Chapter 273: King of the finals
As usual, Inter Milan, who advanced to the final, provided generous treatment to the main players' family and friends, allowing them to come to the scene to cheer, as the club believed it would give the players more motivation.
Wang Feng's relatives came to support him as always, but this time, his sister couldn't accompany him because she had her graduation defense on the same day.
"Let's support each other on our respective battlefields. After I successfully pass the defense, I'll watch your game first thing," encouraged Wang Feng by the words of encouragement from his sister. To accompany her, Wang Feng's sister and mother would stay in Milan.
Before the match, Wang Feng received the European Golden Boot award from the European Sports Magazine Group and an interview from "World Soccer" magazine. This award is usually presented in June, but this year being a World Cup year, all European leagues ended around mid-May, so the final results were self-evident.
With 41 league goals, Wang Feng lifted the trophy for the 5th consecutive time! At the same time, he contributed 18 assists, and in the Champions League, he scored 17 goals and made 9 assists, becoming the undisputed top scorer.
Receiving the golden football shoe from the editor-in-chief of "World Soccer" magazine, the British joked, "Can I ask you a question? Until when do you plan to monopolize this award? We need to prepare the trophies for the next few years."
Wang Feng laughed, "That depends on the rising stars in the football world. Anyway, I won't stop scoring goals."
Except for his first season at Inter Milan when he scored 34 goals, in the other four seasons, he scored more than 40 goals each season, a record that cannot be surpassed. Now, no forward in the football world can compete with him.
Then, Ellis asked some routine questions, and Wang Feng answered them one by one as usual. Finally, he asked, "Since your debut, you have won all the cup finals, including the Cup final, Europa League final, and Champions League final. Many people call you the King of Finals. How do you view this?"
Wang Feng said, "The King of Finals? That's a good title, I really like it. Being able to reach the final of a tournament is what every participating team dreams of, but it's also very challenging because the championship is just one step away."
"I don't like to fall at the finish line, so I put in 200% effort and dedication in every final."
At the routine press conference in Barcelona, the same question was asked by reporters, and Barcelona's head coach Rijkaard smiled and said, "King of Finals? Sorry, but I'm afraid Wang's consecutive final victories will be broken by us!"
He was very confident because the Barcelona lineup had reached its most mature stage. Whether it was the midfielders Puyol, Deco, Edmilson, or the forwards Giuly, Eto'o, Ronaldinho, they were all in their peak state. On the bench, there were also Belletti, Iniesta, and Larsson to fill in.
With such a dream lineup, they would definitely win the second UEFA Champions League trophy in Barcelona's history!
By 2006, Barcelona had won 18 La Liga titles and 24 Copa del Rey titles, but they had only won one UEFA Champions League title in 1992, while their arch-rivals Real Madrid had won 9.
European competitions were always the Catalans' eternal regret, with only one trophy in five finals. Therefore, the club attached great importance to this final, perhaps promising huge prize money for winning.
The situation of Inter Milan had been thoroughly studied by Rijkaard's team. The main defenders Zambrotta and Civu were destined to miss the final. Although the newly added Mihajlovic and Samuel had gradually played their roles after a period of adaptation, they were not as solid as the original defense.
The only relatively dangerous part was the forward line led by Wang Feng. However, their passing and control ability were average, mainly relying on defensive counterattacks and Wang Feng's individual ability to tear open the defense. As long as they controlled possession and defended against direct penetrations through local heavy defenses, the Dutchman believed Barcelona would not give Inter Milan any chance.
On the day of the match, the players were doing their final warm-up exercises, while Mancini was in a meeting room with his think tank discussing the tactical arrangements for the match. He had hardly slept these past few days, feeling the weight of Barcelona pressing down on him.
Compared to the coaches' anxiety, the Inter Milan players were very relaxed in mentality, minimizing the impact of Serie A chaos. With the "big leg" Wang Feng leading, they all looked forward to the bonus after winning the championship.
"Boss, we must win the trophy. I want to buy another off-road motorcycle," Ribery said enthusiastically. He was very obsessed with off-road racing, and most of his money had been invested in it since he started making money. His home in France was filled with all kinds of motorcycles, parts, and related tools.
His passion for driving and speed even made him think about secretly driving the club's bus. Fortunately, it was discovered and stopped by the staff in time; otherwise, it would have violated Italian law, as he didn't have a bus driving license.
"I don't quite understand your point of interest," Wang Feng shook his head. "But I have to remind you, motorcycles are not very safe. I don't want to hear bad news one day."
Ribery nodded, "Don't worry, I just ride with friends on the track and take comprehensive safety precautions."
In the afternoon, Mancini finally made the final decision. The original starting lineup remained unchanged, but the formation used AC Milan's classic 4-3-2-1 instead of the usual 4-4-2.
"Ribery and Wang Feng act as dual attacking midfielders, with Adriano at the front," the Italian pointed to the tactical board to announce the match tactics to everyone. "Barcelona will definitely use extreme passing and zone defense. We will use defensive counterattacks."
"Wang, I hope you won't limit yourself to a certain area but actively run to draw the defense. This is a big test for your physical fitness, but I believe in you."
Wang Feng nodded. He didn't need the coach to say it; he had already planned to do so. Then, Mancini detailed the on-field arrangements for each starting player, his tactical arrangements were very meticulous, even including running positions, marking, and other details.
When the meeting ended, the players from both sides were ready to warm up. The Italian encouraged, "Everyone, this is destined to be a historic battle. If you win this trophy, your names will be forever engraved on the Saint Brelade Cup and preserved in the Inter Milan history museum!"
Just before going on the field, Wang Feng checked his phone, and sure enough, he received a message from Lu Yao: "Big Brother Feng, I successfully passed my graduation defense! My battle has been won, now it's up to you!"
Wang Feng smiled happily, filled with pride and determination. He was determined to win this battle!
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