April 21, the 35th round of the Premier League.
Due to their involvent in the FA Cup, Manchester City's match for the 34th round had been postponed.
But that no longer mattered to them.
In an away ga against Wolves, thanks to goals from Van Persie and Hazard, they secured a 2-0 win.
…
April 24, the second leg of the Champions League semi-final.
Manchester City traveled to Old Trafford to face Manchester United.
Holding a 2-0 lead from the first leg, City approached the match with composure. In the 17th minute, David Silva assisted Gareth Bale, who scored to give City the lead.
Manchester United equalized in the 53rd minute of the second half through a goal by Sneijder.
But just before the final whistle, Suarez latched onto a cross from Lichtsteiner and fired a stunning volley into the net, restoring City's lead.
In the end, Manchester City defeated Manchester United 2-1 away, and with a 4-1 aggregate score, they successfully eliminated their rivals and advanced to the Champions League final once again.
This match sent shockwaves throughout Manchester.
Everyone could feel the strength of Manchester City. Winning the Champions League and completing a treble last season was already extraordinary, and this season they had shown even greater dominance.
From the Community Shield before the season, to the European Super Cup, the Club World Cup in December, the League Cup at the end of February, and clinching the Premier League title in April…
Manchester City had demonstrated their overall strength all season long, leaving their rivals feeling helpless.
Now, with another FA Cup final and Champions League final ahead, Gao Shen was closer than ever to a quadruple.
Especially after stepping over the corpse of city rivals Manchester United in the semi-finals to reach the Champions League final—it sent a shock through all of Manchester. City fans flooded the streets in celebration.
That night, Manchester was in complete uproar.
At the post-match press conference, Ferguson also offered his congratulations to Gao Shen.
"He is an incredible manager and the most successful one in the league today. This is his fourth ti reaching the Champions League final. I look forward to seeing him win a fourth title and make history."
"He deserves that honor."
Ferguson said that seeing Gao Shen again made him feel just how old he had beco and how much his energy had declined.
"I know I've ntioned retirent many tis over the years, and each ti I was reluctant to leave. But now, I think the ti has co. I'm considering retirent after next season."
His words stunned everyone in the room.
At 70 years old, he was just over a year away from surpassing the record for the oldest manager, held by the late legend Bobby Robson.
Faced with surprised reporters, Ferguson explained that modern football placed increasing demands on managers, and the trend was toward younger coaches. He believed this was a good thing.
"Young people have more ideas, they are more open to new things, more creative, and better at embracing high technology. This is great for football."
Ferguson specifically praised Gao Shen.
"I'm going to have a drink with him later. Everyone knows he doesn't drink, but I think tonight he might, because this could be the last ti I buy him a drink at Old Trafford."
"Gao Shen gives a very strange feeling. He doesn't seem like soone from our era. He has a very unique foresight, and that's what sets him apart."
"He's always ahead of the curve in football, and I know he's constantly exploring and thinking, which is a great trait."
"I see the future of professional football in him. He's only 31. If he coaches until my age, he still has 40 years to go."
At that mont, Ferguson couldn't help but laugh.
The entire press room burst into laughter with him.
But everyone could sense that behind the laughter was a hint of sadness and helplessness.
Shakespeare once wrote in Hamlet: Death is the fairest thing in human society.
Then, ti must be the most ruthless.
No matter who you are, no matter what you've contributed to the world, you cannot escape the erosion of ti.
But there's also the saying that ti drives human progress.
Because life is finite, people strive to leave their legacy, to pass on their na and achievents through relentless effort.
Still, that's just a literary sentint.
In reality, at this mont, for soone like Ferguson, perhaps he simply felt envy.
It's great to be young!
…
After Manchester City's back-to-back victories over Manchester United, the Manchester derby was set for the weekend.
But the match held little significance.
The title had already been decided.
anwhile, in Italy…
In a match held one day after City's, Bayern Munich beat AC Milan 2-1 at ho but lost 1-2 away. The aggregate score was 3-3.
The ga went into extra ti, but neither team could score again, forcing a penalty shootout.
In the end, Bayern Munich triumphed through sheer ntal resilience. Veteran goalkeeper Hans-Jörg Butt stood tall, saving three consecutive penalties from AC Milan.
The nearly 38-year-old goalkeeper delivered a composed and reliable performance in this crucial match.
But despite reaching the final, there was still concern within Bayern.
First, Butt was set to retire at the end of the season, a decision made long ago.
Bayern had previously tried to bring in Neuer as his successor, but Manchester City flatly rejected the offer.
Now, the question of who would replace Butt remained unanswered.
The most popular candidate was Ter Stegen, who had perford well at Borussia Mönchengladbach this season. However, reports also suggested that Bayern admired Courtois, the Leeds United goalkeeper currently playing in the Championship.
Uli Hoeness even publicly praised Courtois, saying, "He has the potential to beco a world-class goalkeeper. He should co to Bayern, because we have the best team and the best training environnt for goalkeepers in the world."
Alongside expressing interest in Courtois, Hoeness also took a swipe at one of his own players—midfielder Toni Kroos.
Though he didn't na him directly, it was clear the criticism was aid at Kroos for refusing to take a penalty during the shootout.
"So players who should've stepped up backed away. That's a sha!"
Kroos explained his decision, saying he lacked confidence due to having missed a penalty in the past.
"It's always easier said than done. If anyone thinks they can score with their eyes closed, they can take it. I couldn't."
"When I don't feel confident, I choose to let soone else take the chance. Forcing myself would be irresponsible—to myself, my teammates, and the team."
It was obvious Kroos was upset by Hoeness' remarks.
The team had already reached the final. There was no need to drag things out. But the mont Hoeness made his comnts, it exploded in the dia.
Kroos was understandably uncomfortable.
But what could he do?
For a player from East Germany, integrating into a West German-dominated team like Bayern was never easy.
At least at Bayern, Toni Kroos never felt like he truly belonged.
Compared to Thomas Müller and Schweinsteiger, he didn't feel as valued.
Especially now, with reports circulating that Bayern wanted to sign Dortmund's midfield prodigy Götze.
If Götze arrived, would there still be a place for Kroos?
…
Manchester Derby, April 30, evening.
In the 36th round of the Premier League, Manchester City hosted Manchester United.
With Ferguson still freezing out Lass Diarra, United fielded Carrick, Sneijder, and Park Ji-sung in midfield, leaving them at a clear disadvantage away from ho.
In the 36th minute, City seized a brilliant opportunity.
Van Persie headed the ball down to Lichtsteiner, who quickly laid it off. Sturridge broke into the box and fired ho, opening the scoring for Manchester City.
Afterwards, no matter how much City pressed, United held firm defensively.
And since the match no longer carried much weight, neither side went all out.
In the end, Manchester City edged Manchester United 1-0 at ho.
Sturridge's goal was the only one of the ga.
…
Three days later, the rescheduled 34th round of the Premier League was played.
Manchester City visited Norwich away.
As Gao Shen had previously ntioned, based on current data, Norwich had the healthiest wage-to-revenue ratio in the Premier League this season, at just 49 percent. They were a true model for Premier League clubs.
In contrast, Queens Park Rangers, also newly promoted, had reached a shocking 100 percent.
It's also worth noting that Swansea's wage ratio wasn't particularly high either.
These two clubs were examples Leeds United could learn from.
They had one thing in common: strong promotion of young talent, and use of practical players in their early to mid-20s who weren't too famous.
These types of players were affordable in terms of transfer fees and wages. And with a solid tactical system and the right recruitnt, they could still deliver good performances.
Gao Shen admired Norwich off the pitch. But on it, Manchester City showed no rcy.
Suarez scored a hat-trick, Bale added a brace, and Robben and Rakitic each found the net. Manchester City crushed Norwich 7-0 away.
This cost-effective model certainly worked, but it ca with limited strength.
Facing a juggernaut like Manchester City, Norwich stood no chance.
Gao Shen didn't plan to make Leeds United like Norwich or Swansea.
His goal was to do better than them.
(To be continued.)
***
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