On May 26, 2013, the 2012/13 UEFA Champions League final was played at Wembley Stadium in London. Bayern Munich defeated Borussia Dortmund 2-1, winning their fifth European Cup championship in team history. With the crowning of the Champions League winner, the 2012-2013 season officially came to a close.
Aside from the Confederations Cup, there were no major events that garnered much attention during the summer of 2013. After the league ended, most European players had no national team duties and went on vacation.
Nevertheless, the summer of 2013 was destined to be eventful. In early June, several major European football clubs changed their coaches, and clubs also announced their new coach selections.
Jose Mourinho returned to Chelsea and signed a four-year contract.
After winning the treble, Sir Alex Ferguson retired, and Barcelona's former head coach, Pep Guardiola, became the new coach of Bayern Munich.
Carlo Ancelotti arrived at the Bernabeu and took over the reins of the Real Madrid galactic battleship.
Manchester City announced the appointment of their new manager, Manuel Pellegrini.
Former French national team manager, Laurent Blanc, took charge of Paris Saint-Germain with the aim of making a breakthrough in the Champions League next season.
While these clubs were full of confidence, the color red in the ancient industrial city of Manchester seemed to be in a slump for a while.
The Manchester Evening News journalist, Hall, published a series of articles introducing the player and coaching career of Tiger in detail. Many people only then realized that Tiger was a member of Manchester United's "Class of '92"!
However, even with a glorious history, his early retirement due to injuries and coaching only in the club's youth team were not enough to convince fans. Many Manchester United fans expressed doubts about Tiger's future.
Media outlets in other areas were even more contemptuous of Tiger. In the football section of today's Sun newspaper, journalist Wolfe belittled Tiger as useless.
"We all know that hiring an excellent coach requires a lot of money. Look at the tens of millions of pounds contract that Abramovich offered Mourinho, it is clear that the Glazer family's reluctance to spend big money on hiring an excellent coach and allowing a young person with no first-team coaching experience to take over has angered Manchester United fans. In recent days, many Manchester United fans have staged large-scale demonstrations in front of the club's office building. They raised banners protesting the Glazer family's inaction and expressed concerns about Manchester United's performance next season. A loyal fan of the club was interviewed by a reporter, and he expressed great doubts about Manchester United's ability to stay in the top four of the league next season."
"What bullshit is this!" In the Manchester Red Bar, a drunken fat man shredded the newspaper in his hand. "Top four in the league? We'll still be champions next season!"
At this point, the customers in the bar were shouting loudly: "Yes! We'll defend our title next season! Let that Magic Bird and Professor go to hell!"
But after the noise, the whole bar returned to calmness.
The Red Bar is a very special bar in Manchester. The customers here are die-hard Manchester United fans. The bar has been open for decades, and the owner, Butler, like these fans, has gone from being a young person to a middle-aged person. Time has passed, but the only thing that has not changed is their loyalty and love for Manchester United.
The lively bar suddenly quieted down, making people very uncomfortable. The drunken fat man just now was named Rodney, and he was a member of Manchester United's largest fan association, "King of the Devils." There were several pieces of the Sun newspaper on his table, and he tore up the unfavorable comments about Manchester United.
But after the blood and noise, everyone fell into silence.
A fan who had a good relationship with Rodney whispered, "Next season... the new coach... no problem, right?"
"Of course there's no problem! Although Sir has retired, the new coach..." Rodney suddenly stopped and didn't know what to say. "Anyway, I don't think there's a problem."
Then he added in a low voice, "Even if the new coach doesn't do anything, with the squad that Sir Alex left behind this season, we still have a lot of competitiveness."
A young fan expressed concern, "Tiger has no first-team coaching experience. I think next season is in danger."
Another young fan agreed, "Yeah, I've never even heard of Tiger. He's just an assistant coach for the youth team and not even the head coach. How can he lead the first team well?"
"Bang!"
A beer glass was slammed onto the table, and Rodney pointed his finger at the two young men. "You guys know nothing! You don't even know who Tiger is, and you still have the nerve to call yourselves Manchester United fans!"
The two young men were frightened by Rodney's aggressive tone and didn't dare to say anything back.
At this moment, a hand reached out from beside him. "Rodney, why are you getting angry with them? They're still young, and it's been so many years since the Tiger incident. It's normal for them not to know."
Not only Rodney, but everyone else in the bar also highly respected the middle-aged man named Cook. Cook was tall and had a boxer's build that was enviable. He was the president of the fan association "King of the Devils" and was deeply loved by Red Devil fans.
Cook drank a beer and said, "Rodney, if you're angry, save it for the next season's opening match and take it out on the opposing team and their fans at Old Trafford Stadium."
"Agreed," Rodney nodded and waved to the two young fans. "You two boys come here! Let me teach you who King Tiger is!"
Seeing the bar return to lively, Cook left the crowd and came to the bar. He shook the empty beer glass in his hand and said, "Old buddy, another one please."
Butler, the bar owner sitting behind the bar, glanced at Cook and poured him another drink. "Cook, honestly, how do you view King Tiger's coaching prospects?"
"To be honest, not optimistic," Cook frowned. "Taking over this mess now, even Mourinho has to think twice. Sir Alex's influence will still loom large, and it will be difficult for the new coach to establish authority."
Butler wiped the glasses on the counter and casually asked, "Then who do you think is suitable?"
"Well..." Cook thought for a long time but couldn't think of a suitable candidate. "The club wants people who won't come, and the people who want to come aren't wanted. It's indeed a problem."
Cook sighed and had another drink.
Butler said gently, "Before he left, Sir Alex told everyone, 'When we perform poorly, the club has always supported me, and all the players have supported me. Now, your job is to support the next head coach, and this is crucial!'"
Cook nodded, "Yes, support, we must support. Especially since he is King Tiger, our captain!"