Mourinho pushed open the wooden door and walked into the locker room once everyone had gathered.
He didn't scold everyone.
Instead, he sat casually on the table, remained silent for a moment, and then spoke.
"First, I want to apologize to all of you. Today, in terms of tactical adjustments, we didn't perform as well as Liverpool."
Ling couldn't help but widen his eyes.
Mourinho apologizing to the players—this was something he had never seen before.
And although it was framed as a tactical issue, if all failures were attributed to the coach, then what would be the point of having players in football matches?
Of course, Ling didn't deny that the tactics could have been better.
However, even though he had reviewed hundreds of matches, could he compare to Mourinho, who had decades of coaching experience?
Don't joke around—how could that be possible?
Mourinho wasn't one to drag things out either.
He swiftly moved on to the main topic: "Since I started coaching all of you, our journey has been too smooth."
"Because of this, many people, including those present here, believe that we are already the best in the world."
"And I have to admit, I've also become a bit carried away."
Mourinho smiled and continued softly: "But this defeat tells us that the road ahead is still long."
"So we must put in more effort."
"Of course, I know you train diligently and work hard every day. But our opponents aren't standing still—perhaps they are putting in even more effort."
"And to achieve victory, we must put in more effort. This is an eternal law of the world."
Listening to Mourinho's words, the Manchester United players each had their own thoughts.
They recalled the past two seasons, realizing that their journey had been too smooth, which had led to a shift in their mindset.
Ling was no exception.
Even with the experiences of two lifetimes, on the path to the pinnacle of football, he could still be distracted by temptations like fame, failure, and other distractions along the way.
Now, it was time to reflect and settle down.
Then, Mourinho pointed to the Manchester United emblem on the floor, his tone shifting from relaxed to serious.
"All of you here are still young—many of you are just kids. You haven't experienced failure before. You need to think carefully: Why did we fail?"
"Is it a matter of ability?"
"Definitely not. You are the best players in the world."
"Is it a tactical issue?"
"I don't think it's entirely that. Of course, I could set aside my pride and arrogance and tell the media that this was all my fault—that my poor tactics led to Manchester United's defeat."
Mourinho was known for his arrogance, often described as "God first, me second."
But as Ling looked at the graying hair on Mourinho's head, he realized how old the manager had become.
"But now, facing my closest comrades, don't expect me to comfort you with those words. You don't need that kind of childish comfort either."
"What I want to tell you is that any great champion isn't great because they have the best skills or extraordinary talent. The most important thing is to have an unbreakable spirit."
"Most importantly, when they face failure in life, they can still hold their heads high, confront the challenges, bravely overcome difficulties, and constantly surpass themselves. These are the qualities necessary to become a champion."
Mourinho made eye contact with each Manchester United player, as if conveying his thoughts in that moment.
"Liverpool performed better today, so they deserved to win the match."
"But they celebrated as if they had won the championship, when in reality they only won one game!"
"However, remember that the road to the title is still long!"
"Tomorrow I will give you a day off, but don't just stay at home. Go out into the city with your families, children, or friends. Let people see that you can overcome this setback, let them know you have the confidence to bounce back and win next week!"
"You might hear fans discussing the significance of this defeat."
"But never hide away, because you are men!"
"From the moment we leave the dressing room today, we must cast aside our disappointment and fight for the championship!"
Mourinho's powerful voice echoed through the dressing room.
The Manchester United players slowly lifted their heads, the confusion in their eyes fading significantly!
...
Manchester didn't fall silent because of Manchester United's defeat.
On the contrary, another Champions League semi-final was taking place at the Etihad Stadium.
Guardiola and Ten Hag stood on the sidelines.
But unlike Manchester United's match against Liverpool, Manchester City held a clear advantage in the game.
Less than seven minutes into the match, De Bruyne delivered a killer through ball, creating a one-on-one opportunity for Sergio Aguero.
Facing André Onana, whose backside was large and round, Aguero faked a shot and then cut inside to create space, calmly slotting the ball into an empty net to give Manchester City the lead.
At that moment, Manchester City's commentator in the broadcast booth couldn't resist a taunt.
"Oh, look at Onana's snail speed going down! I think he needs to have some fat removed from his backside! Today, we won't follow the example of our neighbors Manchester United. We must secure victory without any doubt!"
Amid the resounding cheers at the Etihad, Manchester City fans excitedly waved their arms.
Last season, Manchester City fell to Liverpool.
The staggering 5-1 aggregate score over two legs became a painful memory for Manchester City fans.
They longed for revenge against Liverpool at every moment.
As for Manchester United? Although Manchester United lost to Liverpool in the first leg, no one doubted their strength.
Manchester City fans didn't want to face Manchester United.
After all, looking back at the history of encounters between the two teams, Manchester United seemed to have become Manchester City's nemesis.
No matter how much of an advantage Manchester City gained, they always fell just short of defeating Manchester United.
It's worth noting that Manchester City, since the club's founding, had never won the Champions League.
So perhaps revenge against Manchester United could wait until next season.
Manchester City fans quietly cheered for Liverpool, hoping they could defeat Manchester United at home and advance to the Champions League final in early June.
...
What were Manchester United fans doing at this time? They were gathered in themed bars, gloomily watching the television screens.
"How could we lose 1-3 to Liverpool? I just can't understand it! Even though we were mostly on the back foot in previous matches against Liverpool, our counterattacks always yielded good results. But in yesterday's match, all I saw was Liverpool's relentless attacks." A young Manchester United fan took a frustrated gulp of beer.
Meanwhile, the elderly man wiping glasses behind the bar, instead of continuing to doze off with his eyes half-closed, picked up the remote control and switched to a match replay.
The time displayed in the upper right corner read: May 26, 1999, 8:45 PM.
The young Manchester United fan dared not voice his anger.
The man sitting across from him was named Mike, the leader of a die-hard Manchester United supporters' group who had been supporting the club since he was five, following in the footsteps of his father and grandfather.
The remote control buttons seemed a bit unresponsive, so Mike pressed them a few more times firmly, switching the screen to another match.
May 27, 2018, 8:45 PM.
Two matches spanning 19 years were, in a way, quite similar—both featured miraculous comebacks.
Mike lay back in his rocking chair, nodding with satisfaction.
Then he began to enjoy the match.
Fifty-six years had passed since he first became a Manchester United fan. He witnessed the red empire built by Sir Alex Ferguson, and also saw the departure of Sir Alex Ferguson from Manchester United, which marked the beginning of the Red Devils' fall from grace.
He had thought Manchester United would remain in the doldrums, given that so many managerial changes had proven futile.
But who could have known that when the boss took charge, he would bring three trophies to Manchester United? Although they were only the "small treble" like the Europa League, for a Manchester United that had been in a slump for so long, it still gave the fans cause to celebrate for days.
Yet, to his surprise, this was only the beginning of a beautiful dream.
Since finally, someone inherited the iconic No. 7 jersey, a symbol of honor, and powerfully broke the curse associated with it.
By shattering the Premier League goal-scoring record, he proved he had the ability and the right to wear that legendary jersey.
If it had ended there, Mike wouldn't have been overly excited.
He suddenly recalled last season's Champions League final.
Facing the luxurious Galactic Battleship, no one believed Manchester United could win, as the gap on paper was enough to shatter all illusions.
Yet the result was still unexpected.
The new Manchester United No. 7 seemed to possess a magical aura, leading the team to an impossible comeback.
Every Manchester United player gave their all in that match.
Goal, comeback, goal, comeback.
Mike was sitting in this very bar at the time.
Before he could fully process the joy of the earlier goal, he was swept up in a second, even more intense wave of elation.
That feeling was deeply etched into his heart.
When Jeremy Ling scored the final penalty, the bar erupted like a bomb.
He couldn't hear his own cheers.
All he could hear was the collective outpouring of emotion from those around him, a release built up over 120 minutes.
In that instant, all the emotions seemed to burst through the roof, and the ground beneath his feet trembled.
In the end, Manchester United lifted the Champions League trophy after a decade-long wait.
Mike had witnessed the miraculous comeback of 1999 and thought he would never experience anything like it again.
But now, the middle-aged man who had "wept tears of joy" back then had become an elderly man with "tears welling up in his eyes."
"Be patient, young man. The road to glory is always filled with hardships. What does it matter if we don't win the trophy in the end? As fans, standing by the team through thick and thin and showing our support is the only thing we can do—and the only thing we can do well."
Mike's somber voice broke the silence, quieting the bar for a moment.
The young Manchester United fan sat for a while longer before getting up and leaving the bar, his final destination unknown.