When playing football, you should call it GOAT.

Chapter 43 We're not dark horses, we're just here to win! (Please read on!)

At the same moment when Monaco's visiting team, visiting Corsica, bared their fangs at Ajaccio.

The afterglow of the setting sun painted the skyline of the city on the Douro River with a blood-red hue.

Antas Stadium, a blue and white volcanic eruption!

The entire stadium had already transformed into a boiling blue and white melting pot. The roar of 50,000 fans crashed against every corner of the stands like the raging waves of the Atlantic Ocean. The air was filled with the aroma of roasted chestnuts and beer, as well as that almost fanatical faith unique to Portuguese football.

"Mourinho! O Nosso General!"
The die-hard fans in the North Stand were the first to erupt, holding up huge tifos featuring Mourinho's profile—his eyes were like an eagle's in the portrait, and below it was written "O Especialista" (The Special One).

As the drumbeats quickened, the entire stadium began to stomp rhythmically, the concrete stands trembling beneath their feet, as if a giant dragon was about to awaken.

When Mourinho led his iron army onto the pitch, the roar of the Antas Stadium instantly exceeded its threshold.

Deco smoothed his short black hair, his eyes narrowing.

Carvalho and Ferreira stood with their faces as stern as stone statues.

Maniche pounded his chest with his fist as he walked, letting out a beast-like growl.

As for Derek, who was walking at the back, the Brazilian striker licked his lips. He has scored in every game of the UEFA Cup this season, bringing his goal tally to 10! This Brazilian striker has become one of the hottest strikers in European competitions.

It's as if they've already tasted the bloodshed of Lazio's defense.

Mourinho himself wore a sharply tailored black and gray Armani coat with a stand-up collar, resembling a medieval knight's neck guard.

This was a gift from his wife, Mathilde Faria, and it usually hangs in his office.

He put his right hand in his pocket and casually waved his left, a nonchalant gesture that sent the cheers from the stands rising three octaves.

Suddenly, a hymn adapted from a folk song erupted from the die-hard fans' stand, followed by a chorus of 50,000 people shouting in rough Portuguese:
"Ele vem da Serra do Pilar!" (He comes from the Pilar Mountains!)

Traz o trovo na voz! (His voice was like thunder!)

Ninguém escapa ao seu olhar! (No one can escape his gaze!)
o Mago do Drago! (He is the Demon of Dragons!)

As the song played, Mourinho stood in front of the coaching bench, slowly putting his hands back into his pockets.

He looked up and scanned the field, a sneer curling at the corner of his mouth.

But the Blue Eagles, who came from afar, proved that they were no ordinary people either.

Just five minutes into the game, Lazio broke the deadlock with a lightning-fast goal, as Lopez capitalized on a defensive lapse by Porto and calmly slotted the ball home.

The Italians were in high spirits, but their lead lasted only 20 minutes.

In the 25th minute, Maniche unleashed a powerful shot from outside the penalty area! The ball flew like a cannonball into the top corner, making it 1-1!

When Maniche equalized with a long-range shot, Mourinho smiled slightly, as if everything had been expected.

Subsequently, the match completely fell into Porto's rhythm.

In the 38th minute, Derek received a cross from the wing and headed the ball into the net! 2-1!

After Derek scored the second goal, Mourinho turned to the bench, held up two fingers, and looked at them with an arrogant "this is just the beginning" expression.

In the 55th minute, Derek made a clever turn inside the penalty area and scored with a low shot! 3-1!

In the 72nd minute, Postiga scored on a rebound, sealing the victory! 4-1!

Porto completely sealed the victory, and Mourinho on the sidelines suddenly clenched his fist, his eyes sharp as knives.

His team went from trailing to dominating, and every step was under his control.

When the final whistle blew, he didn't celebrate wildly, but simply nodded slightly, as if to say, "This is my football."

This young coach is conquering Europe with his iron-fisted tactics and unparalleled confidence.

After the match, he spoke to reporters with a calm tone, yet his words revealed a sharp edge:
"Some people say we're just a dark horse? No, we're here to win."

The camera lingered on his departing figure, his trench coat fluttering in the wind, his ambition evident.

Preview of the French League Cup semi-final on April 15, 2003: Marseille vs. Monaco. "Three Blades Unsheathed: Lightning Counter-Attack × Iron-Blooded Young Manager × Genius Blade, Constructing the Most Deadly Attacking System in Ligue 4"

French football program "Le Sport en Or":
Roy's stats this season: 11 goals and 6 assists in 9 Ligue 1 appearances, an astonishing efficiency.

Title race standings: Monaco leads the table with 63 points, while Lyon, having won their previous two matches, has 60 points, maintaining a mere three-point lead. Third-placed Marseille has 56 points, four points behind Lyon. Monaco's next two matches are against Strasbourg (home) and Paris Saint-Germain (away), keeping the title race tight. A victory against Paris Saint-Germain will be crucial in the title race.

Paris Saint-Germain is currently ranked ninth in the league. The conflict between head coach Fernandez and key player Ronaldinho is irreconcilable, and the team is in financial trouble.

However, it cannot be denied that their squad is still very strong, and the current league situation is in a state of Robin Hood-like competition.

The "RORO" showdown: Monaco vs. Paris Saint-Germain was hyped by the media as a battle between "Roy vs. Ronaldinho", with the background poster showing Roy emerging from flames and Ronaldinho emerging from the sea, symbolizing the clash of new generation talents.

League Cup semi-final: Monaco travels to Marseille. Can Deschamps' team advance on two fronts?

Special expert and former French international Petit commented: "His acceleration is like a cheetah locking onto its prey; that explosive power leaves Ligue 1 defenders still thinking before the ball is already in the net."

"11 goals and 6 assists in 9 games? That's more than just talent. Look at his timing: he can always get going the instant the defenders shift their weight, as if he has the slow-motion replay of the defenders in his mind. What's even more terrifying is that he knows how to sacrifice for the team—that 60-meter chase back against Auxerre is the real reason Deschamps trusts him."

“I’ve seen too many ‘new Henrys,’ but Roy is the first young man I feel that title isn’t enough. He has the ball control of a Brazilian, the discipline of a German, and the elegance that the French are most proud of. Henry was named the best striker in Europe by 442 this year. If he maintains this hunger, Roy will make the whole of Europe tremble within two years.”

Petit flashed his signature sly grin: "However, I suggest he don't rush to the Premier League. Let the English dream on; Ligue 1 finally has its own 'nuclear weapon' again."

On the French entertainment program "Foot & Love," several beautiful female hosts and socialites from the football world discussed Roy's private life:

Spy photos have surfaced showing Roy driving a grey, secondhand Renault on the streets of Nice, sparking heated discussion.

25-year-old Paris Fashion Week darling, model Lucille Du Bois, raised an eyebrow and smiled:

“That car was too small; it couldn’t fit a young boy like him at all (ambiguous pause). I mean, he had too much presence.”

The camera zooms in on her expression as she lightly bites her lip, implying that "the car interior isn't spacious enough, but it can be very exciting."

Claire Lefebvre, a 32-year-old former French cheerleader and now a gossip columnist for Le Parisien, quipped: "Perhaps he's just saving up for a better car, or maybe he simply doesn't care? Or perhaps this kid is terribly sentimental."

Host Valerie deliberately mimicked Roy's signature eyebrow raise before concluding: "So ladies, if he actually drove a Porsche, you'd find it boring?"

Further discussion: Roy's fashion style (simple yet sharp), his muscular physique after training, and whether he is really single.

The end credits song is a specially remixed version of "Je ne regrette rien," with background music including women's lingering laughter and arguments about "he definitely likes older women."

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Ferguson's sarcasm about Arsenal's boasting has become a laughing stock, with Wenger calling Ferguson "talking too much nonsense."

"Arsenal have been unbeatable for almost the entire season, but I believe the title is not for them. I can't wait to win the title at Arsenal's Highbury stadium, leaving Arsenal with nothing but a laughing stock of their past boasts."

Wenger retorted to Ferguson's sarcasm, "This doesn't anger me. I really wonder what the point of Ferguson saying all this nonsense is. He must be feeling too stressed before the big battle."

—The Sun

Sir Alex Ferguson was named the Premier League's best manager of the past decade, while Eric Cantona was named the best foreign player.

— Manchester Evening News

A brawl broke out at Barcelona's training ground, with Enrique and Overmars exchanging blows.

— Mundo Deportivo

After its success in Chile and France, Stephen Chow's "Shaolin Soccer" has finally landed in Italy.

On April 11, 2003, the Hong Kong film "Shaolin Soccer" was officially released in 100 cinemas in Italy.

Three players each from Roma and Lazio served as voice actors for the film: Tomasi, Delvecchio, and Candela, as well as Mihajlovic, Peruzzi, and Pancaro.

Torasi voices the main character, "Mighty Iron Legs".

The Gazzetta dello Sport described it this way: "Roma and Lazio are mixed together."

—Football Weekly

(End of this chapter)