As Ronaldo made his way from the Netherlands 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 displays since October last year. At that time, he genuinely believed there was no connection between Millwall and Barcelona. Even though he had made some comments 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, Netherlands, for the championship!
Two historically disconnected teams were igniting considerable discussion.
Aldrich was labeled by the Spanish press as an overconfident youth who held Barcelona in contempt, while the accomplishments 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 clash alongside the supporters of both teams.
As pre-match entertainment unfolded in the stadium, the players of both teams were getting ready in their locker rooms.
Millwall had a longer preparation time than Barcelona, and the players were in top form. In the locker room, Aldrich saw eleven spirited warriors.
The players 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 player, 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 become 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 players listened to Aldrich, somewhat baffled.
First love?
"We're here to play football, not to talk about love!"
The players 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 player, a moment, a name, a photo… names like Busby's Manchester United, Paisley's Liverpool, Sacchi's Milan, Belgium's Red Devils, Italy's catenaccio, Maradona's Argentina, Brazil's samba team, Barcelona's Dream Team, and many others. I hope Millwall can become 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 players exchanged glances, and today they didn't shout wildly but stood tall, confidently declaring, "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 will laugh 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, England has the most clubs in both the Champions League and the Cup Winners' Cup, with three clubs also having touched the UEFA Cup. Despite England experiencing a five-year ban from European competitions, this illustrates the standing of English clubs in nearly half a century's history. Though the last few years have been a low point, with the commercialization of the Premier League and a resurgence across clubs, England has re-entered a new era of competition.
Southgate stood up, solemnly declaring, "For the boss to return home with his head held high, lads, we give it our all today!"
"Give it our all!" the players responded in unison, following their captain out of the locker room.
Aldrich stepped outside as well, and once he entered the players' 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 England. 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 become 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 success 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 success? 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 succinctly 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. The latter'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 become 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 become 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 a commotion 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 players from both teams entered the field, and Aldrich's smile faded. His gaze turned sharp. Coincidentally, the players looked at him as well. He met each player's eyes, and his encouraging gaze was like that of a friend offering simple support. Yet, through Aldrich's presence, players drew immense confidence—powerful confidence!
He stood like a towering pillar of victory, steadfast at the sidelines, instilling confidence in every player.
"The 1996-1997 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup is about to commence, with this year's finalists being England's Millwall and Spanish giants Barcelona. Millwall has just claimed 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 clash between two powerhouses. Both teams boast star-studded lineups. Now, here's a look at the starting lineups: Millwall will play in a 4-3-3 formation with goalkeeper: Butland; defenders: Schneider, Elguera, Southgate, Capdevila; 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, Guardiola; wingers: Figo, De la Peña, Enrique; with Ronaldo as their striker. This is a battle between two youthful squads, with the youngest players 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, proclaimed, "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.