Reds former warrior Smith slams Milan
The former Reds defender, who won the European Cup with the Reds 30 years ago, was renowned for pulling no punches during a glittering, if bruising 17-year career.
Milan were docked eight points when a match-fixing ring was uncovered, while they were also initially kicked out of this season’s Champions League. On appeal, Carlo Ancelotti’s men were allowed back into the competition and have gone on to the final.
“How on earth are they in it? They were one of the teams that got caught. What are they doing in the European Cup final?”
Smith’s view of Italian football was indelibly tarnished by the circumstances of Liverpool’s 1965 European Cup semi-final defeat at the hands of Milan’s city neighbours Inter. Inter managed to overcome a first-leg deficit with help from a Spanish ref who later admitted to being bribed.
And Smith blasted: “In ‘65 we got robbed by a referee who got paid.
“People think the Italian league has only suffered from that kind of thing in recent years, but it is really the case that they have only just now been caught. They got caught after 40 or 50 years of doing these things. I have always said Italy have a negative effect on the game. They play defensively and pay bribes.”
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CHELSEA striker Andriy Shevchenko has been invited to attend tonight’s final as a guest of AC Milan, although his representatives insist nothing should be read into the gesture. A statement from his representatives said Shevchenko was yesterday “relaxing at home with his wife Kristen” following the hernia operation which ruled him out of the FA Cup final.
A spokesman said: “Andriy is not in talks of any kind with AC Milan — he has a contract with Chelsea. AC Milan has invited a whole host of former players to this showpiece match and Andriy is just one of those. There is nothing else to it.” Hmmm.
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ITALY’S World Cup-winning coach Marcello Lippi has hailed Rafael Benitez.
“Benitez has the rare characteristics of a great tactician,” said Lippi. “He gets the best out of his players, especially at a crucial time in a competition, even if his team’s quality may be inferior to their opponents. He is practical and precise.”
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PAOLO Maldini is set to return for AC Milan tonight after being declared fit to play. Carlo Ancelotti confirmed prior to his team’s arrival in Athens that he already has chosen his starting XI.
“I know who will play but I have not even told my players yet. All my players merit to play in this final but it’s not possible,” he said.
“We have had to work so hard in order to get here and few people believed we would be able to go so far. For that reason, I believe this is a dream.”
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SAMI HYYPIA has confirmed he will sit down and discuss his future with Rafa Benitez after tonight’s final. The Finn has given sterling service since joining from Willem II in 1999.
“I understand the situation and it’s no problem,” Hyypia shrugged. “I still have one year here, I haven’t been too disappointed by the season. I’ve played 29 games, I’m sharp and ready for games. But if the manager wants to sign a new centre-back, I think that’s a sign I won’t be playing much.”
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ATHENS is the third city to host the Champions League Final twice after Munich (1993 and 1997) and Saint-Denis, Paris (2000 and 2006). In 1993-94, AC Milan thrashed Barcelona 4-0 in the final at the Athens Olympic Stadium.
Players with fond memories of the stadium are Paolo Maldini, who played in the 1994 final and Liverpool’s Javier Mascherano, because on 28 August 2004, he won an Olympic gold medal for Argentina in the final of the Athens Games.
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TONIGHT will be Milan’s 300th in European competition. If they score two goals they will have recorded 500 in European competition. They also need to score three times to record 350 in Champions Cup/Champions League matches.
The 2007 Champions League final will be the 58th match of the season for both clubs.
Liverpool can equal AC Milan’s six Champions Cup/League wins. Only Real Madrid (nine) have more.
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