Gabi Fernandez insists “thinking about the past is useless” as Atletico Madrid look to avenge their 2014 defeat to Real Madrid in Saturday’s Champions League final.
Atleti were a minute away from winning the 2014 Champions League final in Lisbon, until Sergio Ramos’ last-gasp header condemned Los Colchoneros to a 4-1 defeat in extra time, but Gabi is confident his side can make amends at San Siro.
“Thinking about the past is useless. Instead, we’re evaluating what we plan to do [on Saturday]. We feel that we can beat Madrid,” the captain said at a Press conference.
“We’ve dreamt of lifting the Champions League since we were children. It’s the most important game of our lives. Whenever you dream, you dream big, and [Saturday] will be a great day for all of us.
“I still have the pride of the team [that lost] in Lisbon. We never gave up, and it was a cruel defeat.
“Nobody’s given us anything [since then] and we’ve come back here. It’s difficult to reach two Champions League finals and we’ve done that through hard work. [Our efforts] must be acknowledged.
“Madrid always play in these games at a high level. Their players have resources and stature, and this game will be the most difficult of the last three years.
“They are one of the best teams [in the world] and there’s no better way to win the Champions League than to win it against Real Madrid.
“I’m happy to see the fans enjoy themselves. We’ll be on the pitch, but there’s another game off it.
“I’m convinced that we’ll win the game and we’ll have to keep up with [our fans] on the pitch.”
