"I wonder if any of you noticed that just now?"
Before the Champions League Final, in the home team's dugout at Wembley Stadium, Real Madrid Head Coach Benitez was asking the Real Madrid players in a low voice.
"The victorious staircase at Wembley Stadium leading to the podium at the Royal Box."
Many players in the locker room nodded in unison. It was a landmark of Wembley Stadium, so naturally they had noticed it too. There were 107 steps in total, leading directly to the podium—the stage that everyone from both teams desperately wanted to stand on tonight.
"There's a saying in England: winning at Wembley Stadium is incomparably wonderful, but losing feels like suffering in hell. That's because the staircase leading to the podium here has 107 steps. To the victors, it's a wonderful experience, accompanied by the cheers and applause of the entire crowd. But to the losers, it's a disaster. Every step feels unbearably heavy and agonizing, and they wish they could simply walk straight back to the locker room."
Yang Yang, Xabi Alonso, Mascherano, and the others all nodded in unison. They had heard this rumor as well.
But many people on the team had never heard it before, so they were all surprised.
Wembley Stadium was the stage of the Champions League Final and the temple in the hearts of all professional footballers. Yet only the victors could enjoy the glory of those 107 steps. For the losers, they represented more shame than anything else.
This was professional football!
Cruel, yet fair!
"If we don't want to become the ones suffering in defeat, then we must beat Barcelona tonight." Benitez was making his final pre-match rally. Just moments ago, he had finished arranging everything for tonight's match.
"We have the strength to do it. Over