Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has told ESPN FC his ultimate aim as Manchester United manager is to repeat the Treble as he prepares to revisit the site of his goal which secured the achievement for Sir Alex Ferguson’s side in 1999.
The Norwegian will lead United against Barcelona at Camp Nou on Tuesday, the stadium in which he helped make history with an injury time winner against Bayern Munich in the Champions League final 20 years ago.
“I think we’ve got to set that standard,” Solskjaer told ESPN FC. “We can do it one day.
“It’s going to be more and more difficult. Football has changed and there are more and more clubs with more and more money. In England, it’s hard to get a top six place.
“Then you’ve got Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid, Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Juventus — it will be difficult but you can never say impossible.”
“I don’t believe in fate but I do believe that you get what you deserve,” Solskjaer said. “Sometimes things are meant to be if you really go it.
“I’m not the type to think: ‘This makes me proud.’ I will feel the butterflies, I will be excited. I cannot wait to get going because it’s the biggest stage. It’s against the best club of the last 10 or 15 years. Since [Pep] Guardiola took over they have been absolutely brilliant.”
In the 1999 Champions League final, Solskjaer was only introduced nine minutes from time as United chased an equaliser to Mario Basler’s early goal.
“I was quite focused on what was going to come,” Solskjaer said. “My feeling was that I had 30 minutes in a Champions League final and I had to make the most of it.
“I felt great and I was just looking forward to doing something in extra time. But I went and ruined it.”