"Champion!"
"Champion!"
"Champion!"
The FC Schalke 04 bus moves slowly forward!
Even after departing half an hour early, the bus still found itself surrounded by excited Schalke fans outside the stadium.
Of course, the fans knew there was still plenty of time before the match. They simply wanted to be there as long as possible to support the players who carried generations of their dreams.
Without tickets to enter the game, this was all they could do.
Su opened the window and waved to the fans!
This simple gesture sent the crowd outside the arena into another frenzy.
"Su!"
"Su!!!"
"Snap!"
They erupted in cheers and began singing the Su chant.
At the front of the bus, Magath gazed out the window, lost in memories.
The scene reminded him of the day before winning the title with Wolfsburg. Perhaps for the second time in his life, he might become a hero again - and the feeling was absolutely exhilarating.
After considerable effort, the bus finally managed to pull into the Veltins-Arena at the last moment.
Magath straightened his suit and strode confidently toward the press conference.
There sat his old rival!
Van Gaal had already taken his seat on the podium, arms crossed over his chest with an impatient expression.
As Bayern Munich's head coach - especially in his opponent's stadium - it was torture for the proud Dutchman to hear journalists repeatedly suggesting Schalke 04 might win the title.
Magath's arrival immediately energized the press conference.
Following his usual style, a grinning Magath made a bold opening statement.
"Mr. Magath! How confident are you about defeating Bayern Munich tonight to claim your club's first-ever league title?"
Just look at that!
Our Magath's vision!
What a perfectly tailored question from this reporter, delivered with such pleasing deference.
It cut right to the heart of the matter...
Ahem!
"Football is full of surprises. Our progress this far results entirely from the team's collective effort. Our opponents are exceptionally strong. Rather than focusing on winning titles, we need only follow our tactics and play our characteristic style - just as we always do!"
Magath isn’t stupid enough to dig her own grave ahead of time.
If it were a team like Cottbus, Magath might dare to be a bit bolder, but today, facing Bayern Munich—Schalke is in top form, but defeating Bayern is no simple task.
Especially in this win-or-go-home scenario, Bayern would never make it easy for a "civilian team" like Schalke 04 to trample over them.
Magath’s answer didn’t seem to satisfy the reporter, but once was enough for Magath—he wasn’t about to push his luck.
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The next question came from Gelsenkirchen Sport, and it wasn’t directed at Magath.
Looking at the visibly displeased van Gaal, Schalke’s media partners asked with a smirk:
"Mr. van Gaal, has your team figured out a way to contain Su?"
Damn it!
This reporter was truly infuriating.
The moment he heard the question, van Gaal nearly lunged at the man to throw a couple of punches.
What do you mean, 'figure out a way to contain him'?
We are Bayern Munich!
We are the proud Bundesliga giants!
We need to restrain an 18-year-old?
Fine!
If that kid can single-handedly dismantle Bar?a, then yes, something must be done to limit him.
But if even Guardiola’s Bar?a couldn’t stop him, what exactly was van Gaal supposed to do? Rely on van Bommel, who was already past his prime?
"Bayern Munich doesn’t tailor tactics to stop individuals. We prepare for matches based on our own system!"
Despite his frustration, van Gaal replied with forced composure.
His answer nearly made some reporters burst into laughter.
Bar?a had triple-marked Su at the Veltins-Arena, yet Bayern got eliminated so early—and you still refuse to adjust?
Do you think Bayern can thrash Bar?a 8-2?
The press conference concluded.
Overall, both managers were masters of bravado, neither backing down.
The scene was set perfectly.
One boasted about history, the other boasted about Su.
Van Gaal stormed off in a huff, shooting Magath a nasty glare on his way out.
Only when no one was around did he finally turn to his assistant and ask:
"How’s it going with Su’s agent? Damn Magath—just wait until I sign Su! I’ll make sure to ask for his advice on how to use him properly. Hah!"
"Contacts are already being made, but it's a bit difficult... I've heard that Real Madrid has the strongest offer on their side!"
"Real Madrid? What a mess they're making!"
"It's probably because they saw how well Su performed against Bar?a!"
"And yeah, Real Madrid is getting thrashed by Bar?a this season!"
"But on the Football Association side we have a deal, at least for Neuer....."
...............
"Sports TV!"
"Sports TV!!!"
"Thank you for joining us in the early hours of Saturday morning to watch this Bundesliga Round 32 match - FC Schalke 04's home championship clash against Bayern Munich, live on Sports Channel!"
"I'm your old friend Duan!"
"I'm Wang!"
"Players from both teams are already in the tunnel waiting to take the field!"
"We're now at the penultimate round of the Bundesliga, with Schalke 04 still holding a four-point lead over second-placed Bayern!"
"If Schalke 04 can defeat Bayern Munich at home today, they'll clinch their first-ever Bundesliga title two rounds early on home soil!"
"We can already see the championship salad plate displayed at the stadium!"
"Wang, what are your thoughts on this 'Battle of Heavenly King Mountain'?"
Inside the stadium's professional broadcast booth, the duo of Duan and Wang settled in front of their microphones to begin the broadcast.
"I think Schalke 04 has an excellent chance of winning!"
"After their Champions League semi-final against Bar?a, I noticed an extraordinary confidence in the Schalke players' eyes!"
"This is a level of confidence we've never seen from them before!"
"Success breeds success!"
"And this newfound belief gives the players a tremendous mental and physical boost!"
"I believe Schalke 04 can channel this hunger for victory to secure the Bundesliga title two rounds early!"
"Yes!"
"The players from both teams are now leading their mascot children onto the pitch!"
"Sports TV!"
"Sports TV!!!"
"Dear viewers, let's first look at the starting lineups for both sides!"
"Bayern Munich's starting goalkeeper, wearing their traditional red jersey: Hans-J?rg Butt!"
"Left-back: Holger Badstuber!"
"Center-back: Veteran Martín Demichelis paired with Daniel Van Buyten!"
"Right-back: Philipp Lahm!"
"Defensive midfield: Schweinsteiger paired with Van Bommel!"
"Three attacking midfielders - Franck Ribéry on the left! Thomas Müller in the center! And Arjen Robben on the right!"
"Lone striker: Miroslav Klose!"
"Compared to their last match at Allianz Arena, Bayern Munich hasn't made any major changes, only swapping Klose for Gomez!"
"On the other side, wearing their traditional blue jerseys, Schalke 04's starting goalkeeper: Manuel Neuer....."
.....
"Similarly! Schalke 04 has moved Hao into central midfield, forming a midfield duo with Su, with Baumann playing deeper! No other positional changes!"
On the pitch!
Raul, wearing the captain's armband, and Van Bommel have finished the coin toss!
Players from both teams now stand in their respective halves!
In the VIP box at this moment,
Carvajal found himself squeezed in among Su's parents, Hao's wife, Zhang, and Wu.
Completely overcrowded!
Carvajal had reserved a private box for himself and his wife, but never expected Su would invite so many people to cram inside!
His wife ended up having to use a scalped ticket to sit in the stands!
Though he knew he'd be sleeping on the couch tonight, Carvajal maintained a strained smile while explaining Schalke 04's "illustrious" history to Su's friends.
Illustrious?
Most of it only began after Su joined Schalke 04!
"Peeep!!!"
"The referee's whistle!"
"The match begins!"
....................
