Berlin’s Olympiastadion awaits, scene of Italy’s 2006 World Cup triumph, with Andrea Pirlo and Gigi Buffon at the heart of their success then just as they aspire to be at the heart of Juventus’s success on Saturday night, but another arena and another, far darker memory will also be on their minds. According to the defender Leonardo Bonucci, Heysel will serve as additional motivation 30 years on from the disaster that cost the lives of 39 supporters.
“The memory of what happened at Heysel is further stimulus for us,” Bonucci said. “We would like to be able to dedicate a victory to those who lost their lives.”
The Juventus manager, Max Allegri, said: “Heysel will always be one of the dark pages of football history, and not just for Juventus but all football. For us, it is important to remember the victims and commemorate their deaths. We have to support the victims.”
Thirty-nine supporters died, 32 of them Italian, after a wall collapsed at the stadium, with the behaviour of Liverpool fans resulting in a European ban. At the final game of this season, 30 years on, Juventus fans raised a mosaic in the 39th minute which read: “No one truly dies if they remain in the hearts of those left behind.”
After the trouble, the game went ahead, with Juventus winning 1-0 through a penalty scored by Michel Platini, now the president of Uefa. That was one of only two European Cup wins for Juventus, but it was one to be commemorated not celebrated. Juventus won the competition again 11 years later but have not won it since, having lost a total of five finals. This is their first final in 12 years. “Barcelona have won four finals and lost three,” Allegri said. “We hope to be able to get a bit closer to their record.”
The coach admitted that Barcelona were “objectively the favourites”, insisting: “A team with players like Messi, Neymar and Suárez can never not be favourites.” Asked if Messi was unstoppable, as Pep Guardiola had claimed, Allegri replied: “I hope he’s stoppable tomorrow.” Bonucci said: “We’re not here to be sacrificial lambs.”
Favourites was an apt word, more perhaps than most realised. Barcelona are even favourites in the Buffon household, with the goalkeeper admitting that he had a problem. “One of my sons loves Messi, the other loves Neymar,” he said. “They would have preferred us to play City or someone.”
Buffon’s revelation had been prompted by Bonucci admitting that his son had asked to go to the beach this weekend. “I told him I had to work,” the defender said. “Hopefully I can take him on Monday and bring him back a gift.”
