Defeating Real Madrid and reaching the Champions League final once again greatly boosted the morale of Leeds United's players.
For these players, most of whom are around 20 years old, playing in the Champions League final is a dream come true.
It's something countless people yearn for but can never achieve.
Driven by their success in reaching the final, Leeds United's morale soared, and the young squad displayed incredible fighting spirit.
In the 35th round of the Premier League, Leeds United hosted Tottenham Hotspur at Amazon Stadium.
The North London side currently sat third in the league and was well on track to secure a top-four finish. Still, Mourinho's team could not afford to be complacent, and the match turned into a fiercely contested battle.
Leeds United rotated their squad, and just 13 minutes in, Rodrigo opened the scoring with a brilliant rebound, earning loud cheers from the home crowd.
But in the 25th minute, Bruno Fernandes slipped a through ball to Son Heung-min, who finished coolly in a one-on-one to equalize for Spurs.
Just before halftime, left-back Nuno Mendes surged forward and assisted Vardy to restore Leeds United's lead, making it 2-1.
After that, both sides traded attacks, but Spurs couldn't find a breakthrough. In the 84th minute, substitute Kvaratskhelia dribbled past three defenders and delivered a superb pass. Fellow substitute Álvarez calmly converted to seal another goal for Leeds United.
3-1.
Leeds United defeated Tottenham Hotspur at home.
...
Due to the FA Cup final, Leeds United's Round 36 Premier League fixture was brought forward.
This time, they faced Burnley.
Although Burnley were fighting relegation, the gulf in strength was obvious. Even away from home, Leeds United pushed forward relentlessly.
Just before halftime, Pedri scored the opening goal.
After the break, Vinícius made it 2-0 in the 60th minute, assisted by Nuno Mendes.
The Portuguese left-back was improving match by match.
Later, Vinícius created two more chances down the left flank, providing exquisite assists to help Vardy score again.
With two assists and one goal, the Brazilian winger was named Man of the Match. His growth and progress were on full display.
...
On the evening of May 15, at Wembley Stadium in London.
The FA Cup final featured Leeds United vs Chelsea.
From the very first minute, the White Roses unleashed a relentless high press against the Blues. Especially in the attacking third, they pinned Chelsea deep inside their penalty area, leaving them unable to move the ball out.
This put Chelsea in a very passive position.
Not to be outdone, Chelsea also pressed aggressively, trying to disrupt Leeds United's build-up.
The two Premier League sides battled with high pressing on both ends, waiting to see who would make the first mistake.
Such intense duels are common in the Premier League.
In the 6th minute, Chelsea's press forced Leeds United's midfield to pass the ball back to goalkeeper Alisson.
The Brazilian stopped the ball just outside the penalty area.
Rúben Dias and Militão both dropped back to provide support, ensuring Alisson always had passing options.
Chelsea's forwards quickly realized their high press wasn't working and slowed their advance, regrouping around midfield. However, most of their players remained in Leeds United's half.
Their defensive line had pushed up to near the halfway line.
Up front, Haaland hovered near midfield.
Seeing Chelsea's defensive line pushed up, he raised his left hand to signal his teammates.
Alisson and Rúben Dias noticed the gesture. As Haaland drifted toward Chelsea's center-backs, the two Leeds players exchanged a quick glance.
Alisson nudged the ball forward, adjusted his position, and just when it seemed he would pass to Rúben Dias, he suddenly launched a long ball forward.
The ball sailed through the air, landing behind Chelsea's backline.
"Leeds United launch a long ball from their own half."
"Alisson sends it straight into the attacking third."
"That pass was pinpoint."
"Haaland is off!"
"The Norwegian is lightning fast!"
Once Haaland is in motion, there's no stopping him.
With his size, strength, and astonishing speed, who could possibly stop him?
Haaland burst through Chelsea's defense, breezed past Rüdiger, and sprinted to the edge of the penalty area. He took the ball down in stride with his left foot.
"A beautiful first touch."
"Haaland controls the ball and charges into the penalty area."
"Rüdiger is trying to muscle him away, but Haaland's left foot is his strongest."
"Let's see what Haaland does here…"
The Norwegian striker was pushed to the left side of the box, but it only opened the angle for his preferred foot.
He drove the ball slightly to the left, then swept a low shot with his left foot into the bottom right corner.
Kepa had positioned himself at the near post, hoping to close the angle, but left the far post wide open.
Even under pressure from Rüdiger and after a high-speed run, Haaland's left-footed shot was clinical, skimming the grass before nestling into the bottom right corner.
"GOALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!"
"Leeds United take the lead just over six minutes into the game."
"A stunning strike from Haaland."
"Chelsea's high defensive line backfired. Clearly Lampard's tactical choice, but it exposed their biggest weakness."
"This is Chelsea's main defensive issue."
"This assist came from Alisson, Leeds United's goalkeeper."
"Let's watch the replay. That long ball was magnificent, and the landing spot was perfect."
"Of course, Haaland's sprint speed, strength, and aerial presence were key to winning the duel against Rüdiger at the critical moment."
"1-0!"
"Chelsea need to be more cautious."
...
"Leeds United are now the center of attention and even a subject of study."
Inside a box at Wembley, Abramovich sat watching the match with a calm demeanor.
Beside him, Chelsea director Granovskaia was providing updates on Leeds United.
Despite trailing and being outplayed, Abramovich remained composed.
He was in a much better state of mind than when he first entered the Premier League.
Because now, he no longer cared.
Some say every Premier League investor has different motivations.
Abramovich's goal was to shed his Russian identity and be accepted into British and even European high society.
This was something the Russian upper class had pursued for generations.
But in European history, Russians were often seen as uncultured outsiders.
Abramovich did everything he could: buying a home near Prince William's residence, lending his yacht to the royal brothers, networking with politicians, businessmen, and celebrities.
He had also poured vast sums into Chelsea over the years.
All for one goal.
Now, he had achieved it.
His mindset had changed. Chelsea's success brought him joy, but even failure no longer bothered him.
"I think we should reintroduce the role of technical director," Granovskaia suggested.
Abramovich thought briefly and nodded. "I heard Gao Shen held that position at both Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain. The Premier League has embraced that role too."
Sometimes, roles exist for a reason.
Why do Premier League and European clubs appoint technical directors or sporting directors?
It's not because they have money to burn.
It's because a technical director can guide the club's development and create a stable team-building philosophy, reducing the disruption caused by managerial changes.
At Chelsea, when Sarri was dismissed and Lampard took over, the stylistic shift was immense.
"Leeds United are really strong now, and their top staff are in high demand. I contacted them, but they're still short-handed," Granovskaia said with a wry smile.
Chelsea offered money, but they weren't interested. How do you explain that?
With skill, ability, and experience, you can pick your path.
Nothing could be done. Right now, there's only one truly dominant team in Europe.
Manchester United?
The so-called system Ratcliffe introduced has already been exposed as a farce. The British billionaire has been thoroughly misled by his subordinates.
Manchester United currently sit 9th in the Premier League, and that's after steady improvement.
Ironically, Arsenal are in 8th place, just one point ahead.
Sometimes, Abramovich looked at Ratcliffe like he was watching a wealthy fool being robbed.
Even when Abramovich bought Chelsea, waving his checkbook around, he never poached players as shamelessly as Ratcliffe.
And at least he delivered immediate results, winning two Premier League titles.
Ratcliffe, on the other hand, would be ecstatic just to qualify for Europe, never mind winning the league.
Reports indicate that sponsors like Adidas are now pressuring Manchester United. Their repeated failure to qualify for Europe means their sponsorship payments will be reduced, as stated in their contracts.
If there's one person who defines the term "scapegoat" in football today, Ratcliffe is second to none.
Who would dare challenge him for the top spot?
(To be continued.)