For the next few days, the media was still hyping up Twain's hearing. Everyone wanted to know what he had said to the UEFA officials at the hearing, so much so that the UEFA, which was bent on killing him, let him off in the end.
Twain did not say anything. Even when Brosnan called him to get close to him and wanted to get some "insider information," he did not say a word. This matter was destined to be a secret that could never be divulged. Perhaps people could look forward to the day when Twain retired as a manager and revealed some of it in his autobiography.
No one in the UEFA mentioned the matter again, as if nothing had happened.
The Catalan media was still a little unhappy, but what could they do? Other than shouting a few words in their own territory, they had no influence. This time, they were completely defeated by Tony Twain, both on and off the field. They could not swallow the resentment, but they had to allow him to vent on their own media.
But they did not come out empty-handed. At least a calmer Catalan reporter analyzed that even if Nottingham Forest successfully eliminated Barcelona, they had crossed the hurdle of the UEFA. But they had paid a very heavy price:
In the first round, Tony Twain was banned for four matches due to insulting the referee. This was only the first match, and there were still three matches left. If Forest was lucky enough to reach the final, they would also have to face a final without a manager. At that time, Tony Twain would not have the 27,000 home fans in the stadium to be his mouthpiece.
Pepe received a red card in the first round and was directly suspended for two matches, with one match left.
George Wood received a red card in the second round for violent conduct on the field and was suspended for two matches. He would be absent for both matches in the semi-finals. His and Pepe's importance to the team was self-evident. Their absence was a heavy blow to Forest's defensive line.
In addition, Lennon was sent off after being tackled by Yaya Touré in the second round. After the match, it was confirmed that he would be absent for the rest of the season. Nottingham Forest's two key players suffered serious injuries this season. Their luck was really bad.
These four factors determined that their semi-finals would be very difficult to play.
Moreover, the Barcelona media believed that the two most fatal factors were Wood's ban and Twain's ban. The trick that Tony Twain used to deal with Barcelona had already been exposed. He could not use it a second time. And this time, the UEFA monitors would definitely accompany him throughout the entire process to prevent him from using the fans as a mouthpiece to convey his latest instructions. One had to admit that it was a genius idea for him to use the fans and the team at home …
The Forest team's opponent in the semifinals was Bayern Munich from Germany, which was a tough nut to crack. German teams had always been resilient and tenacious. Tang En's "mental stimulation" might not be effective against Bayern Munich. Without his on-the-spot command, the Forest team's strength would drop by at least half a grade. In addition, George Wood could not play …
Wood had always been the barrier in Nottingham Forest's midfield. His role was self-explanatory. Most people might not be able to see the role of a player like him when he was on the field, but once he was gone, the effect was obvious. Anyone who understood football knew how important a defensive midfielder was for a team, especially for a team like the Forest team that thrived on defense.
If Wood was not on the field, the opponent's offense could directly threaten the Forest team's defensive line. Tiago was clearly not suited to do the job that Wood did. His ability and stamina were limited. And another serious problem that had been intentionally or unintentionally overlooked in the past had surfaced. After searching for so many years, they still could not find a qualified substitute for George Wood. Now that he was suspended for two games, the Forest team could not find a defensive player in the middle of the midfield. Tiago was not a pure midfield engineer. Most of the time, he needed to participate in the offense. When Wood was on the field, it was not a problem for him to occasionally play as a defensive midfielder because the risk was not high with Wood by his side to protect him. When Wood was not on the field, his shortcomings would be magnified.
With such an analysis, Nottingham Forest would not be happy for long.
When such an analysis was published, it was ridiculed by the Nottingham Forest fans as "Barcelona's self-consolation."
But soon after, the article proved to be a prescient one …
※ ※ ※
"The match is over! Nottingham Forest has lost to Bayern Munich 0: 2 in the away game and has been eliminated with a total score of 1: 3!! "
Following the referee's three whistles, the Allianz Arena was filled with jubilation.
The Bayern Munich coach and substitutes swarmed onto the field and hugged the players on the field tightly.
On the other side, the Forest players stood on the field in a daze, dejected.
The television broadcast immediately focused on a certain corner of the stands. Tony Twain's expressionless face appeared on the screen. He was surrounded by a group of disappointed Nottingham Forest fans. This time, he could not use the home advantage to create trouble for the opponent. His good luck seemed to have come to an end.
Less than five minutes into the match, the Forest team was the first to concede a goal. This unexpected blow disrupted the team's previous deployment, and the subsequent match gradually slipped out of Twain's control. He was helpless in the face of such a situation on the stands.
His ears were filled with the excited cheers of the Bayern Munich fans. He lowered his head, turned around, and left the stands with a group of fans.
"Tony Twain has finally lowered his proud head!" This was how the commentator interpreted his action. Then, he joked, "Nottingham Forest has eliminated Inter Milan and Barcelona in succession, both in the UEFA Champions League in the past two seasons. For a moment, the English media called Nottingham Forest the 'Champion Killer.' This name sounds really cool, but they were unlucky to have such a name. Bayern Munich has not won the Champions League in recent years … So, the magical Nottingham Forest seemed to lack motivation when facing the non-champion Bayern Munich, which directly led to their elimination … "
This explanation seemed to make some sense.
When Twain heard this after the match, he could only smile bitterly. It seemed like there was really fate in the unseen world?
But this could also be counted as a highlight of the match.
After the match, Tang En entered the locker room. He did not criticize the team, nor did he break out in a torrent of abuse, scolding everyone. He only expressed his regret for the team's elimination, and then praised the team's performance, saying that they had tried their best and there was nothing to regret. We can only look forward to coming back next year.
In the end, he even joked, "That's good too. We've already embarrassed the UEFA too many times. Guys, think about it. If we really made it to the finals and won the championship … how embarrassing would it be for the UEFA if a team with a manager sitting in the stands finally won the trophy? We have to leave some face for them. "
When he said that, everyone burst into laughter. The gloomy mood they had before slowly dissipated.
Seeing that everyone was in a better mood, Twain also felt relieved. They had already been eliminated from the Champions League. There was no point in dwelling on such things of the past. It was better to let the team recover as soon as possible and prepare for the league tournament. This season, the Forest team had to ensure that they could advance to next season's Champions League. That was the most important thing.
"Alright, guys, let's go home!"
Twain clapped his hands and ended his speech. The players stood up one by one and began to pack their luggage.
Walking out of the locker room, Twain was quickly discovered and surrounded by the reporters with a keen sense of smell.
Countless microphones reached out to his mouth, almost stabbing directly in. Twain had no choice but to tilt his head back, trying his best to avoid the misfortune of having "oral sex" with the microphones.
"Hey! Hey! Keep the microphones away from my mouth! "
"Mr. Twain, do you have anything to say about the team's elimination?"
"I have nothing to say. Winning or losing is normal. I wish Bayern Munich the championship. That's all … "
"Mr. Twain! Do you admit that your suspension has a huge impact on the team? The team's eventual elimination is directly related to your fiery temper … "
"Nonsense! My team is a whole. It will definitely not be affected by the loss of a certain person. My fiery temper? I did not do anything wrong in that matter. The UEFA has expressed its approval. " Ever since the hearing, every time a reporter tried to use his grudge with Barcelona to stir up trouble, he would use the golden name of the UEFA to smash the other party until they did not retaliate. Although it was shameless, no one could touch him. "I'm just protecting my legitimate rights."
His words were indeed a lethal weapon. Many reporters shut their mouths.
"Alright, please move aside. Don't block the door, okay?" Twain stretched out his hands and pushed through the crowd, intending to carve out a bloody path.
"Mr. Twain, I have another question …"
"Leave it for it to bloom and bear fruit!"
"Mr. Twain, Mr. Twain!"
Disregarding the many reporters' reluctance to leave, Twain opened a bloody path and rushed out.
The Bayern Munich manager, Christian, who had accidentally witnessed this scene, saw Twain being surrounded and blocked by reporters. He laughed and said, "You're still the center of attention even after being sent to the stands. No wonder you're a star manager."
※ ※ ※
Nottingham Forest's semi-final loss was not an unexpected upset. After all, Bayern Munich was also the Bundesliga leader. Furthermore, Forest's recent situation was indeed terrible. Many of their players were suspended or injured. Therefore, reaching the semi-final was already a very good result.
Some Forest fans even thought that the two matches against Barcelona were already the finals of this season's Champions League. As long as they beat Barcelona, they had nothing else to ask for this season …
Such a statement would naturally make the Barcelona fans scoff and mock Nottingham Forest for not pursuing anything.
But no matter what, Forest did beat Barcelona. As the winner, they indeed had the right to be so "not pursuing anything" …
※ ※ ※
Nottingham Forest's loss in the Champions League was not good news for the other opponents in the English Premier League. No matter how much they usually disliked Tang En, they would never be able to say things like "I hope Forest gets eliminated" at this time.
Because Twain's Wolf Pack's elimination meant that they would shift all their focus to the Premier League. Currently, Forest was ranked fourth in the Premier League. If they focused on the Premier League, it was not impossible for them to rush to second place in the Premier League. After all, the difference in points between second and fifth was very small …
Forest's opponents all hoped that Nottingham Forest could go as far as possible in the Champions League. Of course, perhaps only Manchester United's manager, Ferguson, did not see it that way. Because his team had once again entered the finals … His wish should be for Nottingham Forest to enter the finals and then lose to Manchester United. The rebellious Tony Twain lowered his proud head in front of the old manager, bowing his head in submission. In the following summer, he announced his transfer to Manchester United to take over Ferguson's position and lead the Red Devils to continue sweeping England and Europe … It was truly a perfect end to his managerial career.
So after Manchester United advanced to the finals, he said, "I think it's a pity. If I could choose my opponent, I would prefer to meet Tony Twain in the finals. Of course, the prerequisite is that he can't be in the stands … "
His words caused Bayern Munich's displeasure. The Bundesliga giant felt that it had been insulted. Ferguson hurriedly came out to explain again, "I'm not targeting Bayern Munich. They are a great team. Of course, I also think it would be a great thing to meet them in the finals. No matter who the opponent is, I will treat them seriously … I just want to be able to freely choose my opponent in the final game of my managerial career. "No matter how he explained, it sounded like he was looking down on Bayern Munich.
Some media said that Ferguson was old and muddled, making things worse the more he explained.
But what if this old fox Ferguson was using psychological warfare against the younger generation, Klinsmann?
At the very least, Twain did not get involved in it. He might be one of the people who understood Ferguson's thoughts — this must be psychological warfare. It looked like the old man was determined to win the last Champions League title in his managerial career.
His response was, "I might go back to watch the game live, but that's not my concern. Right now, I only care about the Premier League. We will make a comeback next season. "
In the end, Nottingham Forest achieved third place in the Premier League and successfully qualified for next season's Champions League. And Arsenal, led by Wenger, successfully overturned Manchester United, who put more effort into the Champions League final, and ascended to the throne of the English Premier League. Not achieving the Double was perhaps Ferguson's regret, and also a concentrated portrayal of his entanglement with Wenger for more than a decade.
And at the home of FC Schalke 04, Alex Ferguson, the godfather of Manchester United, who had already announced that he would officially retire at the end of this season, led his Red Devils to a difficult 2: 1 victory over the Bundesliga's king, Bayern Munich, and had the last laugh in this strong rivalry. He fulfilled his promise from many years ago:
I will retire after I win one more Champions League title.
In one of the best stadiums in Europe, he lifted the trophy that symbolized the highest honor of a European club. But the expression on his face did not look like that of a professional manager, but more like that of an elder enjoying his old age. The passion had subsided, and he felt a sense of relief, as if a heavy burden had been lifted. In that instant, he seemed to have aged ten years. Even the redness of the Scottish countryside on his face had somewhat faded.
Tony Twain saw this scene from the stands of Schalke Stadium. He suddenly felt that Ferguson was too far away from him at this moment. It was already so far away that it was not just the distance between the stands and the stadium, but the entire European continent.
Like the others, he stood up and applauded Ferguson's curtain call, feeling a little happy and a little lonely.
From now on, there was one less strong opponent, and one less good opponent …
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