4:22 PM
Barcelona stunned holders Manchester United to win their third Champions League crown with a 2-0 victory in Rome this morning.It gave the Spaniards a unique treble having already won their domestic league and cup and meant they repeated a feat United achieved in 1999, which Red Devils boss Sir Alex Ferguson had then claimed would never be matched.
Cristiano Ronaldo's future at Old Trafford was thrown into uncertainty again after the Manchester United forward said he didn't know whether he would be playing for the English champions next season.
When asked after the match if he would be playing with Red Devils next season, Ronaldo said: "I don't know.''
Real Madrid has been trying to sign the 24-year-old Portugal winger for nearly two seasons and former president Florentino Perez is on the verge of heading the club again.
Perez, who fronted the Spanish club's ``Galactico'' years, has promised to buy big names this off-season.
Ronaldo said Barcelona fully deserved its triumph at Stadio Olimpico.
The final crowned a marvellous debut season for Barcelona manager Pep Guardiola, who at 38 becomes the youngest coach to take European club football's greatest prize.
For Thierry Henry, it ended years of frustration after his then-team Arsenal lost to Barcelona in the 2006 final.
"Finally I have won it! I have been waiting for so long for this moment,'' said the France great, whose daughter celebrated her birthday as well on Wednesday.
"The last five minutes were the longest of my life.
"Even if we were 2-0 up we were playing the best team in the world (referring to the world club championship title United won earlier this year).''
Barca overcame early jitters to dominate large parts of the game as the English club never managed to get their usual high tempo game into gear.
In a clash billed as the match of the century pitting the best two teams in the world - with each one boasting one of the best two players in the world - only one played to their full potential.
And Ferguson may be questioning his team selection having left both Dimitar Berbatov and Carlos Tevez on the United bench as Ryan Giggs played off lone striker Cristiano Ronaldo with Wayne Rooney and Park Ji-Sung confined to disciplined roles on the flanks.
Both sides may a nervy start with Barca goalkeeper Victor Valdes and United's Park - the first ever Asian player to play in a Champions League final - playing passes straight into touch.
But United settled quickest and Ronaldo had a purple patch in which he terrorised the Spaniards for 10 minutes.
He hit a 25-yard free-kick that Valdes couldn't hold and former United defender Gerard Pique had to dive in to deflect Park's follow-up away for a corner.
Ronaldo then lashed a fierce long range drive wide and later, after controlling the ball on his chest, he hit a left-foot volley that sailed agonisingly inches past the post.
The reigning champions were enjoying all the ball and chances but out of the blue Barca took the lead.
Andres Iniesta played in Eto'o who beat Nemanja Vidic inside the box and although Michael Carrick slid in to try to block his shot, he succeeded only in helping it past Edwin van der Sar.
That goal settled Barca into their usual stride and they started to weave the pretty patterns that have been mesmerising opponents all season, carrying them to the remarkable feat of scoring more than 150 goals.
As the half wore on United gradually lost their shape and rhythm with Sir Alex Ferguson responding late on by pushing Rooney up alongside Ronaldo and Giggs out to the left.
Barca began to wrestle control of the game and were keeping the ball with alarming ease.
Ferguson wasted no time in switching tactics, bringing on Tevez for Anderson at the break and reverting to a more regular 4-4-2, the Argentine playing alongside Ronaldo and Giggs dropping back into a deeper role.
But Barca were first to strike on the counter as Henry cut in from the flank and left Ferdinand on the seat of his pants before shooting weakly at van der Sar on 48 minutes.
The Spaniards were totally in the ascendancy and Xavi fired a free-kick off the post on 53 minutes with van der Sar beaten as Barca threatened to run riot.
The reigning champions steadied the ship and Ferguson signalled his intent when he threw Berbatov on for Park with a quarter of the match remaining.
But just as the tide seemed to be turning, Barca extended their lead from the most unlikely source as Xavi picked out Messi at the back post on the edge of the six yard box, the Argentine wizard's looping header arcing into the top corner on 70 minutes.
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