Chasing History

As April arrived, the atmosphere among East London's football fanbases varied greatly.

Charlton fans were relaxed, with their team safe from relegation and even with a chance to secure a European spot. They didn't demand much; for now, they were simply enjoying each match, focused on supporting their team.

West Ham fans, on the other hand, had endured years of watching their team drop from the Premier League to League One. This season, things had improved. As long as West Ham didn't collapse in the final stretch of the league, they were sure to return to the Premier League next season.

It's likely that many West Ham fans were already looking forward to the next fiery East London derby with Millwall in the Premier League.

Millwall fans, however, were growing tense.

The team was neck and neck with Manchester United in the league, with only seven matches remaining in the Premier League. The outcome was about to be decided. With the Champions League entering the quarterfinals, could the team repeat their miraculous title defense? It seemed too early to think about that, but given the difficulty of such an achievement, Millwall fans were nervous, afraid that they might face the same situation as the previous season's title defense campaign.

There was pressure inside Millwall as well, a pressure that had been with them since the start of the season.

They were the most hated team in the Premier League and the most watched team in Europe, carrying the added pressure of maintaining an unbeaten record early in the season.

But top teams must possess a strong ability to handle pressure. As the season reached its final stretch, Aldrich didn't ease the burden on the team as he had in the past. On the contrary, he needed the team to use their fighting spirit to overcome the pressure and push forward until the end of May!

After the FIFA international break, Millwall faced Everton, who were struggling to stay out of relegation.

Three days later, the quarterfinals of the Champions League would begin. Aldrich gave his main players, who had returned from international duty, some rest. The more pressure, the less they should panic. This was his coaching style.

After 90 minutes of play, the Lion King Stadium fell into a brief silence. Then, Millwall's chant echoed again from the stands.

The scoreboard read 1-1.

Millwall had drawn.

Manchester United, playing away at Anfield, had suffered a 2-0 defeat, allowing Millwall to take a one-point lead.

Millwall had climbed to the top of the league, but Aldrich couldn't bring himself to feel happy.

Not taking all three points from Everton felt like an upset.

Moreover, Millwall's unbeaten run earlier in the season had been broken at Goodison Park, and this season, Everton had truly become Millwall's nemesis.

Aldrich didn't know whether to be angry or not.

Everton, every season, was viewed as a mid-table team, but they always managed to narrowly avoid relegation in the final stages. Calling them "relegation fighters" would not be an exaggeration, but when you thought about their squad strength, it seemed unbelievable they were just scraping to stay in the league. This kind of situation naturally made one feel frustrated, like seeing a talented team struggle.

At this point, teams fighting relegation were tough to face, even when playing at home. Every point was fiercely contested, almost like snatching food from a tiger's mouth!

Inside Millwall, the mood was high. Every player trained with great seriousness, preparing meticulously for the upcoming challenges.

Aldrich had become more of a hands-off manager now, often strolling around the training ground with his hands behind his back, carrying himself with the air of an old man in charge.

With the team's overall age rising, the players' mentality had matured and stabilized. Having seen it all, the dual pressure of both league and Champions League now seemed like a mere ripple in the water to many of the experienced players. Trying to make them panic would be almost impossible. They had the attitude of standing firm no matter what storms blew from all directions.

When Schneider returned from international duty, he even brought Aldrich a bottle of fine wine from their vineyard as a gift, which Aldrich happily accepted.

During a training break, Ronaldinho and Villa sat in front of Aldrich, basking in the warm sunshine. It made everyone feel lazy; the kind of weather that made training both good and bad, as it easily made people drowsy. The best kind of weather for training was a cool, refreshing one that kept you alert.

"Boss, is defending the Champions League really that hard?"

Villa asked curiously, lifting his head.

This year, the Champions League situation was different from previous years. Millwall had reached the quarterfinals, but they were just one of the four Premier League teams remaining. Fleet Street represented Britain, and Millwall's chances of reaching the final were strong, but the media was more eager to see the other Premier League teams advance further. They hoped for all four semifinal spots to be taken by Premier League teams. As for whether Millwall could create new history, they weren't too concerned about that.

Therefore, the call for Millwall to defend the Champions League title wasn't high. The media had deliberately fueled the notion that defending the title was incredibly difficult, intending to put pressure on Millwall. Outside the UK, the media's goal was clearly to destabilize the team.

Just like Aldrich applying psychological pressure on Manchester United, the question is: "Which do you want, the league or the Champions League?" It's time to make a choice. Be careful, or you could lose it all!

Aldrich sat on the grass, his arms wrapped around his knees as he smiled. "Only five teams in history have successfully defended the Champions League: Real Madrid, Benfica, AC Milan, and England's Nottingham Forest and Liverpool. It's hard, extremely hard, but that's precisely why the achievement, if accomplished, would be unparalleled."

At this moment, no one had yet discussed the idea that "no one has defended the Champions League since the competition was restructured."

The reform happened in 1998, and now it was 2001. After the reform, defending the title had become much more difficult for several reasons. First, the number of participating teams increased, raising the level of competition. Before the reform, only league champions could compete in the Champions League, and the strength of second-tier league champions was no match for the top leagues. After the reform, even second or third-place teams from top leagues had greater strength than the champions of lesser leagues, making the competition more intense and the possibility of defending the title even tougher. Secondly, with the Bosman ruling, top teams were becoming even stronger by signing star players, pushing the limits of their strength higher year by year.

"Only five clubs have ever done it. If we succeed, we'll be the sixth."

Villa propped himself up with his hands, gazing into the sky, his thoughts drifting far away.

It may be just number six, but it's a feat that commands respect and admiration, one that would echo in history.

Ronaldinho lowered his head, silent.

He had been pushing himself this season, especially as the end of the season approached. They had already gone halfway through the journey of defending the Champions League title.

Milwall had only one chance to defend the Champions League before, and it ended in Munich.

Though Ronaldinho had come to terms with it, it didn't mean his ambition had faded. To be the sixth team to defend the Champions League successfully, Milwall's name would forever be special among the elite clubs!

"Don't think too much. We haven't even made it past the quarterfinals yet. If we want to defend, others also want to win the title. At this stage, no one is going to give up their victory easily," Aldrich said with a smile.

Aldrich finished speaking and flashed a smile.

How could he not think about it?

Even he himself was desperately eager to successfully defend the Champions League title. If he pulled it off, it would be his third Champions League in four years—an achievement that would not only cement Millwall's dynasty but also elevate his coaching career to a whole new level. Winning three Champions League titles would put him on par with Paisley, who led Liverpool to three European Cups in five years, but Aldrich would have done it in less time.

But if they didn't succeed, he wouldn't be too hard on himself. "Don't be arrogant in victory, nor despondent in defeat." Losing, failing—it wasn't something to panic about, but they couldn't lose to themselves.

The atmosphere in the team's preparations was excellent. Everyone was working hard to make their names immortal in a new chapter of history.

Milwall's fan organizations were also in action, purchasing large quantities of away tickets to travel and cheer on the team up close.

At dinner with the Bradys, Brady even joked that many fan club members had already made the decision to take time off from work.

The Champions League games were mid-week, and most fans had to return to work the next day. But if the team secured a satisfactory result, they wouldn't just rush to the airport right after the match to catch a flight home. They would celebrate first, and the next day's work might be in jeopardy.

After the preparations, the Milwall team boarded their special plane and flew to Valencia, Spain, to face the mighty Bat Warriors.

Mestalla, the home ground of the Bat Warriors, had become a burial ground for many strong teams over the past two years!

"UEFA Champions League 2000-01 quarterfinals, first leg: Valencia hosted defending champions Milwall. It was a match fated to happen once again. The fans, the coaches, and the players of both teams were bound to be anxious! Last season's Champions League final saw Milwall defeating Valencia to lift the trophy for the second time, but this season, many believed Valencia had weakened and couldn't compete with the giants. Yet, with the brilliance of Coach Cooper, Valencia made it to the quarterfinals, an achievement deserving of admiration, just like when Milwall reached the semifinals despite selling half their team's key players in the summer. Although Valencia had home-field advantage, their strength was still no match for Milwall's."

Aldrich stepped onto the pitch, his eyes sweeping over the stadium. This wasn't his first visit; he had led the England national team here for a friendly match against Spain in the past.

But today, there was a strange sense of déjà vu.

The stands were packed with Valencia fans, their energy distinct from that of the Spanish national team supporters. The atmosphere they created was worlds apart from the calm of a friendly match.

Valencia's fans were undoubtedly harboring resentment, eager for revenge. They wanted to make The Lions bleed here, to exact vengeance for the pain of last season's UEFA Champions League final defeat.

The Lions' supporters were no less fired up, creating a raucous, energetic atmosphere in the stands that rivaled the home crowd's.

Before entering the stadium, as they mingled around the streets outside, The Lions' fans could sense the hostility from the Valencia supporters. It was a familiar feeling for them—an animosity born of past defeats, a yearning for a rematch, for revenge.

But now, The Lions' fans were unfazed. Some even joked that Valencia fans should be grateful they were a Spanish team. If they had been English, they'd know that the more you think about "revenge," the more it would torment you.

Only a few teams in the Premier League dared to even talk about revenge before facing Millwall, and those were a rare few.

Valencia's manager, Cooper, appeared on the pitch with a solemn expression. He made his way to Aldrich for a pre-match handshake. The two had a history together, and despite the fierce competition, there was respect. They exchanged pleasantries, as was the custom.

In discussing the upcoming match, Cooper had made it clear that Millwall were the favorites to advance, and that Valencia would have to show extraordinary courage to defeat them.

Aldrich respected Cooper deeply. Valencia had lost several key players the previous summer, yet they were still playing fearlessly this season, reaching the quarter-finals—a testament to their strength. It wasn't just luck that got them here.

But respect was one thing. Aldrich's expression shifted, a sharp intensity in his eyes.

The brutal green battlefield demanded that someone fall!

Winning the Champions League again, whether for his players or for himself, was the highest honor. Anyone who stood in his way had no chance of survival.