"As long as this kid doesn't get injured, his future is limitless."
In the stands, when Ferguson saw Haaland waving to the manager, begging to stay on the pitch, he couldn't help but laugh, unable to hide the admiration on his face.
No head coach would dislike a player who is full of desire to win, fighting spirit, and outstanding ability.
Of course, Haaland was making a request, not a protest.
If it were the latter, it would probably put the head coach in an awkward position.
After seeing Haaland's request, Vardy turned around, said a few words to Pochettino, then went back to the bench.
Judging from the Leeds United captain's expression, he was probably more pleased than disappointed.
"You've created a great team atmosphere, and the players' mentality is fantastic," Wenger praised.
If this were any other team, there would probably be problems, or at least some friction.
For example, the next day's news might report that Vardy was dissatisfied with Haaland, and so on.
Sometimes, when a piece of news is repeated enough, it becomes true.
The way players get along in the dressing room is no different from how two friends or colleagues interact in real life.
Once rumors start to spread, even if there's no issue, it can still become awkward. That leads to distance, tension, and even direct conflict.
Leeds United has always maintained a great atmosphere, and right now, Vardy was clearly making way for Haaland.
In this situation, Leeds United's public relations and marketing department would surely seize the opportunity to take the initiative and shape public perception, highlighting the relationship between Vardy and Haaland, forming a positive narrative in advance.
If you don't control public opinion, someone else will tell the story for you.
"This is a world for fanatics. Haaland may seem like a nice guy, but deep down he's proud and fiercely competitive," Gao Shen said succinctly.
"That's normal. If someone lacks competitiveness and pride, you should be the one with a headache," Ferguson laughed.
Wenger nodded. "Look at Cristiano Ronaldo. Arrogant, obsessive, but with that level of self-discipline, tell me, who can match him?"
"And Messi. He might seem soft and introverted, but do you think he's someone you can push around?"
Wenger's comment made Gao Shen and Ferguson burst into laughter.
Cristiano Ronaldo is flamboyant, Messi is quiet, but at heart, they are the same.
Otherwise, the epic rivalry between the two would never have existed.
"Hey, Professor, there's something I've always wondered."
"What is it?"
"You were the ones who spotted Messi first. Why didn't you sign him?"
"There were many reasons, but the main one was that the player himself didn't want to leave," Wenger said, a little helpless.
That might have been the biggest regret of his coaching career.
If he had managed to bring both Messi and Fàbregas to Arsenal back then, things would have turned out very differently.
The world is just like that sometimes.
If he had persisted a bit more and shown more sincerity, maybe Messi would have come.
You have to understand that back then, even Barcelona's youth players struggled for chances. That's why Fàbregas went to England, and even Iniesta almost left Barcelona for Real Madrid.
People only focus on what's in front of them. Who can truly see the future?
"Actually, a long time ago, even before Messi joined Barcelona, many people had already recommended him to us," Ferguson added from the side.
"You know, in European football, especially for top clubs, the number of player profiles received every year is endless. After being filtered by scouts and coaches, the ones that reach us are all incredibly talented. Messi was one of them. He took part in international tournaments when he was only nine years old."
"But anyone who says you could tell right away that he would become Messi is full of it. Back then, many people noticed him, but most just saw him as a promising young talent with obvious weaknesses."
"Small, weak, and had to take growth hormones. Do you know how risky that is for a teenager?"
Gao Shen had read Messi's autobiography in his previous life, and in this life, he had many personal interactions with him, so he was very familiar with Messi's story.
"At the time, even Argentine clubs, including his own team, refused to cover his medical expenses. He even had a trial at River Plate."
Ferguson nodded. "So we were cautious. After all, our youth development budget was limited. I remember Barcelona's youth budget that year was 13 million euros. Ours was around the same."
"Even so, we still wanted to sign Messi," Wenger added.
"Back then?"
"Yes. Not just us. AC Milan had their eyes on him, Real Madrid's Valdano also wanted him, and Atlético Madrid was very interested. Messi himself was focused on Spanish clubs."
"I heard Valdano talk about that. He scoffed at the so-called 'napkin myth'. He said even now, he thinks Messi's family made a bad decision. Real Madrid was willing to pay for all the medical expenses, but they chose Barcelona instead. And in the end, Barcelona didn't keep their word and only paid a third," Gao Shen said with a wry smile.
"Messi's mother is of Catalan descent and had relatives there," Wenger explained.
Gao Shen suddenly understood.
That explained everything.
"So we've always felt that Barcelona's treatment of Messi has been unfair. Over the years, Barcelona has always been like this. From Maradona to Rivaldo, Riquelme to Ronaldinho, and now it's Messi's turn," Wenger said with a sigh.
Barcelona has always had this "tradition".
Why was Cruyff able to settle at Barcelona and become its godfather?
Because he married a Catalan woman.
But Messi has always seemed out of place at Barcelona. He insists on speaking Spanish with an Argentine accent, refuses to take Spanish citizenship, and chooses Argentina instead.
But the saddest thing?
He's not even liked in Argentina.
It's a very awkward situation.
Argentinians who go to Barcelona at a young age get bullied by their teammates, aren't accepted by the club or the local culture. In Argentina, they're considered outsiders. Some even believe Messi isn't truly Argentinian but Spanish. This has been brought up many times within the national team.
He's truly caught in the middle.
...
Back on the pitch, the game continued.
After the restart, Leeds United kept up the high press against Barcelona.
Haaland, in particular, was working exceptionally hard.
The young Norwegian now held a growing influence in the Leeds United dressing room.
He was not only a product of the club's youth system, but also the team's number one ace. Plus, because of his personality and the way he treated people, he was very popular with his teammates.
Right now, everyone was willing to support him.
But sometimes, the more you want to score, the harder it becomes.
In the 72nd minute, Leeds United encountered a block from Barcelona near the halfway line.
Ronald Koeman had strengthened the midfield after making substitutions.
Haaland dropped back to receive the ball, then turned and chipped a left-footed pass behind him.
Rashford quickly sprinted, controlled the ball on the left side of the penalty area and cut in. Facing Piqué, he pulled off a series of skillful feints, then suddenly cut inside and curled a shot with his right foot.
Once again, they broke through Barcelona's goal.
7-0.
Haaland only got up near the halfway line after Rashford scored. He had been tripped by Lenglet, but the referee applied the advantage rule and didn't blow the whistle.
Leeds United continued to pile on the pressure.
In the 79th minute, Alphonso Davies broke through strongly on the left and earned a free kick.
Leeds United took it quickly, and Militão headed the ball into the net at the far post.
8-0.
Leeds United once again delivered a crushing scoreline at Camp Nou.
For two straight seasons, Barcelona had been humiliated by the White Rose.
And both times, it happened on their home turf.
At this point, all faith in Barcelona had evaporated. The players had lost their fighting spirit and confidence. Even their resistance looked feeble and helpless.
Haaland was searching hard for another goal. He badly wanted one more.
He ran aggressively, even dropping deep to get involved.
In the 84th minute, Barcelona's Felipe Anderson dribbled down the right flank to the byline and sent in a cross. But Messi, caught between two Leeds United defenders, couldn't get to it at all.
Declan Rice intercepted Felipe Anderson's cross near the penalty spot and cleared it out to Valverde.
After controlling the ball and avoiding Frenkie de Jong's pressure, Valverde passed to Haaland, who had dropped back. Then he surged forward through the middle.
Haaland controlled the ball and laid it off to Enzo Fernández, then sprinted forward with all he had.
Clearly, both players saw the opportunity for a quick counterattack.
Enzo passed to Valverde, who continued charging forward down the middle. Haaland sprinted up the left, picking up speed rapidly.
Leeds United created a 4-on-3 situation in the final third.
Valverde carried the ball past the halfway line and kept advancing through the middle, drawing Barcelona's defenders toward Rashford on the left.
Just as Valverde looked like he was about to burst into the penalty area, he suddenly flicked the ball to the right with the outside of his right foot.
Barcelona's defenders were completely fooled.
Haaland and Sancho were both unmarked on the right.
At the crucial moment, Haaland arrived first, controlled the ball inside the penalty area, chased after it, and unleashed a powerful strike with his right foot.
The ball rocketed into Barcelona's net.
The goalkeeper was completely helpless.
9-0.
Haaland had set a brand-new historical record.
He became the first player in Champions League history to score six goals in a single knockout match.
And what's even more terrifying is that he's only 20 years old.
After scoring, Haaland went absolutely wild, sprinting to the touchline to celebrate, completely ignoring that he was at Camp Nou and showing no regard for the feelings of the Barcelona fans.
In that moment, he completely lost himself.
(To be continued.)