Chapter 392: On the Eve of the Final Battle (Everyday Transition)

Cardiff is the capital of Wales.

Its area is one-tenth that of London.

A poet once said: 'You can never predict Cardiff's wind direction.'

England and Scotland gave birth to Braveheart; why can't Wales produce a classic epic?

As the UEFA Champions League final approached, tens of thousands of fans flooded into the city.

"Why are photos of Bale and Ramsey everywhere?"

"They're both Welsh; the clubs these two Welshmen play for have reached the Champions League final!"

Three days remain until the Champions League final.

The players and coaching staff of both clubs arrived early in Cardiff.

Real Madrid head coach Florentino Pérez also arrived early in Wales.

The showdown is imminent.

But SER Radio leaked a recording of him: 'If Neymar played for the Galacticos, winning the Ballon d'Or would be easy for him; Real Madrid always gives players everything they want, and everyone knows Real Madrid missed out on Neymar.'

This remark had no effect on Real Madrid's squad morale; the players just took it as a joke.

Zidane thought he could sell Bale to free up salary space to bring in Neymar.

Florentino Pérez disagreed: 'Sell Bale? Isn't that just slapping yourself in the face?'

The two teams staggered their use of Qiannian Qiuchang for training.

The players from both sides couldn't meet, nor would they voluntarily meet.

After finishing training each day, Li Kang stopped watching match footage and instead watched documentaries about each club.

He still couldn't understand Zidane's tactical arrangements.

In the documentary Eleven Crown Heart, the Real Madrid locker room's tactical tweaks were livestreamed in full... perhaps they shouldn't be called adjustments.

Zidane just shouted: 'Stay calm, don't give the ball away easily... focus on defense... Casemiro can take more long shots! Marcelo and Carvajal, you two need to push forward and join the attack.'

Next, Nacho, Modrić, Varane, and Benzema were communicating tactical details...

Compared to other clubs, this style... is worlds apart!

Interestingly... even Real Madrid's official channels were complaining: 'It's mysticism.'

Simeone once said after a La Liga derby ended: 'I thought Zidane would spot Atletico's weakness in the second half and make adjustments, so I changed formation... but he did nothing at all! Atletico lost just like that.'

Maguire handed over a dry towel and said: 'The closer the match, the more nervous I get.'

Welbeck asked, bewildered: 'What's there to be nervous about? I even dreamed I scored against Real Madrid during my nap!'

Maguire patted his shoulder and said seriously: 'The smarter a person is, the more prone they are to anxiety.'

In the distance.

Wenger's expression was calm.

He had lost on the Champions League final stage before, and that loss was a comeback by the opponent.

Match day.

The whole city of Cardiff was lit up.

Posters of Bale and Ramsey were everywhere.

Real Madrid and Arsenal fans were unusually calm, gathering on both sides of the street to await the club buses' arrival.

The main gate of Qiannian Qiuchang.

The senior officials of both clubs entered amid a throng of reporters.

The Kroenke father and son were preparing to say something.

The cameras in front of them suddenly moved aside.

From the crowd behind came a chorus of exclamations: 'Beckenbauer!'

The reporters orderly turned and excitedly gathered around.

Although Beckenbauer had long left the FIFA Executive Committee, he remains a veteran whom UEFA and FIFA must invite to major occasions.

In terms of influence on football politics, few legends compare to him, after all he once openly decided the host nation of the World Cup and left the world with nothing to fault.

As for helping the German team replace Korean referees during the Korea-Japan World Cup? Compared to that, those are trivial matters.

"Both clubs have world-class players; I've been looking forward to their peak showdown for a month."

"Prediction?"

"Real Madrid usually kicks into gear in the second half this season; Arsenal might suppress the opponent in the first half, just like Atletico did."

"The Galacticos will bring on Bale around the 60th to 70th minute to decide the match!"

Beckenbauer's tone was a bit perfunctory.

The reporters were disappointed with the answer: Real Madrid has played this way almost the whole 16/17 season; couldn't Beira just say which club he thinks will win the title?

Gradually, the topic shifted to Arsenal's two-hundred-million man.

The German legend's eyes lit up, and he instantly became radiant.

"He's a jewel who went from the Bundesliga to the world!"

"Every time I see him raise his hand to direct in a match, I feel an inexplicable surge of emotion."

Applause was scattered.

The reporters were greatly disappointed; this was almost the same as Beira's comment ten years ago about Messi: 'Every time I see Messi get the ball in a match, my heart feels an inexplicable tug.'

Qiannian Qiuchang.

The stands, holding over seventy thousand, were split in half.

One half was pure white with purple interspersed, the other half red-white, and small flags of different colors were gently swayed.

The pitch was covered with a deep-blue carpet, with hundreds of staff members crouched around the edges.

The stirring UEFA Champions League theme song began to play.

Three flags slowly appeared: the UEFA Champions League logo, the Arsenal team flag, and the Real Madrid team flag.

"CTV5! CTV5! Good evening, viewers!"

"Welcome to watch the 2016/17 UEFA Champions League final."

"Arsenal and Real Madrid will stage a showdown in Cardiff, the capital of Wales!"

"We will witness the season's final spectacular show at the Millennium Stadium!"

"On the road to the final, Arsenal and Real Madrid each displayed their own distinct temperament!"

"Liverpool legend Ian Rush placed the big-eared cup on the podium at the tunnel exit!"

"No matter which side lifts this UEFA Champions League trophy, they will make history!"

"Will the Gunners ascend to the pinnacle of Europe?"

"Will Real Madrid become the first defending champion since the UEFA Champions League reform?"

"Let's wait and see."

Duan Xuan and He Wei struggled to adjust their emotions: one was a Cristiano Ronaldo fan, the other a Real Madrid fan.

During the commentary, one must maintain a neutral attitude,

The temperature in Cardiff at night was a bit low.

Everyone in the player tunnel put on a jacket.

Ramos and Carvajal warmly embraced their national teammates in the opposing lineup.

Yin Si Ke quietly pulled down the zipper, revealing the purple jersey inside.

"Li, the UEFA Champions League slogan printed on the Real Madrid jersey looks better than that on the Arsenal jersey."

Li Kang lowered his head, took a careful look twice, and nodded seriously.

The national team's warmth lasted only a few seconds.

The tunnel quickly returned to a tense, standoffish atmosphere.

Maguire took a deep breath, fixed his hair, and whispered: "Li, that Pepe is staring at you with ill intent!"

Upon hearing that, Zakaria immediately glared provocatively at the Real Madrid defender.

The powder keg could be ignited at any moment.

Only Cristiano Ronaldo stood at the front of the lineup, silently gazing at the green pitch of the final, his eyes revealing determination.