Chapter 11

In Mourinho's tactical system, a strong and tall central striker and a beastly defensive midfielder are essential, and clearly, these two requirements could not be met at Real Madrid. Although Morientes could be considered a tall central striker, he had lost the trust of Real Madrid during his loan period.

The Real Madrid attack line was dominated by the unchangeable starters Ronaldo and Raul. Mourinho was urgently seeking a tough defensive midfielder, especially since Cambiasso had already left Real Madrid for Inter Milan.

On July 26, the Spanish newspaper Marca exclusively revealed a piece of news: Florentino's next superstar target had been identified, and it was Arsenal's defensive anchor, the French iron waist, Vieira!

The 2004 Arsenal team had one of the strongest lineups in history. The forwards were Henry and Bergkamp; the midfielders were Pirès, Vieira, Gilberto Silva, and Ljungberg; the defenders were Ashley Cole, Toure, Campbell, and Lauren; and the goalkeeper was Lehmann.

This lineup gave Professor Wenger great confidence. His goal was not just the Premier League title but also the never-before-achieved European championship! As the team's most stable defensive powerhouse, Wenger would not let Vieira go so easily.

According to the Spanish newspaper As, to show his utmost sincerity, Florentino had raised his offer from 25 million euros to 35 million euros, but still failed to win Wenger's approval. Wenger even said it was an insulting offer!

Florentino was furious. You, Vieira, are almost 30, with average commercial appeal, and you still want to match the value of Ronaldo and Beckham? He immediately used Marca to announce that 35 million euros was his final offer, take it or leave it!

Florentino was determined to bring the world's top stars to the Bernabeu. The reason he put Vieira's transfer on hold was that he saw a more spectacular, more famous, and more sensational transfer happening on the English peninsula.

On August 1, 2004, the Liverpool Echo exclusively reported: Chelsea had made an offer to Liverpool for Michael Owen, and although the specific transfer fee was uncertain, based on Mourinho's recent statements, it was at least 30 million euros.

In this era, transfers over 30 million euros were rare, especially for England's top striker Owen. After the Liverpool Echo broke the news, almost all of England's media focused on Liverpool and Chelsea.

Jowan Xian was already accustomed to being the center of media attention. He had entrusted the transfer operations to the club and was currently preparing the team for his first match since taking over Chelsea—a friendly against AC Milan.

Jowan Xian left the arrangements for the friendly to his assistant, Mourinho. Originally, he thought it would be fine to just play a few minor teams for practice, but Mourinho, with his stubborn personality, somehow managed to bring AC Milan to Stamford Bridge.

The current AC Milan team was a powerhouse in world football, and this match drew over 30,000 spectators to Stamford Bridge, setting a new record for the club's highest attendance at a friendly.

Jowan Xian's confidence in coaching Chelsea stemmed from his secret weapon, Source No. 1. However, the configuration of Source No. 1 was extremely complex. In the few months since his rebirth, he had scoured England to find just a small amount of the material, painstakingly cultivating 200 milliliters of the liquid. After using some on a child, only 198 milliliters remained.

With a long league and cup season ahead, Jowan Xian did not want to waste such an important resource on a meaningless friendly.

At Stamford Bridge, Jowan Xian wore a black suit and black pants, with a pair of dark sunglasses, his cool appearance standing out. Watching Mourinho's assistant, Boas, rigorously train the players according to his tactical design, he felt a sense of grandeur, as if he had the "Sunflower Manual" in hand and the world at his feet.

A month into the transfer window, Jowan Xian had only acquired the injured Rooney. The squad was mostly composed of old players, and without cheating, he could only use the familiar 4-4-2 formation from the previous season, hoping not to be too badly beaten by Milan.

Goalkeeper: Cudicini;

Defenders: Bridge, Terry, Gallas, Johnson;

Midfielders: Joe Cole, Makelele, Lampard, Duff;

Forwards: Crespo, Mutu.

This lineup was almost identical to Chelsea's starting 11 from the previous season. However, when the list was released, Boas expressed his concerns. Facing the formidable Milan, this lineup seemed too risky. It would be better to replace Mutu with a defensive midfielder, Parker.

Jowan Xian was also a bit nervous. Would the fat Ance not show any mercy on his Stamford Bridge? Hmph, if you dare to crush me, I'll make you pay on the European stage!

Jowan Xian reassured Boas, "Don't worry, Boas. Although our new signings haven't arrived yet, we have the strongest player in our ranks, the invincible 'Sunflower Formation'!"

Boas, unaware of the "Sunflower Formation's" future fame, reluctantly nodded, not wanting to contradict his boss.

When Jowan Xian saw AC Milan's starting lineup, he was terrified. Damn, Ance, you really want to play for real?

AC Milan's starting forwards were the Ukrainian Nuclear Head, Shevchenko, and the Scalpel Killer, Inzaghi.

The midfield was even more intimidating: Rui Costa, Seedorf, Pirlo, and Gattuso.

Ance had created the classic 4-10 formation, with a super-strong attack that dominated the Italian peninsula and Europe. Seeing this lineup, Jowan Xian almost cried. This is too much bullying...

At Stamford Bridge, the players were in position. Jowan Xian touched a test tube in his pocket containing nearly 5 milliliters of Source No. 1 liquid, gritted his teeth, and did not take it out.

"It's just a friendly match. I can't waste my treasure! Ance, I'm telling you, if you make me lose face in front of the fans, I'll make you pay on the European stage!"

Standing by the pitch, Jowan Xian's body trembled, unsure if it was from the tension of his first match or the worry of facing Ance.

The match was broadcast on a small scale by London TV, but with both teams being strong, it attracted the attention of many media outlets in England and Italy.

At 18:30 on August 1, the match officially began, with AC Milan kicking off first.

Playing at home, Chelsea started very aggressively, strictly adhering to Jowan Xian's "bombardment" football philosophy. Except for the two center-backs, everyone pressed into the opponent's half.

Seeing this, Jowan Xian was almost furious. I haven't even given you the stimulant, why are you all so eager? Are you all on adrenaline?

Due to the high tactical freedom Jowan Xian gave the players in training, Chelsea's stars often produced dazzling and fluid attacks, though often just short of scoring, they earned the fans' applause.

"Looks like this yellow-skinned guy has some skills."

"Of course, I've always trusted Jowan Xian!"

Many fans began to sing, such beautiful attacking play was rare in the brutal Premier League of this era.

Jowan Xian, in a black windbreaker and dark sunglasses, stood by the pitch, his eyes fixed on the players, unmoved.

In a sense, he felt no pressure; it was just a friendly match.

In another sense, he was under immense pressure, facing AC Milan and presenting his team to Chelsea's fans for the first time.

At the 24th minute, Joe Cole passed the ball to Lampard in the center, who, without adjusting, quickly passed it to Duff on the right flank. Facing the interference of Maldini, Duff decisively chose to cross.

But as he glanced into the penalty area, he saw Maldini's right foot stretch out like lightning.

"Trouble!" was Duff's first reaction.

Indeed, the more experienced Maldini calmly intercepted the ball, passing it diagonally to Pirlo, who elegantly turned and delivered a precise long pass. The ball landed perfectly in front of the sprinting Shevchenko!

"Shevchenko! The Ukrainian Nuclear Head is in full sprint, far outpacing the French defender Gallas! Gallas is too slow, unable to keep up with Shevchenko! One-on-one, a powerful shot, and the ball is in! 1-0, AC Milan takes the lead!"

Jowan Xian, like many fans, covered his eyes in pain, his teeth grinding in frustration. The counterattack, from interception to goal, took less than 10 seconds, completely crushing Chelsea's momentum.

At the 37th minute, AC Milan launched another major attack. Rui Costa delivered a clever through pass, and Inzaghi, like the wind, charged forward, scoring from the edge of the small penalty area. The score was 2-0, and AC Milan had taken complete control!

"Offside, that was an offside goal!" Jowan Xian was shocked, shouting on the sidelines like a mad dancer, drawing boos and curses from the dissatisfied Chelsea fans.

The London TV commentator was explaining Inzaghi's brilliant goal, born from an offside position, when he suddenly exclaimed, "Oh no, the referee has shown a yellow card to Mourinho! Oh, yes, his actions on the sidelines were indeed unseemly. Was that Chinese kung fu?"

Jowan Xian was furious, angry at the referee's decision, Inzaghi's goal, and Ance's lack of mercy! If he knew the commentator was mocking Chinese kung fu, he would have punched him to show what real Chinese kung fu is.