Ground football: Ronaldo thought I was going to assist him

May 25, 2001, San Siro Stadium, Milan, Italy.

The Champions League final is about to begin, with Bayern Munich facing Valencia.

This is a showdown between "losers".

Of course, this loser's achievements are highly valuable.

The former was the loser in the Champions League final two years ago.

The latter was the loser in last year's Champions League final.

Between the two losers, one of them will inevitably break free from the cocoon and transform himself into a new century's elite.

The two sides were tied 1-1 after 120 minutes.

It's worth noting that both goals were penalties.

Valencia scored a penalty through their key player Mendieta.

For Bayern Munich, after Scholl missed a penalty, Bayern were awarded another penalty in the second half, which Effenberg converted.

In the penalty shootout, Bayern's Paulo Sergio missed his first penalty, but German goalkeeper Oliver Kahn delivered a stunning performance, saving penalties from Zahovic and Carboni.

After five rounds, the penalty shootout entered the sudden death phase, with players facing one-on-one penalties.

Although it differs from the "sudden death of the golden ball" in extra time of the UEFA Cup final, the "sudden death of the penalty kick" in the Champions League final was also very exciting.

Ultimately, Valencia's Pellegrino became the team's culprit, missing a penalty and sending Bayern to the championship podium.

Valencia reached the Champions League final for two consecutive years but failed to win the title both times, and are destined to disintegrate this summer.

The Champions League final is a place where opportunities and crises coexist.

Reaching the Champions League final is a sign of a team's rise.

However, failing to win the final is also a sign of a team's disintegration, and Tottenham Hotspur in the future is a prime example.

Only a very few teams can maintain their fighting spirit after losing the Champions League final.

Of these very few teams, only a very small number are able to actually win the Champions League trophy and thus solidify their status as a powerhouse.

Bayern Munich is a prime example: three times they reached the semi-finals, two times they reached the final, and this year they finally won the title.

There was Juventus before, and then Real Madrid, Manchester United, Chelsea, Barcelona, ​​Atletico Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain, Liverpool, and so on.

Valencia unfortunately missed out on making the list.

pity……

This Champions League final was just as exciting as any other final, and it even had the gimmick of "all the goals being penalties".

But in terms of excitement, it was miles away from the UEFA Cup final the day before.

Therefore, many fans believe that the most exciting and highest-level match this year was the UEFA Cup final.

This has sparked strong dissatisfaction among Bayern Munich fans.

Before Bayern Munich won the Champions League, they supported both Liverpool and Sporting Lisbon.

Because both teams have Bayern veterans, Babel and Matthäus.

But after Bayern won the title, they naturally only supported their own team.

Bayern Munich legend Effenberg even mocked Matthäus when lifting the championship trophy, shouting that Bayern Munich could become the kings of Europe even without Matthäus!

This statement was quickly spread throughout Europe by the media.

To Matthäus's dismay, Effenberg later came forward to clarify the situation.

The point of clarification is not that he didn't say that, but that he said, "Even without Matthäus, Bayern Munich could still become the Champions League champions."

Good guy.

Does it output close-up shots?

In addition, media reports also revealed that when Bayern was behind, Effenberg shouted to his teammates to boost morale, "Come on, brothers! Matthäus has never won the Champions League in his life, let's win one and make her jealous!"

Afterwards, a Bayern Munich player confirmed the authenticity of the news.

Matthäus was furious.

Prior to this, Matthäus had already contacted Sporting Lisbon, preparing to go to the Turkish Super League to earn money.

The term "tuhao" (土豪, meaning nouveau riche) originally referred to the older men in this area.

They were willing to offer Matthäus a top-tier European salary, along with a range of special benefits. Matthäus could earn at least five times more in a year there than he would have in a year at Bayern Munich or Sporting Lisbon!

After all, Matthäus is the Ballon d'Or winner and FIFA World Player of the Year, and this year he won the treble. He is the only player in Sporting Lisbon whose qualifications, honors and strength are all at their "peak".

Of course, Matthäus was not initially interested.

If Deng Kai hadn't left, he planned to study coaching tactics with Deng Kai for another year.

Unfortunately, the super-rich local said... there are plenty of young models.

Matthäus was immediately interested.

He even had an in-depth conversation with a super-rich man about the issue of young models, expressing that he believes in love and that money is a defilement of love.

He never spends money to hire prostitutes.

The super-rich guy immediately understood: You like freebies, right? Oh no... you like stories, right?

simple!

I'll arrange a few people who know how to get along with you—students, colleagues, the boss's wife—to make sure you relive your youth.

As a result, Effenberg and Bayern Munich had this kind of situation.

Matthäus was really annoyed.

He was a figure who rivaled Maradona in talent and success, and his career was smooth sailing, but he suffered a setback only within the Bayern Munich team.

He was slapped by Lizarazu, provoked by Effenberg, and made a scapegoat for Bayern's Champions League final defeat.

Unfortunately, they still couldn't get their revenge.

Matthäus was so angry he almost had a heart attack.

After much effort, he was ready to let go of the matter and continue negotiating cooperation with the wealthy Turkish businessman, when Deng Kai called.

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!

After Matthäus answered the phone, Duncan immediately said, "Lothar, Effenberg went too far! If I were you, I would definitely win a Champions League title to slap him in the face!"

Matthäus almost choked on his breath, his inner voice screaming: No, you are not me, I'm not going to win the Champions League anymore, it's too difficult.

But how can you say such things in front of a junior?

"Hehe." Matthäus chuckled awkwardly.

Deng Kai followed up, saying, "I've already spoken with Mr. Triguera. If Sporting Lisbon can complete a substantial reinforcement by August, I probably won't be leaving this summer."

Matthäus was taken aback: "You're not leaving? I've heard that Manchester United, Liverpool, Juventus, AC Milan, Lazio, and other teams are all interested in signing you. If you don't leave now, when do you plan to leave?"

"Besides, even if you don't want to leave, can Sporting Lisbon really resist selling you?"

Deng Kai smiled slightly: "None of the teams you mentioned can promise me the treatment of a core player, and apart from AC Milan, no one is willing to guarantee me a starting position!"

"Should I go or not?"

"They won't even offer a starting position, so how could their offer possibly entice the team?"

"As the newly crowned treble winners, the team's championship bonuses are enough to allow the team to suffer a transfer loss of 10 to 20 million euros. As long as my market value next year is not 20 million less than it is now, the team will not lose money."

"That being said, my market value is still less than 20 million euros. So as long as I don't want to leave, the team definitely won't force me to go."

Matthäus pondered: "Transfermarkt values ​​are delayed, and players under the age of sixteen are at great risk of falling from grace due to their unstable development. Their value cannot be fully predicted, and it is normal for it to be lower than the market value."

"If you were Quaresma's age, based on your performance this year, a price tag of 30 million euros would be reasonable."

"Similarly, considering your age, no team would dare to give you a core role. They certainly wouldn't. Nobody would accept a sixteen-year-old as a leader."

While gesturing for Hathaway to turn up the TV volume, Deng Kai asked, "So... without further ado, are we aiming for the Champions League next season?"

Effenberg's voice came through the TV: "I told my teammates, Matthäus doesn't have a Champions League title, let's win one and make him jealous..."

Matthäus nearly crushed his phone.

Deng Kai continued to embellish the story: "Okay, let's put the Champions League aside for now, as many people don't see it as practical. Let's talk about the European Super Cup before the start of next season."

"Sporting Lisbon vs. Bayern Munich... Are you sure you want to miss this match?"

Matthäus could no longer contain himself: "Damn it! I'll get my revenge! Charge! Charge the hell out of Bayern! Crush Effenberg!"

I like playing football on the ground: Ronaldo thought I was going to assist him.