The War of Words

The clash between players on the pitch spilled over to the stands, where fervent Millwall fans erupted in rage. Insults were hurled at Chelsea supporters, along with random objects, escalating to the brink of physical brawls.

"Bloody hell!"

The Lions' fans couldn't tolerate Wise's actions—touch anyone, but not Ronaldinho!

Even though Henry had been scoring prolifically this season, Ronaldinho's status in the hearts of the fans was far higher. From the moment Ronaldinho made his sensational debut a few seasons ago, rumors of big clubs targeting him surfaced every transfer window. Yet, he always publicly reaffirmed his loyalty to Millwall, putting fans' concerns to rest.

As a homegrown talent, his bond with the supporters grew stronger season after season.

Millwall fans loved their team and its players, but they were never blind.

They knew some players' loyalty could be bought, while others seemed born with it. And to them, the latter was far more precious.

Wise's infamous reputation as a troublemaker in the Premier League only fueled the Lions' fans' anger. Whether intentional or not, they were convinced he was provoking trouble.

Some even suspected he aimed to injure Ronaldinho deliberately.

Players from both teams converged at the scene. Klose stepped in to hold back Ronaldinho, while Larsson pointed at Wise, issuing a stern warning. Di Matteo pulled Wise aside, then noticed Pirlo standing nearby. Switching to Italian, the two compatriots exchanged words, with Pirlo shrugging as if he couldn't comprehend Wise's behavior.

As a technical player, Pirlo dreaded fouls, knowing his game didn't rely on physicality. Naturally, he found Wise's conduct utterly despicable.

Schneider sprinted 40 meters to the scene, only to find the players had already been separated. Ronaldinho was still fuming, his head held high as he continued to lash out verbally at Wise, with Klose trying to calm him down.

"Hey, the boss asked me to pass on a message—calm down and don't take the bait."

Schneider's little bluff about Aldrich's instructions worked surprisingly well.

Ronaldinho glanced toward the sidelines, noticing Aldrich arguing with Vialli. Realizing his manager was standing up for him at the risk of an FA sanction, Ronaldinho let his anger dissipate. He understood the significance of Aldrich confronting Chelsea's coaching staff.

Aldrich's actions were partly to defend Ronaldinho but also to settle the score with Vialli. The Chelsea manager had tried to disrupt Millwall's focus before the match, and Aldrich wasn't about to let that slide.

He strolled over to the Chelsea dugout, mocking them without the slightest restraint:

"Is that all you've got? This is pathetic! Vialli, if you can't beat me, just admit it already. You're not the first Chelsea manager to lose to me, and you certainly won't be the last. A loss is a loss—why not own up to it like a man? Or has Bates already given you an ultimatum? No win, and you're out?"

The Chelsea bench erupted in fury at Aldrich's remarks.

Their collective anger boiled over as they charged forward, forcing the nearby fourth official into a frenzy to keep the situation under control. Even the linesman joined the effort, trying to pull the two sides apart.

Aldrich, however, ignored their outraged yelling. With a disdainful smile and unwavering eyes, he radiated defiance. Even as the fourth official forced him to retreat, hand pressed against his chest, Aldrich's head remained high, his rebellious attitude unshaken.

The referee finally managed to quell the players' conflict on the field, issuing Wise a yellow card as a warning. Yet, instead of restarting the match immediately, he marched to Millwall's technical area to issue Aldrich a stern caution: any further provocations or encroachments, and he'd be shown a red card.

Hands in his pockets, Aldrich seemed to treat the referee's words as background noise, not even sparing him a glance.

For Aldrich, it wasn't about what he had just said—it was about what was now occupying Vialli's mind. Could the Chelsea manager remain calm and composed?

Order was quickly restored in the stands by security, and the match resumed.

A direct free kick for Millwall, right on the edge of the box—an ideal position for a shot on goal.

Ronaldinho stepped up confidently, his determined gaze telling everyone that he was about to respond to Chelsea with a goal.

Chelsea set up their defensive wall, tight and organized. The only chance for a goal was if Ronaldinho could bend the ball around the wall. Otherwise, scoring would be nearly impossible.

Ronaldinho took his run-up, lightly tapping the ball sideways.

As the Chelsea defenders jumped to block, their eyes widened in disbelief.

The ball rolled into the path of Pirlo, who struck it without hesitation, his shot powerful and precise. The angle was perfect, cutting across the front and landing in the area behind the wall, just where the goalkeeper would be positioned during a free kick. It was the far side of the goal, farther from the keeper's reach.

de Goey lunged desperately, but the ball flew past him and into the net. The angle wasn't extreme, but the distance made it almost impossible for him to reach.

"Ah, Millwall's free-kick combination breaks the deadlock! Ronaldinho fooled Chelsea, setting up Pirlo with the perfect assist. Pirlo didn't waste his chance, smashing it home after careful preparation. Looks like he and Ronaldinho had planned this move—clever, indeed!"

After the goal, Pirlo turned to Ronaldinho, and the two raised their hands in unison. Their fingers interlocked above their heads, and they pressed their foreheads together, sharing a smile.

The other teammates rushed in to high-five them in celebration.

Millwall had scored two goals, yet their celebrations weren't wild.

They were holding back, saving it for the Champions League final!

This match was important, but the real battle would come in the final.

A single-match showdown—how could the FA Cup final compare?

In their hearts, no defense was impenetrable, no opponent unbeatable. The title—that was theirs to take!

The score remained unchanged through the first half, and by the second half, Millwall made two substitutions.

Ronaldinho and Pirlo were taken off.

Gronkjaer and Lampard came on.

The decision to substitute the two stars wasn't just for their protection but also to prepare for the upcoming Champions League final, given their two-goal lead.

With the Champions League final looming just four days away, Aldrich made a pragmatic decision in the FA Cup final. For the second half, he directed his team to focus on defending while hitting Chelsea on the counterattack.

His orders were explicit: no defensive duties for the front three!

The midfield trio of Makelele, Lampard, and Nedvěd became an iron curtain in front of the back four. Aldrich was ready for Chelsea's response—how many players would it take to break through?

Chelsea played with a 4-4-2 formation. In other words, if Chelsea only relied on their forwards and midfielders, they'd be at a 6 vs. 7 disadvantage. With their team and individual skills not quite up to par, Chelsea's offensive pressure remained ineffective.

Vialli seemed genuinely frustrated, pushing his full-backs higher up the field.

This gave Aldrich a sense of ease.

It seemed Vialli had forgotten how Manchester United had been 4-2 up against Millwall before they lost three goals in a dramatic turnaround.

Aldrich, if he was determined to play a defensive, counter-attacking game against any opponent, knew that with the players at his disposal, he could dominate any match. However, this wasn't his ultimate goal, nor the style he wanted for Millwall. This defensive approach wasn't sustainable long-term, because football would always embrace attacking football and criticize cynical, results-driven tactics.

Chelsea tried three offensive waves, all of which came to nothing. In the 61st minute, Gronkjaer made a brilliant run down the left wing, slicing through Chelsea's entire defense. With space everywhere, he used his speed to change direction and accelerate—one simple move, and it was enough to break Chelsea's defense.

However, he couldn't finish cleanly, and de Goey managed to block the shot. The ball rolled to the center, where Larsson was waiting. He calmly chipped the ball forward to Klose, who was unmarked and finished with a calm strike into the far corner of the net.

"3-0, Millwall has sealed the win. They're about to make history, securing both the Premier League and the FA Cup titles in the same season!"

Chelsea's players were downcast, while Aldrich was caught in a dilemma.

Who should be the final substitution?

Nedved or Larsson?

Glancing at the bench, he finally decided to bring on Vicente for Larsson. After all, Nedved's physique wouldn't be easily injured, and his stamina should be fine. With a three-goal lead, Nedved would know when to ease off.

With less than 20 minutes left, Millwall had used all three substitutions. However, just three minutes after the third substitution, Klose was fouled by Desailly during a counterattack. The referee judged that both were fairly going for the ball, despite slow-motion replays showing that Desailly had tripped Klose. The referee didn't see it.

Klose twisted his ankle during the fall and couldn't continue the match. Millwall was forced to play with one less player.

Aldrich furrowed his brow. Such a situation was a blow to the coach's face.

But he wasn't too worried about the game. It was just a matter of more pressure on defense, considering Chelsea had the advantage of one more player, which relieved some of the pressure on their defense, allowing them to play more boldly on the attack.

This was Millwall's starting lineup. They were firm in defense, and without some special skill or surprise tactic, it would be impossible to break their defense.

Though Millwall was down to ten men, the situation was still manageable. Chelsea, despite having an extra player, couldn't create clear-cut scoring opportunities and resorted to frequent long-range shots from outside the box.

In the 82nd minute, Chelsea earned a corner from a long shot, and from the ensuing corner, Deschamps scored one back for them. They rallied, determined to push forward, but that would be their last goal.

When the final whistle blew, a wave of synchronized cheers rang out from the Millwall fans at Wembley.

"Aldrich, happy birthday!"

It seemed like the Lions' fans had planned this in advance.

May, the season of harvest—each game felt like a memory Aldrich would carry for a lifetime.

Amid the cheers, all Millwall players walked onto the field, hugging and celebrating, clapping in acknowledgment. They were much more restrained than when they had won the league title, as an even more important final awaited them in just four days.

Aldrich calmly spoke with FA chairman Thompson in the royal box corridor, then smiled as he watched his players lift the trophy.

In his sixth year coaching Millwall, this was his 11th major trophy.

After slipping the medal into his suit pocket, Aldrich spread his arms as he walked down the steps, high-fiving the fans along the way, a gesture of celebration.

Some fans were already chanting "Champions Cup, Champions Cup."

Aldrich didn't respond. As he walked toward the field, he stood, hand in pocket, watching the players taking pictures with the trophy. In his mind, he silently thought: Champions Cup? Of course, we need to win it back. Millwall and my second Champions Cup—it's going to be incredibly meaningful.