Chapter 240 Ronaldo Messi Is Excited, Simeone Is Crying, Is It Su Luo Again?

The day before Chelsea's away match against West Ham in the 27th round of the Premier League, the top 8 teams of the Champions League were announced, and the draw ceremony was held that evening.

Hosted at UEFA Headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland, the draw was led by UEFA Deputy Secretary-General Marchetti, with Welsh football star Ian Rush as the guest of honor. The final will take place at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff City, Wales, making this draw particularly crucial for the teams involved. Not only would it determine the quarter-final matchups, but it would also shape the path to the semifinals.

From this stage onward, there would be no restrictions—teams from the same group or league could face each other. The stakes were high.

In previous years, Su Luo would invite his teammates to his mansion for a barbecue party during such events. However, due to the hectic schedule this season, the entire Chelsea squad watched the draw together in the hotel meeting room.

"I hope we get Real Madrid," someone muttered.

"No way, let's hope we avoid them for now. Leicester City would be an easier match."

"Yeah, I'd love to knock Leicester out and cruise to the semifinals."

"Come on, where's the fun in that? Bring on the strong teams!"

Before the draw, players like Azpilicueta, Pedro, Fabregas, and David Luiz debated whether they wanted to face tough opponents or have an easier path forward.

Mount turned to Su Luo, curious. "Su, who do you want to play against?"

Su Luo shrugged confidently. "I'm ready for anyone—Real Madrid, Barcelona, Bayern, Atletico, Juventus—the stronger, the better."

Mount looked at Su Luo with admiration. "That's the mindset of a true champion!"

Meanwhile, the broadcast began, highlighting the journey of each team to the quarterfinals.

Real Madrid had steamrolled Monaco, winning both legs 3-1, with a total score of 6-1. Ronaldo scored a hat-trick in the second leg, bringing his tally to 10 goals, placing him second in the top scorers' list. Yet, Su Luo had already netted 14 goals, keeping him out of Ronaldo's reach.

During the match, 18-year-old Mbappe had shown his potential with a goal, catching the eye of Paris Saint-Germain, who were rumored to be targeting him for next season.

Speaking of PSG, they shocked everyone by thrashing Barcelona 4-0 in the first leg. Barcelona, struggling with their domestic campaign, seemed out of sorts—Neymar and Messi were practically sleepwalking, while only Suarez played to his usual standards. However, in the return leg at Camp Nou, Barcelona miraculously won 6-1, overturning the deficit to advance 6-5 on aggregate. Messi's hat-trick in that match brought his total to 8 goals in the Champions League—still far behind Su Luo.

Serie A's Napoli faced Benfica, winning 1-0 at home and 2-1 away, advancing with a total score of 3-1. With the decline of the Milan teams in recent years, Juventus remained Serie A's only powerhouse, with only Roma and Napoli posing any real challenge.

As for Bayern Munich's matchup with Arsenal, it was yet another chapter in the story of Arsenal's European heartbreak. The "Three Years for Barcelona, Five Years for Bayern" curse lived on. Bayern demolished Arsenal 5-1 at the Allianz Arena, and then repeated the scoreline at the Emirates, sealing a 10-2 aggregate victory. Arsenal had been thoroughly humiliated.

Juventus, who would eventually reach the final, easily dispatched Porto with a 3-0 aggregate win.

The matchup between Leicester City and Sevilla was one of the more surprising results. Despite losing Kante and slipping to mid-table in the Premier League, Leicester's legendary striker Jamie Vardy, who had risen from the 8th tier of English football, scored twice to overturn a first-leg deficit, winning 3-2 on aggregate and securing their place in the quarterfinals. But their fairy tale was nearing its end. Surrounded by Europe's elite, it seemed unlikely they would progress any further.

Chelsea had advanced to the quarterfinals largely thanks to Su Luo's outstanding performances, defeating Union Berlin to secure their spot in the final eight.

The last tie of the round saw Atletico Madrid face Manchester City in a rematch of last season's final. Despite City's strength and their status as title favorites under Guardiola, they were defeated. City won the first leg 3-1 at the Etihad and thought they were safe. However, at the Calderon, Atletico Madrid pulled off a 2-0 victory, advancing on away goals with a 3-3 aggregate score. Once again, City's Champions League dreams were crushed, and they would have to wait for another chance, possibly until 2023.

With the top 8 now determined, the teams were as follows:

La Liga: Real Madrid, Barcelona, Atletico Madrid

Bundesliga: Bayern Munich

Serie A: Juventus, Napoli

Premier League: Chelsea, Leicester City

After the short film on the road to promotion finished, the guest presenter, Ian Rush, prepared to draw the first matchup of the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals.

The atmosphere in the room grew tense as Su Luo's teammates stopped talking and focused intently on the screen.

"Real Madrid!" Ian Rush announced.

Real Madrid, the favorites to win the championship, were the first team drawn, putting immense pressure on the other teams.

The Chelsea players held their breath and then exhaled in relief.

"Bayern Munich! Real Madrid versus Bayern!"

The first matchup was a colossal clash of giants, sparking excitement among the teams and adding drama to the Champions League.

Everyone eagerly anticipated the next matchup.

"FC Barcelona!" Rush called out.

A murmur went through the room—Barcelona, the other titan of La Liga, was up next.

Though Barcelona hadn't been as dominant as in 2015, and there were rumors of Neymar leaving the club, they were still a formidable team. The conflict between coach Luis Enrique and the club had weakened them, but with Messi, Suarez, and Neymar still leading the attack, they remained serious contenders for the title.

"Leicester City! Barcelona versus Leicester City!"

The Chelsea players chuckled at the draw, feeling that the Premier League underdogs had drawn a tough opponent. Though none of the teams in the top eight were pushovers, Su Luo was slightly taken aback by the draw.

"Su, what's wrong?" Kanter noticed Su Luo's distraction.

"Nothing," Su Luo shook his head.

He remembered that this year's quarter-finals were supposed to be Juventus versus Barcelona, with Juventus advancing after a 3-0 victory. That defeat was what led Neymar to leave Barcelona. It seemed that Su Luo's presence had caused a ripple effect, altering the Champions League matchups.

From now on, Su Luo knew he couldn't rely on memory to predict the outcome—every draw would be a surprise.

With Real Madrid versus Bayern in the bottom half and Barcelona versus Leicester in the top half, the next matchup would decide who Chelsea would face in the lower half.

"Napoli's opponent is... Juventus!"

The media at the event smiled knowingly. With the Serie A civil war decided so early, it seemed UEFA wanted to ensure at least one Italian team reached the semi-finals. Given the decline of Serie A, having an Italian team in the semis was almost necessary.

Now, only two teams remained.

"Atletico Madrid..." Mason Mount muttered thoughtfully.

"Atletico Madrid!" he repeated, scratching his head.

"Fortunately, it's Atletico Madrid," Conte said, satisfied with the result.

In the corner, Su Luo smiled.

"Perfect! It's Atletico Madrid!" he thought.

UEFA had given him the chance for a quick rematch. Last season's grudge was still fresh, and Su Luo was eager to settle it on the pitch.

With that, the Champions League quarter-finals matchups were set:

Top half:

Barcelona vs. Leicester City

Chelsea vs. Atletico Madrid

Bottom half:

Real Madrid vs. Bayern Munich

Juventus vs. Napoli

Madrid, Ronaldo's Mansion

Cristiano Ronaldo and several Real Madrid teammates—Ramos, Marcelo, and Benzema—sat together, watching the draw on the sofa. Ronaldo's girlfriend, Georgina, and their son, Cristianinho, were chatting with the Real Madrid wives nearby.

"Bayern... that's going to be interesting," Ramos said, clearly excited to face a strong team.

"Too bad it's not Chelsea," Marcelo noted, knowing Ronaldo was eager for a direct showdown with Su Luo.

Ronaldo smiled. "It's okay. If we meet, it'll be in the final, and that's even better. I hope they make it to the final."

His eyes narrowed, and he clenched his fists. "When they're closest to the championship trophy, full of hope, we'll be the ones to crush their dreams."

Barcelona, Training Ground

Meanwhile, the Barcelona players were also watching the draw. Busquets, deep in thought, spoke up.

"We should make it to the semi-finals. If Atletico Madrid makes it through, we'll play them and have a good chance to reach the final."

Suarez shook his head. "Chelsea is too strong. Atletico Madrid doesn't stand a chance."

Suarez knew how difficult it was to score in the Premier League. Su Luo had scored over 50 goals in just 20 rounds, which was unheard of.

"Atletico Madrid will be lucky if they don't get destroyed," Suarez added.

"Either way, let's focus on our game," Messi finally said, his expression serious but tinged with anticipation.

"I'd rather face Chelsea in the semi-finals."

Su Luo wasn't just Ronaldo's rival—he was Messi's too. Messi had long wanted a direct confrontation with Su Luo, and this season, he might just get that chance.

"Su, take down Atletico Madrid. Don't let me down," Messi thought to himself.

Atletico Madrid, Coach's Office

Back in Madrid, Atletico's coach, Diego Simeone, was deep in thought.

"Diego, it's him again," his assistant noted.

"Yeah, I know," Simeone replied, feeling the pressure.

"How do we stop him this time? He's even more dangerous than last season."

"The same way as before—be tougher," Simeone said, though he was clearly worried.

Out of all the teams, Simeone would have preferred to face anyone but Su Luo. The memory of last year's near-loss still haunted him. If Su Luo hadn't been injured, would Atletico's Champions League hopes have been dashed?

"There's an old saying in China: 'When the soldiers come, the general will block them; when the water rises, the earth will cover it.' We'll just have to do our best," Simeone muttered, knowing the challenge ahead was immense.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

You can visit my Patreon page:

Patreon.com/PhoeniXcel

I upload 2 chapters daily on Patreon!

There are 140+ advanced chapters available for you to read.

Your support would be greatly appreciated.

Check out my new One piece fanfic!

[One Piece: Invincible Starting From The Fruit Of Words]