Welcome to Hell

Istanbul, Turkey

Once known as Constantinople, the capital of the Roman, Byzantine, Latin, and Ottoman Empires, Istanbul is now the capital of Turkey. This city, once the political center that ruled over Europe, is rich in complexity and conflict, encompassing economics, culture, and religion. Positioned on the boundary between Europe and Asia, it is clear that the city is anything but a simple, clear sky.

As the day gives way to night, the light fades, and on the road to Galatasaray's home ground, Ali Sami Yen Stadium, the Millwall bus draws closer to the stadium, where the number of "welcoming" fans on either side of the road increases.

Aldrich barely has time to admire the city's unique scenery, but the thumping sounds awaken memories from years ago.

Outside Galatasaray's club, fans dressed in red and yellow jerseys display fierce expressions as they wave banners. Some even hold torches and set off fireworks, bare-chested and hoisted by the crowd, wildly shouting at the Millwall bus, "Welcome to hell!"

Henry leans against the window to watch the scene outside when, out of nowhere, a small stone flies toward him, thumping against the glass with a loud bang. Startled, he instinctively ducks his head, provoking a chorus of raucous laughter from the fans outside.

Not only did the fans outside laugh, but Larson, sitting next to Henry, chuckled at the sight of Henry ducking.

Still shaken, Henry knows that the bus window offers some protection and that he isn't really in danger, but who wouldn't be scared to see an unidentified flying object coming at them?

He turns his head and sees Larson laughing at him. With a hint of trepidation, he says, "Those people outside are like a bunch of demons. Do you think the stadium security will hold up?"

Having played in England for over a year, Henry has gleaned from the media reports the intense football atmosphere in Turkey.

To put it nicely, it's called passion, but in the eyes of the British media, it's just chaos, criticized and condemned.

The situation is grim; the British media has their own biases. A few years ago, Manchester United visited Turkey, and both inside and outside the stadium, there were massive disturbances. The foreign press attributed the chaos to English football hooligans, but both governments denied this narrative. Investigations revealed that poor management by Turkish officials escalated the situation. However, British fans were painted with the same brush as hooligans, leading to years of focus on security whenever Premier League teams traveled to Turkey. Everyone hopes to avoid any trouble—it would be a tragedy for football.

Larson closes the book he had been reading on the way and turns to Henry with a smile. "If you had come to the team earlier, you wouldn't be so affected by what you see now. Look at Pavel, Gareth, and Bernd. They're all quite calm."

Curious, Henry asks, "Earlier? Millwall hasn't been to Turkey before, right?"

"Yeah, it's our first time, but we had a rival in the past. Their fans weren't like those Turkish fans outside. They truly hated us; you've missed the East London derby, and I think that's a regret for you. Maybe you'll have a chance to experience it later. I'm not sure if West Ham has been relegated from League One yet."

West Ham?

Henry ponders this; indeed, when he joined Millwall, he had done some thorough research on the club's history during his recovery phase.

In Millwall's official diplomatic relations, the only competitor outside London is Manchester United. Within London, Arsenal is the rival, while Tottenham is more of a benign presence not competing at the same level. Most importantly, as a Millwall player, you must understand who the club's real enemy is. The first is West Ham, followed by Crystal Palace, and now it seems Chelsea has moved into the second spot.

Coincidentally, Aldrich, sitting at the front, is also thinking about West Ham.

Reaching the stadium requires a police escort, with mounted officers guiding the way, while the bus is besieged by fans who resemble demons. This scene feels oddly familiar.

"Bub, does your head still hurt?"

Aldrich suddenly raises his head and asks loudly, causing everyone in the bus to freeze.

Bub, sitting behind him, asks in confusion, "Why would it hurt?"

"West Ham! East London derby!"

"Damn! Now it really hurts again!"

Bub instinctively touches the back of his head, knowing the joke has caused the players and coaches to burst into laughter.

During the intense East London derby, Barb was struck on the back of the head by a metal lighter thrown by rival fans and was immediately escorted to the hospital. That fan not only received a lifetime ban from the stadium but also served six months in jail for assault. This wasn't a joke; a careless act could easily lead to someone getting killed!

"By the way, how's West Ham United doing lately?"

Aldrich turned to Jensen.

Jensen's expression turned strange as he said, "After being relegated, they sold off quite a few players in their first season to cut salary costs. Old Harry Redknapp couldn't get them back to the Premier League in his first season in League One and was sacked by the club. Last season was a complete mess, and they almost dropped to League Two. It seems like Glenn Rodel from the youth team has taken over this season and stabilized things. So, do you miss them?"

Aldrich chuckled lightly, "I don't feel much either way, but while browsing the club's official forum recently, I found something interesting—13% of the fans actually hope to see West Ham return to the Premier League next season. Haha!"

"Haha, there were signs of this last year too. They wanted us to meet West Ham in the cup and reignite the East London derby."

Aldrich shrugged and smiled, realizing that this mentality of fans is quite understandable. They want to see their rivals suffer regardless of how well the other side is doing. West Ham fans probably want to face Millwall in the cup as well. It's similar to how Millwall wanted to clash with West Ham when they were in lower leagues while West Ham was in the top tier.

Millwall's bus safely rolled into the Ali Sami Yen Stadium. As they parked and the outside noise faded, Millwall's players felt as if they had stepped into another world.

The match was scheduled for the evening, and the team began their pre-match warm-up as many fans were already inside the stadium, eagerly waiting for the game to start.

Once the players returned to the locker room, Aldrich stood in the center and said nonchalantly, "This is a ground famously known as hell. It will have a significant psychological impact on you. The intense home atmosphere won't reduce your technical abilities, nor will it transform football or create landmines on the pitch, but—don't laugh!"

Before he could finish, Ronaldinho burst out laughing. Aldrich shot him a glare, and he quickly stifled it.

"However, it will distract you, drawing your focus away from the game and football, which is the key point that will affect your performance. I have only one request of you: ignore the fans in the stands and play our style of football for the full 90 minutes. That's all that matters."

With that, Aldrich turned and left the locker room.

As he walked out of the player tunnel, he frowned. Even before stepping onto the grass, he caught a whiff of a pungent smell. Turning back at the exit, he saw that some fans had set off fireworks, making it look at first glance like the stands were on fire!

The Galatasaray fans were putting on a show in the stands, singing their club songs repeatedly, filled with lyrics about madness, passion, and championships. Aldrich found himself curious about what "Garem" meant in their chants.

His gaze fell upon a plethora of gigantic banners in the stands, the most striking being the one that read "Welcome to Hell."

The frenzied fans greeted Millwall's arrival with exaggerated gestures. Surveying the stadium, Aldrich couldn't help but smile.

The chaos in the stands truly did evoke a hellish atmosphere.

But whose hell was it, really?

As Aldrich appeared, the home crowd erupted in boos. He calmly walked to the bench. Sometimes, a head coach must learn to read the situation.

If he remembered correctly, there was an English coach in history who had managed a Turkish powerhouse and then won a decisive match between two rival clubs. His exaggerated acts of provocation afterward led to death threats, nearly costing him his life and soul in Turkey.

Later, the coach explained his actions, claiming that such provocation was commonplace in England, never expecting the Turkish fans to react so vehemently.

This had little to do with fan behavior but rather the differences in the legal and social environments and the management efficiency in football. The same provocative action in England might spark fan discontent and possibly lead to conflicts outside the stadium, yet the coach's safety would be assured. In Turkey, especially between rivals, any extreme provocation could lead to personal tragedy.

Aldrich had no intention of entering "hell" with an arrogant attitude. He was here to lead the team in a match, not to conquer.

"The Champions League Group Stage match is about to kick off, with Galatasaray hosting Millwall from the Premier League. Currently, Galatasaray's chances of advancing from this group look fairly optimistic; they managed a draw against AC Milan and are now facing Millwall. If they can earn points from Millwall, they will still have a chance to progress to the Round of 16. Millwall's first match saw them comfortably defeating Hertha Berlin 4-1 in London, placing them at the top of the group. Their formidable attacking firepower is a guarantee of victory; it's just unclear if they can perform normally against Galatasaray, who are known for their hellish home advantage."

As the match began, the frenzied atmosphere continued. Millwall started the game by maintaining possession, earning a corner just three minutes in.

Ronaldinho went to take the corner but was met with a "rain of coins" from the corner flag. He covered his head and complained to the referee, but it was clearly futile.

Nedved stepped in to stop Ronaldinho from arguing with the referee and, pulling him aside, whispered, "Don't let outside factors distract you."

Ronaldinho picked up a coin from the ground and asked, "Is this also an outside factor?"

Nedved nodded seriously, saying, "Stay focused on the game. If you keep complaining to the referee, and your attention gets diverted by the fans, isn't that exactly what Galatasaray wants to see?"

Ronaldinho understood and followed Nedved's advice. The seasoned Nedved had accumulated a wealth of experience from his battles in the East London derby. This "rain of coins" was nothing to be alarmed about; players sometimes had to endure hostile fans' attacks, insults, humiliation, and even threats. Withstanding the pressure and remaining unfazed would forge a big heart and an impenetrable psychological defense.