<h4>Chapter 214: Millwall Charge!</h4>


    As Ronaldo made his way from the Nethends to Spain and entered the global stage, hardly any club in Europe failed to pay attention to his performances. Aldrich, with the perspective of an outsider, had admired his disys since Octoberst year. At that time, he genuinely believed there was no connection between Millwall and Barcelona. Even though he had made somements regarding the Ballon d''Or selection, they weren''t directed at Barcelona; he felt it was merely a distant debate.


    However, by April, he suddenly remembered that one of the two club continental championships Ronaldo had won was during his only season at Barcelona, when he secured the UEFA Cup Winners'' Cup.


    Now, it came to pass that Millwall and Barcelona would face off in Rotterdam, Nethends, for the championship!


    Two historically disconnected teams were igniting considerable discussion.


    Aldrich wasbeled by the Spanish press as an overconfident youth who held Barcelona in contempt, while the aplishments of Millwall were trivialized as the foolish antics of a clown who serendipitously grabbed the Premier League trophy.


    On May 15, the UEFA Cup Winners'' Cup final was about to kick off. The stadium was packed to capacity, with more than ten thousand neutral fans arriving to witness this pinnacle sh alongside the supporters of both teams.


    As pre-match entertainment unfolded in the stadium, the yers of both teams were getting ready in their locker rooms.


    Millwall had a longer preparation time than Barcelona, and the yers were in top form. In the locker room, Aldrich saw eleven spirited warriors.


    The yers were buzzing with anticipation. Facing an opponent like Barcelona not only excited them, but also ignited a hunger within them.


    Yes, they were eager to take on Europe''s strong teams, still buzzing from their two-legged battle against Paris Saint-Germain.


    Aldrich walked past each yer, assessing their mental state, and felt satisfied when he confirmed their fighting spirit was high.


    "Today is a final that determines the title, and the loser will be a stepping stone for the opponent. If you are waiting for a moment that will make you stand out, waiting for a game that will make Europe and the world remember you, then today is that moment Yes! I have a great wish: I want Millwall to be the first love of a new generation of football fans."


    The yers listened to Aldrich, somewhat baffled.


    First love?


    "We''re here to y football, not to talk about love!"


    The yers pondered for a moment, gradually grasping Aldrich''s intent.


    Aldrich continued, "Everyone who falls in love with football has a catalyst—a match, a star yer, a moment, a name, a photo... names like Busby''s Manchester United, Paisley''s Liverpool, Shi''s Mn, Belgium''s Red Devils, Italy''s catenio, Maradona''s Argentina, Brazil''s samba team, Barcelona''s Dream Team, and many others. I hope Millwall can be the first love for countless fans, letting them fall in love with our football, remember each of us, and cherish our journey. But this requires great moments, thrilling matches, our own style, our philosophy of the game, our fighting spirit, and so on. I believe we already have what it takes to achieve greatness. What we need now is the will to bring it to life. Do you have confidence?"


    The yers exchanged nces, and today they didn''t shout wildly but stood tall, confidently dering, "Yes!"


    Aldrich nodded. "Our opponent is Barcelona, but we are not weaker than them. I believe we are stronger! Today, we will defeat them with Millwall''s brand of football. Otherwise, I think I won''t be able to face London."


    Larsson asked puzzled, "Why?"


    "Because our neighbors willugh at me. Excluding Manchester United, Manchester City, and Everton, which have all won the Cup Winners'' Cup, our four London neighbors—Tottenham, Arsenal, Chelsea, and West Ham—have all lifted this trophy. If we can''t bring the trophy back, I really think I''ll be embarrassed. How can we call ourselves kings of London? Haha."


    Aldrich shrugged with a smile, acknowledging the weight of the rivalry.


    When simply counting the clubs that have won Europe''s major trophies, Ennd has the most clubs in both the Champions League and the Cup Winners'' Cup, with three clubs also having touched the UEFA Cup. Despite Ennd experiencing a five-year ban from Europeanpetitions, this illustrates the standing of English clubs in nearly half a century''s history. Though thest few years have been a low point, with themercialization of the Premier League and a resurgence across clubs, Ennd has re-entered a new era ofpetition.


    Southgate stood up, solemnly dering, "For the boss to return home with his head held high,ds, we give it our all today!"


    "Give it our all!" the yers responded in unison, following their captain out of the locker room.


    Aldrich stepped outside as well, and once he entered the yers'' tunnel, the cameras quickly focused on him, with staff rushing to capture close-up shots.


    Aldrich turned and approached the Barcelona bench, extending his right hand politely to Bobby Robson, who greeted him with a smile. They began chatting amiably.


    "Sir, it''s truly exciting for me and my team to go head-to-head with you here."


    The gray-haired Robson smiled, "I didn''t expect to see such a young and talented coach emerging from Ennd. I must be getting old."


    "But you are still coaching a giant like Barcelona; are you really that old?"


    Aldrich smiled back, then added, "I bear no ill will toward Barcelona, but the media has..."


    "Hey, don''t mind them. Most things they write are nonsense."


    Aldrich chuckled knowingly. He didn''t want to be a coach who takes cheap shots, yet he had his viewpoints to express, even if they might be easily distorted by irresponsible reporters in the media.


    Shifting his gaze to the other coaches on the Barcelona bench, Aldrich unexpectedly walked over to a younger man—though ironically, this man was actually over a decade older than Aldrich.


    Indeed, it was the man who had followed Robson since Lisbon, the "madman" known as Mourinho.


    Mourinho had been watching Aldrich intently, his eyes glued to Aldrich from the moment he stepped out of the tunnel, scrutinizing the well-dressed young man radiating confidence, filled with questions.


    Why did he achieve sess at such a young age?


    Was it merely because he had the money to buy the club?


    That couldn''t be the case!


    What was the secret to his sess? What was his management philosophy? What were the foundations of his tactical ideas?


    As Robson''s assistant, one of Mourinho''s responsibilities was to gather intelligence. Thus, he should have been the one who understood Millwall better than anyone sitting on Barcelona''s bench. Yet he still couldn''t sinctly summarize Millwall''s tactical approach. Delving deeper into the discussion would be of no use; Barcelona simply didn''t have the time to prepare. Besides, proud giants would typically focus on asserting their own game style, never allowing the opponent to dictate the match flow. Most top clubs prefer to maintain their strong stances and control the game.


    "Hello, Mr. Mourinho," Aldrich said formally, shaking Mourinho''s hand. Thetter''s eyes were filled with wariness, and after the handshake, Aldrich sensed a looming intensity, prompting him to smile slightly, saying, "If you want to discuss tactics, feel free to reach out to me. I, too, enjoy diving into tactics."


    With that, Aldrich turned and walked away.


    Mourinho stared at his retreating figure, puzzled.


    In fact, Mourinho''s time at Barcelona was about to be quite challenging.


    After Robson departed, Van Gaal took over, and Mourinho''s role was marginalized. Tasks such as team training that Robson had entrusted to Mourinho were no longer permitted under Van Gaal. Nevertheless, for the now-experienced Mourinho, he began to summarize his own experiences and develop his football philosophy while engaging with everyone in the football world he could reach. However, in Spain, he remained a marginal figure, far from mainstream recognition.


    Aldrich''s words implicitly sought to undermine Mourinho.


    Regardless of whether Mourinho would eventually be a head coach or take the reins at Chelsea, if this workaholic could join Aldrich, it would undoubtedly make Millwall even stronger.


    With a smile, Aldrich returned to his position and muttered softly, "Luckily, they didn''t notice."


    Prior to this moment, Aldrich had also worried about being recognized by Robson and Mourinho as the "little reporter" who had caused amotion at a press conference in Lisbon five years ago, nearly triggering a street fight.


    Fortunately, he had disguised himself then, and they likely wouldn''t remember such incidents. Aldrich had changed in physique and voice since then.


    Laughing at himself, Aldrich felt he might have overestimated his importance—why would they remember him?


    At that moment, the yers from both teams entered the field, and Aldrich''s smile faded. His gaze turned sharp. Coincidentally, the yers looked at him as well. He met each yer''s eyes, and his encouraging gaze was like that of a friend offering simple support. Yet, through Aldrich''s presence, yers drew immense confidence—powerful confidence!


    He stood like a towering pir of victory, steadfast at the sidelines, instilling confidence in every yer.


    "The 1996-1997 UEFA Cup Winners'' Cup is about tomence, with this year''s finalists being Ennd''s Millwall and Spanish giants Barcelona. Millwall has just imed the Premier League title, while Barcelona has secured the Spanish Super Cup and is only two points behind Real Madrid in the league. They have also reached the King''s Cup final. This is undoubtedly a sh between two powerhouses. Both teams boast star-studded lineups. Now, here''s a look at the starting lineups: Millwall will y in a 4-3-3 formation with goalkeeper: Bund; defenders: Schneider, Elguera, Southgate, Capdev; midfielders: Makélélé, Pirlo, Nedvěd; forwards: Larsson, Trezeguet, Shevchenko. Barcelona will line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation with goalkeeper: Baya; defenders: Frérel, Kouto, Abelda, Sergi; holding midfielders: Popescu, Guardi; wingers: Figo, De Pe?a, Enrique; with Ronaldo as their striker. This is a battle between two youthful squads, with the youngest yers being 18 and the oldest being in their 30s. Millwall''s starting lineup has an average age close to 23, while Barcelona''s is around 26. This is undoubtedly a youthful showdown!"


    After posing for a pre-match team photo, Millwall''s teammates formed a circle, leaning down to embrace each other''s shoulders. Southgate, looking serious, proimed, "Millwall!"


    The whole team shouted back, "Charge!"


    "Millwall!"


    "Charge!"


    "Millwall!"


    "Charge!"


    After the third round of cheers, they all straightened up, encouraging one another, and then dispersed to prepare for the kickoff.


    In the first half, Millwall would kick off first.