Chapter 1026 The final is coming

On the evening of May 5, just a few hours before the start of the Champions League final, CCTV broadcast the last episode of its follow-up report, and the protagonist of this program was Bruno.

However, considering that the competition was imminent, the TV station did not seek Bruno for an interview, for fear of affecting his preparations.

In fact, even if they went to ask, Manchester United would not agree, and Bruno would most likely not accept the interview request.

So this episode, although Bruno is the protagonist, shows Bruno's journey in the Champions League this season from other angles, including shots of him in the game, clips of interviews before and after the game, and interviews with other people.

This time, CCTV really put in a lot of effort. They interviewed ordinary Manchester United fans on the streets of Manchester, and also interviewed their colleagues, Chinese and foreign reporters who reported on Manchester United. They also interviewed BBC commentator Gary Lineker and asked him to talk about his views on Bruno.

Being able to find so many people shows that CCTV is very thoughtful in this regard.

Through the stories told by these "outsiders", Chinese fans can get a more comprehensive understanding of Bruno, and at the same time, take everyone back to review Bruno's Champions League journey this season.

After the show ended, the host reminded everyone not to forget the Champions League final at 3:35 a.m. tomorrow, and CCTV's live broadcast starts at 2 a.m. The live broadcast will probably start when the players board the bus at the hotel.

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While the whole world began to look forward to the game, Bruno and his teammates were taking a lunch break.

In fact, not all players will sleep soundly, but Bruno really goes to bed and sleeps.

His purpose of sleeping was not to conserve his energy, but to seize the time to continue competing with Liverpool in the virtual world.

Since leading the Portuguese national team to win the World Cup in the summer of 2018 and collecting all major competitions and club championship honors, the Training Master System has added a new function, that is, Bruno can simulate his next game in the system, including club and national team games.

Since the league ended, Bruno's only virtual opponent was Liverpool. He had already played countless matches against them. The results were generally 50-50, with Manchester United having an equal chance of winning and losing.

This means that in the actual game, it will be a evenly matched contest.

In fact, although Manchester United has won all four matches against Liverpool this season, each game was not easy for Manchester United to win, and they were all difficult and narrow wins with one goal.

In these games, Bruno played a very crucial role, participating in the goals in every game. In four games, he contributed 4 goals and 4 assists, creating 2 goals in each game. He was definitely the number one killer against Liverpool.

But despite this, Manchester United still won every game by one goal, which shows the strength of Liverpool.

Such a game is full of randomness, so Bruno needs to be prepared.

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When the Manchester United players walked out of the hotel and prepared to get on the bus, the Manchester United fans surrounding outside cheered.

The flashes of the cameras in the reporters' hands flashed frequently.

When the players arrived at the Stade de France, there were already crowds of people outside the stadium.

Looking around, there were only Manchester United and Liverpool fans wearing red jerseys.

The home jerseys of both teams are red. Although the players will wear jerseys of different colors due to the home and away draws during the game, the fans don't care about that and all wear the team's home jerseys.

The fans of both teams had not yet fully entered the stadium, but were already gathering in the square outside the stadium.

This season, Manchester United and Liverpool have been locked in a fierce battle for the entire season. From the League Cup to the FA Cup, the league, and even today's Champions League final, it's been these two teams vying for the championship.

In other words, the league is quite special, and Manchester City has also joined the championship race.

Manchester United have won all three domestic championships in England, and the Champions League final is simply a domestic rivalry between the two teams brought to the European stage.

So much so that some media joked that the European football season in 2021-2022 is actually a record of competition between Manchester United and Liverpool.

Some media also worried that the two teams had played against each other so many times in the country and were too familiar with each other, which might make the Champions League final lose suspense and be less exciting.

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After the players from both sides finished warming up, they returned to their respective locker rooms. The two head coaches will make final preparations for the game.

"Okay, guys, put down what you are doing and listen to me." Mourinho walked into the away team locker room at the Stade de France, closed the door, and then clapped his hands and said loudly.

All the busy Manchester United players stopped and turned to look at him.

"There is no doubt that this is our last game of the season, but it is more important than any previous game. Because this game determines who will be the king of Europe," Mourinho began.

"Some people outside are worried that we will lack motivation after winning the Champions League for four consecutive years... But I know you, none of you are satisfied with the championships you won in the past. We have won the Champions League every season for the past four seasons, but so what? Our goal is always to win the next Champions League!"

The players laughed.

During the season, some players may feel a bit lazy, but by the final, no one will be like that. No one will complain about having too many Champions League titles, and no one will complain about having too much bonus money.

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"To be honest, I only worry about one thing, that is, we have beaten Liverpool in all three domestic competitions. Will it make us feel relaxed? Will it make us underestimate the opponent and think that the opponent is vulnerable? I think this is very likely."

"But is Liverpool really vulnerable? I think everyone should remember that none of our four encounters were easy wins. We were pushed to the brink of defeat countless times by them, and in the end we relied on our tenacious will to win hard."

"Remember that in the past week, I reminded you more than once to forget about the league, the League Cup and the FA Cup? You know, the Champions League is completely different from the domestic arena. Just because we can beat Liverpool in domestic competitions doesn't mean we can do the same in the Champions League. If we don't give 100%, then we will be the ones who lose in the end!"

Mourinho's tone became stern.

"After 62 years, we have become another team that has reached the Champions League final for five consecutive years. Are we just here for a visit? No! Of course not! Have we overcome so many difficulties just to get the runner-up? No! Of course not!"

Mourinho pumped his fist vigorously, and his body language and passionate tone infected the Manchester United players in the locker room.

"This season, we have been steady in our domestic competition and have won all the titles. This is the second consecutive season we have achieved this. Last season, we also defeated Chelsea to win the Champions League. Now we are only one step away from achieving the perfect result of last season. Let's not leave any regrets in this wonderful season!"

"So that, years from now, when you look back on the 2021-2022 season, you'll be proud that you didn't waste your time, that you put in all the effort, and that you were well-deservedly rewarded!"

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At the same time, in Liverpool's locker room, Klopp was also mobilizing his players.

The unshaven German head coach looked at his players and said, "I know there's a view out there that this is a battle of revenge. Because they beat us in all three domestic competitions, making us a synonym for shame. I don't deny this view. In a sense, this is indeed revenge. But I have another view. I think this is also a battle of redemption."

Klopp looked around at his players.

"This is our second Champions League final in four years, starting from 2019. We are no strangers to this stage, but we always play second fiddle to others. In 2019, we lost to Manchester United. This defeat in the final had a huge impact on us. Our number of Champions League trophies was tied with Manchester United, and we completely lost the honor of being the top club."

"That runner-up finish seemed to weigh heavily on all of us. The following season, we were eliminated in the round of 16. Last season, we were eliminated in the quarterfinals again."

"Many people say we have failed in the past two years, but in my opinion, Liverpool is very strong to have reached the Champions League final twice in four years. The only one who can beat us is ourselves."

"Rather than fighting Manchester United in today's final, it's more about fighting against our past selves, the shadow that hangs over our heads."

"If we fall a second time, many will say this is our fate. But are you willing to accept this?"

There was no sound in the locker room, but Klopp had already seen the flames of unwillingness burning in the eyes of many players.

“There are many strong people in the world who can defeat countless opponents, but I believe that the real strong person is the one who can defeat himself.”

"Today, you have this opportunity to become truly strong. Thank God for giving you this opportunity. Please don't let it slip away."

Arnold stood up excitedly and shouted loudly: "We must win this time!"

Goalkeeper Alisson clenched his fist and shouted: "Victory belongs to us!"

Captain Henderson gritted his teeth and said, "To hell with fate!"