Alvaro Arbeloa aiming for Champions League glory with Liverpool

Nov 25 2008

Liverpool defender Alvaro Arbeloa wants to add a Champions League winners’ medal to the European title he won with Spain last summer.

Arbeloa, 25, has played in every Liverpool game in Europe this season, and is a certainty to be in the side for tomorrow’s Group D crunch with Marseille at Anfield.

And the former Real Madrid player admits it is a tough challenge to now be fighting for the domestic title as well as the European crown.

He said: “It is always difficult to balance your ambitions in the Premier League and the Champions League.

“But we can do it. In other seasons we have been really focused on the Champions League because we have not had a good enough position in the league to fight for the title.

“We have the experience to handle both, I hope so. We want to win the two titles, and we want to be in there fighting right to the end in both.

“It would be good to add another winners’ medal to the one I have with Spain.”

He added: “And in Europe we want to win the group. When we have finished second in the past we have ended up playing Inter Milan, and that is difficult.

“But if you win the group maybe you could be drawn against a side that is a little easier. But not much.

“I have been fortunate. I have played in every European game this season, and that makes me happy because I am able to help the team to achieve something in every game.

“There is also stability in the defence. We have had 11 clean sheets in 22 games this season.

“Everyone is doing well, not just the defenders but the rest of the team work hard to help us achieve a figure like that.

“Let’s just hope we can keep going in the same way and continue to challenge in both big competition.”

Arbeloa acknowledges that Marseille, who must win to survive, will come out fighting.