Capítulo 209: Towards Rotterdam
Stam's transfer news was buzzing all over England. In just three years, he had become one of the top defenders in the Premier League, an undisputed star among defenders, so naturally, his transfer would be a hot topic.
Millwall officially announced that Stam would transfer after the season ended, but didn't disclose any further details.
The media frenzy intensified when Stam stopped showing up at Millwall's training ground. It wasn't until a week later, when he appeared in Manchester for a medical, that everyone realized: Stam was transferring to Manchester United!
Aldrich could have chosen to stay quiet about Stam's situation, but he decided to tackle it head-on. If he kept silent, the tabloids would continue to hound Stam, and Millwall would become the center of attention, which could harm the team in the long run.
Rather than trying to cover it up, it made more sense to ignite the situation. Once the dust settled and the news cycle moved on, things would return to normal. Aldrich believed he had handled the timing well, especially since the Stam transfer story started to cool off before the return leg of the European Cup Winners' Cup.
Paris Saint-Germain were in London, eager to turn the tide in their favor, while Aldrich led Millwall with the intention of making sure the other foot was firmly planted in the finals.
Wembley Stadium was packed to the brim. Previous European matches had only seen a maximum attendance of around 70%, due to the lesser teams visiting. But today, Millwall was up against reigning champions Paris Saint-Germain, and not only their dedicated fans were in attendance, but many neutral supporters also showed up.
As the match approached, Aldrich walked onto the pitch, instantly igniting the atmosphere. The Millwall fans erupted into songs of support, clapping and cheering for him.
Dressed in a black coat with his hands in his pockets, Aldrich moved forward, his expression calm, even a bit cold.
The atmosphere had been tense in the club over the past week due to Stam's transfer situation, with the media still causing a stir. Yet within the squad, players had rallied together, quickly stabilizing morale. Just a few days ago, they had secured a decisive victory in the league, boosting confidence.
Suddenly, a jolt hit Aldrich's shoulder. He stopped and turned, only to be greeted by a blue cartoonish lion—the Millwall mascot, Leo.
Before the match, staff dressed in the mascot costume would usually entertain fans on the sidelines, take pictures, and engage with children in the stands.
As Leo reached out a hand toward Aldrich, he couldn't help but smile. Just as he extended his right hand, Leo pulled his back, leaving Aldrich in an awkward moment.
The fans in the stands burst into laughter at the scene.
Not bothered, Aldrich prepared to walk away, but then Leo wrapped his arms around him, giving a thumbs-up to the crowd.
Nearby fans quickly snapped pictures of the moment.
After holding the pose for ten seconds, Aldrich let go and continued towards the coaching area. What he didn't expect was for the restless blue lion to chase him down again, now grabbing his hands and making dancing motions.
The crowd roared with laughter.
Watching the mascot's antics, Aldrich felt his facial muscles twitching.
Is he a spy? Here to mess around?
He glanced helplessly towards the sidelines, hoping someone would intervene to remind this lion of his role.
I'm the coach of Millwall, not here for some comedy act!
"Hey, take it easy!" Aldrich muttered under his breath.
Leo stopped moving and from within the lion's head came a muffled voice.
"Boss, you're no fun!"
Aldrich recognized the voice through the costume.
"Ronaldo?"
"Yep. If you won't dance, I'll dance myself."
Aldrich couldn't help but chuckle, surprised to find that the unfortunate lion was actually Ronaldo dressed up.
Next, Leo showcased an impressive samba dance on the sidelines, leaving the audience in awe.
That lion is adorable!
More and more fans wanted to take photos with Leo, while Aldrich just smiled, shaking his head as he walked towards the coaching area.
"What were you doing with him?" Benitez asked with a frown as Aldrich approached.
Aldrich just smiled, not wanting to explain that he had been dragged into the antics by Ronaldo.
He soon spotted the away team coach, Fernandez, at the sidelines, and walked over to greet him with a few pleasantries.
Both teams were fielding their strongest lineups, with no changes from their first encounter. Aldrich noticed the Paris Saint-Germain players—each of them looked resolute, truly believing they could overturn the odds in London.
Standing calmly at the sidelines, Aldrich waited for the match to start.
Though they were in London, neither team was particularly familiar with the pitch. From a conditions standpoint, the two sides were evenly matched. In a way, playing at Wembley heightened the stakes for the away team; it's the most prestigious venue in England!
Millwall's only undeniable advantage was the support from the fans in the stands.
As the match started, a chant filled the stadium, with the boisterous Millwall supporters rhythmically calling out their team's name, creating an atmosphere unlike any other.
Fernandez was pumping up his players from the sidelines, his energy clashing with Aldrich's imposing silence.
The moment the game kicked off, Paris Saint-Germain launched a vigorous attack. The players moved with purpose, particularly focusing on long-range shots to disrupt Millwall's rhythm.
In the third minute, Raí took a shot from 40 yards that sailed past the goalpost, sending a chill down Butte's spine.
Two minutes later, Leonardo fired a long-range shot from the right flank, only to be parried away by Butte. Loco's follow-up was blocked by Elgrá with a decisive tackle.
After another minute, Leroux sent a diagonal pass from just over the midfield line, catching Southgate off guard. Loco managed to receive the pass but shot weakly, which Butte easily gathered.
In those first ten minutes, Millwall found themselves utterly overwhelmed by Paris Saint-Germain's onslaught.
Aldrich remained expressionless on the sidelines, and Janssen even suggested, "Let's have Nedved drop back and switch places with Pirlo!"
But Aldrich shook his head in refusal.
The issue of being suppressed lay in the midfield. After Pirlo replaced Ballack as a starter, there was a clear drop in defensive strength in this high-stakes matchup. In the previous game, Pirlo came on in the 60th minute when many of the veteran players from Paris Saint-Germain were already fatigued. However, in this match, it was just the beginning, and they were all energetic and quickly found their rhythm.
Pirlo would manage just fine if it were only about holding his defensive position. Yet, he still needed to refine his defensive skills. While intercepting ball paths during active play was not a concern, facing a crafty player like Raí increased his chances of getting beaten significantly. Moreover, Paris Saint-Germain was deliberately retreating their organized play, causing Makelele to be cautious about pushing forward too far, fearing open spaces behind him.
Aware of this, Pirlo instinctively dropped deeper, connecting himself with the backline. Even if he got beaten, he could still limit the opponent's advance.
Desperate to score, Paris Saint-Germain's attacks became more relentless. Millwall's strategy today was straightforward—not to solely defend; they needed to seize opportunities to kill the game off!
Pirlo was once again bypassed by Raí, but he managed to restrict the right side, coaxing Raí to break through on the left. Once Raí passed Pirlo, Makelele was right there, and before Raí could make his next move, Makelele extended his leg to intercept, returning the ball to Pirlo.
Aldrich nodded in approval at that defensive effort.
Aldrich arranged for the entire coaching team to focus on one-on-one sessions with Pirlo for his defensive training. Since Pirlo lacked certain defensive skills, it was essential for him to have outstanding defensive awareness and positioning to compensate for these technical deficiencies.
Just like in that earlier play, his positioning was strong, forcing Raí into only the right-side option to break through. Although Pirlo was beaten, he and Makelele collaborated effectively in defense. When Raí got past Pirlo, it actually positioned Makelele advantageously because he was already prepared for Raí's move.
After gaining possession, Pirlo glanced ahead and delivered a through ball to the front. Nedved took the ball and dribbled laterally, drawing the attention of Guérin, before passing it back to Trezeguet, who was facing away from him. Trezeguet returned the ball to Larsson, who, facing the goal, made a chip shot over the defense, aiming for the far post.
The entire series of passes was seamless, moving from backline to front, center to the left, before sending a diagonal lob towards the far post. The speed of transition tested the reflexes of Paris Saint-Germain's players.
Goalkeeper Lama adjusted his position as the ball moved, shifting from right to left, only to see a flash of blue.
Shevchenko!
"Shevchenko leaps to meet it! Lama didn't get a touch on the ball! It's in! Millwall takes the lead 1-0! The aggregate score is 3-1!"
The stadium erupted in cheers, as fans leaped to their feet, clapping and roaring with excitement.
Aldrich clenched his fist, maintaining an icy demeanor.
Shevchenko's goal left Paris Saint-Germain reeling.
Fernandez hadn't thrown in the towel just yet; he was still urging his players on the sidelines.
But the more Paris Saint-Germain pressed, the more frustrated they seemed to get. Meanwhile, Millwall grew more composed, and fifteen minutes later, Pirlo surged forward for a long-range shot that deflected off a defender and into the net.
Lama watched as the ball flew towards the right side; he was confident he could make the save. But when a defender got a foot in the way, the ball deflected and headed to the left side of the goal. Lama dove out fully, his body stretching in vain towards the left, eyes filled with despair as he realized there would be no miracle; the ball still sailed into the net.
Millwall ended the first half with a 2-0 lead over Paris Saint-Germain—an aggregate score of 4-1.
During halftime, Aldrich remained in the locker room, reminding his players not to relax for even a second in the second half.
Once the match resumed, Paris Saint-Germain mounted another wave of threatening attacks but seemed to lack the luck today; Leonardo's near-breakaway effort hit the post and bounced away.
In the seventieth minute, Aldrich substituted Ballack for Larsson, setting up a double pivot with Makelele, while Nedved operated in the front.
With a focus on defense, Millwall managed to hold the score at 2-0 until the final whistle.
When the match ended, all the players rushed to the sidelines, celebrating victory together with substitutes and coaching staff.
"Millwall reaches the finals of their first-ever European campaign! Next month in the Netherlands, they will face La Liga giants Barcelona in the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup final!"
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