Chelsea forward Eden Hazard says he will be rooting for Juventus legends of the game in the Champions League final, and hopes he will get his hands on the trophy himself soon
Gianluigi Buffon has what might prove, at the age of 37, to be his last chance of getting his hands on the Champions League trophy, while Andrea Pirlo could touch the prize for the third time after winning it twice with AC Milan.
"For champions like them, it would really be the cherry on top," Hazard told La Gazzetta dello Sport. "They have had extraordinary careers, above all winning the World Cup with Italy in 2006.
"I don't know when they will retire, but it would be fantastic if two players like Buffon and Pirlo could succeed in triumphing together in the Champions League.
"They are the champions of everybody who loves football."
Barcelona may be the favourites, but over 90 or 120 minutes, Hazard feels the Bianconeri have a chance to crown their season and complete a treble.
"Juve have already won the Double with the scudetto and the Coppa Italia, and these successes have given [Max] Allegri's team more self-belief," Hazard said. "In a final, it comes down to details and the Italians have always been capable of springing surprises."
Nevertheless, in one of the coming seasons Hazard hopes it will be he who gets his hand on the Champions League trophy with Chelsea.
"The club's plans are to strengthen, and I'm optimistic," the 24-year-old said. "When you look at the history of the Champions League and see all the big names who have won it, it makes you realise how it takes you onto another dimension.
"It's only human to dream about adding your own name, one day, to the list of world class players who have preceded you. I have clear ideas about it and I want to stay with Chelsea for a long time and win this famous trophy with the big ears."
Chelsea did not make it as far as the quarterfinals this season, knocked out on away goals by PSG in the round of 16, although Hazard has no regrets about how things went as Jose Mourinho's men won the Premier League and the Capital One Cup.
"It was perfect for me," he said. "If you were to ask me if I would sign for doing it all again, then I would do so immediately. Apart from the 3-0 defeat to West Bromwich Albion when we had already won the title, we got the best out of the league season.
"The only blot was defeat in the Champions League to Paris Saint-Germain, but in a long and exhausting season like ours, that can happen. We won two trophies, which is not bad."
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