Drawn into Tension

When Aldrich sat down beside Villa, Villa turned his head briefly before quickly lowering it, a look of shame on his face, unable to meet Aldrich's gaze.

"The team won. Aren't you happy?" Aldrich asked in a gentle voice, his expression calm.

Villa pursed his lips, and after a long pause, he finally whispered, "I'm sorry. I feel like I let you down today."

"No, I actually think things are going quite well," Aldrich replied casually, making Villa look at him with a mix of confusion and surprise.

"David, it's not that I don't want to see you succeed as a player. I just want you to become someone who understands himself and isn't swayed by outside noise."

"I don't understand, Boss," Villa said, feeling a little lost.

Aldrich lifted his right hand and pointed outside, laughing, "This is England, the center of European news, one of the busiest places in the world when it comes to football. In this country, football is the most loved sport, and anything related to it can easily be sensationalized. David, what were you feeling before today? Proud, flashy, full of confidence, just like what was written in the Fleet Street papers: 'Oh, Villa, the prince beloved by the Lions' fans, scored in his first match against Manchester United—what better story could there be? He's going to become the next lion king of Millwall; he's talented, gifted, a natural on the pitch. Look at his running, see his calmness when shooting, and not to mention his handsome appearance—he's destined to be a star, a dream for thousands of girls.'"

Aldrich's exaggerated voice and arm gestures made Villa's cheeks burn, while the front-row teammates all lowered their heads, trying to hold back their laughter.

"Alright, Boss, enough! Do you want me to be too embarrassed to face anyone?" Villa, his face flushed, had to cut Aldrich off before he went any further.

Hearing this, Villa had a good idea of what Aldrich wanted to talk about, and instead of letting the red card weigh him down, he actually cracked a smile.

After Aldrich's speech, Villa began to grasp the essence of their conversation, and his mood lifted, losing the gloominess of being sent off.

"David, here's the deal: there are two kinds of people whose words you should never trust—first are politicians, second are journalists. Even if they talk about you, they genuinely don't care about you. Especially the media—they don't want you to be good all the time. They thrive on your highs and lows, so they can keep you in the spotlight and use you to make a living. I bet that tomorrow's football news related to Millwall will be overwhelmingly critical of you, mocking you, tearing you down until you're worthless."

"Boss, I'm not betting with you. I believe what you're saying is true."

"So, you can't let the media sway you. If they say you're good, then you're good. Does that mean you don't need to train? Don't need a coach to guide you? Don't need the club staff to nurture you? They don't care about you, but we—everyone around you—do care. Maybe what I'm saying sounds harsh and cold to you, but I'm just trying to show you reality so that you can see yourself clearly, then decide whether to live in the illusion of flattery or the harshness of truth. Your journey is long, very long. You have the potential to become a top player, but that requires patience, hard work, relentless focus, and the ability to ignore external distractions. Step by step, you can become a star, someone your teammates trust and rely on."

Villa nodded seriously at Aldrich and said, "Boss, I understand. Thank you."

Aldrich smiled at him, saying, "Good. Now let's talk about the technical issues that led to your two fouls and subsequent red card. The first foul in our box was completely unnecessary. You didn't calmly observe your teammates' positions. Metzelder was tightly marking the opposing player, Barzagli blocked the shooting angle, and Gattuso and Lampard had already contained the opponent's movements. Yet, you rashly committed a foul from behind, giving them a penalty. The second time, your defensive action was nearly reckless…"

Villa listened patiently as Aldrich analyzed his performance in the match, realizing that this was not enough. He resolved to review the game footage later, reflecting on and summarizing his mistakes.

Two days later, Aldrich flew to Switzerland for the UEFA Champions League group stage draw.

Upon arriving at the venue, Aldrich settled into his seat early. This year's event was bustling with many unfamiliar faces, including Lazio's manager Eriksson and Valencia's manager Cúper, while also featuring some familiar names like Ronald Koeman from Barcelona and Lobanovsky from Dynamo Kyiv.

With the expansion of the new Champions League season from 24 to 32 teams, having more people and new faces was expected.

"Old friend, congratulations on the new addition to your family this summer," Galliani, AC Milan's manager, greeted him warmly, his familiar voice ringing out.

Aldrich turned his head and instantly recognized the bald, smiling Galliani, exuding his usual warmth.

Taking advantage of the moment, he sat next to Aldrich, his smile intact, exuding a sense of pride and satisfaction.

AC Milan claimed the Serie A title last season, and he played a crucial role in that success, as he handled all transfer operations single-handedly, which made him feel quite triumphant.

However, when people become too proud, they often face consequences. This summer, he had hardly any activity in the transfer market, thinking that the championship-winning squad could continue to achieve greatness. In reality, AC Milan's competitiveness had clearly declined compared to the previous year. The reason? The players were aging, and you couldn't expect Bierhoff to keep performing miracles forever. Meanwhile, Shevchenko quickly became the darling of San Siro.

"About Ronaldinho..."

"I'm in need of defenders. If AC Milan is willing to sell Maldini, I can offer £30 million."

As soon as Galliani broached Ronaldinho's name, Aldrich smiled and interrupted him.

*Cough, cough.*

Galliani cleared his throat a couple of times and chuckled, "You really love to joke."

"Perhaps."

"Come on! Which other players are you interested in? Anyone but him!"

Galliani genuinely became anxious, beads of sweat forming on his forehead.

If Aldrich showed genuine interest in targeting Maldini, Galliani couldn't guarantee that this loyal figure would remain at San Siro. 

To Aldrich, a loyal player was not necessarily one who stayed put. A loyal player was someone who became loyal through their experiences over time.

"A.C. Milan has at least two factors to consider: first, can they profit from this transfer fee? Second, Maldini's age.

However, if they sell such a loyal player, the club would need a scapegoat. If the deal goes through, Berlusconi collects the money, and Galliani takes the blame—those are just the facts. 

Galliani, being intelligent, realized that even if he helped A.C. Milan profit, he might still face repercussions or death threats from fans.

Aldrich was merely looking for an excuse to tease Galliani. Realizing that Aldrich wasn't going to elaborate further, Galliani understood that his counterpart was just trying to scare him off and didn't want to discuss player transfers.

So, he complied and started talking about other topics.

"Did you receive the gift I sent you a month ago?"

"Yes, my children and I appreciate your concern and blessings."

"Well, that's good. Next time, bring them to San Siro for a match."

"Definitely, who knows, maybe Millwall will meet AC Milan in European competition."

"Oh? The odds of that happening are quite low..."

Galliani hoped AC Milan would achieve success in the coming season. Winning the league title was a given, and ideally, they would also put up a performance in Europe that would satisfy the fans, perhaps leading them to dream of Milan's resurgence.

But, if they ended up facing Millwall, Galliani would consider that a stroke of bad luck!

The two men chatted casually, sharing their insights.

"UEFA is just messing around. Two rounds of group matches? That's six more games than before! Just wait and see. Right now, they think they're making money, but in two years, they'll know if it's profit or loss," Aldrich exclaimed, frustration evident in his voice.

"But expanding to 32 teams can protect our interests. If Millwall finishes third in the league, they'll still make it to the Champions League," Galliani argued.

"I'm not denying that expansion can protect our interests. I'm just saying the schedule is messed up. With 32 teams, the knockout rounds should just involve two additional matches," Aldrich insisted.

"Uh, maybe you have a point," Galliani admitted, although he wasn't fully convinced, believing that more Champions League matches meant more ticket sales, which was a practical benefit.

In reality, UEFA's approach to the Champions League had directly contributed to the sharp decline in top clubs' dominance in their leagues. For instance, Real Madrid won the Champions League in 2000 and 2002, while finishing fifth and third in the league, with their points significantly lower than in past seasons.

Bayern, while they were crowned champions in 2001, had only one more point than Schalke in the league while lagging significantly behind their prior victorious season.

As the season wore on, teams found it increasingly difficult to manage their league performances. Bayer Leverkusen's so-called "three-year collapse" was less about their own shortcomings and more about their insufficient squad depth; in the end, their players exhausted themselves, leading to their downfall.

Thus, during league matches, Aldrich aimed for secure wins while meticulously managing which players on his first team would rest, especially early in the season when things appeared to be on an upward trend. Nevertheless, the true test would come in the second half of the season—testing endurance, stability, squad depth, player form, and team unity.

Having not seen Ancelotti or Milan's coach Zaccheroni during the proceedings, Aldrich exchanged pleasantries with Galliani until it was time for the draw.

As Johnson droned on with his usual spiel, Aldrich felt the distinct shift in the atmosphere as soon as the draw began.

Tension.

Seriousness.

Galliani's smile faded.

This year, with the expansion of the tournament, many smaller teams from Europe's second-tier leagues have emerged. For them, drawing a favorable opponent could mean doubling or even more of the Champions League profit share, which naturally leads to increased tension.

Aldrich wasn't too concerned about the draw results; whoever they faced didn't matter much to him. After all, there were only a few strong opponents. If they all ended up in one group, he wouldn't be afraid at all; in fact, it suited him just fine. Eliminating two tough teams in the first half of the season would make for an easier schedule in the latter half, especially in the knockout stages.

Maybe UEFA sensed Aldrich's thoughts, but they certainly wouldn't fulfill his desires!

When the draw results came out, Aldrich felt a sharp smack on the back of his hand that hurt a little. He turned to find Galliani staring at him with a complicated expression.