A Legacy in the Making

"Hall made his final substitution, and Real Madrid followed suit by replacing a defender with an attacking player. Hall was clearly anxious, not convinced the game was settled. And Bosque? He wasn't giving up yet. With 3 minutes of added time, anything could still happen."

Aldrich brought on Pedretti, replacing Ronaldinho. Pedretti's task was to fortify the right flank, forming a barrier in front of Schneider.

At this point, Aldrich wasn't worried about Real Madrid's slow and patient passing game; he wasn't going to give them any space at the back to build up. What concerned him were players like Ballack and Carlos, who could suddenly take a long-range shot without warning. If it went wide or hit the crossbar, it would be nothing more than a goal kick or a corner, but if it didn't, it could cause chaos.

Despite only three minutes left in the game, Aldrich didn't slack off. Perhaps the shock of Bayern Munich losing the title in the last two minutes the previous year still lingered in his mind. At this level of competition, even the top coaches couldn't afford to relax.

Millwall had been attacking for 80 minutes, but in the last 10, they switched to a defensive counterattack. Even at Wembley, none of the Lions' supporters thought this was a problem. Instead, they saw it as one of Aldrich's strengths—his ability to adapt, not stubbornly sticking to a single approach.

All the Millwall players and coaches had gathered at the sideline, ready to either cheer the team on or celebrate reaching the final. At that moment, the fans in the stands stood up, the passionate supporters linking arms and singing, raising the atmosphere in Wembley to new heights.

Everyone expected Real Madrid to launch a fierce attack in the final three minutes, but in reality, after a brief offensive immediately after the kickoff, Millwall controlled possession for the rest of the match.

Millwall risked passing the ball around their backline in tight spaces, using movement to evade Real Madrid's relentless pressing. When the short passes weren't working and most of the Madrid players were pressing high up the field, Millwall cleared the ball forward. Then Madrid launched long balls from their own half, and Millwall regained possession to start passing again.

When the referee blew the final whistle, Wembley erupted into deafening cheers.

Millwall's substitute players and coaches flooded the pitch, while the players on the field raised their fists and roared in victory.

"4-3, an aggregate score of 8-6. Millwall has defeated Real Madrid over two legs with the same score, advancing to the Champions League final. Congratulations to Millwall for this incredible achievement. It's their second appearance in a Champions League final in three years, and in their three seasons in the competition, their worst finish has been the semifinals. Aldrich-Hall, the young manager writing a legendary story, is leading Millwall, the Lions, to create new history. We are fortunate to witness such a monumental spectacle in this era, as Aldrich continues to present us with unforgettable moments in the football world. Now, we can look forward to seeing how Millwall performs in the final and how they'll etch those timeless moments into the hallowed grounds of the green pitch."

Wembley was filled with noise, while the white-clad Real Madrid players collapsed on the field. Millwall's warriors were running wild, and after embracing and celebrating, they began swapping jerseys with the Madrid players.

Nedved with Redondo, Ronaldinho with Raul, Butt with Casillas...

At that moment, Aldrich, instead of rushing to celebrate, suddenly felt an overwhelming exhaustion. He felt as though even standing still required tremendous effort.

Now, Millwall was no longer a poor, underdog team. With the club's rising strength, their performance had to match their newfound stature.

Did Aldrich feel pressure from the outside world?

Of course, he did!

This was a team hailed by European media as one of the top squads in Europe—one of the most potent and stable attacking forces this season.

Although Aldrich had built this team from the ground up, the pressure that came with it was unavoidable. Reaching the semifinals was expected; making it to the final seemed like a natural progression. Strong teams were expected to finish at the top, but if they didn't, they would be ridiculed, and the head coach would become the target of criticism.

Fortunately, they had done it.

Aldrich looked up, his gaze traveling from the top of the stadium to the night sky, which was dotted with stars—a beautiful sight indeed.

As he withdrew his gaze, the fans in the stands were reluctant to leave. Millwall, it was time to say goodbye to Wembley. From now on, Wembley would no longer be Millwall's Champions League home.

Aldrich walked onto the pitch and embraced each player. Then, he and the team lined up neatly, walking toward each stand to bow and applaud the fans.

They were thanking them for their support over the past two years.

At the same time, Aldrich silently thanked the FA.

It was thanks to this great English stadium that Millwall's impact in European competitions over the last two years, the fame and attention they had gained, was in large part due to Wembley.

The income was secondary.

As Aldrich led the players off the pitch, almost all the Millwall players were bare-chested, with a Real Madrid jersey draped over their shoulders.

At the post-match press conference, Aldrich was late, but all the reporters were waiting for him. No one seemed impatient; instead, there was a sense of respect rising within them.

Soon-to-be 24-year-old Aldrich was about to lead his team to their second Champions League final. This achievement was unprecedented.

Fleet Street considered this a proud moment for English football, and Aldrich was their greatest asset in contemporary football.

Aldrich felt as if all his energy had been drained from his body. While he felt a sense of relief, his entire body was filled with exhaustion.

When he appeared, he wore a smile—neither overly boastful nor excessively joyful—as if unaffected by honor or disgrace.

The reporters all congratulated Aldrich before asking for his thoughts on the match.

"As you've seen, this was a clash between giants. Millwall and Real Madrid both played high-quality football. Before the match, some had said Millwall's path to the final would be easy, but the reality was that when the game began, Real Madrid took the lead. The match remained tight throughout. There was not a moment of ease, not a minute without suspense. Even though in the final moments, Ronaldinho doubled our lead, if Real Madrid had come back to win, no one would have been surprised. That's how the game was—intense, brutal, with every second counting, every inch contested. Every opportunity could change the score. This game was incredibly valuable for Millwall. It taught our players that victory won't fall into their laps. What happens in 90 minutes on the pitch? Don't assume. Don't be deceived by appearances. This is so important for us. Such experience isn't something regular matches offer. I'm proud that we defeated Real Madrid and now have the chance to challenge for the European Cup title once again."

...

The two-legged Champions League semi-final between Millwall and Real Madrid had come to a close.

"4-3, 4-3, 8-6, 180 minutes, 14 goals, Millwall advances to the final!"

The Times used this headline for their match report.

"Millwall to face Valencia in the Champions League final!"

The Daily Mail began to look ahead to the final.

"Hall expects the Lions' dynasty to rule Europe!"

"The strongest voice in European football: The Lions roar!"

...

All major media outlets were now focused on the upcoming Champions League final.

From the perspective of team strength and trends, Millwall had become the overwhelming favorite to win the title.

Even though Valencia had eliminated the Spanish giants Barcelona, no one considered them a serious threat.

Meanwhile, Spanish media, while cheering for Valencia, began to disrupt Millwall's preparations.

AS published a photo of Ronaldinho shaking hands with Raúl after the match, with Ronaldinho's arm draped over Raúl's white Real Madrid jersey.

Spanish media began to stir up the narrative, tempting Ronaldinho to wear the prestigious white jersey and join Real Madrid.

After the match, Millwall shifted their focus to preparing for the Champions League final.

The club remained calm, and the next challenge was the 36th round of the Premier League.

Normally, this match would have been highly hyped, but now it seemed to carry little significance.

Manchester United would host Millwall at Old Trafford.

This season, Manchester United was doomed to finish as runners-up in the Premier League. But the reason behind this was not because Manchester United had performed poorly, and the outside world wasn't putting much pressure on Ferguson.

At the pre-match press conference, he spoke calmly, with a hint of helplessness in his tone, saying, "There are three rounds left in the league. Manchester United has 81 points right now. In past seasons, this score would either guarantee us the league title or at least give us a strong chance at the title with three rounds remaining. But, as you can see, Manchester United's position this season is not going to change. We will finish second for the fourth consecutive year, and it's a disappointing result. However, I think Manchester United should understand the situation. First, we must recognize that to win the Premier League now, we must give even more effort. Second, we shouldn't be discouraged. Millwall is the champion, and Manchester United should be full of determination to compete with them in the future. If we can beat Millwall in the future, that victory might be more valuable than winning a title in the past. It would be something to be proud of."

Ferguson's somewhat "heartfelt" monologue felt like a lament for the club's current situation.

The last time Manchester United won the league title was in Millwall's first season in the Premier League. In that season, Manchester United won the title in the final match, with Millwall finishing second.

Since then, for the past four years, Millwall has been the champion, with Manchester United as runners-up, then Arsenal won, Manchester United again as second, then Millwall again as champions, with Manchester United finishing second. This season, Millwall successfully defended their title with three rounds to spare, while Manchester United, despite having 81 points and being 18 points clear of third-place Arsenal, still had to settle for second place.

Millwall's progress over these two years was undeniable. They had pulled 12 points ahead of last season's Champions League winners, and that gap was likely to widen, since the league wasn't over yet. They were also 30 points clear of Arsenal, the previous season's Premier League champions!

What else were Millwall incredibly proud of, aside from points?

Their consecutive victories this season, added to their 45-match unbeaten run since the end of last season. Including their impressive performances in European competitions over the last three years, Millwall was just one step away from their second Champions League title in three years. Without a doubt, the entire European football world would no longer doubt that Millwall was beginning a new era of dominance.

They were ruling European football!

This phenomenon left English football fans conflicted.

In the Premier League, they had such a strong team, with an almost genius-level coach, but why was the England national team on the verge of losing its "strong team" label?