OSLO, Norway - OL Lyonnes coach Jonatan Giráldez said he is "privileged" to face his former club Barcelona but is determined to end Lyonnes' European trophy drought in the final on Saturday.
It will be the first time that Giráldez faces his former side as the two best teams in Europe face off in Oslo. He won two Champions League trophies with the Catalans, beating his current team in the 2023 final in Bilbao.
Barcelona's head coach Pere Romeu is Giráldez's former assistant, stepping into his shoes after the 34-year-old departed the club for a short stint with Washington Spirit before joining OL Lyonnes.
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"I feel privileged to face Barcelona as I'm grateful for the experience I had there and I wish them the best -- except tomorrow when we have to win," he told a news conference on Friday.
"I feel privileged because I have the opportunity to be part of another Champions League final. Doing this is the thing I enjoy the most and being in the final is emotional and motivational. I'm grateful to football for the opportunities it has given me and having the chance to be in another final is a dream for me."
Lyonnes first reached the final in 2010-11 and won five consecutive titles between 2015-16 and 2019-20 but they haven't won the competition in the last four seasons, facing consecutive early exits in the competition and falling short against Barcelona in their most recent final.
"Barcelona have taken the headlines in recent finals, but this is a very equal final," Giráldez added.
"It is a final involving two rival teams with top levels in their squads, regardless of the history. Our ambition is to win tomorrow. "
Giráldez is adamant about returning Lyonnes to winning ways, saying that reaching the final is not good enough and their determination is to win.
"Reaching the final is really nothing, honestly," he said. "I think that would be dreaming small and reaching the final is not enough. If we are here, it's because we have the ambition of winning tomorrow. There's no other word and no other message in the dressing room."
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Norwegian native Ada Hegerberg -- the competition's top scorer with 69 goals -- said it has been emotional to reach the final with Lyonnes in her home country.
Criticism has circulated online over the smaller stadium capacity -- 28,000 compared to last season's 50,000 venue in Lisbon -- and the tricky travel for some fans, but Hegerberg is focused on what the final in her home country can do for the trajectory of the next generation of footballers.
"Having this kind of game on Norwegian soil is so important for the younger generation, to inspire young girls and boys," she said.
"Looking ahead, it's important to have an event like this to keep investing in our sport, so we can bring up a new generation, and they can perform in more arenas than we had the opportunity to perform in when we were younger.
"It's such a joy to be here today and it's the two best teams in Europe in the final. I hope we can put on a great show for the people who watch tomorrow. [Winning] would mean everything. It's the 12th final for the club and could be our ninth trophy. We are humble in our approach but confident in our strengths."