Chapter 1 The Locker Room Before the Match

The team finished warming up and returned to their locker room. At this time, the TV station had already started the live broadcast of the game, analyzing the starting lists of both sides, the state of the key players…

The starting lists of both sides had been announced, and now everyone knew the starting lineup. There were no major changes in either team.

Barcelona's formation was 433, goalkeeper Valdes, center backs Pique and Mascherano, full backs Abidal and Alves, midfielders Busquets, Iniesta and Xavi, and the forwards were Villa, Messi and Pedro.

Except for Puyol, who did not appear in the starting lineup due to a minor injury, Guardiola sent his strongest lineup.

For Napoli, Mazzarri also sent out a 433 formation, goalkeeper De Sanctis, center backs Paolo Cannavaro and Ranocchia, full backs Criscito and Maggio, midfielders De Jong, Hamsik and Sanchez, and the forwards Arshavin, Chen Yingxiong and Cassano.

This was Cassano's first start in the Champions League this season, while Raul was on the bench. Mazzarri valued Raul's experience, but he wanted the energetic Cassano to start and make an impact. He would consider replacing Raul in the second half of the game, using his experience to find shooting opportunities. Raul's stamina was a problem, so letting him come off the bench naturally solved the problem.

Experts from all walks of life were doing their best to analyze the starting lineups of both sides. They could analyze the simple eleven players in great detail.

In fact, formations are just things written on paper. In a real game, formations are not so fixed. Is a 433 formation always a 433? Football is a sport of movement and change, and formations cannot remain unchanged. According to the changes in the game situation, and according to the different game times, the formation is constantly changing. A 433 can become a 343, or a 352, or even a 442. It is meaningless to discuss whether a 433 formation is better or a 343 formation is better.

In the locker room, the coaches of both sides did not choose to discuss the other side's lineup at this time.

Because there was nothing to discuss. Barcelona's formation was always a 433. Since Mazzarri took office, Napoli had been sticking to the 433 route. As for which players the other side would send to play this game, they were basically fixed. No matter how Barcelona rotated their lineup, their backbone would not change. It was easy to know which people were the core players and which were the rotation players. In a game like the Champions League final, of course the main players would be sent out, so it was easy to guess which players Barcelona would send.

It was even easier on Napoli's side. The strength of their main players and bench players was still different, clearly defined. Their starting eleven was not a secret either. The rotation was also extremely limited.

The opponent's tactics had also been thoroughly studied. What each player should and should not do on the field, these things had already been told to the players. They had to practice according to these requirements in training. It was impossible for the coach to slowly tell the players twenty minutes before the game: "Today, we will play a defensive counterattack..."

That was a joke. What tactics to use in a game had already been reflected in the usual training, not to mention a game like the Champions League final that everyone had prepared for a long time. Tactics were definitely not something that a coach came up with on a whim while observing the stars at night. They were all formulated by the entire coaching team through analyzing the opponent. They were the crystallization of collective wisdom. However, when the public knew about it, it was obviously more convenient to promote one person than to promote a group of people, so in many cases, tactics seemed to be only the coach's business.

So, in the locker room before the game was about to start, the coaches did not discuss tactics, nor did they talk about the lineup. What did they talk about?

These ten minutes were the time for the orators to show their skills, the time for the psychologists to adjust the players' emotions, and the miracle moment for the coaches to turn decay into magic.

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"In ten minutes, maybe fifteen minutes, the most important game of our lives will begin... Maybe we will often encounter such scenes in the future, but for now, that is the most important game of our lives." In the Napoli locker room, Mazzarri was saying to the players.

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"I have noticed that there are many voices outside now, and they have labeled us with many unpleasant hats. But that's nothing. You need to know why we are the only ones in the entire football world who receive such treatment." Guardiola said calmly. "Because we are the best team on this planet. The best team should be slandered and attacked by its enemies. The louder they shout, the more afraid they are of us. If we lose our composure because of this, we will fall into their trap."

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"Our opponents are very strong, very strong. Some people say they are the universe team. I agree with this statement. Barcelona plays football that does not exist on Earth." Mazzarri said. "In recent years, they have won many championships, as if the entire Earth can't stop them. You know, Napoli always likes to do things that are very difficult..."

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"Barcelona never compares itself with others, and never cares about the voices of others. It is enough for us to play our own football. We have been playing this kind of football for more than twenty years. Many people think that Barcelona is taken care of by the referee, and that it is able to win so many championships because of some reasons that are not convenient for people to know. They don't know that we have been playing football like this since a long time ago, even if we couldn't win a single championship at that time, we never gave up. So today's achievements are what we deserve, what Barcelona football deserves. Today's championship is just a late compensation and proof..." Guardiola said something that made the people of Barcelona particularly proud, but he still looked calm. He was not being modest, but was already proud to the core. This was the real highest level of pride - the things you think are great are ordinary to me.

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"We almost pulled them down from the altar once, but we failed, not because we were defeated by them, but because we were defeated by another opponent. Now Barcelona is stronger than before, at least it looks like it... But we are not afraid of them, they should be afraid!" Mazzarri added emphasis to his tone. "Because if it weren't for the help of another dark hand, they would have been dragged into the mud by us long ago!"

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"Unlike those utilitarian football teams, Barcelona can win championships just by playing the football they like to play. Others, when they want to win championships, they often have to abandon many things they have always insisted on. They are forced to defend, they are forced to foul, they are forced to abandon their former noble status, jump into the mud and roll around like barbarians, with their faces covered in mud. We don't need to. We only need to keep playing Barcelona's football, and we can get everything. Because Barcelona is never changed by the world, Barcelona only changes the world." Guardiola still looked calm, but the hearts of the Barcelona players below were filled with overflowing pride and confidence. They all raised their heads, like true nobles, looking down on all living beings.

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The Napoli players were so excited by what Mazzarri said that many of them clenched their fists and their bodies trembled slightly.

Nervous?

Hell no, this was excitement!

"They think of themselves as high and mighty nobles, they play artistic football that is praised and touted by the whole world, they are like immaculate gods, untouched by the world. But last season, we almost exposed them! So they are not gods at all! To defeat them, we must first tear off their disguise and drag them into the mud! When they lose all face and can only roll around in the mud with us, they are doomed to lose! Because they will be afraid, they will panic, and they will be terrified to find that their own set of rules doesn't work for us at all!"

Mazzarri shouted loudly, arousing everyone's emotions.

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"No matter what tactics the opponents use to deal with us, you must remember that as long as we are still playing our own football, no team in this world can stop us from winning this championship!" At this point, Guardiola's tone changed slightly. He finally revealed his desire for this championship. Although he won an unprecedented six crowns in his first season as the coach of Barcelona's first team, his desire for the championship had not diminished in the slightest.

He knew very well that only by keeping the entire team hungry could Barcelona truly dominate the world.

He finished speaking, and there were no passionate declarations or roars in the locker room. The Barcelona players looked at the coach with firm and confident expressions.

They firmly believed that Napoli could never stop them! Although they almost lost to Napoli in the Champions League quarter-finals last season, it was only almost losing. In fact, Barcelona won both games.

Besides, could the Champions League final be compared to the Champions League quarter-finals?

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"Whether it's defense or offense, you have to be fierce and active! You have to put pressure on them from every angle! Don't be afraid to foul, don't be afraid to get a card, as long as you can make them afraid, we have already won half of the battle! Go, guys, this is the best stage, this is the best opportunity, use practical actions to tell the world - even if you are all afraid of them, we Napoli are not afraid!!"

Before he finished speaking, with a "bang", Chen Yingxiong, who had been made excited by the coach, stood up. He also knocked over the chair behind him.

He wanted to say something, but he didn't know what to say, so he simply let out a loud roar.

It was as if only in this way could he vent the surging emotions in his chest.

Influenced by him, the other teammates also raised their heads and roared.

For a time, the Napoli locker room was like a group of wild beasts.