It would be perfect, no doubt – so much so that in ten, fifty, or five years, as long as the game exists in this form, people will still be talking about ‘that one year’.If Bayer Leverkusen win the Europa League and then the German Cup, will it be perhaps the best season of any team in history?Undefeated, from start to finish, in a collision with a dynasty – even though a shaken one, so what, aren’t they the most dangerous when on the ropes? – and with many more European and domestic challengers; with all the fortune that accompanied them and that they well deserved, especially after all those previous, heart-broken generations; with that charismatic guy on the bench and the togetherness.🏟️ It’s @EuropaLeague final day!#UELfinal pic.twitter.com/7daK1jtS8Q— UEFA (@UEFA) May 22, 2024 It would be easier if Real Madrid or Juventus or Barcelona or Liverpool or Salzburg or Celtic or any other club stood in their way to eternity that people can hate for one reason or another – personal, emotional, religious, financial, nationalistic, any other – so that we can all be as one in cheering on for Bayer, never again Neverkusen. For Bayer Neverlüsen.But no – it happens that in Dublin, on the other side, stands a widely loveable project, and a man who deserves – just as much as the BayArena squad – to raise his hands to the heavens holding the trophy.Luck slipped out of Bayer’s hands and laughed in their face so many times in the past – now they are the ones serving up heartbreak in ninety-odd minutes. And on the evening of this May day, they are facing a coach who brought so much joy to football deserves atonement for those mistreatments in Palermo and, above all, that almost forgotten debacle at Meazza for which he is just as guilty as you who are reading this.It all comes down to this 👊@johnsportraits x #UELfinal pic.twitter.com/X7thHzRD94— UEFA Europa League (@EuropaLeague) May 22, 2024 Truth be told, Gian Piero Gasperini, beyond those few weeks in Milan, could not even hope to fill someone’s showcases, such were his life and career choices and such will remain forever; and that makes him an outsider, not only tonight, one of those fellas that you should always cheer for in life.The recent defeat in the Coppa Italia final was just an additional argument, as if he needed more…But there is also one more thing. Something philosophical, something aesthetic and ethical, something for which it would be nice if there was another small shake-up in Ireland tonight. A fall of the favourite.It is one story of perfection. No one likes perfection, or at least they shouldn’t, nor should such a thing exist. Just like the most beautiful girl in town is always the one with the slightly crooked right ear, not the one who looks like a doll with nothing missing – and if it weren’t for that tiny imperfection, the first one wouldn’t even look at you! – the same way a football club could be simply too perfect.To its own detriment.Leverkusen are close to becoming that greedy force that doesn’t know when enough is enough overnight. From all of us who remember all their painful defeats, and who even without Xabi Alonso would probably celebrate their title in the Bundesliga – it’s nice when anyone not named Bayern Munich wins it: please do not become that.And nowhere is this more evident than in those additional minutes: it came once, twice, it came five times, you could still call it luck but it wasn’t – it was self-belief and discipline bordering on trance.Does it sound like any other clubs to you?##EDITORS_CHOICE##Leverkusen are close, all they need to do is spoil another potential moment of glory for Gasperini, to knock down the Goddess who knows that tonight is “now or never”.The Goddess who would – although the chant of the fans from Bergamo says that they hate everyone and that everyone hates them – also make Italy happy, as she is waiting for the trophy of the second-best European competition for 15 years.And it would be much nicer if Lever stopped at the door of that football paradise, even if they leave something for the next season. And this evening, let the brave team that came to Anfield to play fierce football, a team made up of players who were told by many in various places that they are not good enough, a team that also played the semi-final as maturely as if it were their tenth in history.It would also be significant for humanity, even for that small part of it that does not follow football. It would be a sign that everything is fine with the world and that we are not threatened by a cataclysm, that the planet will continue to revolve as a perfectly curved football does.Who will be next? 🏆#UELfinal pic.twitter.com/hQhz0SR9Cs— UEFA Europa League (@EuropaLeague) May 22, 2024 Even a defeat in tonight’s Europa League final, would make Bayer Leverkusen a bigger club than they are today, as crowned champions of the Bundesliga, undefeated in that competition, and likely winners of the German double…Then they would, just slightly imperfect – because if they are perfect, then they are not special, then they are just ‘one of’, then they have trampled both themsleves and their tradition, then they are just a ‘hotty’ on Instagram – and again taught to be humble and mortal, just so they would become an even bigger force.One defeat, one that doesn’t hurt that much, and which would only give them strength for the next season.So from Thursday morning onward, we will be on their side again, because they have not turned into what they were fighting against – because they are imperfect.🇳🇬 Naija boys 🌟#UELfinal pic.twitter.com/ULcePpGFWX— UEFA Europa League (@EuropaLeague) May 22, 2024 UEFA EUROPA LEAGUEFinalWednesday22:00: (4.30) Atalanta (3.60) Leverkusen (1.95)***odds are subject to change***
