Vidic: Wembley triumph would be pinnacle
Reuters - Thursday 28 April 2011, 09:55
BELGRADE - Manchester United captain
Nemanja Vidic said winning the Champions League at Wembley would
be the pinnacle of his career but warned the team still had
plenty of work to do to reach the May 28 final.
United, bidding for their third final appearance in four
seasons, beat German side Schalke 2-0 away in their semi-final
first leg on Tuesday but the 29-year old Serbia defender said
there was no room for complacency.
"We played a very good match but we are not there yet," he
told Belgrade daily Sportski Zurnal on Thursday.
"Just playing in the final is an incredible feeling and to
lift the trophy at Wembley as the Manchester United captain
would be the pinnacle of my career," said Vidic, who has won
three Premier League titles and the 2008 Champions League with
United since joining from Spartak Moscow in 2006.
"It would be a dream come true but all I am prepared to do
now is take it one step at a time and look ahead to the next
match, because we mustn't get carried away," he added.
Premier League leaders United are away to Arsenal on Sunday
and although they are six points ahead of Chelsea and nine clear
of the Gunners with four games remaining, Vidic said the title
race was still wide open.
"We are close and it's ours to lose but it's far from over,
because we are looking at two difficult matches away to Arsenal
and at home to Chelsea, our rivals for the silverware," he said.
"But we are very optimistic because we are in good form, we
are playing well and several key players have hit top form at
just the right time.
"The manager has plenty of options to choose from, it makes
almost no difference who's playing because everyone knows how
the system works and that's produced the results.
"In between the games with Arsenal and Chelsea, we have to
finish the job against Schalke but we have many players capable
of being match-winners so we are confident."
The winners of the United v Schalke tie will play Barcelona
or Real Madrid in the final of Europe's premier club
competition, with Barcelona holding a 2-0 advantage from the
first leg in Madrid.