Late, Late Show Throws Spanner in Managers' Match-day Works

Not all Champions League finals would be described as epics but tomorrow night's meeting in Moscow may well have claims to qualify as one irrespective of the standard of the football. With the match not due to kick-off until 10.45pm local time, this is the first Champions League final scheduled to be played over two days, presenting Manchester United and Chelsea with almost as many difficulties as the Russian authorities.

While the police in Moscow fear supporters will have an additional three hours to drink alcohol, Sir Alex Ferguson and Avram Grant have the problem of devising ways for their players to cope with what promises to be the longest day in their footballing lives. Even if the match does not go to extra-time, it is likely to be close to 1am in Moscow before Rio Ferdinand or John Terry holds aloft the trophy while there would be little point in going to bed should a penalty shoot-out be needed.

The time difference is no laughing matter for Ferguson. "Having the final in Moscow will give us problems," said the United manager last week. "It's going to be a long day on the day of the final. We still have to decide what we should do with the players; whether we should give them a wee training session. Whatever we decide, we will just try and make the day as normal as possible."

Vladimir Smicer is well placed to empathize with Ferguson. The Czech Republic international was a key figure in the Liverpool team that triumphed against Milan in Istanbul three years ago. On that occasion kick-off was an hour later than in Moscow but by the time Smicer lined up to take Liverpool's final penalty-kick the clock in the Ataturk Stadium was showing half-past midnight.

"It's true that for the English players it's not usual to play at such a late time but it happens in Spain," said Smicer. "That could be an advantage if a Spanish team was in the final but because it is between two English teams I don't think it will make any difference. With Liverpool in Istanbul we just had breakfast and lunch a little bit later."

Smicer does admit, however, that boredom will be a problem for the United and Chelsea players. "As a player you want the game to come as quick as possible because the pressure is so high. The motivation and the desire to win the trophy is so great, so you are thinking about the game, what the manager and your team-mates expect from you, so the match is starting to be played in your mind a long time before it starts. It's not nice to be waiting so long until kick-off."

One solution is to keep the players on British time, something that Peter Taylor recalls Sven-Goran Eriksson advocating when England played in Azerbaijan. "I actually thought that worked quite well," said the former England Under-21 manager.