"Forest! Forest! Nottingham Forest! "
"Champions! Champions! We're the champions! "
"Didn't you want to turn the tables on us? Come on, Italian bastards! Turn the tables! "
Amid the overwhelming cheers, the Italian commentator was still cheering for AC Milan. After all, this was a team that represented Italian football.
"There's still seven minutes left. Including the injury stoppage time, there's at least ten minutes left. Don't give up, AC Milan! Don't give up! "
The English commentator next door had already begun preparing a congratulatory speech for the Forest team's third title.
"It's harder for AC Milan to turn the tables on us! They're not facing any random team. They're facing Nottingham Forest! It's Tony Twain's Nottingham Forest! This is a team that will never give up and will never give their opponents a chance to turn the tables! "
※ ※ ※
The Forest team was celebrating wildly on the sidelines. It was only stopped when the referee, Fandel, went over to intervene.
This time, Fandel pulled the Forest players up one by one and saw Tony Twain who was pinned down below. His suit was wrinkled and his tie was thrown somewhere. Two of the buttons on his shirt were missing. His hair was messy and his face was flushed. He looked as if he had been raped.
The poker-faced Fandel could not help but laugh. He had refereed countless games and had never seen a manager so badly messed up by his players.
"F * ck!" Twain spat vulgarities as he got up from the ground. He tidied up his suit and found that it was still wrinkled no matter how he tidied it up. He simply ignored it.
The people next to him were all laughing with an expression that said, "I'm happy to see Tony like this."
For example, in Nottingham City, the fans watching the game in the bars roared with laughter when they saw Twain's appearance on the television.
Sometimes, they did not feel that Twain was the manager of a team, but an ordinary person beside them, their friend. Sitting in the same bar, drinking and chatting with them, cracking dirty jokes and then laughing rudely.
They liked Twain as if he was a friend beside them.
"Hey! Tony! We'll treat you to a drink when we get back! The best, the best wine! "
※ ※ ※
The players had all returned to the field, and the AC Milan people had long been impatient. They even thought that the Forest team was deliberately delaying the game time. Ancelotti was very dissatisfied as he negotiated with the fourth official. In response to his suspicions, the fourth official could only ask the referee to tell the group of crazy Nottingham Forest players to get away from Twain.
This indirectly saved Twain's life.
Tang En panted heavily and said to Kerslake, who was still laughing, "Why don't you try it next time?"
Kerslake quickly waved his hands. "That won't do. The fact that the players pushed you down shows that you're popular, Tony."
Tang En glared at him and looked at the field. He then said to Dunn on the other side, "Go call Arteta back."
This was his last substitution.
"AC Milan can only score two more goals in ten minutes and stop the Forest team from continuing to score in order to have any hope of dragging the game into overtime. It sounds like an impossible task … but you have to try to know the result. "
The game restarted. AC Milan used the opportunity of the service to launch a bombardment of the Forest team's goal.
They had no choice at the moment. Even if they knew that such a pressing attack would leave the back empty and was very dangerous, they could only bite the bullet and do it.
This was not a matter of losing one or two goals. It was a matter of survival and death.
Not wanting to hand over the championship title, AC Milan launched a final charge.
※ ※ ※
Pirlo was in charge of organizing AC Milan's attack. He wanted to send the ball directly to the Forest team's goal, but Gilardino was not a strong center forward who was good at headers. He basically did not perform well after he got on the field. Looking at it now, it was better to leave Inzaghi on the field. Even if he was physically exhausted and could only wait for opportunities in the opponent's penalty area, he was still better than Gilardino.
Pirlo suppressed the idea of sending the football directly to the Forest team's goal. He still organized the attack honestly and looked for the Forest team's loopholes. He knew that the more it was at this time, the more he had to stay calm. The opponent was now excited and might reveal a flaw. If he missed this opportunity because he did not operate well, he would really be a sinner.
He was still patiently looking for opportunities, while his teammates desperately interspersed to create opportunities for him.
Just as he found that sliver of a gap, he was knocked down.
The person who committed the foul was Demetrio Albertini.
The former AC Milan player did not care about old friendships. When he saw Pirlo temporarily shift his attention away from the football at his feet, he decisively rushed up and knocked Pirlo down to stop AC Milan's attack.
Unlike Wood's foul, the AC Milan fans did not let out overwhelming boos for Albertini's foul. Instead, they remained silent.
Because the scene made them uncomfortable. On one side was their favorite team, and on the other side was the deputy captain who was recognized as receiving unfair treatment from the club. It was not good to help either side boo the other.
The referee gave Albertini a verbal warning to pay attention to his defensive actions. Albertini nodded in acceptance with a very good attitude.
Then he ran over to pull Pirlo up and patted him on the head as a sign of friendliness.
Seeing this scene, the Italian commentator did not know what to say. When Albertini was still playing in Italy, he was very popular in the Italian football scene and had a good relationship with the players, coaches, commentators and reporters. Even as AC Milan's opponent, the Italian commentator could not blame him for ending AC Milan's hopes of winning the title in this final.
"It's so sad …" He sighed after a long while.
※ ※ ※
The atmosphere in the stadium became more and more enthusiastic. The Nottingham Forest fans kept singing and setting off waves of people, as if victory was already in their hands.
The AC Milan fans were also unwilling to give up. They also sang the team song and cheered for AC Milan, while praying to God for a miracle to happen at the last moment.
"It's just two goals away! We still have time, we still have a chance! Calm down! "Maldini clapped his hands to encourage his teammates, and then personally rushed up from the rear defensive line.
Now it was a full attack. Anyway, the opponent, Nottingham Forest, had withdrawn van Nistelrooy and Eastwood. It seemed that they did not want to fight back. Maldini was not afraid that he would go up to assist and leave the rear defense empty. In the face of AC Milan's turbulent, wave after wave of offensive, Nottingham Forest still wanted to fight back? We'll make it so that your long ball can't cross half the field!
Pirlo had Maldini rush up from the left, make a feint, and then pass the football to Maldini who plugged in.
After the AC Milan captain received the ball, there were loud cheers in the stands.
At this time, seeing the man wearing the captain's armband take the ball, everyone felt their hearts calm down, as if they saw hope.
"Paolo Maldini. He is playing in the UEFA Champions League final for the eighth time, tying the record of the former Real Madrid superstar, Gento. At the age of thirty-eight years and three hundred and thirty-one days, he also became the oldest player in the history of the Champions League finals, other than the goalkeeper. At the same time, this is his third time playing in the Champions League final as the captain. He broke the record of the Barcelona goalkeeper, Ramalez, who was thirty-six years old in 1961, and became the oldest captain in the history of the Champions League. He has won countless honors in his career. He is a man who has seen big scenes. Now … AC Milan's hope of creating a miracle is at his feet. When he was young, he was a full back who excelled in defense and assists. Now, he rarely appears in the front field … "
The commentator introduced Maldini's glory in detail in order to reassure the Italian fans. He told them that the AC Milan captain was a great figure. Don't give up. Believe in him. There will be a miracle!
Maldini adjusted the football at his feet and decided to dribble the ball to break through. Clearly, the Forest team's rear defensive line was guarding against his diagonal pass. No one had come up yet. If he did not break through at this time, what was he waiting for?
He had just taken a step when a red figure suddenly attacked and fiercely shoveled the ball.
"Demetrio Albertini!"
Maldini, who was caught off guard, shoveled Maldini along with the ball out of the change of direction. AC Milan's attack came to an end.
The referee's whistle sounded.
Maldini felt as if he had been hit by a heavy truck at that moment, and his ribs hurt a little. He lay on the ground and did not get up right away. At the moment when the two men collided, he saw the approaching man clearly.
It was a face that he was once familiar with and could not be more familiar with.
When he was a teammate, he always smiled modestly, which made everyone like him at first sight. All the young guys who entered Milanello would get his full help. Sometimes he was more like the captain than me. Even though he was just a vice-captain …
It was hard to associate the man who always wore a kind smile with the position of the defensive midfielder on the football field. It was he who changed Italian football. Since then, the Italian national team had its own midfield commander.
I once asked him what his biggest wish was. His answer was not to win the World Cup or the UEFA European Championship, but to play in AC Milan until he retired.
I said it was very simple. You can definitely retire here and say goodbye at San Siro. You're our vice-captain, and AC Milan will not mistreat any of its loyal players.
As a result, he wore the opponent's jersey and knocked me to the ground with a ferocious look on his face.
Should I roll over, grab his collar, and angrily question him about this despicable foul?
Maldini lay on the ground and stared blankly at the night sky.
A hand appeared in his field of vision.
"Don't give up, Paolo. You still have five minutes," he said to Maldini in Italian.
Maldini rolled over and sat up and took the hand he offered. "Why are you suddenly encouraging the enemy?"
Albertini pointed to the sidelines and said, "I have to go off. My road is finished. So, now I can wish you good luck. "
Maldini looked in the direction of his hand. The fourth official stood on the sidelines and held up an electronic board. It did not show the time of injury stoppage time, but a substitution.
Number 4 off, number 14 up.
A man in a red jersey stood next to the fourth official, eager to try.
Albertini exerted force and pulled Maldini up.
"Hey, you knocked me down and stole my championship. Do you want to go off so easily? Demetrio! "Maldini asked in a low voice.
Albertini opened his mouth and closed it. Without saying anything, he turned and left his former teammate.
"Come back! You said there are still five minutes left. Stay and finish playing! Did you hear that, Demetrio! "Maldini shouted.
Albertini did not seem to hear at all. He did not say a word and did not look back as he quickened his pace.
"I was going to retire at the end of this season. I'm almost thirty-nine years old … But I've changed my mind now! I still want to win the championship! You're only thirty-five years old. Why do you want to leave first?! You can still continue to play. Look at your performance in this game! "
Maldini's persuasion to stay did not sway Albertini's will. He quickly walked up to Wood and reached out to take off the golden captain's armband on his arm.
"Demetrio …" Wood looked at his partner, his teacher, and his captain.
"I'm leaving, George." Albertini smiled and put the captain's armband on Wood's arm.
Wood reflexively wanted to dodge, but he heard Albertini lower his head and shout, "Don't move!"
He froze there and let Albertini complete the captain's handover ceremony.
※ ※ ※
"Demetrio Albertini … A thirty-five-year-old veteran. This is the last game of his career. He was brought off in the eighty-sixth minute." The Italian commentator gave a long sigh. "The Nottingham Forest team he now represents is leading AC Milan, the team he played for for twelve years, by a score of 3: 1. His love for AC Milan is unquestionable, but his professionalism is equally unquestionable. What else can we say? An indirect assist and a direct goal in the final. What else can we ask for? This is your best performance in the finals. You deserve to be the champion! Good luck, Demetrio! Thank you! "
The English commentator was equally emotional. "People often say that Italian players can't succeed in the English Football League. I don't want to give them an example of Gianfranco Zola. I just want them to see the man in front of them, this legend. Demetrio Albertini, he came to Nottingham Forest at the end of his career, but created a legend of his own. Thanks to Tony Twain, he was the one who persuaded Demetrio to stay for another season. The Nottingham Forest fans want to thank you, Demetrio, and I want to thank you too. "
※ ※ ※
After repeating it once, he finally put on the captain's armband. Albertini looked up to say goodbye to Wood. "Goodbye, George."
Wood looked at the man in front of him, smiled, turned around, and walked off the field.
At this time, he suddenly remembered what Roy Keane had said to him in the bathroom at the Wilford training base.
"… Albertini, that Italian is a very good captain, but he will grow old one day, retire, and leave you and the team …"
It was only at this time that he woke up from a dream: Demetrio was really leaving. He was really leaving, and he would never come back. He, the "acting captain on the field," had become the real "captain on the field."
He stood there, staring blankly at Albertini's back, watching him leave.
He saw Albertini walk to the sidelines. Along the way, the Forest players and AC Milan players all came up to shake hands and hug him.
When he walked to the sidelines, he raised his arms and applauded the stands.
At this moment, a large group of people stood up in the stands. Whether it was the Nottingham Forest fans or the AC Milan fans, they all stood up and applauded to send their captain off.
Off the field, Twain and all the members of the Forest team's coaching staff, as well as the players on the substitutes' bench, also stood on the sidelines and applauded with the fans. It was the same on the AC Milan substitutes' bench.
In this short period of time, everyone forgot the fierce fighting on the field and calmed their hearts. They temporarily put aside their grievances and sent their mutual friend off.
"Thank you …" No sound came out of his wriggling lips, but everyone could see what he wanted to express. "… Goodbye."
Albertini finally walked off the field. He walked toward Twain, wanting to shake hands with the manager who had given him a second youth. He did not expect Twain to hug him.
"I don't know how to thank you, Demetrio. Let me hug you … You're leaving … "He was surprised to hear that the boss's voice was a little choked up.
He did not know that when Twain decided to replace him in advance, his heart was in turmoil. It was very uncomfortable.
At this moment, he was not the manager. He was just an ordinary fan. He was an ordinary China fan who had watched Albertini's first appearance on the Serie A stage for AC Milan, followed by the ups and downs, the painful loss of the World Cup title, the painful loss of the UEFA European Championship title, the painful loss of his beloved Milan, forced to leave his hometown and wander outside in the end. He had no choice but to retire in desolation.
He really wanted to say to Albertini, "I grew up watching you play football, Demetrio."
Albertini thought it was just the boss revealing his true feelings as a friend. He patted Twain on the back. "If you miss me, you can still go to Milan to find me, boss."
Twain let go of him and smiled. "You're right, man. Go say goodbye to them … "He pointed to the people behind him.
Albertini walked forward and said goodbye to his teammates and coaches one by one. Then he ran to the AC Milan technical area to say goodbye to the players.
※ ※ ※
The game continued.
AC Milan still did not give up. In the last few minutes, they launched a siege on the Forest team's goal.
Maldini almost did not return to defend. He waited in front to participate in the attack.
Arteta's task on the field was not to organize the attack, but to assist in the defense and help Wood build an impregnable defensive line in front of the defenders.
Wood, wearing the golden captain's armband, was particularly conspicuous. He could be seen almost everywhere. He made beautiful tackles, fought for headers with his opponent, used his body to block the opponent's powerful shots, and relied on fouls to delay AC Milan's attack. He worked harder and more energetically than in any previous minute. It was as if it was not the last few minutes of the game, but the first few minutes of the game.
He ran like crazy, defended, sprinted, and fought for headers. It was as if the one behind was not AC Milan, but Nottingham Forest.
His idea was simple: AC Milan was not resigned to failure. They would launch a general attack at the last moment. If they let their guard down, they might let the other side succeed. Demetrio gave me the captain's armband. This championship belongs to Nottingham Forest. I can't let him down.
The Forest team retreated all three lines to maintain a tight formation. Everyone gathered within the thirty-meter area in front of the goal. It was the ultimate defensive formation they were most proud of — the wall defense.
The AC Milan players launched a desperate charge in the face of this "wall of despair."
The fourth official held up the injury-time sign on the sidelines — four minutes.
Maldini's header was too direct, and the football was confiscated by Edwin van der Sar. The Forest team directly drove the football to the front field. AC Milan continued to launch an offensive after they intercepted the ball.
There were three minutes left.
Seedorf's long shot was blocked by Pepe with his body. The AC Milan players raised their arms to signal that Pepe had a handball, but the referee ignored it. Gattuso questioned the referee in dissatisfaction, which resulted in a yellow card. The AC Milan fans in the stands booed in dissatisfaction.
There were two minutes left.
Kaka tried to force a breakthrough and was brought down by Arteta on the line of the penalty area. The AC Milan people thought it was a penalty kick, but the referee awarded a free kick. At the same time, the players from both sides clashed at the spot where the foul was committed. The Nottingham Forest people wanted the conflict to escalate. Maldini saw through their trick to delay the game time and struggled to pull his teammates apart. He warned them that the most important thing at this time was not to fight with the other side, but to stay calm and seize the time to score goals.
Arteta and Ambrosini each received a yellow card after the conflict.
There was one last minute left.
The Nottingham Forest fans in the stands had already begun to set off red fireworks, while the AC Milan fans gradually quieted down. In the close-up of the television, the AC Milan fans were silent, their eyes red and teary. They clutched their scarves in their hands and stared helplessly at the field. In the face of the Forest team's tight defense, the AC Milan players on the field could do nothing.
Ancelotti kept roaring on the sidelines and waving his arms. The probability of scoring two goals in a row in the last minute was about the same as a man being struck by lightning twice in a row. But he was unwilling to give up, or rather, he was unwilling to admit defeat, because his opponent was Tony Twain, whom he hated the most.
All the Nottingham Forest substitutes and coaches stood shoulder to shoulder on the sidelines, cheering and jumping, waiting for the moment the referee blew the whistle to end the game to rush up to celebrate.
The English commentator was no longer commentating on the game. He began to talk incessantly about the grand occasion when the Forest team won the Champions League for the first time twenty-eight years ago. He was still young at that time, and now he was over fifty years old.
Edwin van der Sar raised his arms again and again. It was not known if he was preparing to make a save or to start the celebration in advance.
Wood was still running to fulfill his defensive responsibilities.
Maldini became a complete striker in the last minute. He did not go out of the Forest team's penalty area.
Twain clenched his fists tightly. He felt a burst of tightness in the position of his heart. He did not even dare to take a deep breath for fear that his heart would jump out of his mouth. His legs were already trembling slightly. It was not nervousness, but excitement. It was an emotion of great happiness coming. It was indescribable, but wonderful.
There were still thirty seconds left. This would be the first weighty championship title in his coaching career, which was more exciting and exciting than winning a title like the EFL Cup.
Because this was the European championship, and our opponent was the powerhouse AC Milan, who had won the Champions League six times.
We had won 3: 1. Was there anything more convincing than this?
Who would dare to look down on us? Who would dare to think that we were not qualified to stand here? Who would dare to laugh at us! Who!
Want to see me jump into the sea? Want to see me make a fool of myself? I'm really sorry to let you down again!
There were still thirty seconds.
"Almost all of the Italian media swore before the finals that Tang En would definitely jump into the sea. Tang En had to jump into the sea because Nottingham Forest's opponent is AC Milan, a powerhouse team that has won countless championships. No matter how they analyzed, they could not think of a reason or possibility for AC Milan to lose. There was even an Italian travel agency that organized a tour route to Athens to watch the game and watch Twain jump into the sea live after the game. Now, I really want to see the expressions on those Italians' faces! It must be exciting! "The English commentator stood up from his seat and raised his arms high. He quietly waited for the whistle of fate to blow.
Within Nottingham, all the bars had begun to celebrate in advance. They did not believe that AC Milan could score two goals in a row in the last few seconds. Even if God came, it was impossible!
The guests in the Forest Bar took turns to toast the bar owner, Kenny Burns. "Kenny, we thought we'd never see this day again!" These people were all old guys who could not go to Athens to watch the game live.
"Thank God, thank God …"
"Hey, old lads! You have to thank Tony! "A younger voice called out.
"Cough cough … It's all the same, it's all the same …" The old man coughed. "Tony is God, and God is Tony …"
※ ※ ※
The Italian commentator did not utter a word. The AC Milan players also stopped running.
At this time, the football was at the feet of the Forest players. Ribéry passed the football to Wood, who in turn passed it to Ashley Young, and Young transferred the ball to Arteta. The Forest team kept passing the ball, not giving the AC Milan players a chance to close in and tackle.
"The game is going to end!" The Forest fans in the stands shouted. "We're the champions! We're the damn champions!! "
The referee looked at his watch.
Outside the field, the Forest players all raised their arms high and leaned forward, ready to charge.
Ancelotti sat in a chair. He was surrounded by people, blocking his view. But he did not care. It made no difference whether he looked at the field or not. He lost.
The loud noise filled every corner of the stadium. If two people next to each other wanted to speak, they had to put their mouths close to each other's ears to be heard clearly.
But in such a noisy environment, the three whistles were still particularly clear.
The Forest player, Eastwood, who was passing the ball back and forth, heard the referee blow the first whistle. He could not wait to kick the football into the air.
Immediately after, the second and third whistles followed.
This was the whistle that signaled the end of the game!
The people around Tang En disappeared in an instant. They all rushed up and opened their arms to hug everywhere.
"The game is over! The championship belongs to Nottingham Forest! "
"Long live! Long live! "A unified cry rang out from the stands.
"From England's second division to the UEFA Champions League, Tony Twain and his team used four years. It's as if we can see the shadow of Brian Clough behind him … That glorious team has once again appeared in our sights. … This is not an accident. This is a red storm! Nottingham Forest, the team that won the UEFA Champions League two years in a row, dominating Europe for the third time! "
Tang En realized that the people around him had all run away before he reacted. He opened his arms and rushed onto the field.
This is my road, paved with championship trophies and countless glories. The red carpet that represents nobility extends from my feet … all the way to the horizon. I can't see the end of it, but I know that it will continue like this.
Some people say that winning the championship is the end and success.
Success?
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