Monaco bidding for first European crown

AS Monaco are in the final of the UEFA Champions League for the first time. After the semi-final success over Chelsea Prince Albert promised there would be a veritable "migration of the people" from the principality in the direction of Gelsenkirchen.

In reaching the final AS Monaco have added another chapter to their success story. Threatened with automatic relegation before the start of the season, they set about taking Europe by storm, and their triumphal march is now set to be crowned in Germany. After the semi-final Prince Albert promised there would be a veritable "migration of the people" from Monaco to Gelsenkirchen. "We aim to take as many people with us as possible and turn Monaco into a ghost town", said the heir to the throne. If it is down to him, the majority of the 30,000 or so Monegasques will be in the Arena AufSchalke on May 26. The Arena's South Stand is capable of accommodating almost half the population. Each finalist will receive 14,000 tickets.

Didier Deschamps' team have disposed of a number of favourites on their way to Gelsenkirchen. At the group stage Monaco saw off PSV Eindhoven and AEK Athens, and their 8-3 home win over La Coruna on the fourth matchday of the group stage will never be forgotten. The French side needed a bit of luck to survive the last 16 stage after going down 2-1 to Lokomotiv Moscow in the first leg. A 1-0 home win in the second leg, however, was enough to see them through. In the quarter-final the competition's surprise package demonstrated their strong home form, beating Real Madrid 3-1 after losing the first leg 4-2.

AS Monaco, who have won the domestic league title seven times, are the first French team to reach the UEFA Champions League Final in eleven years. They follow in the footsteps of Olympique Marseille, who beat AC Milan 1-0 in Munich's Olympic Stadium in 1993.

In the past football has not exactly been what you would call a fashionable sport in the principality. But things may well change after this season. As an overjoyed Prince Albert explained: "It's been an unbelievable season. Not ten months ago we didn't even know how we could carry on after the French football association threatened us with automatic relegation. But we did it, and the club officials have shown the same fighting spirit we have seen on the pitch."

The reaction of the French press was equally exuberant. "Monaco have now joined the ranks of the great clubs", claimed the Courier de L'Ouest, while L'Equipe went as far as to demand that a monument be built in honour of coach Didier Deschamps. Even the English press had to acknowledge the French side's superiority. "Chelsea bow out to Monaco", was the Daily Mail's headline.

"Now we're in the final in Gelsenkirchen. It's like a fairytale. At the beginning of the season I would never have believed we could win the UEFA Champions League, but now we have a 50-50 chance", said Deschamps, who was offered a contract extension until 2007 by club president Pierre Svara after the success over Chelsea. "The players deserve to be in the final. They have a great team spirit and always conduct themselves fantastically well. The lads have got better and better as the tournament has progressed", added Deschamps in praise of his players before buoying them up for the final: "Porto are worthy of respect, but we've no need to be afraid of them. They have the more experienced players but we can still win." The World Cup winner and European Champion, who has already won the European Champions Cup as a player with Olympique Marseille and Juventus, would be only the fifth person to win the trophy as both a player and coach after Miguel Munoz, Giovanni Trapattoni, Johan Cruyff and Carlo Ancelotti.

Monaco's route to the UEFA Champions League Final:

Matchday 1: PSV Eindhoven 1-2 AS Monaco
Matchday 2:AS Monaco 4-0 AEK Athen
Matchday 3: Deportivo La Coruna 1-0 AS Monaco
Matchday 4: Monaco 8-3 Deportivo La Coruna
Matchday 5: AS Monaco 1-1 PSV Eindhoven
Matchday 6: AEK Athen 0-0 AS Monaco
Last 16 (1st leg): Lokomotiv Moskva 2-1 AS Monaco
Last 16 (2nd leg): AS Monaco 1-0 Lokomotiv Moskva
Quarter-final (1st leg): Real Madrid 4-2 AS Monaco
Quarter-final (2nd leg): AS Monaco 3-1 Real Madrid
Semi-final (1st leg): AS Monaco 3-1 Chelsea FC
Semi-final (2nd leg): Chelsea FC 2-2 AS Monaco