The word hero was not new to Gerald. Steven Gerrard in Istanbul is a hero, he is a hero at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, and even in the national team, Gerrard is a hero.

At Tuesday's press conference, the captain also beat the drums for the team: "We don't want to be disappointed from Athens. We hope to make history, become a hero, and be the ultimate victor. "He was born with this kind of leadership. But in the end, in Athens, the mountain of the gods, Gerrard was unable to help the team win the title in the libero position up front, and perhaps Gerrard should regret the chance wasted in the first half as he watched the Milan players lift the trophy high.

Gerrard will be 27 on 30 May and is at the peak of his career as a footballer. After his autobiography was published last year, it topped the list of best-selling sports books.

But it was the book that chronicled his upbringing that caused trouble before the finals.

Describing the Istanbul final, he wrote: "Gattuso looks aggressive, but in fact he is cowardly like a kitten" and "Milan celebrated winning the championship at half-time", much to the chagrin of the Italians.

Therefore, before the game, the reporter made it difficult for Gerrard on this topic. The captain said: "My main focus is to get myself to do the right thing, and if I can do it, then see if Gattuso can stop me!" If I'm in good shape, I feel like I can overcome the obstacles that Milan has set in front of me! ”

But in this game, Gerrard and Gattuso did not go head-to-head much. The captain stood behind Kuyt and acted as a libero, handing over the defensive task to Mascherano and Alonso.

This time. Gerrard, who was a hero several times, ultimately failed to become Liverpool's savior.

Perhaps fans will wonder if it was pressure that overcame the captain.

The Champions League final is a huge test for any top player. Not only the inner tension, but also the external factors. Gerrard recalls that before the final in Istanbul, it was as if the whole city of Liverpool had moved to the city.

He can meet fellow villagers on the streets, in bars, hotel lobbies and even in the corridors at any time to cheer on the players; If you want to get some sleep at night, you can't do it, and the fans sing day and night. What's even more terrifying is the constant ringing of the phone, and the blessings of relatives and friends seem extra redundant at this time. Soccer legend Cascarino also has a deep sense of pre-match phobia, recalling the 1990 World Cup in Italy. One of his Irish team friends was in the middle of his dream, and the phone suddenly rang, and it turned out to be his wife, who was going to watch the game, complaining that he couldn't find the hair perm!

These days. Athens also became the city that never sleeps. Tens of thousands of Liverpool fans poured in, and the situation was just like Istanbul two years ago.

But more important is mental stress. After the game against Chelsea, criticism was overwhelming. Argentina's Baldano openly mocked Liverpool's ugly play, with almost everyone agreeing that midfield rival Kaka will be the key to the game. Gerrard said before the game: "Since winning in 2005. A lot of people say we won by luck. As long as you win the cup for the second time in 3 years. All will shut up. But in the end, Liverpool paid off the debt due to the luck of the overdraft. In the second half, the Reds players generally fell in shape, but the captain was unable to step up and cheer his players on.

Gullit, who was a guest on Sky TV for the game, said before the game that Gerrard and Kuyt were the two figures who would decide the fate of Liverpool. In the game, Kuyt scored a late goal and was very active throughout the game, but Gerrard never grasped the final goal.

However, the captain was proud of his efforts until the end: "I thought we started the game perfectly, the game went like it was pre-designed. But I think at the top level you have to score goals. They were so lucky with their first ball! It's a huge psychological stimulus for them. Likewise throws a heavy burden upon us. We gave almost everything we could, but tonight didn't belong to us. I applaud my teammates for their hard work! ”

Liverpool ended up as runners-up, pointless runners-up!

Now it's the Milanese's turn to celebrate the championship, unbridled celebrations!

FIFA President Sepp Blatter appeared at the Olympic Stadium in Athens as the most prominent guest of honour in the Champions League final.

As soon as the game was over, he found Berlusconi in the VIP seat, "President, come to the Intercontinental Cup in December." Blatter is acting like a showman, and whether he invites Berlusconi or not, AC Milan will not pass up the opportunity to play in the Intercontinental Cup at the end of the year.

Blatter also spoke highly of AC Milan in an interview after the game, "In 90 minutes of play, AC Milan deserved this victory. I am very happy to be present at this great European festival. Both teams had an excellent second half. ”

From Blatter's recent overtures to Italian football, to his direct invitation to Silvio Berlusconi after the Champions League final, AC Milan has earned respect for Italian football in a unique way, and it's not hard to see why AC Milan see this title as an Italian champion.

"Today we see what football has." Blatter continued, "These fans are unbeatable, they're great. I would say that I was very satisfied with the championship won by the best team, who won this victory with sportsmanship, and after the match I personally extended an invitation to Berlusconi to invite AC Milan to participate in the Intercontinental Cup in December. ”

'Kaka didn't score,' said Pele after the game, 'but he did well enough. AC Milan played very well overall. Vitis, who helped AC Milan win the Champions League 4-0 in 1989 with a 4-0 win over Bucharest, had predicted a 1-0 win for AC Milan before the game, and Vitis was the top scorer in the AC Milan team three times.

When Milan lifted the trophy, Vitis was very happy with his correct prediction, "I said 1-0 was enough, but I would say now that it still looks a little thrilling, Jonk is amazing. I mean you don't have to score a lot of goals in the final, and at the same time you have to be more tactical. Because the end result is more important, and it turns out that my prediction was correct, it was a wonderful victory. ”

No one is more excited and satisfied with the victory than AC Milan president Silvio Berlusconi.

In the space of a year and a half. He went through all the lows of the individual and the team, the defeat of the prime minister's campaign, the blow of the "phonegate" incident, and so on. All the one-time was finally over in Athens and AC Milan won the Champions League, but Berlusconi remained calm at the awards table. When Maldini lifted the Champions Cup, he applauded and smiled reservedly; It was only when it came to the pitch to celebrate that the chairman, known for his character, finally sang and danced with the players. Like Stevenson's old gentleman at heart.

In the stands, Berlusconi has been calm, compared to Galliani's nervousness when Milan scored two goals. Galliani almost jumped with excitement. When Jonker scored the winning goal in the 92nd minute, Berlusconi sat in the stands with a blank face and a slightly nervous expression, while Galliani could no longer control his emotions and ran back to the dressing room, admitting after the game that he was too nervous. "I left my seat and went to the dressing room, I wanted to calm myself down. I was a little suspicious, I was too nervous. I can't stand such torture. ”

Ahead of the medal ceremony, Galliani was back on the pitch. He stayed with his players while Berlusconi sat in the VIP box, and Blatter asked Berlusconi to stand next to him at the medal ceremony, and the old Behwe's face was even calmer than he was in the first leg of this season's Milan derby, when he almost burst into rage at half-time. And in the face of victory, he was so quiet.

The most touching scene is of course the moment when Berlusconi and Maldini kissed, at this time Galliani had already arrived at the VIP table with the crowd of players receiving the award, and returned to Berlusconi's side, when the two most iconic figures of AC Milan in the last fifteen years kissed, Galliani applauded excitedly. Throughout the evening, he poured out all his feelings, while Berlusconi maintained a reserved smile after the victory, and even the applause was inferior to that of Galliani. At this time, Ronaldo, who had never won the Champions League, also celebrated the victory with them, and it was also the first time he touched the trophy up close.

When the players returned to the pitch, Berlusconi and Galliani finally sang and danced with the players, and the countless bitterness and pain were finally released at this moment.

Speaking after the game, Silvio Berlusconi said: "I said Inzaghi was going to score two goals and I was right. We forgot about the pain of Istanbul with victory, even though the pressure was still on us. AC Milan won this title for themselves and for Italy, which is a great result. After winning the Champions League against Juventus in 2003, Galliani once admitted that he slept with the Big Ears Cup that night, "Who will sleep with the Big Ears Cup after the game, I haven't figured it out yet, it's either the chairman or me!" ”

At the same time, with the Champions League victory, AC Milan also continues to have good news!

After finishing in the top four in the league ahead of schedule, qualifying for next season's Champions League and successfully reaching the top of the Champions Cup for the seventh time, AC Milan's task this season can be said to have been completed ahead of schedule, and in addition to the routine "human match" away to Reggina two days later, more energy will be invested in the rebuilding of the team next season.

Zambrotta, who has been hyped up by Sport, has finally reached a conclusion, and the Italian said publicly yesterday: "I will stay at Barcelona 100% next season and will not return to Italy to play." "The speculation about Zambrotta joining AC Milan can come to an end. On the contrary, the French international left-back Abederare officially submitted a transfer application to Lyonti yesterday, and Abiddale has a small range of transfers, he only holds two contracts offered by Barcelona and AC Milan, the Frenchman is still weighing and choosing, but from the current point of view, he has more hope of joining Barcelona.

It is not always easier to bring in reinforcements from the transfer market than to recoup their own players, AC Milan's first "acquisition" last summer was to buy back Brocki from Fiorentina, AC Milan also has a lot of loan players this season, but people may think of Empolipozi or Mazzorati, and they may think of Donati in Atalanta, but in fact, AC Milan's first finalized "new signing" was Abbiati, who was once thought to be "almost certainly not going back to AC Milan".

Abbiati spent last season on loan at Juventus and contributed to the team's title-winning spell. Loaned to Torino this season, despite a difficult period at the beginning, after the middle of the season. Abbiati quickly conquered the fans of his new club and Torino in his own right. He was supposed to stay in Turin.

Under the contract signed between AC Milan and Torino, Torino FC has the right of first refusal to acquire Abbiati for €4.2 million at the end of the season, but Torino FC does not intend to use this power. It's not that 4.2 million euros is too much, or because Abbiati's table is not good, but that Abbiati's agent hopes to sign a new contract with an annual salary of 2.4 million euros, which may not be a lot in big teams like AC Milan and Inter Milan. But in Turin, this is a far cry that breaks the ceiling.

Considerations on the Turin side are: If the club agrees to pay Abbiati an annual salary, then more people will ask the club for a higher salary, which will greatly increase the spending. A significant portion of Abbiati's annual salary this season has been paid by AC Milan, so Torino can afford it.

But that's exactly what AC Milan is doing. Turin Sport revealed. In fact, AC Milan have already changed their minds, and they want Abbiati to return to Milan, and this is also a clear signal: AC Milan are ready to give up on Buffon. AC Milan can indeed give up Buffon due to their good performance in recent stages, but Dida is older and no one knows if he will have the same injury or form ups and downs as he did in the middle of the season next season, and Abbiati is a reliable substitute or even a main contender. And with the "double insurance" of Dida and Abbiati, Buffon can really give up. For Abbiati. If he returns to AC Milan, he will face far better opportunities than he did when he left.

Torino have already started working on a new goalkeeper. AC Milan also gave Torino a message: "If you want a goalkeeper, we can loan Storari to you." Of course, for the president of the Torino club, Cairo, it was only one of the options.

Abbiati has made a great contribution to four titles in his career, the first was the league title of AC Milan in the 98/99 season, when he was a fledgling and was the main force of the team to win the championship, the second and third were the Champions Cup championship of AC Milan in the 02/03 season and the Coppa Italia title, in which he was the main player in the cup, in the Champions Cup, in the case of Dida's injury, he was the hero who helped AC Milan eliminate Inter Milan and reach the final, and the fourth was the title of Juventus in the 05/06 season. At that time, Buffon was recovering from an injury in the first half of the season, and Abbiati was excellent as the main player.

At this moment, the AC Milan fans in Milan can finally shout their hearts: Our hero is back!

Enthusiastic AC Milan fans surrounded Milan's Cathedral Square.

Later, the soldiers who had been slightly renovated in Milanello appeared in the Cathedral Square in a float, bright red and black, like a flame, blazing in the world-famous fashion capital.

The bright-faced AC Milan players enjoyed the tsunami of congratulations, some of the players waved like fans, some waved the red and black Milan flag, and some passed the "big ears" championship trophy, the most eye-catching of which were Gattuso and Ronaldo. Although Ronaldo is not qualified to help AC Milan play in the Champions League, he has tasted the taste of touching the Champions Cup without playing a minute, but it is clear that Ronnie is not as happy as his teammates around him to laugh. Silently standing beside Ancelotti and looking around at the grand celebration.

The most special thing is Gattuso, with stylish sunglasses, Gattuso held up a small sign, which is incompatible with the surroundings is actually blue-black, and it is only when you look at the content on it that you suddenly realize. The placard reads "I haven't won in 42 years", which is clearly a reference to the embarrassing history of Inter Milan who have not won the European Cup in 42 years.

The AC Milan team, triumphant from Athens, celebrated with a grand parade in the city of Milan. Sitting on an open-top bus with the trophy held high in the city, the team was warmly welcomed by the fans everywhere they went, and the city was noisy because of AC Milan's victory, but it was not full of laughter and laughter, and even provoked new incidents because of the inappropriate expressions of AC Milan players in celebration.

After the parade began, Gattuso and Ambrosini, who were standing on the open-top bus, jointly held up a banner with the slogan: "Stuff the league trophy into your XX". In the parade, AC Milan players held aloft a placard that simulated the Inter Milan badge.

As the bus marched, the procession passed under the balcony of an apartment with the Inter Milan flag on it. There were even fans who sang the slogan that the Milan players had just lifted to the men who were quietly watching the parade on the balcony: "Stuff the trophy into your XX ......". In addition, the window of an apartment with the AC Milan flag hung a sign that satirized the parade held after Inter Milan's recent league victory, which read: "The bus of the fools is followed by the bus of the champions", and even the venue of the AC Milan celebration rally was written vertically, "Champions Cup victory". League Celebration Disrupting the Situation".

All this qiē did not escape the eyes of the media, and after the specific situation was revealed by the media, it became the fuse for another verbal altercation between the two teams in Milan.

Inter Milan president Moratti, who appeared at the door of the professional league's headquarters today, told reporters that the matter is over: "AC Milan sneer at us all the time. I have accepted AC Milan's apology for that insulting placard. Of course, the players won't forget about it anytime soon. The game was exciting and the final result was as AC Milan had hoped. It is very necessary to get such luck in the competition. However, Carlo Ancelotti's players showed their boldness and composure during the game. Although Liverpool's table was better, the two goals gave AC Milan's players the upper hand. I congratulate them. ”

And the general manager of AC Milan, Galliani, tried to downplay the end of the incident: "Enough, I don't want to talk about it anymore. There's also a European Cup victory to celebrate. As he walked out of the professional league headquarters, Galliani once again stirred up an argument with Inter: "I found out about that from someone at Sky," Galliani said. " So I called the bus, and the so-called offensive and provocative sign was quickly removed. The players told me that the sign was not made by them, but by a fan. So I don't think it's a very strict thing, and I've already talked to Moratti about it this morning. We were still laughing after the misunderstanding was resolved. ”

Of course, this is not a problem. Jonker laughed because a brace in the Champions League final made Super Jonker win another super compliment; Carlo Ancelotti smiled, the Champions League trophy not only allowed him to sit firmly in the position, but also achieved great glory; Silvio Berlusconi also smiled, and smiled very brightly, because the championship not only brought extraordinary influence to the club, but also brought a huge prize money.

In April this year, Fortune magazine announced the "World Football Club Market Value Ranking". On this list, Milan is fifth. Revenues reached $46 million. But by the end of next year, Milan's income will definitely increase significantly, at least surpassing Bayern in front of them ($62 million), because Milan will earn a full $30 million more than Bayern in the Champions League alone.

Italy's newspaper La Repubblica likened the Champions League to a big coffer, and the winner Milan undoubtedly got the lion's share of the gold.

First of all, Milan played the Champions League qualifiers, and although it was not very honorable, the winning bonus and ticket revenue allowed the team to receive 2 million euros upfront.

Then there is the group stage, according to the principle of Champions League prize distribution, the basic prize money is 1.7 million euros, the appearance fee for each game is 340,000 euros, and the winning bonus is 340,000 euros, so that the ticket revenue is at least 7 million euros, and the second stage is entered with a bonus of 2 million euros, and the winning bonus is doubled; Entering the quarterfinals will add another 2.7 million euros, entering the semi-finals will add 3.4 million euros, and entering the final will add 4.1 million euros, and the champion team will get an additional 2.7 million euros, and the prize money income from the competition alone will be 30 million euros, but this is far from a big head, and what is really enviable is the sponsorship fee.

Milan's main sponsor, Bwin, has signed a progressive contract with the team, and each step in the Champions League will cost a considerable amount of money.

The year before, Benitez led Liverpool to win the Champions League, and the team's total income was about 65 million euros, compared to 87 million euros for Barcelona last year, and Milan's income has increased this year, with Italian media estimates reaching a staggering 100 million euros. With such a huge gain, how could Berlusconi not be happy?

With an income of 100 million euros, Milan's transfer budget for next season is naturally high, which will greatly increase the possibility of several superstars joining. The most credible is Shevchenko, whose willingness to return and the welcome of Boss Pei have made things much easier. The transfer fee will be around 15 million euros, and Milan invited Sheva in yesterday's Champions League final, with La Repubblica saying: "The two sides will negotiate the transfer and contract after the game. "There is also the interesting Ronaldo, Barcelona's transfer floor is 40 million euros, and the huge benefits from the Champions League trophy will facilitate the completion of this big deal.

Milan also has two candidates, one is Juventus' Buffon, the other is Barcelona's Zambrotta, 100 million euros to acquire four superstars, this is the real Champions League effect! (To be continued......)