After interviewing Milan, the host moved on to Liverpool.
But the difference was clear.
Liverpool was too formal, the whole interview was serious but quite dull.
Compared to Milan's lively atmosphere, it felt very tense and oppressive here.
Though everyone tried to appear relaxed, it was Milan that seemed genuinely at ease.
After the interview, Liverpool's side even asked the host if the footage could be edited better—ideally overshadowing Milan's.
But the host was quite strict, barely doing any editing, and released everything as it was.
That night, Milan's playful interview went viral.
Many fans who hadn't paid much attention to Milan's daily life—knowing only that they performed well in matches—got a full glimpse of the team.
A bunch of lovable goofballs.
It was hard to imagine that the team feared across the football world was actually made up of such jokers.
Especially on YouTube, the interview was flooded with hilarious comments:
"Milan's interview is real, Liverpool's feels so fake!"
"Milan seems more relaxed, I prefer watching Milan's interview."
"Is Kaká really that fiery?"
"Only Suker can make Kaká lose his cool!"
"Suker's such a troublemaker? I thought he was a tough guy!"
"If you've watched Milan's official videos on YouTube, you'd know Suker and Pirlo are called the 'Milan troublemakers.'"
"Haha! They're troublemakers mainly for Gattuso!"
"Haha!!"
"Is that even a fight?"
"Fight? That's not a fight! Watch Milan's daily videos—that's a real explosion!"
"Gattuso chasing Suker and Pirlo!"
"I was there! Suker ran onto the bus several times without changing shoes! They're hilarious!"
The pre-match interview made Milan look even more fiery.
Previously, the public image of Milan was mostly based on tough guys like Maldini, Nesta, and Gattuso — the hard, dominant image.
But now after this, fans realized their perception was off.
Their image was a fake Milan.
The real Milan was a bunch of goofballs:
The prankster Suker!
The grumpy target Gattuso!
The practical joker Pirlo!
The elegant yet occasionally fiery Kaká!
And the father-like Maldini.
That was the true Milan.
Riding this wave, Milan's popularity and goodwill soared.
The club took advantage of this momentum, ramping up promotion online and in the media.
"Feels like we're becoming the League of Jokers!"
At the Athens Olympic Stadium.
On match day, the pitch inspection was held, with the match scheduled for the evening.
Suker looked at the newspaper and sighed, "All thanks to Pirlo!"
Kaká rolled his eyes, no longer interested in complaining.
Who else to blame? They knew exactly how things were.
Before you came, Milan wasn't like this — at least they didn't advertise it so openly.
Suker put away the paper and surveyed the stadium.
This place was no stranger — the Athens Olympic Stadium.
The famous "Fiery Balkan Derby" had been held here.
Suker counted himself a little experienced.
Of course, Milan players were no strangers either, having won the Champions League here in the 1993/1994 season by beating Barcelona.
Overall, the stadium carried good significance.
Suker had won here!
Milan had won here!
And this time, they would win again!
At the player tunnel, a blue and red arch bore the words "UEFA Champions League."
The pitch was freshly watered, with another round planned in the afternoon.
Many workers busily pasted various advertisements on stands and the stadium dome.
At this time, many ads were not LED screens but printed boards, replaced once used up.
The stadium was quiet now, but would definitely be lively by night.
After about half an hour, the inspection ended, and the team took the bus back to the hotel.
The next time they left the hotel would be the moment of battle.
At 3 PM, the roads from Athens to the stadium reopened.
Fans of both teams came along two specially designated routes.
The Athens government arranged two separate roads specifically to avoid contact and further incidents between the fans.
There was no room left for mistakes now.
So they tried to keep things separated.
Fans poured in from the north and south, like two red dragons roaring and twisting, advancing toward the stadium.
Intense cheers, slogans, and chants filled the Athenian sky, suffusing the city with feverish passion.
On the left side were Liverpool fans.
They waved smoke flares, red smoke staining the night sky.
Flags waved wildly, rolling smoke clouds billowed.
The crowd below looked fanatical, marching in tight formation, each step louder than the last.
On the right were Milan fans.
They also lit smoke flares, same red smoke.
Leading their queue was a huge banner:
"The Championship Belongs to Milan!"
Behind the banner, a sea of black-clad fans raised their hands, clapping and chanting in unison with earth-shaking volume.
The two fan groups neared the stadium, their cheers mixing, stirring, and colliding.
The entire stadium vicinity resembled a volcanic crater — hot and seething.
Boom!!!!!!!
Clap-clap-clap-clap-clap-clap!
Thunderous cheers rang out across the sky.
A tide of applause never ceased.
Even local Athenian fans were swept up in the atmosphere, watching the fierce rivalry with gleaming eyes.
Soon, a red bus entered the left gate via a special passage.
At once, Liverpool fans erupted into fierce cheers:
"LIVERPOOL!!! LIVERPOOL!!! LIVERPOOL!!!"
The chant echoed in all directions, shaking the air.
Not long after, a red-and-black bus appeared on the right.
Milan fans responded with a roar:
"MILAN!!! MILAN!!! MILAN!!!"
The fans competed, seemingly trying to out-shout each other with louder, more passionate calls.
Liverpool fans shouted their players' names.
Milan fans did not yield.
Their voices merged, soaring to the heavens.
"Alonso! Pirlo!"
"Reina! Nesta!"
"Pennant! Kaká!"
"Gerrard! Maldini!"
The cheers grew louder and louder.
Just as Liverpool fans gathered their strength for another shout,
Suddenly, the whole stadium surroundings trembled.
"SUKER!!!!!!"
Not only Milan fans but even local Athenians joined in.
Tens of thousands of voices combined to drown out Liverpool's chants.
In the night sky, only Suker's name echoed.
"Holy sh*t? I'm this popular?"
The sudden cheer made Suker's body shiver involuntarily.
"Champions League and league Golden Boot winner, plus your agent and Milan's relentless promotion — did you think all that publicity was for nothing?"
Ancelotti smiled.
In the past year, thanks to Milan's tireless marketing combined with Suker's performances, his commercial value and media presence soared.
Now Suker had risen to the ranks of top-tier stars.
He had absorbed Milan's heritage and produced a dazzling season.
Not a one-hit wonder, but a season that pushed him to the top.
Though Suker's fame was relatively new, his explosive popularity was arguably the highest in Europe.
Even top stars like Henry couldn't compete with Suker's media exposure and commercial appeal.
By popularity alone, Suker was football's current number one.