The 2019 UEFA Champions League final will be played Saturday, June 1, between English Premier League rivals Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool, from Estadio Wanda Metropolitano in Madrid, Spain.
Champions League runner-up last season, Liverpool has won the competition five times in club history, while Tottenham is set to play in its first Champions League final.
Tottenham and Liverpool have already played twice this season in league play, both 2-1 Reds wins.
Spurs manager Mauricio Pochettino has been with the club since 2014, filling the squad with many academy-developed players and qualifying for the Champions League for the last four seasons.
In European play, the Argentinian’s Tottenham side has never advanced past the round of 16 in either the Champions or Europa League.
On the other touchline is Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp, now in his fourth season with the club.
The German has the vast experience advantage in Europe, taking former club Borussia Dortmund to the Champions League final in 2013, and Liverpool to the Europa League final in 2016 and the Champions League final last season. However, his team lost all three of those finals.
The pre-match buildup will likely focus on multiple players racing to get back to fitness in time for the game.
For Spurs, the team feels good about defender Jan Vertonghen’s chance to play after an ankle injury suffered in the semifinals against Ajax.
Striker Harry Kane is also confident he’ll be able to play in the final after missing extended time with an ankle injury suffered in the quarterfinals against Manchester City, per Simon Johnson of the Evening Standard.
For Liverpool, forward Roberto Firmino returned to training Tuesday, a strong sign that his nagging thigh injury is behind him.
Bringing Firmino back into the attacking front three with Sadio Mane and Mo Salah would be a huge boost for the Reds.
Midfielder Naby Keita’s status is much less certain, even with his Guinea national team coach saying he could return for the final despite Klopp initially ruling him out for the season.
At the very least, it would be surprising if Keita starts the match.
In terms of key players, Spurs have relied heavily on forward Heung-Min Son throughout the campaign.
The South Korean forward has four goals in the competition, including two during an epic second leg with Man City, that saw Spurs advance on away goals despite a 4-3 loss.
Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk has become one of the best central defenders in the world this season, and will have been tasked with keeping Son at bay.
Tottenham left-back Danny Rose loves to push up the left side, often providing lot of values to their buildup and attack.
But with Salah likely occupying that same flank, Rose may have to be more careful moving forward and leaving space for the Egyptian to attack.
Like Son, Salah has four goals in the Champions League, though he has hit the net just once in the knockout rounds.
The forward also missed his side’s stunning 4-0 second-leg over Barcelona in the semifinals, but his joint-league-leading 22 goals (the same amount scored by teammate Sadio Mane) in the Premier League show just how dangerous he and Liverpool can be in attack.
Tottenham and Liverpool had parallel group-stage experiences. Drawn into the two “groups of death,” they both finished tied for second, advancing only on the head-to-head tiebreaker with the third-place teams.
In Group B, Tottenham finished second to Barcelona, edging out Inter Milan. In Group C, Liverpool finished ahead of Napoli and behind PSG.
In the knockout Stage, both clubs found a higher level of form to reach the final.
Damir Skomina, 42, will be in charge of a Champions League final for the first time. The Slovenian official will be completing his European treble, as he was the head referee for the Europa League final in 2017 and UEFA Super Cup in 2012.
He was the fourth official for the 2013 Champions League final and has been the top referee for four Champions League matches and two Europa League matches this season.
VAR will be in effect for the final, which will see all major decisions (such as goals, penalties and red cards) reviewed using television replays.
However, as well as the trophy, financial payouts are also on offer.
Liverpool is actually one of only six clubs to have an original trophy at its ground because of a 1969 rule that allowed the clubs to keep the trophy upon winning it title three years in a row or five times overall.
UEFA organisers adjusted that rule in 2008 to keep the original trophy with the organization and awarding the clubs a replica.
As for the champions’ payout, more than $120 million will be awarded to the competition winner in prize money and TV revenue, among other things. Don’t feel too bad for the losers, though: They will still receive $116 million.
PAST WINNERS
F ormerly known as the European Cup, the UEFA Champions League era of the competition began in the 1992-93 season. Here’s every winner since then:
2018: Real Madrid
2017: Real Madrid
2016: Real Madrid
2015: Barcelona
2014: Real Madrid
2013: Bayern Munich
2012: Chelsea
2011: Barcelona
2010: Inter Milan
2009: Barcelona
2008: Manchester United
2007: AC Milan
2006: Barcelona
2005: Liverpool
2004: Porto
2003: AC Milan
2002: Real Madrid
2001: Bayern Munich
2000: Real Madrid
1999: Manchester United
1998: Real Madrid
1997: Borussia Dortmund
1996: Juventus
1995: Ajax
1994: AC Milan
1993: Marseille
