Inter Milan playmaker Wesley Sneijder is keen to win the Champions League at the home of Real Madrid, the Santiago Bernabeu, as it would taste all the more sweet after the Spanish club sold him last summer.
Inter Milan playmaker Wesley Sneijder is keen to win the Champions League at the home of Real Madrid, the Santiago Bernabeu, as it would taste all the more sweet after the Spanish club sold him last summer.
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| Barcelona's Lionel Messi during a training session on the eve of the Champions League semi-final first leg against Inter Milan at the San Siro Stadium in Milan yesterday. pic/afp |
However, before that there's tonight's all-important semi-final first leg encounter against Barcelona and the Dutchman is well aware that the one man who literally stands in the way of Inter and that final spot, is Barcelona's Argentine ace Lionel Messi. Inter though are not perturbed by his presence.
"Well, yes, I have heard about Messi. I think at the moment he's the best player in the world, but of course there is a way to stop him," Sneijder told UEFA.com.
Messi scored four goals in Barca's 4-1 demolition of Arsenal in the quarter-final, second leg at Camp Nou.
However, Inter manager Jose Mourinho feels there's no need to pay extra attention to the young magician
"We'll see where he (Messi) plays tomorrow. He can play on the right, on the left, as the frontman, behind Ibra (Zlatan Ibrahimovic) as he did against Arsenal, behind Bojan (Krkic) as he did against Arsenal at home. He's a great player who requires a lot of attention but it's not in my culture to man-mark. It won't be one against Messi and 10 against 10, it will be 11 against 11."
After a 14-hour coach journey ahead of tomorrow's semi-final with Inter Milan, Barcelona are now ready to attack their hosts to ensure the trip was worthwhile.
The Barcelona camp is meanwhile still reeling under the after-effects of their 14-hour bus ride to Milan given air travel is at a standstill due to volcanic ash across European skies. Barcelona made the 600-mile journey in two luxurious coaches and manager Pep Guardiola concedes there was little alternative.
"It is not an ideal situation after a game on Saturday to sit on a bus for 14 hours to come to Milan for a Champions League semi-final, but we cannot stop the volcano. We decided to come on two buses so the players could be comfortable, and that is the main thing," he said.
Full-back Daniel Alves, who missed last season's final due to suspension is available this time round and needs no motivation at all. "I suffered a lot last season being out and I think it's hard to find anybody more motivated to play in the final than me," he said.
