Old Trafford is filled with the fragrance of nostalgia - on May 24, 2011, 42,000 fans came here to participate in Gary Neville's farewell match. But it was not just their old captain who they were reluctant to leave.
Beckham, who put on a Manchester United jersey for the first time, received as much applause as Gary. After the old and strong Scholes and Giggs scored a goal together, they went off to prepare for another championship with Barcelona on Saturday.
Cup final, and the 90-minute performance of old friends Bart and Phil made people even more passionate.
When Gary walked into the stadium, he was welcomed by all the players, including coach Ferguson. The always low-key Manchester United No. 2 had an unnatural expression on his face, and his shy smile gradually melted away after seeing his old teammates.
Yes, all six of Manchester United’s top players are here, what else is there to be afraid of?
Twelve years ago, Manchester United staged a shocking comeback in the Champions League final, scoring two goals in stoppage time to defeat Bayern Munich and win the European Champions Cup again after 31 years.
That time was the beginning of Ferguson's Manchester United regaining dominance in Europe. At that time, overseas players such as Ruud van Nistelrooy and Ronaldo had not yet flooded the Premier League. Manchester United relied on this group of backbones now known as the "92 Golden Generation".
They came from the Manchester United youth training camp. But rather than saying that their dominance started in the 1999 final, it is better to say that they have amazed the world in the second leg of the 1999 semi-finals. They drew with Juventus at home in the first round, but were defeated by Inza in 15 minutes away from home.
When Kyrie scored two goals, they staged a miraculous comeback. Keane, Cole and Yorke each scored one goal, eliminating the Bianconeri and entering the Champions League final. And that also established their eternal reputation that has been promoted for many years.
The spirit of not giving up.
This time, Gary also chose the same opponent for his farewell performance, a repeat of the 1999 semi-finals.
That year, Giggs was absent from the game, Gary, Beckham and Butt were all starters, and Phil and Scholes were substitutes; but this time, all the golden generation played. The last time six players played together, there were also
It dates back to the 1-1 home draw with Basel in 2001. None of the Juventus players from that year are now on the court, and the zebra prince Del Piero also missed that game.
These six generals of Manchester United have played 3323 times for Manchester United!
But this night clearly belonged to Gary, who had made 602 appearances for Manchester United and was bidding farewell. Former Stone Roses lead singer Ian Brown even sang "This Is the One" for him before the game. An old gun, a veteran, let Ferguson
Everyone was moved. "Gary is one of the most loyal players during my tenure. I want to thank you for your service, and the fans also want to thank you."
What made Sir Alex Ferguson smile from ear to ear in the audience was the reunion of the young people he personally promoted, "Beckham is here, and there are Bart, Phil, Scholes and Gilles.
Gus, it's a fantastic occasion and it's great to get these guys back together! There's no doubt they've just arrived and created a spirit that deserves credit!" The essence of Ferguson's team is in this group.
Among the golden generation of 1992.
Bute grabbed the ball and passed it to Scholes, who passed it diagonally to Beckham. Gary put it on, and Manchester United surged on the right - what a familiar picture.
Although Manchester United's goal actually came from the left, Scholes passed to Giggs on the left, and the latter made a wonderful pass, and Rooney scored in front of the goal. However, it is all the fault of Owen, who also wears the No. 7 jersey, for "not living up to expectations"
"If he had Beckham's dedication and precision in this game, he would not have missed Gary's accurate assist for his header, nor would he have wasted the golden opportunity that Beibei rarely gave him.
On this day, Beckham was like a child, putting on his No. 7 jersey and "competing" with the current No. 7 Irving on the court.
But Bei Shuai's spirit was still there, not only running back and forth tirelessly on the right, but in the second half, he even ran to the middle to help.
The Old Trafford stands shouted: Fergie, sign him! But Beckham had no intention of competing with the protagonist. After finally getting a free kick in the second half, he actually encouraged Gary to take the penalty. Of course, Gary refused knowingly, "
I don’t think I can hit the goal frame, I’ll leave the free kick to him!” Gary joked after the game. But Beshuai’s free kick went over the crossbar. Instead, Juventus’ youngster Gian Donato came on as a substitute and shocked the world with a kick
A free kick from a small angle hit the frame and scored. Finally, Gary's farewell game saw a wonderful free kick.
Ferguson replaced Giggs, Rooney and Scholes after half an hour. Beckham could continue to fight on the court, but the other two veterans had to keep Manchester United in the game.
The heartthrob couldn't hide his excitement and kept joking with Gary on the court. The smiles and friendship between the two made the game full of affection. And Gary's three clearances in the penalty area in the first half also made the game full of affection.
Heroes never grow old after seeing them. Unfortunately, Gary was right next to Pepe when he scored Juventus' first goal. When he saw the ball rolling into the net, Gary, who had been smiling, frowned. There was no data brushing, no gold medal, this year
In February, he felt that his ankle and knee injuries would not heal and he chose to retire directly. However, failure is still the most unbearable thing for Manchester United.
Bart, who almost went to play in Hong Kong after retiring, was once praised by Ferguson as "the best midfielder", but he has declined in physical strength and skills after not playing football for a year. But even so, he made several steals in the first half
, gritted his teeth and rushed forward with the ball, not to mention Phil who repeatedly provided assists until the final stage of the game. This is almost a portrayal of Manchester United's spirit of never admitting defeat.
In the 83rd minute of the game, Gary Neville was substituted. He hugged Beckham next to him. When he walked to the sideline, he hugged several comrades one after another.
He reluctantly walked off the court. In the stands, Leo was filming frantically with a miniature camera. Vidic, Carrick, Hernandez and other Saturday's main players around him were watching with interest. But Neville did not
Pretentiously, he returned to the bench, and he and Fletcher beside him began to pay attention to the game on the court again.
How important is a friendly match?
But even so, Neville still watched the entire game.
His teammates stood in the middle of the field and applauded him. He walked up and circled the field. The fans on the sidelines threw down the Manchester United scarf. He put it on and picked up another one.
How could he let the Manchester United team logo fall at his feet? When he returned to the tunnel, Beckham was waiting for him with a smile, but the microphone was immediately handed over, "I am so proud. This is a great week for the club. I
I hope we will end with a victory on Saturday!" He said excitedly. The Champions League final at Wembley will be staged in four days. Why did you choose today?
"I hope this will be a wonderful game for the fans. Four days before the Wembley game, this is more like a celebration and exciting!" Gary said his original intention. From then on, he will join Sky TV
He started working as a commentator. But he did not forget to encourage the fans, "The fans are great! They are here on Sunday, here tonight, and they will appear at Wembley on Saturday. They are always so loyal!"
When the microphone of Sky TV was handed to him, he started to talk again, "We should have won today's game..." At this point, he couldn't help laughing.
The will to win has become a part of his bones. Not being able to relive the feat of overturning Juventus in the 1999 semi-finals does not seem to satisfy the old captain. Fortunately, the hot-tempered Keane did not come, otherwise, he would not admit defeat.
Does he give his opponent a kick?
The Chinese call 12 years a reincarnation, with years passing by and youth no longer lost; but at Old Trafford on Tuesday, we clearly saw a group of immortal legends. Under such a call of iron and steel, the main players in the stands
How can we not be excited on Saturday?
If there was no reminder from Gary Neville's post-match speech, and just watching Ferguson pass jokes to other Manchester United people through his assistant Whelan throughout the game, you would never have thought that four days later, there would be a game of the century waiting for Manchester United.
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The battle of the century will be about whether Ferguson can win the Champions League trophy for the fifth time, whether he can replicate the great feat of defeating Cosmos in Rome in 2009, and whether he can defeat Barcelona, which is optimistic about the world, such as in 1999 at Camp Nou.
A miracle was accomplished again...but Ferguson did not show a trace of worry. Relaxation was his final preparation before the battle.
Manchester United needs this kind of relief - the Giggs scandal does not seem to have happened. The Welshman not only played 30 minutes, but also completed Manchester United's only assist; Ferguson's chatter and laughter brought relaxation and confidence to the players. But if there is someone like the United States
Associated Press reporter Rob Harris also dared to mention Giggs at the press conference. No matter what, Ferguson will not let you go. He is so cold that people shudder: remember him, don't let him come on Friday! But he
As always, his protection of his team members is enviable.
And Giggs is definitely an important figure. The Welshman came to him directly on Monday. He asked his favorite general, "Are you ready to face Barcelona?" The answer is yes. It turns out that "Ferguson's child" is
Strong. After not playing against Blackpool last weekend, Giggs played for half an hour in Neville's farewell game. This is the best warm-up for the Champions League. The same is true for Rooney.
Ferguson no longer lets the winning team recharge their batteries as early as he did two years ago. The Dutch experience in the European Championships and his own experience two years ago both told him that it is appropriate to let the players find their game state appropriately. Therefore,
, the experienced and exhausted Carrick, Leo, Vidi
Chidu sat casually in the stands. Fletcher, who had played last weekend, sat on the bench and did not play the whole game. Only Gary's good brother Scholes played last weekend and played half time again on Tuesday.
Hours later, he will definitely not be in the starting lineup for the Champions League.
Vidic, who was slapped by Drogba in his first Champions League final, reminded his teammates to control their tempers, "They love to act and use psychological tactics to intimidate referees. We must concentrate on trusting each other and fighting for each other."
Beckham, who returned from Los Angeles all the way back, has no doubt about this, "Any team built by Ferguson is special. Both teams have gone a long way to reach the final, but I am more optimistic about Manchester United because
Mentally, they are invincible."
At 2:30 a.m. this Sunday, Manchester United will face off against Barcelona in the Champions League at Wembley Stadium. The "Daily Mirror" revealed that if Manchester United can defeat Barcelona in the Champions League final and win the championship, Edwin van der Sar will represent the entire team.
Lift the Big Ears Cup with Vidic.
Van der Sar previously helped Ajax win the Champions League in 1995. In 2008, he saved Anelka's penalty to help Manchester United win the Champions League. This was his last chance to win a third Champions League title, because after
After the game, Van der Sar will officially retire.2
In Moscow in 2008, after Manchester United defeated Chelsea on penalties to win the championship, second captain Ferdinand and Giggs lifted the championship trophy together, because in that game, Giggs broke the record set by Sir Bobby Charlton
Manchester United's record for the most appearances.
Before the game, Van der Sar deliberately downplayed the importance of this game to him. "Losing is always more impressive than winning. When you win, your medal will go into the window or be stored in the bank. But when you
After a loss, you know a lot of things have slipped through your fingers
, that makes people more determined. Saturday's game is important for everyone at Manchester United, not just me. You just hope that in the final you can put in an A-level performance, saves, communication, experience and motivation.
We have to work closely together to make sure we perform well on the defensive end."
Defense general Evra vowed to defeat Barcelona and not leave any regrets. "I still remember what happened in 2009. We won the Premier League championship, Club World Cup and League Cup. Those were three trophies.
, but I am not happy when I look at every picture of winning the championship, because we missed the most important trophy. Winning the Champions League is completely different from winning the Premier League. The Champions League is the most important thing a club can win.
trophy. Everyone in the world wants to win it. Losing a Champions League final is a very, very, very bad feeling. I will not allow myself to lose another Champions League final. We don’t care who the opponent is, whether it’s Barcelona or
Other teams, when you play for Manchester United, you have no reason not to win. You have to win. We have to win this final and the important thing is to keep Manchester United on top of the world."
If Manchester United can defeat Barcelona to win the championship, Ferguson will far surpass the achievement of Liverpool legend Paisley and his team winning three Champions League trophies. Ferguson said, "That is a huge challenge for me. If we can tie Paisley's
It would be fantastic to achieve. He brought a dynasty to Liverpool and it was a great period for Liverpool, but this era belongs to us at Manchester United."
May 29, Wembley. Manchester United vs. Barcelona. These two teams are already the sharpest teams in today's football. If Barcelona wins the championship, it will win the second championship in six years. This peak has never been achieved before (except for Real Madrid in the Champions League).
At the beginning of its establishment, it won five consecutive championships with only a small number of participating teams. Manchester United has been in its heyday for 20 years and has just won 20 domestic league championships. Ferguson is ready to win the fifth championship trophy in his coaching career.
The final is only a few days away, and contrary to the normal situation before the big battle, a nostalgic atmosphere is surrounding the first important match at the new Wembley Stadium. This is true for Manchester United and Wembley, and it is also true for Barcelona.
A group of young men stood in a row with their arms on each other's shoulders. Among them were the green Giggs, the Neville brothers, and Beckham, who still had the small parting popular in the early 1990s. At the front was Ferguson, whose hair was still a bit black.
This photo of "Ferguson's kid" has become an unintentional classic.
On May 24, 2011, during Gary Neville's retirement game, they stood in the same posture again and took another photo. Here, Giggs's temples were as gray as Ferguson's, and Bart's head was barren of grass.
Neville's younger brother's hair turned an ugly khaki color, and his elder brother wore an East German military style that was inconsistent with the trends of this era. Just as the Champions League posters were overwhelming the UK, these two photos were circulated among Manchester United fans around the world.
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Giggs and Scholes missed Manchester United's last media day, but then appeared in Neville's retirement match with Juventus. Neville advocated green environmental protection, but he was a little bit picky about the time of the memorial match.
Not "green" - just 4 days before the duel with Barcelona, the two players in the team have to play this game. But what does it matter? For most Manchester United fans, a group of old stars are quitting
On the stage, remembering them is as important as looking forward to the future.
When the old twin towers at Wembley collapsed, many fans of the older generation raised their arms and shouted in anger. Along with the twin towers, their own youth also went away. In that era, they took the train together and rushed to London in a mighty way.
Swinging from Wembley Avenue to glory - a fan's festival pure and simple.
In 1968, people from Manchester United came; in 1978, people from Liverpool came. There is the Champions League and the FA Cup. Every final at Wembley is a true "championship". Today's fans watch Sky Sports
When I grew up, I read Twitter for game reports, and the FA Cup was no longer precious.
Even the Champions League has lost the charm of the highest honor it had decades ago, because there are too many financial factors in football, which confuses fans’ ability to distinguish between good and bad. Therefore, when Manchester United was not initially prepared to invite the members who won the championship in 1968 to attend
At that time, the older generation of fans were stunned with anger, forcing the club to change its mind.
Wembley is of great commemorative value to Manchester United, isn't it to Barcelona? 19 years ago, Barcelona's dream team came to power and won the first Champions League trophy in Barcelona's history at the old Wembley Stadium.
That game was also the last Champions League final held at the world-famous old Wembley Stadium.
In the blink of an eye, 19 years have passed and Barcelona football has conquered most of the famous stadiums in the world. In order to commemorate the dream 19 years ago, Messi specially wore the No. 10 jersey that Guardiola wore when he won the championship. 2011 traveled through 1992,
This reason is sufficient enough.
The old and new Wembley stand in the middle of these two special years.
Here, those from Manchester United's 1968 championship team who were eventually invited by the club to attend the final, will recall how Busby emerged from the Munich tragedy and allowed one championship team to emerge from the death of another championship team.
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Busby's tradition was later taken over by Ferguson. In 1968, Busby's children started the Red Devils' championship wave, and later Ferguson also created his own children.
And his first children played their retirement games in this nostalgic week. How amazing.
After several reincarnations, glory will never end. Perhaps for Giggs and Scholes of the '92 generation, this is the last Champions League final, and Li Yu, Rooney, and Elle will stand with them.
Nandez and other new generation Red Devils will continue to fight Ferguson.
Also here, Guardiola will try to use his own style to pay tribute to Cruyff's "Dream Team" of 1992, Messi will pay tribute to Stoichkov, and Iniesta will pay tribute to Lauder.
Rupp pays tribute. Relive the sweet dream, whose memory will be sweeter when the time comes?
