Milan's San Siro stadium is preparing for a glitzy all-Spanish final of the Champions League final on Saturday as fans of Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid packed the city in glorious summer sunshine.
Record ten-time champions Real, who won the inaugural trophy in 1956, are gunning for their 11th title from European football's premier club event two years after a stunning comeback victory over Atletico in Lisbon secured 'La Decima'.
Cristiano Ronaldo has given Real fans a huge boost with the news he is 100% fit following a training ground scare on Tuesday and coach Zinedine Zidane is counting on the Portuguese superstar to rise to the occasion.
"He's 100 percent fit and he's playing a Champions League final, when you transcend yourself," said Zidane, appearing in a first Champions League final as a coach after succeeding Rafael Benitez at the helm earlier this season.
Zidane, who won the trophy as a player with Real in 2002, is seeking to emulate Italian Carlo Ancelotti in steering Real to victory, in what is the Frenchman's first season in charge at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium, two years after a stunning comeback win over Atletico in Lisbon.
"We've had two weeks to prepare and now what the players want is for the ball to start rolling," said ZIdane.
It is the fourth time the final of Europe's premier club event will to be held at the San Siro, and the first since Bayern Munich beat Valencia in 2001.
Even before kick-off, a slice of Champions League history will be made.
R&B star Alicia Keys will become the first artist to perform live at the final during a glitzy, nine-minute opening ceremony that will feature 400 dancers and be capped by Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli singing the competition's anthem.
Atletico, however, are the ones hoping to be singing and dancing in the streets of Milan later Saturday as the 'Rojiblancos' go in search of a maiden trophy.
Coached by former Argentina international Diego Simeone, Atletico have won the Europa League -- European football's second-tier competition -- twice in recent years (2010, 2012) and threatened the decades-long dominance of Real and Barcelona in 'La Liga', which they won in 2014 to add to a Spanish Cup victory in 2013.
Two years after Real's shock comeback win in Lisbon, Simeone is ready to end a 113-year wait to be crowned kings of Europe.
"I like to have 113 years of history on my back. I love the pressure," said Simeone, who will be hoping seven-goal striker Antoine Griezmann or Fernando Torres continue their fine form in the competition.
Torres -- a Champions League winner with Chelsea in 2012 -- said he's ready to give it everything.
"There's no doubt, it's the most important game I am ever going to play," said Torres, who returned to his childhood club in 2014 following an ill-fated spell in Serie A with AC Milan.
"With Chelsea and the Spanish national team I've won a lot of titles, but this is really special for me. To me it means everything. It's the game of my life."
AFP
Sat May 28 2016
Real Madrid's Portuguese forward Cristiano Ronaldo attends a training session at the San Siro Stadium in Milan, on May 27, 2016. - GERARD JULIEN / AFP
Unjuran pertumbuhan KDNK 2025 sebanyak 4.5-5.5 peratus adalah munasabah - Ahli ekonomi
Belanjawan 2025 adalah langkah terbaik untuk mengimbangi keutamaan ekonomi dengan realiti politik.
Semua negara wajib tamatkan pendudukan Israel ke atas wilayah Palestin - Suruhanjaya Siasatan PBB
Pendudukan Israel adalah punca utama kepada kitaran keganasan yang tidak berkesudahan dan konflik selama beberapa dekad.
Dijangka jana sebahagian besar pertumbuhan ekonomi global
BRICS memainkan peranan luar biasa dalam ekonomi global pada masa kini dan diyakini meningkat di masa depan.
Enam maut, 25 cedera bas terbabas di Turkiye
Enam terbunuh manakala 25 cedera apabila sebuah bas terbabas lalu terbalik di Aksaray wilayah tengah Turki, pada Jumaat.
Polis giat cari warga amerika yang disyaki diculik
Pihak berkuasa Filipina pada Jumaat melancarkan pencarian seorang warga Amerika Syarikat yang dipercayai diculik kumpulan bersenjata di selatan Filipina.
Singapura tahan remaja bawah ISA, rancang lakukan serangan
Jabatan Keselamatan Dalam Negeri (ISD) dalam satu kenyataan berkata pelajar yang radikal diri itu merupakan penyokong tegar kumpulan Daesh, juga merancang pergi ke Syria, untuk terlibat dalam keganasan bersenjata.
Pasukan pengaman disasar secara sengaja - Jurucakap UNIFIL
Jurucakap itu berkata kedudukan mereka telah berulang kali diserang di Lubnan, sekali gus meletakkan pasukan pengaman dalam bahaya.
Dia rakyat beta, beri keadilan sekarang - Tengku Hassanal
Tengku Mahkota Pahang itu dalam kemas kini di Instagram Story hari ini menambah, keadilan bukan sahaja perlu perlu dilaksanakan, tetapi ia juga mesti dilihat dilaksanakan.
Empat lelaki didakwa rompak jongkong emas RM710,000
Empat lelaki mengaku tidak bersalah di Mahkamah Sesyen Kuala Lumpur, pada Jumaat, atas pertuduhan merompak jongkong emak bernilai RM710,000, awal bulan lalu.
Tiga penunggang motosikal maut dalam kemalangan berasingan di LPT2
Tiga lelaki dipercayai peserta program EX5 Members 4.0 maut dalam dua kemalangan berasingan di Lebuhraya Pantai Timur 2 (LPT2) di Kemaman hari ini.
LaLiga: Alvarez tinggalkan Manchester City untuk ke Atletico Madrid dengan perpindahan RM462 juta
Kelab Sepanyol itu akan membayar pendahuluan 75 juta pound (RM365 juta) sebelum melunaskan baki 20 juta pound (RM97.36 juta).
La Liga: Gol masa kecederaan Marcos Llorente nafi kemenangan Real Madrid
Jaringan awal Brahim Diaz kelihatan sudah memastikan Real mengambil peluang keputusan seri tanpa jaringan Girona bertemu Real Sociedad.
LaLiga: Joao Felix wira Barcelona tundukkan Atletico
Felix muncul duri dalam daging buat Atletico menerusi penyudahnya dalam separuh masa pertama untuk kemenangan 1-0 awal pagi tadi.
Alaba mohon maaf kepada penyokong Real Madrid susulan tewas kepada Atletico
Dalam ketiga-tiga kejadian, Alaba gagal mengawal pergerakan Alvaro Morata sebanyak dua kali dan Antoine Griezmann.
Felix dedah punca tinggalkan Atletico Madrid
Pemain itu menyertai Atletico dengan bayaran sebanyak 126 juta Euro pada 2019, namun bergelut untuk merealisasikan potensinya.
Copa del Rey: Llorente pacu kemaraan Atletico ke suku akhir
Pasukan bimbingan Diego Simeone itu hanya mencatatkan satu kemenangan daripada enam perlawanan LaLiga terakhir.
Atletico dikecam ekoran insiden perkauman terhadap Vinicius
Menurut kelab itu, perkara tersebut 'tidak boleh diterima' dan mereka tidak akan berhenti sehingga pelakunya ditemui dan dihukum.
Saga Griezmann: Barcelona mahu saman Atletico Madrid
Barcelona dan Atletico Madrid kini sedang bertelagah mengenai klausa pembelian Griezmann secara tetap.
Liga Juara-Juara: Atletico Madrid tewas kepada Athletic Bilbao
Atletico Madrid terlepas peluang memperkukukan kedudukan dalam kelompok empat teatas selepas tewas 0-2 kepada Athletic Bilbao.
Liga Juara-Juara: Manchester City ke separuh akhir biarpun terikat dengan Atletico Madrid
Jaringan tunggal Kevin De Bruyne dalam perlawanan pertama minggu lalu memberikan pasukan bimbingan Pep Guardiola itu kelebihan tipis.