Champions League final: Barca’s Neymar, Pique dream while Juve’s Bonucci rues ‘no beach day’

Both teams will vie to complete a treble if they win the final


Afp June 06, 2015
A file photo of Barcelona players Lionel Messi and Neymar. PHOTO: AFP

BERLIN: Brazil star Neymar says Barcelona's Champions League final against Juventus will be a dream come true on Saturday as he plans to celebrate writing history by kissing the trophy.

The 23-year-old will finish his second season at Barca in his first Champions League final with the Spaniards bidding to emulate their 2009 feat of winning the treble of European, league and cup titles.

Victory would see Barca become the first club to win the European treble twice.

"For me to be able to play this final is a dream, ever since I was six or seven years old I have been dreaming of this opportunity to win a Champions League final," said Neymar.

"Now the time has come and that is why I am going to do what I have to do, so I can enjoy the moments alongside my team mates.

"I have played in lots of finals in my life, but this is the most important one for me.

"I hope I can kiss the trophy at the end of it all and thank god for everything.

"Leo (Messi) and Luis (Suarez) are two players of a very high level.

"We understand each other on and off the pitch, we get on very well.

"I hope to end the season in a happy way taking advantage of the work of all the year with the team and we can be victors."

Neymar has played his part in Barcelona's record-breaking season by scoring 38 of the 120 goals netted alongside his fellow superstars Messi and Suarez.

Barca's Pique dreaming of perfect season

Gerard Pique says Barcelona will have achieved a perfect season if they beat Juventus in Saturday's Champions League final, and thus match the feats of Pep Guardiola's 2009 treble-winning side.

"It's going to be a great season whatever happens, if we win this Champions League final, we'll be writing history. It'll be the perfect season, like in 2009," said the Spain international.

"To have two titles and to reach the Champions League (final) is something we would have enjoyed anyway, but we have this one last chance to win and we're 90 minutes from perfection."

The 28-year-old Pique was part of Guardiola's squad which won 14 trophies from 2008-2012 and he wants the current star-studded Barcelona to prove they are just as good as the 2009 model.

"The main thing here is we are again in the Champions League final," said Pique.

"I hate comparisons. I hate it when we weren't winning last year or two years ago and we were being compared to Pep's team.

"I don't want to be compared now. It's a different team, but there will be people who think we play better (now) or who prefer how we played a few years ago.

"The main thing is that it's working, we need to focus on this game, if we play like we have all season, we have a good chance to win."

Life's no beach for Juve's Bonucci

Juventus centre-back Leonardo Bonucci revealed he had to give up a day at the beach with his son due to Saturday's Champions League final commitments against Barcelona in Berlin.

Bonucci's young son, who was disappointed to learn his father was jetting to the German capital for the most important game of the season, rather than heading to the coast from Turin.

"When I left home this morning, my son Lorenzo said to me, 'Dad, where are you going?' I told him I was going to Berlin because I had to go to work. He was disappointed and wanted to go to the beach," explained the Italy international.

"I told him, we can go with mummy after I come back, so I hope I can keep him happy."

Juve's veteran goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon joked that his offspring were also far from happy with the situation in Berlin as his sons are fans of Barcelona's stars.

"I have one son who is a (Lionel) Messi fan and the other one is a fan of Neymar, so I don't think they know what to wish for," said the 37-year-old.

"In the end, they said they will be very unhappy if Juventus lose, because they are Juve fans.

"But they would have preferred us to face another team in the final, like Manchester City or Real Madrid."

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