Chapter 397: I Can Win Because I’m Not Stubborn

People always tend to romanticize what they once loved but could not have.

Today, in the hearts of AC Milan fans, Li Ang was exactly such a figure.

They had once possessed him briefly, and the bond between the two sides was genuine,

but reality ultimately tore them apart —

Li Ang never became the prince who would revive Milan.

Even though with the returns of Ibrahimović and Boateng, Milan’s league performance had significantly rebounded,

as long as fans remembered they once had the chance to keep the current Ballon d’Or winner,

they couldn’t help but sigh with regret.

It was only natural.

As Li Ang’s personal performances continued to soar,

the sense of loss among Rossoneri faithful grew ever deeper.

Realistically, if Li Ang had stayed at Milan instead of returning to Real Madrid,

he might not have developed as rapidly as he did.

He might have needed more time to mature,

or a serious injury might have interrupted his progress altogether.

Anything was possible.

Staying at Milan didn’t guarantee he would have won the Ballon d’Or.

One man alone could not drag a financially troubled fallen giant back to the pinnacle.

Most neutral fans could understand this —

returning to Real Madrid had been the wisest choice for Li Ang.

Still, such rational analysis couldn’t erase the emotional filter.

Milan fans preferred the dream of Li Ang rising alongside Ibrahimović to return Milan to glory.

This nostalgic affection explained why, even after so many years,

Li Ang was still welcomed so warmly when he returned to Milan.

Even his Chelsea teammates were shocked at how popular Li Ang remained here.

But for Chelsea, it was nothing but good news.

Supporting Li Ang was equivalent to supporting Chelsea.

On the day of the Champions League final, with thousands of Milan fans present

plus Chelsea’s increasingly passionate traveling supporters,

there was a real chance that San Siro would feel like Chelsea’s home ground.

Mourinho, of course, welcomed this.

Upon arriving in Milan,

he too reconnected with old acquaintances and basked in the familiar atmosphere.

It felt almost like they had turned Milan into their home base.

Italian media affectionately referred to Mourinho and Li Ang as “friends of Serie A.”

Meanwhile, Juventus faced a much colder reception in Milan.

The fierce rivalry between Inter Milan and Juventus was self-explanatory.

And after Milan and Juventus ended their once-sacred alliance,

the animosity between their fans had only grown.

Even though a Juventus Champions League victory would benefit Italian football’s future,

Milan’s media and fans weren’t eager to root for them.

Thus, in the pre-match media war,

Chelsea held a slight advantage despite being the away team.

Li Ang didn’t particularly care about these things,

but preparing in a favorable media environment definitely felt more comfortable.

The final preparations went smoothly.

After completing the last training session on the morning of the match,

Chelsea’s players entered their final tactical review.

Chelsea’s coaching staff had done an excellent job in preparation —

every tactical plan and contingency was meticulously planned.

Li Ang’s key suggestions had been taken seriously by Mourinho and incorporated into the final strategy.

Everything was ready.

Now it was up to the players to bring it all to life.

As the intense preparations wrapped up,

the players stepped out at San Siro in the evening for pre-match warmups under heavy tension.

Today, San Siro was just like the Bernabéu a month earlier —

the stands were packed with football legends and celebrities.

Maldini, Nesta, Ambrosini, Pirlo, Inzaghi, Vieri, Del Piero, Zambrotta, Desailly, Trezeguet…

As the cameras panned over these familiar faces,

millions of viewers around the world either gasped with excitement or smiled nostalgically.

It was a pre-match visual feast.

For older fans, it brought back vivid memories of these legends dazzling on the Champions League stage.

But as these memories faded,

the stirring Champions League anthem rang out,

and all eyes turned to the new generation of stars following the referees onto the pitch.

Maybe someday,

today’s stars would also become treasured memories for future generations.

But today, in this moment,

their youth was in full bloom.

Li Ang suppressed the surge of emotions in his heart,

his eyes scanning the roaring stands,

his emotions gradually settling into deep focus.

When shaking hands with Juventus players,

he met Pogba’s fiery gaze and responded with a smile.

The young midfielder, who once excitedly called Li Ang his idol,

was now no longer a rising star —

but the marquee player of Serie A.

Praised by European media as the most gifted attacking midfielder since Li Ang himself,

Pogba was worth over €100 million and was the core of France’s new generation.

After helping Juventus eliminate Real Madrid,

Pogba’s confidence was burning even hotter —

and he now harbored the ambition to challenge Li Ang directly.

Li Ang recognized that fire in Pogba’s eyes —

he had once possessed the same burning ambition himself.

After conquering his rivals, he had become the top midfielder in the world.

Pogba’s talent justified such ambition,

and Li Ang no longer viewed him as a “younger brother” or “junior.”

Today, Pogba was a true adversary —

one standing in the way of Li Ang’s quest to defend his Champions League crown.

As their eyes briefly met,

Li Ang made up his mind.

His smile remained calm and composed,

betraying no emotion under the gaze of the live cameras.

The match was moments away from kickoff.

Li Ang gathered his teammates for one final rally.

Instinctively, he tightened the captain’s armband around his arm,

lifted his head,

and gazed resolutely toward the future.

Only about three or four seconds after lining up, the referee glanced at his watch and decisively blew the whistle to start the match!

Chelsea, having won the kickoff, quickly worked the ball back to Kroos.

Li Ang drifted laterally, dragging Juventus’ front-line pressers with him while signaling for Kroos to play the ball out wide to Hazard.

The opening moments of the Champions League final, which had left countless fans nervously on edge, felt surprisingly calm.

Hazard tested Juventus’ right flank briefly,

and facing an aggressive double-team from Cuadrado and Lichtsteiner,

he sensibly pulled the ball back to Kroos instead of forcing the issue.

Li Ang moved forward to receive,

controlling the ball calmly before sending it to the advancing Azpilicueta.

Chelsea’s opening attacks were patient and methodical,

with Li Ang and Kroos — the dual engines — dictating the rhythm beautifully.

There were no reckless dribbles,

and faced with Juventus’ tough defense, Chelsea’s wide players mostly opted to recycle possession through midfield.

At first glance, Chelsea’s tactics seemed conservative,

but their cautious approach actually unsettled Juventus’ midfielders.

After all, Juventus’ starting five midfielders outnumbered Chelsea’s three in the middle.

Although Dybala nominally partnered Morata up front,

his deep movements made him essentially a central attacking midfielder.

Five pressing three — Juventus grew bold, and after nearly three weeks of rest,

they were brimming with energy.

Marchisio, recovered from injury, partnered Khedira in the center.

His return greatly alleviated the organizational burden on Pogba.

When Juventus pressed high, Marchisio stayed slightly deeper than Khedira,

covering for his teammates and maintaining balance.

With this midfield setup, Juventus soon won back possession and began attacking Chelsea’s defense immediately!

Yet Chelsea didn’t panic after losing the ball.

Instead, they calmly dropped back into their defensive shape,

as if they had anticipated this exact scenario.

Mourinho stood on the sideline observing, looking utterly composed.

Probing Juventus’ attacking intensity early was a pre-set tactical plan.

Within the overall framework, however, Mourinho had given Li Ang great tactical freedom:

attack or defend — it was Li Ang’s call.

And beyond the team battle,

there was another personal duel about to unfold on the pitch.

Thinking about this, Mourinho glanced at Pogba, who was now carrying the ball forward.

The young French midfielder was tall, athletic, and agile —

his dribbling lively and graceful.

He dribbled past De Bruyne and pushed forward down the left.

Li Ang immediately covered,

but Pogba smartly released a diagonal long ball before being closed down.

The ball sliced across half the field and found Cuadrado sprinting down the right flank.

In just half a minute,

Pogba’s creative flair was on full display.

Even as Chelsea’s coach,

Mourinho couldn’t help but admire the young man’s talent.

He loved this kind of player:

vibrant, athletic, bursting with potential.

If Pogba were under his wing,

Mourinho would place him centrally,

force him to develop his defensive and transitional abilities,

and, once fully trained, Pogba’s ceiling could even surpass that of Yaya Touré at his peak.

But alas, Pogba wasn’t his player.

He could only regret how Allegri was using Pogba too liberally without much defensive responsibility…

Still, that regret lasted only a moment.

Mourinho respected Pogba’s talent,

but he wasn’t worried.

Pogba had potential to be a top all-round midfielder in the future —

but Mourinho already had the current best all-round midfielder under his command:

Li Ang.

Pogba was brilliant this season, no doubt.

But when faced with Li Ang —

who had long since set his sights on shutting him down —

how much could he truly achieve?

Mourinho’s lips curled into a slight smile —

cold and ruthless.

Destroying the confidence of young stars was never pleasant —

but neither he nor Li Ang hesitated.

In elite football, talent meant nothing without winning.

The road was littered with fallen prodigies.

Mourinho firmly believed Li Ang would fulfill the promise he made before the match:

Crush Pogba’s influence, and secure the Champions League title.

Meanwhile, on the pitch,

Li Ang, fully warmed up, was done being polite.

In the 9th minute,

Pogba tried the same left-flank bait-and-switch he had used earlier.

But this time,

Li Ang didn’t send De Bruyne to press —

he came himself.

And with one ruthless body check,

he shoved Pogba clean off the ball and out over the sideline!

Pogba — who had dazzled just minutes ago —

was suddenly reduced to a crumpled heap outside the touchline.

The Juventus fans who had been chanting moments before fell deathly silent.

Meanwhile, the Chelsea faithful and many Milan fans erupted in wild cheers!

Yes — this was the Li Ang they knew!

Strong, sharp, decisive.

As Pogba stared at him in shock,

Li Ang glanced at him coldly,

then calmly passed the ball back to Kroos.

Tonight, there would be only one winner:

Chelsea.

Li Ang wasn’t about to give Pogba any more chances.

Because when it came to destroying the opposing playmaker,

Li Ang never hesitated —

and he never played stubborn.