The Young Lion

At the scene of the draw ceremony for the UEFA Champions League group stage in the 98-99 season, after Aldridge arrived, he obviously felt that the treatment was very different from last year.

Last year, he was just a fledgling rookie at this place where handsome men gathered. Since people didn't know him, they didn't bother to talk to him.

But this year is different. Many people who don’t know him take the initiative to say hello to Aldrich, and have a friendly conversation. Most of them are formulaic greetings without any connotation.

Aldrich sat down and waited for the lottery ceremony to start. After a while, there was someone beside him. He turned his head and saw that the other person was looking at him with a smile.

Hey, your vice-chairman has been denouncing Millwall recently, saying that the FA has given Millwall special care. It's weird. I really want the FA to take care of us and put all our games after the Champions League match day into consideration. It is arranged as a home game, but in the next three months, after six Champions League match days, we actually have to play five away games, but Arsenal only have two away games, I really don’t know who the FA is favoring.”

Aldrich said with a smile.

Wenger smiled bitterly and said: Actually, I don't agree with Dane's proposal. Arsenal suddenly went to Wembley to play the Champions League home game, which will greatly reduce our home advantage. For Arsenal who will return to the Champions League after many years , It would be unwise to lower the home advantage.”

Aldridge spread his hands and said, But my team also played in the Champions League for the first time last year.

But your team got familiar with Wembley through the European Cup Winners' Cup training in the previous season. Although the home field advantage is still weakened, at least there is an adaptation process.

Aldridge did not make any rebuttals. As Wenger said, the fact that he rented Wembley in the previous season was to prepare for the Champions League.

How is it? Do you have any ambitions for the new season?

Wenger stared at Aldridge with a smile, and said softly: Didn't you say that? Arsenal is not enough to fight on two fronts. The league is not your competitor. What about the Champions League? Who would think Arsenal is the favorite?

After a long absence, he returned to the Champions League. It is estimated that Arsenal will not even be able to make it into the top ten rankings of the favorites to win the championship.

Aldridge shrugged: You can't look at it that way, Millwall wasn't a favorite last year.

While talking, there were two people sitting in the seat on the other side of Aldridge, and he turned his head to look, amused.

One is the coach of Inter Milan, Hodgson, and the other is the coach of Manchester United, Ferguson.

Hodgson, an English coach who can manage a giant like Inter Milan in Italy,

Ability and reputation are not bad.

As soon as Hodgson sat down, he talked warmly with Aldridge, and the two shook hands first. Then Hodgson began pouring bitter water.

Millwall Summer Players Superstore opens. Six players left on first-team transfers. Inter Milan all have quotations, and the quotations are basically the same as the transfer value of these players. Moratti rang up Aldridge's phone calls, but in the end. None of Aldridge was sold to Inter Milan.

Both he and Hodgson are from England, so they are not sloppy when communicating.

Inter Milan still buy people? Do you still buy? You have more than 30 people in the first team. Are you going to run the team or form an army to conquer the universe? It's not that I don't sell people, I know Moratti almost the same It has been three years, and I have agreed to his offer, but the player himself does not want to go to Inter Milan, it is the player who directly rejected Inter Milan, so there is no negotiation. It really has nothing to do with me.”

Aldrich explained innocently, like Elguera, Capdevila, they just want to go back to Spain, and Shevchenko went to Milan. Trezeguet going to Juventus is no less attractive than Inter Milan. Gudjohnsen wants to play the main force, so going to Inter Milan must be a substitute. Ballack hesitated, but he glanced at Inter Milan's first-team lineup. He was so frightened that he directly rejected the other party.

The transfer window will close in two days, and the signings of the major teams are basically over. Hodgson picked up his mood and began to compliment Aldridge.

Aldridge even said that he dared not act.

The friendly conversation between these two made Ferguson and Wenger feel tired, but the two people who were wrong thought the same thing at this moment: Hodgson, Aldrich, can you stop being so disgusting?

He and Hodgson have no business communication at all, basically just singing and flattering each other...

When the flattery made him stink, Aldrich looked at Mrs. Huo with a smile and asked: Inter Milan has such a luxurious lineup, Ronaldo, Djorkaeff, Baggio, Simeone... Uh, You won the UEFA Cup last season, but it is a pity that you are inferior to Juventus in Serie A. There should be greater pursuits in the new season, right? The outside world is looking forward to Inter Milan's performance in the Champions League.

Mrs. Huo nodded. His coaching career has been going all the way so far. Although it is his second time to take over Inter Milan in the summer, and he has some relationship with Odry, he has the guarantee of strength. Now is the stage of life to climb the peak bravely, and occasionally wear black sunglasses to be fashionable.

As long as they are not classified into the death group, Inter Milan is fully capable of entering the knockout round, and then we will see the luck of the draw.

As soon as Huo Taigong said, except for Aldridge who kept smiling and nodded, Ferguson and Wenger sneered from the bottom of their hearts: Luck? Entering the knockout round, who among the top eight will be a soft persimmon for you to pinch?

What about Millwall? Are you confident of defending this year?

Hodgson reciprocated, and asked Aldrich back.

Aldridge said in a low-key way: It is too difficult to defend the title. Millwall will try to get out of the group first. My team has not yet formed.

When he said that, Ferguson snorted coldly.

Grass!

Just beat Manchester United a week ago, and now they say the team is not in shape yet!

Aldridge noticed Ferguson's reaction, he laughed twice, and didn't continue talking.

Before the draw ceremony, Johansson still talked about the achievements of European football in the past year. Millwall won the best team of the year. After all, they still won the Champions League as a dark horse from the outside world. This is a myth. In addition, he contributed a lot of wonderful games, and the final against Real Madrid was a classic battle. There is not much controversy for Millwall to win this honor again and again.

The nitpickers will accuse Millwall of only finishing third in the Premier League, but Millwall are level with runners-up and finished third just one point behind champions Arsenal, plus they also won the Carling Cup . Millwall's performance in the various strong teams is compared horizontally, and it has enough confidence to be selected as the best.

Millwall won the European Championship for two consecutive years and was unbeaten for two consecutive years, and was listed as a seeded team.

In the group draw, Millwall's first tier was drawn directly, waiting for other opponents to join the same group.

Aldridge's face turned green when the second-tier team was drawn.

When the second team of his group appeared, many people at the scene cast their eyes on Aldrich, not only looking at him, but also Mrs. Huo!

Inter Milan!

Hodgson was expressionless. More like stunned.

Aldridge looked embarrassed......

Mahler Gobi. The two chatted like old friends just now. Compliment and bless each other, and hope that the other party can achieve good results in the Champions League.

Isn't this nonsense?

6 teams, 8 qualifying places, this is the rhythm of death!

Ferguson and Wenger held back for a long time. Neither of them could hold back, they turned their faces aside, the corners of their mouths slightly raised.

After Hodgson accepted this reality, he smiled dryly and said, Hehe, the second place in the group can also qualify.

Oh, yes, yes.

Aldridge said a few words in agreement.

No further calls.

Yes, the second place in the group can also qualify, but 6 groups are second. Only 2 make it out.

We two, who is willing to be the second in the group and leave the fate to luck?

The two who had been chatting happily before fell into silence, quietly watching the lottery ceremony, and they didn't even turn their faces to each other's side.

The UEFA of grass mud horse!

This is a conspiracy!

Aldridge secretly slandered in his heart, if he wanted to say how strong Inter Milan is. He didn't think it was just an embarrassing situation and a depressed mood at the moment.

After the other two opponents from the same group came out, Aldridge couldn't hold back, bowed his head and cursed.

Seeing Aldridge's reaction, Hodgson looked up at the big screen, rubbed his eyes, and made sure he read it right, then turned to ask Ferguson: Is Inter Milan with Millwall, Austria's Graz, and Russia's Spar Moscow? Dafen is in the same group, right?

Ferguson looked up, nodded and said, That's right, congratulations, the group situation is good, as long as they don't lose to Millwall, there is a great possibility of the first place advancing.

Hodgson nodded slightly, and Aldrich was beside him, so he couldn't make any more bold words.

strangeness!

Graz, Moscow Sparta, this is definitely the belly of the impression!

Of course, they are the big players in their own league, but in the Champions League, they give the impression that they are fish bellies at the mercy of others.

Why did Aldridge react so much?

Wenger also expressed surprise, he asked in a low voice: Did you read it wrong?

Aldrich suddenly raised his head to take a closer look, and said disappointedly, That's right.

you are not happy?

Not happy.

why?

Because the team is going to play in Moscow, idiot! If you divide this group, you can't divide Millwall in the circle of Central Europe and Western Europe!

When Wenger heard it, he immediately understood.

Britain and Russia are almost the westernmost and the easternmost in the European territory.

Although Millwall only needs to play one away game, the expedition to Moscow, the fatigue of traveling back and forth and the fatigue of the game will directly affect the approaching league after the match day.

A league game sounds insignificant, but considering that Millwall failed to defend the title last season, the difference is just a game! The difference is turning a loss into a draw, or turning a draw into a win, and they will be able to defend their title.

Why the performance in the first half of the league last season was worse than in the second half of the season, the expedition to Kyiv is a factor, it seems small, but it cannot be ignored.

At the end of the drawing ceremony, Aldridge quickly put his depression behind him.

He stood up and shook Wenger's hand, congratulating each other.

Wenger smiled wryly, and said: My group is not easy, congratulations? I will also lead the team to Ukraine to challenge Dynamo Kyiv, and face last season's Ligue 1 champion Lens. Greek giants Panathinaikos.

Congratulations anyway.

Aldridge turned around again, and hurriedly shook hands with Mrs. Huo. The two had nothing to congratulate or bless each other. Anyway, they would meet again in a short time, and at that time, it was the day when swords and soldiers met.

Finally, Aldridge shook hands with Ferguson and congratulated the other side.

Ferguson looked ugly and said, Did you do it on purpose?

Only then did Aldrich turn his head to look at the big screen, and said to himself, Well, pretend I didn't say it.

Manchester United was unlucky, and the other three opponents in the same group were Bayern Munich, Barcelona, ​​and Brondby.

In addition to the Danish champion who may be the boy who gave away points, the other three giants are fighting each other. This group is a death group. The worst thing is that it is very likely that the internal friction between the three giants will cause the group's second score to be low and they will not be able to qualify... .()