Whatever the entertainment level of the Champions League turns out to be, Uefa deserve credit for the switch to Saturday night. There were certainly few complaints from the relaxed crowds enjoying the pre-match sunshine in Madrid’s squares.
In an era when so many changes in football seem to be made for the benefit of those seeking to exploit the game commercially, the departure from the traditional Wednesday night caters for the interests of the players and the fans.
The trouble with a Wednesday night, from the point of view of the players and their managers, was it came too soon after a weekend that tended to be momentous in the domestic game: a time for settling league titles (as in the case of Inter Milan) or doubles (Bayern Munich).
Under the old schedule, Inter and Bayern would hardly have been able to draw breath before having a quick training session at the Bernabeu in preparation for dragging their weary limbs through the match.
Players at this level, of course, are used to it. Those who go to the World Cup will face the customary fixture arrangement, designed for television, that entails matches being spread out in the early stages - England have nearly a week before their first and second - and then crammed at the end, when they matter most.
One of the finalists will have to play three times in nine days, with little time to get over injuries or fatigue; to me, it always appears inimical to the dignity of the most important and avidly-watched period of world football for four years. It is as if Fifa want to get the thing over before the ‘’football family’’, of whom sponsors have become part, lose interest.
Uefa have shown their global brothers the way and Michel Platini, who announced that the final would take place at the weekend almost as soon as his campaign for the presidency was won, should be congratulated. He has not forgotten how he felt either as a player - three times voted the best in Europe - or a boyhood fan growing up in North-east France.
What the Saturday-night kick-off does is prevent any child from missing the match due to the need to rest in readiness for school next day. The families of relatively few can afford to travel en masse to attend in person, but at least they can look forward to enjoying on television, extra time and penalties or otherwise.
As for those who have come to Madrid, the problem of having to take time off work has been reduced, along with the difficulty of finding cheap flights at a time of business travel. There is an enhanced sense of carnival, and of occasion. After more than half a century, the European Cup final has found its proper place in the calendar.
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