Xabi Alonso is, like most Reds fans right now, finding it hard to believe that he is now a European Champion. Liverpool’s Spanish midfielder scored the equaliser for the Reds in the amazing Champions League Final in Turkey last night.
Xabi said: "This is the best moment in my professional career. I am a European champion, and I cannot believe it. It is slowly sinking in. It’s unbelievable, but I think as the hours progress, we will be able to absorb what we have achieved. I know there is always a first time, and fortunately this was mine."
Vladimir Smicer scored Liverpool’s second, and that was the goal that really set Liverpool fans believing they could do it. It was his last game for Liverpool, barring a change of heart from Rafa Benitez on giving Smicer a new contract. Smicer has had little chance to prove himself to Benitez this season thank to injury, last night he proved to the world that he knows how to strike the ball. He said: "I wanted to show everybody that I’m still a good footballer, that I still have something to say. I think I have succeeded with that goal and that penalty. It wasn’t a nice view at half time, but we wanted to get a goal for our fans as we didn’t want them to be sad. We didn’t want to give it up so easily and at the end it came back to us. I’m spellbound by it all, this is maybe the greatest moment in my career."