May 27th — the UEFA Champions League Final begins.
At Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow, a Premier League showdown unfolded on the biggest European stage.
Sir Alex Ferguson's Manchester United faced off against José Mourinho's iron-willed Chelsea.
The entire match was a display of the Premier League's physical intensity, with every moment filled with hard-fought challenges and blisteringly fast transitions between attack and defense.
In the 13th minute, Drogba struck first, giving Chelsea the lead.
But in the 35th and 67th minutes, Cristiano Ronaldo and the Argentine beast Carlos Tevez each scored a goal for United.
The second goal especially showcased United's cohesion—Modrić's series of passes played a crucial role, breaking down Chelsea's defensive line with a killer through-ball.
With the lead secured, Manchester United fell back into full defense.
Chelsea launched a frantic counterattack but couldn't break through.
When the final whistle blew after 90 minutes, the score stood at 2–1—Manchester United were crowned 2007/2008 Champions League winners.
It was another glorious chapter for Sir Alex Ferguson, who added a Champions League and league double to his résumé since the legendary Treble.
Manchester United once again reigned over Europe, with Cristiano Ronaldo now the hottest topic in world football.
Modrić also gained the well-earned title of Champions League-winning midfielder.
United's spotlight was unmatched.
Meanwhile, Chelsea suffered a total defeat.
They'd lost the league title under pressure from United…And now, they were beaten by them again in Europe's biggest final.
This led to a full-blown fallout between Mourinho and Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich.
Their relationship had always been rocky—and now it completely imploded.
The very next day, Chelsea officially announced Mourinho's dismissal.
Although the official statement was dressed up in polite terms—"gratitude," "best wishes," etc.—it was obvious: Chelsea wanted a clean break as quickly as possible.
At the same time, Chelsea leaked that they were in talks with AC Milan's legendary coach, Ancelotti.
Next season, Ancelotti was likely to arrive at Stamford Bridge.
This news shocked Chelsea fans and players alike.
Their manager had just been sacked—and the club already had a replacement in motion?
There was no way this hadn't been premeditated.
Ancelotti himself didn't respond directly, saying only that his focus was on preparing Milan for the Coppa Italia final.
"Let's talk after the final."
Still, the rumors of Ancelotti to Chelsea exploded across the media.
Meanwhile, Inter Milan also released a statement:
They announced a "mutual separation" with manager Roberto Mancini, thanking him for his service.
And almost immediately after, they declared interest in a new candidate—none other than José Mourinho.
This stunned Inter Milan fans.
They were just watching Chelsea's drama…Only to suddenly find the drama had moved to their own club.
Then again, Mancini's coaching record was lackluster.
He had lost the league title to AC Milan twice.
Last season he won a Coppa Italia title, but this season they were again about to face Milan in the final.
Confidence was low.
They'd lost so many times to Milan that even the fans couldn't bring themselves to believe in a win.
And Milan had Suker.
In three Milan derbies, Suker had scored a hat-trick every single time.He always exploded against Inter.How could anyone take that?
How scared were Inter fans of Suker?
One Inter fan once said,"If we're not ahead by ten goals, we won't even celebrate."
To make matters worse, Inter's situation took another massive hit.
"Swedish star Ibrahimović refuses to play in the Coppa Italia Final! Fallout with Mancini—demands transfer!"
When this bombshell dropped, Inter fans lost it.
Ibrahimović was the team's biggest star, their key figure—much like Suker for Milan.
But now, their core player was having a public fallout with the club and wanted to leave?
Reportedly, Barcelona had secretly approached Ibrahimović, and he wanted to transfer there.
Inter publicly condemned Barcelona for tapping up their player—But with no proof, they could only fume in silence.
To make matters worse, they still had to coddle Ibrahimović, hoping to ease the situation.
Things were going from bad to worse.
But for AC Milan, this was great news.
Ibra's transfer drama would clearly affect Inter's performance.
If he didn't play in the Coppa Italia final, Milan would have a much easier path to victory.
"Didn't think they'd actually fall out,"Kaká said, looking at the newspaper in shock.
Even though it was just media reports and not confirmed,Inter's angry response blaming Barcelona was a dead giveaway.
"Their mentality collapsed,"Suker shrugged.
Last season, Inter lost the league title at home.
This season, they were humiliated in the Champions League by Barcelona, then lost the league again by a single point.
Anyone's mentality would crack under that.
Ibrahimović had joined Inter not just for the money—He also thought that post-Calciopoli, Inter would dominate Serie A for years.
But instead, he was repeatedly stopped by Milan, suffering setback after setback.
Sure, the money was good—but he had no major honors to show for it.
Two full seasons, and just one Coppa Italia title.
If this continued, Inter would ruin his career.
"Let's see if Ibra plays tomorrow."Suker yawned, stretching lazily with an amused look on his face.
The next day — Rome's Stadio Olimpico.
This was AC Milan's final match of the season.
Pirlo's injury had improved a bit, but he still wasn't ready to play.He was in recovery training.
He had been training extremely hard, not just for the Coppa Italia, but for the European Championship.
For many players, a major international tournament only comes once or twice in a career.
Pirlo didn't want to miss it, so he was giving it his all.
Honestly, if this were the Champions League final, Pirlo probably would've forced himself to play.
But this was only the Coppa Italia.The risk wasn't worth it.
Before every Euro or World Cup,many players skip matches to protect their form.
Pirlo was no exception.
In the tunnel, players from both sides lined up.
Suker turned to look—
As expected, Ibrahimović was not in the starting lineup.
That rumor? It's true!
Starting Lineups:
AC Milan (4-4-2):Goalkeeper: KalacDefenders: Oddo, Nesta, Šimunić, JankulovskiMidfielders: Kaká, Gattuso, Seedorf, BrocchiForwards: Pato, Suker
Inter Milan (4-4-2):Goalkeeper: CésarDefenders: Maicon, Samuel, Zanetti, SrnaMidfielders: Dacourt, Córdoba, Solari, CambiassoForwards: Cruz, Suazo
"The starting lineups are confirmed.Ibrahimović is missing from the matchday squad due to injury."
Aldo Serena paused—his tone dripped with disdain.
He didn't like players who refused to play—for any reason.
With Ibrahimović, Figo, Vieira all out,Could Inter Milan even hold their ground?
Inter fans looked nervous.
Ibrahimović's absence meant one thing:The fallout was real.
The injury excuse was clearly just PR.
Everyone knew Ibrahimović wanted out.
In contrast, AC Milan fans were full of confidence.
Even with Ibrahimović, Inter might not win.Now without him?
What chance did they have?
With Suker, Kaká, and Pato taking turns attacking,Could Inter's defense hold?
In this atmosphere, the battle was about to begin!