The same Annuo, two eras

On April 30, in the thirty-fifth round of the Premier League, Liverpool traveled to face Watford.

It was Liverpool's last match of April.

With the title already secured, Klopp put Chen Anno, Mane, Coutinho, Rodri, and Van Dijk all on the bench.

The heavily rotated Liverpool side ultimately drew 1–1 away to Watford.

Origi opened the scoring in the first half, and Watford equalized in the second.

The inconsequential draw did nothing to dampen anyone's spirits.

Everyone's eyes were already on the match three days later.

The first leg of the UEFA Champions League semifinal: Liverpool away to Atletico Madrid.

Chen Anno was returning to the Calderon.

In the buildup, sports media across Europe revolved around a single topic.

Spain's AS newspaper ran a front-page headline consisting of just two names, joined by a dash: "Annuo—Calderon."

Marca's cover featured an old photograph of Chen Anno celebrating a goal at the Calderon in Atletico Madrid's number 10 shirt.

The headline read: "He was once king here. Now, he returns as an opponent."

Mundo Deportivo interviewed several Atletico Madrid supporters.

Its headline also quoted a longtime Atletico Madrid fan: "If he scores, I don't know whether I should applaud."

The United Kingdom's The Times focused on Simeone:

"Simeone faces the protege who made him proudest in his coaching career. This time, they are opponents."

The article read: "Simeone has said on numerous occasions that Annuo is the most gifted player he has ever encountered in his coaching career.

"Those two brief years working with Annuo rank among the proudest experiences of his life.

"But this time at the Calderon, he must personally devise a tactical plan to contain the most terrifying player in the world."

Although every Bundesliga team had been eliminated, Germany's Bild refused to miss the chance to join the