After the match, quite a few Bayern players failed to evade the ever-present reporters and were forced to give interviews.
Kahn, who looked as though he had aged at least ten years overnight, said,
"Su Hang is unstoppable. He's stronger than any forward I've ever faced."
"Even against Ronaldo, I never felt this powerless."
The "little giant" Lahm commented,
"Is Su Hang really the world's best striker? Because when he stood in front of me, I honestly thought he was the world's best defender."
Even Bayern's two best performers spoke like this.
As for the rest of the squad, there was even less they could say.
The London Globe, running the headline "Supreme Sovereign," lavishly praised Su Hang's performance and responded directly to Bayern fans' pre-match claims:
"Throughout his career, Su Hang has always been questioned."
"And every time he is questioned, that's when he becomes the most terrifying."
"Before the match, Bayern fans said that against a team like Bayern, scoring three goals in one game would be extremely difficult—almost impossible."
"Su Hang proved them absolutely right. Scoring three goals is too hard, because the moment he paid just a little more attention—nine minutes of seriousness—he scored five!"
"With Zidane, Su Hang averages two goal contributions every ninety minutes. Without Zidane, he scores five goals in nine minutes."
"So for the other teams still in the Champions League, perhaps the most important thing right now is to pray for Zidane to return as soon as possible."
Likewise, the always-exaggerated Sky Sports summarized the match with the headline "Who's the Next Bayern?"
Many renowned managers also expressed their admiration for Su Hang in interviews—and quietly hoped their own teams wouldn't have to face Real Madrid next.
Chelsea manager Mourinho, however, held a different view.
Mourinho said,
"This was an unrepeatable miracle. It surprised everyone, including Su Hang himself."
"I don't believe he can keep playing at this level of insanity."
"From my perspective, Bayern's defending in this match was awful. After taking a big lead, they relaxed far too much."
"And this Real Madrid without Zidane wouldn't score a single goal against Chelsea."
"Because right now, Chelsea are the strongest defensive team in Europe—and we also possess top-class attacking ability."
"So this year's Champions League should belong to Chelsea."
Mourinho is a smart man.
He led Porto to tremendous success and was widely regarded as someone with almost magical abilities. He understands the randomness of victory better than most.
At the same time, he was also using the buzz surrounding Su Hang's dominance to generate momentum for Chelsea. He hoped this would stimulate his players, ignite them emotionally, and push them into a heightened competitive state.
That way, when Chelsea fought their way into the Champions League semifinals and final, their opponents would be facing a group of blood-boiling warriors.
Even if the players themselves weren't mentally strong enough, as long as the head coach was strict and authoritative, he could still force peak performances out of them.
The only backlash from this approach was that Mourinho himself would have to endure heavy criticism.
But criticism was exactly what Mourinho feared the least.
...
The very next day, the legend spread across all of Europe.
Bild:
"Five goals in nine minutes! Su Hang secures his Ballon d'Or status with a historic comeback—while leaving Bayern with permanent scars!"
Kicker:
"Bayern humiliated and eliminated from the Champions League! After Su Hang's five-goal haul, he leads the scoring charts with ten goals!"
Marca:
"Su Hang becomes the God of the Allianz Arena, five goals in nine minutes to perform a miracle! Could he retain the Champions League Golden Boot?"
AS:
"King Zidane has only just taken the throne—yet Su Hang is already threatening to usurp him? Congratulations to Real Madrid for reaching the Champions League quarterfinals and defending La Liga's honor!"
Mundo Deportivo:
"Real Madrid scrape into the quarterfinals, showing clear decline! Barcelona fall narrowly to Liverpool, finishing in the round of sixteen but winning the future!"
Sport:
"Nothing to regret! Barcelona's main objective this season is reclaiming the top spot in La Liga—the Champions League and Copa del Rey were never priorities."
France Football:
"Five goals in nine minutes—an unprecedented feat! Beckham's thirty-minute assist hat-trick proves his worth!"
Polish Tabloid:
"Polish rising star Lewandowski imitates Su Hang's shooting style, openly declaring himself the 'Polish Su Hang' and dreaming of joining Real Madrid!"
The Times:
"'The Special One' Mourinho claims Su Hang's goals were more luck than skill, criticizing Bayern's rigid defense and aging squad, saying they're struggling in the Bundesliga and no longer a top team."
The London Globe:
"Clara: Mourinho is playing with fire. He may have provoked an opponent Chelsea cannot afford to face. Blues fans should pray they never meet Su Hang—or risk total destruction!"
Among this flood of reports, Mourinho unsurprisingly captured plenty of attention.
Clara fired back just as forcefully.
At the end of her article, she even attached the record of their last encounter.
That was in 2005, the Champions League quarterfinals.
Chelsea and Real Madrid met head-on.
The Blues held the advantage and looked set to eliminate Real Madrid—until substitute hero Su Hang came on in the second leg, delivering two assists and scoring twice to complete a dramatic comeback.
Unfortunately, Su Hang was injured in a subsequent La Liga match and missed the semifinal against Liverpool.
Real Madrid were eventually eliminated by Liverpool, bowing out in the semifinals.
Liverpool then went on to produce the Miracle of Istanbul.
That remains an eternal pain for Chelsea fans.
Because had Su Hang not been injured, Chelsea—after beating Real Madrid—would most likely have beaten Liverpool as well.
After all, Chelsea's Premier League form that season was far superior to Liverpool's; they were the league champions.
As for Milan… if Liverpool could beat them, why couldn't Chelsea?
The following season, after Su Hang became a regular starter for Real Madrid, he lifted the Champions League trophy alongside the team and claimed the Golden Boot.
But the two sides never met.
This year, however, with Mourinho and Clara trading barbs nonstop, it seemed increasingly likely that the two clubs would meet in the Champions League final to settle everything.
Yet Platini soon showed everyone just how good he was at "storytelling."
One side was the nouveau riche Chelsea; the other, the old aristocrats of Real Madrid. Platini disliked both.
Since both teams generated massive attention, why not let the two tigers fight it out? Wouldn't they both end up eliminated anyway?
After all, with the Premier League's rough style of play, even if they couldn't knock out this half-crippled Real Madrid, they could at least cripple Su Hang!
March 9th.
The Champions League quarterfinal draw was announced.
When Chelsea were drawn against Real Madrid, the entire world exploded.
What a coincidence.
The two teams with the most explosive tension were set to collide.
Another La Liga side, Valencia, drew AC Milan.
Liverpool faced Ajax.
Manchester United took on Roma.
Every matchup was packed with storylines.