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A dream come true for Karmona
DORTMUND, Germany (Reuters) -- Alaves captain Antonio Karmona admits playing against Liverpool in Wednesday's UEFA Cup final will be a dream come true. Karmona, who supported the English premier league club as a youngster, says Vitoria-based Alaves have dreamed throughout their debut season in Europe of being drawn against Liverpool. And the Basque defender, who only made his debut in the Spanish first division three years ago at the age of 30, is determined to enjoy the moment to the full. "The game means an awful lot to me personally," said Karmona on Tuesday. "I was always a Liverpool fan when I was a kid, watching and admiring players like Ian Rush, Kenny Dalglish and Graeme Souness. "I've always liked English football, with its commitment, solidity, strength and also its fair play. "Liverpool were the epitome of that for me. They were one of the best teams in Europe at that time. It wasn't exactly difficult to support them." For Karmona, the real surprise is to be playing at a successful first division club -- the idea of appearing in a major European final simply never occurred to him. He joined Alaves in 1996 when they were in the second division and helped them to promotion in 1998. "A lot of people already know about what a struggle it has been for me to get this far, playing in the second, third and fourth divisions and even down at a lower regional level," he said. "Being in the final is going to be really special for me and I'm going to enjoy every minute of it. "All the way through our cup run we've talked in the dressing room after each round and said we wanted to face Liverpool next. "We've avoided them all the way to the final but now is our chance. They're one of the greats in Europe." Karmona is more conscious than most of the difference in reputation between his own modest club and Liverpool, who boast four European Cups and two UEFA Cups among their many honors. But he is convinced Alaves can have a successful end to a remarkable season. "The team is in good shape ahead of the match," he said. "We know they're a high quality team but the key for us will be to press them and try to cut out the mistakes. "It could just come down to which team makes the fewest mistakes."
Copyright 2003 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved.
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