Patrice Evra has more than his 2004 Champions League
final defeat to avenge in Moscow on Wednesday – the French
full-back says he is determined to help win the trophy for Sir Alex
Ferguson.
Evra says a manager of Sir Alex’s calibre deserves more European
Cup successes to his name, and he’ll be doing all he can to change
that record.
“When I lost the final with Monaco, every day it was on my mind.
This is why I said when I signed for United that I want to play in
a Champions League final and win to erase the memory of the final
with Monaco.
“For me, it’s my second final and I need to win this game. It’s
important to win this game for Manchester United, too, because it’s
a long time ago since this club’s last success in 1999.
“For Sir Alex Ferguson it’s just his second Champions League final,
but I think for a manager of his quality, he deserves to win the
trophy more than once. I hope everyone can deliver this trophy for
him out of respect of everything he has done for Manchester United.
It’s very important for the manager.”
Evra says playing against Chelsea won’t change United’s approach to
the game or make victory any sweeter. “I want to be a European
champion,but not because it’s Chelsea,” he added. “Our opponents
could be any team and I would still just want to win it because
it’s the Champions League.
“We don’t need to think too much about Chelsea. We just need to
think about United and play the football we always do. We will play
well if we stick to our game.
“The team that wins will be the team that plays with a fighting
spirit. I think my team has the most character in England, and I
hope we show to everybody that we have more character than
Chelsea.”
With the world’s eyes watching, Evra wants United and Chelsea to
show that the Premier League is currently stronger than any other
league.
“When I came here, people told me that English football is to just
kick the ball far up the field. Now I just laugh, because the
football in England is the best in the world,” he said.
“When you see the fans, the intensity of the games and the quality
of football, I’m thankful I am playing here. I hope both teams show
just how good the English game is.”