MARK VAN BOMMEL BELIEVES THAT his Barcelona team-mates can make history by dominating the Champions League for years to come. The Spanish champions have won the competition only once — a poor record that jars with their otherwise glorious history — but despite the huge weight of expectation on their shoulders the Dutch midfield player insists that they are not feeling the pressure.

Having won the Spanish title in his first season at the club, Van Bommel is supremely confident of adding a Champions League winner’s medal to his collection.

“Such a club like Barcelona should have won the Champions League more often, for sure,” he said. “They’ve lost in the final three times and won one Champions League, but now is time to make history. We’re confident we can finish it off but it won’t be easy. We don’t feel pressure, how many times have Arsenal won the trophy?

“It’s only a good sign for us that everybody knows how we play. We love to attack, people like to watch us and everybody loves Barcelona. But Arsenal are a very difficult team to beat as they don’t concede many goals.

“We can make history. We all know that we are a very good team, not only 11 players but 24 players who could play in every match, in Spain and in Europe as well.”

Arsenal made several offers for Van Bommel during his time at PSV Eindhoven, but he opted to see out his contract before moving to Barcelona last summer. After such a successful first season, it is little surprise that he feels he made the right decision.

“I’m now at Barcelona and believe this is the best club I could have joined,” he said. “Arsenal’s interest is history. As a little kid I was a fan of Barcelona, my Dad bought me a Barcelona shirt every year and for me to play here is a dream come true. Now we have to win trophies. We’ve already won the league and the Super Cup in Spain and hope we can put some more trophies on the table.”

If Barcelona succeed in winning a second European Cup in Paris tomorrow night, Van Bommel believes that they will have earned the right to call themselves the best team in the world.

“Spanish football is the best in the world, it’s the most difficult league in the world,” he said. “There is nobody you can beat easily, away from home and at home as well. At this moment it’s the highest level of football as every team has great players and every team wants to play football. But we’re not the best team in the world yet, first we have to win the Champions League. Everybody wants to win the Champions League.”