Gérard Houllier, the manager of Liverpool, enjoyed success in the cup competitions during the 2000–01 season; under his management, the club ended their six-year spell without silverware by winning the League Cup, and in the calendar year defeated Roma, Porto and Barcelona to reach the 2001 UEFA Cup Final. Houllier was indifferent that his side were considered the underdogs in the FA Cup final, and told reporters, "We have great work ethic and team ethic. There is a great desire to achieve something as a club." He confirmed in his pre-match press conference that Heskey would start the final, though had yet to make a final decision over who would partner the England forward. Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger admitted his team had underachieved during the season, but took criticism of failing to challenge Manchester United in the league and progressing further in the UEFA Champions League as a "compliment to the club". He spoke in favour of moving FA Cup ties midweek to prevent fixture congestion, because the current system was too demanding for the big clubs: "In England a team that goes for the FA Cup automatically has a problem in the championship, especially if they play in the Champions League. There are then so many games something has to be sacrificed and I have sacrificed points in the championship to the FA Cup." When asked whether reducing the number of teams in the UEFA Champions League would help, Wenger commented it "... would mean less money and no one with the wages we pay can accept a drop in income. As for cutting the Premiership – they have done that in France and now those teams not involved in the cups are complaining." The match attracted considerable media interest because of the number of foreigners involved. It marked the first time that the two managers of opposing sides were born outside the British Isles, and it was anticipated the final would receive a large overseas audience because of the inclusion of several international players. Broadcast in 70 countries, viewing figures for the match totalled close to 600 million. Match Summary Both clubs lined up in a traditional 4–4–2 formation: a four-man defence (comprising two centre-backs and left and right full-backs), four midfielders (two in the centre, and one on each wing) and two centre forwards. Wenger opted to pair Gilles Grimandi with Vieira in midfield and Wiltord up