Been there, seen it, done it. Now Patrice has done it again. With Juve.

It’s no secret that Patrice Evra was signed last summer because of the wealth of experience he offers. A man who is used to going all the way could only aid the Juve cause as they bid to climb to the top of the European pile, after dominating in Italy for three years running.

And of course that’s exactly what he did. The 33-year-old played his part as the Bianconeri reached the Champions League final in his first season at the club. Now he’s set to grace the highest stage for the fifth time in his career.

“I don’t think it happens by chance. Don’t call me arrogant but every time I play in this competition I think I can reach the final. I really like playing in the Champions League: the atmosphere brings the best out of me.”

What was the secret behind tonight’s result? “We knew we’d have to soak up pressure and the gaffer made sure we were ready for it. He filled us with belief that we could score at least one goal.”

Looking ahead to the final on 6 June, the Frenchman ended with a culinary metaphor: “Allegri draws up a different menu every time. Now I can’t wait to see what he puts on the menu for Barcelona.”

Our defensive stalwart is sure Juve have what it takes to go toe to toe with Barça.

Just a few words, because he was pushed for time – caught between the dressing-room celebrations and boarding the bus waiting to take the team to the airport. Just a couple of minutes, but it was enough for Giorgio Chiellini to throw down the gauntlet to Barcelona.

“We’re all absolutely delighted. I don’t think it’s sunk in yet but we’ve played our way into the final in Berlin and we deserve to be there.

“We’re convinced we’ve got what it takes to win it because we’re a strong side and we can beat anyone.

“It’s a wonderful night for us. Let’s enjoy it to the full because you don’t get nights like this very often.”

Very true, Chiello. So go and enjoy being a Champions League finalist on the journey back to Turin. And don’t forget that before the European Cup we also have an Italian Cup to win!

A colossus throughout this semi-final tie, Carlitos is now desperate to lift the trophy for the second time in his career.

As Max Allegri was finishing his post-match interview, the triumphant coach spied Carlos Tevez: “Here comes Tevez. I want to congratulate this extraordinary player. He and the rest of the players are the ones behind this season.”

Delighted to have reached the third Champions League final of his career, here’s what Carlitos had to say: “We should enjoy the moment. I think the team deserves to be in the final and we’ll go to Berlin to go for it against a great Barcelona side. The strength of this team is that we’re a real group: we’ve shown we’re here to do great things.

“The boss planned both matches perfectly. He’s the one who decides the team and sends us out onto the pitch brimming with confidence. We didn’t have many shots tonight. Whenever I got the ball Morata was open, but I always had a defender on me. I was forced to offload and look for it in the space. They defended well.”

Asked for his thoughts on going toe-to-toe with his compatriot Lionel Messi, Tevez declared: “Right now Messi is the best player in the world and he showed that in the semi-final. He is capable of incredible things – he’s from a different planet. I can’t wait to take him on. It’ll be a great match and we want to write Juve into the history books. We need to prepare perfectly.”

By Anna Italia
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Here are the declarations of Juventus Coach Massimiliano Allegri  after qualifying to the Champions League Final.   Juventus eliminated Real Madrid on May 13  with an aggregate result of 2-3.  The Champions League Final will be played on June 6 at the Olympiastadion in Berlin, Germany

Allegri happily saying:  “Incredible but true.  The lads really deserve the praise. It’s an amazing night for them and for Italian football in general. I’m starting to realise just what a tremendous season we’re having – perhaps beyond what anyone ever expected.”

On how the match went with Real Madrid,  “We did expect the game to go the way it did, although we knew it wasn’t going to be easy. It was one of those nights where you need to combine courage with a first-rate performance.

“Maybe we’re still not aware of our full potential but we were superb in both legs of this semi-final. We created chances, and came under a bit of pressure at times. It was a battle between two highly technical sides,” the boss continued.

“Real whizz the ball around at lightning speed – it’s tough to play against. In the first half we had a lot of possession. We could have done a bit better between the lines, but as I said we were up against top-quality opponents.

“After the restart, apart from a few occasions, we kept it tight and didn’t let them in very often.”

It was yet another fantastic showing by Juve in what has been a fantastic season. And with two finals still to play, it can only get better.

Allegri went on: “We have a Coppa Italia final coming up which is hugely important for us. Then we have this massive game in Berlin. We’ve got to the final by believing in our ability and that belief has grown and grown.

“Anything can happen in a one-off match. We’ll see which team is in the best shape in a month’s time.”