All you need to know about the Champions League Final

Winner takes all

The winner of tonight's Champions League final could earn as much as € 100 million in rising sponsorship and TV deals, increased players' values and higher ticket sales, according to an international survey. The survey, commissioned by MasterCard, one of the sponsors of the Champions League, also showed the victorious club's home city could expect a significant cash injection.

The city of Liverpool made an estimated €70 million following the club's 2005 win against AC Milan, while Portugal's Porto enjoyed an estimated € 12 million boost in 2004.

"The experts found that the winning club is likely to enjoy increased sponsorship, TV revenue, gate receipts and player value - although the estimated reward of up to €100 million is less than many of Europe's top clubs have spent on transfers and wages in the past few seasons," the company said in a statement.

The study conducted by KRC Research polled 12 leading European football and business experts including economists, academics and football commentators.

Teams' records

AC Milan are making their 11th appearance in the final and attempting to win the trophy for the seventh time. Their six previous successes were in 1963, 1969, 1989, 1990, 1994 and 2003 and their losing appearances came in 1958, 1993, 1995 and 2005 - against Liverpool.

Liverpool are making their seventh appearance in the final, having won the trophy in 1977, 1978, 1981, 1984 and 2005 against Milan. They lost in 1985.

This is the 52nd final since the competition began as the European Cup in 1955-56. It will be Liverpool's fourth successive European Cup final against Italian opposition after facing AS Roma in 1984, Juventus in 1985 and Milan in 2005. Milan have played two finals against English clubs - against Leeds in the 1973 Cup Winners' Cup and Liverpool in the Champions League.

Special guest

Chelsea striker Andriy Shevchenko has been invited to attend tonight's final as a guest of AC Milan, although his representatives insist nothing should be read into the gesture. Shevchenko won the European Cup in 2003, beating Juventus, but was on the losing side when Milan lost to Liverpool in 2005.

Despite joining Chelsea for nearly €30 million last summer the Ukraine international has been regularly linked with a return to the San Siro in the media. He has yet to decide whether to attend the match in Athens tonight alongside various other Milan legends.

Coaches' successes

Milan coach Carlo Ancelotti is one of only five men to win the European Cup as both a player and a coach. He was in Milan's winning sides of 1989 and 1990 and was coach when they beat Juventus on penalties in 2003. Ancelotti and his Liverpool counterpart, Rafael Benitez, are attempting to become the 14th men to win two European Cups as coach. Only Liverpool's Bob Paisley has won three.

Seedorf statistics

Milan's Clarence Seedorf is the only player to win the European Cup with three different clubs: Ajax Amsterdam (1995), Real Madrid in 1998 and Milan in 2003. In 1995 he played against Milan. If Milan win he will become the first player to win the Champions League four times.

Kaka aims high

Kaka of Milan is the highest scorer in the competition this season with 10 goals. He needs another four in the final to equal the record for one season of 14 established by Milan's Jose Altafini in 1962-63.

Road to Athens

Group stages

Group C:PSV 0, Liverpool 0; Liverpool 3, Galatasaray 2; Bordeaux 0, Liverpool 1: Liverpool 3, Bordeaux 0; Liverpool 2, PSV 0; Galatasaray 3, Liverpool 2.

Group H:AC Milan 3, AEK 0; Lille 0, AC Milan 0; Anderlecht 0, AC Milan 1; AC Milan 4, Anderlecht 1; AEK 1, AC Milan 0; AC Milan 0, Lille 2.

First knockout round

First leg:Celtic 0, AC Milan 0. Second leg:AC Milan 1, Celtic 0 (after extra time).

First leg:Barcelona 1, Liverpool 2. Second leg:Liverpool 0, Barcelona 1 (Liverpool go through on away goals rule).

Quarter-finals

First leg:AC Milan 2, Bayern Munich 2. Second leg:Bayern Munich 0, AC Milan 2.

First leg:PSV 0, Liverpool 3. Second leg:Liverpool 1, PSV 0.

Semi-finals

First leg:Chelsea 1, Liverpool 0. Second leg:Liverpool 1, Chelsea 0. (Liverpool win 4-1 on penalties after extra-time).

First leg:Manchester Utd 3, AC Milan 2. Second leg:AC Milan 3, Manchester Utd 0.