Masters name MasterCard XI

By Jim Wirth

Footballing legends Eusébio and Sir Bobby Charlton came together to name the MasterCard XI - the players that they thought had made the most positive impression over the course of this season's UEFA Champions League.

Collaborative effort
As the world's footballing aristocracy gathered at Old Trafford last week for the Champions League final, Sir Bobby and Eusébio took time out to decide which players had impressed them most in the competition. After collaborating in naming their side, Sir Bobby spoke to uefa.com.

United front
The former Manchester United FC and England star and his SL Benfica and Portugal counterpart opted for a 4-4-2 lineup, and Sir Bobby's influence was very much in evidence as three players from his old club were named in the squad. Central defender Rio Ferdinand, midfield player David Beckham and striker Ruud van Nistelrooij all took pride of place in the MasterCard XI despite the fact that United were knocked out of the competition in the quarter-finals.

Excellent attitude
Sir Bobby told uefa.com that Ferdinand "has really great quality and great pace. I haven't seen anyone in the competition who is as good as he is". Van Nistelrooij also received praise, with the former English international saying that the Dutchman was "the most fantastic striker this year throughout the whole season. His goals, his aggression and his attitude have been excellent".

'Absolutely deadly'
Beckham, who was placed on the right side of midfield in the MasterCard XI, also fired Sir Bobby and Eusébio's imaginations. "He is absolutely deadly," said Sir Bobby. "Probably the most dangerous in the world if you get a free-kick around the 18-yard box. The number of times I have thought 'he can't do this' and he does it."

Defensive options
Aside from Ferdinand in the centre, the MasterCard XI featured Juventus FC's Lilian Thuram, Bayer 04 Leverkusen's Lucio on the right and AC Milan's Paolo Maldini on the left, who the legends chose in preference to Real Madrid CF's Roberto Carlos. "I could have chosen Roberto Carlos but I don't think that he has the defensive capabilities that Maldini has," explained Sir Bobby.

Praise for Vieira
In midfield, Sir Bobby and Eusébio opted for Rivaldo ("a big game player," according to Sir Bobby), Madrid's Zinedine Zidane and Arsenal FC's Patrick Vieira to complement Beckham's ability. Sir Bobby was particularly enthusiastic about Vieira, saying: "His ball-winning qualities are as good as you can get anywhere."

Tough decision
Having already chosen Van Nistelrooij to fill one striking berth, Sir Bobby and Eusébio admitted that they had struggled to make a decision on who would partner him. The pair admitted that they were tempted to include Madrid's Spanish international Raúl González, but decided to select Arsenal's Thierry Henry in his place.

'He is so fast'
After long discussion, Sir Bobby and Eusébio agreed that between the two of them, Van Nistelrooij and Henry could match Raúl's individual skills and that the Dutchman and the Frenchman had plenty to offer aside. For Henry, there was pace. "He is so fast that he cannot fail to give players problems."

MasterCard XI
Buffon, Maldini, Ferdinand, Thuram, Lucio, Beckham, Rivaldo, Vieira, Zidane, Van Nistelrooij, Henry.