[birds squawking]
Downloaded from YTS.MX
[distant chanting]
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GUILLEM BALAGUEÉ: This is Europe.
A place of wondrous variety.
A continent shaped by centuries of growth and innovation.
Divided by conflict and ever changing borders.
[traders chattering]
But one thing that has long unified
these varied lands is the language of football.
And for European football fans, there is one competition
that is stands above all others:
the UEFA Champions League.
[crowd cheering]
It's on this stage that the greatest have shined brightest.
COMMENTATOR: Zidane!
- [crowd cheering] - [exclaiming]
NARRATOR: It's in teams immortalized,
legendary status is enshrined.
Of all the greats to have illuminated this competition,
few have done so more majestically
than Leo Messi and Futbol Club Barcelona.
And that's where our story begins.
[birds chirping]
[guitar music playing]
Barcelona? My home.
Stylish, pretty.
Montserrat Caballé, Joan Miró,
Picasso,
Antonio Gaudí...
They all lived here.
Melting pot of nationalities that respects the old,
but it's never scared of trying new things.
My grandfather Antonio, he was a poet.
I wanted to be like him.
One day I said, "I want to write"
and I was encouraged by him, by my family
and that's what helped me become a football journalist.
It's a city that invites you to do that.
In the last couple of years COVID hit hard here.
Streets were lifeless.
Tourists disappeared.
Businesses closed down.
But little by little things are waking up.
All of a sudden people are trying new things again
and why not?
It's a new dawn for Barcelona.
[fans cheering]
FANS: Messi! Messi! Messi! Messi!
FEMALE REPORTER: Soccer mega star Lionel Messi.
He arrived in Paris yesterday
after he said goodbye to his longtime team
in Barcelona, Spain.
I've never seen anything like this in American sports.
People were crying, he was crying, his dream is--
He's-- he's the greatest in the sport, you could argue.
He volunteered to take a 50% pay cut
to stay with Barcelona
because it's the team he's been with since he was a kid.
The club couldn't keep him.
They're in very bad financial shape.
The fan appeal around it, the way people followed it,
the crowds...
BALAGUEÉ: I started my Champions League journey this season
following Leo Messi, signing for Paris Saint Germain.
His shock move poses so many questions for the season ahead.
[whirring]
[hissing]
To me, we are here for Futbol Club Barcelona.
Financially, they've done so badly
they had to get rid of the best player they've ever had,
Leo Messi, who didn't want to go.
And that's the thing,
we just don't know what's gonna happen.
To him, to PSG... Will it work?
To Barcelona.
What would they do without him?
[siren blaring]
It's going to be excitement.
There always is.
Where? We just don't know.
[cheering]
FANS: Visca Catalunya!
Visca el Barca! Visca Catalunya!
BALAGUEÉ: It's three hours before the first game
of the Champions League at the Camp Nou,
Barcelona returns and they're gonna meet Bayern Munich.
30 months ago, it was 8-2 to Bayern.
Who could forget?
- [cheering] - [cameras clicking]
Without Messi, this is a different Barcelona.
We-- it feels like it's been there forever.
Somebody wanted a Messi shirt.
- Yeah. - What happens?
I think I can't talk about this.
BALAGUEÉ: Is it-- Does it hurt too much to talk about Messi?
FAN: Yes, when I was young
my father say this is
the better time of Barça.
And now I-- I believe it.
BALAGUEÉ: And now your love for the club is gonna be tested.
FAN: Yes.
It's logically well placed
because those shirts have to sell now.
Or maybe they wouldn't ever sell,
But he's so right when I asked him
what's going to happen to Barcelona next.
His answer has been...
We don't know. We don't know, do we?
Matchday 1, Champions League,
the best competition in football is back.
We've got the crowds back as well.
Brilliant game tonight, Barcelona-Bayern Munich.
Two of the giants.
COMMENTATOR: There've been at Barcelona
some pretty dark hours before this longed-for dawn.
Thomas Muüller! It's in!
It's taken a horrid deflection,
but Thomas Muüller has struck as so often he does.
Alphonso Davis...
Jamal Musiala has hit the post!
And it's followed in by you know who.
Robert Lewandowski, always.
It's rolled in here for Serge Gnarby!
It's hit the post, and Lewandoski...
who's hit the net.
As invariably he does.
BALAGUEÉ: The fans seem to understand
they were clapping you and standing up
when they saw your attitude.
Do you think everybody understands what's happened?
Yeah, I think so. I hope we can have them,
uh, supporting us the whole year
because, more than ever, we will need them.
FEMALE REPORTER: Well, this Champions League Tuesday
sees seven previous winners in action,
including Real Madrid, Liverpool and AC Milan.
However, on this Matchday 2, the world's focus
will be on the meeting between two teams
desperate to join that exclusive Club of Champions
Paris Saint Germain and Manchester City.
BALAGUEÉ: Matchday 1 I was in in Barcelona,
and Messi-less Barcelona--
Boy, they are in trouble.
Matchday 2, we are in Paris.
PSG, with Messi,
against Pep Guardiola's Manchester City.
A game with so many storylines.
Neymar and Mbappé,
are they friends, are they not friends?
Can they work together, the three of them with Messi?
Today, we will get some answers, I'm sure.
It's going to be the first full stadium
here in Paris for a year and a half.
And, of course, everybody's ready.
- Messi's playing, no? - SCHMEICHEL: Messi is playing.
All these players have been brought in
to win the Champions League
and he's the one guy in this team who's won it four times,
so he's got all that experience.
COMMENTATOR: Stars are out for a show business fixture.
COMMENTATOR 2: Paris Saint Germain and Manchester City
still both lack for the one thing
their hearts most desire:
to be the European champions.
[crowd chanting]
COMMENTATOR: Mbappé! Neymar missed his kick!
Idrissa Gueye has hoofed it into the top corner!
[cheering]
Grealish...
De Bruyne! Lovely shape!
Sterling's header! Bernardo's over against the bar!
And somehow, inexplicably, it has stayed out.
Messi's here with a bit of space,
he's seen Mbappé--
Messi!
[crowd cheering]
Magnifique!
[indistinct]
A Messi tour de force
beneath la tour Eiffel!
[cheering fades]
BALAGUEÉ: This season hasn't just marked
a new era for Leo Messi,
but also for the other great superstar of his generation.
It's time to head to Manchester
for the return of the prodigal son.
COMMENTATOR: Tonight is all about one man.
Cristiano Ronaldo made his name with Manchester United.
He returns as one of the two most famous names
in all of world football.
- [whistle blows] - [crowd cheering]
It's defending at Manchester United have to think about here.
And Groeneveld...
and they get the goal.
and it is Alcácer,
who from close range makes no mistake.
Telles!
What a goal for Manchester United!
When they needed that moment of inspiration,
it came in the end from the training ground.
Fernandes, clever pass to Fred.
Early cross.
The knock down from Ronaldo,
Lingard's there, Ronaldo's there.
Manchester United with it!
And Cristiano Ronaldo,
in the last minute of stoppage time,
does it again!
It's typical Manchester United.
He knows that.
And it's typical Cristiano Ronaldo.
RONALDO: We believe, we believe because, you know,
here in this stadium this is possible to do it.
REPORTER: You did it again.
BALAGUEÉ: I'm on my way from Barcelona to Kyiv
and it's a fascinating trip
because, uh, I am to find out as much as I can
about the situation of Shakhtar Donetsk,
a team that cannot play in its own ground since 2014.
So let me try and explain their complicated reality.
Shakhtar Donetsk now play their home games
at the stadium of their fiercest rivals: Dynamo Kyiv.
Why? Bear with me.
While back in 2013,
mass protests were staged here in Kyiv
against the pro-Russian President's decision
to not join the European Union.
Deadly clashes between protesters and
security forces went on for months
and culminated in the president fleeing Ukraine to Russia.
Shortly after these events,
armed Russian-backed separatists
seized control in parts of
the east of the country, including Donetsk.
It was this conflict
that forced Shakhtar to leave its home in 2014
and they have been in exile ever since.
See? I told you it was complicated.
And now here I am, in Kyiv.
It's October 2021.
To understand what's happened here, we need to talk
to somebody that can tell us the detail of it,
and that's going to be Oleksandr.
- How are you? - Hi, nice to meet you.
Ukrainian journalist, who--
You're actually from Donetsk, aren't you?
Yes.
How long have you been in Kyiv?
- Seven years. - Seven years?
- More or so, seven years. - So you left when--
When war started.
BALAGUEÉ: Still a war going on there.
OLEKSANDR: Yes.
It was dangerous in Donetsk
as the war started.
We all hear shooting.
It was a lot of armed people in the city,
so we left with one bag of clothes.
BALAGUEÉ: Everyone in Kyiv came out here to protest.
They wanted to be part of the European Union
and the government
wanted to align with-- with Russia.
People stand here for independence.
They fight and they died here.
[screaming in Ukrainian]
It's-- was a big moment for all the Ukrainians.
This was like--
Ukrainians awakening--
Awakening of Ukrainians.
BALAGUEÉ: I'm going to meet Darijo Srna
who is a legend at Shakhtar Donetsk
and now director of football
and he's asked me to meet here,
which is Hotel Opera,
actually Shakhtar Donetsk's offices
750 kilometers away from their own stadium.
I cannot wait to hear what Darijo has to say
about moving here and everything else.
SRNA: Our mission is a mission like--
like Real Madrid, like Barça, winning...
Good, nice game, good quality game,
lots of young players.
- You're ambitious. - Yes.
- And that's the-- - We-- I showed you that also.
BALAGUEÉ: Are you already the biggest club
in the-- in Eastern Europe? You think?
DARIJO: Yes, for me, yes.
[crowd cheering]
Hi, Mr. Palkin. Guillem Balagué.
- Nice to meet you. - Nice to meet you.
Hello, everybody.
BALAGUEÉ: It's important for every club
to sell an idea of who you are.
So what is it that you're selling to your fanbase?
[chanting]
I think that I took last plane.
Two, three days after that
they start to bombing airport.
[gunshot firing] [whirring]
I leave all my stuff there,
my house, my two cars,
but our heart is there, you know?
Shakhtar is from Donetsk, Shakhtar is not from Kyiv.
[cheering]
Can you imagine that Barcelona is living in Madrid
and playing on-- in Madrid?
BALAGUEÉ: Who's coming to see you these days?
Who are the fans?
Some of the people that were in Donetsk and left,
and now are living here?
Yes, exactly, half a million people from Donetsk
living now in in Kyiv, yes. - In Kyiv.
[exclaiming]
You're heading to the stadium in 10 minutes.
DARIJO: Yes, it's a big game.
BALAGUEÉ: Beating Real Madrid,
you killed them last season twice.
DARIJO: Real Madrid is a big name,
but it's not possible to not beat them.
Of course, they're favorite today,
but, for sure, we'll play for victory.
COMMENTATOR: Without a win, Shakhtar Donetsk
now hosts Real Madrid without a home.
They are playing 500 miles from war-torn Donetsk
in the stadium of their biggest rivals in Ukraine,
Dynamo Kyiv.
These are surreal times for Shakhtar and their fans.
Benzema making his way forward here!
Oh, is a freak own goal.
Kryvstov stretching to divert it
away from Karim Benzema
has fired over his keeper and into the net.
Could be three here.
Oh, it is, quite brilliantly!
Vinicius is at it again!
Two in the space of five minutes.
BALAGUEÉ: It's Vinicius again.
COMMENTATOR: Benzema again, full of attacking intent,
Vinicius, all played back in!
And those Shakhtar Donetsk fans
are watching their team's hopes of qualification evaporate.
So as Matchday 3 continues, it's proving to be
one of the highest scoring in competition history,
with goals flying in across Europe from all the big guns.
COMMENTATOR: Thiago Silva plays it in again!
And Chelsea are ahead!
Oh, glorious!
It's Tadic...
It needs a touch, and he got one!
De Bruyne, lovely run here by Kyle Walker
and a fine goal!
Blind!
Oh, what the strike for 2-0!
Walked in by Lewandowski!
Antony! 3-0!
It's a good corner, it's 2-0!
And here's Palmer... Left footed!
Gets his first goal in European football!
Kai Havertz gets there first and scores!
Haller! 4-0!
Into Ronaldo!
Int's number four, amazing.
[cheering]
All right, and that's the last bit.
Do you know we're three hours and a half
away from London and we're about to go into an adventure?
Should I close that?
[laughing]
Right, uh, where are we going?
I've come to Transnistria,
a tiny country in Eastern Europe
that is not recognized internationally.
Proud locals have self-governed for 30 years
following armed conflict with Moldova.
That is the home of Sheriff FC,
the little known team that surprised everyone
earlier this season
by beating mighty Real Madrid.
COMMENTATOR: And Sheriff have taken the lead!
Real Madrid are 1-0 down.
This is Thill!
It's in!
Sheriff are on the verge!
Nobody saw this coming.
Few had even heard of them before this.
Right.
Now, 10 kilometers that way,
that's Transnistria.
A country that doesn't exist.
You don't find them in the maps.
In the middle of all that as well,
you have a-- an amazing stadium,
amazing facilities and somebody with a lot of money
that's-- that's managed to get his club
into the Champions League.
FC Sheriff have won the league 19 times in the past 20 years.
They are by far the wealthiest club in Moldova.
This is, let's not forget,
the third poorest country in Europe.
And one that has had a civil war not so long ago as well.
The club is owned by one of the biggest companies
in the country, also called Sheriff.
They have a television channel,
a mobile phone network,
petrol stations and supermarkets.
Oh, doggie, get out, no, get out.
Second checkpoint,
this one with Russian troops.
Russian army, passed.
So we are in Transnistria now.
Amazingly, Sheriff top their Champions League group
and tomorrow they have a huge game at home
against European giants Inter Milan.
So it's supposed to be a stadium here,
a big stadium.
Oh, that's it. It's the one there, yeah?
So that's one of the most modern
and impressive in Eastern Europe.
I'm glad that you're here
because I've got the impression that Igor,
they ultra we're about to meet,
he doesn't speak English.
- Yeah. - He doesn't?
- He doesn't. - Okay.
[speaking foreign language]
Actually, he told that he will answer
your questions when the match will be over.
When the match will be over?
- Yes. - Why?
Now, we need to talk now.
- [cellphone chiming] - Oh. [laughing]
Phone off! Phone off!
Don't worry.
[chuckles]
Can I turn you around?
Because I like what you--
[woman translating]
"No one likes us
and we don't care."
That's-- That's the philosophy?
[woman translating]
But you're very likable. I like you.
[speaking foreign language]
He can bite you.
- Ah, no, okay. - [laughing]
All right, no, leave it at that.
[laughing]
One thing that's important, I feel,
is that you are fans,
people from different backgrounds,
from different countries,
from different nations.
How did you enjoy and celebrate
the victory against Real Madrid?
Was it a big night?
[speaking foreign language]
WOMAN: He ate fish and drank beer.
[laughing]
Thank you.
[siren wailing]
COMMENTATOR: Matchday 4, and remarkably,
it is Sheriff of Moldova
in their first Champions League on top of Group D.
They've beaten Real Madrid, Inter Milan are next.
Brozovic...
Lovely turn by Brozovic
magnificent finish!
Marcelo Brozovic makes the breakthrough for Inter.
[chanting and drums playing]
[booing and whistling]
Dzeko on the move.
That's a wonderful save.
Not once, but twice.
But Inter will not be denied
and that makes it two.
[chanting]
There's an opportunity here
and it's one which has been taken brilliantly
by Alexis Sanchez.
It's a 3-1 win for Inter Milan.
KATE ABDO: It's Matchday 5, and since we last saw you,
we've seen two of the Champions League's biggest clubs
part ways with their managers.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was relieved of his duties
at Manchester United
and desperate for a change of fortune,
Barcelona have replaced Ronald Koeman
with club legend Xavi Hernandez.
BALAGUEÉ: We're going to talk to Albert Ferrer,
who is a legend at the club,
right back and the Johan Cruyff, the Dream Team.
He was part of it,
won the European Cup.
COMMENTATOR: Gol, gol, gol, gol!
And now that sees everything that's happening
at Barcelona from the heart, as a fan,
but also from the head, as a manager, so.
Where are you?
This is where La Liga TV, gets-- gets on?
FERRER: Exactly.
So today, for instance,
what are you going to be talking about Xavi-wise?
What's new?
FERRER: I still think that, as a team,
he has to work a lot in defense,
but he didn't have much time to work.
But I do have time.
- I have half an hour. - Yeah?
- So... - You want a cup of coffee?
Yeah, let's go for a coffee.
- Let's go. - Okay.
You belong to an era where you didn't win so much
and then you did under Johan Cruyff and then you didn't.
So put this particular moment now
in context in the history of the club.
The real situation is exactly the same as 20 years ago.
The problem is that there's no patience in football.
Can you ask in a CEO of a company
to get results in one month? No.
The wages of the players were huge, so--
110% of the monthly--
It's supposed to be 60-70% of the income.
So it's an end of an era
and you need to build a new one.
But it is a good final tomorrow.
- Yeah. - The game against Benfica.
If Barcelona do not beat Benfica
in the budget it says
"Barcelona get into the quarterfinals."
That's what they predicted.
There could be a loss of about
20-30 million euros as well.
So, massive game tomorrow.
Yeah, that's a pressure, mainly for the manager
and everybody knows that getting through these group stages
in the Champions League is going to be a big pressure.
I'm on my way to watch a football club selling hope.
[speaking foreign language]
The thing that gets you out of here
is a lot of good decisions, and Xavi Hernandez,
who of course won so much with Barcelona in recent times,
now hopes to bring hope to the fans.
[reporters chattering]
XAVI: We are Barcelona and and we need to go to attack
and I think this is the way of Barça.
We cannot permit another-- another way here.
How are you sleeping?
Are you sleeping a lot or very little?
[laughing]
Yes, well first of all,
yes, I have to say that I'm sleeping
even-- even more than-- than before.
Maybe because I'm-- I'm more tired than--
than the past.
BALAGUEÉ: Feels like Xavi has given hope, doesn't it?
To-- to Barcelona.
Yeah, he's-- he's such a myth
and, you know, it's the darkest moment
in the recent history of this club.
So it's, like, you know, this superhero
that comes and rescues them.
Somehow he changed the dynamic of a club.
Just picturing Xavi with the cape.
- Yeah. - And flying.
- [laughing] - "I'm coming to save you."
ABDO: For the new Barça by Xavi,
it's a new chapter in historic Camp Nou career
as he takes charge
of his first Champions League game,
and it's a crucial one against Benfica
with a place in the round...
BALAGUEÉ: We are at Camp Nou.
It's an iconic stadium,
one that has had magnificent nights
on the way to Barcelona getting five Champions Leagues.
As you can see, is one of those places
where it's actually raining inside
and-- and it shouldn't be.
You can see if you look at the-- at the walls,
the ceiling inside
and that's a metaphor for the club.
Right now it's about getting enough money
and backing from investment banks
to actually make the Camp Nou a modern stadium.
They're going to need about $1.5 billion.
This huge amount of money.
How do I look?
[speaking Spanish]
[exclaiming and laughing]
But it's not anymore, because Xavi is back,
that's basically the brief story of what has happened.
When Xavi comes in and instead of saying
"It is what it is,"
he's saying, "We're going to win."
[whistle blowing]
[cheering]
COMMENTATOR: Overrides, this is it!
Buried by the goalkeeper.
Great run up from left wing back by Jordi Alba.
[fans chanting]
Promising here for Barcelona,
Depay's made the move--
Which was a brilliant effort for the youngster!
Seferovich could knock Barcelona out effectively here,
Seferovich, oh, my goodness me!
One of the worst misuses of his entire career.
Thank you.
KATE ABDO: It has been 21 years
since five-time champions Barcelona
failed to advance from the group stage,
but on this last matchday,
Barça stand by the abyss of the unthinkable
with the entire football world watching
and holding its breath.
COMMENTATOR: So Barcelona must beat Bayern
in Munich to survive.
Sané to Lewandowski,
held up by Piqué, cross...
Turned off the line by Araújo, Muüller's header, was it--
Now it's in!
Thomas Muüller scored.
It's crying out to be hit--
And it's too strong for Ter Stegen
and Leroy Sané lashes in.
Pull back and Musiala makes it three.
That's it.
Barcelona are out.
Down and out.
CARRAGHER: This has been coming for a long time
where they find themselves right now.
They've had some good beatings.
They're at rock bottom.
KATE ABDO: So on this final group stage matchday,
there are plenty more winner-takes-all games
to decide who will make it through to the last 16.
COMMENTATOR: Correa, surging forward.
He can seal the deal here.
Correa!
It's two! Job done, Atlético Madrid.
[cheering]
An Angel Gomes has put Lille through
and Wolfsburg out.
Gerard Moreno and it's whipped across to Capoue!
Puts Villareal into those knockout stages.
Ball up by Aaronson to Adeyemi,
Adeyemi across and it's finished!
They have one huge foot
planted in the knockout stages now.
[chanting]
BALAGUEÉ: Before the start
of the Champions League's knockout phase,
I traveled into rural England
to meet a man who has helped define
football's greatest club competition
by composing what has become
an iconic piece of music.
♪ Die Meister ♪
♪ Die Besten ♪
♪ Les grandes équipes ♪
♪ The champions ♪
- Tony. - Guillem.
How are you?
Thank you for bringing me to paradise.
Ah, welcome.
I don't know if it's paradise--
- It is. - You're very welcome.
BALAGUEÉ: It is, it is.
Most of your life has been around London theatres...
Oh, yes, yes.
In my past life.
Yes, theatre was-- That's where I started.
- Mm-hm. - So...
Um, it was ten years of being in the West End.
Working for Cameron Mackintosh, working at the National Theatre.
- I was a musician-- - You say Cameron Mackintosh
as if he was anybody, but, of course, he's a legend.
Well, he's a legend now.
In those days
I used to have to lend him money!
[laughing]
BALAGUEÉ: Tony, what is it that music has
that in few seconds you change
a mood, an atmosphere?
What is it?
Ah, it's a good question.
Music has become very sophisticated,
but at its heart it is a very...
- Primal. - ...primal emotion.
- Yeah. - And-- and that, you know--
And it gets people in a different-- in different ways.
And the great, you know, the Holy Grail
is to tap into that bit of the emotion
where enough people feel the same way.
And I guess you weren't given many instructions
on what you had to do either.
No.
I always thought that
I'd got it right
because you kind of know,
but it was odd being in a stadium
and thinking, "Oh, yeah, yeah, this-- this will do."
BALAGUEÉ: It's been a privilege talking to you, Tony,
but I think we have to finish with that a little bit
that we've all heard and that's made you rich and famous.
I think I know the bit you mean.
- All right. - [chuckles]
[piano music playing]
- ♪ The champions ♪ - ♪ The champions ♪
[piano music playing]
[laughing]
Thank you very much, Tony.
BALAGUEÉ: I'm not sure I said it right,
no, but never mind, though-- - BRITTEN: It's near enough,
BALAGUEÉ: All right, thank you.
[laughing]
[overlapping chatter]
[chatter continues]
- Let me give this back. - Yeah.
Thank you, thank you, thank you, sorry.
KATE ABDO: Welcome back to the knockout phase
of the UEFA Champions League.
We have 16 of Europe's biggest teams
left in the competition,
all fighting for a chance to make May's final
in the Russian city of Saint Petersburg.
COMMENTATOR: San Siro, magical name in European football.
Perisic, he's found across...
And found the underside of the crossbar!
The flick on by Firmino!
And Liverpool striking San Siro!
Headed down by Van Dijk, it's hit by Salah!
Liverpool is clear in the closing moments.
Sporting!
[crowd cheering]
Mahrez delivers.
It's just won in the air by Manchester--
Right on side!
What a finish that is from Bernardo Silva!
Sterling! Oh, my goodness me, 5-0.
KATE ABDO: So, two big away wins for Liverpool
and Manchester City looked to have secured
their places in the quarterfinals.
[cheering]
COMMENTATOR: It's Mazaraoui, there's a threat here,
and there's an opportunity!
And there's an opening goal scored by Dusan Tadic!
[cheering]
Gonzalo Ramos!
Saw a flying stop there by Pasveer.
It's 2-2!
[cheering]
It had been coming.
[whistle blowing]
And we are beautifully balanced
and finely poised for the second leg.
[applause]
Much to look forward to in Amsterdam.
The war in Ukraine has begun
and this is just beginning at this hour
for what is likely a full scale invasion into Ukraine.
REPORTER: President Putin said that Russia
will seek to demilitarize Ukraine
and clashes between the two militaries are inevitable,
and what that means...
Seeing pictures of Kyiv being attacked
and I just can't believe it.
I was there two months ago
to talk to the guys of Shakhtar Donetsk
and-- and this now.
I've messaged Darijo Srna,
who I met at that time,
and amazingly he's replied so
we're gonna catch up on a call later.
Ah, okay.
Okay.
Darijo, first of all,
the last few days which
I guess for you is terrifying, sad,
I don't know how you can describe it.
Yes, I'm safe now, but, you know,
first three days it was like three years.
Every second is like an hour.
[distant explosion]
You don't know what to do.
You are receiving different kind of information.
Russian already in the city,
they are killing on the street.
Is that what you did?
You all got together into the--
into the hotel that I came to visit you?
Yes, all the Brazilian players with their families,
Italian coaching staff,
for me, with two Croatians right there.
We're all together.
I called Aleksander Ceferin.
I don't know how I reach him and I say,
"Mr. President,
we are in a difficult situation.
Can you help us? Please.
And he said to me, "Darijo, I promise to you
"that I will do my best."
Ceferin called me after 18, 20 hours,
and he said, "Darijo, Brazilian are ready to go out,
"I organized for them
one train to Moldova for Brazilian."
No one know what's happening outside
and I went first with my car
and I said to them, "Guys, listen,
we must be ready, you must go out."
[car revving, distant explosion]
Okay, I listen to bombs near me and my car
but, some kind of risk...
you must take in this-- in this moment.
But this is nightmare.
[baby crying]
End of the end, everybody at home.
And I can say just thank you to our club.
Thank you to Mr. Ceferin.
I'm so sorry of our players Ukrainian,
they cannot go out from the country,
but what I see-- what I saw in these 37 hours
is not really--
it's not really nice for no one.
REPORTER: It's just been confirmed--
FEMALE REPORTER: Governing body UEFA has moved the venue
for this year's Champions League final
for Petersburg in Russia to Paris--
KATE ABDO: Information on February 24th.
UEFA has stripped St. Petersburg
of this season's Champions League final,
moving the game to Paris
and that is just one of the many football repercussions.
The smell--
The smell of a big game.
Real Madrid-PSG.
It's the second leg.
Remember, 1-0 in Paris.
COMMENTATOR: Mbappé is through!
Oh, magnificent!
Today, at the Santiago Bernabéu,
they are rebuilding it.
It's been going on for a while.
The plan is an amazing 81,000-seat coliseum.
[fans chanting]
It's outside, they're not even in yet.
Did you see Mbappé?
Coming into the pitch and going like--
Oh my God!
And his face was saying "This could be my house."
"This will be my house."
And the dream must be for him
to play here with a white shirt.
But before all that.
There's a job to do today.
KATE ABDO: In the clash of European titans,
which one will drop through the trapdoor?
Will it be Real Madrid or will it be PSG?
That is what makes today such a tense affair.
COMMENTATOR: This season's final has now been moved
from Russia to Paris,
so what an opportunity for PSG.
Neymar, Mbappé is free.
Only Alaba back--
And Mbappé has scored this time!
2-0 is the PSG aggregate lead!
That's a real risk from Donnarumma,
Benzema punts it.
Vinicius, Benzema!
And Real Madrid have been handed a lifeline!
And here's an opportunity for Vinicius,
trying to set up Modric again,
slips in, Benzema!
Round Madrid lead of the night!
And anything can happen from here!
He's got another! He's got another!
He's got a hat-trick!
COMMENTATOR 2: I don't believe it.
COMMENTATOR: And he's gone into Real Madrid legend.
With a second-half hat-trick,
which is taking this cup tie away from Paris Saint Germain.
[cheering]
!¡Vamos, vamos!
Vini, grande, grande, grande.
- Bien, chavales, bien. - Sí.
KATE ABDO: Real Madrid are through to the quarterfinals,
but who will join them?
We have all the deciding round of 16 second leg matches
coming up for you this week.
COMMENTATOR: Christian Pulisic!
That was quite brilliant.
There's Mount, César Azpilicueta
puts Chelsea into the quarterfinals
of the Champions League.
Joao Félix supported by Griezman.
Lifted it towards Lodi!
Atlético, euphoria.
!¡Vamos!
COMMENTATOR: Atlético go through.
[whistle blowing]
COMMENTATOR: Corner for Villareal.
And there's the second!
Pau Torres!
[whistle blowing]
Danjuma steps up to make it three,
and so he does!
Villareal through to the next round of the Champions League.
[chanting]
They've got another goal, it's Gnabry.
Muüller...
Bayern 7, Salzburg 1.
And Bayern go through.
[reggae music playing]
Hello, I'm, of course, in Amsterdam.
I'm about to see tonight the second leg of the last 16.
Ajax-Benfica.
But before that don't worry.
♪ Don't worry about a thing ♪
♪ 'Cause every little thing ♪
♪ Gonna be all right ♪
Bob Marley, what does it have to do with Ajax?
The answer is with someone I'm about to meet
who is a big Ajax fan,
music expert and journalist.
So come with me.
♪ Singin' sweet songs ♪
♪ Of melodies pure and true ♪
♪ Sayin' ♪
BALAGUEÉ: I'm in the center of Amsterdam,
fan site gathering.
Everybody's really enjoying themselves already.
There's still about four hours before the game.
Four hours, five hours?
- Hello. - Hey!
- You are all right, Menno? - I'm good. How are you?
I was saying it feels like a really big game today.
Big day for football.
And I hope to hear you sing as well...
[laughing]
the "Three Little Birds" song.
♪ Don't worry ♪
- ♪ About a thing ♪ Yeah. - ♪ About a thing ♪
But why did you pick on that one?
Uh, this-- this goes back 14 years, actually.
This started in 2008.
Ajax played a friendly at the time at Cardiff in the UK.
Uh, I think it was a very dull game.
It was a 0-0 or something
and Ajax fans were held up after the game
in the away end and their resident DJ
decided to play that song.
♪ Don't worry ♪
♪ About a thing ♪
♪ 'Cause every little thing ♪
MENNO: And it just somehow it struck a chord.
People started singing along.
They took it home and we've been singing it ever since.
But is there also a link between
Bob Marley and Amsterdam and coffee house?
You know where I'm getting at?
MENNO: Well, obviously there's the liberal approach
that this city is known for towards soft drugs.
Uh, marijuana,
and that's definitely a factor.
We have a very good team now, Ajax,
but we're not always great.
We have very bad slumps as well,
and the song works really well for that
because it can work both ways.
You can sing it as a song of triumph
to opposing fans when you beat them.
You know, every little thing is going to be all right.
Maybe next time, guys, you know?
A little bit like that.
But you can also sing it after you've lost.
And then of course, we're made it legendary.
Bob Marley's son singing it in the ground.
MENNO: I was there and, uh-- That was magic.
It's one of those moments that everybody
will remember forever.
♪ 'Cause every little thing ♪
♪ Is gonna be all right ♪
♪ Singin': "Don't worry about a thing ♪
[chanting]
The place is rocking.
The floor, bouncing.
The man is the best DJ in the Champions League by a mile.
And I cannot wait for
the "Three Little Birds."
[cheering]
[dance music playing]
Who can beat Ajax?
You cannot hear.
They're not the extra man.
They're the extra dozen!
The faces! Look at the faces!
People are happy.
[cheering]
Ajax!
♪ Singin': "Don't worry ♪
♪ About a thing ♪
- [whistling] - ♪ 'Cause every little thing ♪
Benfica didn't wanna be there
while all this communing is taking place,
they're coming out late now.
COMMENTATOR: What an atmosphere inside the Johan Cruyff Arena
as two former European champions reconvene in Amsterdam
in this raucous cauldron of a stadium.
[crowd whistling]
[crowd roaring]
COMMENTATOR: Berghuis feeding Tadic.
That's a beautifully flighted ball
towards the far post!
And coming up on the right hand side,
getting on the end of it was Antony.
[chanting]
Antony, such an exciting talent,
looks for the chance to shoot, going for goal!
Relatively comfortable save for Odysseas Vlachodimos
in the Benfica goal.
We still await the first goal of the night.
And they got it!
Darwin Núñez has scored!
Darwin Núñez has stunned the Dutch crowd.
A stunning win in Amsterdam tonight
against the odds
and Ajax go out of the Champions League.
It is Benfica who go through to the quarterfinals.
BALAGUEÉ: All right.
It's a clear. Okay, we're done.
Thank you very much.
Do you know what this feels like?
This was a Ajax party, right?
Do you know when in a party,
somebody you don't expect appears
and breaks the atmosphere completely?
You know, your old boyfriend or your old girlfriend?
It feels like that.
Ajax were supposed to qualify, but it didn't.
And Benfica, they did what they had to do,
they-- they were intelligent. They were clever.
Anyway, I got a gift from Ajax, look!
Bob Marley's third kit of Ajax.
Uh, it's got the...
the three little birds
and, of course...
the Rastafari flag colors.
Red, yellow and green so...
♪ Don't worry ♪
♪ About a thing ♪
♪ Because every little thing ♪
♪ It's gonna be all right ♪
I hope they mean it tonight.
I bet it's gonna hurt this.
Anyway, time to go home.
That's it, see you soon, bye.
Cheers.
KATE ABDO: Hello and welcome to the quarterfinals
of the Champions League.
We have four fascinating ties for you,
starting with reigning champions Chelsea
against the most successful club
in Champions League history, Real Madrid.
BALAGUEÉ: Life keeps reminding us
that football is not in a bubble.
We saw it in Transnistria, we saw it in Kyiv
and we've seen it here in London.
This is Chelsea. King's Road.
Stadium of Chelsea is very, very near
and today is the first leg
of the quarterfinals of the Champions League.
Chelsea-Real Madrid, but that's not the big concern.
The big concern is that the British Government
has sanctioned the owner of Chelsea, Roman Abramovich,
and we need to find out what the fans think about it.
- Hi, Guillem. - Lovely to meet you.
- You, too. - Big day today.
Huge game.
Which way you prefer to go to the ground?
- We can go up here. - All right, let's go.
BALAGUEÉ: You're gonna walk into the ground today,
perhaps for the last time this season.
How do you feel?
It's sad because we're being impacted
for something that's out of our control.
There's been an invasion and a war
on the other side of the continent,
and it means that Chelsea fans
can't go and support their team.
FAN: It was a huge surprise.
Like, we were, honestly, like, surprised,
like, they're not supposed to bring politics into football.
It's a tough--
It's a tough one for us.
The Chelsea fans feel they're being punished
by the government.
BALAGUEÉ: So what were the immediate consequences
for the club and people at the club
when the sanction started?
Staff was sent home,
because our mega store was closed,
the stadium was closed.
No one could even get onto the grounds.
It was all fenced off.
Fans weren't allowed to buy tickets for games,
really basic things.
While, of course, Abramovich was getting punished,
so were people that were lower level.
From my perspective, I think that Chelsea
was taken or I say robbed by the UK Government.
You know, attack the man,
but don't attack what we stand for.
BALAGUEÉ: We have known for at least 10 years
what Abramovich is like.
Why have we decided to ignore it all those years?
And that includes you and us as well as media.
Some fans, they don't care about the politics.
They don't care about who the owner is
or where they're from, or their ideology is.
They just want to support their football team.
To me a couple of MPs in Parliament
that seem to want to sprout their mouths off.
They come out and said it's not the fans
that they want to take it out on.
So why are they?
BALAGUEÉ: It feels like the majority
don't want to see the bigger picture.
Am I right?
Fans don't want to hear the truth sometimes,
and I get that-- - Sometimes?
- Sometimes, of course. - Most of the time.
Most of the time.
I like to think whoever buys the club will be
relatively squeaky clean.
I'm not happy with the Americans taking over,
but there again, I'm not happy with the British party.
I don't want it to take over either.
So out of all, I'd say the Saudis
'cause they say they want to spend.
[cheering]
COMMENTATOR: The current champions of Europe
face the eternal champions of Europe.
This is Vinicius Jr.
It's a big chance!
And only Edouard Mendy's crossbar
kept out Vinicius.
- Vinicius again-- - Benzema!
It was almost inevitable
that he would score for Real Madrid tonight.
He seems to score in every game at the moment!
Luka Modric again.
Benzema again!
Scores again!
Simply remarkable.
[exclaiming]
James to Jorginho,
that's a tempting ball-- Havertz!
That's half the job done.
...lurking, that's a mistake by Mendy,
and a hat-trick for Karim Benzema,
wrapped up with pretty bows
and just presented to him.
Real Madrid leads 3-1.
And that is the lead Real Madrid
will take back to the Bernabéu.
[birds squawking]
BALAGUEÉ: I'm in Split, Croatia.
In between Champions League games.
Why?
Well, actually, that's where Darijo Srna is.
Remember Darijo Srna,
director of football at Shakhtar Donetsk?
Who, of course, told us
his story while he was in Kyiv.
How he fled from war in Croatia as a child,
and then again from Donetsk in 2014.
And then told us that he actually
led the convoy of players
leaving Kyiv at the beginning of the invasion of Ukraine.
Well, he's here now.
He's helping organizing friendlies around Europe.
So they raise money for Ukraine.
I'm about to meet Darijo,
Shakhtar Donetsk is about to play Hadjuk Split.
And I just want to know,
the next leg of his extraordinary journey.
[woman singing over PA]
[chattering]
[speaking foreign language]
That is the Hadjuk Split stadium.
And we're gonna meet Darijo.
Come with me.
[woman singing over PA]
This was organized a little bit in a rush.
It's part of this tour of friendlies
that Shakhtar Donetsk are doing.
[woman singing ends]
[cheering and applause]
Do you hear?
That's children's voices.
Because a lot of children and moms from Ukraine
are now living here in Split.
And you know who's partly responsible for that?
That's Darijo Srna.
[whistle blowing]
[chanting]
I look at this and I see a lot of Darijo Srna.
- I see your two nations. - Yes.
Croatia and Ukraine.
- Your two clubs. - Yes.
- I see football. - Yes.
DARIJO: Yes, it's so nice to be here, you know?
But unfortunately today we're playing for Ukraine.
BALAGUEÉ: I hear a lot of kids from Ukraine, that--
- DARIJO: Yes. - BALAGUEÉ: They come--
DARIJO: More or less 20,000 people of Ukraine
is in Croatia now.
Every day, unfortunately, more, more, more and more.
[chanting]
BALAGUEÉ: I hear that you actually helped
some of the players, young players
associated to Shakhtar Donetsk to--
to live here in Split, is that right?
DARIJO: We took 86 children.
Split received them like--
- Like family. - Family.
And I'm really grateful for that.
BALAGUEÉ: You're holding together a football club.
What next?
We go step by step.
I believe in Shakhtar,
I believe in our president.
He's still there, he's fighting for the country.
He's fighting...
for the peace, he's fighting to help
all Ukrainians in this difficult moment.
[cheering]
BALAGUEÉ: How do you picture, say,
in a year's time?
Where will the club be?
Where will you be?
I hope in Kyiv.
Hope in Kyiv.
BALAGUEÉ: The players of Shakhtar Donetsk
are clapping the fans.
These people, most of them are from the Ukraine,
even in the most difficult of circumstances,
football always give you something.
[cheering]
[chanting]
COMMENTATOR: Tsimikas...
It's up, Konate!
He scored his first goal for Liverpool!
They've got a chance here.
And Benfica have pulled a goal back.
Is it in-- Firmino!
Tsimikas...
It's Firmino!
FEMALE COMMENTATOR: A battle between two
of the very best tonight
in this Champions League.
Felipe came charging in there.
Cut it back!
Foden, looking to break free.
Felipe, will he challenge it?
Going down in the post, Correa!
There's a massive save.
Elation for Manchester City!
[whistle blows]
COMMENTATOR: A day with history.
Can Villareal knock out
six-time European champions Bayern Munich?
Here's Lewandowski...
And it's in!
Bayern now leveled on aggregate.
[chanting]
[inaudible]
Gerard Moreno!
Chukwueze scores!
And Villareal are into the semifinals
of the Champions League!
Bayern Munich, they-- they were not up to it today
and it's fully deserved that Villareal go through.
[chanting]
♪ Villareal ♪
COMMENTATOR: So, we're all set in this marvelous arena
where Real Madrid are closing in on a place
in the semi-finals of the Champions League
and doing so at the expense of the holders Chelsea.
Havertz all the way through
for a breakthrough goal for Chelsea!
Brilliantly done, Mason Mount.
That changes the perspective.
Game on.
A corner with plenty of height on it.
And it's headed in!
Tony Rudiger and Chelsea are leveled on aggregate.
The league turning on the night,
and Thomas Tuchel's dream
is getting ever closer to coming true.
Werner, Timo Werner still going...
and has ended up in the back of the net!
And Werner getting what could be
one of the most important goals
in Chelsea's history.
[inaudible]
Modric, it's a great ball...
Rodrygo!
Arrives with a flourish.
And there's another twist of the tale, here.
With the finishing line in sight,
we're now back leveled.
Vinicius Jr.
Looking for Benzema!
[cheering]
A vital goal for Real Madrid!
They have the aggregate lead back.
Chelsea win the match,
but Real Madrid win the tie.
CARRAGHER: If I think of one moment in the two legs,
is his pass with the outside of the foot--
When you go back and watch it again,
the actual height he puts on it.
I mean, what is that-- I mean--
That pass is one of the best passes I've ever seen.
HENRY: What is he doing, still doing that?
It's-- it's outstanding.
BALAGUEÉ: If you think of players
from this season's Champions League,
you'll think, I'm sure, it's Luka Modric,
who is from here, Zadar, Croatia.
And I come here to find out more about him
and to talk to two of his contemporaries.
Also two very successful people
to come from this area.
[people chattering]
Nevena.
- Damjan. - Nice to meet you.
Nice to meet you.
You both got more or less the same age as Luka Modric
and the three of you are--
- Can I say children of war? - Yes, we are.
'Cause when you were kids, a war started here.
NEVENA: What I remember it's living with no electricity,
no water, running to the basement.
when the siren starts and all that, so--
- The alarms. - The alarms, yeah,
and all that.
So, no, not a good memory.
I was five years old when the war started
and, you know, obviously it was very traumatizing
experience seeing everyone around you cry the whole time.
And going through all of it,
it's definitely something that, you know,
changes you for the rest of your life
and kind of makes you the person you are.
How? How? What -- what adds to you?
We kind of went through a process of, you know,
building up our pride and
uh, through the whole traumatizing experience,
it was something that brought the community
and the country together.
I think it makes us stronger,
the whole war situation and everything,
just made us all stronger
'cause Croatia is very young country
and with the whole thing
I think it's just, like, makes us proud.
And we are very proud
and you can see in any sports we are so proud
and so competitive and we want to be the best
and we are so small
and then we come home with the medals.
BALAGUEÉ: Luka Modric is an example of it as well.
What does he represent in your eyes, in people's eyes,
Luka Modric in-- in Croatia?
For me, a God, it's God Luka Modric.
[cheering]
DAMJAN: What Luka did for the country,
leading us to the historic success in 2018 World Cup
cemented his role in-- in Croatian
and world soccer history.
BALAGUEÉ: You are such a small country.
I think four million people in Croatia.
Croatia gets to the World Cup final.
DAMJAN: It was really one of the craziest days
that I ever had a chance to experience.
NEVENA: Craziness. It was the best feeling ever.
So you see this place?
This-- this is where the stage goes for them.
[crowd chanting]
You couldn't pass. There was no chance, man.
[crowd chanting] - Luka, Luka, Luka!
BALAGUEÉ: I hear that Luka Modric
never forgets where he comes from.
NEVENA: No.
DAMJAN: If you really want to get
into the heart of the Luka Modric story,
we're going to have to take you to--
to where he's originally from and, I have to tell you,
it's quite different from Zadar.
[rain pattering]
[cowbell ringing]
BALAGUEÉ: And we're turning left here, are we?
BALAGUEÉ: Luka spent part of his childhood in this area.
Yeah, you can imagine how it formed him as a person.
His grandfather was a sheep herder,
him and Luka were very close
and there was a video that came out in 2018.
A young fella,
five years old or something like that,
that was herding sheep and, uh...
- That was Luka? Oh, my god. - It came to be-- Yeah.
It turned out to be Luka Modric.
Now we're pulling up to the sign of Modrici and--
They call it after him?
[laughing]
Well, it's a-- it's a small hamlet, you know,
a small place
only a handful of families live here
and, uh, you know,
people think this is where he's normally from.
But if you really want to see his house,
it's-- it's even further out.
From this tiny little remote place,
greatness can be, strangely enough, produced.
[car door closes]
- This is it. - Yeah.
Kind of hard to believe, right?
In this area, which as you can tell,
is a very rough terrain, very affected by the war.
Look out for land mines and--
- Land mines? - Yeah.
Because I know there's a lot of, you know,
areas in Croatia that are still affected.
There're kind of, you know, mine zones.
One of the darkest periods
in the whole history of his family
came during the war.
His own grandfather, whom he was very close with,
got assassinated in front of the house
right here where we stand.
The fact that a guy came from such humble beginnings
and now that he's on top of the sports world.
To see him being the kind of modest guy
and remain with both feet on the ground,
you can tell that this house
and the very beginnings have a lot to do with.
[chanting]
COMMENTATOR: Ahead of us, a contest for the connoisseur.
Enticing, enchanting,
an evening of tantalizing possibility.
So let the story unfold.
[chanting]
Mahrez...
Mahrez plays it in!
What a start for Manchester City!
In by De Bruyne--
COMMENTATOR 2: Jesus turning and scoring!
How sharp is he right now?
COMMENTATOR: Robertson just slips...
and he's managed to link with Alexander-Arnold and--
Salah with an instant finish.
COMMENTATOR: And Mendy could lift it in--
It's Benzema!
And the dynamic changes.
Thiago--
[crowd exclaiming]
But only the woodwork kept it.
Fernandinho's cross-- Foden!
COMMENTATOR: Jordan Henderson, deflected!
And in!
COMMENTATOR: Ah, it's a terrific turn from Vinicius.
Vinicius, oh, wonderful goal.
Wonderful, wonderful goal.
Salah, slipped through to Mané, 3-0!
That's what can happen here.
[crowd exclaiming]
COMMENTATOR: Bernardo Silva does it!
Absolute belter!
[crowd whistling]
COMMENTATOR: In a moment that matters massively.
Karim Benzema.
Immaculately calm.
Half time.
Not more, not less.
Now, in five days, we play again
and we have to make sure that we are ready.
[chanting]
- [camera shutter clicking] - [indistinct chatter]
[kicking balls]
[laughing]
BALAGUEÉ: I'm in Liverpool, Liverpool's training ground.
and I'm going to interview Juürgen Klopp.
We've been given 20 minutes, right?
And when that happens, the producer of the live show says,
"You have to talk about this and this and this."
And the producer of this documentary says,
"You have to talk about this and this and this."
And I've got 20 minutes!
Don't worry, we'll be fine.
BALAGUEÉ: Hello.
- Okay... - Good morning.
Very good, you?
I think I always see you before Champions League.
Big games.
- Only the big games. - Yeah.
So if I play you a song, you have to tell me
the first thing that comes into your head.
- Yeah. - When you hear it.
[Champions League theme song playing]
♪ Ils sont les meilleurs ♪
What's the first thing that comes into your head?
I love it. I love it.
It's like, um--
When you start as a-- as a coach
you have-- you have dreams but
you-- you don't know if you will achieve them.
That's why you always keep them
a little bit, like, in-- in the back.
I didn't-- I didn't dream that big, you know?
Didn't dream of being a coach.
So my career is the biggest surprise
for myself, to be honest,
and I didn't have this kind of dreams.
But since I'm in,
we want to be part of finals,
we want to win finals.
All these kinds of things, so...
Yeah, the dream started while we did it
more than before.
BALAGUEÉ: It has been a long season,
so right now, do you sleep well
or you-- you started eating junk food and
everything gets disorganized in your life?
[laughing]
No, thank God, that's all organized.
Sleeping well.
I actually don't think about--
People asking, "Did you sleep well?"
I think so.
I-- I feel that your profession is
is a bit of a solitary profession.
Yeah.
That's true.
I never have happiness-- [coughing]
I never feel happiness before the game.
- All right. - No, never satisfaction.
Never-- I'm never 100% sure.
It's really about that beat that you create an atmosphere
where the players really listen to what I say
so that we really try to-- to shut down
and-- and the-- the-- the noise from around.
[fans cheering]
BALAGUEÉ: At this stage, fans tend to think
that you're gonna come up with something--
With-- with a miracle.
You rec a moment
that is just gonna win you the game.
KLOPP: The bigger the game is, like, from outside,
the boys know exactly what's at stake.
Um, and how's that-- a very smart group.
I'm much more often really calm
than very emotional in-- in these moments
because it's about delivering
the right information.
COMMENTATOR: So one more twist perhaps
in this enchanting tale of the improbable.
[fans chanting]
This is Parejo,
now preparing is Estupiñán.
Whose cross has devil, Capoue, Dia!
1-0 Villareal!
In next to no time!
Hold the back page.
There's a story still to be written.
Capoue...
Capoue's cross... Coquelin!
[cheering]
Now the cat is amongst the pigeons.
Half time.
Assume nothing in this crazy, crazy game.
Strap in, here we go.
Salah, Fabinho,
no foul, Fabinho!
From this and through the goalkeeper!
And reestablishes the preeminence of Liverpool.
Alexander-Arnold... Díaz!
And they are now surely Paris bound.
Sadio Mané is on his way and Rulli's come
Mané against Foyth,
he's left Foyth behind as well.
Sadio Mané must, must, must score!
[cheering]
Beyond all reasonable doubts,
Liverpool European Cup finalists for tenth time.
PRODUCER: Last time this season
in this studio, guys, enjoy it.
WOMAN: This match is brought you by...
KATE ABDO: The Champions League final is set today.
We will find out who will meet in Paris.
Premier League title holders, Manchester City
or the 13-time Champions League winners Real Madrid.
[cheering]
COMMENTATOR: We're lucky boys, we really are, Kate.
The fans are gonna be the wind
beneath the wings of Real Madrid Football Club.
It could be the liking to a traditional wedding cake
with tier after perfectly iced tier.
and it has that dreamy feeling about it tonight.
COMMENTATOR: They have a very very special relationship
with the Champions League
and on a romantic night like this,
to not be surprised if the sparks fly.
The royal club of Spain
against the reigning kings of England.
Poked it by De Bruyne,
for Bernardo Silva!
That's a marvelous save.
Ball's gone long, Casemiro kept it from Jesus,
Foden tried one!
And we'll try not to plunge again.
Bernardo Silva.
Jesus ahead of him.
Bernardo Silva weaving.
And Mahrez!
[crowd cheering]
That is a beautiful goal.
And even for Real Madrid
it is a fair old journey back from here.
[cheering]
Jack Grealish could go all the way here.
He's nifty, he's quick, he's in.
He couldn't quite score,
it's a miraculous clearance off the line.
Camavinga...
Coached up towards Benzema.
Startling!
And Real Madrid do stay alive!
It's Carabajal's cross, Rodrygo!
Oh, extraordinary!
[crowd roaring]
They prayed for miracles
and miracles arrived!
Real Madrid, the team of dreams!
Rodrygo, Benzema's gone over...
- [crowd exclaiming] - Penalty!
Drama upon drama.
Benzema, scores!
[crowd cheering]
6-5 up on aggregate.
And Real Madrid are Paris bound.
GUARDIOLA: The players gave everything.
We were so close, really, really close.
But, yeah, at the end we could not do it.
REPORTER: Okay, thank you.
- [players exclaiming] - [camera shutters clicking]
I'm at Real Madrid's training ground
and today's the open media day for the Champions League final.
Crews from all over the world are here
but we'll be able to talk to some of the players.
Perhaps the manager as well.
This is, of course, ahead of the Champions League final.
Normally, we don't get this kind of access.
They, too, celebrate!
This is the Real Madrid studios,
Roberto Carlos is there
and some of the legends of Real Madrid have been seen around.
[inaudible]
There's plenty of people.
The energy of these guys.
He's 36, Luka.
36, and he's gonna be in his fifth final.
Which is unbelievable.
Luka, soy Guillem Balagué.
I hear that Luka Modric can do anything.
So can you travel through time?
Can you go back to that kid and talk to him and say,
"Little Luka, I'm gonna be in five championship finals,
"I'm about to win my fifth.
What do you think?"
If I can talk with myself
and to say, "Come on, Luka,
write what you want to achieve."
You cannot write this.
It's-- it's impossible.
You'd say, "Ah, you are--
you are asking for too much."
You know? And I am so proud
and happy for everything
that I-- that I achieved.
And, yeah, it's something
more than the dream come true.
I want one person
that can-- could see this
all this that I achieved was--
would be my grandpa.
Yeah, and I had a really special relationship with him
and I'm sure he is looking
from-- from this sky.
- Carlo, Guillem. - All right.
I am doing a psychological study...
- Yeah. - ...of football comebacks.
Can you help me?
- Yes, I can help you. - All right.
I'm not a magician. [chuckles]
I have to-- to give to the player the confidence
that it can happen,
and not always happen, of course.
Sometimes happen.
And more special in this club happens.
BALAGUEÉ: And, finally, Liverpool is the kind of team
that has got, as you say, energy, quality,
all amount of things, a huge amount of things.
How do you stop that?
They are a top, top team but we...
we are happy to play against them
because we are-- I think, for football,
will be a fantastic final.
Good luck.
- Thank you very much. - Thank you, ciao.
[plane engine whirring]
MAN: And the last piece.
BALAGUEÉ: Hello from Paris.
Today is the day.
Is the Champions League final.
And people are... having lunch.
It's quiet and that's one way to celebrate the day.
I'm sure I'll find another way, so come with me.
[distant crowd cheering and chanting]
Can you hear it?
I told you I knew where to go.
This is the place to be
for the biggest party is taking place.
This is Liverpool's fans zone
and let me show you.
[chanting]
- Jamie... - Guillem, how's it going, mate?
- Listen to that. - It's crazy, isn't it?
- It's-- - I want to be there.
I want to be with them.
[chanting]
JAMIE: Feel singing anything today,
Soon they're gonna hear you too.
- Hopefully, yeah. - What a gig.
Amazing, amazing.
BALAGUEÉ: You've been a Liverpool fan all your life.
JAMIE: Yeah, obviously, I grew up in the city.
You know, think I went to my first game
when I was three or four and...
Hooked ever since.
We heard the stories of '77, '84, '81.
Liverpool fans descended on mass
onto these cities like Rome, Paris.
And we're just so lucky and thankful that
our generation are experiencing now
with the Juürgen Klopp's Liverpool.
It's just the community, the spirit.
The sarcasm and cheekiness that we've got,
you know what I mean?
It's-- we're real people--
We're working class people,
we come from a port city.
We've got so many different cultures
and all seem to come together
for the football and the music.
You think I can see you off going to stage
and sense a little bit what's going on?
Yeah, yeah, of course, yeah.
Just do it, just do it.
[crowd cheering]
Liverpool!
[guitar music playing]
♪ Shankly is our hero, he showed us how to play ♪
♪ The mighty reds of Europe are out to win today ♪
♪ He made a team of champions, with every man a king ♪
♪ And every game we love to win ♪
♪ And this is what we sing ♪
♪ We love you Liverpool ♪
♪ We do ♪
♪ We love you Liverpool ♪
♪ We do ♪
I don't think they need to check my heart rate
in the locker room.
HOST: Good afternoon, everyone.
Welcome to this press conference
ahead of the Champions--
- Freeze! - [players exclaiming]
We are here the third time in five years.
That's special.
[players exclaiming]
[players exclaiming and laughing]
They came out to train, as you can see,
they're warming up behind me.
Gareth, Mariano, tarea.
KATE ABDO: As a player, how do you feel
before a game of this magnitude?
CARRAGHER: The Champions League final is life changing.
The whole world is watching.
Jamie, a little surprise for you.
We're going over to Nico, who is in New York City
at one of the Scouse hangouts.
Where are you Nico?
We're at Carragher's!
I mean.
This feels like I'm in the heart of the cup!
- Listen to this! - [fans chanting]
♪ We all dream of a team of Carraghers ♪
♪ A team of Carraghers ♪
The match should've started now
and if you look the Liverpool end,
I'd say a third of the seats are not filled in
and that's because the fans
are trying to get into the stadium.
KATE ABDO: Can you see that? There, we can see--
CARRAGHER: Yeah, I mean, it's just not moving.
We've seen that for the last few minutes.
And that's the report I'm getting
from Liverpool supporters coming in.
People sending me messages
saying they've been tear-gassed outside.
They're funneling people through very narrow areas,
trying to get them into the stadium.
KATE ABDO: Disturbing scenes in the TV compound as well.
Fans have jumped the gates
and rushed into that television compound.
Our producers and our entire production crew
were then locked into the trucks by security
as the police were tear-gassing and arresting fans outside.
BALAGUEÉ: Some of the gates are not open.
There's confusion
and at the moment the organization has decided
to delay it for 15 minutes.
I'd say a least.
This is truly
one of the most surreal experiences
I've had at a football match.
I'm locked inside the stadium
while the chaos outside continues to delay kickoff
and the players down below me
are waiting patiently to take the field.
[crowd chanting]
KATE ABDO: All right, it is time then for the main event.
COMMENTATOR: Welcome to the most prestigious game
of club football,
The 2022 UEFA Champions League final.
Played between two of the serial winners
of this coveted prize.
[crowd chanting]
[whistle blowing]
The cross is dangerous, Salah!
Smart save there.
Courtois had to get down quickly.
Come on!
COMMENTATOR: Mané...
He's found some space!
And he's found the post further and then Courtois.
Yes, what a save from Courtois.
What a save.
There's only one team today and it's Liverpool.
[speaking foreign language]
Allez!
[crowd roaring]
[indistinct]
Roberto!
[chanting]
COMMENTATOR: Alaba.
Benzema's found some space here.
Karim Benzema...
Oh, and Alisson-- Valverde might still come--
Benzema!
It is going to be checked, inevitably.
Offside... [speaking foreign language]
- [crowd cheering] - COMMENTATOR: No goal.
No goal.
[whistle blows]
Merci a vous.
BALAGUEÉ: Liverpool wins today,
we say, "Of course."
Real Madrid wins today, and it'd be like,
"How?"
COMMENTATOR: Real Madrid has been beaten
three times in this competition
this year alone.
Liverpool has been beaten three times all season
in 62 games.
- It's the match up. - [whistle blowing]
There's nothing to separate them in halfway.
Carabajal.
[chuckles]
Terrific pass there to Casemiro,
and now Valverde has some space.
Hit into Vinicius!
[crowd cheering]
Real Madrid take the lead!
Salah looking for an equalizer!
But in the hands of Courtois again.+
Jota up the air, the far post,
and here comes Salah!
- Ooh! - COMMENTATOR: Somehow,
an improvised save by Courtois kicks it out.
[crowd exclaiming]
REFEREE: I need a doctor.
[whistle blowing]
Send a message, okay?
It's the championship final, uh?
Searching ball from Firmino,
wonderful control from Mohamed Salah.
What a save!
What a save by Thibaut Courtois!
[whistle blowing]
[crowd roaring]
COMMENTATOR: It's Real Madrid again.
Again and again.
14 times champions.
Twice as many times as anyone else.
[crowd chanting]
[chanting]
[crowd cheering]
[chanting]
[camera shutters clicking]
[fans shouting]
- Hey, Modric! - Modric!
BALAGUEÉ: Luka!
What's in the head and what's in the heart?
[exclaiming]
I don't know really what to say.
This is unbelievable.
Five time to win Champions League
from five finals it's something unbelievable.
Campeones, campeones, ole, ole, ole.
BALAGUEÉ: And the season is finishing.
With a huge high from Real Madrid.
A touch of surprise.
It is a season in which a lot of theories
about football, like team effort,
and domination and possession
they've gone out of the window.
This season's been about Real Madrid.
And their miracles.
And it has been a year
unexpected turns and twists,
on the pitch.
And off the pitch,
war in Europe?
Don't think this was possible.
- Visca el Barça! - You all right, Menno?
- I'm good. - Thank you very much, Tommy.
We've been all over Europe
and the impression I get
is that people are desperate to belong to something
and they're desperate
to find magic
and they find a lot of that magic in football.
So, for more of that,
let's do that again next season, shall we?