Chapter 133: The first trophy !
On the afternoon of August 28, 2002, the Inter Milan team flew to Monaco, in the southeastern corner of France, preparing for the European Super Cup match against Real Madrid on the 30th.
Monaco is a very small European country that has sold 90% of its land to France and is now under French protection.
Since 1998, the European Super Cup has been held at the Louis II Stadium, which, compared to top league stadiums, is particularly small, accommodating only 18,500 people, with the parking lot built directly under the pitch.
During the pre-match press conference, the most concerning question for all journalists was whether Ronaldo would play for Real Madrid against his former club.
Real Madrid coach Vincente del Bosque said, "Ronaldo is still in a recovery phase. As you know, he took on too much during the Korea-Japan World Cup, and we can't afford to overburden him."
Not only that, according to the match squad lists, many key players for Real Madrid such as Figo and Zidane were absent from this game. Some journalists suggested that Real Madrid might be giving up on this trophy.
The Spanish coach denied this, saying, "Of course not. As you know, we have never won the European Super Cup, so we are extremely eager to add this trophy to our collection. It would be very interesting, wouldn't it?"
"However, after the battles of last season's Champions League and the World Cup, many of our players have suffered injuries, so we have rotated the squad. This is normal."
"Our opponents, Inter Milan, are also facing similar situations, aren't they? Moreover, the Europa League's level of competition cannot be compared to the Champions League, in my opinion."
This argument sparked controversy among the media, with many believing it showed contempt for Inter Milan's strength. Cooper, not a magnanimous coach, specifically mentioned this in his pre-match motivational speech: "Guys, get yourselves together and show the legendary Galacticos some colors."
Once the match began, Real Madrid showed strong momentum, wanting to overpower Inter Milan and control the game. In the first ten minutes, their ball possession and attacks were quite threatening.
Inter Milan, however, played with great patience. Their recent training had focused on stabilizing the defense, with Cooper even specifically instructing Wang Feng to continuously challenge the defense during group confrontations. Now, Cannavaro and others saw Wang Feng as if they were facing a big demon.
Overall, this training proved effective. So, facing Real Madrid's pressing attacks, Inter Milan's defense remained solid. Of course, the absence of key players was also one reason Real Madrid struggled to break through.
In this game, Cooper used a 4-4-2 formation, different from the previous season's regular lineup. Toldo remained in goal.
The defense consisted of Cannavaro, Cordoba, Materazzi, and Coco.
In midfield were Sainz, Di Biagio, Dalmat, and Recoba, while Zanetti and Konscia were on the bench.
The forwards were Vieri and Wang Feng.
As the game progressed, Wang Feng on the front line quietly revealed his sharpness.
In the 23rd minute, Inter Milan launched a quick counterattack. Di Biagio dribbled the ball into the frontcourt from the left, then delivered a cross to Wang Feng on the other side of the field.
Wang Feng controlled the long pass perfectly, then started a lateral cut inside, using his speed to get past Carlos' defense.
Near the top of the penalty area, he sidestepped Elgera's pressure with his left foot, then struck the ball fiercely with his left foot, blasting it through Real Madrid's goal. Casillas guessed the direction correctly but reacted a step too slow.
This astonishing shot stunned the Real Madrid fans in the stands, who had traveled from Spain to Monaco to witness their team's historic victory. They had hoped to witness Real Madrid lifting the trophy but didn't expect Inter Milan to take the lead.
Their cheers grew louder, hoping to provide encouragement and support to the players on the field, to avoid repeating the tragedies of 1998 and 2000.
But the incomplete lineup of the Galacticos couldn't stop Wang Feng's footsteps. As the first half approached the end, Inter Milan again planned an attack.
After Wang Feng's pass back, Dalmat passed horizontally to Recoba in the middle. Recoba used his right foot to loft a pass, the ball flying high over Real Madrid's defense.
Wang Feng retreated slightly to avoid being offside, then suddenly accelerated when Recoba's pass came, successfully avoiding offside. With no one defending in the penalty area, he volleyed the ball into the far corner of the goal.
Two goals! After scoring, Wang Feng excitedly ran towards the Inter Milan fans in the stands. Although outnumbered by Real Madrid fans, they had been cheering passionately throughout the match.
Seeing Wang Feng approach them, many fans were moved to tears. They had finally waited for this day, the rise of Inter Milan!
With a 2-0 lead into halftime, everyone at Inter Milan was excited. Coach Cooper approached Wang Feng to discuss tactics: "Wang, will you continue to play in the second half? If you feel tired, I'll let Martins replace you."
Wang Feng said, "Coach, let me play the full match. I feel very good, and there's no need for rest. Besides, a 2-0 lead doesn't completely ensure victory, especially against Real Madrid."
Cooper nodded, "I also want to win this trophy and start the new season on a good note."
After the break, Real Madrid indeed intensified their offensive. In the 57th minute, Spaniard Guti helped the team pull one back. Then, Carlos' direct free-kick narrowly missed breaking through Toldo's fingers. A series of attacks from the Galacticos brought suspense back to the game.
In the 77th minute, Wang Feng and Vieri formed a wall-pass combination near the edge of the penalty area. With Vieri blocking Elgera who wanted to help defend, Wang Feng easily shot into the goal from inside the penalty area.
Hat-trick!
With a 3-1 lead until the final whistle, Inter Milan lifted their historic first European Super Cup with Wang Feng's hat-trick!
You see, among the "Northern Trio" of Serie A, AC Milan has won the European Super Cup three times, Juventus twice, while Inter Milan had nothing.
Now, Wang Feng has made history for Inter Milan. With this alone, he will be forever remembered in Inter Milan's trophy room.
The European Super Cup is silver overall, shaped like a giant goblet, with the stem part widened into a more streamlined shape. The trophy weighs 5 kilograms and is about 42.5 centimeters tall, making it the smallest and lightest trophy in European club competitions, compared to the 15-kilogram Union Cup, it's like a dwarf before a giant.
When Zanetti lifted the trophy, everyone had only one belief in their hearts: this is just the beginning! Next, Inter Milan will create one miracle after another of their own.
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