Liverpool FC are in the UEFA Champions League final for the second consecutive season, and should they beat Tottenham Hotspur in Madrid on June 1, the Merseysiders will then have sole possession of third place on the list of European Cup/UCL titles won.
As it stands, they are tied with Bayern Munich for third place at five European titles won, trailing AC Milan’s seven and Real Madrid’s 13.
The Anfield club’s rich history of European success obviously has a lot to do with why, according to most betting sites, they are substantially favored over Spurs in the all-England UCL final at the beginning of next month. That and their dominant domestic form this season, which saw them finish runners-up in the top flight, despite accruing the third most single season points in Premier League history.
Liverpool club legend Vladimir Smicer is a big reason why they hoisted the trophy in 2005, as he is perhaps best remembered for his long range goal against Milan in that tournament’s final. We had an exclusive interview with Smicer by phone last week, and we asked him why the Reds so often succeed in this format. Are they just the kind of club that is simply built for this kind of competition?
“I don’t know, we really do well in Europe, in the ’70s and ’80s, we were winning these trophies,” he responded. “And it’s maybe in our DNA that we can do really well in Europe.”
“And it’s great success for the club- back to back in the final. They have played really well in Europe and in the Premier League, so I hope they will be rewarded, and especially Jurgen Klopp, will be rewarded with a trophy.”
Yes, Jurgen Klopp, the Reds boss who is still trying to win his first trophy at Anfield. The German really is the biggest star of this team, and that’s no small feat when you consider how this Liverpool side boasts the PFA Player of the year (Virgil van Dijk), the Golden Gloves winner (Alisson) and two of the three (Sadio Mane, Mohamed Salah) who shared the Golden Boot award this season.
“With Jurgen, Liverpool definitely progressed,” Smicer continued. “We player better football. We play offensively well, we’re scoring the goals, and I hope Jurgen will be rewarded because he deserves it.”
It’s up to Klopp now, to see if he can get his team over that final hurdle after a very long but extremely exciting season.
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net, which is partnered with News Now. Banks, the author of “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry,” regularly appears on WGN CLTV and co-hosts the “Let’s Get Weird, Sports” podcast on SB Nation.
Banks, a former writer for NBC Chicago.com and Chicago Tribune.com, also contributes to Chicago Now. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram. The content of his cat’s Instagram account is unquestionably superior to his.