Chapter Summaries

After Su Dong helped Barcelona eliminate Chelsea and reach the Champions League semifinals, Spanish newspapers praised his decisive role while British outlets blamed Barcelona’s defensive weaknesses. The next day’s draw paired Barcelona with Liverpool, and Benítez promised he knew how to stop Su Dong.

• Diario AS criticized Mourinho’s defensive tactics and praised Su Dong for repeatedly rescuing Barcelona, including his combination with Iniesta to score at Camp Nou.
• Diario Sport and Mundo Deportivo credited Su Dong’s goal and link-up play with carrying Barcelona past Chelsea and through earlier Champions League battles.
• British newspapers argued that Chelsea had lost to Su Dong and warned Barcelona’s defense would prevent the team from advancing much further.
• UEFA’s draw paired Barcelona with Benítez’s Liverpool in the Champions League semifinals.
• Benítez said he knew how to defeat Barcelona and freeze Su Dong, prompting confidence in Britain and concern in Spain.

Real Madrid and Barcelona traded goals in a frantic El Clásico, with Su Dong answering Real Madrid’s early lead twice. The match stood at 2–2 after Su Dong’s second goal.

• Before kickoff, Su Dong joked with Ronaldo and the Real Madrid players about their tactics and Barcelona’s shaky defense.
• Zidane headed Ronaldo’s cross into the net to give Real Madrid a 1–0 lead, then collided with the goalpost.
• Iniesta set up Su Dong, who equalized with a first-time shot just two minutes later.
• Casillas tipped Su Dong’s header over the bar, and Puyol cleared Roberto Carlos’s shot off the goal line.
• Ronaldo headed Beckham’s free-kick cross into the net to put Real Madrid ahead 2–1.
• Su Dong combined with Xavi and scored past Casillas to make it 2–2.

Su Dong scored a stunning solo goal against Real Madrid, dribbling past six players to complete his hat trick and earn a standing ovation at the Bernabéu. The chapter left him celebrated as a legend and the world’s best active player, while Florentino regretted not signing him.

• After Giuly equalized at 3–3, Su Dong received Xavi’s pass and launched a counterattack past Beckham and Gravesen.
• Su Dong evaded Salgado and Pavón, then used a Marseille Turn and a Pendulum-style feint to get past Helguera.
• Su Dong rounded Casillas and scored into the open goal, completing his hat trick after dribbling past six Real Madrid players.
• Barcelona’s players celebrated as the Bernabéu crowd rose to applaud Su Dong, and Real Madrid’s stars watched in admiration.
• Sacchi told Florentino that Su Dong had become the undisputed best active player, while Florentino regretted failing to sign him.

After Barcelona drew 4–4 with Real Madrid, Su Dong celebrated his hat trick and met Ronaldo and other Madrid stars for dinner at the Bernabéu. They praised his performance and warned him about Barcelona’s defense before he turned his attention to the upcoming Champions League semifinal against Liverpool.

• Barcelona and Real Madrid played to a 4–4 draw after Su Dong dribbled past six players and completed a hat trick.
• Rafael Ramírez Domínguez congratulated Su Dong, who posed for a photo with him and gave him a signed jersey.
• Puyol and the Barcelona players persuaded Su Dong to treat them to dinner, but a message from Ronaldo summoned him to Stand Fifty-Seven.
• Su Dong joined Ronaldo, Zidane, Beckham, Owen, Figo, Raul, Carlos, and other Real Madrid stars for dinner and discussed his performance and Barcelona’s prospects against Liverpool.
• Ronaldo and Zidane teased Su Dong about their three World Footballer of the Year awards, and Su Dong joked that they were bullying him because he was only twenty.

Su Dong visited Rony in Cheshire after his spectacular goal against Real Madrid drew praise from coaches, journalists, and Maradona. The two friends shared their frustrations, and Su Dong began asking Rony about Liverpool.

• Su Dong met Rony at Manchester Airport and rode with him to his Cheshire villa.
• Rony asked how Su Dong had improved so quickly, and Su Dong credited training and the people around him.
• Rijkaard, Cruyff, and Maradona praised Su Dong’s goal, while Maradona suggested Su Dong might be even more dangerous if he were shorter.
• Su Dong and Rony shared a meal and complained about Barcelona’s management and the criticism Rony faced at Manchester United.
• Su Dong asked Rony what he thought of Liverpool after recalling Rony’s strong performance against them.

Su Dong returned from Manchester and prepared with Barcelona for their Champions League semifinal against Liverpool, while the club announced it had little money for summer transfers. Liverpool arrived in Barcelona with Benítez hoping to keep the first-leg defeat to one goal or less.

• Rony described Liverpool’s unstable midfield and aging center-backs, and Su Dong encouraged him to persevere through Manchester United’s turmoil.
• Su Dong returned to Barcelona, where Rijkaard and Ten Cate focused training on improving the team’s defense.
• Barcelona beat Málaga four-nil away, with Giuly scoring twice and Oleguer and Gerard adding goals as Marcos Senna anchored the midfield.
• Soriano announced that Camp Nou would open the following season and that Barcelona could spend little on summer transfers because of its debts.
• Laporta’s faction took control of Barcelona as Rosell’s faction prepared to leave, while Ronaldinho said he would stay at the club.
• Liverpool arrived in Barcelona, and Benítez said his team could advance if it lost the first leg by only one goal.

Barcelona drew 0–0 with Liverpool at Camp Nou, then Su Dong scored and assisted in a league win over Albacete while warning that Barcelona should defend carefully at Anfield. Liverpool opened the second leg with an early goal that counted despite Barcelona’s defenders trying to clear it off the line.

• Barcelona missed several clear chances as Liverpool defended compactly, and the first leg ended 0–0 at Camp Nou.
• Rijkaard encouraged Barcelona and noted that Xavi Alonso would miss the second leg through suspension; Su Dong privately warned him that Benítez might have a plan for Barcelona’s expected attack.
• Su Dong came off the bench against Albacete, scored after Giuly’s pass, and later assisted Messi as Barcelona won 2–0.
• Su Dong told the media that Barcelona needed to prioritize defensive stability against Liverpool, though Rijkaard favored attacking early.
• At Anfield, Liverpool pressed high, and Baroš and Luis Garcia scored in the third minute after Barcelona’s defenders failed to keep the ball from crossing the goal line.

Barcelona struggled to break Liverpool’s defense as the match entered its final minutes, while Su Dong kept drawing Liverpool’s defenders into an exhausting battle. In the eighty-seventh minute, the opening he had been waiting for finally appeared.

• Rijkaard regretted ignoring Su Dong’s advice to start cautiously after Liverpool scored through Luis Garcia in the fourth minute and defended its lead.
• Benítez predicted Rijkaard would bring on Iniesta and Messi, and Barcelona made both substitutions in the sixty-seventh minute.
• Benítez sent Núñez on for Luis Garcia and instructed Liverpool to defend deeper against Barcelona’s increasingly aggressive attacks.
• Su Dong kept running between Liverpool’s defenders, trying to exhaust them and force a mistake as Barcelona’s attacks remained ineffective.
• As Finnan’s injury and fatigue began to show, Ronaldinho noticed his difficulty closing down and waited for a signal from Su Dong.
• In the eighty-seventh minute, the opportunity Su Dong had been working toward finally appeared.

Su Dong scored a decisive goal in the eighty-seventh minute to give Barcelona the aggregate advantage over Liverpool. Barcelona survived Liverpool’s desperate late attack and advanced to the Champions League final.

• Su Dong controlled Ronaldinho’s pass, turned past Liverpool’s defense, and scored with a powerful shot to make it 1–1 and put Barcelona ahead on aggregate.
• Rijkaard celebrated Su Dong’s goal while Benítez angrily urged his players to defend better.
• Benítez sent Kewell on for Hamann as Liverpool pushed forward, and Rijkaard replaced Ronaldinho with Gerard to strengthen Barcelona’s defense.
• Barcelona defended against Liverpool’s all-out attack through six minutes of stoppage time until the referee ended the match in the ninety-sixth minute.
• Barcelona’s players celebrated their place in the Champions League final as Liverpool’s players collapsed in heartbreak and Su Dong was surrounded by his teammates.

Su Dong scored the late goal that sent Barcelona past Liverpool and into the Champions League final against AC Milan. Barcelona returned home to a jubilant welcome, while Su Dong reflected on the pressure of being celebrated as a hero and the challenge ahead.

• Su Dong comforted Gerrard after Barcelona eliminated Liverpool on away goals, and the two exchanged jerseys.
• Benítez and Yesterdan warned Su Dong that AC Milan’s formidable defense and Barcelona’s weak match management would make the final difficult.
• Barcelona fans greeted Su Dong and his teammates enthusiastically at the airport and followed their bus to Camp Nou.
• Su Dong stayed composed amid the celebrations, recalling how Barcelona had once praised and later turned against former heroes.
• Media around the world praised Su Dong’s decisive goal and anticipated Barcelona’s final against AC Milan.

Barcelona’s leadership reassured the squad amid a management transition and promised Su Dong a new contract making him the club’s highest-paid player. Barcelona beat Valencia 2–0 as AC Milan lost to Juventus, prompting Milan to focus on the Champions League final.

• Laporta and the club executives praised the squad, promised generous bonuses and contract extensions, and reassured the players that management changes would not affect them.
• Laporta told Su Dong he would become Barcelona’s highest-paid player, and Su Dong urged the club to strengthen its defense and give more attention to Messi, Iniesta, and Marcos Senna.
• Barcelona defeated Valencia 2–0 away, with Su Dong scoring and declining to celebrate against his former club before Ronaldinho added a goal.
• AC Milan lost 1–0 at home to Juventus, fell three points behind in Serie A, and Ancelotti signaled that the Champions League had become Milan’s priority.

Barcelona drew 2–2 with Levante as defensive worries grew ahead of the Champions League final, and Rijkaard’s squad studied warnings from Cruyff and Begiristain about avoiding costly mistakes. Su Dong invited Wang Chuqing to the final in Istanbul, and she accepted, promising to cheer for him.

• Su Dong scored Barcelona’s equalizer against Levante, and the match ended in a 2–2 draw that heightened concern about the team’s defense.
• Ancelotti said AC Milan had little hope of winning Serie A and would focus its efforts on the Champions League final.
• Cruyff warned Rijkaard that Barcelona needed patience and mental strength, recalling the Dream Team’s 1994 final defeat to AC Milan.
• Rijkaard arranged for Barcelona’s players to watch footage of the 1994 final, and Begiristain urged them not to concede a third goal through avoidable errors.
• Wang Chuqing received a Champions League final ticket and invitation from Su Dong, then messaged him that she would come to cheer for him.
• Su Dong told Wang Chuqing his parents would attend too and that she could travel with them; Wang Chuqing happily agreed to meet in Turkey.

As Su Dong prepared for Barcelona’s Champions League final against AC Milan, his friends Rony, Aimar, Pepe, and Jose Semedo received tickets and made plans to attend. Barcelona drew with Villarreal while resting its core players, then traveled to Istanbul for the final.

• Rony received Su Dong’s invitation and decided to visit Barcelona before traveling to Istanbul independently.
• Aimar accepted an invitation to attend the final with David Silva and Vicente, while Semedo struggled to decide which girlfriends to bring with his three tickets.
• Rony and Pepe joined Su Dong in Barcelona, and Su Dong’s offer of two more tickets prompted Semedo to fly there alone.
• Su Dong trained with Rony, Pepe, and Semedo as the friends reminisced about their early days playing football in Lisbon.
• Barcelona drew 3–3 with Villarreal using a partly reserve lineup, and Puyol received the La Liga trophy without a celebration.
• Barcelona traveled to Istanbul the next day to prepare for the Champions League final against AC Milan.

Barcelona and AC Milan arrived in Istanbul and prepared for the Champions League final, with Ancelotti predicting an early goal and Rijkaard keeping his team focused. Before the final, Su Dong relaxed with his family and friends, but the long-awaited showdown was about to begin.

• Barcelona arrived in Istanbul with the full First Team, including injured players and the eighteen-man matchday squad, while Messi and Iniesta joined Su Dong and Senna followed behind, unable to play.
• Xavi praised Su Dong’s performances and said Barcelona’s chances in the final depended on bringing out his attacking impact.
• Maradona backed AC Milan because of Crespo, and Ancelotti said his team would try to score within the first three minutes and use its greater Champions League experience.
• Rijkaard dismissed Ancelotti’s prediction as an exaggeration and gave Barcelona’s players three hours to meet their families and friends.
• Su Dong met his parents, Wang Chuqing, and Ma Dawei, heard that his parents had renovated the apartment next door, and agreed to return home for a long stay.
• Su Dong enjoyed a relaxing visit with his family before the Champions League final arrived.

Barcelona faced AC Milan in the 2004–05 Champions League final, but their shaky defense conceded twice from set pieces in the opening three minutes. The chapter left Barcelona stunned as AC Milan took a 2–0 lead.

• Puyol won the coin toss and rallied Barcelona to keep possession, settle into the match, and gradually increase the pressure.
• Su Dong passed the kickoff to Giuly, and Barcelona tried to build from the back as AC Milan pressed aggressively.
• Kaka dribbled past Ronaldinho and drew a foul from Van Bronckhorst near Barcelona’s penalty area.
• Pirlo took the free kick quickly, and Maldini scored after Barcelona failed to mark him, putting AC Milan ahead after 52 seconds.
• AC Milan won a corner in the third minute, and Crespo headed in Seedorf’s delivery to make it 2–0.

AC Milan exploited Barcelona’s defensive mistakes to take a 4–0 lead before halftime in the Champions League final, leaving Rijkaard, Cruyff, Begiristain, and Laporta convinced the match was beyond saving. As Milan celebrated and Barcelona’s players lost heart, Su Dong silently clenched his fists at the center circle.

• Kaka led a counterattack after Gattuso dispossessed Deco and assisted Shevchenko, who scored AC Milan’s third goal in the 28th minute.
• Cruyff and Begiristain blamed Barcelona’s collapse on defensive errors and the pressure of falling behind, while Laporta feared another humiliating defeat.
• Kaka sent a precise pass behind Barcelona’s defense, and Crespo scored to make it 4–0 before halftime.
• Rijkaard, Barcelona’s players, and the club officials were left despairing as AC Milan celebrated their dominant first half.
• Su Dong waited for the restart at the center circle, clenched his fists, and gritted his teeth.

Barcelona went into halftime trailing AC Milan 4–0 in the Champions League final, with commentators and fans convinced the match was over. Su Dong rallied his teammates to fight for their dignity in the second half, and the dressing room united behind him.

• AC Milan finished the first half leading Barcelona 4–0, while commentators blamed Barcelona's fragile defense and lack of support for Su Dong.
• Su Dong felt furious as AC Milan players comforted him and his Barcelona teammates looked dejected.
• Marcos Senna, Pepe, Rony, and the others discussed Barcelona's defensive failures and Rijkaard's tactics, while Rony insisted Su Dong would not give up.
• Rijkaard asked the silent Barcelona players for their thoughts on the second half, and Su Dong stood up to call on them to attack and reclaim their dignity.
• Puyol, Xavi, Ronaldinho, and the other players backed Su Dong's call, and Rijkaard recognized that Su Dong's standing in the dressing room had risen.

Barcelona replaced Giuly and Oleguer with Messi and Iniesta, then Su Dong scored twice in quick succession to cut AC Milan’s lead to 4–2 and revive his team’s hopes. The chapter ended with Barcelona pressing furiously as the match resumed.

• Rijkaard brought on Iniesta and Messi for Giuly and Oleguer at halftime.
• Su Dong scored in the fifty-first minute after Messi passed through AC Milan’s defense, then urged his teammates and the fans to keep fighting.
• Barcelona pressed AC Milan, and Deco threaded a pass to Su Dong, who scored again to make it 4–2.
• Puyol rallied his teammates, and Su Dong promised to score more as Barcelona prepared to continue its comeback.
• Barcelona resumed the match with a furious press against AC Milan.

Su Dong completed a hat trick to bring Barcelona from 0–4 down to 3–4 against AC Milan in the Champions League final. AC Milan then tightened their defense, and with Barcelona’s attack stalled, Su Dong asked his teammates to help plan one last attempt at a comeback.

• Laporta, Begiristain, and Cruyff watched Barcelona’s hopes rise after Su Dong scored twice in three minutes.
• Su Dong exchanged passes with Ronaldinho, then volleyed in his cross to make it 3–4 and complete his hat trick.
• Su Wenji and the other spectators celebrated Su Dong’s goal, while Yang Xiuyu noticed Wang Chuqing watching him.
• Ancelotti ordered AC Milan to defend deeper and closely mark Su Dong, Ronaldinho, and Barcelona’s other attackers.
• Barcelona controlled the ball but struggled to create chances against AC Milan’s defense for twenty minutes.
• Su Dong told Ronaldinho, Xavi, Iniesta, and Messi about his plan and asked which of them had the best chance.

Su Dong devised an aerial attack to break through AC Milan’s defense, and Ronaldinho delivered the free kick that let him score Barcelona’s fourth unanswered goal. The 4–4 equalizer left the match level with ten minutes remaining and Barcelona’s comeback in full swing.

• Su Dong asked his teammates who could deliver a precise free kick for him, then chose Ronaldinho to take the left-side set pieces while Messi would take the right.
• Messi dribbled past Maldini and won Barcelona an attacking free kick, which Ronaldinho took after Xavi feinted over the ball.
• Su Dong outjumped Nesta and Stam to head Ronaldinho’s cross into the top-left corner past Dida.
• Barcelona equalized at 4–4 with ten minutes left, stunning AC Milan and sending their supporters into celebration.