ATHENS, Greece _ American businessmen Tom Hicks and George Gillett Jr. never imagined this when they bought Liverpool in March - their team playing for Europe's biggest club soccer title with thousands of red-shirted fans singing and partying all over central Athens.

Too bad the English team lost to AC Milan 2-1 Wednesday in the Champions League final.

"There's no way either of my two teams' fans have the level of intense passion that Liverpool has," said Hicks, who also owns baseball's Texas Rangers and hockey's Dallas Stars. "I want them to. Hopefully some day they will."

Throngs of Liverpool fans descended on the Greek capital with and without tickets for the match, hoping to see the Reds win their sixth European Cup title. Many paid more than 10 times face value to get into the Olympic Stadium.

Hicks and Gillett, who owns the Montreal Canadiens, took over full control of the 18-time English champions in March. Now they are in Athens to savor the atmosphere of one of soccer's greatest nights.

Hicks, wearing a white Liverpool shirt and carrying a printout of his hockey team's latest news under his arm before the match, predicted his team would win 2-1.

At least he got the score right. Filippo Inzaghi scored two goals for Milan before Dirk Kuyt got one back for Liverpool in the closing minutes.

Despite Wednesday's loss, Liverpool's success in Europe's top club competition this season is not lost on Hicks and Gillett.

The idea now is to keep winning, especially in the Premier League. Liverpool finished third in the English league this season, 21 points behind champion Manchester United and 15 behind second-place Chelsea.

"We are passionate about winning in our lives and our families," said Gillett, whose Canadiens are one of the most successful sports franchises in the world. "We want to be regularly competing for the Premiership and the Champions League."

That will be good news to the millions of Liverpool supporters all over the world.

"The fans are smart. The fans can sense that George and I want exactly what they want," Hicks said.

And that is trophies.

Ken Plumpton, a 36-year-old bank manager from Cheshire, England, wearing a bright red Liverpool shirt, is more than happy with that attitude.

"As long as they look after the club, that's all anyone wants," Plumpton said. "It suits me fine."

Hicks and Gillett do plan to invest money into the club to buy more players, but stress that it's manager Rafa Benitez who is creating the team.

"His plan will include buying some players," Hicks said. "So far he's doing exactly as we want him to do."

Gillett added: "And we support him."

Benitez has already won the Champions League trophy with Liverpool, leading the Reds to the title in 2005 despite trailing 3-0 at halftime against Milan.

"They seem to have complete faith in Rafa Benitez," said Karen Owen, a 37-year-old civil servant from Liverpool. "If he says he wants a player, they'll get that player."

The money will help create a winning attitude at the club, and a planned new stadium won't hurt either.

"It's going to be the most unique and I think the finest stadium ever built in the world," Hicks said. "It will give us the revenue to get more."

And that can only help in the competitive _ and lucrative _ game of English soccer.