Do you still remember the anger you have at not being able to go Wembley (1992, Barcelona 1-0 Sampdoria) with your brothers? i.e. when he was eleven and was denied by his mother to watch the match at the stadium with his brothers.

Well, taken in perspective, I think that my brothers exaggerated my anger. I asked my parents and seeing that I had no choice, I resigned myself, period. Maybe I cried a little but that’s about it.

The finals in Athens (1994, AC Milan 4-0 Barcelona), do you remember much about it?

Yes, unfortunately. I felt bad watching it on TV. The following day, I remember my coach, Joan Vilà, made us watch the video so we could analysed what Milan did well, and what went wrong for Barcelona. It was very educational because Milan overwhelmed us in everything, no doubt.

Your first match in the Champions League was against Manchester United in Old Trafford (16.9.98, MU 3-3 Barcelona); a bit tough for a debut wasn’t it?

It was but I felt normal. I was on the bench. Van Gaal called me and told me to warm up as I was going to play. Before entering the pitch, he told me that I should play according to my own style and not to complicate things, and I did. I played for 20 minutes and we tied the match three-all in the end.

Do you remember any match of special significance, emotionally?

Clearly, the Rome final was the most intense and emotional, but I guess the semi-final second-leg against Chelsea (2009, 1-1), with that Iniesta’s goal. It was euphoric.

And which one would you rather forget?

There is one. Personally, I remember a match against Chelsea in which a certain Norris devoted himself to marking me the entire match. It does not matter if I had the ball or not, there will always be this Norris. He would keep on chasing me even though it was Chelsea that was doing the attacking. He was something of madman. A little more and I would have invited him to a few beers after the match, to know what I had done to deserve something like that.

What elimination has hurt you the most?

The 2004-05 Round-of-16 second-leg defeat to Chelsea (4-2) because we were so close. Another is the semi-finals against Manchester United two years ago (2007-08, 0-0 and 0-1) because we were only one step from the final.

Zidane, you have always declared your admiration for Frenchman.

I have never played against someone of such quality, talent and physical strength. When he was at his prime, he was unbeatable. You would admire everything that he does on the pitch.

Tomorrow (today), you would ‘risk your life’ in Kiev?

Of course, our (Champions League) season depends on this match. Anything other than a qualification is a failure.

Why?

That is because our qualification is in our own hands. We are not thinking about getting a draw, else they could eliminate us. They will be looking to get the two goals they need to eliminate us, so we must not fail.

The problem is that there are other aspects to bear in mind; Dynamo is also playing for their own qualification, the cold etc…

For me, all that is irrelevant. We are Barca, so we must go out and play the way we always do; to score and to win.

Pep has said that this is the most important match of the season. Do you agree with him?

Yes, absolutely. This match will decide our season.

Are you optimistic?

I believe I have a reason to be. As it is, this team has never failed me.

Some people see this match as a mere formality?

That would be the greatest danger; to believe that we are already there, that we have made it. The feeling is good but it is still necessary to tie all the loose ends.

Does playing in the Santiago Bernabéu final give you an extra motivation?

Check with me after the Kiev match. Now my only motivation is to win this match and it is the only thing I think about 24 hours of the day.

Dynamo is a team that brings with it bad memories for Barcelona in the Champions League; remember the 0-4 (UCL Group stage, 1997).

I remember it perfectly. It will be an incident that will never be repeated.

In three years, Barcelona has won more European Cups (2006 and 2009) that in its one hundred years history (1992); what can you say to that?

We have an extraordinary generation, and we need to take advantage of that as much as we can, but it will not always stay that way. I can feel that we can win some more European Cups before all this ends. We must continue to work hard, push ourselves and fight up to the point of exhaustion.

And what about reaching your one hundredth match in the Champions League?

I am getting old. No, seriously… but I am proud to have played so many games in such a prestigious competition.

FIFA has released to a list of ten goals nominated for its inaugural ‘Puskas Award’ that was created in honour of Ferenc Puskás, captain and star of the Hungarian national team during the 1950s, that will be bestowed upon the player from either the men’s or women’s game judged to have scored the best goal of the year. The goals were chosen by a select FIFA committee based on several criterions.

The final decision will however be voted by fans via an online poll set up by FIFA.

For those wishing to vote for the best goal of the year can do so here:

FIFA 2009 Puskas Award

FC Barcelona Andres Iniesta’s last minute strike against Chelsea during the UEFA Champions League semi-final second-leg match at the Stamford Bridge on May 6, 2009 is the one of goals nominated.

“We have clearly dominated. You could say that Barca has three players, while Manchester United and AC Milan has one each.”

When asked about FIFA World Player nominations, denying Real Madrid any credit.