Chapter 527 - 19: Milan
The final whistle of the match blew, and Pellegrini stood expressionless by the sidelines.
Malaga’s players seemed somewhat disheartened, while Real Madrid’s players were celebrating their victory to the fullest.
Perhaps, I should have gone to Manchester City.
At this moment, Pellegrini felt some regret inside, because the new capital injection didn’t seem to involve "large" investments, at least not like the large-scale investments he imagined, akin to Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea, or Manchester City.
Mourinho’s face was full of smiles. He bit his lower lip and waved to the Real Madrid fans in the stands, with a smug expression that seemed to say: "See! Who’s the better one."
In this match, Chen Zhong was undoubtedly voted the player of the match.
At the Rose Garden Stadium, he received the souvenir handed over by the staff and faced the journalists’ questions with ease, especially when asked about how he viewed Malaga’s performance in this match and his thoughts on Pellegrini.
Chen Zhong smiled and said, "For this match, I don’t think there is anything to criticize about Malaga’s performance. They gave it their all, but the gap between the two teams isn’t something effort alone can close."
"Pellegrini is a great coach; last season, he led us to the Champions League semifinals and won the league and King’s Cup titles. Many have mentioned what happened in the semifinals, believing that if Pellegrini had put me on the field in the first leg or the return match, the result might have been different."
"But Real Madrid is a great club with some of the best players in the world. Such statements are unfair to the other players; I cannot win a match alone."
"Regarding Pellegrini, I can only say that it was a successful season, though not perfect."
Chen Zhong laughed along with the reporters at this point. Clearly, they all knew what imperfection referred to—the team not winning the Champions League.
If last season, Pellegrini could have helped the team win the Champions League, the league title, and the King’s Cup, and if Chen Zhong himself was the European Golden Boot, the Champions League Golden Boot, the league Golden Boot, and the King’s Cup Golden Boot, then Chen Zhong’s single season would be considered perfect, and winning the 2010 Ballon d’Or would be without suspense.
"So how do you view Mourinho’s coaching?" The reporter, seeing Chen Zhong smiling so happily, slyly laid a small trap for him.
"I’m just a player." Chen Zhong looked at the reporter and smiled, saying, "That’s a decision for the club’s higher-ups, and I respect the club’s decisions and will cooperate with the coach’s work."
"Last season, he led Inter Milan to an incredible achievement, becoming the first Triple Crown winner in Italian history, and he’s the only active coach to have won two Triple Crowns and two Champions League titles. No doubt, he can become a legend at Inter Milan, but he chose to come to Real Madrid."
"No one expected Mourinho not to renew his contract with Inter Milan but instead come to Real Madrid."
"Just like I didn’t expect Pellegrini, even after helping the team win the double title and leading Real Madrid to the Champions League semifinals, would still be dismissed. That’s how the world is, full of unforeseen events."
"I’m very much looking forward to creating another miracle under his lead."
"Miracle?" The reporter glanced at Chen Zhong, feigning ignorance, "What miracle?"
"Triple Crown? (*^_^*)" Chen Zhong replied with a smile, "Winning a Triple Crown, the first in the club’s history, is perhaps the only accomplishment that can prove he’s better than Pellegrini!"
Pellegrini’s dismissal was unexpected for many people, given that in the first season, he almost helped the club win a Triple Crown.
Although there were some mistakes during his coaching, managing a win and a draw against Barcelona was already impressive enough.
But who could have imagined that after helping Inter Milan achieve the Triple Crown, Mourinho would stay at the Bernabeu right after winning the Champions League?
He didn’t even attend Inter Milan’s victory celebration.
It’s important to know that at that time, Inter Milan had prepared everything to negotiate a contract renewal with Mourinho, but he expressed his decision firmly.
Only Mourinho could have pushed Pellegrini out.
And at the post-match press conference, neither Pellegrini nor Mourinho made any personal attacks against each other. Their "feud" dissipated after this match ended.
Mourinho had already proven his abilities, and Pellegrini had clearly realized that it was not he who turned the ordinary into extraordinary the previous season.
And after Malaga’s match, Real Madrid would welcome the second match of the Champions League group stage, where they would await Milan’s arrival at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium two days later.
The day after the Malaga match, during a team meeting in the dressing room, Mourinho did not directly assign a must-win task.
In the dressing room, the players sat in their positions, looking at the man whose expression showed some comfort.
He appeared very relaxed, with a smile on his face, saying, "We are about to face Milan at home. It’s a team with a long history, and no team can say they can beat Milan 100%."