A is for...

With the UEFA Champions League final approaching on 25 May, uefa.com begins an A-Z countdown to the final of Europe's premier club competition. Today celebrates the wonders of the letter A.

The Atatürk Olympic stadium will be the host venue for this season's final in Istanbul - a city with a sporting passion to match its dramatic history. With a capacity of 80,000, it is a fabulous arena. UEFA's first vice-president Senes Erzik is looking forward to his home nation hosting the final, saying: "The Turkish Football Federation has invested a lot and this is a unique chance of showing real Turkish hospitality."

From Turkey to Germany, the Arena AufSchalke in Gelsenkirchen was the venue for last season's Champions League final. Few had predicted that AS Monaco FC and FC Porto would be the two sides to reach the showpiece event in the Ruhr's industrial heartland, but the fans inside the magnificent AufSchalke were treated to a mesmerizing display of attacking football by the Portuguese champions, as goals from Carlos Alberto, Deco and Dmitri Alenichev sealed a memorable victory in coach José Mourinho's final game in charge of the Dragons before his departure for pastures new at Chelsea FC.

A is also for Argentina, the birthplace of some the most exciting players in recent Champions League seasons. Two in particular have stood out this term - Milan's Hernán Crespo and Monaco's Javier Saviola. Both players are currently on loan at their respective clubs, with Crespo still registered with Chelsea and Saviola set to return to FC Barcelona in the summer.

Crespo is one of the most revered goalscorers to emerge from Argentina and has commanded almost €100m in transfer fees during his time in Europe. His two goals against Manchester United FC in the first knockout round helped his side progress, and his pace, power and technique mean that he remains one of the most sought-after strikers around.

Saviola is part of the next generation of talent to burst out of South America, making his name with Barça before wowing the Monaco faithful with his sublime skills and deadly finishing this season. While the French club may have bowed out of the Champions League, Saviola continues to impress and seems certain to be a fans' favourite for years to come wherever he plays.

Other Argentinian players to make their mark in the Champions League in recent times include the FC Internazionale Milano trio of Javier Zanetti, Juan Sebástian Verón and Estebán Cambiasso, Valencia CF's Pablo Aimar, FC Bayern München's Martin Demichelis, Barça new boy Maxi López and the Real Madrid CF duo of Santiago Solari and Walter Samuel.