Even though the locker room door was closed, the singing outside was still somewhat deafening. It could not be said that the soundproofing of the stadium was not good. It could only be said that the fans on both sides were too passionate about this final.
Tang En listened attentively in the changing room. He heard the singing of Nottingham Forest, as well as the song of Milan that he was once very familiar with. He had not gone out to take a look at the current stadium stands, but he believed that it must be a sea of red outside.
In this game, although AC Milan was the away team and could only wear white jerseys, the AC Milan fans would only wear red and black striped jerseys when they came to Greece.
The singing, boos, applause, and even the sound of feet stomping shook the stadium slightly.
Tang En looked at the ceiling and returned his gaze to the locker room.
In a while, the jerseys worn by the players were already hung in their respective cabinets. Clean shoes and leg pads were neatly placed on the seats.
Unlike before, these jobs were now done by professionals. The players only needed to put all their energy into the game.
The manager did not need to do all the big and small things by himself. He only needed to do his part well. The rest were done by the assistant manager, coach, fitness coach, goalkeeper coach, team doctor, and staff.
Tang En thought that if he had transmigrated 30 years earlier, he would not have been able to do this job.
The tactical board was still blank. There was no need for too many complicated tactics. Even its mother would not recognize it. Some things needed to be explained, but only verbally.
Tang En waited for his men to return from warming up.
※ ※ ※
Michael Bernard and his old buddies stood in the stands of the Olimpico Stadium, looking down at the grassy field where the players from both sides were warming up.
Since entering the stadium, he had not spoken for a long time. He just looked around, looking here and there. Although it was his first time at the Olimpico Stadium in Athens, everything here was familiar to him. He was not referring to the stadium, but to the atmosphere at the scene.
The fans from both sides kept singing, clapping, and shouting all kinds of slogans in the stands, cheering for the players off the field and demonstrating to the fans of the other side. The smell of sweat mixed with the alcohol wafted in the air, intoxicating.
He liked this smell. After being away for three years, he was still intoxicated by it.
This was … the Champions League final!
He never thought that he would see it again in his lifetime and appear on the field of the Champions League final again. When Nottingham Forest was relegated from the Premier League to the First Division, he had thought it was just an accident and that glory would return. But a year later, when the team was promoted to the Premier League only to be relegated again and became an "elevator" team a few years later, he no longer held any illusions. He felt that it was enough to be a loyal Forest fan. Regardless of whether the team could still appear in the Champions League final, his goal was only to make the team be able to return to the Premier League.
When his son died tragically at the foot of a football hooligan because he was watching a game, he thought that he would never return to the stadium stands again in his life because he could not forgive himself for taking his son to watch a game. If he had a choice, he would rather let himself die and save his son's life.
But now he was back, back in the stands to cheer for his favorite team.
Is it because I don't love Gavin? Is it because I have forgotten the pain of losing my son?
No.
I brought Gavin to watch the game. I am here, and Gavin is next to me. There are too many people here, and I have to hold his hand tightly.
Since he was a child, I brought Gavin to watch every home game of the Forest team. That was how he became a staunch Forest fan. Now, at the moment when the Forest team returned to its glorious peak, how could I not bring him? He wanted so much to see the Forest team win the UEFA Champions League and become the heroic team that his father talked about.
If he had the chance, he could have taken his son to the stadium to watch the Forest team play decades later. He would point to the players in the red jerseys and proudly tell his son, "Look, son! Daddy saw the Forest team pick up the Champions League trophy with his own eyes! This is an amazing team! You will like them too! "
Michael lowered his head. He was afraid that John and Bill would see the tears in his eyes. All this time, he had always been a tough guy in front of these old buddies. It was impossible for him to cry in front of them … even during the days when his son died.
After regaining his composure, Michael raised his head and began to sing with the people around him. Time suddenly turned back, and he was back to the time when he was young and arrogant.
"Forest! Forest! Nottingham Forest!! "
※ ※ ※
The locker room door was pushed open with a whoosh, and the players who had just returned from their warm-ups filed in. Their faces were glowing, and they were slightly out of breath. They looked to be in good spirits.
Dunn was the last to enter. After he entered the locker room, he nodded to Tang En and closed the door.
The noise suddenly became much quieter, to the point where everyone could hear Tang En clearly.
Tang En was not in a hurry to give a speech. He waited for everyone to change their clothes and finish what they were doing. When everyone looked up at him, hoping that he would say something, he stood up and cleared his throat.
"Everyone knows how to play this game, so I won't say too much about the technical and tactical aspects. I just need to remind everyone here of a few points." Tang En raised his right index finger. "First, we can't let AC Milan play at the pace they are used to. Their pace is slower than ours. We have to find ways to drag them into our pace. Use the pace of the Premier League to deal with the pace of Serie A. You all know exactly how to do it during training, so I won't say too much nonsense here. "
"Second, be careful of AC Milan's set pieces. Try not to give them free kicks near our penalty area line. George, if you foul, stay further away from the danger zone. "
Wood nodded.
"Third, don't create offsides. The rear defensive line shrinks to defend, and pay attention to Inzaghi's position."
"Fourth, we are playing defensive counterattack. We must be patient, more patient than the opponent. Wait patiently for the opportunity to appear, and then grab it! "He clenched his fist. "No matter what situation we face, whether they score first or score three goals in a short period of time, we have to stay calm. Don't panic, and don't be discouraged. Of course, this is the worst case scenario. In fact, I don't think we will meet them. "
"Fifth." Tang En looked at the solemn-looking players and clapped his hands with a smile. "There is no fifth. After ninety minutes, let's pick up the championship trophy together! "
There was a burst of laughter in the locker room.
After everyone finished laughing, Tang En continued, "All right, we've finished talking about the things on the field. Let's talk about the things outside the field. Everyone can hear it, right? It's so noisy in the stands outside. "
The players nodded in succession. They had already felt the enthusiasm of the fans in advance during warm-ups.
"A lot of people have come this time. Even though Greece is far from England, our die-hard fans have all come. They occupy half of the seats in this stadium. They didn't come all the way here just to see us fail. Last year, we lost the final in Paris. Are we going to lose again this year? "
"No!" Someone shouted impatiently, but no one laughed at him, because everyone wanted to shout like that.
"Being able to reach the Champions League final two seasons in a row is, of course, a result to be proud of. But if we can only get second place for two seasons in a row, you and I … "He pointed to the players, and then to himself," can only become the laughing stock of the whole of Europe! No matter where we go in the future, they will take pleasure in our misfortune and say, 'Look! This is the eternal second-place Nottingham Forest! 'Can you accept this kind of humiliation? Anyway, I can't! "
"No one will accept it!" This time, there were a few more people who shouted out.
Hearing such an answer, Tang En smiled. "That's great. We are indeed from the same team, and we all think the same. There are many people who want to laugh at us, but we can't give them that kind of opportunity. Never! "He waved his arms vigorously and said loudly. "Remember, no one can beat us, except for ourselves! Now I want you to close your eyes and carefully recall how we have come through these two seasons, and what opponents we have encountered along the way. "
Tang En closed his eyes and slowly said the names of those opponents. "Lille, Benfica, Real Madrid, Glasgow Rangers, Inter Milan, Arsenal, Barcelona, PSV Eindhoven, Bordeaux, Galatasaray, Chelsea …" After he finished reading the names, he opened his eyes again and looked at the players.
"Listen to the names of these teams, each and every one of them is famous. Some of them have won countless championship trophies, and some are traditional strong teams in their respective national leagues. But no matter how famous these teams are or how strong they are, they all end up the same when they meet us — defeat! These shining names are the spoils of our ascension. They are hung on the wall one by one... "Twain waved his hand, as if he was really standing in the palace, showing off the spoils of war that he had returned from hunting to his subjects. "… They are the jewels and diamonds of our crown. But now we are still missing the biggest, brightest, and most resplendent one. "
He pointed to the door. "AC Milan is waiting for us. I think they are already a little impatient."
Dunn looked at his watch. Because of Tang En's speech, it was already late. Under normal circumstances, the two teams should be lining up in the tunnel at this time, waiting to be fielded. He thought Tang En had forgotten the time, but he did not expect him to be completely clear. It seemed that he deliberately made AC Milan wait a little longer.
The players burst into laughter. They liked to see such a high-spirited boss, because it made their hearts feel particularly at ease. It was as if there was a psychological cue that kept telling them, "We will definitely win, we will definitely win, we have never lost!"
To be honest, if Tang En suddenly lost his high-spirited spirit, suddenly became dispirited, and appeared to be helpless about everything, then he might lose half of his control of the team. Because the people's hearts were scattered, the team would not be easy to lead.
What needed to be said had been said, and the players' emotions were stirred up. It was time to conclude.
Tang En raised his hand. "I don't want you to enjoy football. I want you to enjoy the joy of victory after the final. Guys, no matter what, I will be with you. Kickoff, forty-five minutes, halftime, ninety minutes … I will be by your side. I look forward to drinking celebratory champagne with you! "At this point, he paused and took a deep breath.
"Let's conquer all of Europe and make our opponents feel fear!"
"Let's conquer Europe and make our opponents feel fear!" In the locker room, not only the players, but also the members of the coaching staff roared with him.
The excited lads knocked open the locker room door and rushed out.
※ ※ ※
AC Milan's people were indeed a little impatient from waiting.
They walked out of the locker room at the usual time and lined up in the tunnel to wait for the field.
They waited until the referee and two assistant referees arrived, but they still did not wait for the opponent, Nottingham Forest, to appear.
They could not wait like this. AC Milan's officials went to negotiate with the fourth official and asked him to see what Nottingham Forest was up to. The fourth official went to knock on the door of the Forest team's locker room. But at that time, Tang En was giving a passionate speech and roaring loudly, and his knocking was completely ignored.
The locker room was a very sacred place. Even the fourth official did not have the right to barge in. He had no choice but to go back to appease the somewhat anxious AC Milan, hoping that they would be patient and wait.
A member of the coaching staff next to Ancelotti muttered after hearing the news, "Nottingham Forest is so arrogant that they want us to wait for them …"
The AC Milan manager looked back at Tang En and did not speak.
Now that they had the chance to complain, AC Milan could only wait obediently.
Just as the AC Milan people's patience was about to run out, the Nottingham Forest players rushed out with murderous looks on their faces. If the referee had not stopped them, they might have rushed straight onto the field.
When the team lined up in the tunnel, Tang En slowly swayed out from behind. He was secretly delighted when he saw the anger and anxiety on the faces of the AC Milan players.
And as if to add fuel to the fire, he made a very smug gesture in front of the opponent. He swayed in front of the AC Milan players for a long time before he swayed out of the tunnel and walked to his technical area.
As soon as he came out of the tunnel, he was welcomed by the Nottingham Forest fans gathered in the stands on the right side of the tunnel. Fanatical cheers swept through everyone near the stands, whether it was Nottingham Forest's or AC Milan's.
They were shouting and extending their arms to Tang En. "Tony, we want to be champions! We won't accept anything except the championship! "
The AC Milan fans opposite could not do such a blatant thing. They disdained to do it, and they did not need to do it. They had won a lot of championships in recent years and were not as hungry as the Nottingham Forest fans for the championship title.
But it could not be said that the AC Milan team did not have a thirst for the championship title.
They were facing an English team, which gave them more motivation to win the championship title. The night in Istanbul two years ago was painful for the AC Milan players. They lost to Liverpool with a three-goal lead. Now Liverpool did not enter the final and was replaced by another English team — Nottingham Forest.
No matter who it was, as long as it was an English team, AC Milan would be very motivated to play. Because they wanted revenge. After that final, they celebrated in advance in the locker room during the halftime interval, which led to the opponent's turnaround and became the world's joke. This kind of shame had to be returned in double. It did not matter if the opponent was not Liverpool. As long as it was a team from England wearing red jerseys, they would play as if they were Liverpool.
Looking at the arrogant opponent next to them, the flames of revenge burned in the eyes of all the AC Milan players.
※ ※ ※
"This is really a showdown like Mars crashing into Earth! Since Nottingham Forest returned to the Premier League, they have been winning everyone's recognition with their excellent and stable performance. The best proof is that they have reached the Champions League final twice in a row! But I hope they don't make it to the final twice in a row like Valencia and then lose to their opponents twice in a row. AC Milan is a frequent participant in the Champions League final. They have reached the final ten times and won the title six times! Amazing results! Compared to them, Nottingham Forest is as insignificant as a younger brother … But! If the Forest team had finally defeated Barcelona last season, then they would have been the only team to reach the final three times and win the championship three times … It's a pity. "
The commentator was excitedly introducing the two sides of the game to the television audience. Judging from the historical record, AC Milan clearly had the upper hand. They had more experience in breaking into the final and winning the championship title. They had been at the center and the highest level of European football since they were established. This kind of powerhouse experience and temperament was a huge asset that could play a decisive role in the victory or defeat at a critical moment.
Compared to AC Milan, Nottingham Forest had no advantage except for their youth.
However, in such a major final, almost everyone would rather believe in their age and experience. Youth meant inexperience, and the lack of surprise meant that the possibility of failure rose sharply.
A more intuitive impression could be obtained from the data from the bookmakers.
Eighty percent of the bettors unanimously favored AC Milan to win the title. Nottingham Forest was also at a disadvantage in terms of the odds put out by several world-famous bookmakers.
Tang En was certainly aware of this information before the game. He was happy that his team's odds were not favored. Because he secretly bet ten pounds on his team to win before the game. He did not care how much money he could win. He spent money to buy confidence.
"The game is about to start! Let's look forward to this final together! "
※ ※ ※
Albertini stood on the left side of the center line. Next to him were three referees. Across the center line was his old friend from AC Milan, the captain of AC Milan, Paolo Maldini.
Maldini was still wearing the AC Milan jersey and holding the AC Milan flag in his hand. Albertini, on the other hand, was wearing the red Nottingham Forest jersey and holding the Nottingham Forest team flag.
Such a meeting was really awkward.
Although it was not the first time they had met like this, he had played against AC Milan when he was playing for Lazio. But how could an ordinary league match be compared to the important Champions League final?
Maldini's blue eyes reflected his old friend.
He also did not expect to meet Demetrio like this one day. When he found out that Demetrio had chosen to play in the United Kingdom, he was relieved because it was too awkward to meet twice a year in the same league. Unexpectedly, unexpectedly … After going in such a big circle, from Italy to the United Kingdom, and from the United Kingdom to Greece, they still met.
"You didn't expect to meet like this, did you?" Albertini was the first to break the silence between the two men, but it was no less awkward.
"Demetrio …"
"I didn't expect it either. If I had decided to retire a year ago, I wouldn't be here today. But now I'm very happy to be able to meet the starting point of my career in the last game of my career. It's like a cycle, with a beginning and an end. Just like what Tang En said, this is indeed the best farewell match. It couldn't be any better. "
Albertini talked a lot like a woman, and Maldini listened quietly. The three referees next to him also saw the special significance of this game to the two men in front of them, so they did not make a sound to disturb them.
"I have to thank him. If he hadn't come to Italy to find me and persuade me to go to Nottingham Forest. Now I'm afraid I would have retired and sat at home to watch this game, right? If that was the case, then I would unreservedly cheer for Milan wholeheartedly and hope that you can lift the Champions League trophy for the seventh time. What a pity. " He tugged at the Nottingham Forest team emblem on his chest. "I'm now wearing the Nottingham Forest jersey and standing opposite you, Paul."
"Did you know about the interview I gave before the game?"
Maldini nodded. "I saw it. It was on TV and in the newspapers."
"I wasn't joking or using it to brush off that question. I was very serious, "Albertini said with a serious expression. Albertini said with a serious face. "I'm very serious about defeating Milan, helping the Forest team pick up its third Champions League trophy, and stopping you from reaching the top for the seventh time. I'm serious, and I'm going all out to defeat you. Do you understand, Paul? "
Maldini nodded again. "I understand, Demetrio. At the same time, I won't be merciful. "
Albertini smiled. "That's for the best. This is my farewell game. I don't want to see a disgusting hypocritical show. Show me what you've got, Paul. "
"Just like I said to you before you first played for Milan, Demetrio." Maldini reached out to him. "Enjoy this game …"
"Enjoy the victory." Albertini reached out his hand at the same time.
The two old men's hands were tightly clasped together.
"There's still a big point to watch in this game. Nottingham Forest's captain, Demetrio Albertini, was once the vice-captain of AC Milan and played for Milan for twelve years. His feelings for AC Milan are unquestionable. Now there are also his good friends in this AC Milan team, including Paolo Maldini, who has played side by side with him for eleven years, and Pirlo and Kaka, who have been promoted by him … How will he face such a final opponent? It's worth looking forward to. "
How will he face it?
He will use his best form, do his best, burn the last of his professional life, win the championship, bid farewell to his career, and pay tribute to his favorite team … End an era of his own without a trace of regret.
Albertini, who finished guessing the sides, turned and walked back to Nottingham Forest's half of the field. He wore the golden captain's armband on his arm. His footsteps were steady and powerful, and his gaze was firm and calm. In front of him, in a circle, waiting for his return were the ten Nottingham Forest teammates in the starting lineup.
This is my path. This is Demetrio Albertini's path.
I'm going to finish it.
Everyone saw the captain coming back. He opened his arms and said to them with a smile, "Get ready, guys. The championship is waiting for us. Don't let her get impatient from waiting! "
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