Chapter 275 Fly: If you don't give me the Golden Globe Award, you can cancel it
On the sidelines, Mourinho stood rigid, his suit still dusted from kicking over the bench.
His lips trembled slightly, wanting to say something, but ultimately he remained silent.
The assistant coach cautiously stepped forward, attempting to comfort him, but Mourinho pushed him away.
Mourinho slowly crouched down, covering his face with his hands, and after a long time, he slowly rose, his eyes hollow as he gazed into the distance.
He turned and walked towards the field, each step heavy as lead. As he passed Cristiano Ronaldo, who was still unwilling to accept defeat, he suddenly stopped and said in a nearly hoarse voice:
"Cristiano, you know… this shouldn't be Real Madrid's ending."
"We have to find a way to win it back, you know?"
Cristiano Ronaldo nodded subconsciously upon hearing this. He looked at his compatriot, whose hair already showed strands of silver, and said:
"José Mourinho, we must work hard together. I believe in you, and I will do my best. Let's get our revenge next year!"
Afterward, Mourinho embraced the other Real Madrid players one by one.
After glancing at Fly, who was surrounded by stars, Mourinho abandoned his inner thought and chose to disappear into the tunnel without looking back, leaving only the empty coach's bench, witnessing the pain brought by this defeat.
The Special One knew very well that Real Madrid's elimination in this round of the Champions League knockout stage was due to this man.
This man had almost completely dismantled his defensive system!
Mourinho had to admit that he had underestimated him before the match…
He had initially thought that treating Fly with a "Messi-level" defense would be sufficient.
But from the results, his idea was too absurd!
Although Mourinho still couldn't figure out why a player whose dribbling and small techniques were inferior to Messi's could so easily break down his defensive system!
But the fact was, he had no way against this Fly…
Even though he had signaled Ramos and Pepe to be more aggressive, Mourinho found that this monster named "Fly Adams" was completely unaffected by Pepe and Ramos.
On the field, it often happened that Ramos and Pepe wanted to foul but couldn't even touch the opponent.
Whenever he thought of this, Mourinho could only shake his head helplessly; he had no good solution for it…
In the stands, Real Madrid fans began to leave with dejected expressions. Most of them were silent, with only occasional sighs and curses heard.
An elderly fan with white hair, trembling hands, slowly took off his Real Madrid scarf and clutched it tightly to his chest, tears streaming down his wrinkled cheeks.
He looked back at the field repeatedly, muttering to himself, "I wonder if I will ever live to see the great Real Madrid once again reach the pinnacle of Europe…"
Some extreme fans were filled with anger, forcefully throwing their jerseys and posters onto the ground, stomping on them fiercely, trying to vent their dissatisfaction.
In the hearts of these people, Real Madrid must win!
Losing a game was a crime, unforgivable!!!
There were also some relatively more rational fans who gathered together, excitedly debating the referee's decisions and the team's performance in the match, with arguments rising and falling.
A portion of the fans were not convinced that Arsenal had eliminated Real Madrid, believing that the referee was biased, otherwise Real Madrid would have advanced.
Another portion of the fans believed that Real Madrid was simply outplayed and accepted the loss gracefully…
But no matter how they viewed the result, one opinion was unanimous—Fly was truly a freak!!!
In stark contrast was the celebratory scene of Arsenal fans leaving the stadium.
They sang their team anthem, their faces beaming with proud smiles, as they orderly headed towards the stadium exit.
Along the way, they high-fived and cheered, constantly repeating, "We've advanced, we're going to the Champions League Final!"
"Champions, Arsenal are champions!!!"
"We Arsenal are invincible!!!"
Many fans also took out their phones to record this unforgettable moment, ready to share it with friends and family immediately.
Children excitedly rode on their fathers' shoulders, waving small flags and loudly shouting the players' names.
The entire city of London seemed to be ignited by the passion of Arsenal fans, with red figures visible everywhere and joyous laughter echoing through the city.
As the MVP of the entire match, Fly, as expected, received post-match interviews from reporters for the umpteenth time.
"Fly, congratulations on your victory over Real Madrid. Do you have anything to say about it?"
"Emmm… First of all, a big thank you to our supporting fans. Without you, we wouldn't have the motivation to fight on the field."
"Secondly, I'm very grateful for the help from the coaching staff, especially Mr. Arsène, because with their support, I got the opportunity to play."
"And of course, my teammates… You know, they are the best teammates in the world!"
"Finally, I want to thank my girlfriend, Taylor. She basically comes to watch almost every important match, which deeply moves me."
"As everyone knows, Taylor is a singer, and her work is also very busy, so she can't always come to support her boyfriend like ordinary women."
"It's really not easy for her to take time out of her busy schedule to watch me play. I'm very aware of that…"
"In short, I'm very fortunate, because with Taylor, I can become better. Whenever I think of Taylor watching me from the stands on the field, an invisible force flows into my body, making me even stronger!"
The reporter listened to Fly's public display of affection, eyes gleaming.
Evidently, for sports reporters, celebrity gossip was also very eye-catching.
"OK, I understand. So, Fly, in the Final, you will face the winner between Manchester United and Schalke 04. Who do you hope your opponent will be?"
Although Manchester United could almost guarantee a spot in the Final, since their second leg match against Schalke 04 had not yet been played, out of rigorousness, the reporter did not directly assume "Manchester United."
Facing this question, Fly did not hesitate and stated directly:
"Actually, we all know that Manchester United's probability of advancing to the Champions League Final is as high as 99%, and Schalke 04's chance of a comeback is very low…"
"So, if nothing unexpected happens, we will face our strongest opponent in the League, Manchester United."
"Of course, even if the first leg between Schalke 04 and Manchester United was 0:0, I still hope Manchester United advances."
"Because stepping on your arch-rival to reach the pinnacle of Europe is obviously a very wonderful thing…"
"I have full confidence in winning against Manchester United."
"Manchester United couldn't beat us in the League this season, and they still won't beat us in the Champions League. I am very confident about that!"
Subsequently, the reporter asked a few more questions, such as "How do you view Cristiano Ronaldo?"
Facing this question, which in his previous life would have been a "death trap," Fly spoke frankly:
"Cristiano is very powerful, his strength is beyond doubt, four goals in two legs is ironclad proof…"
"Although I have some reservations about his fourth goal, it is undeniable that only a superstar could score so many goals in a Champions League semifinal."
"Cristiano, in my heart, ranks among the top three in the world today."
"Of course, the world's number one is undoubtedly me, that's beyond question…"
At the last moment, the reporter brought up the question of the "Ballon d'Or odds."
Regarding this hot topic that had been attracting much attention recently, Fly did not humble himself and directly stated:
"I have scored nearly 90 goals this season, and I have directly eliminated Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo in the Champions League knockout stages. If the Ballon d'Or isn't given to me, then I think this award shouldn't be held anymore; it would be meaningless…"
Meanwhile, at the post-match press conference, the small press room was filled with media reporters from all over the world, with cameras and microphones pointed at the coaches and players of both teams who were about to enter.
Arsenal manager Wenger walked in with a joyful expression, his face beaming with the delight of victory, yet his eyes maintained their usual composure. Facing the reporters' questions, Wenger smiled and said:
"This was a great victory, a result of the collective effort of all the players."
"We showed tenacious fighting spirit and excellent teamwork in the match. I am incredibly proud of my players."
"Fly? Oh my goodness… This kid's performance was as perfect as ever. He not only performed outstandingly in attack but also made huge contributions in defense… Without a doubt, he is the hero of the team."
"Of course, we cannot become arrogant because of this. The Champions League Final is our new challenge, and we will go all out to compete for the championship."
"Facing Manchester United? Of course, I would be very happy to see that happen… Facing Manchester United head-on on Europe's biggest stage, isn't that just too cool?"
"Alex and I are rivals and friends. Meeting him on the Champions League Final stage would definitely be something to cherish for a lifetime."
"José Mourinho said before the match that I was a specialist in failure?"
"That's not important… because the results have shown everything, I don't need to say more."
Subsequently, Real Madrid manager Mourinho entered the press conference room with a gloomy face.
His eyes revealed clear dissatisfaction and unwillingness. Before reporters could ask, he spoke: "This was a controversial match, and some of the referee's decisions were very unfavorable to us."
"But I don't want to complain too much about the referee; our players did their best. We created many chances in the match, but unfortunately, we couldn't capitalize on them."
"We will learn from this match and come back stronger next season."
"I assure everyone that next season's Real Madrid will definitely be stronger than this season!"
When a reporter asked if he would make adjustments to the team's lineup, Mourinho responded coldly: "That's a matter for the club's senior management to consider, it has nothing to do with me…"
The atmosphere of the press conference was tense and oppressive. Mourinho's brief answers and cold attitude made reporters feel his inner anger and disappointment.
However, at such times, some reporters would add fuel to the fire. A Fleet Street reporter proactively asked:
"José Mourinho, what do you think of your opponents, especially Fly? What do you think of his status in current football?"
Hearing this question, Mourinho's eyes narrowed, and he rolled his eyes inwardly, then grabbed the microphone and stated directly:
"Arsenal's strength is indeed extraordinary… Being able to defeat the 'Universe Team' Barcelona in an attacking duel, Arsenal's offensive standard is beyond doubt."
"As for Fly, without a doubt, this kid is a superstar; he has the ability to change the game."
"Of course, Cristiano is no worse than him; they are players of the same caliber."
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