From Wembley to Saint Denis...

Fourteen years ago, Barcelona won their only European Cup, until yesterday. Perhaps it's been too much waiting for such a good team. Last time they had an opportunity like this, they were humilliated against Milan in Athens. Time has shown Barça deserved the title. Not because of yesterday's match. Not just because of the referee (despite some people say). They deserve the title because they just played better than anyone during all the season.

Yesterday's match wasn't good. Barcelona players were too nervous. Even afraid. Rijkaard's eleven could've been better. There were no creative players in the midfield, and Barcelona have always needed them. The referee was pure crap. He didn't let Giuly score and rather stopped the play and send Lehmann off. Could've done both things, actually. Even English people told me they rather let Barça score and just book Lehmann, for instance. So ex-Sabadell's keeper, Manuel Almunia, got into the pitch. Five years ago, he was playing in the Second Division B, but look at him now... Everything looked fantastic for Barça supporters, but Campbell shut their mouths up before the break. Arsenal were winning and playing with ten players for several minutes. The second half would be epic...

And it was. Rijkaard finally realized he had made a mistake and put Iniesta instead of Edmilson. I rather changed Van Bommel. Aftewards, the great Henrik Larsson entered and the Dutchman sat on the bench. Belletti instead of the unlucky Oleguer was the final change. Couldn't have been better. Iniesta was exactly what Barcelona needed, and I reckon he sould've been in the first eleven. Everybody knows who Larsson is. Iniesta and Larsson made up a fantastic play and Eto'o drew the match. Fourty-five minutes of suffering, when finally things started to be logical. Four minutes later, just happiness. Larsson again assisted Belletti to smash Arsenal. English players were exausted. They hardly did something extraordinary, but now it was too late to do anything. Henry could've scored at the beginning of the second half, but Valdes was bigger than ever.

When the referee whistled, Valdes, Puyol, Iniesta, Ronaldinho, Eto'o, Larsson and everyone took the place of Zubizarreta, Koeman, Guardiola, Stoichkov, Laudrup and all the Wembley heroes in 1992. There are lots of things in common between that era and the one I hope Barça just started. Let's just enjoy what we now have. It's been worth to wait fourteen years to succeed again. A new era has started. Remember their names...