Behind maybe just the FIFA WORLD CUP, the UEFA Champions League is probably the most popular soccer tournament in the world. The 2013-2014 champion will be crowned as Real Madrid takes on cross-city rival Atletico Madrid this Saturday at 2:45pm (TVA Sports).
But however you slice it, the true winner will be the Spanish nation as both representatives hail from La Liga.
“Right now, Spanish soccer is highly regarded in Europe,” examined Spanish defender Adrian Lopez. “A Spanish team won Europa Cup (Sevilla FC) and another will win the Champions League. The national team has been doing very well, winning a World Cup and a Euro Cup back-to-back.”
Not only the top two clubs are from the same country, they represent the same city. Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid derby is a huge rivalry. Historically, Real has been extremely successful and has been seen as the establishment club, team of the government, while Atletico was always characterized as rebellious and claim to have a more working class fan base, who originate from the southern part of the city.
“It’s a huge rivalry between the two teams, and now with the Champions League, it’s going to be massive event,” explained Lopez. “There will be lots of pressure on the two teams from their supporters. People will be on the street celebrating, watching TV in the parks, in the square. It’s usually a pretty friendly affair, but they do split the supporters to different parts of the city to avoid any problems.
According to Lopez, the success in Spanish soccer these days on both the domestic league and international fronts is due to the growth of academy systems.
Now with two top La Liga teams set to battle for the title of Europe’s best team, Lopez is hesitant to make a prediction.
“It’s hard to choose a winner. Pepe may be down for Real and Diego Costa for Atletico. If Costa is ready to go, I think they’ll win. Real Madrid has a lot of quality, but also a lot of pressure. A final is very different than a regular game and Atletico is coming from a good moment, winning the league. I’ve always preferred modest teams. Atletico hasn’t won a Champions League and Real has nine, so I think I’m cheering for Atletico Madrid at this moment.”
Who do you think will win?
