Gattuso's dream comes true

By Kevin Buckley

Playing in the final of the UEFA Champions League is a special event in any player's career, as AC Milan's Gennaro Gattuso can confirm. Speaking to uefa.com the Italian international midfield player declared that tonight's final against Juventus FC will truly be "a dream come true".

Boyhood fan
As a boy Gattuso recalls celebrating in the streets of his native Calabria region dressed as a 'red devil' when the mighty Milan side of Ruud Gullit and Marco van Basten defeated FC Steaua Bucuresti 4-0 to lift the 1989 European Champion Clubs' Cup. That boy is now a 25-year-old whose light-brown eyes light up at the thought of turning out for the famous Rossoneri at Old Trafford.

Special significance
Facing their eternal rivals from Turin makes it a special match for each and every one of the Milan squad. But for the stocky midfield dynamo Gattuso returning to Britain carries added significance. "I spent three years at Rangers [FC] in Scotland," he said. "And that's where I met my wife, who is from a Scottish-Italian family."

Fond memories
Gattuso's fond memories are more than just romantic. "I learned so much in Britain," he said. "I really respect the British culture, the mentality of the people. Not just football-wise, but the way of life in general. When I first went there I was only a lad of 18. The whole experience was overwhelming. It changed the way I look at life.

'Genuine people'
"Here in Italy people are much more materialistic, they judge you by your possessions, what kind of watch you have, what clothes you wear, and so on," he continued. "But in Britain the people are more genuine, they judge you for what you are, as a person. My experience there changed how I live my life."

Relaxed figure
In recent weeks the shaggy mop of hair Gattuso sported earlier in the season has been cropped much shorter, and the grizzly beard snipped down to a neat Don Quixote goatee. A happy and relaxed figure, Gattuso lives up to his reputation as an affable, unpretentious young man.

United talk
True to his no-nonsense playing style, he does not body swerve the rumours of transfer interest from Manchester United FC, insisting that such talk will not affect his performance tonight. "It's not as though knowing that people are watching me makes me play any differently," he said.

Italian renaissance
Meanwhile, the subject of Italy's European renaissance this season, with three sides in the Champions League semi-finals, causes the patriot in Gattuso to emerge. "It showed that at last Italian sides were starting to find success in Europe, after several years of nothing," he said. "Italian clubs had to change - AC Milan have led the way, introducing more atttack-minded midfielders like Rui Costa, Serginho, Rivaldo and so on."

'Hard but fair'
However Gattuso believes that Juventus differ significantly from Milan tactically. "Juventus are defence-orientated," he said. "They play more on the counter-attack. It will be difficult. Juventus play hard. Their midfield is hard. Hard but fair." Words that could also be applied to Gattuso, who remains adamant that even if he ends up on the losing side he will remain philosophical. "You don't need to have a lot in order to have happiness," he said.