Under the anticipation of the entire football world, this crucial showdown finally arrived: AC Milan versus Arsenal!
Although this match had no home or away advantage, with both teams competing on a neutral ground for the fairest contest, whether it was Football Weekly, tabloids, or whispers among fans, the narrative was consistently about AC Milan challenging Arsenal.
Despite the use of the word "challenge," its deeper implications were far more significant.
AC Milan was generally acknowledged by the outside world to be outmatched by an Arsenal squad led by Cao Baming, Henry, and Messi.
More importantly, even the members of AC Milan themselves lacked that confidence.
Zlatan Ibrahimović, at forty years old, was in the starting lineup for this major event. As the team's elder statesman, he took the lead in rousing morale during the pre-match talk!
The players found Zlatan's words more persuasive than the coach's.
"Who are they, just Arsenal? Do we not have stars? This match hasn't even begun, so snap out of it!"
"This is the Champions League final, a stage that comes around only once a year. A final is something we haven't experienced in years!"
Speaking of which, everyone was reminded that ten years had passed since they last won the UEFA Champions League, lifting that heavy, glorious trophy symbolizing honor and strength.
Exactly ten years, a neat round number. Perhaps reaching the final of this Champions League was truly destiny!
Everyone's mind drifted back to their journey thus far. Although their Serie A campaign had been relatively smooth, their path in the Champions League had been anything but.
They had narrowly avoided being eliminated by Liverpool in the group stage, only to secure a spot in the knockout rounds thanks to a helping hand from RB Leipzig.
Then, in the knockout stages, they faced a Manchester City in poor form, stumbling their way to the final somehow.
Zlatan Ibrahimović was the most experienced player in the squad, having played in La Liga, Serie A, Ligue 1, and even the Premier League, and had won his share of titles.
Combined with his irresistible charisma, even though he wasn't officially the team captain, all his teammates already considered him as such.
Meanwhile, in the Arsenal locker room, final pre-match talks were underway. In contrast to Zlatan's rousing speech, Arsenal's captain, Cao Baming, simply uttered a few words, his expression calm and composed, as if he were merely going out for a meal, not stepping onto Europe's highest football stage for the Champions League final.
Seeing Cao Baming's demeanor, everyone felt even more confident. Victory in this match was a certainty, with no need for excessive cheering or encouragement.
Players were still joking with each other as they left the locker room.
Passing through the tunnel, they coincidentally encountered AC Milan players also emerging from their locker room. The atmosphere was far from as relaxed.
Arsenal players like Nelson, Vieira, and Messi, among others, were subtly observing their opponents from the corner of their eyes, after all, these were the rivals they would face on the pitch.
While they weren't all sporting the grim expressions of the recently defeated Bayern Munich, they were all making a concerted effort to project confidence.
Determined gazes flickered in the dimly lit tunnel, as if illuminating the entire space.
This seriousness and resolve stood in stark contrast to the expressions of everyone on the Arsenal side, not just Cao Baming, but everyone.
Just then, Vieira's gaze happened to sweep across Zlatan Ibrahimović, who was walking at the very front of the AC Milan team. One look was all it took; the next moment, Zlatan seemed to sense it, his gaze shifting and fixing on Vieira.
That one glare nearly made Vieira's legs go weak. He quickly averted his head, pretending he hadn't been looking in that direction at all and was completely unaware.
But immediately after, he noticed that Zlatan wasn't looking at him, but at the person standing directly in front of him, whose name was Cao Baming.
So that's it, I was really scared, Vieira thought, raising a hand to gently pat his chest.
It was common knowledge that if Zlatan dared to glare at someone, their chances of walking off the pitch were likely less than 10%.
Before he knew Cao Baming, the name Zlatan Ibrahimović was the fiercest footballer he had ever encountered.
It was a well-known fact that Zlatan Ibrahimović openly admired Messi's character and playing style, but this did not mean he liked everyone on the Arsenal team.
Cao Baming, in particular, was the one he disliked the most. Perhaps out of a competitive spirit between strong individuals, he had consistently spoken ill of Cao Baming in public and at every occasion, offering very low evaluations.
It was as if the two were sworn enemies, yet they had barely crossed paths, so few times that they could be counted on one hand, as they had only faced each other once.
Fans were also keenly interested in this subtle relationship between the two. With both teams facing off, and Cao Baming a defender while Ibrahimović was a striker, they were bound to have direct confrontations.
Zlatan's glare seemed to have gone unnoticed by Cao Baming. Vieira was already terrified, but Cao Baming, at this moment, was calmly looking straight ahead, towards the end of the tunnel, where the sun-drenched pitch was visible in the distance.
At this moment, Cao Baming was fully aware that Zlatan, standing not far beside him, was looking at him, but he didn't care.