The confetti hasn’t even been swept from the Stadio Olimpico, but the superlatives are already being tossed around every corner of Catalonia. Barcelona’s 2-0 victory over Manchester United, in the Champions League final earned them the Treble and secured their title as one of the greatest teams in football history. It was brilliant. It was a classic. The funny thing is that the “classic” part, didn’t go as expected for many fans and pundits. This wasn’t a fierce match where the teams traded blows like heavyweight fighters. It was more of an art lesson taught by some of the greatest practitioners of the Beautiful Game. In the lead-up to the match, Barca striker Lionel Messi commented that they deserved to win the Champions League because they played beautiful soccer. It turns out, he was right. Barca’s swift elegant runs and passes, and strong shots were far superior to Man U’s bumbling ball movements and the visible frustration of Mr. Ronaldo. The brilliance with which Messi tapped Xavi’s gentle cross into the corner of the net, put an exclamation point on the game, and was the affirmation that backed up his words.
It’s an odd position for United, and a tough pill to swallow. They were beaten by the only team that could match them, and more than that, they were ripped to shreds. That does not happen in a rational United world. But van der Sar, Vidic and Ferdinand couldn’t contain the magic that Barcelona produced. And so, that Barca magic seeped into every corner of the Stadio Olimpico, lighting the Eternal City’s night sky with shades of red, yellow and blue. Tonight, Barcelona showed that is it truly mas que un club.
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