Who will scale the Eiffel?

Thierry Henry & Ronaldinho

Paris will welcome the return of its two most famous footballing musketeers when Ronaldinho and Thierry Henry showdown in a mouthwatering Champions League duel here Wednesday.

The head-to-head contest between Barcelona's world footballer of the year Ronaldinho and Arsenal's inspirational captain Henry could well prove decisive when the Spanish and English giants collide at the Stade de France.

But while Paris is, in theory, neutral territory for the two teams, both Ronaldinho and Henry have a deep emotional attachment to the 'City of Light'.

Henry's ties to Paris stretch back to his birth in the Parisian suburb of Les Ulis 28 years ago.

It was there that he began playing in local junior leagues, standing out even at an early age with his phenomenal speed and eye for goal.

Claude Chezelle, Henry's first coach, says the talent of Arsenal's record goalscorer was immediately apparent. "When I watch him on TV it's just like seeing the grown-up version of the boy," he said.

Henry's father Antoine, who had settled in France from Guadeloupe, who was the driving force of his son's early career.

Legend has it that Henry senior once started a fist-fight after running on to the pitch to remonstrate with a referee after deciding that his son wasn't being offered enough protection.

"To say that my dad pushed me is an understatement," Henry told an English newspaper. "I was never naturally drawn to football."

Henry's break came when he was spotted by a scout for Monaco as a 13-year-old. The club sent him to the French football academy at Clairefontaine to hone his talent and he made his debut for Monaco aged 17.

Ronaldinho's links to the French capital, meanwhile, are more recent, forged over a two-year stint with Paris St Germain from 2001 to 2003.

"Going back to Paris is like going home," said the Brazilian. "It's not my country but as soon as I step off the plane I know where I am, and where I'm going," he told French daily L'Equipe in an interview.

"I speak the language and I know the people. In fact, when I go back to Paris it's like going back to Brazil."

Ronaldinho's two years in Paris were marked by frequent rows with PSG's then coach Luis Fernandez, who took a dim view of the Brazilian playmaker's enthusiastic embrace of the French capital's nightlife.

Fernandez often left Ronal-dinho languishing on the bench, and though there were flashes of the brilliance that later earned him World and European Footballer of the Year awards, PSG fans never saw the best of him.

The 26-year-old insists however that he has not altered his approach since his arrival at the Nou Camp, where he has thrived under the Barcelona regime of Frank Rijkaard.

"The difference is that in Barcelona, I'm playing," said Ronaldinho. "When I was in Paris I wasn't playing. And when I'm playing, I'm happy."

While Ronaldinho and Henry will be the best of enemies on Wednesday, they are also becoming friends off the pitch.

As speculation rages that Henry may leave Arsenal to form a dream attacking partnership with Ronaldinho at Barcelona, the Brazilian World Cup winner has revealed that he is in regular contact with the Frenchman.

The two stars have met at several world player of the year events and through sponsorship commitments.

"I speak with Henry on the phone quite often, but I haven't spoken to him this week," said Ronaldinho. "This week we have swapped a few text messages. He is a fantastic player, one of the best in the world.

"But this is not a contest between Ronaldinho and Henry, it is a game between Barca and Arsenal and we all have to be prepared."