Claudio Ranieri has voiced his open support for the Blaugrana to lift the Champions League trophy this season.



The Juventus coach was among top ten coaches asked to sample their opinions on the most feared teams for the 2007/08 champions league. Ranieri rooted for Barca, comparing the Catalan giants and his second favoured club, AC Milan to two top names in the race car championship of the world of motorsport. Marcello Lippi and Dunga both opted for Manchester United, who enjoy a 100% European record, while Roberto Donadoni couldn't pick between Barcelona, AC Milan and Inter. Fatih Terim and 'Big Phil' Scolari both went for AC Milan, while Demetrio Albertini, Alberto Zaccheroni, Francesco Guidolin and Dino Zoff all said Barcelona.

Claudio Ranieri declared:

At the moment, the Ferrari and McLaren of the Champions League are Barça and AC Milan. They're the two clubs at the fore-front and they're just a few metres apart from each other in terms of form and quality.

Ranieri pointed out that there was more teamwork now in FC Barcelona than there was last year. The coach said:

Last year, Ronaldinho, Eto'o and Messi always wanted the ball at their feet, so they lost the league. But they've changed. Today, the stars are all focusing on a common project, and so they are deadly.

Italian strongman, Albertini said:

Anyone who likes football cannot afford to miss Barcelona's matches. They are pure entertainment.

Clubs like Arsenal and Real Madrid were not mentioned or chosen as potential winners for the trophy this season.