Chapter 2253 - 576: The Prize Belongs to the Champion
Old Maldini felt that having Ramos attend the press conference at this moment would be better.
When the two of them arrived, Heynckes and Lahm were already sitting there.
As the two entered, the press room finally became restless.
"Mr. Heynckes, what was the key to losing today?"
"Mr. Maldini, did you win because of Kevin?"
"Cesare, was there something wrong with your starting lineup?"
"Was Buffon’s red card intentional? Why do Milan’s goalkeepers always get sent off?"
"Kevin ran into a lot of trouble on his way here, it’s said getting to the Allianz wasn’t easy for him, yet he still produced such a great performance, why is that?"
Hardly any reporters asked Lahm or Heynckes questions.
Football has always been a sport that chases winners.
Heynckes said with a bitter smile: "You already said it yourselves, it was because of Kevin, so what are you asking me for? I’ve never seen a winger perform this well in goal. If he’d just played as a goalkeeper from the start, maybe Milan would’ve been in front in the first half."
"Are you saying Kevin is better than Buffon and Neuer?"
Heynckes shook his head and said: "Without full-season data, I can’t compare Kevin with other goalkeepers. But in the final, Kevin did show top-class shot-stopping quality. He’s a super talent. The reason the goalkeeper awards aren’t named after Kevin isn’t because he’s not good enough, it’s because he’s played too little as a goalkeeper."
Cesare Maldini shook his head.
He knew Huang Kaiwen very well.
It was better to talk about something else at this moment.
He opened his mouth and said: "Kevin is a big‑game player, but over a full season his performances might not be as outstanding as some others. He needs strong opponents to fully draw out his potential."
"So did Buffon deliberately get sent off to give Kevin a chance? Or to trigger Kevin’s potential?"
"How is that possible? If we wanted Kevin to play in goal, we could just tell him, there’s absolutely no need to pull that kind of stunt. My brain would have to be broken for me to tell Gigi to take a red card on purpose. Being a man down on the pitch is not exactly a pleasant experience."
Cesare Maldini glared as he spoke.
What kind of bullshit questions were these reporters asking.
"Kevin ran into quite a bit of trouble on his way to the Allianz, do you have anything to say about that?"
The reporter asked.
Before Cesare Maldini could speak, Ramos slammed the table and said: "This is a scandal, a huge scandal! Kevin has already been through a lot, yet the Germans still set an ambush for him on his way to the Allianz Arena, this is simply unacceptable. This is neo‑fasXism, it’s already gone beyond the realm of sport. Both UEFA and FIFA should impose severe punishment on Germany!!!"
Heynckes, who originally didn’t want to speak again, rolled his eyes.
But now he had to say a few words.
"I agree with that view, but we still have to distinguish between individual actions and the will of a nation. The German people love peace, respect rules, and are willing to safeguard the purity of competitive sport. I believe what happened to Kevin was the personal act of the taxi driver, and I also hope the police can give us an answer as soon as possible."
Heynckes said.
Even if he was about to retire,
he couldn’t just watch German football get punished.
Look at England: they once ruled Europe, but after the ban they immediately turned into cannon fodder.
It took them years to be reborn.
German football isn’t that profitable; if they also go through a European competition ban, who knows how many years it would take to recover.
"Talk about your panenka penalty—did you learn it from Kevin?"
"Nothing much to say. Kevin did teach me how to take penalties, but I still haven’t reached even one‑tenth of his level." Ramos said.
"Then what was the meaning of your dance on the touchline?"
One reporter asked.
Ramos immediately perked up; he said excitedly: "Of course it was to celebrate the birth of Kevin’s son. That’s a big deal, far more important than the UEFA Champions League title. It’s a festival for fans all over the world—the number 10 shirt of Milan finally has an heir. Of course whether the kid likes football is up to him, whatever he chooses I’ll support him."
Cesare Maldini: ...
Ramos was way too enthusiastic.
The reporter pressed on: "Then do you think there was any problem with Kevin going back to Milan before the game?"
Ramos’ face instantly darkened; he said: "What problem? If Barbara were giving birth right now, Kevin definitely wouldn’t have gone back. But she went into the delivery room last night—are players not allowed to go home for that? Or is it only Kevin who isn’t allowed to go? Other players can temporarily leave the National Team when they have family matters, when a child is born or a relative passes away, even if it means missing some matches. Why is Kevin being criticized when he didn’t even miss the game? Or do you think family is less important than football? Tell me, which newspaper are you from?"
Cesare Maldini hurriedly grabbed Ramos.
He pulled his arm and dragged Ramos out of the press room.
He had thought Ramos’ personality wouldn’t cause trouble.
But once it involves Kevin, Ramos can’t really control himself.
Old Maldini shook his head.
Luckily he was about to step down from the Milan job.
He really didn’t know how Guardiola was going to handle all these strong‑character youngsters.
Once the interviewed players had gradually returned to the dressing room,
Cesare Maldini walked to the center of the room and said: "Thank you very much for your efforts today, allowing me at 80 years old to touch the Champions League Trophy once more. Now go and celebrate properly."