Chapter Fourteen: Whose Home Ground

(Page 1 of 3)

PS: The book will be officially released tomorrow! Brothers and sisters, please show a little support! Just don’t let the initial subscription numbers look too bad. Watermark advertisement test… a bit embarrassing… By the way, I was just writing the launch message, and as I got to mentioning those brothers and sisters who have disappeared, and had just finished writing about Brother Hua and ZJH… he suddenly appeared and even sent me a recommendation ticket… Life is truly strange.

In reality, for Mo Mo, it didn’t matter whether Pacult had said those words or not—he would always give his all, because when it comes to football, Mo Mo always goes full throttle.

In the end, Mo Mo didn’t manage to complete the challenge of assisting Bastian Schweinsteiger ten times in scoring. Once again, he gazed at the distinctive exterior of the Allianz Arena, where the red and blue lights shimmered—symbolizing the glow of Bayern Munich and 1860 Munich.

Sometimes, Mo Mo truly felt that Bayern Munich was a blight on the Bundesliga. The main criticism against them was simply that they were too rich!

Put plainly, whenever a team managed to trouble Bayern Munich, Bayern would spend money to buy the players who caused them problems—what we in China call “making friends out of enemies.”

And this didn’t just apply to players—it included good coaches and a whole range of staff.

What? You don’t believe it? Just look at their current head coach, Ottmar Hitzfeld. He’s the perfect example of Bayern’s success, having led them to the Intercontinental Cup (2001), the German League Cup (1998, 1999, 2000), the German Cup (1999/2000), and the Bundesliga title (1998/99, 1999/00, 2000/01).

Perhaps some readers aren’t familiar with the various German cup competitions. The German League Cup is essentially the German Super Cup (or, rather, the Super Cup evolved from the League Cup), but it isn’t particularly prestigious—sometimes it was even organized unofficially.

The German Cup is second only to the Bundesliga in importance, but unfortunately, 1860 Munich had already been eliminated, and their main goal was simply survival in the league—last season they barely avoided relegation—so they didn’t have much energy to spare for other competitions.

The Allianz Arena was buzzing. Though the players had yet to take to the field, the battle between the fans had already begun. Supporters of both sides flocked to the stadium, blue seas and red flames intertwining.

Outside the Allianz, crowds of 1860 Munich and Bayern Munich supporters gathered as they always did for the city derby, shouting themselves hoarse for their teams. Of course, it was typically Bayern Munich who emerged victorious.

Yet, even so, the fans of 1860 Munich were undeterred. They firmly believed that one day their team would reclaim its former glory, becoming once again the Blue Lions in their hearts, the uncrowned kings who once claimed a double in East Germany.

(Page 2 of 3)

Though both sides were nominally strong, the two teams were no longer equals. Bayern Munich would occasionally glance down at 1860 Munich, struggling restlessly beneath their feet, but that resistance was feeble! How many strong teams had fallen on the path to Bayern’s dominance?

As they stepped into the Allianz Arena, the place erupted in a frenzy. These were the fans of 1860 Munich, waving blue flags, shouting at the top of their lungs, a tidal wave of voices. What were they chanting? Ah, “Once blue, forever blue!”

The Bayern supporters wouldn’t have it. Like flames—scorching, fierce, unyielding—they responded in kind. Whose stadium was this? This was the Allianz Arena (jointly owned by both clubs)! And their opponents faced the triple-crown winners, Bayern Munich!

Bayern Munich’s starting lineup (4-4-2):

Goalkeeper: No. 1, Oliver Kahn (33 years old)
Defenders: No. 4, Samuel Kuffour (26); No. 3, Bixente Lizarazu (33); No. 25, Thomas Linke (33); No. 5, Patrik Andersson (31)
Midfielders: No. 16, Jens Jeremies (28); No. 13, Michael Ballack (26); No. 11, Stefan Effenberg (34); No. 7, Mehmet Scholl (32)
Forwards: No. 14, Claudio Pizarro (24); No. 9, Giovane Élber (30)

1860 Munich’s starting lineup (4-4-2):

Goalkeeper: No. 29, Simon Jentzsch (26)
Defenders: No. 3, Romeo Meier (22); No. 4, Marco Kurz (33); No. 7, Rodrigo Costa (27); No. 32, Shao Jiayi (22)
Midfielders: No. 13, Harald Cerny (30); No. 10, Thomas Häßler (36); No. 17, Daniel Borimirov (33); No. 3, Romeo Meier (22)

(Page 3 of 3)

Forwards: No. 28, Mo Mo (17); No. 21, Markus Schroth (28)

1860 Munich could be called a team of veterans. It wasn’t that head coach Pacult didn’t want to use younger players—there simply weren’t any capable ones! The youngsters couldn’t compare with the old guard.

And what about Bayern Munich? Coach Ottmar Hitzfeld certainly had the option of youth, yet he continued to place his trust in his old hands.

It was understandable, in a sense—this was one of Ottmar Hitzfeld’s hallmarks. Those old comrades had repaid him with three league titles. But year after year, had he not noticed that his trusted veterans were no longer what they once were?

All in all, the more mischievous media dubbed this clash “The Battle of the Senior Teams.”

In truth, this wasn’t Bayern Munich’s real first-choice lineup. At the very least, Stefan Effenberg—the player Hitzfeld had once trusted most—shouldn’t have been there. He had already confirmed he would transfer to Wolfsburg in the winter window.

Such things were routine for scouts. 1860 Munich had a 35-year-old veteran striker, No. 19, Davor Šuker. Yet no one wanted to see him play anymore—though he had been a hero in Croatia’s run to third place at the 1998 World Cup in France, and won the Golden Boot himself, his current form was a shadow of his former self.

Sometimes, Mo Mo wondered if Ottmar Hitzfeld’s faith in his old players had become a form of torment. They struggled to last a full match. Even Stefan Effenberg, already on the verge of transfer, would be kept on for the full 90 minutes if possible!

Good heavens! Stefan Effenberg was already over thirty-four. That weathered face—anyone would believe he was fifty. In fact, Effenberg planned to retire in a year or two.

In any case, this was a golden opportunity! Mo Mo felt the energy surging in his body, his eyes shining with excitement. It was time for youth’s storm to challenge the power of experience.