Tang En's ordeal at the airport had once again made him a headline character. The Italian media denounced the man as having no basic manners, playing to the gallery, and going crazy from wanting to become famous. What made them so angry was naturally because Twain had treated AC Milan and the Italian media as air at the airport, which made some people very unhappy.
The English media excitedly described Twain's "heroic posture" at the airport over and over again, with photos of Twain standing in front of the fan group frequently appearing in the newspapers.
This was no longer an impulsive move by Twain alone. This was a confrontation between the English and Italian media, and they had long disliked each other.
Twain certainly did not do this to provide material for the war of words between the two countries' media. His perverse actions were actually targeted at the AC Milan team. This was also part of the psychological warfare before the game.
Sure enough, there were people in AC Milan who expressed their dissatisfaction with Twain's arrogant actions.
In a subsequent interview, AC Milan's manager, Ancelotti, said he could not understand Twain's thinking and that he seemed to be lacking in manners to everyone. He then talked about the final. "We have won six UEFA Champions League titles and are very experienced in winning titles. I have also led the team to win the UEFA Champions League title once, so I am very confident. But I really can't understand where Mr. Twain's confidence in repeatedly announcing that he will win the championship comes from. "
Later, AC Milan's players were also interviewed about this matter.
"Nottingham Forest? That's what they said last season, right? They will definitely win some championship title, and what happened? "Gattuso was not polite at all, which was in line with his tough style on the field. "I think this kind of thing is boring. No matter how loudly they shout down there, the real champion will always be decided in the game. If they can't beat us, it's useless no matter how many times they say it. If anyone says that the more times they say the champion, the more times they will win the championship, I can say it a hundred times a day. "Gattuso laughed, and the reporters also laughed.
AC Milan was a club that paid great attention to its image and generally did not allow its players to express their opinions at will, especially when it came to such sensitive issues. Gattuso was the only one who was outspoken and expressed his true thoughts in front of the reporters. The others were vague and evasive when they were interviewed.
Kaka was the person who was asked the most. Who asked him to be in the limelight at the airport just now? Although his limelight was later overshadowed by Tang En, the reporters wanted to hear Kaka's evaluation of the manager.
"… I don't know how to say it. I don't know him, and I've never played under him. If you want me to evaluate him, I can only say that I don't know anything. … That matter? Oh, he just wants to leave the exit as soon as possible. That's normal. What's wrong with that? "
Kaka, like the AC Milan club, was very concerned about his personal image. He never spoke with certainty and never offended anyone easily. Therefore, the media was very disappointed with Tang En's evaluation.
"Then how do you feel about having such a person as your manager?" A bold reporter suddenly asked.
This question caught Kaka off guard. He froze for a moment, not knowing if he was completely in a daze or if he was really seriously thinking about the answer to this question. Then he shook his head. "I don't know." Perhaps seeing the disappointment in the reporters' eyes, he added, "I've never worked with such a manager before, so I don't know what it's like."
He ended the short interview with his signature sunny smile.
The reporters looked at his back as he left and expressed their disappointment one after another.
"Compared to them, I still prefer to interview the Forest people …" The English reporter complained. "At least they dare to say anything."
"Dare to say anything? What if they cause trouble for the team and the club because of their nonsense? "An Italian reporter expressed doubt and disdain for the English reporter's statement.
A group of Englishmen laughed. "What are you afraid of? That guy, Tony Twain, will clean up their mess! All the Nottingham Forest players think so. "
※ ※ ※
As if to verify the English reporters' statement, shortly after the AC Milan team left the Stadio Olimpico, the Nottingham Forest team's bus slowly drove over. It was their turn to adapt to the venue.
When the bus stopped, the reporters swarmed up and surrounded the door, ready to interview the people who got off.
The first to jump off was not the team's manager, but their assistant manager, Dunn.
The English reporters all knew that this Chinese man was a man of few words, so no one went up to interview him. Tang En looked up at the reporters around him, his eyes cold. Tang Jing waved at him from a distance, and he saw it.
"I won't bother you now. Remember your promise! Give me an interview when the time comes! "Tang Jing shouted in Mandarin. Dunn nodded and squeezed out of the reporters' encirclement.
Then it was the Forest players who came out.
They were in twos and threes, with their arms around each other's shoulders. They did not look like they were here to adapt to the venue, but more like they were at a restaurant.
A reporter stopped them and wanted to hear their views on the final.
"Does it need to be said? Champion! We must be the champion! " Eastwood, the Romani, shouted loudly and raised his hand to make a "victory" gesture. Ribéry, behind him, stuck out his tongue and made a face.
Amid the laughter, the group of people walked out.
The English reporters were not surprised by their behavior. They were long used to it. The Italian media shook their heads and thought that this nobody was really messing around. How dare a member of the Welsh national team speak so wildly? They were delighted to see van Nistelrooy get off the bus. This man should be able to answer their questions seriously, right?
An Italian reporter asked van Nistelrooy in broken English, "Ruud, what do you think of tomorrow's final?"
The answer that many people had prepared in advance was, "AC Milan is a strong team. We will go all out to win." Such an answer was standard and in line with convention. The most important thing was that it would not anger either side. It showed full respect for the opponent and reflected confidence in one's own strength. How good was that …
"Champion, thank you." The Dutch striker smiled and put up two fingers to the Italian reporters, and then left under their dumbfounded expressions.
All right, the Italian reporters thought to themselves. Ruud van Nistelrooy's club career was short of a UEFA Champions League. It was understandable that he was so eager to win the championship …
Demetrio Albertini jumped out of the bus. The Italian reporters were excited to see him. Their old acquaintance was here. This man had good relations in the Italian players' circle and the media circle. It was the right thing to ask him any questions.
A group of people squeezed forward and handed over microphones, cell phones, and recording pens.
"Demetrio! Demetrio! "They shouted in Italian. "Answer a few questions. It won't take up too much of your time!"
Albertini heard the familiar accent. He stopped in his tracks and stood in front of the reporters.
"Oh, it's you guys." There were a few familiar faces among the reporters.
"First of all, congratulations on reaching the Champions League final again. It's amazing to be able to reach the final two years in a row!" One of the Italian reporters gave a thumbs up.
"Are you praising our manager? It's not like I'm the only one to take credit for entering the final. "Albertini said with a grin, but it made the reporters a little embarrassed. Because he was right. Entering the final was definitely not Demetrio's ability alone. If it was based on merit, Twain should be credited with the top credit. They wanted to please Albertini, but they did not expect it to become a compliment to Tony Twain. How could it not be awkward?
"Let's talk about the final. You're retiring after this game …" A reporter coughed and asked, breaking the awkwardness.
Albertini nodded. "Yes, I had originally decided to retire at the end of last season, but Twain urged me to stay and wanted me to play for another year. I was hesitant at the time, but now it looks like staying was the right thing to do. I can reach the Champions League final again, an experience that not every professional player can enjoy. " When Albertini was at AC Milan, he helped the team reach the Champions League final three times in five years and picked up two championship trophies. Everyone knew the subsequent story. He was ruthlessly abandoned by AC Milan and left for England. Unexpectedly, at Nottingham Forest, he found a second spring in his career and reached the Champions League final two years in a row. Counting the three times at AC Milan, he had reached the final five times as a player, which was a remarkable achievement. Among the active players, only the Dutchman, Seedorf, could compare to him. Coincidentally, Seedorf was in the current AC Milan team.
"But the opponent in this final is AC Milan, Demetrio." A reporter from 'La Gazzetta dello Sport' asked a question that would make everyone feel awkward. Everyone had tried to avoid mentioning it before, but how could they turn a blind eye to such a sensational topic?
All topics related to AC Milan were difficult for Albertini to face. On the one hand, it was the parent team that nurtured him and made him successful. On the other hand, it was also the team that ruthlessly abandoned him at the end of his career.
Should he love or hate them?
In the early days of being abandoned, he always insisted on one belief. That was, no matter what, he wanted to return to San Siro and return to AC Milan.
As time went by, this belief slowly became a bubble. The moment he decided to go to Nottingham Forest, he was destined to wave goodbye to this belief. He knew he would retire there, no matter what achievements he could achieve.
After the leaves withered and fell from the branches to the ground, they would slowly rot and dissolve into the soil, becoming nutrients to nourish the tree. In this way, he sacrificed himself to thank the tree for its nurturing grace.
Demetrio Albertini, who was good at shooting the "Falling Leaf Ball," was a fallen leaf that could only be blown by the wind to strange places, slowly rotting and gradually forgotten. He did not have the chance to become a "loyal subject" that the club focused on promoting like Balesi and Paolo Maldini.
The chief had said that everyone had their own destiny, that everyone had their own path, their own unique path. For Albertini, becoming a drifting cloud was his path. So, at the last moment of his career, was it also his destiny to face his former teammates, the parent team that raised him, in the most important game?
Perhaps if he had decisively chosen to retire a year ago, there would not be a meeting like today.
"Will this game be your revenge against AC Milan?" The reporter from La Gazzetta dello Sport added. This was what everyone was most concerned about.
Albertini looked up at the reporter without a smile on his face.
Tang En appeared at the car door. He saw Albertini surrounded by reporters and heard the Italian reporter ask a question in Italian. This question made Albertini feel a little different.
He stood on the car door and did not get out. At this moment, he did not want to be the protagonist.
Albertini shook his head and said with a serious expression, "Winning the championship is my tribute to AC Milan."
With that, he pushed through the crowd and walked out with his head down.
They really did not expect to hear such an answer from the usually gentle Albertini. The group of Italian reporters looked at each other.
Even Albertini was so sure …
"Everyone firmly believes that they will win the championship …" Someone murmured. "What kind of magic did Tony Twain cast on them?"
They really did not expect such a situation. When they interviewed AC Milan before, they also asked the same question. Other than a very small number of people who firmly believed that they would win the championship, most people did not say anything.
Now some people understood why this team was so hated in England and was denounced as "arrogant and conceited."
Arrogance with strength would make them kings, and arrogance without strength would only reduce them to a clown that was ridiculed by others.
What kind of Nottingham Forest was?
Twain jumped out of the car, and his footsteps woke a group of Italian reporters.
Seeing him grinning and looking relaxed, everyone seemed to see the answer.
Why were those people so convinced that they would win?
Because there was such a person behind them …
"Mr. Twain, can we talk about this final …" There were still people who persistently sought an answer.
"Didn't you all hear it? No matter how many times you ask, the answer is the same — we are the champions. "He raised his hands and made a" victory "gesture.
At the same time, the flashes went off. The English media outside cooperated so well with him.
Twain was about to leave after taking photos, but an Italian reporter did not want to give up and asked, "It's good to have confidence! But, Mr. Twain, aren't you afraid that something will happen when the time comes for you to speak so confidently? You know, a football is round, and anything can happen in the game … "
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