FCBARCELONA.CAT

08.07.2007 17:44

From Berlin to Barcelona

Jesús Carrillo

Exactly one year on Monday, four of the current FC Barcelona squad were playing the World Cup Final and after a dramatic encounter Gianluca Zambrotta received a winners' medal.

Facing Zambrotta on that day were French trio, Thierry Henry, Lilian Thuram and Éric Abidal. For the Henry and Thuram it was their second appearance in the final of the competition, but for Zambrotta and Abidal it was their first ever taste of biggest game in the world.

Italy won on penalties

In front of a full house in the Olympic Stadium in Berlin, the two sides played out a tempestuous 120 minutes and ended up having to be seperated by a penalty shoot-out. Zambrotta went on to celebrate victory as Italy won.

Zambrotta and Thuram sign for Barça

Following that game, Zambrotta and Thuram joined FC Barelona, who had just been proclaimed as European champions. The Italian and the Frenchman slowly won regular places in Frank Rijkaard's team, while Henry endured an injury-hit season at Arsenal and Abidal helped Olympique Lyonnais to another Ligue 1 title.

Henry and Abidal join

Now Henry and Abidal have joined the other two at Camp Nou, but it will Zambrotta, who is still on holiday, who will be looking back 12 months to the final, while the Frenchmen will have few fond memories from the encounter.