Crazy Iniesta!
A crazy goal!
When the referee signaled the goal was valid,
Veltins-Arena fell silent!
Not just the pitch -
The entire city's usual hustle and bustle seemed to hit the pause button!
The only sounds came from the away fans in the South Stand.
And on the pitch at that moment!
Iniesta immediately tore off his shirt the second he saw the ball hit the net!
Wildly swinging his Bar?a jersey in hand, he made a mad dash toward the bench!
Guardiola on the sidelines was uncharacteristically excited, lunging to embrace Iniesta!
In a scene indistinguishable from Camp Nou,
Bar?a's superstars frantically hugged each other as if they'd already won the championship!
They celebrated wildly!
FC Schalke 04 fans in the stands already had tears streaming down their faces.
Game time had expired!
The referee only blew his whistle symbolically after both teams returned to their positions!
Just as fans anticipated,
after FC Schalke 04 took their kick-off,
the referee blew the final whistle!
Iniesta received a yellow card,
but what did that matter compared to his last-minute winner?
"It's over!!!"
"The referee's whistle announced the final outcome of this rollercoaster semifinal!"
"FC Schalke 04 eliminated by Bar?a on away goals!"
"Let's applaud the winners!"
"But let's not forget this tenacious FC Schalke 04!!!"
"They didn't lose!"
"They pushed the mighty Bar?a to the limit with their depleted squad!"
Duan's gaze turned to FC Schalke 04's players on the pitch.
The 33-year-old Raul stood motionless, staring at Bar?a's still-celebrating players.
Beneath his upright posture, his tear-filled eyes were profoundly moving.
This was once Real Madrid's proudest prince!
The Raul who kept his starting position even during Ronaldo's (El Fenómeno) era!
Perhaps this was his final encounter with Bar?a!
And that world-class goal might be his UEFA Champions League swan song!
Schalke’s goalkeeper, Neuer, sat frozen in front of the goal.
He seemed to be searching for something.
For the first time, the super goalkeeper who had saved FC Schalke 04 countless times wore such a helpless expression.
Perhaps he was looking for an answer—one that could change everything.
Exhausted to the point of weakness, the veteran Metzelder lay limp on the turf.
He covered his face with his elbow.
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His expression was unreadable.
But the tears streaming from the corners of his eyes spoke volumes.
Hao crouched on the grass, breathing heavily.
This was his first Champions League campaign, and now it was over—yet even reaching this stage was something he had never dared to dream of.
But he was still young.
He still had time.
Nicolas Plestan, the substitute full-back who had endured Pedro’s relentless attacks for ninety-four minutes, buried his face in his hands, weeping bitterly in remorse.
Perhaps this match would haunt him as the greatest regret of his life.
Garnacho, promoted from the youth team, stood lost and bewildered.
He had barely gotten into the rhythm of the game.
Perhaps this stage had come too soon for him—he was only 19.
And then there was the crowd.
Among them, a dark-haired young man kept moving tirelessly.
He tapped Raul on the shoulder.
He pulled Hao to his feet.
He comforted Nicolas Plestan, who was crying in anguish.
Duan couldn’t take his eyes off the Chinese teenager.
"Football!"
"The reason it’s the world’s number one sport!"
"It offers more than just the joy of victory—sometimes, the tears of defeat are just as precious."
"Success in life is fleeting."
"Failure is the constant, but how we face it defines us. Some crumble under its weight, while others rise again and keep moving forward."
"True maturity isn’t about chasing perfection—it’s about confronting our flaws. As Romain Rolland once said, ‘There is only one heroism in the world: to see life as it is and still love it.’"
"Against Bar?a..."
"The boys of FC Schalke 04 have done more than enough."
"And Su? He’s only 18!"
"We are so lucky to have met this teenager at just 18 years old—someone who makes all of China proud!"
"He possesses extraordinary maturity and wisdom!"
"I’m certain his future will be just as extraordinary!"
"The final moment!"
"That concludes our live coverage of the UCL semifinals! See you all soon!!!"
The game was over.
Magath finally stepped onto the field.
Furious, she watched her players sink into despair.
She wiped her eyes, making sure no one noticed she had just been crying.
Then, straightening her back, Magath regained her usual stoic expression.
"Stand up!"
"Look at yourselves!"
"Look at Su!"
"He didn’t cry after scoring three goals!"
With a mix of laughter and scolding, Magath urged her players to their feet to shake hands with the victors.
Iniesta, who had sealed the match, approached Su.
"Su! Great game!"
He removed his jersey and offered it.
Su smiled and took off his own as well.
The two shared a brief hug.
Reporters scrambled to capture the jersey exchange.
..........
Meanwhile, in Madrid—
Ferguson, having watched the match, slammed the table in frustration.
"Damn you, Ann Carr!"
"Unreachable at such a critical moment?!"
"Unbelievable!"
"I pay 140,000 euros a year for coffee alone!"
The Ann Carr he cursed was currently in the stands, surrounded by muscular security guards, wiping her nose.
Though she quickly composed herself after the emotional rollercoaster, she couldn’t help but tear up seeing the devastated FC Schalke 04 fans—who had always treated her kindly.
If the team lost while she remained unaffected, she’d truly deserve to cry.
And truthfully, she was heartbroken.
In her earlier excitement, she had hurled her bag—
The bag itself was cheap, but inside was the brand-new Nokia phone she’d just bought... after trading two coffees for it!
"Woo-hoo!"
"My phone!"
Ann Carr cried even harder at the thought of her lost mobile.
The burly Schalke fan beside her, seeing Ann Carr more distraught than himself, offered the handkerchief he'd just used to wipe his nose!
Sticky!
Yet Ann Carr, touched by his concern, continued crying while using it to wipe her tears.
.............
