Despite closing the locker room door, there was something deafening about the singing outside. It can't be said that the sound insulation of this stadium is not good, it can only be said that for this final, the fans on both sides are too enthusiastic and enthusiastic.

Donn listened intently in the dressing room, and he heard the songs of Nottingham Forest, as well as the songs of Milan, which he once knew so well. He hadn't gone out to see the current stadium stands, but he believed it must be a sea of red outside.

In this game, although AC Milan drew the away team and could only wear white jerseys, those Milan fans must only wear red and black sword stripes when they come to Greece.

Singing, boos, applause, and even the sound of stomping feet, the stadium shook slightly.

Donn looked at the ceiling and returned his gaze to the dressing room.

In a few moments, the jerseys that the players were going to wear had been hung in their respective cabinets, and the seats were neatly arranged with cleaned boots and shin guards.

Unlike in the past, these tasks are now done by a dedicated person, and the players just have to focus on the game.

The head coach does not need to do all the big and small things alone, he only needs to do his own thing, and other assistant coaches, coaches, fitness coaches, goalkeeper coaches, team doctors, and staff ...... to finish.

Donn thought to himself that if he had passed through thirty years earlier, this head coach would not have been able to do it himself......

There's still a blank space on the tactics board, and there's nothing too complicated to draw that thing that doesn't even recognizable. There are some things that need to be explained, and they are only verbal.

Donn waited for his men to warm up and return.

※※※

Michael. Bernard and his old buddies stood in the stands at the Stadio Olimpic, looking down at the grassy pitch where players from both sides were warming up.

Since he entered, he didn't speak for a long time, just looked around, looked here, looked where. Although it was his first time at the Olympia Stadium in Athens, everything here was familiar and familiar to him. It's not about the stadium, it's about the atmosphere.

Fans on both sides kept singing, clapping, and shouting all sorts of slogans in the stands, cheering for the players off the pitch and demonstrating to the opposing fans. The smell of sweat mixed with the alcohol wafting in the air was intoxicating.

He loved the smell, and after three years away, he was still obsessed with it.

This is...... Champions Cup Final!

I really didn't expect to see it again in my lifetime, on the field of the Champions Cup final again. When Nottingham Forest were relegated from the Premier League to the First Division, he thought it was just an accident and that the glory would return. But when the team was promoted to the Premier League a year later and relegated again, and a few years later he had no illusions, he felt that it was enough to be a loyal Forest fan, regardless of whether the team would still be in the Champions League final or not, and his goal was simply to get the team back in the Super League.

When his son died tragically at the feet of a football hooligan while watching a game, he thought he would never return to the stands again in his life because he could not forgive himself for taking his son to the ball. If he had a choice, he would rather let himself die than save his son's life.

But now he's back, back in the stands cheering for his favorite team.

Is it because I don't love Gavin? Is it because I forgot the pain of losing a child?

No.

I brought Gavin to watch the game. I'm here, Gavin is right next to me, there's so many people here, I have to hold his hand......

From a young age, Gavin was the one I brought to watch every home game of the Forest team before he became a staunch Forest fan. Now, at a time when Forest are back at the top of their glory, how could I not bring him with me? He was so keen to see Forest win the European Cup and regain what his father called him to be the hero.

If he had the chance, he could have taken his son to the pitch to watch the Forest game decades later, pointing to the players in the red jersey and proudly telling his son: "Look, son! Dad saw the Forest team win the championship with his own eyes! It's an amazing team! You'll love them too! ”

Michael lowered his head, afraid that John and Bill would see the tears in his eyes. All along, I have been a tough guy in front of these old guys, and it is impossible to cry in front of them...... Even when his son died.

After regaining his mood, Michael looked up and began to sing along with the people around him. Time went back all of a sudden, and he returned to that era of youth and arrogance.

"Forest! Forest! Nottingham Forest ——!! ”

※※※

The door of the locker room was pushed open, and the players who had returned from the warm-up rushed in, their faces were red, their breath was slightly panting, and they seemed to be in good spirits.

Don was the last to enter, and he nodded to Don after entering the locker room, then closed the door.

The noise suddenly became much quieter, so small that everyone could hear Don En clearly.

Don didn't rush to speak, he waited for everyone to put on the change, and the business at hand was done, and when everyone looked up at him, hoping that he would say something, he stood up and cleared his throat.

"Everyone knows how to play this game, so I won't say too much about the technical and tactical aspects, but there are a few points that I need to remind all of you." Donn raised his right index finger, "One, we can't let AC Milan play at the pace they are used to, they are slower than us, we have to find a way to drag them into our rhythm." Use the rhythm of the Premier League against the rhythm of Serie A. You all know how to do it when you train, so I won't talk nonsense here. ”

"Two, watch out for AC Milan's set-pieces. Try not to give them a free-kick near our penalty line. George, if you foul it, stay out of the danger zone. ”

Wood nodded.

"Three, don't make offsides, the back line shrinks the defense, pay attention to Inzaghi's position."

"Fourth, we are playing defensive counterattacks, we must be patient, we must be more patient than our opponents. Be patient and wait for the opportunity to arise and give me a chance! He clenched his fists. Whatever the situation we faced, whether they scored first or scored three goals in a short period of time...... Keep me calm, don't panic, don't be discouraged. Of course, this is the worst-case scenario, and I don't think we're going to have it. ”

"Five." Don looked at the players with solemn faces, clapped his hands and smiled, "There is no fifth." After 90 minutes, let's lift the championship trophy together! ”

There was a burst of laughter in the dressing room.

After everyone finished laughing, Donn continued: "Okay, now that the things on the court are out of the way, let's talk about things off the court." Everybody can hear that, right? How noisy it was in the outside stands. ”

The players nodded their heads, and they had already felt the enthusiasm of the fans in advance during the warm-up.

"There were a lot of people coming this time, even though Greece is a long way from the UK, but our die-hard fans came and they took half of the stadium. They didn't come all the way to see us fail. Last year, we lost the final in Paris, should we lose again this year? ”

"No!" Someone couldn't wait to shout, but no one laughed at him, because everyone wanted to shout.

"It's a proud achievement to reach the Champions League final two seasons in a row. But if we only finish runners-up for two seasons in a row, you and I ......," he pointed to the players and then to himself, "and we will become the laughing stock of all over Europe!" Wherever they went, they would gloat and say, 'Look! This is Nottingham Forest, the second oldest in 10,000 years! 'Can you accept this insult?' I can't anyway! ”

"No one will take it!" There are a few more people who shouted out this time.

Hearing such an answer, Don smiled: "That's good. We're really a team, and we all think the same way. There are a lot of people who want to see our jokes, but we can't give them that chance. Never give! He said loudly, waving his arms vigorously. Remember, no one can beat us but ourselves! Now I want you to close your eyes and think carefully about how we came to be through these two seasons and what opponents we faced along the way......"

Donn himself closed his eyes as he slowly uttered the names of his opponents: "Lille, Benfica, Real Madrid, Grassgow Rangers, Inter Milan, Arsenal, Barcelona, PSV Eindhoven, Bordeaux, Galatasaray, Chelsea...... After reading the names, he reopened his eyes and looked at the players.

"Listen to the names of these teams, they are all famous, some of them have won countless trophies, and some of them are traditional powerhouses in their respective national leagues. But no matter how famous and strong these teams are, when they meet us, they all end up the same - defeat! These star-studded names are the spoils of our accession to the throne, and they hang on the wall one by one......" Donn waved his hand, as if he were really standing in the palace, showing his subjects the spoils of his hunting. “…… Be the jewel diamond in our crown. But now there is still the biggest, brightest, and brightest one. ”

He pointed to the door, "AC Milan are waiting for us, I think they're getting a little impatient." ”

Don looked at his watch, and it was late due to Don's speech. Under normal circumstances, both teams should be lining up in the corridor at this time. He thought that Don had forgotten the time, but he didn't expect him to know it completely...... It seems that he deliberately made AC Milan wait a little longer.

The players let out a burst of laughter. They like to see such high-spirited leaders, because it makes them feel extra grounded, as if there is a psychological suggestion that keeps telling them: "We will win, we will win, we will never lose!" ”

Truth be told, if Don suddenly loses his temper, suddenly becomes depressed, and seems powerless about everything, then he may lose half of his control over this team. Because the hearts of the people are scattered, the team is not easy to lead......

Everything that needs to be said has been said, the emotions of the players have been mobilized, and it is time to say and summarize the statement.

Donn raised his hand: "I don't say that you should enjoy football, I want you to enjoy the joy of victory after the final." Guys, whenever I am, I'm with you. Kick-off, 45 minutes, intermission, 90 minutes...... I'm all there for you and I'm looking forward to drinking champagne with you! With that, he paused and took a deep breath.

"Let's go and conquer all of Europe - let our opponents be terrified!!"

"Let's go and conquer Europe - let our opponents be terrified!!" In the locker room, not only the players, but also the members of the coaching staff roared after him.

The excited lads slammed open the locker room door and rushed out.

※※※

The people at AC Milan are indeed waiting a little impatiently.

They walked out of the dressing room at the usual time and lined up in the corridor to get out of the game.

They waited until the referee and the two assistant referees arrived, but they still didn't wait for the opponent Nottingham Forest to show up.

Unable to wait like this, the AC Milan officials went to the fourth official to ask him to see what the hell was going on at Nottingham Forest. The fourth officer went to the door of the Forest's locker room and knocked on the door. But at that time, Donn was giving a passionate speech, roaring loudly, and his knock on the door was completely ignored......

The locker room is a very sacred place, and even the fourth official has no power to break in. In desperation, he had no choice but to go back to appease the somewhat restless AC Milan who were waiting, hoping that they would wait patiently.

A member of the coaching staff next to Carlo Ancelotti muttered after learning the news: "Nottingham Forest have such a big shelf, and we have to wait for them to ......"

The AC Milan manager looked back at the heat and didn't speak.

Now that the hair is scratched, AC Milan can only honestly wait in place.

Just when the patience of the Milanese was about to run out, the Nottingham Forest players rushed out with a murderous face, and if it wasn't for the referee to stop them, they might have rushed straight onto the field......

After the team lined up in the corridor, Tang En slowly shook out from behind. He was secretly happy when he saw the anger and anxiety on the faces of the AC Milan players.

And as if to add fuel to the fire, he also made a very triumphant gesture in front of his opponent, dangling in front of the Milan players for a long time before shaking out of this corridor and walking towards his coaching bench.

As soon as he stepped out of the corridor, he was greeted by the Nottingham Forest fans who had gathered in the stands on the right side of the corridor. The frenzied cries swept through everyone near the stands, whether it was Nottingham Forest or AC Milan.

They were shouting, stretching out their arms to Donn, "Tony, we want the championship!" We don't accept anything but the champion!! ”

Such a naked thing, the AC Milan fans on the opposite side can't do it, they don't bother to do it, they don't need to do it, and there have been many championships in recent years, unlike Nottingham Forest fans who are as hungry for championships.

But it doesn't mean that AC Milan is a team that doesn't have a thirst for the title.

They faced an English side, which gave them more motivation to win the title. The night in Istanbul two years ago was painful for this AC Milan team. They lost to Liverpool with a three-goal lead, and now Liverpool are not in the final and have been replaced by another England goal, Nottingham Forest.

No matter who it is, as long as it's an English team, AC Milan will be very motivated to play. Because they want revenge. After that final, they became the joke of the whole world because they celebrated the result in the dressing room at half-time and caused the opponent to turn the tables, and this shame must be doubled, even if the opponent is not Liverpool, as long as it is a team from England wearing a red shirt, they will play like Liverpool.

Looking at the arrogant opponent next to him, the flame of revenge in the eyes of all AC Milan players is burning.

※※※

"It's a Mars vs. Earth showdown! Since returning to the Premier League, Nottingham Forest have been winning the affirmation with their excellent and consistent performances, as evidenced by their two consecutive Champions League finals! But hopefully they won't be like Valencia in the second consecutive final, Milan are regulars in the Champions League final, having reached the final ten times and won six times! Amazing results! Nottingham Forest is as insignificant as a little brother compared to them...... But! If Forest win against Barcelona last season, they will be the only team to reach the final three times and win the title three times...... What a pity. ”

The commentator is excitedly introducing the two sides of the game to the TV audience. Historically, AC Milan clearly have the upper hand, they have more experience of reaching finals and winning titles, they have been at the centre and the top of European football almost since their inception, and this experience and temperament is a huge asset, and they can be the deciding winner at a crucial moment.

Compared to AC Milan, Nottingham Forest has no advantage other than being young.

However, in such a major final, almost everyone would rather believe in old age and experience. Being young means being inexperienced, and being unsurprised means that the likelihood of failure is skyrocketing.

A more intuitive impression may be obtained from the data from the bookmaker's side.

Eighty percent of bettors unanimously favor AC Milan to win the title. In terms of the multipliers launched by many world-famous bookmakers, Nottingham Forest is also at a disadvantage across the board.

Don was of course aware of all this information before the game, and he was glad that his team's odds were not favored. Because he secretly bet ten pounds before the game to bet on his own team to win. He doesn't care how much money he can win, he pays for confidence.

"The race is about to begin! Let's look forward to this final! ”

※※※

Albertini stood on the left side of the halfway line, flanked by three referees, across the middle line and opposite his old friend at AC Milan, AC Milan captain Paulo. Maldini.

Today, Maldini still wears the AC Milan shirt and still has the AC Milan flag in his hand. Albertini, on the other hand, wears a red Nottingham Forest shirt and holds the Nottingham Forest flag.

It's awkward to meet like this.

It's not the first time they've met like this, as he played against AC Milan when he was playing for Lazio. But how can an ordinary league match an important Champions League final?

Maldini's Mediterranean eyes reflect his old friend.

He didn't expect that one day he would meet Demi like this. He was also relieved to know that Demi had chosen to play in England, because it was so embarrassing to meet twice a year in the same league. I didn't expect it, I didn't expect it...... After such a big circle, from Italy to England, and England to Greece, they still met.

"I didn't expect such a meeting, did you?" Albertini was the first to break the silence between the two men, but it was no less embarrassing.

"Demi ......"

"I didn't expect that either. If I had decided to retire a year ago, I wouldn't be where I am today. But I'm happy now that I was able to meet the beginning of my career in the last game of my career, and it's like a cycle with a beginning and an end. Like Donn said, this is really the best farewell game, too good to be good......"

Albertini rambled like a woman, and Maldini listened quietly. The three referees next to him also saw that this game meant special to the two people in front of them, and they didn't bother them silently.

'I have to thank him if he hadn't come to me in Italy and persuaded me to go to Nottingham Forest. I'm afraid I'm going to retire and sit at home to watch this game now, right? If that's the case, then I'm rooting for Milan with all my heart and soul and hoping you lift the trophy for the seventh time. Pity. He tugged at the Nottingham Forest crest on his chest, "I'm wearing the Nottingham Forest shirt right now, standing across from you, Paul." ”

"Do you know the interview I gave before the game?"

Maldini nodded: "I saw it, it was all said on TV and in the newspapers." ”

"I'm not joking, or trying to perfunctory that question. I'm serious. Albertini said with a serious face, "I'm serious about beating Milan and helping Forest lift a third trophy and prevent you from reaching the top for the seventh time. I'm serious, and I'm all in my heart to defeat you. Do you understand, Paul? ”

Maldini nodded again: "I understand, Demi. Again, I won't show mercy. ”

Albertini smiled: "That's the best." This is my farewell match, I don't want to see a disgusting hypocrisy, whatever you can do, you can show it, Paul. ”

"It's like I said to you before your first appearance for Milan, Demy." Maldini held out his hand to him. "Enjoy the game ......"

"Enjoy the victory." Albertini held out his hand at the same time.

The hands of the two old men were clasped together.

"There's also a big attraction in this game, Nottingham Forest's captain De Mitrio. Albertini was the vice-captain of AC Milan and spent 12 years at Milan. His affection for Milan is unquestionable. Now the Milan team still has his good friends, including Paul, who has played with him for 11 years. Maldini, there are backward Piero and Kaka who were carried by him...... How will he face such a finalist? It's worth all of us. ”

How to face it?

With the best form, do your best, burn the last professional life, win the championship, say goodbye to your career, and pay tribute to your favorite team...... Leave no regrets and end an era of his own.

Albertini turned and walked back to the Nottingham Forest half, wearing the golden captain's armband on his arm, his feet steady and powerful, and his eyes resolute and calm. In front of him, in a circle, waiting for his return were the ten team-mates who started the game at Nottingham Forest.

This is my way, this is Demitrio. Albertini's Way.

I'm going to finish it.

When they saw the captain return, he opened his arms and smiled at them and said, "Ready, guys." The champion is waiting for us, don't let her wait impatiently! ”

A crowd burst out laughing.

(To be continued)