Beckham: It'll Be Emotional
Bayern Munich manager
David Beckham has revealed that the upcoming Champions League Final will be an emotional match for him.
Beckham's boys will face Aston Villa, the club that handed the former England captain his first job in management back in 2012. Beckham enjoyed a successful 5 years with Villa before leaving to take charge of Bayern Munich, where he has rebuilt them into a European powerhouse, after
Rafa Benitez left the club in shambles following his dreadful spell at the helm.
Bayern squad members touched down in Manchester yesterday, with the Final taking place at Old Trafford in a few days.
"It will always be great to return to Old Trafford," said Beckham, who also enjoyed a very successful time as a player at Manchester United, the owners of the Theatre of Dreams. "But the real thing I'm looking forward to is playing Aston Villa.
"There is no better fixture to face your former club than the Champions League Final. I'm very happy that Villa have reached this far. The lads (at Villa) deserve every bit of their success.
"It will be a very emotional match for me, especially with the Champions League Final and the Old Trafford atmosphere and all. I hope I'll be able to say hello to a few of the lads, and of course, the fans as well."
If Bayern Munich triumph against Aston Villa and get their hands on the Champions League, they will have completed a successful quadruple.
But Beckham knows it'll not be easy.
"Everyone is saying that it isn't Arsenal this time so it'll be a lot easier," he added. "But no, I don't think so. Aston Villa have a couple of outstanding players that would get into the first-team at any top club, like Carlitos (Carlos Fierro).
"I think Aston Villa are as good as Borussia Dortmund or Schalke - maybe even better. It's going to be a very tough Champions League Final, but we are ready for it."
Bayern captain
Toni Kroos also rallied his teammates through social networking site Twitter.
Through his Twitter account, @ToniKroos, the German midfielder uploaded a picture of Manchester Airport, with the caption, "In Manchester now! It's time to get our hands on that quadruple. I know we can do it!".
Coincidentally, this will be the second time Bayern Munich and Aston Villa clash in a Champions League Final, with the last time being in 1982. Villa then edged Bayern 1-0 to win the European Cup for the very first time, with a solitary goal from Villa striker Peter Withe.