Chapter 335: Witnessing the Birth of a New King

Chapter 335: Witnessing the Birth of a New King

The French fans in the stands were all stunned. This time, there wasn't even a scattered boo to be heard. Everyone was momentarily paralyzed by the reality in front of them. Their minds went blank, unsure of what to do. For the first time, the Stade de France was silent, save for the cheers of over 20,000 Portuguese fans who had traveled far.

Santos couldn't believe it when Bruno completed his hat-trick. While the people around him ran out of the dugout with arms raised in celebration, Santos ran out with his hands on his head, wearing an incredulous expression.

He knew Bruno very well. Bruno's scoring ability was outstanding—arguably the best in the world over the past few years. He had achieved numerous hat-tricks, but Santos never imagined Bruno could achieve a hat-trick in the Champions League final!

This was a feat no one had ever achieved in the 56-year history of the European Championship. Indeed, no one had ever scored a hat-trick in a Euro final. This had much to do with the fact that big scores were rare in Euro finals. Out of the 14 previous finals, only two had seen one team score more than two goals: West Germany's 3-0 win over the Soviet Union in 1972 and Spain's 4-0 victory over Italy in 2012.

Other than these, the finals usually ended with either a single goal deciding the winner or the match going to penalties. Under such circumstances, scoring a hat-trick in a final was extremely difficult. In fact, in the past 14 Euro finals, only two players—Gerd Müller in 1972 and Horst Hrubesch in 1980—had scored twice in a final.

If the French players were in a daze after conceding two goals, they were now fully aware that they were being thoroughly beaten at their own home. Yet, they still didn't understand why the match was unfolding this way. No team had ever scored three goals in the first half of a Euro final. Even the dominant Spanish team in the previous final had only managed two goals in the first half against Italy.

Now, the French had the dubious honor of becoming the first team in Euro final history to be down by three goals at halftime. Bruno celebrated his second goal with two fingers. How would he celebrate his third?

Instead of a simple three-finger gesture, Bruno opted for something more creative. In his excitement, he used Ronaldo's signature celebration! He sprinted to the corner flag, leaped high near the sideline, did a 180-degree spin in mid-air, and landed firmly, throwing his hands back and shouting, "Siu!"

He was soon swarmed by his teammates in a jubilant group hug.

"Ha! Bruno used Ronaldo's trademark celebration for his third goal! This is so interesting. Is he paying tribute to the Portuguese captain on the sidelines?"

"The live director has switched to the Portuguese bench, where we can see an emotional Ronaldo clapping vigorously for Bruno! The Portuguese captain has tears in his eyes, perhaps moved by Bruno's gesture."

"There have been rumors of a rift between Ronaldo and Bruno, but their close interactions during the Euro matches have debunked these claims."

Shortly after Bruno's goal, the first half ended. The referee blew the whistle even before the full two minutes of injury time had elapsed.

As soon as the half ended, Bruno sought out the referee and asked for the match ball, intending to keep it as a memento. After all, it marked the first hat-trick in Euro final history.

Back in the locker room, the Portuguese players were ecstatic. None had expected to lead France by three goals so comfortably. This lead all but secured the outcome of the second half.

Bruno knew the halftime break would sap the momentum that had carried his teammates so far. But with a three-goal lead, there wasn't much to worry about. He was confident that with him on the field, they wouldn't face a repeat of Istanbul's miracle comeback.

As he sat in the locker room, Bruno smiled and listened to his teammates' praise. He was tired, having essentially carried the team in the first half. All he wanted now was to rest and regain his strength.

Santos congratulated Bruno, acknowledging the historic nature of his hat-trick. No European star in the past 56 years had achieved such a feat in a Euro final.

While the Portuguese locker room was filled with joy, the French locker room was a storm of anger and frustration. Deschamps lashed out at his players, demanding they play like a team in the second half.

However, the second half had already lost much of its suspense. Portugal's performance declined due to fatigue from their lack of rest. Despite the decline, France couldn't find their rhythm. Their waves of attacks crashed against Portugal's steadfast defense, built from the players' sheer determination.

As the match wore on, the pressure mounted, and the French players began to crack, even turning on each other. After one hurried shot by Sissoko, Pogba angrily berated his teammate.

In the 84th minute, Giroud managed to score, salvaging some pride for France and preventing a humiliating shutout at home.

But Portugal, thanks to Bruno's hat-trick, had decisively beaten France 3-1 at the Stade de France.

When the referee blew the final whistle, the stadium fell silent momentarily before erupting into a cacophony of noise.

"Dear viewers, you have just witnessed the birth of a miracle! Yes! Portugal has defeated the host nation, France, in the final to lift the Delaunay Cup!"

"They are the champions!"

"Twelve years ago, Portugal lost at home to Greece, handing the Greeks their 'miracle' while missing out on the Delaunay Cup."

"That night, a young Cristiano Ronaldo cried like a child."

"Twelve years later, at the Stade de France, facing a strong host nation, after being disrupted the night before, and losing their star player and captain Ronaldo early in the match, they still managed to reach the pinnacle of European football thanks to Bruno Fernandes' hat-trick!"

"Tonight, Cristiano Ronaldo cried again."

"But unlike twelve years ago, these are tears of joy!"

"Indeed, he shed tears of sorrow when he was forced to leave the field injured. At that moment, he might have thought history was about to repeat itself."

"But at the critical moment, a young man named Bruno Fernandes stood up and said 'no' to the world! With the first hat-trick in Euro final history, he defeated the formidable French team!"

Commentators around the world shouted, pouring all their energy into their voices to avoid being drowned out.

In the stands, Portuguese fans jumped and embraced, many with tears in their eyes. An elderly Portuguese fan, his beard white, shouted into the camera, "This is the power of Portugal! We are the champions! We are the champions!"

As the camera moved away, he continued to roar.

In his post-match interview, Bruno said the hat-trick was dedicated to the French fans who had disturbed their sleep the night before. He had bottled up his anger all day, and now he could finally release it.

"Such a response is much more effective than yelling back from the window," he thought. "I beat you, and you can't do anything about it."

This match deepened the animosity between Portugal and France, and between Bruno and the French fans. In his three matches against France, Bruno had scored seven goals and provided one assist, truly earning the title of "France Killer."

Photos of Bruno mimicking Ronaldo's celebration for his third goal made the front pages of major newspapers.

Germany's Bild newspaper had a fitting headline: "At the Stade de France, a new king is born!"

(End of Chapter)

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