Liverpool will meet Real Madrid in the 2022 UEFA Champions League final and Fernando Morientes is throwing his support behind the La Liga winners rather than another of his former clubs, speaking to AS.
Then again, maybe this shouldn’t come as too much of a shock.
After all, the former Spain international didn’t exactly spend the finest days of his storied career at Anfield. Morientes scored just eight Premier League games in 41 games for Rafa Benitez’s Liverpool side in the mid-2000s after all.
And while Morientes lifted an FA Cup and Super Cup trophy during his time on Merseyside, that pales into insignificance compared to his silver-coated spell in the Spanish capital. Three of Real Madrid’s 13 European titles came between 1998 and 2001, when Morientes was a key player at the Santiago Bernabeu.
“I am very fond of Liverpool. But when the heart is white, it is white,” says the former Valencia and Marseille man, who scored a terrific 27 goals in 47 Spain caps.
Champions League final; Liverpool vs Real Madrid
When pressed further on which of the two European giants will be spraying champagne around the Parc des Princes on May 28, Morientes admits that it is no easy task choosing a winner between a relentless Liverpool side and a Real Madrid outfit boasting a remarkable track-record when it comes to stepping up on the biggest of occasions.
“It’s a cliche, but finals don’t have favourites. Today, Liverpool and Madrid are two of the best teams in the world and I think any detail could decide the match,” Morientes adds.
“Madrid is having a magnificent season, champion of the League and with several comebacks (along the way). But Liverpool is a great team.”
Morientes does believe that Mo Salah and co may have one key advantage however. While Klopp will be forced to play his star players week-in-week-out, with a Premier League title on the line, Carlo Ancelotti has the luxury of being to rest his key men with the La Liga crown already in the bag.
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“It seems incredible, but what is happening to Madrid could be counterproductive,” Morientes says. “From my experience, and I’ve played in five finals, it hasn’t been the best mentally (playing after time off).
“I usually prefer to play (the final) quickly, without time to think much. But hey, it also gives you the option of alleviating tiredness and discomfort. Liverpool will have to be more careful with injuries. As a football lover, I want both of them to arrive with all their players.”
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