a Manchester United versus Real Madrid tie in the Champions League draw tommorow?