Chapter 55 Champions League (Part 2)

Chapter 55 Champions League (Part 2)

Heraclitus of Greece said that it is impossible for a man to step into the same river twice. So this night, both Milan and Liverpool rejected the repeat of Istanbul two years ago. It's just that Milan wants to reject the results of two years ago, and Liverpool wants to reject the process of two years ago. Both parties got what they wanted, and comforted the surprise that the night brought to the world two years ago.

But obviously, for Ancelotti, this game is not at all the "gorgeous revenge" he imagined. Milan did not show the 3-0 destruction in the first half two years ago, nor did it show the momentum of knocking out Manchester United in the semi-finals. It can even be said that this is an unrecognizable Milan. From the technical level, from the rigor of the formation, and the ingenuity of the last pass, it is not the team that people are familiar with. Lost elegance, lost creativity, and lost sharpness.

Especially in the first half, what is more memorable is Liverpool, Benitez's 451 to Ancelotti's 4321 complete restraint. Sure enough, the Istanbul night did not repeat itself, because the two sides seemed to have completely switched roles. So Milan's revenge seems to be a long journey, and the end looks more like a second death.

Liverpool, who dominated the first half, unfortunately missed at least three chances to make Milan fall into the abyss. Perhaps, like Milan, they are completely unadapted to the change between leading and being dominated.

Just like Heraclitus likes to play dialectics, the football either goes through the door here or rolls through the door there.

Liverpool's squandering of chances killed themselves, which in turn saved Milan.

An angel stood on Inzaghi's shoulder in the 45th minute. She touched Pirlo's free kick, so Reina could only watch the ball roll in the opposite direction into the night of Athens.

What is surprising is not Milan's luck, but two years later, they are on a worse side and have learned to use worse ways to maintain the score and even expand the score. Said it is especially valuable.

Benitez has been trying to make Liverpool play more complicated and more artistic for two years, but he is still simple and efficient in essence. ?? Stadium Maniac 55

As for Milan, in the past two years, I am afraid they have been trying to digest the collapse when Istanbul Night fell into adversity.

Milan in the second half also failed to regain their rhythm and sense of the ball, but their confidence and determination to defend the result have never been so strong. It seems that Milan is more like Liverpool two years ago.

Is the current Liverpool still the god-possessed "Liverpool" two years ago?

When Gerrard was weak with a one-handed shot, when Benitez replaced Mascherano with Crouch instead of a full-back, the answer was no.

So after getting rid of Mascherano's ghostly entanglement, Kaka immediately sent another angelic pass to Inzaghi, and Reina once again saw endless darkness in the old man's eyes.

And Milan, with two goals in hand, passed through darkness, heaviness, and clumsiness. In the last 10 minutes, the familiar Milan came back. After revenge in the way of the enemy, they returned to themselves.

The 90-minute game sometimes looks simple, but in fact it is too complicated.

AC Milan's not gorgeous revenge this time is like a betrayal of itself. An atypical Milan victory, but it is also the greatest loyalty to oneself.

After all, results matter most, don't they?

AC Milan won the European Champions Cup, not only the honor of a team of AC Milan, but also the honor of the whole of Italy. After a crazy night, the whole team of AC Milan returned to Milan and was welcomed at Malpenza Airport A heroic warm welcome, not only the fans of Milan, but also the whole Italian football community.

The official website of the Italian Football Association specially published a public thank you letter to AC Milan. The Italian Football Association said: "Thanks to coach Ancelotti, captain Maldini, and all other AC Milan players, six of them Member of the Italian national team. Thanks to AC Milan, Italian football has successfully conquered Europe once again. After Lippi led the Italian team to win the World Cup, AC Milan has brought Italy another important trophy."

The Italian Football Federation specifically praised Inzaghi: "Inzaghi is an eternal player. He defeated Liverpool with two goals in the Champions League final in Athens."

The statement believes that this is a victory for Italian football: "This victory proves the strength of Italian football and is the best way to end a difficult season for AC Milan."

Italian Football Association "Chairman" Abbet also publicly expressed his gratitude to AC Milan: "From the perspective of all Italian football, I would like to express my joy, and at the same time express my sincere congratulations to AC Milan. I congratulate the head coach Ann. Celotti and all the members of AC Milan, especially those on the field."

Abbet said that this is another joy after the World Cup: "When the AC Milan team walked up to the field to receive the trophy, I was so happy to see the familiar faces, they deserved this honor, From captain Paolo Maldini to the players with whom I shared the joy of winning the World Cup in Germany."?? Stadium Maniac 55

The free kick that created the first goal, the through pass assisted the second goal, and Kaka scored the third goal is Milan's number one hero. Won the first championship in his career, the Brazilian boy is getting closer and closer to the Golden Globe.

Before the game, many football celebrities commented on Kaka's Golden Globe Award. Lippi said: "Kaka is a turning point in the game. He is the strongest player in the world now. He has leaped from an ordinary star to a superstar."

Teammate Maldini gave advice as an elder: "At this time, personal honor is not even ranked second, but third or fourth. If I haven't won the Ballon d'Or in my previous career, I think Not this year either. If I had to choose, I would choose Kaka, no one deserves the Ballon d'Or more than him."

Kaka said: "Paul has won the Champions Cup several times, but I have not won it once. I want to win this trophy. I also know that personal honor will only come when you win with the team. In a year without a World Cup or a European Cup, the Champions League final can decide a thousand things. But I also hope that Paul can win this award. I will be happy for him. I am honored to be included in the history of Milan alongside him. "

In the first half, Kaka was the most effective player for Milan to touch the ball. He brought the only guarantee to AC Milan's offense in a passive way. The ball is too soft, too many turnovers.

Kaka has been on guard against Liverpool's defense for a long time: "Benitis said that you don't need to man-mark me? I believe that in Europe, I haven't met a team that is man-marking. It's just that the whole team pays more attention to me."

Kaka performed several Ronaldinho and Zidane-style ecstasies, some of which he seldom used in previous games. For example, in the sixth minute, he received the ball from the left side of the backcourt and prepared to counterattack. He leaned against the opponent's right foot and lightly wiped the football, and turned to the left to bypass the defender and pass the ball. This is a typical Ronaldinho style.

In the 21st minute, it was still a counterattack. Gattuso went straight to Kaka in the backcourt. Kaka easily slapped Agger with his back and instep. When he turned and started, he was brought down by the opponent and won a free kick.

In the 24th minute, the most exciting scene of the first half, Kaka turned around in the middle and pulled the ball with his feet to pass Riise, who fell to grab the ball, a common move of Zidane, and then Kaka ran to the right to pass Mas with speed. Celano, unfortunately, was tackled by the Argentine midfielder, otherwise it would be an excellent attack.

Not just a one-on-one foot performance, Kaka's attack power replacement is now practical. Milan's first shot came from him. In the 16th minute, he received a high ball from Janku at the top of the penalty area. Passed into the chest to stop the ball, followed by a strong shot to the right, the angle was very tricky, but was caught by Reina.

This was Milan's only conscious shot in the first half. Inzaghi was very reluctant to grab a shot for the first time, but the second time was luck. Inzaghi's goal was also made by Kaka.

In the 44th minute, Kaka turned around with the ball and was tripped by Alonso and won a free kick. After Pirlo took the shot, Inzaghi touched it and scored directly.

In the second half, Milan's technicality gradually showed. Liverpool's physical strength declined more obviously, and the situation on the field was slightly chaotic. Kaka had fewer opportunities to perform, but he was still the biggest bright spot on the field of AC Milan.

Although Benitez did not arrange man-to-man marking in this game, Mascherano and Kaka had the highest one-on-one frequency. The success rate of the Argentine midfielder who had marked Pirlo in the Olympics and Ronaldinho in the World Cup qualifiers was very high. High, but it is a pity that he was replaced in advance, which increased Kaka's space.

In the 82nd minute, Kaka got the ball in the middle and made a smart pass. Inzaghi knew how to counter-offside and successfully scored. Before the end of the game, Kaka dribbled the ball in the middle once. Kaka participated in Milan's threatening offense throughout the game, and this Milan team has a deep Kaka brand.

Bizarrely lost in the final of the year before last, and was eliminated early in the World Cup last year. Some people said that Kaka was unlucky.

After the game, many friends sent congratulations, linking him with the Golden Globe Award. Although Shevchenko was not present to watch the game, his heart remained undiminished: "I don't want to give him the Golden Globe Award. I really can't think of anyone to give it to. "

Rivaldo met and had a long talk with Kaka's father Bosque at the Britannia Hotel. Rivaldo was Kaka's childhood idol, and the two families kept in close contact. "Kaka will not only win the Ballon d'Or, but also the World Player of the Year," Rivaldo said.

Every year, the Big Ears Cup will hold a pearl, such as Zidane in 2002, Nedved in 2003, Deco in 2004, Gerrard in 2005, and Digan in 2006. In front of the world is another Wright Kaka.

When the audience at the Olympic Stadium in Athens talked about the final, they always liked to start like this: "If it wasn't for Kaka~~~~~"

After experiencing an unexpected comeback in Istanbul and an upset exit from the World Cup in Germany, the jerky Sao Paulo boy has learned to mature through suffering. The Champions League final is his best coming-of-age ceremony. From then on, he can announce to the world: "Please Attention, it's Kaka time!"

That is Kaka mania!

The slogan held up by many fans in the stadium shows that Kaka's popularity is rising rapidly, and many people are proud to have such a label on their foreheads.

Open UEFA's official website, fans can choose the best Champions League players, and Kaka's votes are far ahead of Seedorf, Gattuso, and Inzaghi.

With 12 goals, Kaka became the Brazilian who scored the most goals in a UEFA Champions League, even surpassing the goal machine Digan, and fans talked about it.

Among these 12 goals, there was a long-range shot against Anderlecht 1:0 and Manchester United 3:0; , The 2:3 loss to Manchester United and breaking through the entire defense line of the Red Devils seemed to be helped by God; there was also a 2:2 draw with Bayern to break through and create a penalty kick and take the penalty. Kaka is simply an omnipotent genius.

This big ear cup filled the gap in Kaka's honor room, and he achieved the Grand Slam of the Gold Cup at a young age. These championships are collective honors, and it is time for Kaka, who is full of team spirit, to reap personal honors. Kaka is now almost the only popular candidate for the 2007 Ballon d'Or and World Footballer of the Year.

In this final, although the whole game was always closely defended by Liverpool players, Kaka still seized the only chance to help his teammates score twice and scored a goal.

When the game ended, Kaka not only won the first European Champions Cup in his career, but also won the top scorer of the UEFA Champions League this season with 12 goals.

Almost all opponents know that as long as Kaka is defended, AC Milan's offense can basically be paralyzed. Therefore, when Benitez made tactical arrangements, he specially arranged for Mascherano, who has the strongest defensive ability in the midfield, to be responsible for marking Kaka. In front of the Argentine international, it is difficult for Kaka to get the chance to take the ball calmly. It wasn't until the sixteenth minute that Kaka drew people's attention to his existence with a long-range shot that was not very threatening.

Having managed to limit Kaka's play, Liverpool took the initiative for most of the first half, but they ultimately paid the price for defending Kaka.

The sleepless heroes landed at Milan Malpensa International Airport with the European Champions Cup. After a short break, the grand parade celebration kicked off. Milan soldiers boarded the open-top bus printed with the words of the champion and went around the city for a week, showing the trophy to the enthusiastic fans.

Two years ago, it was fans who greeted the Milan players who had lost the trophy at the airport: "Stand up and keep fighting!"

Two years later, the Maldinis can finally repay the support and trust of the fans with victory and honor.

Stand up from where you fell, Inzaghi's two goals in the first and second half, and Kaka's goal at the last moment, ended a nightmare for the Rossoneri. The thrill of revenge made the champion's quality More feet.

However, just as important as the successful revenge is that this victory is equally significant for the future, allowing AC Milan to successfully raise the altitude of the football world.

With this victory, AC Milan became the first team in the history of the European War to win the championship after being flanked by three teams from the same country in the semi-finals; with this victory, AC Milan surpassed Real Madrid, It has become the club that has won the most intercontinental championships in Europe, including 8 UEFA Champions League trophies, 2 European Cup Winners' Cups, 4 European Super Cups, and 3 Toyota Cups. In the world, only Boca Juniors in South America can win comparable to it.

In terms of players, Maldini completed his ninth Champions League final, breaking the record held by Real Madrid legend Gento, and he also surpassed Stefano and Salaga in terms of the number of championships won. Tied with Gento.

"I am eager to win this great honor again next year." Maldini said excitedly to the fans during the parade.

Success may just be on the way.

This victory also brought AC Milan closer to multiple records, which are the next goals of the Rossoneri. The first and most important one is that Real Madrid has won the UEFA Champions League 9 times, only one more than AC Milan.

From Milan Malpensa Airport to Milan Cathedral Square, it was full of flowers and applause.

The Milan soldiers stood in a convertible car, and it took a lot of effort to pass through the crowd to the Bishop's Church Square and show the "Big Ear Cup" to the fans.

Thousands of fans waved red and black flags, "Thank you, Pipo". Inzaghi, who scored two goals in the final, became a hero in the hearts of the fans.

Coach Ancelotti said: "I made a great sacrifice to win the Champions League. I made a bet with the children before the final that if I won the cup, I would quit smoking. I must now fulfill my promise. Few or no one thought we would There are no words to describe the joy and satisfaction of winning the European Cup, a huge success we had so little hope for."

Due to the "Phonegate" incident, AC Milan was not only fined 8 points this season, but it took a lot of trouble for the Serie A runner-up last season to participate in the Champions League.

UEFA held a special meeting for emergency consultations, and AC Milan was allowed to participate, but it needed to "rectify the internal crisis and fully understand the damage caused to European football."

AC Milan had to start from the UEFA Champions League qualifiers, and they encountered the powerful Red Star Belgrade. Six international players including Inzaghi, Gattuso, Pirlo, Nesta and Gilardino followed the Italian team to win the World Cup last year. These heroes who won the championship had to end their vacation hastily and rush into the UEFA Champions League qualifying round.

The state of many main players and the lack of physical reserves, AC Milan was in a sluggish state in the first half of the Serie A season and the Champions League group stage, and it did not get better until after the winter break.

The Italian Football Association raised AC Milan's victory to the height of the country. It wrote on the official website of the Football Association: "After the Italian team won the World Cup, another important trophy belongs to Italy. Thanks to AC Milan! This victory not only proves to the world again that Italian football strength, but also announced the end of a year of misery for AC Milan in a wonderful way."

Our hero is back!

Enthusiastic AC Milan fans surrounded the Cathedral Square in Milan, and then the soldiers who had made some repairs in Milanello appeared in the Church Square on a float, bright red and black, like a ball of flame, burning blazingly In the world famous fashion capital.

The AC Milan players with bright faces enjoyed the congratulations of the mountains and tsunami. Some players waved like fans, some waved red and black Milan flags, and some passed the champion with "big ears" Trophies, the two most notable of which are Gattuso and Ronaldo.

Although Ronaldo is not qualified to help AC Milan play in the Champions League, he also tasted the feeling of touching the Champions League without playing for a minute, but obviously Ronnie did not laugh happily with his teammates around him, he just stood silently in Anche Lottie looked around at the grand celebration.

The most special thing is Gattuso, wearing stylish sunglasses, Gattuso held up a small sign, which is out of place with the surroundings because the sign is actually blue and black. It is only when you look closely at the content on it that you suddenly realize .

The placard reads "I haven't won in 42 years." Obviously this refers to Inter Milan's embarrassing history of not winning the European Champions Cup for 42 years.

Inzaghi smiled, because Super Pippo once again won super praise after scoring twice in the Champions League final; Ancelotti laughed, the Champions League trophy not only made him secure his position, but also achieved great glory ; Berlusconi also smiled, smiling particularly brightly, because the championship not only brought extraordinary influence to the club, but also brought huge bonuses.

The US "Fortune" magazine announced the "Market Value Ranking of World Football Clubs". On this list, Milan ranked fifth, with an income of 46 million US dollars. But when it comes to the conclusion of next year, Milan's income will definitely increase greatly, at least surpassing Bayern in front of it, because compared to the Champions League revenue alone, Milan has earned a full 30 million US dollars more than Bayern.

Italy's "Repubblica" compared the Champions League to a big treasury, and the champion Milan undoubtedly received the largest share of gold. First of all, Milan played in the UEFA Champions League qualifying round. Although it was not too glorious, the winning bonus and ticket revenue allowed the team to get 2 million euros in advance.

Then there is the group stage. According to the principle of the Champions League bonus distribution, the basic bonus is 1.7 million euros, the appearance fee for each game is 340,000 euros, and the winning bonus is 340,000 euros. This includes ticket revenue, which is at least 7 million euros.

Enter the second stage, plus a bonus of 2 million euros, and the winning bonus is doubled.

Entering the quarter-finals will add another 2.7 million euros.

Enter the top four plus 3.4 million euros.

Reaching the final plus 4.1 million euros.

The championship team will also get an extra 2.7 million euros.

The income from competition prize money alone is 30 million euros, but this is far from the big head. What is really enviable is the sponsorship fee.

Milan's main sponsor, bwin, has signed a progressive contract with the team, and every step of the Champions League will sponsor a considerable amount of money.

The year before last, Benitez led Liverpool to win the UEFA Champions League. The team's total income was about 65 million euros. Last year's AC Milan was as high as 87 million euros. This year, Milan's income has continued unabated. The estimate has reached a staggering 100 million euros. How can Berlusconi not be happy with such a huge profit?

With an income of 100 million euros, Milan's transfer budget for next season is naturally high, which will greatly increase the possibility of several superstars joining.

The most credible is Shevchenko. His willingness to return and the welcome of Boss Bei made things a lot easier. The transfer fee will be around 15 million euros.

There is also Ronaldinho that is of concern. The bottom line of Barcelona's transfer is 40 million euros. The huge benefits brought by the Champions League trophy will prompt the completion of this big deal.

Of course, AC Milan still has two candidates, one is Buffon of Juventus, and the other is Zambrotta of Barcelona. The acquisition of four superstars for 100 million euros is the real Champions League effect!

No one will be more excited and satisfied with this victory than AC Milan "chairman" Berlusconi. In a year's time, he has experienced all the low tides of the individual and the team, the failure of the prime minister's election, the blow of the "Phone Gate" incident, all kinds of things.

Everything finally came to an end in Athens, AC Milan won the Champions League, but Berlusconi was still very calm at the awards ceremony, when Maldini lifted the Champions Cup, he clapped his hands and showed a reserved smile; Only when he went to the stadium to celebrate, the "chairman" known for his "character" finally sang and danced with the players, just like the old gentleman with a childlike heart in Stevenson's writing.

In the stands, Berlusconi has been very calm, compared with Galliani's nervousness, when Milan scored two goals, Galliani almost jumped up excitedly, when in the 88th minute Dirk Drivet scored a goal After the ball, Berlusconi sat in the stands expressionlessly, looking slightly nervous, while Galliani could no longer control his emotions. He ran back to the locker room. After the game, he admitted that he was too nervous.

"I got out of my seat and went to the dressing room. I wanted to quiet myself down. I was paranoid, I was too nervous, I couldn't take the torture."

Before the award ceremony, Galliani was back on the field, and he stayed with the players, while Berlusconi stayed in the VIP box, with a peaceful smile on his face, which is even better than he has been in Milan this season. Derby's mood in the first round was calmer. That time he almost jumped out of anger at halftime, but in front of the victory, he was so quiet.

The most touching scene was of course the moment when Berlusconi and Maldini embraced each other. At this time, Galliani had already arrived at the VIP seat along with the crowd of players who received the award, and returned to Berlusconi's side, as the two When the most representative figures of AC Milan in the past fifteen years embraced each other, Galliani applauded excitedly.

Throughout the night, Galliani showed all his emotions, while Berlusconi kept a restrained smile after the victory, and even the strength of the applause was inferior to Galliani.

Berlusconi also appeared at the celebration, and countless bitterness and pain were finally released at this moment: "I said that Inzaghi was going to score two goals, and I was right. We used the victory to forget the pain of Istanbul , although the pressure is still hidden on us. AC Milan won this championship for themselves and for Italy, which is a great achievement."

After defeating Juventus to win the Champions League in 2003, Galliani once admitted that he slept with the Big Ears Cup in his arms that night: "Who will sleep with the Big Ears Cup after the game? "it is me!"

Athens is indeed a blessed place for the Milanese. In 1973, they beat Leeds 1-0 here and won the Cup Winners' Cup. In 1994, they swept Barcelona 4-0 here and won the Champions Cup. This time, they are here again. Lectra Liverpool 3:1, dominated the Champions League for the 8th time in history, and also avenged the reversal of Liverpool two years ago.

Both teams are big winners in the Champions Cup. The previous 51 Champions Cups jointly won 12 trophies, which are the two teams with the most championships outside Real Madrid.

Liverpool's 5 championships all wore red home jerseys, while their opponents all wore white jerseys, which naturally included "Istanbul Night". Milan won 7 championships and wore white jerseys 5 times. Still chose his lucky "color".

This time, when the two teams once again put on their lucky "colors" and stepped onto the field, after 90 minutes of fierce fighting, AC Milan became the final winner.

This season, the most "chaotic" team of AC Milan was presented before people, but in the end they drew a perfect end to this difficult journey with a Champions League trophy.

The Milanese celebrated their victory to their heart's content, but after the victory, they still had a big crisis, that is, the tickets for the Champions League next season. Now in the league rankings, AC Milan is still two points ahead of Fiorentina, but both sides Also in San Siro, there is a head-to-head contest.

With the momentum of winning the Champions League, people are naturally more optimistic about AC Milan's final victory in this game, but is Fiorentina really that easy to deal with?

Don't forget that when the two sides competed at the Frakchi Stadium for the first time this season, Degan's hat-trick in the first game made AC Milan feel humiliated. Now Degan is still in the Fiorentina team, and in Kaka After achieving success, his desire for the Champions League championship is no less than that of the AC Milanese.

"I want to congratulate Ricardo, he completed a great game, but for the last round of the league, my goal is only one, and that is to win, Fiorentina has the strength to accomplish the same great achievement in the Champions League, we have this strength, I firmly believe that Fiorentina will do better than AC Milan!"

Digan's words can be said to be tough, people don't need to guess, if Fiorentina really picks out AC Milan in San Siro, they will definitely not take the overall situation into consideration, like Zaragoza at the beginning, and win the championship The league seats are handed over.

AC Milan wants to continue their glory in the European war next season, there is only one way to go, and that is to win the game.