The UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE final that year was between Barcelona and Arsenal. It was the first UEFA Champions League final I ever watched as a football fan. I had two favorite players from each club and these are Thierry Henry and Ronaldinho in that year.
They were the stars of that moment.
I have to admit, I loved Henry more than Ronaldinho that year though being a beginner in watching club football because I had a friend we called Henry while playing community football. So, I transferred the love I had for my friend to supporting Arsenal to win the UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE trophy that year. I had in mind that whichever team won that year would be the club I supported from then on.
The final match started, and we were so excited. My friends and I began arguing and comparing the two teams. Arsenal started the game well. But unfortunately, Arsenal's goalkeeper got a red card, which completely changed the game and left Arsenal fans feeling down.
Coach Arsene Wenger had to substitute in another goalkeeper, Almunia, and removed Pires from the game.
In the 37th minute of the game, Arsenal took the lead with a goal from one of their solid defenders, Campbell. That's how Arsenal won the first half of the match.
The second half began, and Barcelona, now with the advantage of playing against ten men, quickly made some substitutions, bringing in attackers.
Unfortunately, the player I loved from the Arsenal team that year had many chances but failed to score. He wasn't sharp enough that night. In the 76th minute, Barcelona equalized with a goal from Eto'o, and the winning goal came in the 81st minute from Belleti.
It was a sad night for all Arsenal supporters around the world. That match could have been Arsenal's first-ever UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE trophy.
After the game ended, my friends and I rejoiced. It was an entertaining match. A friend of mine who supported Barcelona then said, "I told you Ronaldinho's team would win the match." I had nothing to say than to admit.
That was the beginning of my journey as a die hard Barcelona fan. If Arsenal had won the game that year, I would have been an Arsenal fan till now. But I don't regret my decision. When we talk about the top 3 greatest clubs in football history, we can never exclude Barcelona. I developed feelings and love for this club since then. Ronaldinho even won the Ballon d'Or award that same season. What an achievement! 👏 That was Barcelona's second UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE win in the club's history.
Since that year, Barcelona went on to win 3 more UEFA Champions League titles: in 2009 beating Manchester United, in 2011 beating Manchester United again, and their fifth UEFA Champions League came in 2015, facing Juventus in the final and winning 3-1.
I'm glad I chose right back then. If not, I would have regretted my decision to support Arsenal till now.