SUMMARY
- FC Barcelona defeated Manchester United 2-0 in the UCL final 08/09.
- Nemanja Vidic had a hard time stopping Lionel Messi in the match.
The Pep Guardiola managed FC Barcelona was perhaps one of the most fearsome club teams of all time. The Spanish club was a master at tiring their opponents out by consistently passing and not giving up possession.
The team had a plethora of world-class talents in the form of Lionel Messi, Andres Iniesta, Xavi, Sergio Busquets, etc. In an iconic era in Barca’s history, the club won two UCLs and three La Liga titles, amongst many other trophies.
🔵🔴 That winning feeling for Leo Messi in 2009 🏆#UCL pic.twitter.com/el4r3VnZ9W
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) October 9, 2020
One of the most convincing trophy wins during this time for the club was the 2008/09 Champions League final. The Spanish team had beaten a star-studded Manchester United to win the third UCL in club history. The win looked so convincing that it is still a talking point for two of United’s biggest legends.
Nemanja Vidic recalls how he was spellbound by Lionel Messi
The Serbian defender was one of the most hard-hitting tacklers during his playing days. Robin Van Persie had perfectly defined Vidic’s bravery and commitment while defending, when he said, “Nemanja puts his head where other players are scared to put their feet.”
Hence, it is surprising to hear a defender like Nemanja Vidic submit to the supremacy of a forward. But listening to his words, it doesn’t look like he had any other option against Lionel Messi in the 2008/09 UCL final.
The Serb and Manchester United could not comprehend Lionel Messi’s role on the night. It took them time to realize that the Argentine wasn’t actually playing as a striker. He was playing as a ‘false-9’, a concept popularized by the duo of Pep Guardiola and Lionel Messi.
In that game, Lionel Messi kept dropping down from a central position to pick up passes. This meant that one of the CBs had to come off his line to mark the Inter Miami player. But in doing so, United left out acres of space in the back, which was infiltrated by the wingers.
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Nemanja Vidic explained it beautifully when he said, “He’s actually always in between the defenders and middle of the park and actually he’s inviting you to go out of you zone, so that you can leave in the zone for the wingers, they can run space behind and this what you try to avoid.”
And this is exactly how the first goal arrived via a Samuel Eto’o strike. The Cameroonian used the space left behind due to Messi’s move to slot home a very composed finish. Lionel Messi also appeared on the scoresheet thanks to his astounding headed goal. It took real soccer brilliance on the part of FC Barcelona to defeat Manchester United, who were the Premier League winners that season.
Rio Ferdinand believes FC Barcelona took the joy of winning out of him
The Englishman, too, concurred about the brilliance of Lionel Messi and Barca on the night. The two believed that it was the worst and longest game of their careers. The two defenders hardly had any sniff of the ball and were left defending for almost the entirety of the match.
Rio had this to say about the game, “It was the worst game ever and longest. They were just, they were a great team as simple as that. Sometimes after time you look at it and you’re on the beach after that.”
The 45-year-old made the shocking revelation that FC Barcelona had hampered the Englishman’s mental health as well. Manchester United had faced FC Barcelona in the final of the UCL in both 2009 and 2011, but could not register a single win. The two losses reportedly caused a lot of mental trauma for Rio Ferdinand, who was part of a successful team.
Rio Ferdinand and Manchester United had won the Premier League in both seasons, yet they could not defeat FC Barcelona in the final of the UCL. He said, “We won the league, we won the league both those years and I am never going to enjoy it. Just the final took everything out of you, it’s crazy.”
However, despite the regret of losing out on two UEFA Champions League titles, both Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic agreed that they lost to arguably one of the best club teams of all time. It was an FC Barcelona team that had reached at least the semi-finals of the UCL in each season from 2008-12.
The Spanish side had revolutionized the way soccer was played with their electric passing speed and genius off-the-ball movements. Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic therefore have no shame in losing out to such a great team.
