Soccer Talk: Manchester United's Patrice Evra out to avenge 2009 defeat to Barcelona: I couldn't face losing another Champions League final

Friday 27 May 2011

Manchester United's Patrice Evra out to avenge 2009 defeat to Barcelona: I couldn't face losing another Champions League final


Manchester United full-back Patrice Evra is aiming to avenge the memories of his side's 2009 Champions League final defeat at the hands of Barcelona with victory in Saturday's Wembley showdown between the two clubs.
The 30-year-old has previously admitted that an element of over-confidence may have led to United's 2-0 loss two years ago, and the Frenchman believes victory this time round would signal a massive achievement for the club.
Speaking to reporters, Evra said: “It doesn’t matter who we play against, whether it is Barcelona or another big team, when you are Man United, you do not have an excuse. You have to win.
“It is important to keep Manchester United on top of the world. In 2009, I was thinking if we win, that it is just normal. This year I would say it is going to be a big achievement if we win.
“I had a big frustration that summer when I was on holiday because we didn’t show enough of the Man United spirit and quality. We had been in the final in Moscow the season before and had won the trophy, and maybe we just believed too much."

Having won only one of the previous three finals he has played in, Evra insists he cannot afford to lose another this weekend.

"I am not allowed to lose another Champions League final," he said.

"If I played in four finals and only won one it would be difficult to keep playing in the Champions League. Maybe I would have to ask the manager not to play me in Europe again!

"I have to win this one."
Despite going on to win the Premier League, League Cup and Club World Cup trophies in the 2009 season, Evra insists that failure to succeed in Europe's elite competition meant any celebrations were subdued.
“I remember when we did the picture with the trophies in 2009,” he said. “We had won those three trophies, but on every picture I wasn’t smiling because we were missing that big trophy with the big ears.”
United have already gone on to win their record 19th Premier League title this season, yet the former Monaco player insists this will not lead to a drop in focus ahead of Saturday's final.
"The Champions League is the biggest trophy," he said. "Everybody in the world wants to win it.
"The Premier League title is very important of course. Winning the title is very difficult and it makes me very proud to know I have won it four times. But the Champions League is something different.
"The night of a Champions League game is magic and I can still remember the feeling when we won.
"But to lose is a very bad feeling. I don't want it to happen again."

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