When playing football, you should call it GOAT.

Chapter 122 The Long Wait is Finally Over

February 11, 2004, French Cup Round of 16, Stade Louis II.

Monaco will face their arch-rivals Lyon once again.

Rainwater accumulated into small puddles on the grass, and Monaco's red and white stripes and Lyon's blue and white jerseys were particularly dazzling under the lights.

As soon as the whistle blew, the two French Ligue 1 powerhouses immediately engaged in fierce competition. Monaco's 4-3-3 formation and Lyon's 4-4-2 created a complex and intertwined midfield situation.

Roy frequently created threats on the left flank, twice attempting to break past Revier with a change of direction.

He turned by flicking the ball with his heel and accelerated down the wing, where he was decisively brought down by Rewier, and the referee blew his whistle to indicate a foul.

Rothen's free kick curved perfectly, but Lyon goalkeeper Coupet made a diving save to tip it over the crossbar with one hand.

The battle for the midfield area was particularly fierce.

Lyon has clearly made extensive preparations against Monaco.

Monaco's two holding midfielders, Pedretti and Bernardi, kept applying pressure, trying to cut off Lyon's attacking midfielder Juninho's connection with the two forwards.

Meanwhile, Lyon's defensive midfielder Diarra acted like an iron gate, repeatedly intercepting Rothen's passes to the forwards.

The tactical battle between the two teams was on full display from the start: Monaco relied on their fast wingers to attack, while Lyon looked for opportunities by controlling the midfield.

Both head coaches, Le Guen and Deschamps, stood in the technical area on the sidelines, constantly conveying tactical instructions to the players.

In the 13th minute, the situation changed dramatically!
Pedretti hesitated slightly when attempting a cross pass to Bernardi in midfield, and Diarra suddenly darted out like a cheetah, intercepting the ball with a sliding tackle!
Before Monaco's players could react, Lyon's counter-attack had already begun.

"This is a golden opportunity!" the Canal+ commentator exclaimed, raising his voice sharply.

Diarra quickly passed the ball to Govou on the right wing, who dribbled forward with great strides!
Evra chased after him desperately, but stumbled on the slippery grass. Govou seized the opportunity to change direction and create space, then looked up to observe.
"Watch Elber's positioning!"

The ball arced towards the far post! Elber suddenly burst out from behind Squillaci, leaping into the air near the penalty spot!

Abidal struggled to pull at his jersey, but the Brazilian still overpowered the defense and delivered a powerful header!

“BUUUUUUUUT!!!!!!!!”

The commentary booth erupted instantly, the sound almost lifting the broadcast room.

Roma managed a fingertip touch on the ball, but couldn't stop it from slamming into the net! 1-0! Lyon takes the lead!
Lyon players celebrate wildly.

Elber slid on his knees, pointing both fingers to the sky. Govou, Malouda, and others rushed up and tackled him. Players on the bench also rushed to the sidelines, raising their arms and roaring.

Coach Le Guen excitedly threw a punch into the air and roared at the stands, as if he wanted to vent all the resentment he had felt for losing to Monaco every year.

On Monaco's side, Roy grinned, stood with his hands on his hips, and a hint of amusement flashed in his eyes.

Morientes and Giuly ran over, the three of them exchanged a few words in hushed tones, and then relayed the information to Rothen and the others.

Deschamps stood on the sidelines, and although he knew it was still early, he subconsciously raised his wrist to check his watch.

It looked calm and serene.

In the stands of the Stade Louis II, the long-absent cheering chants suddenly erupted from the die-hard fans' section.

"Roy! Tear them apart!!!"

This slogan, which has rarely appeared since Roy became famous, resounded across the stadium once again.

Clearly, the fans are getting impatient; they need a hero to step up.

While Coupet was overjoyed, his gaze swept over his teammates who were celebrating passionately, and then his expression darkened. He whispered a reminder to the defense to stay focused.

He knew that the game had only just begun, and Monaco's counterattack could come at any moment.

Le Guen pressed his hands down on the sidelines, and the Lyon team immediately tightened their formation, with the two defensive lines almost overlapping in front of the penalty area.

Edmilson and Müller formed a formidable central defensive pairing, like two towering structures that effectively blocked Morientes' running routes; Diarra, on the other hand, acted as a sweeper, constantly cleaning up the area around the edge of the penalty arc.

Monaco's offensive frenzy has begun.

In the 18th minute, Roy made a series of dribbling changes on the left wing, breaking past Rewier, and then swept a low cross across the face of goal!

Morientes attempted a sliding shot at the near post, but it was blocked by Coupet's knee. Giuly followed up with a shot, but Bertold made a diving save to block it.

"Monaco's attack is like a tsunami!" the commentator roared, slamming his fist on the table. "But Lyon's defense is like a breakwater!"

In the 25th minute, Rothen unleashed a sudden long-range shot from 30 meters out, and the ball flew straight into the top corner like a cannonball!
Coupet lunged sideways and tipped the ball over the crossbar with one hand.

After the corner kick was taken, Squillaci's header slammed into the crossbar, and the rebounding ball was cleared by Müller with a long kick.

In the 29th minute, Giuly cut inside from the right wing, evaded Bertold, and curled a left-footed shot into the far corner!
Coupet once again made a world-class save, tipping the ball out of bounds with his fingertips.

Monaco fans gasped in disbelief, while Lyon defenders high-fived each other, with Govou even patting Coupet on the head in approval.

"Did Coupet wear eight hands today?!" the commentator exclaimed.

In the 34th minute, Monaco executed a brilliant combination play!

Roy dropped back to receive the pass and made a clever backheel pass to the onrushing Evra.

The left-back crossed from the byline, and Morientes outjumped Edmilson to head the ball towards goal! Coupet lost his balance, but Diarra cleared it off the line with a bicycle kick!

"My God!" the commentator exclaimed hoarsely. "That ball didn't go in?! Diarra saved Lyon with a Brazilian acrobatic move!"

Le Guen on the sidelines kept wiping away cold sweat; his 4-4-2 formation had now been transformed into a 6-3-1.

In the 42nd minute, the powder keg was finally ignited.

Roy dribbled down the left flank again, but Rewier brought him down with a vicious tackle from behind!
He rolled twice on the ground, and his socks were torn by the cleats.

This isn't the first time!

After being tackled, Roy sprang up and shoved Reviel backward, causing him to stagger.

He ripped off his blood-stained sock, pointed at the wound, and roared at the referee, "You're not giving me a red card for this?"

The Monaco players immediately surrounded them.

Morientes shoved Rewier aside, while Giuly grabbed the other's jersey.

Lyon's Diarra and Malouda immediately rushed into the crowd, and the players from both sides shoved each other, shoulder to shoulder like two herds of fighting bulls.

"Beep—!" The referee blew his whistle repeatedly and finally showed Reviel a yellow card.

The boos at the Stade Louis II almost lifted the roof off.

But the conflict is far from over.

Just two minutes later, Rewier received the ball on the right wing and was about to start his run when Roy suddenly appeared from the side and delivered a vicious elbow to his ribs!

The instant Reviel groaned, Evra's flying tackle had already hurtled in.

"Crack!"

The studs landed squarely on Rewier's ankle, sending him and the ball flying three meters out of bounds!
As Evra got up, he deliberately stomped his foot, while Revier curled up like a shrimp next to the billboard, hugging his legs.

"Red card! This is fucking murder!"

Lyon's bench erupted in chaos.

Govou rushed forward to fight Evra, but Roy blocked his way.

"Sidney's going to make a move?"

Roy asked softly.

Gowu's Adam's apple bobbed, and he slowly lowered his raised arm.

He took half a step back, turned around and yelled at the referee, "Are you fucking not going to do anything about this?!"

Roy tilted his head, spat, and grinned at the scrambling Reviel: "Next time you shovel someone, remember to watch where you're going."

When the referee raised the yellow cards to Evra and Roy, the Monaco fans in the stands erupted in a beast-like roar.

Le Guen was furious on the sidelines, while Deschamps shrugged and shrugged at the fourth official.

The stoppage time ticked to one minute, but the tension in the air was enough to blow the entire stadium away.

44th minute, the final attack!
Roy broke through three defenders on the left wing and unleashed a powerful shot from a tight angle, almost at zero vantage point!

Coupet blocked the shot with his chest, and the ball fell to Pedretti's feet. Pedretti's shot was then blocked by Müller with his face and went out of bounds!

"The halftime whistle is about to blow! Lyon have withstood an epic siege!"

The commentator stared in disbelief at the statistics, "Monaco has had 12 shots in the last half hour, but the score is still 1-0! Wait! There's still one minute of stoppage time!"

Rothen took a tactical corner kick from the left.

Roy received the ball on the left side of the penalty area. Facing Rewier's pressure, he suddenly chipped the ball over the defense and found Giuly at the far post!
"Giuly! Knee volley!!! Coupet! Amazing save!"

Giuly's shot was blocked by Coupet's diving save, but the ball wasn't cleared far enough, and Morientes followed up with a volley!

"Morientes! Another shot!!! Coupet! He made another save!"

Coupet made another incredible save, but Monaco's attack was far from over! Pedretti intercepted the second ball outside the penalty area and calmly headed it back into the box.

"Roy! Back to goal! Lyon triple-team him!"

Roy received the ball with his back to goal at the edge of the penalty area, Edmilson's iron elbow was pressing against his defensive midfield, Müller kept pulling at his jersey from the side, and Diarra blocked his turning route.

The three-man swarm left Roy barely able to breathe, his socks covered in grass clippings and mud.

Just as Diaz stretched out his leg to poke the ball, Roy suddenly flicked the ball with his left foot and then blasted it backward with his heel.

The ball seemed to have been magically passed between Diarra's legs!
Although Coupet shifted his weight in advance, the ball was too fast, and he could only barely touch it with his fingertips.

"boom!"

The ball struck the inside of the far post and slowly rolled across the goal line in Coupet's despairing gaze.

"BUUUUUUUUT!!! Roy! Brilliant strike! Monaco equalizes in the last moments of the first half!" The commentators went wild.

The entire Stade Louis II seemed to be paused, and then erupted into a deafening roar!

Roy spread his arms wide, like a drawn sword piercing the corner flag area.

Behind him, Morientes, Giuly, and Evra chased after him frantically, their jerseys fluttering in the rain.

The Monaco die-hards in the stands had gone completely mad; they were standing on their seats, waving scarves, and their shouts were almost enough to lift the roof off the stadium.

Coupet walked to the sidelines with a dark expression, grabbed a water bottle, and took a big gulp.

He wiped the rain off his face and caught a glimpse of Diarra spitting in frustration.

Why did you provoke him?

"Maicon comes on in the second half, replacing Givet to strengthen the attack!"

The locker room erupted in chaos. Roy leaped to Maicon's side, elbowing the Brazilian in the neck: "Patrice! Give the rookie a freestyle!"

Evra grinned, grabbed a water bottle and used it as a microphone: "Yo~ Welcome to the asylum, the people here are crazier than at the Rio Carnival!"

He deliberately used clumsy rhymes to make the whole team burst into laughter.

The whole room immediately came to life.

Evra laughed and continued singing, "Yo~ the new Brazilian lad."

Maicon's eyes widened.

He had assumed that all French people should have a stern face like Deschamps, but this group of people was even more boisterous than the thugs on Copacabana Beach.

Several players had already stepped onto the bench and started stomping their feet, making a loud thumping sound on the locker room floor.

In the second half, Monaco's red and white storm swept in.

The Brazilian right-back is becoming increasingly integrated into the Monaco system.

In the 47th minute, he intercepted Malouda's pass near the halfway line and started running instantly!

Before Lyon's left flank defense could retreat, Maicon had already rolled through the midfield like a locomotive, and Bertold desperately tried to catch up but was left further and further behind.

"Maicon! Charge!"

The Brazilian dribbled the ball for thirty meters and suddenly changed direction and passed it across before Diarra could block him.

Giuly understood perfectly and made a diagonal run into the flank, receiving the ball and sweeping it directly towards the goal without adjusting his position! Morientes was a fraction of a second too slow, and the ball slid past the post.

But this attack gave the entire Lyon team a real scare; Monaco's right wing had come alive!

49 minutes.

When Roy received the ball on the left wing, Rewier was already in a defensive stance as if facing a formidable enemy.

Suddenly, with a feint, Roy flicked the ball with his right foot, and in the instant Rewier shifted his weight, he swept past him like a gust of wind.

Edmilson rushed to cover, but Roy flicked the ball with the instep of his right foot, sending it arcing gracefully over the Brazilian center-back's head.

Morientes arrived in time and volleyed the ball into the net. Although Coupet got a hand to the ball, he couldn't stop it from rolling in! 2-1!

"A classic Roy-style assist!" the commentator exclaimed.

Deschamps clenched his fists on the sidelines, while Le Guen angrily ripped off his tie.

Roy didn't celebrate wildly; he just winked at the stands, as if to say: the best is yet to come.

61 minutes.

Maicon broke through on the right wing and suddenly passed the ball across to Roy, who received it with his back to goal just outside the penalty area.

Diarra and Malouda rushed in simultaneously, forming a pincer movement.

At the critical moment, Roy gently tapped the ball with his left heel, and it passed through the narrow gap between the two players.

Rothen, understanding the situation, made a run forward, only to be brought down on the edge of the penalty area by the recovering Müller!

"Free kick! Dangerous position!"

As soon as the referee blew his whistle, the Monaco players made a coordinated run into the Lyon wall.

Roy pretended to measure the steps.

Giuly suddenly started moving, the Frenchman feinted with his left foot, but the ball didn't move an inch!

The Lyon wall leaped up reflexively, and Roy then emerged from behind Giuly, curling a shot with a decent arc into the far corner with his right foot!
Coupet leaped into the air and tipped the ball toward the crossbar with one hand.

"besides!!"

Morientes charged into the six-yard box and leaped high as Edmilson pulled him aside.

Instead of a powerful header, the Spaniard deftly flicked the ball, sending it arcing over the fallen Coupet and into the empty net! 3-1!

78 minutes.

At this point, Lyon's defenses had completely collapsed.

When Roy received the ball on the left wing, Govou and Bertold rushed at him simultaneously.

He suddenly stopped abruptly, pulled the ball back with his right foot, and deftly passed between the two as they collided.

Facing the onrushing Coupet, Roy didn't try to score himself, but selflessly passed the ball across to Morientes, who was in a better position, and the Spaniard easily tapped it into the empty net! 4-1!

"Hat trick! Morientes!"

The entire Stade Louis II was chanting the Spaniard's name.

His teammates swarmed around him, Giuly jumped onto his back, and Rothen ruffled his hair.

Morientes was momentarily stunned.

The thunderous cheers made him feel as if he had returned to the Bernabéu era when he wore a white robe.

"Fernando!"

Roy's voice cut through the noise.

The young boy pressed down hard on his shoulder.

"See that? We can tear apart any defense!"

He pointed to the red and white flags waving wildly in the stands, grinned, and said, "This is just the beginning."

Morientes took a deep breath and gripped the Monaco team badge on his chest.

The scent of grass, the salty taste of sweat, and Roy's arrogant whispers in my ear.

All the sense of reality instantly returned.

Does that include Real Madrid?

The thought suddenly flashed through his mind.

Roy seemed to read his mind, leaning closer and whispering in his ear, "That includes Real Madrid, of course. If we run into that arrogant Galácticos..."

He grinned, revealing his gleaming white teeth. "You have to destroy them with your own hands, so they'll regret letting you go forever."

Morientes didn't answer, but simply hugged Roy tightly in return.

He smeared the grass clippings all over the young madman's back, and amidst the laughter of his teammates, his gaze drifted into the distance.

There lies his unfinished revenge, and a destiny waiting to be broken.

On February 14, 2004, in the 24th round of Ligue 2, Monaco played away against Lille.

Deschamps opted for a rotated lineup for this match, with Ribery getting a starting opportunity as a left winger.

In the stands of the Pierre-Mauroy Stadium, Ribery's parents and sister drove 200 kilometers from Boulogne to watch the game.

"Look, that's our Frank!"

The mother, Susan, excitedly pointed to the field, even though her son was wearing Monaco's red and white jersey, not the Lille jersey that her husband supported.

François Ribery, the father and a loyal Lille fan, was intently watching his son's every touch of the ball.

However, Lille's resilience, renowned in Ligue 1, made the match exceptionally difficult, and Monaco's attacks were unable to break through Lille's solid defense.

Ribery kept trying to break through on the left wing. Although he failed to score, his several beautiful dribbles still won applause from the traveling fans.

Sixty minutes have passed, and the scoreboard remains at 0-0.

In the 65th minute, Deschamps made key substitutions: Roy replaced Ribery, Pulso replaced Morientes, and Gallardo replaced Rothen.

Susan Ribery in the stands immediately stood up and applauded enthusiastically.

The mother recognized her son's childhood playmate; the wild boys who used to play football together on the streets of Boulogne are now playing in Ligue 1.

"François, look! It's Roy!"

Susan tugged at her husband's sleeve, and old Ribery stood up and cheered along with his wife.

"The Boulogne Twins!"

A shout suddenly rang out from the stands, and the Monaco fans around laughed.

Susan and François exchanged a glance, and the corners of their mouths turned up in unison.

This simple address warmed their hearts.

The fact that fans are comparing his son to the then-dominant Roy shows that Ribery's performance is gaining recognition.

"Do you remember this time last year, when Frank was still playing in the third division?"

Susan said softly.

François nodded, his gaze following the small, slender figure in a Monaco jersey as he walked off the field, his eyes filled with pride.

In the 81st minute, Gallardo delivered a precise through ball from midfield, and Pulso, with his back to goal, cleverly laid it off to him.

Roy arrived in a flash, but just as he was about to shoot, he was pulled down from behind by Tafralidis. The referee pointed to the penalty spot without hesitation.

Roy took the penalty himself and calmly pushed the ball into the bottom right corner of the goal, 1-0!

Monaco has finally broken the deadlock.

After Roy scored the penalty, the players did not celebrate at the corner flag as usual, but instead rushed to the sidelines.

In the stands, Monaco's wives and girlfriends were particularly eye-catching.

Morientes' wife, Victoria, smiled and whispered something in Douchen Klos's ear. The Dutch supermodel's eyes lit up and her cheeks flushed.

The other ladies also stood up and waved to the audience.

Roy led the way by blowing kisses to the stands, which drew cheers from the wives and girlfriends.

Giuly playfully pointed to his wedding ring, while Pulso exaggeratedly made a heart shape with his hands.

Even the usually serious Deschamps couldn't help but shake his head and smile, clearly helpless at his disciples' "performance".

The broadcast cameras keenly captured that Du Chen's gaze was constantly following a red and white figure on the field.

The commentator joked, "It seems Monaco not only won the game today, but also won the heart of a beauty."

However, their good fortune was short-lived. In the 89th minute, Lille striker Musilou capitalized on a lapse in Monaco's defense, poaching a goal to level the score at 1-1.

Ultimately, both sides scored one point in this Valentine's Day battle.

November 20, 2004, Ligue 2, Round 25.

At the Stade Louis II, Monaco will face Montpellier, who are bottom of the league.

Deschamps made bold substitutions, fielding a two-striker formation.

Roy sat on the bench the entire game, wearing headphones.

Because after this match, the schedule clearly showed the next opponent as Bayern Munich.

His teammates on the field did not disappoint him.

Pulso opened the scoring in the 18th minute with a powerful left-footed shot, while Adebayor went on a scoring spree.

This tall Togolese striker ravaged the penalty area like a black panther, scoring three goals with headers and volleys.

After each goal, he would rush to the bench, as if trying to prove something to Deschamps.

Roy's headphones were playing "The Mass" on repeat.

The magnificent Latin chorus resounded in my ears like a pre-battle prayer.

"Oh Fortuna, destiny!"
Egestatem poverty
Potestatem power
Dissolvit ut glaciem was melted by it like ice and snow.

The final whistle blew, and the score remained 4-0 on the scoreboard at the Stade Louis II.

Roy took off his headphones and gave high-fives to his sweaty teammates.

His palm slapped against Adebayo's soaked vest, making a crisp sound.

At this moment, the football machine across Europe is running at full speed: at the Säbener Straße training ground in Munich, Kahn is yelling at the video analyst, demanding that Monaco's match clips be played repeatedly.

In the dressing room at Colney training ground in London, Wenger was frantically drawing lines on the tactics board with a marker, next to Celta Vigo's player information.

Inside the physiotherapy room at Real Madrid's sports complex, Raul received a massage with his eyes closed, while staff members read aloud a tactical analysis report from Lokomotiv Moscow.

The long wait is finally over.

From February to May, over a period of three months, sixteen of Europe's strongest teams will engage in a brutal knockout tournament.

Every match is like a life-or-death battle; the winners continue forward, while the losers pack their bags and go home.

The players all know that one mistake or lapse in concentration could wipe out all the hard work of the entire season.

As the games progress, the number of teams will decrease.

Some teams will leave with regrets, while others will become stepping stones for others on their way to the next round.

In the end, only the two most tenacious and luckiest teams managed to break through the encirclement.

On May 26, at the Veltins-Arena in Gelsenkirchen, Germany, these two teams, who have fought their way to the final, will face off in the ultimate showdown.

By then, the other fourteen teams would have long since become mere background figures on their path to the next round.

(End of this chapter)