Paris: Arsenal coach Arsene Wenger exuded confidence ahead of Wednesday's Champions League final, saying that his team were easily capable of winning even though Barcelona may be the favourites.
"We have the potential to achieve success," he said. "We proved that by the way we came back in the Premier League by finishing very strongly and we have also been strong in the Champions League.
"I believe Barcelona are a very good team, the best team we have faced in Europe all season, but if we go out there and play at our best we can beat them, my only worry is that the team plays at its best.
"But I believe we can do it. Of our last 16 games we won 12, drew two and lost two and that included matches against Manchester United and Liverpool and I am confident that we are capable of beating Barcelona too."
Wenger said the match was more than just the hyped confrontation between his talismanic striker Thierry Henry and Ronaldinho, Barcelona's World Player of the Year.
"Firstly it is Arsenal v Barcelona, not just Henry v Ronaldinho," he said. "Of course Ronaldinho is an outstanding player and a joy to watch, but we have match-winners of our own and I believe we can stop him."
He said that the fact he had played so few English players this season could not detract from a win on Wednesday being an English success.
"I feel great pride for England, of course proud to represent the English premiership. I have been accepted in England and been in England for 10 years.
"It would be pretentious to say we represent England, but we do represent English football and the premiership and I am very proud of that."
Arsenal's Brazilian midfielder Gilberto Silva said he had never played against his countryman before, "apart from in training with the Brazilian squad, and that is not the same thing."
He added: "The boss has never asked me to man-mark before, but we all know what he (Ronaldinho) is capable of. I haven't needed to tell my teammates anything about him they don't know. They all watch Spanish football on TV every week."
Henry could be playing Spanish football every week soon as he has been linked to a move to Barcelona after the final, and not even Wenger could say for certain that the Frenchman would be an Arsenal player next season.
"I believe he will stay," said Wenger, "but I am not the master of the situation." He was however the master of the news conference, and his confidence can only help his players as they attempt to bring the European Cup to Arsenal for the first time.
"During the winter when we were losing matches, I still believed in this team. I felt lonely because not many other people believed in them with me, but they have succeeded in reaching this final.
"I think we are at the start of a new era and we all want to achieve success tomorrow for ourselves, our families and our friends and of course for players like Dennis Bergkamp who will retire after the game," he added.
"What better way for a player to end his career than being part of the European Cup final."
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