Poor Kakha Kaladze and Massimo Ambrosini must feel like the kids who were picked last in the school playground.

Journalists and camera crews were swarming around Kaka and Paolo Maldini at the AC Milan media day ahead of Wednesday’s Champions League final with Liverpool.

Georgian defender Kaladze and midfielder Ambrosini were sat twiddling their thumbs for most of the event at Milan’s plush training ground as desperate hacks tried various tricks to try to snare an exclusive with one of the more famous players.

One crew hid round a corner hoping to trap a top name without other journalists and Milan press officers finding out, while one Italian correspondent voiced his annoyance at the press briefings being translated into English.

But the media would do well to notice that when it comes to Champions League finals, the best players are not always the match-winners.

Little-known Brazilian Juliano Belletti grabbed the winner for Barcelona against Arsenal last season when Thierry Henry fluffed a superb chance and proved that great players can still freeze on the big occasion.

Goalkeeper Jerzy Dudek was the unlikely hero for Liverpool against Milan in 2005 while Andriy Shevchenko missed the crucial penalty.

Kaladze to score the winning goal in Athens, anyone?
 
Mark Meadows is a Reuters sports correspondent in Milan