Midfield Key To Barca's Dream - Enrique

If Barcelona and their superstar Lionel Messi are to make Champions League history later on Saturday they have to win the midfield battle with their Juventus counterparts in the final according to Barca coach Luis Enrique.

Messi can become the first player to score in three Champions League finals after Barcelona's 2009 treble – when they swept the league, Cup and Champions League titles – and 2011 triumph.

Barcelona can also become the first side to pull off the treble twice, winning their domestic league and Cup as well as the Champions League.

Barca's star-studded attack of Messi, Neymar and Luis Suarez has amassed 120 goals between them this season and should give a Juventus defence, shorn of the experienced Giorgio Chiellini through injury, a thorough examination at Berlin's Olympic Stadium in front of an expected capacity crowd of just over 74 000.

Enrique cautioned his star attack will only thrive if the likes of veteran duo Andres Iniesta and Xavi Hernandez – like Messi both looking for their fourth Champions League title – and Croatian Ivan Rakitic control the midfield.

But Juve's silky-skilled playmaker Andrea Pirlo – like Juventus goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon a World Cup winner in 2006 at the same stadium – France's Paul Pogba and Chile's Arturo Vidal ensure the Italians will have a powerful midfield presence.

"We are aware that our forwards capture all the attention. Firstly, because we have the best player in the world in Leo (Messi), but to be here we need to have a full team," said Enrique, who can round off his first season with the treble.

"It is not fair just to talk about Messi, he is the best, but the games are played as a team.

"I hope to see the best of my team. We have prepared as a team and we hope to see all the players at their best.

"Everyone is needed. The team has functioned marvellously, that is why we are playing for the treble, but we'll need to be strong in midfield.

"The world of football expects a great final between two teams that will go out to win. It would be nice to see an open and fun game."

Scorching daytime temperatures of over 30 degrees Celsius are expected in Germany's capital to turn up the heat on the clash between Europe's top two teams.

Barcelona start as favourites, but many neutrals here hope Juventus will pull off a shock win to claim the first treble in their history.

"I predict Barcelona will win," said Germany's World Cup-winning coach Joachim Loew.

"Juve are a very strong and a persistent team, with a good record against Barca, but I've seen the Catalan giants twice recently and in the end I think they will come out on top."

Both sides have already captured their domestic league and cup titles and Buffon insists the Italian champions are not here just to make up the numbers.

The Italian champions have a wealth of experience and enjoyed success in the Champions League.

Pirlo won in 2003 and 2007 with AC Milan, Patrice Evra and Carlos Tevez with Manchester United in 2008 and Alvaro Morata last year with Real Madrid.

Barcelona defender Gerard Pique says it is up to the present Barca team to prove they deserve to be considered one of the greatest sides in the world.

"We have Leo, Luis, Neymar and Andres, we have one of the best teams in the history of the club," said the 28-year-old Pique, who like Messi, is seeking to win his third Champions League trophy.

"Now we have to prove we are one of the best teams in the world and we're ready to do that."

Barcelona Have Faced Nothing Like Juventus - Lippi

Juventus' 1996 Champions League-winning coach Marcello Lippi believes the Bianconeri will present Barcelona with their toughest tactical proposition in some time when the two sides meet in the 2015 final in Berlin on Saturday.

Lippi, who also led Italy to World Cup glory in 2006, has told Goal that the Serie A champions have qualities that Barca have yet to face under Luis Enrique, making them something of an unknown quantity to the Catalans.

"These are the best two teams in Europe this season, but when a team gets to this point in a continental competition there are no certainties," explained Lippi. "In my opinion, Luis Enrique and his side have not faced a team so compact, sturdy and so willing to defend as Juventus.

"But the Bianconeri also know how to counter-attack with speed when they regain possession, and this could be a factor in how the game turns out. Barcelona are favourites, of course, but I don't think it will be as easy for them as many seem to think.

"The Catalans have Martians in their attack in Lionel Messi, Neymar and Luis Suarez, and that will make life very complicated for Allegri. But Juve are organised and tough, and we mustn't forget that Buffon is one of the best goalkeepers in the world. I expect a more balanced game than most seem to think it will be."

The 67-year-old added that he sees something in this Juve side that he has seen somewhere before.

"This Juve is growing similarly to my side back in the 1990s, first in Italy and then in Europe. Perhaps before long they will find themselves winning the Club World Cup just as we won the Intercontinental Cup in 1996. I would be delighted if Allegri were to win the trophy. I am not envious as they are all feelings I experienced and they are intoxicating."

And Lippi agrees that Juve have shown a flexibility in their Champions League campaign which bodes well ahead of the final.

"I have no doubt about it, just look at the things we've seen from this side. In Dortmund, for example, Juventus really took the initiative, showing superiority and a real awareness of their potential. Then against Madrid they got on top in the home leg, and while they were forced to suffer a little in the return that is normal for any side at the Bernabeu. They could even have won that game when you consider some of the chances they created.

"After three league titles, Allegri has come in and really added something. He has removed any anxieties from the squad and they have grown tactically. They now play in two different shapes without any transitional issues. This I how huge teams function.

"Luis Enrique has had a similar impact at Barcelona, and has got the best out of Suarez, Neymar and Messi while at the same time they recognise that he is the leader. We all know how the Blaugrana play, the way they use the ball so well and are hard to break down, but they have never faced a team like Juventus, who are so willing to defend so Messi and company will find it difficult

"Juve, though, must believe in themselves and take advantage of Barca's weaknesses. They must not be in awe of the opposition, and remember that all of the pressure is on Barcelona. I expect Juve to be tactically astute, and in 90 minutes anything can happen."

The former Napoli and Inter boss, who had two separate spells in charge of both Juve and the Italian national side, insists there is no set way to prepare for a final.

"Everyone has their own way to prepare for such an event. The important thing is to be focused on the goal, on the field. In a final you have to expect that there will be slight deviations to the general rules, but the only important thing is the result."

Pedro Extends Barca Stay

Spanish international forward Pedro Rodriguez has extended his contract with Barcelona until 2019 despite being pushed into a fringe role over the past season.

"We have struck a deal with Pedro Rodriguez to extend his contract until June 2019," Barcelona said in a statement.

His previous deal had a year to run and the man who has slipped down the Barcelona pecking order since the arrivals of Neymar and Luis Suarez was thought to be considering his options.

The 27-year-old won the 2010 World Cup and Euro 2012 with Spain, for whom he has 50 caps, but started just 22 games for Barcelona this season, scoring eleven goals.

Pedro came through the Barcelona youth system and was brought into the first team by Pep Guardiola with his breakthrough year being 2010.

Five Key Questions In The UCL Final

Five key questions in the Champions League final at Berlin's Olympic Stadium on Saturday between Juventus and Barcelona:

Can the Juventus defence contain Barcelona's MSN strike-force?

Barcelona's South American strike-force of Argentina superstar Lionel Messi, Brazil's Neymar and Uruguay's Luis Suarez have scored 120 goals between them already this season as Suarez has slotted seamlessly into Barca's attack and Messi has been in the form of his career.

But the Juventus back four managed to subdue Real Madrid's star-studded attack and soaked up all that Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale and Karim Benzema threw at them in the second leg of their semi-final tie. Now, without the injured Giorgio Chiellini, they must repeat that performance.

Can Juventus get a grip on Barcelona in midfield?

Led by the class of veteran Andrea Pirlo, and with Arturo Vidal, Claudio Marchisio and Paul Pogba in there too, there is enough quality in the Juventus midfield for them to take on the Barcelona trio of Sergio Busquets, Ivan Rakitic and Andres Iniesta.

Barcelona can also call on the veteran Xavi Hernandez, who will at some point during the game make his final appearance for the Catalans before joining Qatari side Al Sadd next season.

Can the old master Gianluigi Buffon outshine Barcelona 'keeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen?

As the only survivor from Juventus' last Champions League final appearance in 2003, the 37-year-old Buffon is showing no signs of ageing and is determined to win his first European Cup.

Buffon, who was outstanding in Juve's 3-2 semi-final win on aggregate over Real Madrid, is relishing a return to the Olympic Stadium where he won the World Cup with Italy in 2006.

In the opposite goal, Ter Stegen, who is 14 years Buffon's junior, has got the nod in Europe this season despite coach Luis Enrique selecting the Chilean Claudio Bravo in La Liga.

Now, in his first season playing in Europe's elite club competition, he is looking forward to facing one of his childhood heroes.

"Buffon is a legend. He really has played a remarkable season. It was great to see him perform the way he did against Real Madrid," said Ter Stegen. "It's a good opportunity for him, but I hope I can win the final, not him."

Can Morata and Tevez break their Barcelona duck?

With 14 and 29 goals respectively, Alvaro Morata and Carlos Tevez have forged an impressive partnership up front for Juventus, but both have an extra point to prove against Barcelona.

Morata never scored against Barca when he was on the books at Real Madrid, while Tevez was on the losing side for Manchester United against Barcelona in his last Champions League final appearance.

Having lifted the trophy with United in Moscow in May 2008 by beating Chelsea on penalties in the final, Tevez played the second half of the 2009 final in Rome when Messi orchestrated Barca's 2-0 victory.

While Messi threatens to again steal the limelight in Berlin, Barcelona's Javier Mascherano warns their Argentinian compatriot Tevez is just as deadly in front of goal.

"He is one of the best players I have ever shared a pitch with and he has an incredible winning mentality," said Mascherano.

"He is a player that likes to play these type of games and clearly is one of the most important players in the Juventus team."

Can Juventus break Barcelona's resolve at set-pieces?

Only once this season has Barcelona's defence been breached from a set-piece, when Bayern Munich defender Medhi Benatia headed past Ter Stegen from a corner early in the Champions League semi-final second leg.

But with their height and strength, Juventus will test the Catalans' defence in the air from dead-ball situations.

Morata's crucial equaliser following a Pirlo free-kick in the semi-final second leg against Madrid ultimately booked Juve's ticket to Berlin. Barcelona's centre-backs Mascherano and Gerard Pique will therefore need to be at the top of their game in the final, especially whenever Pirlo gets the chance to send in a free-kick.

Ivory Coast Advertise For New Coach

The Ivory Coast Football Federation (FIF) has advertised the national team coaching job as they look for a replacement for Herve Renard, an official source revealed on Thursday.

The FIF will give candidates until June 15 to put their names forward before a committee puts a five-man shortlist to the federation's executive committee to decide on who the chosen coach will be.

In the meantime, Ibrahim Kamara will take interim charge of the team until the end of June.

Frenchman Renard left the Elephants to take charge of Ligue 1 club Lille last month, with the FIF allowing him to end his contract early.

Renard, 46, had signed a renewable two-year deal last August and led the Ivory Coast to glory at the Africa Cup of Nations in Equatorial Guinea in February, their first continental title since 1992.

Renard also won the Cup of Nations as coach of Zambia in 2012.

The Ivory Coast are due to begin their campaign to qualify for the 2017 Cup of Nations against Sierra Leone in early September.

They were drawn in qualifying Group I alongside their west African neighbours and Sudan.

Messi Back On Top Of The World

By Lionel Messi's exceptional standards 2014 was a year to forget. For the first time in six years he went trophyless at club level with Barcelona, while arguably his best ever chance to win a World Cup with Argentina came and went.

His listless performances particularly in the latter stages of the World Cup, despite being controversially named player of the tournament, led many to believe he could never return to the level that dazzled as he became the first man to win four consecutive World Player of the Year awards between 2008 and 2012.

Fast-forward a year and Messi's displays in the past six months may even have eclipsed anything that came before.

After a brief stand off with coach Luis Enrique when Messi was left out of the opening game of the year after returning later than his teammates from their winter break, Messi has dragged Barcelona from the verge of institutional crisis to within one game of a treble when they face Juventus in the Champions League final on Saturday.

"Last year I had an inconsistent season. I was out for a long time due to injuries and I missed a lot of matches. When I returned to the field I never felt right," Messi admitted recently.

"It was a year I tried to forget quickly and recover my best form thanks to the joy, hard work and effort that I have always had and thankfully now I feel very good."

Messi's change in physical state has come about thanks to a radical change in diet. The 27-year-old has lost a reported 3.5 kilograms (7.7 pounds) since starting to work with Italian dietician Giuliano Poser at the start of the season.

A noticeably more slimline Messi has not only got to the end of the season in prime physical condition despite playing all but 70 minutes of Barca's full La Liga and Champions League campaigns, he has recovered the pace in short bursts that makes him practically impossible to stop.

In last weekend's Copa del Rey final against Athletic Bilbao he scored one of the most memorable of his 412 Barcelona goals by showing a combination of strength, speed and incredible skill to burst past four Athletic defenders before firing in at the near post.

Even the coach that arguably knows Messi best of all was powerless to stop him. On the eve of Pep Guardiola's return to the Camp Nou as Bayern Munich boss, he declared that Messi's current form meant that "there is not a system or coach to stop talent of his magnitude."

A day later and Guardiola learned how it felt to be on the other side od Messi's genius as a two-goal salvo in three minutes took the tie away from Bayern.

"He is back, he is there where I had the privilege to train him," Guardiola said after the tie.

"He is definitely back at his best."

Juventus have defied the odds to get back to the top of the European game, but the task of not just stopping Messi but also Neymar and Luis Suarez may prove one too far.

The star South American triumvirate have combined for 120 goals this season, while the whole Juventus squad has managed 103.

Moreover, after a dry spell, Barca are in no mood to let the chance of becoming the first team to ever win the treble slip away.

"We came from a time when we won everything, every year we would win a title and maybe the fans like us didn't give it the value it deserved," Messi added.

"We went through a year where we didn't win anything and now when the success arrives we give it the importance it deserves and enjoy it more because we know how hard it is to achieve."

Messi may have dropped his weight, but his hunger for titles remains undiminished.

Onazi, Ighalo & Five Others Arrive Super Eagles Camp

The Super Eagles camp in Abuja is gradually bubbling to life as invited foreign based professionals trickle in. First to arrive the base of the national team was England-based forward, Odion Ighalo.
Ighalo helped Watford secure promotion to the English Premier League and also finished the season as club’s top scorer.

Also in camp are Ogenyi Onazi, John Ogu, Babatunde Michael, Steven Ukoh, Anderson Esiti and William Troost Ekong.

According to Keshi, all the foreign based players to be in camp on or before midnight on Wednesday, June 3 except Aaron Samuel who was granted permission by the ‘Big Boss’.

Nigeria will take on the Chad at the Ahmadu Bello Stadium in Kaduna on June 13 as the race for Gabon 2017 begins across Africa.

Warner: I Will Reveal An Avalanche Of Evidence Against Fifa And Blatter

Jack Warner says he has passed on evidence that implicates Fifa and Sepp Blatter in involvement in the Trinidad and Tobago elections in 2010.

The former Fifa vice-president was one of 14 people indicted by the United States Department of Justice last week in a move that preceded Friday's Fifa elections in Zurich - which later proved futile when re-elected Blatter revealed his decision to quit four days later.

Warner has said he has evidence of "a link between Fifa, its funding and me, the link between Fifa, its funding and the United National Congress and The People's Partnership Government in general election 2010", while the 72-year-old also indicated his documents directly implicate Blatter.

"It also deals with my knowledge of international transactions at Fifa, including its president Mr Sepp Blatter and, lastly, other matters involving the nation's current prime minister," Warner said in an address televised on TV6.

The ex-Fifa official then claimed he has protected Fifa from his allegations for now, but he is ready to turn on his former employer now that he is implicated in corrupt activity.

"I have, in these circumstances, decided that I will no longer keep secrets for them who now seek to actively destroy this country in which I live, who seek to destroy this country's hard-won international image, this country's fate," he continued.

"I have no intention of allowing them to deprive me of my freedom.

"I reasonably and surely fear for my life.

"I have, as promised, compiled a comprehensive and detailed series of documents, including cheques and corroborated statements, and placed them in different and respected hands.

"I have, in effect, placed the outcome of those matters beyond even my own reach. Retracting them is now an impossibility. There can be no turning back.

"Not even death will stop the avalanche that is coming. The die is cast. There can be no turning back. Let the chips fall where they fall."

Shooting Stars Turn To Ogunbote

Struggling Premier League side, Shooting Stars Sports Club have turned to Sharks gaffer, Gbenga Ogunbote to safe their season following the exit of Franklin Howard after 10 matches.

supersport.com learnt Ogunbote's contract is for the rest of the season.

Howard led the team to the elite class, but struggled to earn decent results and was eventually sacked last week.

Interestingly, Ogunbote continued from where he stopped last season with the Port-Harcourt side, but couldn't turn down the approach from 3SC.

Ogunbote's bitter experience with some fans of the club contributed to his decision to seek fortunes elsewhere and Shooting Stars capitalized on his availability.

"Ogunbote arrived at Ibadan on Wednesday and will watch the team for the first time on Thursday. He has been engaged as the club's new gaffer", a source at the club informed superrsport.com.

It's the first time Ogunbote will coach the famous Shooting Stars.

Transfer Rumours And Paper Review – Wednesday, June 3

Here's the top transfer-related stories in Wednesday's newspapers...

Real Madrid are convinced they have finally won the battle to land David De Gea for £30million. Sources close to the player claim the deal for him to leave Manchester United is now virtually done. It is the news Manchester United fans have been dreading and is the latest twist in the summer’s biggest transfer saga. (The Sun)

De Gea has already said his goodbyes to United staff and told the Spanish giants he will be coming to the Bernabeu this summer. (Daily Star)

Real, meanwhile, have rejected a £110m offer from Manchester United for Gareth Bale and Raphael Varane. (Daily Express)

Robin van Persie has admitted he is at a crossroads in his Manchester United career.  Speaking for the first time about his frustrations at United, Van Persie claimed he wants to play every week next season. Van Persie, 31, has just one year left on his United deal and his admission will alert Juventus and Fenerbahce, who are interested in the Holland striker. (Daily Mirror)

Manchester City want £32million-rated Real Madrid midfielder Isco as they plan their summer revamp. The 23-year-old Bernabeu star is seen as a natural heir to the Blues' current playmaker David Silva, 29. (Daily Mirror)

Chelsea have entered the race for Napoli striker Gonzalo Higuain. Liverpool, Arsenal and Manchester United have all been linked with mega-money moves for the Argentine. Now the Blues have joined the chase and are ready to launch a £30million move. (Daily Star)

Tottenham want Marseille's £12million-rated midfield enforcer Giannelli Imbula  and are ready to offer Benjamin Stambouli to the French club as part of a deal. (Daily Mirror)

Manchester City have been dealt a blow in their pursuit of Kevin de Bruyne after Wolfsburg warned the winger won't be sold. City are keen to bring the £35million-rated Belgian back to the Premier League following a miserable time in England with Chelsea. However, Wolfsburg's chairman Francisco Javier Garcia Sanz insists the 23-year-old, or any of his teammates, are not for sale. (Daily Mirror)

Lyon striker Alexandre Lacazette has effectively ruled out a move to Liverpool this summer. (Daily Mirror)

Paul Clement is launching a £2million move for Aston Villa outcast Andreas Weimann. Clement, the new Derby County head coach, is ready to make an offer for the Austrian attacker after he was told he can leave Villa by manager Tim Sherwood. (Daily Telegraph)