The open-top double-decker bus specially used for the celebration parade was parked outside the airport terminal. A large number of fans and reporters surrounded the Forest team as they walked out of the airport building and boarded the bus.
Waiting with the bus were four police cars from Nottingham to escort them. This was the pride of Nottingham, and it was not too much to dispatch the police.
The convoy of four police cars and an open-top double-decker bus slowly went on the road amid cheers. They would drive back to Nottingham from here.
After turning from the airport highway onto the M1 highway, the players found that a special motorcade quickly followed behind the bus. The motorcade did not have a uniform vehicle. There were cars of all sizes and brands, all of which had the Forest team's red team flag hanging on them. Although they were driving on the highway, there were still many fans leaning out of the windows and waving their arms. As the Forest team bus in front was not driving fast, the convoy following behind was also not fast, so there was no fear of any traffic accidents. They were all the fans who had just welcomed the team at the airport. At this moment, they were escorting the team back to Nottingham.
It was not the first time Tang En had experienced this personally. After he and the team won the EFL Cup in Cardiff, they were escorted all the way to Nottingham in this way.
It was just that there were not so many people back then. After all, the EFL Cup and the UEFA Champions League were not on the same level of glory.
The players happily waved to the fans who were following them from the bus, and the fans kept honking their horns.
The convoy slowed down on the highway and drove slowly, forcing other passing vehicles to make a detour.
There were people constantly going up to the second level of the bus to get some air, to wave to the fans, and to accept their praise and cheers. There were also people constantly coming down from above after they had enough of the wind.
Tang En had been down there and did not go up. He was tired all day yesterday and most of the day today. He would continue to be tired at night, so he planned to take advantage of this time to have a good rest.
He closed his eyes.
It was all like a dream. He could not tell whether it was a dream or reality, or reality was a dream.
※ ※ ※
After the game, from the locker room to the press conference, and then back to the hotel, the entire Forest team was in extreme excitement. Many of them had won the honor for the first time — the European Championship.
Even those who had won the Champions League once did not expect to pick up the trophy again at the end of their careers.
Edwin van der Sar made his debut at Ajax. When he played for Ajax in 1995, he participated in the UEFA Champions League final. Coincidentally, their opponent at the time was also AC Milan. At that time, there was also a "former AC Milan player" in the Ajax team, Rijkaard. Even more coincidentally, it was Rijkaard who assisted Kluivert, who scored seven minutes before the end of the game to defeat the arrogant AC Milan and unexpectedly picked up the Champions League trophy.
Edwin van der Sar would never forget that day. The most glorious moment of his career belonged to that day. Later on, whether it was in Ajax, Juventus, or the Dutch national team, he had never won such an honor.
Edwin van der Sar was very excited to win the Champions League for the second time. He was already 36 years old and had only a few years left in his career. His career had a good start with the Champions League title, and he hoped that the end of his career could also draw a happy ending with the Champions League title.
He picked up the Champions League trophy and rubbed his face against it. The cold feeling reminded him that all of this was real and not a dream.
Edwin van der Sar was just a representative of some people. Many veterans were like this. Even a world-class striker like van Nistelrooy had never won the Champions League title in his career. When he was abandoned by Manchester United, he chose Nottingham Forest just to take revenge on Manchester United and to prove to Ferguson what a big mistake it was for Manchester United to give up on him. Unexpectedly, he never thought that his unfulfilled wish at Manchester United would be realized at Nottingham Forest.
He did not know what to say as he held the championship trophy. He was the striker with the most goals in the fifty-two-year history of the Champions League (this figure included the Champions League qualifying rounds. The highest goal scorer in the Champions League proper was Real Madrid's Raúl González), but he had never won a championship trophy, which was somewhat unjustifiable.
Now van Nistelrooy finally got rid of the embarrassment.
The Forest players who reveled in the hotels and bars, whether they were about to retire, had just debuted, or had already entered the golden stage of their careers, would henceforth have a brilliant record on their resumes — the 0607 UEFA Champions League title.
Just from the sound of it, it was already impressive.
But in fact, they were more amazing than this simple honor. Four years ago, the team was still struggling in the English Football League Championship (it was still called the First Division at that time). The financial crisis, the crisis of relegation … troubled everyone in the team.
Nottingham Forest was a team with a tradition of creating miracles. Whether it was the era of Brian Clough or the current era with Tony Twain at the helm, they had done things that no one else dared to think about.
That night, Twain did not restrain his men. He did not let them go to their rooms to rest at eleven o 'clock, nor did he forbid them from drinking to their hearts' content.
That was because he had been knocked unconscious by his colleagues in the hotel bar.
This group of English alcoholics even poured beer into the Champions League trophy and then shared it to their hearts' content. In fact, not much went into their stomachs. Most of the alcohol flowed down their necks and poured over their bodies.
Twain did not know how much he drank. He could not keep track of it. Anyway, he filled the glass when it was empty, and filled it again when it was empty. In the end, these people simply grabbed the bottle and tilted their heads back. Twain believed that "one should enjoy life to the fullest. Don't let the wine cup be empty to the moon" was an eternal truth. When one was at the height of one's success, one should drink. Other than drinking, he could not think of any other way to celebrate and vent the emotions in one's heart. Alcohol was the greatest invention in the history of human civilization. Without alcohol, his life would be meaningless. Other than football, alcohol was his favorite.
Now that he finally had a chance to openly drink to his heart's content, how could he let it go? He drank and vomited. He did not know how much alcohol he had stored in his stomach, but he clearly remembered his emotions at the time — very happy, very happy.
Beer, champagne, whiskey, wine, brandy, vodka … they wanted all the alcohol sold in the hotel bar.
By the next day, the hotel manager received a report from their bar that the Nottingham Forest people had drunk all the alcohol in the entire bar yesterday …
The Greeks had finally seen the English's drinking capacity.
That was why the team only flew to London in the afternoon and not in the morning — because most people were still too drunk to get up in the morning.
George Wood was not among the crazy crowd. He was out shopping with his mother, buying souvenirs. He was not interested in these celebratory drinks, nor was he interested in the party. He just wanted to accompany his mother when he was not playing football. He wanted to go with her wherever she wanted to go and swipe her credit card when she wanted to buy something.
Wood had always felt that he owed his mother a lot. Now that he could earn a lot of money, he wanted to make it up to her.
Twain also knew that, so he did not ask Wood to attend the party. He only asked him and his mother to be careful outside.
The rest of the team knew how much Wood loved his mother, so no one forced him to join in the drinking party.
※ ※ ※
When Twain opened his eyes again, he was woken up by a loud noise.
He opened his sleepy eyes in a daze and turned his head to look out the window. It was a familiar building. The bus had finally arrived in Nottingham. Looking down … He was startled and abruptly sat up from his seat, no longer feeling sleepy.
His eyes were filled with red, from one end of the street to the other. It was an overwhelming red.
Wearing red Forest jerseys and T-shirts commemorating Forest's third championship, fans crowded on both sides of the street, waving their arms and flags, cheering and saluting the players on the bus.
The bus moved very slowly in the crowded street. Although there were police cars clearing the way, it still looked like it was crawling …
The players all went up to the second level, but they received the cheers and salutes of the fans along the way.
"Wow, the whole street is out …" Twain whistled.
It was so noisy that he could not hear his own voice. Here, the cheers of the fans were the only sounds that could be clearly heard.
They were calling the names of every Forest player. The people who were called would stand up from their seats and wave in greeting. Then, they would receive even louder cheers and sit down contentedly.
It was like a military parade, but it was not the people on the bus inspecting the people on the street, but the fans on the street inspecting the "soldiers" on the bus.
Twain turned over and saw Kerslake running down from above. Realizing that Twain was awake, he happily waved at him and shouted, "Come up! Hurry up and come up! "
Twain had yet to react. The fans' voices were too loud, and he could not clearly hear what Kerslake shouted.
At that moment, he heard the fans shouting his name, "Tony! Tony! Tony Twain! Tony! Tony! Tony Twain!! "
He looked at Kerslake's excited smiling face and understood.
Twain and Kerslake appeared together on the second level of the open-top bus. The fans saw him come up and cheered loudly in excitement.
Twain leaned on the railing and waved to the crowd below. This position was higher than what he had been doing earlier, and he could see more clearly. It wasn't just this street. Ahead, behind, as far as he could see, everything was dyed red.
It was as if the ancient city of Nottingham had been dyed red overnight.
"Look!" Kerslake pointed below and said excitedly, "This is a grand occasion that happens once every 27 years!"
However, Twain laughed. "Don't worry, David. It will happen often in the future. You can watch it as many times as you want. "
"Heh heh, I know you have the ability, Tony." Kerslake punched Twain.
Twain walked forward and took the trophy from Wood's hands, then raised it high. His action caused another round of screams below the bus.
Someone handed a microphone to Twain. It was connected to the bus's speakers, so he could speak on the bus. His voice had become hoarse over the past few days. The speech at the airport was already beyond his capabilities. If he wanted to speak now, he had to borrow the microphone connected to the speakers.
He coughed into the microphone. His voice was amplified several times by the speakers at the front of the bus. It could be heard from afar. The fans in the area quietened down when they saw that Twain had something to say.
"I, Tony Twain, am very grateful for everyone's support. To be honest, I'm very excited to see this scene. I can't see the end … "He waved his hand." Half of Nottingham's people have come out, right? "
After a pause, he continued, "When I was still the acting manager of Nottingham Forest, I once said this to a few good friends in the bar. I don't care if the scene looks good. I don't care if we use offense or defense to win. I don't care how this Forest team played in the past. My goal is simple — to win. I said a team that can't win is worthless. A manager that can't lead a team to win is simply f * cking rotten! "He raised his voice, enunciating each word.
His words quickly received enthusiastic feedback from the people below. They all expressed their agreement.
"I also told my players before. I said … what kind of football is Nottingham Forest's football? It's football that keeps on winning. Victorious football! I'm very happy that today, I can use this trophy to prove that everything I said before was not bragging. "He raised the trophy with one hand and turned his head to look at it affectionately. "It's been 27 years. It's back in our hands again. But here, in front of so many people, I promise you — this will not be the last time! "
He returned the trophy to Wood, raised his hands and shook his head.
"As long as I'm still in this position, we can keep repeating it. Now, let's go to the City Ground stadium tonight and celebrate to our hearts' content! "
With that, he put down the microphone, waved his fist again, and went down.
His throat hurt and he dared not continue to speak.
He had been yelling, talking, smoking and drinking for the past few days. His throat could not stand it anymore.
※ ※ ※
The car moved very slowly, but they finally arrived at the municipal square at five o 'clock in the afternoon. The whole team waited at the municipal building opposite the square to celebrate with the gathered fans. The scene would make many old Nottingham Forest fans' eyes wet, because twenty-seven years ago, the Forest team won the Champions League for the second time here and celebrated with the fans.
Later, on the 20th anniversary of the Forest team winning the UEFA Champions League, the Forest team organized a mock parade, and the end of the event was celebrated here. Although a lot of people came at the time, the Forest team was still in the First Division at that time, and the future was uncertain. The people who came were not much excited except for reminiscing.
Because every time people thought of the glory of the past, they would find that reality was so cruel — the European champions who had won the title twice in a row could only hang around in the second division.
It was different this time. The people who came here might still reminisce about the past, but more often than not, they only cheered for the Forest team in front of them.
The silver cup in their hands was not a replica, but a real championship trophy, a real trophy that could not be more real.
Coming down from the balcony of the municipal building, the Forest team had changed into suits again. They would have dinner with the mayor, and it was a formal dinner. The players put away their cheeky smiles and ate with the mayor and other senior government officials in a serious manner.
Evan Doughty dealt with the situation with ease. Tang En and the players suffered. Such a serious scene was a kind of torture for them.
The mayor praised the team's outstanding contribution to the city of Nottingham. He said emotionally as he toasted, "In the past, it was Robin Hood who let the world know about us, Nottingham. Now it's you, all the players of Nottingham Forest, who let the world know us again!"
Everyone raised their glasses and thanked the mayor for his praise. The atmosphere was harmonious.
The dinner did not last long, because the Forest team had to go to the City Ground stadium to prepare for the celebration party in the evening.
Tang En led the team away, while Evan Doughty and Allan Adams stayed behind. They wanted to talk to the mayor in private about the location of the new stadium. If they could get government support and some preferential policies in the purchase of the land, then they could save the club a lot of money in the construction plan of the new stadium.
Now that the Forest team had just won the Champions League title and became the king of Europe, it was clearly the best time to make this request. Another reason that was especially beneficial to the Forest team was that the current mayor was a loyal fan of Nottingham Forest. Four generations of his family had grown up watching the Forest team play football. From an emotional point of view, he should also support the Forest team's plan to build a new stadium.
※ ※ ※
The news of the Forest team's celebration party in the evening had long been known in Nottingham. At the same time, everyone knew that it was a chance to say goodbye to a few people.
Albertini was retiring, and Paul Gerrard had also announced his retirement. At this moment, there was no better time to go to the City Ground stadium to send them off.
At night, the City Ground stadium was brightly lit. Just like any home game, people swarmed towards the stadium. The surface of the Trent River reflected the dazzling lights on the main entrance of the City Ground stadium, rippling. The City Ground stadium in the water was like an illusory palace in a dream. The stadium with 109 years of history exuded a modern brilliance in the night.
There were still police around the stadium to maintain order, but the police force was a little less than during a normal game. Because there were no visiting fans who could cause a riot this time, except for the real Forest fans, no one else could buy tickets.
There was a police car parked at the end of Trent Bridge. The young policeman stood alone outside the car, smiling at the Forest fans who passed by him.
The radio in the police car was introducing the current grand occasion of the City Ground stadium to the listeners. It was said that the stadium was almost full.
The young policeman looked at the fans passing by and always wondered — — could his former partner be among them now?
※ ※ ※
The Forest team invited some celebrities and stars to attend the celebration party, but they were not the main characters. They were just Forest fans with a slightly special identity.
The main characters tonight were the team, the players, and the manager.
After everyone had entered the stadium, the outside of the stadium slowly became deserted. The lights inside the City Ground stadium were all extinguished, leaving only a few lights used to create the stage atmosphere.
After a simple artistic performance, the live host, John Motson, began to introduce the Forest players who were about to play to the guests.
At this moment, the Forest players had already changed into commemorative T-shirts and stood at the mouth of the tunnel. Everyone looked at each other and saw excited smiles on each other's faces.
These two days were really unforgettable for them.
The first name to be called was George Wood. As an outstanding player from the Forest youth team and the next captain, he was the first to go on stage.
He ran out and was warmly applauded and cheered by the Forest fans.
The spotlight on the ceiling shone down, and the beam of light enveloped Wood, accompanying him from the tunnel all the way to the center circle of the field.
Following that, the Forest players were called out one by one, and everyone who ran out was warmly welcomed. This was different from the celebration in Athens. This was a night that completely belonged to Nottingham Forest. No one would think about their opponents, and no one would worry that the wanton celebration would liven up their opponents and make them feel that this champion's demeanor was lacking.
The Nottingham Forest people, with their own lead singer, could use all the methods they could think of to celebrate this championship. They could celebrate without restraint and without fear of anyone gossiping.
Tang En and the members of the coaching team waited in the tunnel to go on stage. The people around him became fewer and fewer. Everyone who was called out would come over and hug Tang En before they ran out.
In the tunnel, the sound of the live broadcast and the wild cheers of the fans could be clearly heard.
Tang En had a strange smile on his face. He did not look tired at all.
When Anelka's name was called, the fans' cheers were still enthusiastic. Anelka's smile was a little awkward. He did not hug Tang En or even shake hands. He just ran straight out.
Tang En did not care. He did not even pay attention to the matter. At the time, he was just chatting with Dunn. It was Dunn who reminded him. Looking at Anelka's back, he shrugged. "It's best that he has such a performance."
Then, Paul Gerrard was called.
This time, the fans' voices were a little louder than before. Although Paul was only a substitute goalkeeper, everyone still remembered his performance in the Champions League final last season when he was appointed in the face of danger. He could not be blamed for the two goals conceded. He had done enough.
Paul Gerrard turned around and hugged Tang En. "Thank you, Boss. To be able to win a Champions League in my career … I never thought there would be such a good thing!"
Tang En smiled and did not say anything. He just patted him on the shoulder. He also did not know what to say.
Gerrard turned and ran onto the field.
Now, the only player left beside him was Albertini.
Tang En turned his head to look at the Italian.
He was someone who had already seen Demetrio retire once, but there was still an indescribable emotion in his heart.
He wanted to open his mouth to say something, but he heard the announcement outside shouting his name.
"Next … let us welcome …" Motson dragged out his voice, as if he was deliberately keeping the suspense. In reality, he was just giving the fans in the stadium time to perform.
Sure enough, the fans in the stands began to shout the names of the last two players who had yet to appear.
"Tony! Tony! "
"Demetrio! Demetrio! "
"Demetrio, it's time for us to go on." Tang En picked up the trophy on the ground and handed the other hand to Albertini.
Albertini took it and nodded.
Then, the two men carried the trophy together and walked into the field amidst the earth-shattering shouts.
"Tony and Demetrio!"
Motson had called the players who had appeared before by their full names without exception. But this time, he used two nicknames. He knew, and the Forest fans also knew, that Nottingham Forest only had one "Tony" and only one "Demetrio."
The cheers grew louder and louder. In the end, they combined with the applause to form a huge torrent that swept out. As Tang En and Albertini walked, they raised the trophy in their hands high. Under the lights, it shone with a dazzling light.
When they walked to the team, the players waiting at the side swarmed forward and raised the two men, along with the trophy, high up. The atmosphere in the stadium reached a climax.
"Let's cheer for the champions …!!" Motson howled into the microphone.
He was not the commentator for the Champions League final. He was a BBC commentator and was not qualified to commentate on Champions League matches. But this also gave him an advantage. He could drink beer and watch television at home, cheering for the Forest team to his heart's content, without having to consider the commentator's bias.
After messing around for a while, the players finally put the two of them down. Tang En placed the trophy on the table that had been prepared and took the microphone.
"There are many people I need to thank, but at this time, I want to thank one person alone." His voice could be heard clearly throughout the stadium.
He walked over to Albertini.
"You know what? When I decided to put Demetrio in the starting lineup before the final, someone asked me, 'Are you crazy? That old guy can't play anymore, and you're letting him start in such an important final?! ' Someone even said to me, 'We understand your feelings for Demetrio, but this is the final. You can't joke around with the team's fate because of your personal feelings!' "Tang En shrugged and pointed to the championship trophy behind him. "I have to say, if it weren't for Demetrio, we might not have been able to bring back this trophy!"
"About half a year ago, I told Demetrio, 'I'll give you a real farewell match.' The Champions League final … This is not me giving Demetrio charity. It has never been. I thought Demetrio's condition and level were enough to handle that final, so I let him start. I'm very happy because this was an important decision in my coaching career. It brought us a sparkling Champions League trophy! "
The people in the stands cheered in agreement.
"I've always thought it was too early for Demetrio to retire at 35. You could still play for at least another two years. But I can't persuade you. I can make the reporters speechless at the press conference, but I can't persuade you. "Tang En looked at Albertini. Albertini just smiled. "No one here wants you to go." He waved to the players around him. "But we respect your decision. The only thing that makes me happy is that I can give you a Champions League trophy as a souvenir at the end. "
With that, he handed the microphone to Albertini. He knew he had something to say.
Albertini took the microphone and said to his teammates, "Thank you."
Then he turned around and looked up at the stands around him.
"I also want to thank you, Forest fans. I don't want to lie. Apart from the AC Milan fans, you are the cutest group of fans I've ever seen. When the boss went to Italy to find me three years ago, I never thought I could lift the Champions League trophy in the last game of my career … I'm no longer a child who likes to dream. But I really had a beautiful dream — I'll never forget the three years I've been here. In the last three years of my career, I met an excellent manager, a group of excellent teammates, an excellent team, and you … "He pointed to the stands." A large group of excellent fans. "
There was a loud applause in the stands. The applause came from all directions, as if a pair of invisible hands had tightly hugged their captain, Demetrio Albertini.
The applause made Albertini unable to continue. In fact, his voice was a little choked up at the end of his words. The surrounding teammates came up to hug him one by one. The younger ones like Bale even cried.
When George Wood and Albertini hugged, he felt Demetrio's hands use a little force. "I'm leaving, George. It's up to you next. "Albertini whispered in his ear.
Wood nodded.
He still did not know how to say his parting words. Eastwood's glib tongue could make Albertini laugh, but he could not.
For the past three years, it was Albertini who had been with him, teaching him how to be a qualified professional player, how to be an excellent defensive midfielder, and how to be a competent captain. He was used to the training life with Albertini by his side. The feeling and emotions were indescribable. If he had to describe it, it was like a good friend who had been with him for many years was suddenly going on a long journey. He wanted his friend to stay, but he could not deprive his friend of his freedom.
Or should I say, "Demetrio, I wish you all the best"? But I don't f * * king want to say that at all …
He let go of Albertini and retreated to the side. He lowered his head in silence and made way for his other teammates.
Not only the players, but the coaches of the coaching staff also came forward to hug the Italian, thanking him for all his contributions to the team and sending their deepest regards to his retirement.
The last person to come forward to hug Albertini was Tang En.
"I have a sentence for you, Demetrio." Then, Tang En recited a poem in Mandarin. "Don't worry about the road ahead without a bosom friend. Who in the world doesn't know you?"
"What does that mean?" Albertini did not understand Mandarin.
"That means … uh …" Tang En wanted to translate the sentence in poetic English, but he found that he could not do it. "In short, it means … it means that you're the best player in the world. Maybe some people won't agree with what I said, but you don't have to care. If I think you are, then you are! Don't care about the words of those ignorant people. I'm the champion now, and I call the shots! "
It was obvious that Tang En could not explain the meaning, so he wanted to use this method to muddle through.
Albertini had long been used to Tang En's tricks. He saw through it at a glance and smiled at the embarrassed Tang En.
His smile helped Tang En out of the predicament, so the two looked at each other and laughed.
They laughed until tears came out …
After laughing, Tang En wiped the corners of his eyes. He saw that Albertini's eyes were also red.
"Demetrio."
"Yes?"
"It's time to say goodbye …"
"Yes."
At the same time, a piece of music sounded from the stadium's broadcast. It was the famous song "Time to Say Goodbye" sung by the famous soprano Sarah Brightman and the famous blind Italian male singer, Andrea Bocelli.
The song sung in Italian was melodious, but it carried with it the solemnity of a farewell. An indescribable emotion surged in the chests of everyone present and spread out. Using this song to bid farewell to the veteran Italian player, Demetrio Albertini, was truly the most suitable. Tang En admired Motson for actually being able to choose this song.
Albertini also did not expect to hear an Italian song at this time, and it was actually this song. He froze for a moment and listened attentively. Then, his lips pursed and his eyes reddened.
In the song, it was as if he was watching his career again. He had a wonderful beginning … He had wanted to continue like this, to play in Milan until he retired. He did not expect that he would guess the beginning, but not the ending. Later in his career, he was swept out of the door. Atlético Madrid, Lazio, Nottingham Forest … These teams had all been his stops. If not for the second spring of his career at Nottingham Forest and unexpectedly picking up the Champions League title, how many people would remember him, who chose to retire at this time?
He wholeheartedly wanted to be loyal to Milan, but he was swept out. What could be crueler than this? If he could choose, he would rather exchange this Champions League title for a chance to be a loyal subject.
Was it possible? Impossible.
The City Ground stadium, which had been noisy all night, quieted the moment the song started. Everyone turned their eyes to the man shrouded in the spotlight.
In the melancholy song, the Italian Albertini slowly raised his hands. He pursed his lips and his eyes reddened. He said goodbye to his 18 years of wandering career.
Tang En and everyone looked at him and applauded, saluting him. When he did all this, he hid in the crowd with the players and did not attract attention. So, no one saw the glistening tears in his eyes.
Goodbye, Demetrio.
Your story has ended. My story has just begun …
(End of Volume Four)
※ ※ ※
PS, Volume Four ended just like that. The Champion Godfather has basically written one-third of it. Thank you for everyone's support along the way. I still need everyone's continued support for the rest of the journey.
For the past few days, people have been asking in the book review section: Is this the end of the novel?
The Champion Godfather is a complete story. I will not end it at Tang En's most glorious moment. Moreover, it is still far from the most glorious moment. I will continue to write, and I hope everyone can continue to support me. I want to see how Tang En will set off a storm of his own in the European football world and even the world football world.
Finally, if this championship title makes everyone feel good, then smash the tickets! I will not reject recommendation tickets or monthly tickets. I will accept them all!
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