In the locker room, the atmosphere among the Arsenal players was rather silent.
In the first half, they had spoken boldly, only to be kicked around for a 0–3 score.
Now on the pitch, Arsenal fans were silent, quietly praying for a miracle, while AC Milan supporters sang and danced, celebrating their team's lead.
Some AC Milan fans had even started popping champagne at halftime; a 3–0 lead was such a huge advantage that a miracle seemed impossible.
Gilbert knew the atmosphere in the locker room was terrible. He was at most a casual fan—if it weren't for a few football-loving friends in his previous life, he wouldn't have cared about football at all.
Back then, when those friends lamented about the national team, Gilbert would just take it as a source of amusement.
He never understood why anyone would care about a poor national team. One friend simply said: "Football is football, you wouldn't understand."
At the time, Gilbert didn't quite get it, but seeing the Champions League final in person, with his own team in dire straits, he began to understand a little.
Thinking this, Gilbert said to John Richard, "The players must be feeling pretty down right now."
John Richard replied honestly, "Not just the players, I feel a bit down too. But football is round—we can only believe in miracles."
"Let's hope so," Gilbert said after a moment's thought. "Come on, let's go take a look."
"Now?"
"Of course."
"Alright, I'll go with you."
Ivanka and Jilly Hazel stood up. "We'll go along too!"
"Ah, the locker room is a private place. It's not very convenient for you ladies. Sit tight here; we'll be back soon."
With that, Gilbert and John Richard went to the team's locker room.
Locker rooms had their own rules. On the way, John Richard explained some of them to Gilbert: as the owner, he had to get the players' consent before entering.
Of course, there were those who ignored the rules.
For instance, after losing the Premier League title with Chelsea, Mourinho had stormed the locker room, causing a very negative impact.
At the locker room door, Gilbert had the assistant coach announce their arrival.
The assistant coach entered and said, "Director Gilbert is here to see us."
The team captain was in the middle of rallying the players with inspiring words. Seeing Gilbert, he thought Gilbert might be coming in to scold them, like Mourinho. The other players also looked grim; after all, they were three goals down in the first half, and now the owner was here to pick a fight.
However, Gilbert was respectful of the rules and had the assistant coach make the announcement rather than barging in himself, which was a good sign.
Vieira asked the players' opinion. Seeing no objections, he told the assistant coach, "Let the owner come in."
The assistant coach went to invite Gilbert. Soon, a white man in his thirties walked in. He wore a cap with the Arsenal logo, a T-shirt and jeans, and a pair of canvas shoes—a very casual outfit.
Beside him, team general manager John Richard stood respectfully. This man must be the team owner, the famous Hollywood director Gilbert Landrini.
The players were somewhat surprised. The owners and executives they had seen before were almost always in suits, their faces stern and serious.
But Gilbert came in smiling, showing no anger or frustration over the team's deficit.
This left the players unsure of his intentions. What did this mean?
John Richard took the initiative to introduce him: "This is Director Gilbert Landrini, our team owner. He would like to say a few words, everyone, please welcome him."
The players clapped politely. Gilbert waved for everyone to quiet down.
He looked at the slightly dispirited players and smiled. "You might have thought I came in here to scold you."
The players chuckled lightly, a few even sheepishly scratched their heads, clearly thinking the same thing.
Gilbert continued, "Of course not. My understanding of football culture is superficial; I can roughly tell which goal is ours. I also know we were behind in the first half and the situation isn't great.
"But I believe in you, our players. In this last match, don't think about leaving regrets—just go on the field and give it your all. We have forty-five minutes left. Since we were kicked around 0–3 in the first half, let's give them 4–0 in the second half—that will be enough."
Gilbert's words were simple, but as the team owner, they carried a different weight. They signaled that the owner stood with the players.
Motivational speeches can become tiresome if overused, but sometimes one or two words are exactly what's needed.
After Vieira's earlier pep talk and the owner's personal encouragement, the players' spirit and energy returned. Gilbert was pleased. "Professor, it's in your hands now."
The usually quiet professor finally stood up, picked up the tactical board, and began to lay out his strategy. "Alright, everyone, gather around…"
Gilbert didn't listen to the tactical instructions. After giving a brief motivational talk, he returned to the VIP box.
John Richard even gave him a thumbs-up. "Boss, I've never seen a team owner quite like you."
"What? You mean I don't understand football but still give orders?"
"No, I mean you don't understand football, yet you didn't interfere. You weren't angry about the team falling behind; I thought you might blame the players."
Gilbert smiled lightly. "What's the use of blaming the players at a time like this? I just want to make a point: win or lose, I stand with the team. That way, the players might feel less pressure and play more freely in the second half."
Ivanka, following Gilbert, managed to use a Chinese idiom she had learned: "I think this is the moment our team must fight with their backs to the wall."
"What does 'fight with their backs to the wall' mean?" John Richard asked, puzzled.
"It means when you're in a desperate situation, you must counterattack," Gilbert explained. "John, do you believe in miracles?"
"Of course. At this point, what else can we believe in?" John Richard said.
Indeed, in such a situation, all one could do was believe in a miracle.
And a miracle… it really happened.
Wenger had adjusted the team's strategy based on the first half. He realized that although he had started Fabregas, the team was still playing the same way they did in the league, not utilizing Fabregas' abilities.
So he emphasized creating opportunities for Fabregas in the second half, with Vieira covering him from behind. Wenger gave Fabregas one simple instruction: attack, don't worry about anything else.
Then Wenger brought on Van Persie, who hadn't played in the first half, forming a three-pronged attack with Henry and Reyes, with Fabregas positioned just behind them.
Wenger trusted Fabregas' skills and knew AC Milan's Ancelotti would likely underestimate the young midfielder, as Fabregas had barely shown anything in the first half—this was their chance.
After finalizing the deployment, Wenger delivered another motivating speech: "Gentlemen, from the team to the countless fans, everyone is standing with us.
"Now, we are at the edge of the cliff, with no way to retreat.
"Do you know when a person's most glorious moment is? I know. I know that our moment of glory is today.
"Gentlemen, let us go and create a miracle together!"
"Create a miracle…"
The players roared, their energy and momentum surging, and they stormed onto the pitch for the second half.
The AC Milan players were bewildered. Having dominated the first half so thoroughly, why did the Arsenal players seem even more determined now?
Kaka and Pirlo exchanged a glance, each seeing a bad premonition in the other's eyes.
Both felt that the second half might be a storm of blood and fury.
And indeed, reality unfolded exactly as they feared.
...
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