J is for...

As uefa.com Action's A to Z countdown to the UEFA Champions League final on 25 May continues, it is time for some great Js.

One of the great Italian sides Juventus FC have appeared in four Champions League finals although they have been successful in only one when in 1995/96, their match against AFC Ajax ended 1-1 after extra-time, allowing them to win 4-2 in a penalty shoot-out, with Vladimir Jugovic scoring the decider.

The following season they were beaten in the final by the competition's surprise package Borussia Dortmund 3-0. The Dortmund team contained Juventus old boys Jürgen Köhler and Andreas Möller as well as Paulo Sousa who had left the Stadio Della Alpi for Dortmund in the summer of 1996 and picked up his second winners medal in consecutive seasons.

Juve's most recent final defeat came at the hands of Italian rivals AC Milan at Old Trafford three years ago - this time they were on the wrong end of a penalty shoot-out defeat. This season they bowed out in the last eight after losing 2-1 against Liverpool FC in England and drawing 0-0 in the return leg in Italy.

Lennart Johansson has been UEFA President since 1990 and during his tenure the evolvement of the Champions League evolved from the original two-legged European Champion Clubs’ Cup. Born in Sweden in 1929 Johansson has also been at the helm for four European Championships and presided over UEFA's Jubilee in 2004.

Having grown up during the war Johansson said: "There was nothing to do except play football. For me football is available to everyone and it keeps its fascination for young people. Sometimes you cry and some times you're happy, these are the things that make it such a great game."

One of the greatest players to grace the Champions League, Brazilian Mario Járdel made his name with Galatasaray SK and FC Porto, scoring 28 Champions League goals in 48 matches.

He came to prominence at Porto, scoring four goals in the 1996/97 campaign, but his most productive European seasons came back to back between 1999 and 2001 when he scored 19 goals overall, first for Porto and then Galatasaray, including doubles against Real Madrid CF and FC Barcelona in the 1999/00 season.

Járdel reached the quarter finals in both seasons, but his goals could not help either of his sides to progress. He subsequently moved on from Galatasaray to Sporting Clube de Portugal and Bolton Wanderers FC, and more recently spent six months on loan in Italy with Ancona Calcio.