Chapter 165 - 158: The Three Most Dangerous People

"Besides the three times I experienced it myself, Ajax made it to the Champions League final two years in a row in ’95 and ’96. The first time, they beat AC Milan with a last-gasp winner from Cruyff near the end of the match."

"The second time, we conceded a goal first, but the veteran Litmanen equalized for us. In the end, after 120 minutes, it was a one-one draw, but unfortunately, we lost to Juventus in the penalty shootout."

In the end, Ronald Koeman offered his summary.

"Looking at all these Champions League finals, there’s no doubt that players need an iron will and a never-say-die fighting spirit. No matter what unexpected situations arise during the match, you have to be able to keep your cool and focus on the game."

After Ronald Koeman, the team’s only other veteran with Champions League final experience, Litmanen, also spoke from personal experience. He recounted the two finals he had played in—one win, one loss. Both matches were valuable case studies because their opponents, AC Milan and Juventus, had outstanding defenses.

It was basically certain that the veteran Litmanen would leave Ajax at the end of the season. However, he hadn’t yet decided whether to retire for good or return to Finland to see out his career.

Regarding Ajax’s 1995 Champions League final against AC Milan, the point Litmanen emphasized most was defense and mentality. He believed the team’s eventual victory was inseparable from their tenacious defending and steady mindset.

Litmanen also held the next year’s Champions League final in high regard. He felt that Ajax had numerous chances during regular time, but the Juventus goalkeeper, Peruzzi, was absolutely outstanding, making save after save. By the second half, however, Ajax was almost completely pinned down by Juventus.

"Edgar Davids was the best player on the pitch. His tireless running and defending secured our back line. And in the final penalty shootout, he was the one who stepped up to take the first shot. But unfortunately, his penalty was saved by Peruzzi."

Everyone present could imagine the immense pressure on the first player to step up for a penalty after a grueling 120-minute match. And for Davis to have missed it... one could only imagine how dejected the "Dutch Wild Boar" must have felt at that moment.

"None of us ever blamed Davis. In fact, it was because of his outstanding performance in the Champions League final that Juventus came to believe in his skill and fighting spirit. That’s why they decisively signed him, even when he was seriously injured and struggling for form at AC Milan."

"No one can predict the outcome of a match. Just like we’ll never know if we could have beaten Juventus and successfully defended our Champions League title if Overmars hadn’t been injured. We also can’t know if we would have ultimately won if Davis had scored his penalty. But we all gave it our all."

"We have regrets, but no guilt."

Yang Yang sat among the players, silently watching the veteran and listening to his words. ’A clear conscience.’ The phrase surfaced in his mind.

Perhaps that was the meaning Litmanen wanted to convey.

......

......

「Germany. Castrop-Rauxel, thirty kilometers east of Gelsenkirchen.」

European football has always been very superstitious, and Porto was no exception.

Based on pre-match statistical analysis, they had deduced that twenty-six was Porto’s luckiest number. Therefore, they decided to ride this luck all the way, even deliberately choosing a hotel located twenty-six kilometers from Gelsenkirchen.

A major reason for choosing this particular hotel was that its interior and exterior decor were blue-themed. Everything from the curtains, tablecloths, and tableware to the carpets was predominantly blue, which matched Porto’s colors perfectly.

Not only that, but Porto had booked the entire hotel. The players each got their own room, while Mourinho had a separate suite. More interestingly, Chelsea had stayed at this very hotel a year prior, and the room Mourinho chose happened to be the one that had been occupied by Chelsea’s manager at the time, Ranieri.

Not long ago, the British media was the first to report that Porto’s manager, Mourinho, had met with Chelsea’s owner, Abramovich, on a yacht. Everyone unanimously concluded that the Portuguese would move to Chelsea in the summer to replace Ranieri.

And now, Mourinho was staying in the very room Ranieri had once occupied. Was it a coincidence, or was it deliberate?

Porto’s coaching staff was also taking this Champions League final extremely seriously. They too had arrived in Germany two days early, and on the following day, they held a secret training session in a closed-off nearby park.

After returning to the hotel, having lunch, and taking a short rest, Mourinho convened the most important pre-match meeting. During the meeting, he announced the team’s starting lineup and laid out his meticulously prepared battle plan.

Mourinho had an exceptionally clear understanding of Ajax. He was well aware of the Eredivisie team’s attacking capabilities and their advantage in midfield passing and possession. However, he also pointed out the weaknesses and shortcomings in Ajax’s defensive line.

"We are a team, a unit. The reason we’ve come this far is that we fight as a collective in every single match. And this time, we must do the same."

"Our strength lies in our defense. As long as we remain as focused as we’ve always been, I believe we can stop Ajax’s attack. And once we’ve weathered their assault, their defensive line will inevitably show cracks. That will be our chance, and that’s what we excel at."

Mourinho was like a charismatic orator, successfully convincing everyone in the conference room to believe in him.

In fact, he had actually brought all of them to Gelsenkirchen. Nothing was more convincing than that.

"There are three Ajax players that everyone needs to pay close attention to. The first is their captain, Van der Vaart. If I’m not mistaken, he’ll likely play in midfield for this match. Having lost Galasek, Ajax will want to seize possession and dictate the game. Having Van der Vaart and Sneijder anchoring the midfield would be a very good option for them."

"Our midfield has to be able to suppress them. We can’t let him get near our penalty area. He’s an extremely dangerous player, especially with his late runs into the box to score. Sneijder is also excellent at this. Our midfielders must be aware and on guard against this at all times."

The players across from him nodded repeatedly as they listened.

"The other one is the center-forward, Ibrahimovic. He’s very tall and powerfully built, with a strong physical presence, yet he has extremely refined footwork. He’s a very difficult striker to handle, and our center-backs are clearly a fair bit shorter than him."

Cavaleiro is 1.82 meters tall, and the captain, Jorge Costa, is 1.88 meters. Both are quite a bit shorter than Ibrahimovic.

"So, the two center-backs must pay attention. Don’t take any chances. You have to mark the Swede tightly for the entire match. Don’t give him an inch of space, or he will definitely make us pay a heavy price."

Captain Jorge Costa and Cavaleiro both understood the importance of this match and the difficulty of defending Ibrahimovic. They nodded one after another. They were no pushovers themselves.

"The last one is number ninety-nine, Yang Yang."

When Mourinho said this, many in the conference room were somewhat taken aback.

’That seventeen-year-old kid?’

Seeing the players’ reactions, Mourinho knew what they were thinking. "I know what you’re all thinking," he said. "He’s just a seventeen-year-old kid. Our coaching staff has already carefully analyzed his traits. We concluded that his only strengths are his dribbling down the flank and his crossing. At best, he’s also decent at taking set pieces in the final third, but his first touch and passing are terrible, right?"

Everyone nodded in unison. That was indeed the case.

To Porto’s coaching staff, Yang Yang’s strengths and weaknesses were very obvious. A player like that wasn’t difficult to defend against at all.

For example, the strategy Mourinho had provided was to have the left-back, Valente, stick to Yang Yang like glue. Even if he couldn’t stop him from receiving the ball, he couldn’t let him be comfortable, and especially couldn’t give him space to start dribbling.

In truth, defending Yang Yang was just that simple.

"But what I want to remind all of you is, why is it that for the past six months, every time Yang Yang has come on as a substitute, he’s been able to spark Ajax’s attack? Why does he allow this Eredivisie team to unleash its full offensive potential?"

The players listened, looking a bit lost, and shook their heads.

"Because an Ajax with Yang Yang is the real Ajax, the most terrifying Ajax. They play better and are more incisive when he’s on the field. Their attack is more fluid. So, we have to be careful. If possible, I’d even wish for him to not be able to finish the match."

Many players present, especially the left-back Valente, had their eyes light up when they heard this.

Mourinho changed his tone, shaking his head with a wry smile. "But unfortunately, he’s perfectly fine right now, so we must be wary of him."

At this point, Mourinho turned to Nuno Valente. "Nuno, if Ajax starts Yang Yang, it means they’re going for an all-out attack. You must focus solely on defending. If Koeman brings him on as a substitute, I demand that you track back, no matter the score or the situation."

"In short, as long as Yang Yang is on that pitch for even a second, I want you to mark him completely out of the game. That is your one and only task. You don’t need to worry about anything else."

Nuno Valente nodded solemnly. "Understood."

"Relax a little," Mourinho said with a chuckle, seeing Valente’s serious expression. "At the end of the day, he’s only seventeen. That’s also the reason Ronald Koeman has been hesitant to start him. A seventeen-year-old kid is easy enough to deal with."

Nuno Valente would be turning thirty in September. He had previously played for Sporting Lisbon but wasn’t trusted there, only making occasional substitute appearances. Later, he went to Leiria and played under Mourinho, where he excelled. After Mourinho moved to Porto, one of his first actions was to poach him from Leiria, which led to his current success.

Winning the UEFA Cup last season and reaching the Champions League final this season—these were achievements Nuno Valente would never have dared to imagine before. Moreover, he had also made it into the Portugal National Team for the summer and was set to play in the European Cup on home soil.

"Don’t worry, I won’t give him any chances," Valente promised.