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Originally, there was only one injured player: starting center-back Godín.
Now, two more had been added.
Starting defensive midfielder Gabi had suffered a slight muscle strain before the Copa del Rey, which kept him out of the final. Atlético Madrid had been forced to adjust their formation against Barcelona.
Reasonably speaking, things were already difficult enough.
But no one expected Koke to join the injury list too.
During the final moments of the Copa del Rey final, just after Koke delivered the through ball that allowed Lance to score the "Flying Immortal" winner, everyone's attention was focused on Lance while Koke collapsed to the ground unnoticed.
He had been wiped out by Suárez's sliding tackle.
At the time, Koke didn't think much of it. His knee only hurt slightly, and he even tried to get back up to support the attack.
But while celebrating with the trophy after the match, a sharp wave of pain suddenly shot through his knee.
The pain became so severe that when Atlético Madrid returned to the locker room after winning the Copa del Rey, no one even felt like celebrating.
The entire team surrounded Koke, waiting anxiously for the team doctor's diagnosis.
"Are you an idiot? You got hurt and didn't even get it checked. Then you celebrated like nothing happened!"
Saúl, Koke's longtime friend from the youth academy, couldn't help yelling at him.
Koke was exactly that kind of player. Too low-profile.
Clearly talented. Clearly hardworking.
Yet he rarely attracted headlines.
As a result, many fans who didn't closely follow La Liga barely knew who Koke was.
But in Lance's eyes, peak-era Koke absolutely possessed world-class ability.
His influence was no less important than Real Madrid's Modrić, Kroos, or Casemiro.
"I... I just didn't want to ruin everyone's celebration."
Koke looked like a kid who had done something wrong.
After two days of examinations and scans, the final diagnosis arrived.
Fortunately, the injury wasn't catastrophic. A hematoma caused by a soft tissue contusion in the knee joint. The meniscus and other key structures were untouched, and the ligaments hadn't suffered major damage.
But there was still no way he could play in the Champions League Final.
Technically, he could force himself onto the field with painkilling injections.
But the price could be his future career.
Koke desperately begged to participate in the Champions League Final.
Yet Simeone, the coaching staff, his agent, his parents, and his teammates all unanimously opposed it.
"Even if we lose the Champions League Final, we can't let you take that risk. You're still young. You can play another ten years or more.
"If you miss this final, there'll be another one someday. But if your career is ruined, then it's over forever."
With no other choice, Koke could only watch his teammates prepare for the final with tears in his eyes.
Logically, he should have stayed home resting and simply appeared at the stadium on match day.
But Koke was the honest and stubborn type.
Every single day, he still came to the training ground to accompany the team during preparations for the Champions League Final.
Lance genuinely didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
"I've seriously never seen someone insist on coming to work while injured. Wouldn't it be better to stay home and rest?"
Koke only smiled and shook his head.
"It's too boring at home. I can't stop worrying. If I come here, even if I can't help much, at least I can support everyone."
"..."
Lance was speechless. In the end, he could only give Koke a thumbs-up.
Koke's love for Atlético Madrid was genuine.
From the youth academy all the way to becoming a first-team starter, he had devoted his entire career to the Colchoneros.
In this era of "Money Football," where transfers happened as casually as changing clothes, Koke still upheld the rare tradition of "One Man, One Club."
That kind of loyalty was increasingly uncommon.
Compared to him, Lance actually felt a little ashamed.
Lance understood himself very clearly.
He was a high-level mercenary.
The club he truly liked was Arsenal. He had watched them ever since the Thierry Henry era, and outside of La Liga, Arsenal was the team he followed the most.
As for the team he dreamed most of playing for, naturally it was the national team under the Five-Star Red Flag.
If the domestic football environment were truly healthy and free of all the corruption and ugly politics, who wouldn't want to represent their country?
Unfortunately, Lance didn't really have a so-called "soul club."
Bayer Leverkusen had been like a first love.
Atlético Madrid was more like a current girlfriend, and there was a high probability they wouldn't stay together forever.
As for what came next, even Lance himself couldn't say.
He would simply make decisions based on his own ambitions and the contract in front of him.
If one day he lost his motivation at Atlético Madrid, then he wouldn't mind changing leagues and starting a new challenge.
The Premier League, perhaps.
Or Serie A?
...No, no, no. Who in their right mind goes to Serie A these days? No offense to Cristiano Ronaldo.
Although, thinking about it, De Bruyne later went to Napoli too.
If Lance played into his thirties, maybe going there for fun wouldn't be impossible either.
In short.
Lance held himself to extremely high professional standards.
Since he was currently playing for Atlético Madrid, then he would give everything he had to bring trophies to Atlético and to himself.
Two trophies were already secured.
Only the final piece remained.
The Champions League title.
...
"Mr. Ronaldo! What are your thoughts on this Madrid Derby taking place in the Champions League Final?"
"Cristiano! Your results against Lance haven't been very good recently. Are you confident about beating Atlético Madrid in the final?"
"Has Real Madrid made any tactical adjustments specifically for Atlético? Can you reveal anything?"
"How is your relationship with Zidane? How are Real Madrid's preparations going?"
As the 2015-2016 UEFA Champions League Final drew closer, the world's attention increasingly focused on Milan.
Real Madrid's Galácticos arrived in Italy aboard a private jet.
As expected of one of the richest clubs in football, even their plane was exclusive.
The moment the team bus stopped outside the five-star hotel after leaving the airport, reporters immediately surged forward.
Cristiano Ronaldo had clearly prepared for this moment.
His hair looked as though it had taken two hours of styling. Glossy and immaculate.
On the surface, he appeared calm and composed in front of the media.
But inwardly, he was already eager to show himself off.
"Sì. Yes, Atlético is a very strong opponent. We've faced each other many times in La Liga, and we are evenly matched."
The Italian reporters almost burst out laughing on the spot.
Right.
A record of four losses and one draw was "evenly matched"?
Atlético Madrid had practically bullied Real Madrid all season long.
And now Atlético arrived carrying both the La Liga and Copa del Rey titles.
Meanwhile, star-studded Real Madrid only had the Champions League left as their final source of pride.
If Atlético completed the treble by stepping over their city rivals, it would become a humiliation Real Madrid fans would never forget.
The pressure on Real Madrid was enormous.
Yet Cristiano Ronaldo spoke as though Real Madrid were the final boss and Atlético were merely challengers.
"We at Real Madrid are not afraid of them. We've analyzed Atlético thoroughly and prepared very seriously.
"I believe my teammates and I can lift the trophy together.
"I want to dedicate this title to all my fans."
The reporters nearly laughed again.
Cristiano Ronaldo was already celebrating before the match had even begun.
Still, his confidence wasn't entirely baseless.
Atlético Madrid had three key injuries.
Godín. Koke. Gabi.
It was like the steel framework of their midfield and defense had suddenly lost three critical support beams.
Atlético could only temporarily patch together replacements to maintain the defensive wall.
Against weaker opponents, that might be enough.
But against a terrifying attack?
That wall could easily be smashed apart.
The BBC trio combined with Real Madrid's legendary midfield trio.
There probably wasn't another team in the world with such overwhelming firepower.
That was where Cristiano Ronaldo's confidence came from.
He believed he would defeat Atlético Madrid and personally lift that trophy.
A fierce flame was already burning in his eyes.
"This time, Lance... I'll raise the trophy right in front of you."
At the same time, Atlético Madrid's squad also arrived in Milan.
"Long time no see, Milan."
As Lance stepped off the plane, he took a deep breath of the Milan air.
Last year, he could only watch the Champions League Final from the stands, powerless to touch the trophy.
But now...
Even with injuries and an incomplete lineup, the initiative still remained in his own hands.
"Long time no see, Champions League Final!"