When the first leg of the Champions League Round of 16 concluded, a massive campaign of idol worship swept through the British media.
The Manchester Evening News was the first to fire the shot.
This authoritative local outlet in Manchester commented on the Manchester United takeover with the headline, "The Red Devils spirit cannot be corrupted by money," arguing that the deal must fully consider the wishes of the fans.
The article stated that in Britain, football has never been just football. It represents a deeper culture.
Manchester United has recently been forced into the role of a chaser, losing its previous dominance in the Premier League. This has left countless fans with deep regret and nostalgia for the glory days under Ferguson.
"But we must never lose our identity because of this desire."
The paper emphasized that while the club may be sold, the Red Devils spirit is not for sale. That is the soul of Manchester United, and no amount of capital should be allowed to buy it.
It also pointed out that United fans have a long history of resisting capital.
Back in the late 1990s, Rupert Murdoch, the man behind the creation of the Premier League, owner of Sky TV, and chairman of News Corp., once attempted to acquire Manchester United. The deal had even been approved by United's management, but it triggered widespread protest among fans, eventually leading to the formation of the Red Rebels.
In the end, the Red Rebels forced the British government to intervene and block Murdoch's acquisition by invoking antitrust laws.
Yet, the battle between Manchester United and capital has continued, and in the end, it failed to withstand the influence of American money.
The Glazer family once promised a bright future. It fooled many United fans and even Ferguson himself.
"Being acquired by the Glazers is the biggest and most foolish mistake ever made by Manchester United, and perhaps by English football as a whole."
The paper argued that United has paid a heavy price for that decision, bearing the burden of enormous debt.
Over a decade later, the club is still suffering the consequences.
Now, another critical decision looms.
The Qatari consortium has offered a lucrative proposal and a promising future. They have the financial resources to back a full-scale rebuild, help United return to the top of English football, and bring in elite players to restore the club's former glory.
"But the question is, is Manchester United short of money?"
The article analyzed that, since Ferguson's departure, United has spent heavily in the transfer market. The club remains the most profitable in world football, generating massive annual profits.
And this is while still carrying the debt left by the Glazers.
Therefore, United is not lacking in money and does not need the Qatari consortium. The club can rely on its own financial strength to sign top players.
What Manchester United lacks is a soul. The Red Devils spirit has been lost.
After being bought by the Glazers, the club slowly turned into a capital-driven machine. Especially after Ferguson retired, it lost its identity and became nothing more than a toy for investors.
Now, the only thing United has left is money.
The paper questioned whether the Qatari consortium could truly revive Manchester United.
Do Qatari oil magnates really understand the spirit of the Red Devils? Do they know what the club truly needs? Can they help the team return to its roots?
The paper expressed deep skepticism.
It claimed that the Qataris' bid for United is not for the sake of football, nor even for the club itself, but for publicity and exposure ahead of the World Cup.
It went further, attacking the Qatari government behind the consortium. It claimed they did not share British values or those of United fans, and even described them as closed-minded and barbaric.
Finally, the paper shifted focus to James Ratcliffe.
This British billionaire was born in Failsworth, Lancashire, a small town northeast of Manchester.
His father was a carpenter, his mother an accountant, and the family later ran a furniture business.
He grew up in Lancashire, and his entire family were lifelong United supporters until he left for university in Birmingham.
It is fair to say that Ratcliffe is a die-hard Manchester United fan.
"No one understands Manchester United's spirit and heritage better than him."
The Manchester Evening News made its stance clear: support Ratcliffe, reject Qatari money.
Led by the Manchester Evening News, a wave of "Defend Manchester United" sentiment quickly swept across the UK and even gained global attention.
The controversy highlighted the growing tension caused by the globalization of football clubs.
While the two bidding parties competed for ownership, international fans largely viewed the Qatari consortium as the better choice. The Middle Eastern group offered financial strength, guaranteed that no acquisition debt would be transferred to the club, promised improvements to training facilities and even plans for a new stadium, and pledged to bring in world-class stars.
This seemed to promise a quick path back to the top.
Online, many fans began to fantasize about a new era of dominance.
But in the UK, particularly in Manchester, fans favored Ratcliffe.
A statement from a local season ticket holder captured the sentiment best.
He believed that being acquired by the Qatari consortium would be no different from the Glazer takeover — both were disasters.
"Even though I don't particularly like Ratcliffe, he's still better than the Qataris."
The majority of United's match-going fans expressed a strong preference for local ownership.
Ratcliffe also won the backing of the British media, who rallied behind him.
He promised that if he acquired the club, he would invest in training facilities and bring in more star players, particularly English players.
"In recent years, our youth development reforms have yielded tremendous results. We now have a generation of outstanding homegrown talent. But it's unacceptable that they're not even playing for Manchester United."
Ratcliffe emphasized that the best English players belong at Manchester United, as has always been the tradition.
"I will dedicate myself to continuing that legacy."
There was no doubt he was appealing to the local fanbase.
British media outlets also began portraying him as a savior of the club.
"I absolutely do not believe this is all spontaneous."
Inside the Leeds United AXA Centre, during a strategy meeting, Fernando Lucas pointedly criticized Ratcliffe's media campaign.
Lucas had long maintained strong ties with the media, so Leeds United had always handled publicity and narrative control well.
Seeing so many media outlets suddenly voicing support for Ratcliffe, Lucas was convinced someone was orchestrating it.
"He's probably trying to use public opinion to shut out the Qataris," Borrell speculated.
In terms of financial power, Ratcliffe couldn't compete. But he had one undeniable advantage: he was British.
Gao Shen shook his head with a bitter smile. "At first, I thought the Qataris had this in the bag, but now, it looks increasingly dangerous. Especially with this wave of pressure, I'm not even sure they'll be allowed to stay in the bidding."
Lucas and Borrell both nodded.
Judging from the climate post-Brexit, British public opinion clearly leaned toward Ratcliffe. He would win.
What did it matter if global fans supported Qatar?
In the end, Manchester United was still a British club, and globalization couldn't change that.
Could the club really defy British law and ignore its own fans?
If that happened, it might just lead to the rise of a second Red Rebel movement.
This wasn't just a UK issue either.
The battle for United had completely overshadowed the Champions League Round of 16.
Now, media outlets and fans across the globe were debating who would ultimately take over.
Meanwhile, the impressive performances of Leeds United, Paris Saint-Germain, and Real Madrid in the Champions League were receiving praise but had taken a backseat.
There was still a second leg to play.
Amid all this noise, the domestic leagues pressed on steadily.
Leeds United sat comfortably in second in the Premier League, breathing down Liverpool's neck. Paris Saint-Germain were miles ahead in Ligue 1. Real Madrid led La Liga and were seen as the top favorites for the title.
In the second leg of the Champions League Round of 16, back at home, Leeds immediately applied pressure on Lyon, led by the ever-dangerous Haaland.
Lyon, having learned their lesson in the first leg, were much more composed and cautious in their approach, not giving Leeds many clear chances.
It wasn't until the 62nd minute that Haaland found Sancho on a counterattack.
Sancho broke the deadlock.
In the 75th minute, Sancho returned the favor with a quick reverse through ball while dribbling. Haaland beat the offside trap and slotted it home from just inside the box to make it 2-0.
Leeds United beat Lyon 2-0 and advanced to the quarterfinals with a 5-1 aggregate score.
Real Madrid defeated Chelsea 3-0 at home, sealing a dominant 7-0 aggregate win.
Zidane's team had been in control throughout both legs. In the second leg, Mbappé added a goal and an assist.
Paris Saint-Germain beat Dortmund 2-0 at home, progressing 4-1 on aggregate. Neymar also contributed a goal and an assist, earning Man of the Match honors.
All three of Gao Shen's teams advanced to the Champions League quarterfinals.
This further strengthened his reputation among professionals across European football, especially given how convincingly each of the three teams had performed this season.
After the second legs were completed, UEFA held the Champions League quarterfinal draw at its headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland.
(To be continued.)
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