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We have arrived at that part of the season where there is happiness on one side and sorrow on the other. If you don't understand what I mean, ask Iniesta. His club had a great season as they claimed the La Liga title back from their rivals and also got their hands on the Copa Del Rey trophy, but all those reasons of joy couldn't hold back some tears on Saturday when Iniesta waved goodbye to his people for one last time.
Now, it is the time to look forward to the FIFA World Cup with the managers announcing the squads that they will be taking to Russia. However, there is still a little bit of club football left before we get into the World Cup fever.
Yes, the UEFA Champions League is this Saturday and we have got an exciting game in hand as defending champions Real Madrid will be taking on one of the England's best clubs, Liverpool.
A victory on Sunday will see Los Blancos winning their thirteenth European title and also it could be a good way to end their comparatively bad season. It would also make them the first ever team to win three Champions League in a row.
It may seem that Real Madrid have some pretty good reasons to take home the Big Ol' Ears, but a deeper look at it will make it clear that their opponents have even better reasons.
#5 Sean Cox
It is always tragic to see violence getting in the way of football and unfortunately one such event took place in Merseyside before Liverpool's Champions League semi-final first leg against Roma earlier this month. An attack that took place outside Anfield saw several get injured, but it was one Liverpool fan by the name of Sean Cox that paid the biggest price.
The 53-year-old, who was stabbed that evening, has been in coma ever since and hasn't been able to recover from it despite fighting hard. We are just days away from the big final in Kiev and Cox was probably one of the Kopites who would have traveled all the way to back his favourite men in Red, but life is cruel at times and this is one of those times.
There has been no updates on the Liverpool fan's situation and all that the lovers of the beautiful game can do during this worrying period is to pray for Cox. However, the Liverpool team could do him a big favor by bringing home the Champions League trophy.
It would only be fair to the lad if Jordan Henderson could hold that banner once more, but this time during the team's victory parade in Liverpool.
#4 Liverpool's 125th Anniversary
June 3rd of 1892 saw the birth of one of the most prestigious clubs in the history of football and that club is 125 years old now. Wouldn't it be absolutely amazing if the Reds could win the greatest trophy in club football to celebrate their quasquicentennial?
The club that hails from Merseyside has already won five European Championships, the most by any English side, but it would be even better if they could make it six just before the club turns 126 just one week after the final.
Liverpool's 2017-18 home kit was designed as a way to celebrate the club's 125th anniversary and just the thought of the team celebrating a Champions League triumph in that very kit would make the hairs on the back of the neck of any Liverpool fan stand up.
#3 It has been a long time since Liverpool returned to their best
Talking about Liverpool making their European Championship count six, it has been thirteen years since the Reds won their last one on that night in Istanbul and it has been six years since they added any cup to their trophy cabinet. This stat doesn't suit a club of Liverpool's caliber.
It is high time that the mighty Reds put themselves back on the map of the best clubs in football and there is no better way to do that than winning the Champions League. If it will take them to defeat Real Madrid, the biggest European champions of all time, they should do it.
"History is great, but only to remember. Now we have the possibility to write a new story if we want", these were the words of Jurgen Klopp when he took over the club back in 2015.
Liverpool have dwelt a lot in their history and it is now time for them to write a new one. A victory on Saturday could be the return of the Liverpool that we all know.
#2 Ending the Jurgen Klopp 'final' curse
Liverpool are just one step away from writing a new story and Jurgen Klopp deserves a lot of credit for that. The German has taken a side that was struggling to finish in the top four in the league to the Champions League finals in just three years.
However, there is one thing about Klopp that might be worrying for the Reds and that is his record in tournament finals. The former Borussia Dortmund manager has only won one of the six finals he has been in (out of which two were with Liverpool). And that one victory came back in 2012. Since then, it has been bad times for the 50-year-old.
This is Klopp's first Champions League final during his 17-year-old managerial career and it is the perfect occasion for him to get rid of this unwanted curse.
#1 Mo Salah's path to Ballon d'Or
This season the Premier League was graced by a certain Egyptian King by the name of Mohamed Salah Ghaly. His magical feet turned the defenders upside down and left the fans with their jaws dropped. While everyone was in awe of his football, he cheekily made a record held by Alan Shearer, Cristiano Ronaldo and Luis Suarez his. His 32-goal haul in the league saw him surpassing these great players to become the record holder for the most number of goals scored by an individual in a 38-game Premier League season.
After claiming a total of 37 individual accolades this season alone, including the Premier League Player of the Season, Ballon d'Or could be the next target for the 25-year-old.
However, to make a strong claim for the award Salah might need to show something that he has won with his team along with all the awards that he won for himself. Ballon d'Or might be an individual award, but football is a team game and success as a group matters more than as an individual.
Liverpool and Salah were not able to get the FA Cup, the Carabou Cup or the Premier League, but Champions League is within their reach.
Some more of that magic on Saturday to lead his team to glory would see him placed in a better position than Cristiano Ronaldo (as he will not have any major trophies this season unless Portugal wins the World Cup) and on par with Lionel Messi (who won the La Liga, Copa Del Rey and the European Golden Boot) in the race for the Ballon d'Or.
If that is the case, we might be finally seeing the end of the Messi-Ronaldo dominance for the Ballon d'or.
