Factbox: Golden Boot winner Thomas Mueller

(Reuters) – Factbox on Germany forward Thomas Mueller, who won the World Cup Golden Boot and Young Player of the Tournament awards on Sunday:

Born: September 13, 1989 in Weilheim, Germany

EARLY DAYS AND PERSONAL LIFE

* Mueller joined Bayern Munich on July 1 2000 aged just 10 from junior team TSV Paehl and played at various youth levels for Bayern and Germany.

* Made his debut for Bayern against Hamburg SV in the Bundesliga on August15 2008 coming on as a substitute for Miroslav Klose in the 79th minute.

* Made a handful of appearances in the 2008/09 season and scored in the second leg of Bayern’s 12-1 aggregate win over Sporting in the quarter-finals of the Champions League.

* Married his girlfriend Lisa late in 2009.

BREAKTHROUGH

* Bayern appointed Dutch coach Louis van Gaal before the start of the 2009/10 season which led to Mueller enjoying more starts in the first team. The forward made 34 league appearances, scoring 13 goals as Bayern claimed their 22nd German title.

* Mueller also started the German Cup final where Bayern thrashed Werder Bremen 4-0 but he could not help the Germans to an unprecedented treble as they lost 2-0 to Inter Milan in the Champions League final.

* Made his international debut on March 3 this year in a 1-0 home defeat by Argentina.

WORLD CUP

* Scored his first goal for Germany in their opening game of the 2010 World Cup, a 4-0 win over Australia.

* Scored two goals against England in a fantastic display of attacking football as Germany knocked out their rivals in the second round with a 4-1 victory.

* Opens the scoring after just three minutes of the quarter-final against Argentina as Germany crush the South Americans 4-0.

* Scores his fifth goal with his fifth shot on target in the tournament as Germany beat Uruguay 3-2 to finish in third.

* Finished as World Cup joint top scorer but pips David Villa, Diego Forlan and Wesley Sneijder to the Golden Boot award courtesy of more assists and time on the pitch. Is also named the young player of the tournament.

(Writing by Patrick Johnston; editing by Jon Bramley)

Penpix of Reuters’ team of the tournament

(Reuters) – Reuters reporters at the World Cup voted for 11 players to make up their team of the tournament Sunday.

Some 20 journalists nominated a total of 49 players from 15 different countries. Pen portraits of the 11 with the most votes are below.

Goalkeeper

Richard Kingson (Ghana) – Every World Cup gives journeymen a chance to shine and after a largely low-key, wandering club career, Wigan Athletic’s third-choice goalkeeper Kingson impressed throughout in a strong showing by Ghana. Made the most saves of any keeper at the finals.

Defenders

Maicon (Brazil) – In a disappointing tournament for the Brazilians, Maicon was the only player to really enhance his reputation. Energetic down the right, he will be best remembered for his goal from an extremely tight angle against North Korea. Gerard Pique (Spain) – For all the talk of Spain’s passing game, a big part of their success was built on a watertight defense that conceded just two goals in the tournament and not one in the knockout stage. Pique has been rock solid.

Carles Puyol (Spain) – Like Pique, Puyol has been at the heart of a miserly defense but the curly-haired center-half will be remembered at this World Cup for his thundering headed winner against Germany in the semi-final.

Philipp Lahm (Germany) – Took over the captaincy from the injured Michael Ballack and is reluctant to hand it back after a tournament in which his authority was hugely enhanced and his reputation boosted by some fine performances at fullback.

MIDFIELDERS

Xavi (Spain) – A sublime playmaker whose passing has been up to his usual, extremely high standards. The midfielder has been at the heart of Spain’s metronomic passing game, his ball control and shielding technique are exemplary.

Bastian Schweinsteiger (Germany) – If there was an award for the most transformed player Schweinsteiger would win it. Bayern Munich’s Dutch coach Louis van Gaal has turned an underachieving winger into a commanding presence in central midfield. Wesley Sneijder (Netherlands) – The shaven-headed midfielder has made Real Madrid look foolish for offloading him. Cast out at the start of the season, he went on to win the Italian Cup, Serie A and Champions League. A livewire playmaker, organiser, attacking threat and grafter too. What more could a coach want? Andres Iniesta (Spain) – Spain’s style of play would not be the same without the pace and trickery of the midfielder. He loves to switch wings and exploit the space his quick passing team mates tease open. A nightmare for defenses to cope with, he got a vital goal against Chile in the group stage — and saved the best for last by scoring the winner in the final.

STRIKERS

Diego Forlan (Uruguay) – The 31-year-old, who has got better with age, won the Golden Ball for best player of the finals. Now in a deeper role, he was the main creative force and attacking threat for the best South American team at the tournament.

His shooting was particularly dangerous from long range as shown by strikes from distance against South Africa in the group stage and in the semi-final defeat by Netherlands. David Villa (Spain) – Whether in a wide role supporting the main striker or down the middle as the sole forward, Villa’s pace, movement, touch and eye for goal made him the biggest attacking threat at the finals in which he scored five goals.

Substitutes: Manuel Neuer (Germany), Sergio Ramos (Spain), Diego Lugano (Uruguay), Giovanni van Bronckhorst (Netherlands), Arjen Robben (Netherlands), Thomas Mueller (Germany), Miroslav Klose (Germany)

(Writing by Simon Evans; Editing by Ken Ferris)

Spain determined not to emulate glorious Dutch side

South Africa (Reuters) – Spain are determined not to be remembered like the Dutch side of the 1970s who were widely praised for their delightful playing style but ended up trophyless, according to midfielder Xavi.

Deploying tactics that came to be known as ‘Total Football’, Netherlands reached the World Cup final in 1974 and 1978 but fell respectively to Franz Beckenbauer’s West Germany and an Argentina side fired by the goals of Mario Kempes.

The Dutch players’ orange shirts and their style, based around rapid passing and dominance of possession, prompted the nickname ‘clockwork orange’ in Spain after the film but Xavi said the team were only remembered now for their football.

“We don’t want to become another clockwork orange, we want to be the champions,” he told Spanish daily El Periodico ahead of Sunday’s final against Netherlands in Johannesburg.

“We want to go down in history by lifting this trophy,” he added. “It would be hugely just for football, good for this sport and, what’s more, this generation of players deserves it.”

Midfielder Sergio Busquets, who plays with Xavi at Spanish champions Barcelona, said on Friday Spain owed a large debt of gratitude to Netherlands because of the strong Dutch influence at Barca down the years.

Seven Barcelona players started Spain’s semi-final against Germany, including Xavi, Andres Iniesta and Busquets, all of whom have inherited part of the legacy handed down from Dutch coaches Johan Cruyff through Louis van Gaal to Frank Rijkaard.

The Barcelona connection also applies to Netherlands assistant coaches Frank de Boer and Phillip Cocu plus captain Giovanni van Bronckhorst and midfielder Mark van Bommel.

(Editing by Ken Ferris)

Inter beats Bayern 2-0 to win Champions League

The Dutch master was bettered by hispupil when Jose Mourinho’s Inter Milan strolled to a comfortable 2-0 victory in the Champions League final over a weak Bayern Munich team coached by his one-time boss Louis van Gaal.

Argentina’s Diego Milito scored twice on Saturday as Inter Milan squeezed the life out of a hesitant Bayern team to end a 45-year wait for its third title.

The victory might also signal Mourinho’s exit from Inter.

After the game, he said it was “more probable that I’ll go than stay.” He is tipped to take over at Real Madrid, where yesterday’s final was played.

The Argentina striker Milito scored in the 35th and 70th minutes at the Bernabeu Stadium to add the title to Inter’s triumphs back in 1964 and ’65.

The merited victory – Inter dominated the game – meant that Inter coach Jose Mourinho completed the triple triumphs of the Champions League and domestic league and cup successes and became only the third coach to win the title with two different clubs.

Mourinho, who won it with FC Porto in 2004, out-thought Bayern coach Louis van Gaal, the man he worked for while they were at Barcelona. This time the pupil was the master as Mourinho relied on his solid defense to snuff out the threat of Bayern’s Arjen Robben and expertly won the game on the counter-attack.

Milito’s two goals were taken with style and he had great support from attacking midfielder Wesley Sneijder and defensive midfielders Esteban Cambiasso and Javier Zanetti, the Inter captain who collected the trophy in his 700th appearance for the club.

The loss meant that Bayern missed out on the treble, having also won the domestic league and cups.

“We were not good enough to impose our game,” Van Gaal said. “Inter only reacted but they still won deservedly. The timing of the goals was decisive. The players learned today that it comes down to small details.

“I still have the feeling that we could have won. There were no great difference. We attacked, Inter defended. but you have to be in great shape to beat Inter and we were not today.

I still think Inter merited the win.”

Franz Beckenbauer, honorary president of Bayern, said Inter deserved its victory.”Bayern did not have its day. We had a few moments at the start of the second half but that was not enough,” he said. “They made fewer mistakes.”

After the final whistle, Mourinho walked onto the field and was congratulated by his players in a low key celebration by his standards. In the past he has been known to race across the pitch to celebrate some of his most famous victories, infuriating opposing supporters.

Before the medal ceremony, he left his Inter players and walked over to the Bayern camp, hugging van Gaal as he had promised at the news conference on the eve of the final.

Although Bayern had chances early in the second half, Inter’s defense was rock solid as it has been all through the competition, especially when it knocked defending champion Barcelona out in the semifinal.

The triumph was also a big one for Mourinho amid speculation that he might walk out on Inter and move to Real Madrid, the club that plays at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium.

The first half was a tale of the contrasting fortunes of two Dutchmen.

Bayern’s Arjen Robben, left rolling on the ground after three solid tackles by Inter defenders in the first 13 minutes, earned himself three shooting chances but couldn’t recreate the accurate strikes that eliminated Fiorentina and Manchester United.

Inter’s Wesley Sneijder, by contrast, forced Bayern ‘keeper Joerg Butt into a punching save and set up the first half strike by Milito.

From a huge kick upfield by Inter goalkeeper Julio Cesar, Milito headed the ball on to Sneijder who returned it immediately with a superbly accurate pass through the Bayern defense. Milito held off a defender before firing past the ‘keeper from 12 meters, sparking wild celebrations among the Inter fans at the other end of the stadium.

It should have been 2-0 just before halftime when Sneijder and Milito combined again. This time the Argentina striker put the Dutchman clear but his shot was blocked by

Butt. In a fast-moving sequence in the opening minute of the second half, Bayern almost equalized and then went close to falling 2-0 behind.

Bayern opened up the Inter defense and Hamit Altintop presented Thomas Mueller with a clear shooting chance only for the 20-year-old striker to see his shot bounce off the ‘keeper’s legs.

Inter survived that scare to break out at the other end.

Milito burst down the left and crossed to Goran Pandev, whose left-footed lob was acrobatically finger-tipped over the bar by Butt.

Inter goalkeeper Julio Cesar matched that when Robben’s shot from the corner of the area appeared to be curling inside the far post but the Brazilian dived to push it away.

It was a crucial save as Inter broke out to score a second which effectively killed off the game. Samuel Eto’o's pass found Milito on the left and the striker twisted past Daniel van Buyten before firing inside the far post in front of the Inter fans.

Milito helps Inter end 45-year wait for Europe’s top prize

Madrid, May 23 (DPA) A goal in each half by Argentina striker Diego Milito helped Inter Milan overcome Bayern Munich 2-0 in the Champions League final Saturday in Madrid’s Bernabeu stadium and end the Italian club’s 45-year wait for Europe’s top club title.

Coach Jose Mourinho may have dominated the build-up to this year’s final – not least because of what looks like his impending move to Real Madrid – but Milito stole the show on the pitch with two clinical finishes to help Inter become the first Italian club to register the treble of domestic league, cup and Champions League.

‘I cannot explain how I feel,’ said Milito, who also scored in all three Champions League knockout rounds as well as netting the winner in the Italian Cup final against AS Roma.

‘It’s a joy I have never experienced before. It is great for the club. It is a unique sensation. This is football. I’m very happy. I always fought. I always tried to give my maximum.’

Bayern were going for a treble themselves, but without the suspended Franck Ribery were overly reliant on Arjen Robben and were unable to break a resolute Inter defence down.

Bayern coach Louis van Gaal said Ribery’s absence made a huge difference. ‘It is always easy to say after a defeat that Ribery was missing.

‘We also played without Ribery against Lyon and Juventus and half the season. I don’t think it is respectful to the other players to point out the players that are missing.

‘But in a team with this style we need a creative player and Franck is a creative player and we missed him.’

Mourinho, meanwhile, joins Ernst Happel (Feyenoord and SV Hamburg) and Ottmar Hitzfeld (Borussia Dortmund and Munich) as the only coach to have won the European Cup/Champions League with two different clubs.

The Portuguese cried at the final whistle and certainly acted like he was saying farewell to Inter, but said in the press conference after the game, that he was the coach of the Seria A club and not Real. ‘I am very, very proud to be coach of Inter.

‘If I become coach of Real, would be because they are a huge club. They want to win. They are like Inter, they want to win not only at home, they also want to win in Europe.’

However, when he was asked directly when he was going to speak to Real Madrid president Florentino Perez, he said Monday.

He also confirmed that there were discussions going on between clubs. ‘But I don’t know my next project yet,’ he said.

Inter president Massimo Moratti noted his coach’s emotional response to the victory.

‘I hope it was not a sense of guilt,’ he noted wryly before adding that repeating the feat of his late father Angelo, who steered Inter from 1955 to 1968 was a magical feeling.

‘It’s a beautiful thing and I hope it remains in the heart of everyone as it did 45 years ago. We won a great cup and the team deserved it very much. Tonight we have to celebrate, then we’ll see.’

Although the Nerazzuri started the stronger, Bayern displayed the resilience that has been their trademark this season and slowly began to settle with Robben nearly finding Ivica Olic at the near post after 10 minutes.

Inter had to wait until the 18th minute for their first goal threat when a Wesley Sneijder free-kick took a slight deflection but Hans-Joerg Butt pushed the ball away to safety.

Despite having the edge in terms of possession, van Gaal was left fuming in the 35th minute when his side fell behind to a simple route-one effort from Inter.

Goalkeeper Julio Cesar’s long goal-kick was steered into the path of Sneijder by Milito, who latched on to the Dutchman’s return ball before clipping the ball over the advancing Butt to make it 1-0.

Samuel Eto’o nearly made his way through the Bayern defence two minutes later but Martin Demichelis managed to clear the danger while three minutes before the break Milito set up Sneijder, but the Dutchman fired straight at the approaching Butt.

In an electric start to the second half, Thomas Mueller nearly levelled matters when found by Olic in the box, but Bayern’s best chance of the match came to nothing as the midfielder’s weak strike was easily dealt with by Julio Cesar.

A minute later, Goran Pandev’s curling effort from the edge of the area was turned away by Butt as Inter almost caught the German champions out on the break.

Hamit Altintop’s shot hit the side netting on 53 minutes as Inter began to sit back, while nine minutes later Robben whipped in a fierce free-kick from the left that broke to Mueller, but his shot was headed clear by Esteban Cambiasso.

Julio Cesar was called into action once again on 65 minutes when he managed to claw away a Robben shot that looked destined for the top corner as Inter continued to play a dangerous defensive game.

Cristian Chivu was replaced by Dejan Stankovic shortly afterwards, having struggled for long periods against Robben, but with 20 minutes remaining Milito struck the killer blow with his second goal of the game and sixth goal of this season’s Champions League campaign.

Milito beautifully controlled Eto’o's pass before ghosting past Daniel van Buyten and calmly slotting the ball past Butt to make it 2-0.

Milito was given a deserved standing ovation when replaced by Marco Materazzi in added time as Inter fans celebrated their third Champions League triumph after distant successes in 1964 and 1965.

‘I am very happy for the president. He deserves this. The club deserves it,’ said Milito.

Ribery signs contract extension with Bayern

French playmaker Franck Ribery has extended his Bayern Munich contract until 2015 to end months of speculation about his future, the losing Champions League finalists said on Sunday.

“We’re delighted we’ve reached agreement on a contract extension with one of the world’s best players,” Bayern chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge told the Bundesliga club’s website (www.fcbayern.t-com.de).

“That is a sign of the big goals the team has set for the coming years.”

Bayern said the new deal was signed with the 27-year-old before they lost 2-0 in the Champions League final to Inter Milan on Saturday.

“I made five more years,” the Frenchman told a 25,000-strong crowd at Munich’s central Marienplatz square, speaking in broken German, as the team were welcomed home.

He was referring to the five years he is contracted to play for Bayern, including the one year left on his old contract.

German media reported his annual salary would be around 10 million euros ($12.5 million).

The France international, who joined Bayern in 2007 on a four-year deal, missed the match due to suspension after being sent off in the first leg of the semi-final against French side Olympique Lyon.

“My family and I are delighted that we’re staying in Munich. The club has become a big family for me,” Ribery said in a statement. “I am very happy that I opted to continue working together with Bayern.”

Real Madrid, Barcelona and Manchester United had reportedly shown interest in the player, who is expected to have a big role for France at the June 11-July 11 World Cup in South Africa.

Ribery, who almost signed for Real last year, had said in the past months he would like to play in Spain or England to challenge for the top European title.

Ribery decided to stay at Bayern following an extremely successful season under new coach Louis van Gaal, winning their domestic league and Cup double and unexpectedly reaching the Champions League final.

“We will do everything to be back in the final in the coming years,” Rummenigge said after a convoy of cars carried the team into the city centre.

(Writing by Karolos Grohmann in Munich and Alan Baldwin in London; editing by Ed Osmond and Sonia Oxley; To query or comment on this story email sportsfeedback@thomsonreuters.com)

Grand occasion as Inter reclaim European crown at last

Inter Milan’s 2-0 win over Bayern Munich in the Champions League final will be remembered more for Diego Milito’s two brilliant goals and the sub-plots and intrigues surrounding the game rather than the football.

Staged in Real Madrid’s awe inspiring Santiago Bernabeu stadium, UEFA president Michel Platini’s idea of switching the final from a Wednesday to a Saturday night lent even more drama to the event than usual. The noisy, rollicking input from both sets of fans created an unforgettable atmosphere.

A moment of shared respect summed up the essential bonhomie of the occasion and it came when Milito, waving at the crowd in celebration, suddenly realised he was waving at the Bayern fans.

But instead of booing him the German supporters warmly applauded him back.

Inter defender Lucio, who used to play for Bayern, spent much of the post-match celebrations talking to his former team mates after crying tears of joy.

Inter coach Jose Mourinho hugged Bayern winger Arjen Robben — they were together for three years at Chelsea — during a short break of play in the first half.

Mourinho and Bayern manager Louis Van Gaal, whose friendship goes back to their days together at Barcelona, even hugged before the end of the game with Inter’s victory all but assured.

At times it was more of a love-in than a win-at-all-costs final, but there was hardly a malicious tackle or a cross word and the game more than lived up to expectations.

While never a classic, it was still totally enthralling. Mourinho said his men “followed my instructions perfectly” and eventually finished as convincing winners.

THIRD TIME

The bare facts show that Inter have become European champions for the third time, after a wait of 45 years since their second title in 1965, and Mourinho became only the third man to become European champion with two different clubs following his success with Porto in 2004.

Inter have also become the first Italian side to win the treble after winning the Serie A and Cup double earlier this month, and Milito himself has reached heights he could barely have imagined when he joined Inter at the start of the season.

The two goals he scored to beat Bayern capped an astonishing run of personal success after scoring the only goal against AS Roma when Inter won the Italian Cup on May 5, and the only goal last Sunday against Siena when they clinched the Serie A title.

The 30-year-old Argentine now heads to South Africa for his first World Cup, while Mourinho looks all set to leave Milan.

Conspicuous by his absence from Inter’s welcoming party back in Milan, he now seems certain to take a permanent place in the Bernabeu dug-out as Real Madrid’s new manager.

Milito could follow him to Spain as perhaps could his inspirational Dutch midfielder Wesley Sneijder.

While Mourinho won his personal duel with Van Gaal, Sneijder ultimately had more impact than his friend and Dutch international team mate Robben, who worked tirelessly down Bayern’s right but could not find a goal for either himself or his misfiring strike pair Ivica Olic or Thomas Mueller.

LONG CLEARANCE

Milito made his presence felt. He got the breakthrough after 35 minutes when he chose his spot perfectly after a long clearance upfield by goalkeeper Julio Cesar. He made the game safe 20 minutes from time by rounding Daniel Van Buyten, switching feet and giving Hans-Jorg Butt no chance with a curling inswinger.

Inter’s fans and their players celebrated their long-awaited success for almost an hour after the game ended, while Mourinho only briefly joined the party raising and lowering the European Cup in one swift movement — leaving centre-stage to his players.

The only other men to win the European Cup with two different clubs were Ernst Happel (Feyenoord in 1970 and Hamburg SV in 1983) and Ottmar Hitzfeld (Borussia Dortmund in 1997 and Bayern in 2001).

With time on his side, there seems little doubt that Mourinho has more Champions League victories in him — wherever he may end up in the future.

(Editing by Pritha Sarkar; To query or comment on this story email sportsfeedback@thomsonreuters.com)

Beaten Bayern eye 2012 Champions League home triumph

Bayern Munich were gracious in defeat after losing the Champions League final to Inter Milan on Saturday and already thinking about possibly winning a fifth European Cup at their own stadium in 2012.

Louis van Gaal’s side missed out on an unprecedented treble for a Bundesliga club of domestic league and Cup and Champions League as they were outplayed by Jose Mourinho’s Inter Milan to lose 2-0 at Real Madrid’s Bernabeu stadium.

“Of course it’s annoying to lose the final after such a fantastic season but Inter played a great match and deserved to win,” Bayern chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge told the club’s website (www.fcbayern.telekom.de).

“But as after the defeat (in the final) in 1999, now we will put the work in so that we can win the Champions League again within the next two years,” added the former Bayern forward and Germany international, who also had a spell playing for Inter in the 1980s

Bayern lost the 1999 final in Barcelona in dramatic fashion to Manchester United after leading for most of the match before going on to beat Valencia on penalties to win in 2001.

Club president Uli Hoeness on Saturday was left thinking about what might have been if Thomas Mueller had converted a chance to equalise early in the second half.

Inter goalkeeper Julio Cesar blocked the attacker’s shot superbly with his legs and later denied Dutch winger Arjen Robben with an acrobatic save.

“If Mueller had put the ball in just after the break maybe something might have clicked,” Hoeness said.

“But I said before the final that we have had a fantastic season and we shouldn’t let it be spoiled because we lost,” he added. “The final is in Munich in 2012 and especially for the younger players there is still a lot to dream for.”

Twenty-year-old forward Mueller was barely consolable, saying that Bayern had missed a great chance to add to an already incredible season.

“It’s a massive disappointment,” he told reporters.

“The squandered chance in the 46th minute was a bitter moment for me,” he added. “That’s also a reason why I am not feeling so great right now.”

(Editing by Patrick Johnston; To query or comment on this story email sportsfeedback@thomsonreuters.com)

Mourinho celebrates ‘most beautiful defeat’

Barcelona, April 29 (DPA) Defensively strong Inter Milan battled their way into the final of the Champions League Wednesday by losing only 1-0 away to defending champions Barcelona.

Inter go into the final – in which they will face Bayern Munich in Madrid on May 22 – on a 3-2 aggregate after beating the Catalans 3-1 in San Siro last Tuesday.

It will be Inter’s first final since 1972, they have not won the European crown since 1965.

Defender Gerard Pique scored the only goal just six minutes from time, but Inter managed to avoid a second goal in a frenetic finale.

Inter coach Jose Mourinho, as provocative and theatrical as always, provoked the jeers of the Camp Nou with his wild celebrations at the end.

He then raised eyebrows by saying that ‘it is impossible that I become coach of Barcelona one day, because here they hate me.’ Mourinho was translator and then assistant coach at Barca from 1996 to 1998 – under present Bayern Munich coach Louis van Gaal – and is now clearly enjoying the role of anti-hero.

The Portuguese coach added that ‘it has been the most beautiful defeat of my life…Without organization we would have been eliminated. It is always difficult to play 10 against 11, but against Bar it is almost impossible.’

Inter captain Javier Zanetti said that ‘we really deserve to be in the final. We have worked very hard indeed in both matches. This is the proof that we are a good team. The important thing is that we are in the final.’

Inter striker Samuel Eto’o, who was the idol of the Barca fans from 2004 to 2009, said that ‘I thought the game was never going to end, it was interminable.’

He added, rather surprisingly, that ‘Barca are still the best team in the world and we have needed all of our qualities, in two matches, to eliminate them.’

For his part, Barca president Joan Laporta said that ”we just could not score the second goal that would have taken us to the final.’

Laporta added that ‘we now concentrate on winning the league, that is what our people deserve.’

Barca are just one point ahead of Real Madrid with four matches left.

Barca midfielder Yaya Toure commented that ‘I have never seen a team so defensive as this Inter.’

He also complained that the ‘goal’ of Bojan disallowed right at the end because of a supposed handball by himself ‘was not handball at all.’

Winger Pedro said that ‘this is a pity…We knew that they were going to defend in strength, but to go out like this makes you angry.’

Mourinho’s team had a surprisingly comfortable time in the Camp Nou, especially given that midfielder Thiago Motta was sent off after just 28 minutes.

This meant that Inter had to play out more than an hour with ten men, but they did so with calm efficiency and with surprisingly few scares. They were faultless in defence and managed to break up Barca’s rhythm with countless fouls and interruptions.

Barca were even slower, ponderous and predictable than in the first leg. Playmaker Xavi was well controlled, Lionel Messi turned in another dull display – and Zlatan Ibrahimovic looked unfit and out of sorts.

Mourinho had planned to employ the same 4-3-3 formation as in the first leg but striker Goran Pandev pulled a muscle in the pre-match warm-up and Christian Chivu was brought in to make a 5-3-2 lineup.

Inter moved even further back into their defensive shell when Motta was shown a straight red card, for a hand in the face of Sergio Busquets.

Mourinho pulled forwards Diego Milito and Samuel Eto’o back to play as effective full-backs, meaning that Barca enjoyed 75 per cent possession – but without taking advantage of it.

All that the hosts had to show for their possession in the second half was two wide shots from winger Pedro and a low drive from Messi which Inter keeper Julio Cesar did well to get down to.

Pep Guardiola brought on Maxwell, Bojan and Jeffren but still lacked the craft, speed and imagination to open up a packed defence.

Inter were content to soak up the pressure and shamelessly waste time, waiting for the clock to run down on Barca’s reign as European champions.

Barca’s frustration led to a series of hopeful long shots, none of which troubled Julio Cesar.

There was nothing that the Brazilian could do, however, when Pique scored in the 84th minute. Xavi played the tall defender through, in a marginally offside position. Pique skipped past Ivan Cordoba and calmly made it 1-0.

But time was about to run out for Barca, who failed to score the necessary second goal in a desperate finale.

‘Apprentice’ Mourinho stares down mentor Van Gaal

Jose Mourinho has destroyed the Champions League dreams of former clubs Chelsea and Barcelona but he faces a quiet and familiar menace in next month’s final.

The colourful Inter Milan coach will have to outfox his former mentor Louis van Gaal when his side takes on Bundesliga powerhouse Bayern Munich at the Bernebeu on May 22.

Mourinho was an assistant to Bayern coach Louis van Gaal during the Dutchman’s tenure at Barca in the late 1990s and went on to coach Porto to Champions League glory in 2004.

The self-proclaimed “Special One” then shook up the English Premier League by leading Chelsea to two titles.

A contrast of personalities, both men are chasing a treble this season in their domestic league and cups in addition to the Champions League.

Soon after an adrenaline-fuelled sprint across the Nou Camp pitch to pump his fists in the direction of Inter fans high up in the stands, Mourinho lavished praise on Bayern and van Gaal.

“Bayern have a great team with a lot of quality,” the 47-year-old Portuguese said. “They have a great tradition in the Champions League and a great coach.

“They are an example to many clubs. They stood by van Gaal after a poor start and now they are in the final.”

Perhaps unsurprisingly given their former proximity, Mourinho’s Inter and van Gaal’s Bayern have similar playing styles.

Their teams are built around hard-working, tenacious midfielders like Inter’s Esteban Cambiasso or Bayern’s Bastian Schweinsteiger.

Physical, hard-tackling defenders such as Inter’s former Bayern centre back Lucio or Bayern’s Daniel van Buyten and Martin Demichelis underpin the two teams.

Barca had 76 percent of possession against Inter but only managed four shots on target and failed to penetrate what Gazzetta dello Sport dubbed Inter’s “Wall of Glory.”

SWEETEST DEFEAT

Even Mourinho, whose relationship with the Italian media could not be worse with him snubbing domestic news conferences, won universal praise in Thursday’s papers.

“It’s the right reward for Mourinho’s heroic lions,” trumpeted the Gazzetta after what the coach described as the “sweetest 1-0 defeat of my life.”

“Mourinho deserves a lot of credit,” chimed the Corriere dello Sport’s editorial. “The improvement in the team, from one which was great at home but timid abroad, has been amazing.”

Whether Mourinho can knock the unflappable van Gaal off kilter with his famous mind games in the build-up to the final remains to be seen.

Before Wednesday’s game Mourinho diverted some of the pressure from his players by accusing Barca of being obsessed with reaching the final at the home of bitter rivals Real Madrid.

It provoked Barca president Joan Laporta into calling him a “second-rate psychologist” but Mourinho scratched further by strolling nonchalantly on to the pitch before the warm-up.

At the final whistle he milked the moment, index finger raised in the air as furious Barca faithful rained bottles and other objects down onto the pitch.

MOURINHO UNMOVED

Even a brush with Barca goalkeeper Victor Valdes, who attempted unsuccessfully to force Mourinho off the pitch, failed to ruffle the Inter coach as security staff intervened.

The only cloud for the Italians was that they must play the final without midfielder Thiago Motta after the former Barcelona player’s harsh red card.

Before the game the Brazilian accused his former team mates of going down too easily and television replays suggested Sergio Busquets’s collapse after catching Motta’s flailing arm was theatrical to say the least.

“It was not fair play,” fumed Motta. “Once I was off the pitch I saw that (Busquets), while he was on the ground, turned to see if the referee was nearby.

“That’s not honest behaviour. This final was my dream so I am still hopeful the TV evidence will help exonerate me.”

(Additional reporting by Mark Meadows in Milan)

(Editing by Alastair Himmer; To query or comment on this story emailsportsfeedback@thomsonreuters.com)

Bayern slam Ribery’s Champions League final ban

Bayern Munich have reacted angrily and will appeal against the three-match ban imposed on Franck Ribery on Wednesday that will rule the France midfielder out of next month’s Champions League final.

“In detailing the reasons for their verdict … UEFA said Ribery was guilty of assault,” the Bundesliga club said on their website (http://www.fcbayern.t-home.de).

“FC Bayern cannot accept this verdict in any sense and holds that it is entirely false. The accusation of assault is inapplicable in this case,” the club added.

“Ribery cannot be accused of intentionally attempting to injure his opponent … Lisandro Lopez was able to continue the match uninjured. FC Bayern and Franck Ribery cannot accept the verdict and will lodge an appeal, using all legal remedies at the club’s disposal.”

The influential Ribery was sent off for a bad tackle on Olympique Lyon striker Lopez in the first half of last week’s semi-final first leg.

The red card meant he was automatically suspended for the second leg in France on Tuesday, which Bayern won 3-0 to advance 4-0 on aggregate, and European soccer’s governing body UEFA then decided to add two further games to his punishment.

The Champions League final, to be held at Real Madrid’s Santiago Bernabeu stadium on May 22, will be against Inter Milan or Barcelona.

SIGNIFICANT BLOW

Ribery’s absence, if confirmed, would be a significant blow to Bayern who have reached the final for the first time since they won the competition in 2001.

The Frenchman joined the club in 2007 and made an immediate impact, helping the Bavarians win a league and cup double in his first season.

The 27-year-old, though, has yet to decide whether he will stay at Bayern at the end of the campaign.

Ribery’s sending-off against Lyon came after it emerged he had been quizzed by French police as a witness in a prostitution investigation.

Bayern coach Louis van Gaal said at the time he felt Ribery’s tackle was a yellow card offence.

“I thought, watching from the bench, he stood too long on the opponent’s leg,” Van Gaal said. “I do not think it was a red card because it was the inner foot and not a foul with full force.”

Bayern are still chasing a Bundesliga, German Cup and Champions League treble.

(Writing by Brian Homewood, editing by Tony Jimenez. To query or comment on this story email sportsfeedback@thomsonreuters.com)

Bayern slam Ribery’s Champions League final ban

Bayern Munich have reacted angrily and will appeal against the three-match ban imposed on Franck Ribery on Wednesday that will rule the France midfielder out of next month’s Champions League final.

“In detailing the reasons for their verdict … UEFA said Ribery was guilty of assault,” the Bundesliga club said on their website (http://www.fcbayern.t-home.de).

“FC Bayern cannot accept this verdict in any sense and holds that it is entirely false. The accusation of assault is inapplicable in this case,” the club added.

“Ribery cannot be accused of intentionally attempting to injure his opponent … Lisandro Lopez was able to continue the match uninjured. FC Bayern and Franck Ribery cannot accept the verdict and will lodge an appeal, using all legal remedies at the club’s disposal.”

The influential Ribery was sent off for a bad tackle on Olympique Lyon striker Lopez in the first half of last week’s semi-final first leg.

The red card meant he was automatically suspended for the second leg in France on Tuesday, which Bayern won 3-0 to advance 4-0 on aggregate, and European soccer’s governing body UEFA then decided to add two further games to his punishment.

The Champions League final, to be held at Real Madrid’s Santiago Bernabeu stadium on May 22, will be against Inter Milan or Barcelona.

SIGNIFICANT BLOW

Ribery’s absence, if confirmed, would be a significant blow to Bayern who have reached the final for the first time since they won the competition in 2001.

The Frenchman joined the club in 2007 and made an immediate impact, helping the Bavarians win a league and cup double in his first season.

The 27-year-old, though, has yet to decide whether he will stay at Bayern at the end of the campaign.

Ribery’s sending-off against Lyon came after it emerged he had been quizzed by French police as a witness in a prostitution investigation.

Bayern coach Louis van Gaal said at the time he felt Ribery’s tackle was a yellow card offence.

“I thought, watching from the bench, he stood too long on the opponent’s leg,” Van Gaal said. “I do not think it was a red card because it was the inner foot and not a foul with full force.”

Bayern are still chasing a Bundesliga, German Cup and Champions League treble.

(Writing by Brian Homewood, editing by Tony Jimenez. To query or comment on this story email sportsfeedback@thomsonreuters.com)

Bleeding Olic shows his worth to treble chasing Bayern

Wingers Franck Ribery and Arjen Robben usually carry Bayern Munich’s attacking threat but the German side can now add the energetic Ivica Olic to their list of potential match-winners.

The Croatia striker scored a hat-trick as Bayern thrashed Olympique Lyon 3-0 away on Tuesday to book a place in next month’s Champions League final 4-0 on aggregate.

Olic, who became only the second player to net a hat-trick in a Champions League semi-final after Alessandro Del Piero’s treble for Juventus against Monaco in 1998, pointed at his bleeding head after netting the third with a header despite a deep gash.

“I didn’t want to be substituted because I had the feeling I could score another couple,” he told reporters after he took his tally to seven goals in the Champions League this season, just one behind top scorer Barcelona’s Lionel Messi.

Bayern will play either Barcelona or Inter Milan at Madrid’s Bernabeu stadium in the final on May 22.

“The first goal was the most important because then they had to score three goals to get further and that’s not very easy,” Olic said.

“Then I just did the second and the third, you can’t get better than that. It was a dream,” said Olic, looking a bit astonished by his hat-trick.

The 30-year-old striker, who joined Bayern on a free transfer from Hamburg SV, has already scored important goals in his first season with the four-times European champions.

He netted Bayern’s first at Old Trafford to spark the German’s comeback after they trailed 3-0 against Manchester United in the previous round.

“Scoring three goals in such a game is outstanding… I thought the game against Manchester United was the match of my life but this one was even better, the team made it easy for me,” he said.

His coach and team mates were full of praise for his fighting spirit.

“He scored three but his discipline was also fantastic tonight. We know we can always count on him,” coach Louis van Gaal told reporters.

Former Real Madrid and Chelsea winger Robben praised Olic’s performance.

“He’s unbelievable”, the Dutch winger said. “What I like about him is that he always gives more than 100 percent in every game.

“He keeps running and sometime you have to stop him. He’s so energetic, a great player and very important for us,” Robben added.

(Additional reporting by Clotaire Achi and Anna McIntosh; Editing by. To query or comment on this story email sportsfeedback@thomsonreuters.com)

No defenders, no problem for Bayern’s implacable Van Gaal

Bayern Munich coach Louis van Gaal barely has enough fit defenders for a full squad for Tuesday’s Champions League semi-final second leg in Lyon but the implacable Dutchman sees that as little obstacle.

Van Gaal told a press conference on Monday he did not know if injured defenders Martin Demichelis, Daniel Van Buyten and Diego Contento will have recovered in time to defend Bayern’s 1-0 advantage from the first leg.

He added Ukrainian Anatoliy Tymoshchuk has not even come to France.

“He phoned me this morning to tell me he was sick so he stayed home,” Van Gaal said a few minutes after Bayern’s plane landed at Lyon airport.

“I’ve come here with 17 players and I can only field 11 so if I miss the three others, I’ll still have 14 available players,” the seemingly imperturbable Van Gaal said.

Bayern have the worst defensive record of the four teams still in the race in the Champions League, having conceded 13 goals this season on the European stage, but Van Gaal said the most important thing to do on Tuesday would probably be to score, not to defend a one-goal advantage.

“We are not the kind of team whose aim is just to avoid conceding goals when we enter the field. I’ve never told my players to play like that since the beginning of the season and I won’t start tomorrow,” he said.

Fellow Dutchman Mark van Bommel, who missed the first leg through suspension, said he was not too fazed at the prospect of his side leaking goals.

“We have often conceded goals in away games this season but that’s not a problem because even if we concede six goals tomorrow and we score five, we’re through,” the Bayern captain said.

Van Gaal said he was confident his team would overcome their injury woes thanks to their German mentality, which helped them knock Fiorentina and Manchester United out on away goals in previous rounds.

“Our willpower is just incredible, we have always managed to stay alive this season even during games when we were trailing,” he said.

“When I was a coach in the Netherlands and my team had to play against a German one, I used to tell my players that they had to be ready to play until the very end of the game.

“Our team is made up of German players and of foreign players who have been playing in Germany for quite a long time and are now immersed in this special German mentality,” he said.

(Editing by Miles Evans.

To query or comment on this story email sportsfeedback@thomsonreuters.com)

Roo’s absence won’t stop Man U’s Champions League title quest: Fergie

Munich (Germany), Mar.31 (ANI): A defiant Alex Ferguson on Tuesday insisted that Manchester United will win the Champions League even without injured striker Wayne Rooney.

Fergie suffered a double nightmare here as United crashed to Bayern Munich and Rooney limped off with an injured right ankle.

The defeat was an eerie mirror image of United”s famous Champions League final triumph over the Germans in 1999, when the Red Devils fought back from a goal behind to win with two last-gasp strikes.

According to The Sun, Ferguson was in no mood for surrender.

“An away goal is always an advantage, no question about that. And the tie is not dead. Bayern have a strong chance but on our own ground we should have a real chance of progressing,” Fergie was quoted, as saying.

He also criticized his team for constantly giving the ball away.

“Our possession was not good enough. But the real crux was giving the ball away and it caused us to defend when we didn”t need to defend. We got our goal very easy. Maybe it was too early but we had outstanding chances to win the tie through Wayne in the first and second half,” he said.

Bayern Munich coach Louis van Gaal said his side would have a big advantage if Rooney misses the return match.

“Rooney is United”s most important player. Look at the statistics, he has 34 goals this season, then they have 11 own goals as their second top scorer and Berbatov with 10 goals. So that”s how important he is to United,” he said. (ANI)

Bayern seeking more signings after record deal for Gomez

Bayern seeking more signings after record deal for GomezMunich – Bayern Munich are seeking additional signings for next season after paying a Bundesliga record 30 million euros (42 million dollars) for Stuttgart striker Mario Gomez, chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge said.

“I believe we will be make one or two more transfers but I don’t think we have to go on a really big offensive. We have a good team,” he told the Bavarian radio station Bayerischer Rundfunk.

Bayern are looking in particular for a right-sided defender, Rummenigge said.

“Next week (new coach) Louis van Gaal will be in Munich and we will discuss everything in detail,” he said.

Bayern, who have finished league runners-up behind VfL Wolfsburg, are also interested in signing Schalke 04 goalkeeper Manuel Neuner. However Schalke say he is not for sale.

General manager Uli Hoeness indicated in an interview with Sport Bild magazine Wednesday that Bayern would not rule out selling midfielder Franck Ribery if the price were right.

Although reportedly wanted by a number of top clubs, Hoeness said there had been no offers for the France international apart from “a casual inquiry” from Manchester United.

“For 40 million euros I wouldn’t even pick up the phone,” he said.

Hoeness added: “We can keep anyone who has a contract. If we were to release him then it would be because we had come to the decision that the money would help us strengthen the team.”

Hoeness had reiterated in a television interview on Monday that Bayern would do their best to keep Ribery who has also been linked with Real Madrid.

However, the manager said other players at the club will come under review because “the performances of some are not 100 per cent consistent with what is in the contracts.”

He singled out midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger, saying the German international “has to be asked whether he wants to continue being a fellow traveller, whether what he has shown at Bayern in the last year is his idea of what he wants.”

Gomez meanwhile said Wednesday he had decided to leave Stuttgart for Bayern because of the greater prospects of success in Europe.

“I wanted the opportunity of winning something internationally. I expect big things with Bayern,” he told reporters on arrival with the German national team in Shanghai for a friendly with China.

Gomez is the fourth new signing so far for Bayern for next season following striker Ivica Olic from Hamburg, midfielder Alexander Baumjohann (Borussia Moenchengladbach) and midfielder Anatoliy Tymoshchuk (Zenit St Petersburg). (dpa)

Maradona strengthens position with Riquelme’s angry exit

Buenos Aires – Talented midfielder Juan Roman Riquelme’s decision to refuse to play for Argentina in the future has strengthened Diego Maradona’s control over the national team and his position in the face of internal conflicts.

Riquelme announced his decision late Tuesday, but it hardly upset many fans in the football-crazy South American country. A few people backed the player at the Boca Juniors training session Wednesday, but an online poll in the Argentine daily Clarin said that 62.5 per cent of those who replied were in favour of Riquelme’s exit.

“He is no good to me like this,” Argentine national coach Maradona said on television in recent days, with reference to Riquelme’s current level of play.

“If I cannot say how I would like him to play, I am in trouble,” Maradona said, in a strong message addressed to the rebel and also to the rest of the squad.

Riquelme, 30, also counterattacked on television.

“I do not agree with the coach. We do not think the same way. We do not have the same codes,” he said.

And he again slammed the door on the national team in the media, for the second time in his career. Riquelme had already “left” the Argentina squad in the wake of the
2006 World Cup in Germany, although he returned months later.

Riquelme has a chequered past and conflict has accompanied him wherever he has gone.

First it was at Boca Juniors, where he took to the limit his efforts to get the club leadership to sell him to a foreign club. Then, at Barcelona, he clashed with Louis van Gaal and Radomir Antic. At Villarreal, he fell out with coach Manuel Pellegrini and was kept off the team for several months before being traded back to Boca.

Back in Buenos Aires, he remains one of the top heroes for Boca fans, although he has also had spats with team-mates, including a highly-publicized clash with defender Julio Cesar Caceres.

This time, Riquelme “did not rebel, he chose to go, as every time anyone has set limits on his behaviour,” the Argentine daily La Nacion said Wednesday.

The decision solved a compatibility problem within the Argentine national team, in the wake of well-known clashes between Riquelme and Lionel Messi.

However, Maradona did not mention Messi or another of the team’s new leaders, the coach’s son-in-law Sergio Aguero. Instead, he ratified his preference for one boss within the squad, captain Javier Mascherano.

“I said the national team was Mascherano and 10 others, and I will stand by that to death,” the coach stressed.

However, Riquelme’s exit removes a source of internal conflict and clears up the hierarchy within the team.

“The clash Maradona-Riquelme makes it clear that the internal disputes of several players against Riquelme have reached the coach,” said Argentine daily Clarin.

“The petty feuds, the grabbing for territorial power, this sort of nasty conflict harms football,” the newspaper added.

Riquelme – a genius for some, a player who is unable to perform under pressure for others – has always been controversial.

However, in a clash of egos, Maradona again made it clear that he is the lone boss of Argentine football, at least for now. (dpa)