Football: Starting from the 05 World Youth Championship

Chapter 334: Champions League odds soar to first place!

“Probability doesn’t represent everything. There are always people who break the rules and create miracles!”

“Just because no one has done it in the past doesn’t mean no one will be able to do it in the future!”

At the press conference after the game, when a reporter pointed out that the probability of Manchester United's comeback was extremely low and the hope was close to zero, Ferguson interrupted the other party without hesitation and said in a decisive tone.

After hearing Ferguson's words, the British reporters who came to the scene spontaneously burst into warm applause.

Whether he can turn the tables is not the question for now, but at least Ferguson did not back down, and that's great!
"My team and I have created countless miracles in the past, and I believe this time will be no exception!"

Ferguson glanced at everyone, then turned and left.

Some people believed his last words, while others did not.

The reason why people believe in him is because of his excellent record and his reputation as a world-famous coach.

Before Ferguson took over Manchester United, it had not won the Premier League title for 25 years.

Manchester United's arch-rival Liverpool has 18 top league championship trophies!

More than twice that of Manchester United!
The huge gap in championships, coupled with Manchester United's years of no championship.

When Ferguson took over Manchester United, almost no one was optimistic about his future.

Every time there is a Manchester United derby, Liverpool fans always use this to mock Ferguson and Manchester United.

From then on, Ferguson vowed to pull Liverpool off the throne of English football!
Under his leadership, Manchester United rose strongly, not only ending Liverpool's dominance, but also catching up in the number of league titles.

So far, Manchester United has won 15 league titles.

If they add the championship trophy that they are bound to win this season, they are only two away from Liverpool's record!
Although Ferguson is over 60 years old, there is no problem for him to lead the team for another six or seven years.

With Manchester United's current strength, it is not difficult to win three trophies within six or seven years, so Ferguson will definitely be able to achieve the goal he set before he retires!
But 20 years ago, when Ferguson made his bold statement, who would have believed that an old Scottish man could really kick Liverpool off the throne?
Therefore, Ferguson's followers firmly believe in what he says.

What the Red Devils are best at is doing things that others think are impossible!

Of course, some people were dismissive of the Manchester United coach's words:
"Did Manchester United really cause Liverpool's decline by their own ability? It was not because of the Heysel disaster. They could not play in European competitions for seven years and all the big-name stars left. How could they maintain their fighting power under such circumstances?
Manchester United is just picking up the slack, otherwise why did Ferguson take over Manchester United in 86, but didn't win the first championship trophy until seven years later, which coincided with the ban of Liverpool after the Heysel disaster. Is this a coincidence? "

Liverpool fans have always been indignant about what happened more than a decade ago.

They were not defeated by Manchester United, but were politically framed by a female Prime Minister!

"What the Liverpool guys said is right. In my opinion, Manchester United just likes to use their past results to cheer themselves up. This game has fully proved that Manchester United's style of play will not gain any advantage in front of Inter Milan.

They lost so badly at home, and they are still expecting a shocking comeback away from home. I think it’s better to go to bed early. Dreams can bring you anything!”

The enemy of my enemy is my friend. At least when it comes to opposing Manchester United, Liverpool fans and Inter Milan fans have temporarily formed an alliance.

……

While the fans of the three teams were busy bickering and arguing, the Inter Milan team, which had finished the game, had already left Manchester and returned to Milan by plane.

As they left in a hurry, Lin Feng did not have time to have a meal with Sun Jihai and Dong Fangzhuo, so he had to make a note of the meal and treat them later when he had the chance.

The match between Inter Milan and Manchester United was the last match of this round of knockout matches. By the time their match was over, all other matches would have been over as well.

Among the three Serie A teams, only Inter Milan won, and the situation for advancement is very good.

AC Milan was tied by their opponents at home. Although their hope of advancing away from home cannot be said to be zero, it is obviously not very high. Therefore, the outside world is not very optimistic about them.

As for Roma, they lost so badly at home, what else can they expect? They should just prepare for next season in advance!
Valencia, the only team in La Liga, performed well in the first round. Playing away from home, they tied with the powerful Chelsea 1:1 at Stamford Bridge.

It is said that after the game, Chelsea owner Abramovich and head coach Mourinho had a fierce argument in the locker room.

There are rumors that the Russian has threatened to sack Mourinho if Chelsea is eliminated by Valencia.

Although I don't know whether this news is true or not, it is true that the relationship between the two is very tense.

Chelsea's league performance has declined significantly this season. With only seven rounds left in the Premier League, Chelsea is six points behind Manchester United. It is actually quite difficult to catch up with this gap.

Especially in the second half of the league, when those relegation teams become aggressive, they are more terrifying than the teams ranked higher in the league. Even for the top teams, it is common for them to be overturned when they meet them.

In addition, Abramovich wanted it all. He didn't want to give up the league and also wanted to achieve results in the Champions League, which led to Chelsea's players being exhausted and suffering from constant injuries.

Now the conflict between the owner and the head coach has become public again, and it broke out in the locker room in front of many players.

What do Chelsea players think?
It is almost foreseeable that Mourinho is going to lose control of the locker room!

Some people who like to watch the fun even started making bets on when Mourinho will leave Chelsea.

Originally, many people thought that Mourinho would fulfill his contract with Chelsea and stay until 2010.

But after this incident, everyone agreed that Mourinho would leave the Blues this summer.

……

When the Inter Milan team returned to Milan, it was already late at night, but there were still hundreds of fans waiting at the airport to pick them up!

To be honest, the nights in Milan in early April were still quite cold, and it was drizzling outside. These fans looked like they had been waiting for several hours. God knows how they managed to hold on in such wet and cold conditions.

Inter Milan's stars were also very moved when they saw this. They signed autographs and took photos with the fans present, trying their best to fulfill their wishes.

Many fans surrounded Lin Feng to ask for autographs and take photos with him, and many fans were very concerned about Lin Feng's injury.

After learning that his injury was not serious, the fans were relieved.

Inter Milan is currently in a period of growth. Since Lin Feng joined Inter Milan last season, the Nerazzurri's record has begun to rise and various honors have also begun to increase.

For Inter Milan fans who have persevered for many years, this is a good day that they have finally gotten through all the hard work.

So they cherish it very much and hope that such good times can continue forever.

It would be even better if we could catch up with AC Milan in Champions League honors!

The number of Serie A titles won by Inter Milan and AC Milan is not much different. AC Milan has won 17 Serie A titles, while Inter Milan has also won 14 top league titles. If this year's title is included, the gap between the two teams is only two. With Inter Milan's current momentum and the aging of AC Milan's lineup, it is just a matter of time before Inter Milan catches up with and surpasses AC Milan.

But in terms of Champions League honors, the gap between the two teams is a bit big.

So far, AC Milan has won 6 Champions League trophies, making it the second team with the most Champions League titles in the top five leagues, second only to Real Madrid's 9.

Compared with AC Milan, Inter Milan currently has only two Champions League trophies, which is only one-third of the other side, and the gap is very large.

Moreover, Inter Milan's two Champions League titles were won more than 40 years ago during the Inter Milan era, which is more than years ago.

In contrast, AC Milan can basically reach the final and win a Champions League trophy every few years. In addition to six championships, Milan even has four runner-up titles.

It is precisely because of the lack of European honors that the two teams' international influence is incomparable.

AC Milan is much more famous than Inter Milan!

This is also the most frustrating part for Inter Milan fans when facing their city rivals.

Inter Milan belongs to a family whose ancestors were once wealthy but later fell into poverty.

AC Milan's ancestors were very prosperous, and they have always been prosperous with almost no interruption.

Although they know that Inter Milan is currently on an upward trend, before winning the Champions League honors, the Nerazzurri have no idea how high this team can reach and whether it can help them realize their 40-year-long dream of winning the Champions League.

……

After the first round of matches, several European bookmakers announced the latest European stock odds.

With an outstanding performance in the first leg and a huge advantage, Inter Milan's odds surpassed competitors such as Manchester United, Liverpool and AC Milan, soaring to first place.

For a time, hype that Inter Milan was about to secure the Champions League spread across the Internet and major newspapers.

This made Inter Milan fans very excited. Their team has not won the Champions League for many years. Even the last time they reached the Champions League final was 35 years ago.

For the vast majority of Inter Milan fans, they have never seen Inter Milan reach the final since they were born, let alone win the Champions League.

So even though they knew it was just media hype, the fans were still very happy and couldn't help but look forward to it.

"If the predictions of the online gambling companies come true, then Inter Milan will once again usher in the great international era!"

"One Champions League is not enough. You know, we won two consecutive Champions League titles during the Inter Milan era. This time we have to win three consecutive Champions League titles, right?"

"Brother, you are really inflated. Not to mention that no team has ever defended the Champions League title since the reform. Even if we break the curse, it is almost impossible to win the championship for three consecutive years. If you don't believe me, look at our team's lineup, how old are Zanetti, Figo, and Materazzi?"

"Yes, many of our main players have reached retirement age. Apart from anything else, Figo's condition this season is not as stable as last season. It is normal for players to decline in condition and competitiveness as they age.

By then, the team will be faced with the problem of reconstruction. It will be very difficult to maintain a stable record, not to mention competing with a number of top giants for the Champions League. So first get the first Champions League, and the rest can come slowly! ”

The soaring odds of Inter Milan have attracted not only the fans' attention but also the reporters from major media outlets.

At the press conference before the start of the 31st round of Serie A, a reporter raised this question:

"Mr. Mancini, your team has soared to first place in the odds of winning the Champions League. Do you have the confidence to lead Inter Milan to win the championship?"

The team had just won the game, and after an examination by the team doctor, it was confirmed that Lin Feng's injury was not serious. Mancini was in a very good mood at the moment.

So after hearing the reporter's question, he smiled and joked:
"I didn't know the rules of the Champions League had changed. Is the champion now determined by odds?"

Then he said seriously:

"I don't care about the odds of winning the championship. I care more about doing my job well, preparing for every game and helping the team win the game.

As for the Champions League title, it is too early to talk about it now, my goal is to get to the semi-finals first!"

Mancini's words caused boos from the audience, and reporters felt that he was hypocritical.

Inter Milan had such a big advantage in the first leg and also had three precious away goals.

Unless Inter Milan performs poorly in the second round, they can't imagine how Inter Milan will lose?
Mancini actually has expectations for the Champions League title, but it is not appropriate to say this now.

Speaking out too early will easily make Inter Milan the target of public criticism and attract the attention of other teams.

It would be better to make a fortune quietly and let other teams take the lead.

After all, compared with Liverpool, AC Milan and Bayern, the old giants that often reach the Champions League final, they have not reached the Champions League final for many years and are an absolute newcomer.

……

In the 31st round of Serie A, Inter Milan will challenge Reggina away.

Although Lin Feng's injury was not serious, Mancini still chose to let Lin Feng rest.

Also resting together were veteran Figo and captain Zanetti. One of them is 35 years old, and the other is 34 years old. Their physical condition is not as good as when they were young, and they need more time to rest and recharge their batteries.

Only in this way can we adjust our condition to the best so that we can fight for the team in the Champions League.

So Beckham led the team as usual in this game, but his teammates were much worse than before - there were fewer main players and more substitutes.

Inter Milan's advantage in the league is already very large, and the league championship is basically in Inter Milan's pocket, so Mancini needs to be able to adjust the team's formation boldly and confidently to reduce the consumption of main players.

But the price of doing so is not small. In this game against Reggina, who is ranked in the middle of the league, Inter Milan did not score a single goal.

Although Beckham took several high-quality free kicks, the opponent's goalkeeper was like a chicken with its blood pumped up, and miraculously blocked all of his shots.

In the end, Inter Milan drew with their opponent 0:0 away from home.

To be fair, the substitutes of Chinese Milan performed well in this game, but the opponent's defense was disgusting.

Regina piled up a large number of players in the backcourt and hardly attacked, clearly aiming for 1 point.

Although it was the opponent's home court, they played extremely conservatively, which made Inter Milan's players sick.

The most infuriating thing is that after presenting the fans with a dull draw, Reggiana’s players and fans were not frustrated at all. Instead, they hugged each other excitedly and celebrated after the game, as if they had won a great victory!
(End of this chapter)