2006 UEFA Champions League final

Association football match September 2020 2006 UEFA Champions League final 2006 UEFA Champions League Final logo.png 250 2005–06 UEFA Champions League Barcelona ESP 30px 2 Arsenal ENG 30px 1 17 May 2006 Stade de France Saint-Denis Samuel Eto'o (Barcelona) Terje Hauge (Norway) 79,610 Partly cloudy15 °C °F33% humidityhttps://www.uefa.com/newsfiles/UCL/2005/1108503_LU.pdf Tactical Line-ups – Final – Wednesday 17 May 2006 UEFA Union of European Football Associations 17 May 2006 26 November 2006 2005 2007 The 2006 UEFA Champions League final was an association football match between Barcelona of Spain and Arsenal of England at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, Paris, France, on Wednesday, 17 May 2006. It was the final match of the 2005–06 season of Europe's primary cup competition, the UEFA Champions League. Barcelona were appearing in their fifth final, having won the competition once in 1992, while it was Arsenal's first final appearance and the first appearance by a club from London. Each club progressed through the group stage and three knockout rounds to reach the final, playing 12 matches in total. Barcelona won their group and progressed to the final after beating Chelsea, Benfica and Milan, respectively. Arsenal won their group to move into the knockout stage, and progressed without conceding a goal against Real Madrid, Juventus and Villarreal, respectively. A crowd of 79,500 watched as Jens Lehmann was sent off early in the game. Despite this setback, Arsenal took the lead through Sol Campbell towards the end of the first half. After an hour, Henrik Larsson came on for Barcelona and was involved in both of their goals. Barcelona equalised through Samuel Eto'o near the end of the second half, and a few minutes later, Juliano Belletti scored to give Barcelona a 2–1 victory. Background It was the first time Arsenal had appeared in the European Cup final, which also made them the first club from London to do so.Arsenal aim to upset the odds https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/europe/4750383.stm BBC Sport 16 May 2006 25 November 2008 Arsenal's appearance in the match came six years to the day since their last European final, when they faced Galatasaray in the 2000 UEFA Cup final; they lost on penalties after the match had finished goalless after extra time. Of the players who featured in that final, only Thierry Henry and Dennis Bergkamp remained at the club, while Sylvinho, who had featured for Arsenal in the final, was now a Barcelona player.http://www.uefa.com/printoutfiles/competitions/ucl/2005/e/e_1108503_pk.pdf Match Press Kit UEFA 16 May 2006 26 November 2008 https://web.archive.org/web/20081217232132/http://www.uefa.com/printoutfiles/competitions/ucl/2005/e/e_1108503_pk.pdf 17 December 2008 dead Barcelona were appearing in the final for the fifth time; their last appearance was a 4–0 loss to Milan in 1994. Two more losses preceded the 1994 final (1961 and 1986), and their only success in the competition came in 1992 when they beat Sampdoria.http://www.fcbarcelona.cat/web/english/club/historia/etapes_historia/etapa_4.html https://archive.today/20080621071948/http://www.fcbarcelona.cat/web/english/club/historia/etapes_historia/etapa_4.html dead 21 June 2008 From the 75th Anniversary to the European Cup (1974–1992) FC Barcelona 28 July 2008 Barcelona went into the final as domestic league champions, having won La Liga a fortnight earlier.https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/europe/4970966.stm Barca retain Spanish league title BBC Sport 3 May 2006 25 November 2008 They were regarded as the best side on the continent because they possessed players such as Ronaldinho and Samuel Eto'o. Barcelona player Deco dismissed the notion of Barcelona being favourites, insisting they would not be complacent: "Milan were winning 3–0 last year against Liverpool and ended up losing in the end. We need to be serious, calm and fully concentrated so that we don't make any errors".https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/europe/4773247.stm Deco shrugging off favourites tag BBC Sport 15 May 2006 25 November 2008 Neither side had been beaten en route to the final, with Arsenal only conceding two goals in their 12 matches before the final, including ten successive matches without conceding. This set the record for the longest time without a conceding a goal, having played 919 minutes since conceding against Ajax in the group stage. Barcelona, on the other hand, had scored 114 goals in all competitions before the final. The two finalists were guaranteed a financial windfall from their progress to the final. Arsenal would receive a revenue of around €37.3 million if they won and approximately €34.7 million if they lost. Barcelona would earn €31.5 million from revenue if they won, and around €28.9 million if they were to lose. Included in the total for participating in the final, the UEFA Champions League winners would collect approximately €6.4 million, with the runners-up receiving approximately €3.8 million.http://www.uefa.com/competitions/ucl/history/season=2005/round=2205/match=1108503/report=pr.html Purists set for dream final UEFA 16 May 2006 25 November 2008 https://web.archive.org/web/20090108025750/http://www.uefa.com/competitions/ucl/history/season%3D2005/round%3D2205/match%3D1108503/report%3Dpr.html 8 January 2009 dead The final marked the appearance of a new trophy following Liverpool's triumph over Milan the previous year. As Liverpool won the competition for the fifth time they were entitled to keep the trophy, creating the need for a new one.https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/l/liverpool/4581555.stm Merseyside revels in Reds victory BBC Sport 26 May 2005 25 November 2008 Venue UEFA awarded the right to host the final to the Stade de France in Saint-Denis after considering its merits in terms of capacity, stadium infrastructure and dossiers including city and airport agreements and promotional plans. UEFA also conducted a variety of site visits.http://www.uefa.com/competitions/ucl/history/season=2005/round=2205/match=1108503/report=mb.html https://web.archive.org/web/20070317233504/http://www.uefa.com/competitions/ucl/history/season=2005/round=2205/match=1108503/report=mb.html dead 17 March 2007 Match Background UEFA 9 September 2007 The Stade de France had previously staged the 2000 UEFA Champions League final between Real Madrid and Valencia, which Madrid won 3–0. Saint-Denis was chosen to host the final in recognition of the 50th anniversary of the first European Cup final in 1956, held in nearby Paris at the Parc des Princes, now home of Paris Saint-Germain.Anniversary reason for Paris decision http://en.uefa.com/uefa/socialresponsibility/newsid=298133.html https://archive.today/20120708092612/http://en.uefa.com/uefa/socialresponsibility/newsid=298133.html dead 8 July 2012 UEFA Union of European Football Associations 28 April 2005 21 June 2010 The Parc des Princes also hosted the 1975 and 1981 European Cup finals, the 1978 and 1995 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup finals, and the 1998 UEFA Cup final. Route to the final 2005–06 UEFA Champions League Teams qualified for the Champions League group stage, either directly or through three preliminary rounds, based on both their position in the preceding domestic league and the strength of that league. Both Arsenal and Barcelona entered the competition in the group stages: Arsenal by finishing second in the 2004–05 FA Premier League, and Barcelona by winning La Liga. The group stages were contested as eight double round robin groups of four teams, with the top two qualifying for the knockout stage. Knockout matches were decided based on home and away matches, with the away goals rule, extra time and penalty shootouts as tiebreakers if needed.Regulations of the UEFA Champions League 2005/06 https://www.uefa.com/newsfiles/19071.pdf https://web.archive.org/web/20051020013336/http://www.uefa.com/newsfiles/19071.pdf 2005 20 October 2005 16 July 2008 UEFA ESP BarcelonaRoundENG ArsenalOpponentResultGroup stageOpponentResultGER Werder Bremen2–0 (A)Matchday 1SUI Thun2–1 (H)ITA 2003 Udinese4–1 (H)Matchday 2NED Ajax2–1 (A)GRE Panathinaikos0–0 (A)Matchday 3CZE Sparta Prague2–0 (A)GRE Panathinaikos5–0 (H)Matchday 4CZE Sparta Prague3–0 (H)GER Werder Bremen3–1 (H)Matchday 5SUI Thun1–0 (A)ITA 2003 Udinese2–0 (A)Matchday 6NED Ajax0–0 (H)Group C winner Group C yes no BARFinal standingsGroup B winner Group B yes no ARSOpponentAgg.1st leg2nd legKnockout stageOpponentAgg.1st leg2nd legENG Chelsea3–22–1 (A)1–1 (H)First knockout roundESP Real Madrid1–01–0 (A)0–0 (H)POR Benfica2–00–0 (A)2–0 (H)Quarter-finalsITA 2003 Juventus2–02–0 (H)0–0 (A)ITA 2003 Milan1–01–0 (A)0–0 (H)Semi-finalsESP Villarreal1–01–0 (H)0–0 (A) Pre-match thumb|right|The two teams line up before kick off Related events Barcelona showed the match live from their Mini Estadi on a 70 m ft on television screen for an estimated audience of 15,276. Before the final, an estimated 1.2 million people descended into the streets of Barcelona, as the team toured the city on two open-top double-decker buses to celebrate winning La Liga. left|thumb|The team flags hoisted above the pitch before the kick-off Officials On the morning of the final it emerged that the assistant referee for the game Ole Hermann Borgan had posed for photographs in a Barcelona shirt for Drammens Tidende, a Norwegian newspaper. After initially sticking by the official, UEFA eventually decided to replace him with fellow Norwegian Arild Sundet. Norway's head of refereeing Rune Pedersen stated: "It is an unwritten rule that referees should not do anything that can doubt their impartial stance".https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/europe/4986436.stm Final linesman denies Barca bias BBC Sport 16 May 2006 25 November 2008 Team selection Barcelona were expected to line up in a 4–2–3–1 formation, with Ronaldinho, Ludovic Giuly and Deco supporting Samuel Eto'o who would be deployed as the lone striker.https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/columnists/henrywinter/2336987/Wengers-pledge-gives-fans-cause-for-optimism.html https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220112/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/columnists/henrywinter/2336987/Wengers-pledge-gives-fans-cause-for-optimism.html 12 January 2022 subscription live Wenger's pledge gives fans cause for optimism The Daily Telegraph 15 May 2006 26 November 2008 London Henry Winter They had doubts about the fitness of Lionel Messi going into the final. He had pulled a thigh muscle during the second leg of their match with Chelsea, and had not played since, though he was included in the 22-man squad for the final. Barcelona coach Frank Rijkaard stated he would leave it late before deciding whether to select him. Despite being included in the squad, Messi did not feature in the final. Arsenal were expected to line up in a 4–5–1 formation, with Thierry Henry as the sole striker. There was much discussion about whether José Antonio Reyes would take the place of Robert Pires on the left of midfield. It had been announced before the match that this would be Pires' last match as he had agreed to join Villarreal next season.https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/arsenal-1-barcelona-2-barcelona-crush-heroic-arsenal-in-space-of-four-brutal-minutes-478659.html https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220501/https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/arsenal-1-barcelona-2-barcelona-crush-heroic-arsenal-in-space-of-four-brutal-minutes-478659.html 1 May 2022 subscription live Arsenal 1 Barcelona 2: Barcelona crush heroic Arsenal in space of four brutal minutes The Independent 18 May 2006 27 November 2008 London Sam Wallace Ultimately, Barcelona fielded a 4–3–3 formation with Mark van Bommel and Edmílson lining up in midfield alongside Deco, ahead of Xavi and Andrés Iniesta. Lionel Messi did not feature in the matchday squad, despite returning from injury and featuring in the 22-man squad, while Henrik Larsson was among the substitutes in potentially his last game for the club. Arsenal fielded a 4–4–1–1 formation, which saw Emmanuel Eboué replace the injured Lauren, and Ashley Cole return at left-back to make only his third appearance in the competition that season due to injury. Thierry Henry was deployed as the lone striker, with Freddie Ljungberg playing off his shoulder.Tactical line-up http://www.uefa.com/competitions/ucl/history/season=2005/round=2205/match=1108503/report=tl.html UEFA 17 May 2006 26 November 2008 https://web.archive.org/web/20090108001228/http://www.uefa.com/competitions/ucl/history/season%3D2005/round%3D2205/match%3D1108503/report%3Dtl.html 8 January 2009 dead Match Summary First half thumb|right|Play during the first half As both teams' first-choice kits featured a shade of red, Arsenal wore their yellow away strip, while Barcelona wore their traditional blue and maroon striped kit. Arsenal won the coin toss and Barcelona kicked off.https://www.theguardian.com/football/minbymin/report/0,,1777091,00.html Arsenal v Barcelona Live The Guardian 17 May 2006 26 November 2008 London https://web.archive.org/web/20081017130217/http://football.guardian.co.uk/minbymin/report/0%2C%2C1777091%2C00.html 17 October 2008 live Barcelona almost immediately came under pressure when Thierry Henry shot straight at Barcelona goalkeeper Víctor Valdés, who conceded a corner. From the resulting corner Arsenal had another chance again courtesy of Henry, whose shot was again saved by Valdés. The next attack in the seventh minute resulted in Arsenal goalkeeper Jens Lehmann saving from Ludovic Giuly after he shot from a narrow angle. Four minutes later Barcelona were awarded a free-kick 35 yards from goal; Ronaldinho shot wide of the goal. With 18 minutes played, Lehmann became the first player to be sent off in a European Cup final after he brought down Samuel Eto'o outside the Arsenal box.Referee regrets Lehmann red card https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/europe/4993994.stm BBC Sport British Broadcasting Corporation 18 May 2006 12 February 2011 Giuly subsequently put the ball in the back of the net, but the goal was not allowed due to the foul. Arsenal substituted Robert Pires for Manuel Almunia, their substitute goalkeeper.http://www.uefa.com/competitions/ucl/history/season=2005/round=2205/match=1108503/report=mbm.html Minute by Minute UEFA 17 May 2006 9 September 2007 https://web.archive.org/web/20070317233533/http://www.uefa.com/competitions/ucl/history/season=2005/round=2205/match=1108503/report=mbm.html 17 March 2007 dead The free-kick was sent wide by Ronaldinho. Following Lehmann's dismissal Barcelona exerted more pressure on Arsenal, to the point where Emmanuel Eboué was cautioned for a high tackle. In the 37th minute Arsenal overcame their numerical disadvantage to score when Sol Campbell headed in from a Thierry Henry free-kick following Carles Puyol's foul on Emmanuel Eboué. Some believed that Eboué was guilty of diving.Wenger Slams Eboue For Diving MTN Football 21 May 2006 11 January 2009 http://www.mtnfootball.com/live/content.php?Item_ID=3496&Revision=en%2F1 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20110816021817/http://www.mtnfootball.com/live/content.php?Item_ID=3496&Revision=en%2F1 16 August 2011https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/europe/4773353.stm Barcelona 2–1 Arsenal BBC Sport 17 May 2006 26 November 2008 https://web.archive.org/web/20071009001809/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/europe/4773353.stm 9 October 2007 live Arsenal held onto their lead for the remainder of the half. Barcelona's best chance came from Eto'o, whose shot hit the post via a save from Almunia. Second half At half-time, Barcelona replaced Edmílson, who had picked up an injury in the first half, with Andrés Iniesta. Almunia saved a shot from Iniesta six minutes into the half. After 61 minutes, Barcelona substituted Van Bommel for Larsson. Minutes later, Alexander Hleb received a pass from Henry but shot wide of the goal. Arsenal began to press forward and both Henry and Ljungberg saw shots saved; Henry then had another chance to score on the counter after being put through by Hleb, but his scuffed shot was straight at Valdés. Following this attack, Oleguer was replaced by Juliano Belletti, and Arsenal replaced Cesc Fàbregas with Mathieu Flamini. Next, Iniesta sent a pass through the inside-left channel to Larsson whose one-touch, right-footed lay-off quickly released Eto'o to equalise for Barcelona. Four minutes later, Larsson was again the provider, playing a one-two with Belletti in the inside-right channel, before the Brazilian full-back shot right-footed through Almunia's legs to score at the near post. The remaining minutes saw Arsenal replace Hleb with Reyes in an attempt to equalise, but Barcelona had the best chance during this period, only for Giuly to hit his shot straight at Almunia. Following this, Larsson impeded the Arsenal goalkeeper and was cautioned. The match finished soon after with Barcelona winning 2–1. With this defeat, Arsenal became the first English club and third overall – after Hamburger SV and Fiorentina – to have been runner-up in all three major European competitions (European Champion Clubs' Cup/UEFA Champions League, UEFA Cup/UEFA Europa League, and the now-defunct Cup Winners' Cup).Roberto Di Maggio https://www.rsssf.org/miscellaneous/intfinalrec.html International Finalists Record Sport Soccer Statistics Foundation 18 February 2021 Details 2006 5 17 y 20:45 Barcelona ESP 2–1 ENG Arsenal Eto'o 76 Belletti 80 Campbell 37 Stade de France, Saint-Denis 79,610Nyon https://editorial.uefa.com/resources/0282-18407a7a3056-fed61d05639b-1000/ucl_202223_finals_md13.pdf 2. Finals UEFA Champions League Statistics Handbook 2022/23 Union of European Football Associations 3 4 June 2023 17 June 2024 live https://web.archive.org/web/20230821082639/https://editorial.uefa.com/resources/0282-18407a7a3056-fed61d05639b-1000/ucl_202223_finals_md13.pdf 21 August 2023 Terje Hauge (Norway) https://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/match/84101/ _barcelona0506h _barcelona0506h _barcelona0506h 002EC4 002EC4 002EC4 A60027 002EC4 Barcelona _arsenala0507 _arsenala0507 _arsenala0507 _arsenala0507 _arsenala0507 FDDA00 FDDA00 FDDA00 2B2B2B 2B2B2B Arsenal GK 1 ESP Víctor ValdésRB 23ESP Oleguer 69 71CB 4 MEX Rafael MárquezCB 5 ESP Carles Puyol (c)LB 12NED Giovanni van BronckhorstDM 15BRA Edmílson 46CM 20POR DecoCM 17NED Mark van Bommel 61RW 8 FRA 1974 Ludovic GiulyLW 10BRA RonaldinhoCF 9 CMR Samuel Eto'oSubstitutes:GK 25ESP Albert JorqueraDF 2 BRA Juliano Belletti 71DF 16BRA SylvinhoMF 3 BRA Thiago MottaMF 6 ESP XaviMF 24ESP Andrés Iniesta 46FW 7 SWE Henrik Larsson 90+3 61Manager:NED Frank Rijkaard300px GK 1 GER Jens Lehmann 0 18RB 27CIV Emmanuel Eboué 22CB 28CIV Kolo TouréCB 23ENG Sol CampbellLB 3 ENG Ashley ColeRM 7 FRA 1974 Robert Pires 18CM 19BRA Gilberto SilvaCM 15ESP Cesc Fàbregas 74LM 13BLR 1995 Alexander Hleb 85SS 8 SWE Freddie LjungbergCF 14FRA 1974 Thierry Henry (c) 51Substitutes:GK 24ESP Manuel Almunia 18DF 20SUI Philippe SenderosDF 22FRA 1974 Gaël ClichyMF 16FRA 1974 Mathieu Flamini 74FW 9 ESP José Antonio Reyes 85FW 10NED Dennis BergkampFW 11NED Robin van PersieManager:FRA 1974 Arsène Wenger Man of the Match: Samuel Eto'o (Barcelona) Assistant referees: Steinar Holvik (Norway) Arild Sundet (Norway) Fourth official: Tom Henning Øvrebø (Norway) Statistics +First halfhttps://www.uefa.com/newsfiles/UCL/2005/1108503_FR.pdf Full time report UEFA 17 May 2006 26 November 2008 https://web.archive.org/web/20081217232130/http://www.uefa.com/newsfiles/UCL/2005/1108503_FR.pdf 17 December 2008 liveStatisticBarcelonaArsenalGoals scored01Total shots84Shots on target33Saves23Ball possession59%41%Corner kicks11Fouls committed107Offsides00Yellow cards01Red cards01 +Second halfStatisticBarcelonaArsenalGoals scored20Total shots124Shots on target62Saves24Ball possession69%31%Corner kicks23Fouls committed109Offsides11Yellow cards21Red cards00 +OverallStatisticBarcelonaArsenalGoals scored21Total shots208Shots on target95Saves47Ball possession64%36%Corner kicks34Fouls committed2016Offsides11Yellow cards22Red cards01 Post-match thumb|right|The Barcelona players receiving their medals Barcelona captain Carles Puyol collected the trophy from UEFA president Lennart Johansson as Barcelona celebrated their second European Cup triumph. Much of the discussion after the match centred around referee Terje Hauge's decision to send off Lehmann. Football pundit Mark Lawrenson stated: "The game changed when Arsenal goalkeeper Jens Lehmann was sent off".https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/europe/4992230.stm Experts views on Arsenal BBC Sport 18 May 2006 28 November 2008 Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger agreed: "When Jens Lehmann got sent off, that left us with 70 minutes to play with ten against eleven, against a team that retains the ball very well".http://www.uefa.com/competitions/ucl/history/season=2005/round=2205/match=1108503/report=rw.html Valdés save vital to victory UEFA 17 May 2006 26 November 2008 https://web.archive.org/web/20090108130502/http://www.uefa.com/competitions/ucl/history/season%3D2005/round%3D2205/match%3D1108503/report%3Drw.html 8 January 2009 dead He refused to openly criticise this decision, although he did criticise the decision to award Barcelona's first goal, as he felt that Samuel Eto'o was offside. Wenger was also adamant that his young side would bounce back from the defeat.https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/europe/4771959.stm Wenger left frustrated by defeat BBC Sport 18 May 2006 26 November 2008 One person who did criticise the referee was Thierry Henry, stating: "I was kicked all over the place. I expected the referee to do his job. I don't think he did".https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/a/arsenal/4992172.stm Furious Henry hits out at referee BBC Sport 18 May 2006 27 November 2008 There was much discussion after the match over whether Henry would remain with Arsenal or move to Barcelona, whom he had been linked with a move to over the past months. Arsène Wenger was asked post match if Henry would leave, to which the Arsenal manager replied: "I don't know. I don't think so".https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/a/arsenal/4992674.stm Wenger hopeful of Henry staying BBC Sport 18 May 2006 27 November 2008 However, on 19 May, Henry signed a new four-year contract with Arsenal, ending the speculation about a possible move to Barcelona.https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/a/arsenal/4996270.stm Henry to stay a Gunner until 2010 BBC Sport 19 May 2005 27 November 2008 Henrik Larsson, who provided the two assists for the goals, was delighted with the triumph and had no regrets over deciding to leave Barcelona after the match: "I want to play football. I feel I haven't played as much as I would love to because of the great players we have at Barcelona". Fellow Barcelona player Giovanni van Bronckhorst was emotional as he won against his former club: "It's special to win the final, and even more special to do it against your old team". Samuel Eto'o, scorer of Barcelona's first goal, cited Liverpool's comeback against Milan as inspiration for Barcelona's victory: "After having seen what Liverpool did last year, we told ourselves not to throw in the towel. We followed Liverpool's example". Barcelona manager Frank Rijkaard praised the role of goalkeeper Victor Valdés in their victory, stating that he made a number of important saves to keep them in the match: "Valdes played a decisive role. He saved us at crucial moments".https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/europe/4772009.stm Larsson excited about his future BBC Sport 18 May 2006 27 November 2008 Talking to FourFourTwo in 2017, Deco regarded Henry missing a chance to make it 2–0 to Arsenal when through one-on-one with Valdés with just over 20 minutes remaining as being a decisive moment in the game.Brewin Joe Deco: We wouldn't have beaten Arsenal in 2006 if Valdes hadn't saved us https://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/deco-we-wouldnt-have-beaten-arsenal-2006-if-valdes-hadnt-saved-us 22 May 2017 2 June 2026 FourFourTwo Thierry Henry paid tribute to Larsson's contribution to Barcelona's win after the game, saying, "People always talk about Ronaldinho, Eto'o, Giuly and everything, but I didn't see them today, I saw Henrik Larsson. He came on, he changed the game, that is what killed the game. Sometimes you talk about Ronaldinho and Eto'o and people like that; you need to talk about the proper footballer who made the difference, and that was Henrik Larsson tonight." Henry also remarked, "You have to remember that Barcelona is a team. It's not Eto'o, it's not Ronaldinho. On Wednesday, the man who made the difference was Henrik Larsson. You have to give him credit for that because when he came on he made some amazing runs around the box and he showed he is a team player. You saw two times he fed the ball back to people and that's what I always talk about, he is a team player. He did that against us, even though the first goal was a close offside decision." Larsson's introduction giving Barcelona the cutting edge required to overcome Arsenal was noted by international press.Henry questions referee http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11670_2377139,00.html Sky Sports 19 September 2020http://www.arsenal.com/news/news-archive/henry-amazing-larsson-made-the-difference "Amazing Larsson made the difference" Arsenal.com 23 July 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20160809132317/http://www.arsenal.com/news/news-archive/henry-amazing-larsson-made-the-difference 9 August 2016 dead dmy-allLarsson takes his leave in the grandest style https://www.theguardian.com/football/2006/may/18/championsleague200506.championsleague1 The Guardian 19 September 20205 Star Names of Champions League Finals for Barcelona https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2479846-5-star-names-of-champions-league-finals-for-barcelona Bleacher Report 19 September 2020 As a result of winning the Champions League, Barcelona would face Sevilla, the winners of the UEFA Cup, in the UEFA Super Cup. Played on 25 August 2006, the match was won 3–0 by Sevilla.https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/europe/5287976.stm Barcelona 0–3 Sevilla BBC Sport 25 August 2006 10 August 2008 Barcelona's victory meant they would also participate in the FIFA Club World Cup. Receiving a bye in the first round, they beat Mexicans Club América 4–0 in the semi-finals to progress to the final where they faced Copa Libertadores champions Internacional of Brazil, who won 1–0.https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/6187783.stm Internacional sink Barca in final BBC Sport 17 December 2006 30 November 2008 https://web.archive.org/web/20090101130101/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/6187783.stm 1 January 2009 live See also 2006 UEFA Cup final 2006 UEFA Women's Cup final 2005–06 Arsenal F.C. season 2005–06 FC Barcelona season Arsenal F.C. in European football FC Barcelona in international football References External links UEFA Champions League Finals official site Official Site (Archived) Final Champions League Final Champions League Final 2006 European Cup Final 2006 Champions League Final 2006 Champions League Final 2006 Category:UEFA Champions League finals Champions Champions UEFA Champions League final Category:Sport in Saint-Denis, Seine-Saint-Denis Category:History of Seine-Saint-Denis UEFA Champions League final 2006