SOCCER UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FINAL:ALEX FERGUSON admitted his side lost to the better team as Barcelona won the Champions League final in Rome last night, but vowed to come back even stronger.

A dejected Ferguson said afterwards: “In fairness we were beaten by the best team. We weren’t at our best. The first goal was a killer, it was a bad start to the game. If you give them the ball they will keep it all night. But the best part of the game is that in adversity you always move forward quicker. We’re all disappointed but we’re a young team.”

Ferguson explained his decision to add a second striker at half-time, with Carlos Tevez replacing the ineffective Anderson. He said: “I brought on Tevez simply because I took the gamble of playing two through (the middle).

“Ryan Giggs, in the first half, provided something and some parts of his game were good but what we needed was someone to be there all the time. But they defended quite well. We had plenty of time and we had some half-chances which we maybe should have done better with.”

Barcelona forward Thierry Henry celebrated his side’s triumph by insisting that victory, rather than the considerable style in which it was achieved, was most important. He said: “You always remember winners, that’s the difference. You can play good football, pass the ball well but unless you win silverware sometimes it doesn’t count.”

The Frenchman, who admitted his disappointment at his failure to take the same trophy during his time with Arsenal, also hailed his side’s unique treble following their domestic league and cup triumphs. “I struggle to describe what we have achieved this year. No team has ever done this treble in Spain. It is something amazing,” he said. “Apart from the way we play it is also down to the way we fought all season. In the first 10 minutes we were kind of lucky and playing against a United side who are difficult to beat. But we fight and we never give up.”

On Arsenal, who lost to Barcelona in the 2006 final, Henry added: “I will always have disappointments from Arsenal because they are in my heart and in my blood.”

Defender Gerard Pique said it was special to win the Champions League with the club he had supported as a boy – but expressed his sympathy for his former United team mates. Having not featured in United’s success over Chelsea in last year’s final in Moscow, last night’s victory capped a remarkable turn-around for the young defender.

“It was special because we played really well, we deserved to win and Barcelona was always my club since I was a young lad” he said.

“I am sorry for them because they are very good friends of mine and to see them lose the game is not good – but I am happy for me.”

Ryan Giggs said: “At times Barcelona can make you look silly because they keep the ball so well. At times we maybe chased it and didn’t keep our shape as well as we should have. But still, we created chances and probably more chances than Barcelona.”