Madrid legend urges his team to pull out all of the stops

The continuing stories surrounding the future of Bayern Munich’s, Franck Ribery, have continued today with Real Madrid legend, Zinadine Zidane, urging his former side to do whatever is necessary to buy the Frenchman.

Ribery has been strongly linked with a move away from Munich with Manchester United the current front-runners to gain his services. However, the poor form of the Real Madrid side this season has highlighted the fact that they will have to buy this summer in order to get closer to Barcelona.

Zidane played his final days in the French national team just when Ribery was coming up through the ranks. The fact that Zidane is urging them to pay and do whatever it takes to sign Munich’s star player is proof enough that Ribery could well be the most eagerly sought player this summer.

Speaking in the Spanish media, Zidane said: “I hope that Real Madrid can sign Ribery. It would be a great advantage to have such players in our team. If there is an agreement between the clubs, I am sure that Franck would move to Spain. We must do everything to bring him to Madrid, his signing would help to restore the prestige of this club.”

Where Ribery would most like to relocate to is unknown but it seems that if a bidding war develops between Real Madrid and United then the latter is better positioned to win it. United have the recent success, club stature and playing staff to all fit in with Ribery’s attributes.

However, Madrid need to restore some confidence and such a player can do just this. A potential partnership of Ribery and Arjen Robben pacing up and down the Madrid flanks would maken even the most established teams wary.

It is a very long shot though. Ribery is likely to know a lot more people in England who play at various Premier League clubs, this means he would settle in much better if he moved to England and adopted the English game. Zidane however, clearly rates Ribery highly and his recommendation is likely to be closely listened to by the powers that be at Madrid.

Ribery has also been linked with various clubs in England for a lot longer than any clubs from Spain. This could mean that English representatives have been in touch with his agent for a lot longer and hence could give any English club making a bid a slight advantage.

Where Ribery is going to end up is very hard to call. His future could take another twist before the summer transfer window opens up but it seems that a number of clubs are now poised to poach him from Munich. This much is accepted. Where he ends up though is anyone’s guess at the moment.

United are probably slight favourites but the fact that Cristiano Ronaldo now looks like he will not move to Spain could mean Madrid put greater emphasis on signing Ribery. If he is half the player that Zidane makes him out to be then Munich could be in for a big cash injection very soon.

Barcelona suffer injury setback

Barcelona play maker, Andres Iniesta, picked up a thigh injury in the club’s 3-3 draw with Villarreal yesterday that could see him miss the Champions League final against Manchester United.

Iniesta has been arguably Barcelona’s most influential player in recent seasons and the injury is a massive blow to the club and their trophy bids. Barcelona’s manager, Pep Guardiola, admitted that losing such a key player would be a huge blow to the club ahead of the biggest game of their season.

Guardiola said in the Spanish media today: “Losing Iniesta through injury is worse than not having won the title on Sunday. He is definitely out of the cup final but I hope he will be in Rome.”

“Anyway, it is part of the game. You have to take risks. Another player will replace him. We will fight to win and could use players from the academy.”

It must be remembered that Iniesta is the reason that Barca are in the Champions League final. His brilliant precision and accuracy to score the goal against Chelsea last week, which sent them through, was something only he could produce.

Sir Alex Ferguson will be hoping that he does not face up against his side as it will give United one less headache to worry about and no doubt it will provide some space and opportunity in the midfield during the final, which United would otherwise not have.

The reason Iniesta is so important to the Barcelona side is that he has the ability to make everyone else on the pitch look like a world-beater. He creates space and brings players into the game. Pundits speaking after Barca’s win over Chelsea said he was even better on the ball than Thierry Henry or Lionel Messi.

These are not easy comments to attract and prove why Iniesta is so highly rated at the top level. It must also not be forgotten that he was in the heart of a Spain side that cantered to European glory last year.

Every single football neutral will want to see the best players picked for the Champions League final on May 27 so for Barca what they have to do is quite simple. They have to wrap Iniesta in cotton wool for the next couple of weeks while continuing to keep him motivated.

His come back could come at exactly the right time for Barca and no doubt they will want to unleash him for another final and hope that he replicates his performance in a similar manner to the one that was too good for Arsenal in 2006.

Barca can think themselves lucky that the injury was not a lot more serious and providing there is no internal or muscle damage and the blow to Iniesta’s right thigh was just this then a dead leg can easily be over come. Even though United will be hoping it is a lot more serious, in the back of Fergie’s mind he will want the Spaniard to get fit, as he will want to beat Barca’s best team.

Former Manchester United star will be looking to get one over on his old side

Gerard Pique will be looking to get one over on Manchester United when he faces his old club in the Champions League final at the end of the month. Pique made the move back to his native Spain last summer having been raised under the wing of Sir Alex Ferguson at United.

Now Pique wants to snuff out the United attack and prove to the current European champions that they were wrong for ever agreeing to let him leave. He said: “It means a lot. It will be special because I have three good years there, maybe I didn’t play a lot but they were important years for me.”

“There are no words to describe how happy the team is. A team like this, trying to attack all the time, cannot go 180 minutes without scoring a goal. It was in the last minute but it was enough.”

The significance of Pique’s transition as a player is outlined by the fact he is bound to start the final for arguably Europe’s best current team, when he would have struggled to even get in the squad if he was still at United. There will not be any malice or bitterness in his wanting to beat United, but he will be spurred on by the fact that he feels he may have something to prove.

If it is a good night in Rome for Pique then he won’t have an awful lot to do but this is very doubtful considering the rampant display that United showed against Arsenal the other night. Even Barca’s players could not help but sit back and admire the way they destroyed Arsene Wenger’s men.

The Spaniard has transformed himself from a fringe player at United into a first team regular at Barcelona and he will square up in the opposite number to Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic in the hope that his team comes out well on top. If he scores then celebrations are unlikely as is the mutual respect obviously evident between Pique and his former club, but he will be as determined as ever when he puts on that Barca shirt.

It is impossible to predict what Pique’s performance will be like in the final. Both United and Barca have come a long way from the club’s they were this time a year ago. On the one hand United have learnt how to win the hard way and get through dodgy spells of form and bad performances this season. On the other, Barca have proved that they can take apart any team at will, but have frailties that United can exploit.

Pique will have one hell of a time trying to keep Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney quite all night when the teams meet in Italy but the determination he must feel after his Old Trafford exit could raise his level of performance to heights that United fans didn’t know he could reach. It is an impossible final to call but the feelings involved are already open on display.