Rio Ferdinand: Man Utd vs Chelsea final was most intense game of my career… I expect Liverpool to deal with it best and win Champions League
THERE is always enormous pressure in a Champions League final but it cranks up another notch against a team from the same country.
I’ve never known a game like the 2008 final for build-up and intensity, knowing we were facing Chelsea who we had beaten to the title by two points.
Liverpool are favourites tomorrow because they just missed out to Manchester City in the Premier League race with Tottenham a distant fourth, 26 points behind.
But coming up against such familiar opponents makes this a very different occasion for Liverpool to last year’s encounter against Real Madrid.
What really stands out in my mind about 2008 is that I was competing against people who I knew so well — some of them friends — and thinking that all the English lads would be meeting up a few days later with the England squad.
There was a fierce rivalry between the teams that didn’t extend to any on-field niceties.
I was desperate to win, not just because I was playing for United but also because I couldn’t bear the thought of having to face them in the England camp as a loser
Rio Ferdinand
I was desperate to win, not just because I was playing for United but also because I couldn’t bear the thought of having to face them in the England camp as a loser.
The England men who started for United were me, Wes Brown, Owen Hargreaves, and Wayne Rooney. Chelsea had John Terry, Ashley Cole, Frank Lampard, and Joe Cole.
Honestly, I might have pulled out of the squad if we’d lost that’s how hard I would have taken it.
But about an hour after we’d lifted that beautiful trophy I was thinking to myself: “I can’t wait to meet up with the England squad”!
I was never going to gloat but there was a quiet satisfaction that me and my United mates in the England side had got one over the Chelsea boys.
I don’t think we even mentioned it when we turned up for England training... you just knew that they knew who the winners and losers were.
A week after that final all eight of us who played in Moscow were involved in England’s 2-0 victory over the USA at Wembley - seven of us started and Joe Cole came on as sub.
There was no animosity among us we just got on with the job and I’m sure the current England lads are professional enough to do the same in what will be a far bigger England clash, the Nations League semi-final against Holland on Thursday
THE EGO GAME
The camaraderie in this England squad is excellent but don’t believe anyone who tells you the Champions League losers won’t be hurting and the winners won’t have an extra spring in their step around the team hotel.
Danny Rose, Eric Dier, Harry Kane, and Dele Alli for Spurs may well be mates with Jordan Henderson Joe Gomez and Trent Alexander-Arnold but whoever loses in Madrid will find it difficult.
It’s about, ego, pride and your own image. It’s a big thing for players, especially in this social media world.
I’d like to see Spurs win - and that has nothing to do with the rivalry between my old club and Liverpool.
TV viewers will have seen I celebrate good football and great goals, whichever team scores them.
And I certainly won’t be losing any sleep if Liverpool carry off the trophy.
But I admire the job Mauricio Pochettino has done on a budget which is relatively small compared to other major clubs in Europe.
REDS GO
That said, though, I expect Liverpool to win.
Last season’s defeat in Kiev will stand them in good stead and they have more weapons in their armoury with Mo Salah and Sadio Mane up front and their two raiding full-backs Andrew Robertson and Alexander-Arnold.
They have a fantastic manager in Jurgen Klopp who, while not always calm on the touchline, will need to be calm in the dressing room beforehand and give his team the belief that they will win it this time.
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I remember Sir Alex Ferguson saying to us before the 2008 final ";You are better than these so go out there and show it."
The league table said we were and I walked out with those words ringing in my ears.
Klopp can justifiably say the same to his Liverpool team. If they take those words in, they should come out on top.
