Capello was as stubborn as ever. In the latest squad announcement, Beckham's name was still nowhere to be seen.
Clearly, the conflict remained unresolved.
But Capello had been backed into a corner.
On one hand, Beckham showed no intention of backing down, which infuriated Capello, prompting him to issue a ban and double down on it.
On the other hand, he had to uphold the authority of the head coach.
If Capello backed down now, what would happen in the future?Would every player who clashed with him expect him to yield?
That was something Capello simply couldn't accept. So even if he had to grit his teeth and endure the pressure, he was determined to hold firm.
In truth, Capello was well aware of the issues with the current Real Madrid squad.
His arrival had indeed resolved the imbalance of a top-heavy lineup and revived the team's iron-willed spirit.
But fans of Spanish football, who admired elegant play, didn't approve of or appreciate Capello's Italian-style tactical system.
They liked proactive football.
They loved dazzling dribbles and fluid passing sequences.
Defensive counterattacks just weren't their thing.
As a result, Capello's reputation was in the gutter—utterly dismal.
Except for some support from the higher-ups, nearly every Real Madrid fan despised him.
It wasn't even about wins or losses anymore—it was a fundamental clash of philosophies and aesthetics.
This conflict would eventually plant the seeds of Capello's departure from Real Madrid.
"Capello! Get out of here!"
"Leave Real Madrid!"
"Get lost!"
At the Bernabéu, a chorus of boos and jeers filled the stadium.
And the anger wasn't directed at AC Milan—it was aimed at their own coach, Capello.
Suker looked around at the whirling storm of booing, visibly surprised.
In the modern football world, rigid formations and pure football philosophies were becoming increasingly blurred.
That slogan, "We will never abandon our footballing tradition," was being heard less and less.
Teams like Reggina, who stubbornly stuck to tradition, were growing increasingly rare.
Yet pragmatism, in football, was still viewed with a hint of disdain. It implied dull, defense-first football that prioritized safety.
Football that didn't—and wouldn't—entertain the fans.Football that chose the "correct way" just to win matches.
Managers like Mourinho and Capello both belonged to this school of thought.
The difference was, Mourinho was a master of self-promotion, always creating headlines and entertainment off the pitch.
Capello, on the other hand, remained silent and methodical—completely ignoring all the noise.
Real Madrid fans didn't like Capello.
Even some of the club's senior management didn't like him.
That's why, even after winning the title, he was still dismissed.
As waves of scorn and mockery echoed through the stadium, the warm-up ended.
After making their final adjustments in the locker rooms, both sets of players lined up in the tunnel.
The corridor was eerily quiet.
Real Madrid's players were under immense pressure. Just two weeks ago, they had lost badly to Barcelona in one of the worst Clásicos in recent history.
And now, they were facing AC Milan in the Champions League.
If they couldn't win this game, it could spell disaster for many of them.
Some even believed this could be the beginning of Real Madrid's decline.
In fact, prior to the second Galácticos era, Real Madrid's Champions League performances had been abysmal.
"This is the first leg of the 2006/2007 UEFA Champions League Round of 16: Real Madrid versus AC Milan at the Santiago Bernabéu!"
The Spanish commentator opened the broadcast, deliberately ignoring the crowd's hostile chants.
The fans could boo, but the commentator had to save face for Capello.
Starting Lineups:
Real Madrid (4-3-3):
GK: Casillas
Defenders: Carlos, Ramos, Cannavaro, Helguera
Midfielders: Guti, Diarra, Emerson
Forwards: Robinho, Raúl, Van Nistelrooy
AC Milan (4-4-2):
GK: Dida
Defenders: Cafu, Nesta, Maldini, Jankulovski
Midfielders: Brocchi, Gattuso, Pirlo, Seedorf
Forwards: Kaká, Suker
After the captains chose sides, the first half began with Real Madrid taking kickoff.
The players moved into their positions.
Suker looked across the field—and several Real Madrid players looked right back at him.
After all, Suker was currently the most efficient striker in Europe, leading both the Champions League and domestic scoring charts.
Especially in the Champions League, he was miles ahead of Van Nistelrooy.
Even back when he was just breaking out at Dinamo Zagreb, Suker had already claimed the Champions League Golden Boot.
After a year of development at Milan, he had exploded once again this season.
For Real Madrid fans, they still remembered that away match against Dinamo Zagreb two years ago.
Suker ran tirelessly and kept creating chances for his team to win.
Back then, they had fallen in love with the passionate, goal-hungry youngster.
Now, that same kid had transformed into a Champions League winner and Milan's undisputed attacking core.
A Real Madrid fan gazed at Suker and sighed, "We should've signed him back then."
"Florentino likes big names. He doesn't like young players," his friend replied.
"He's nothing like the boy we remember," the fan lamented.
"That's because he's grown up," his friend said. "He's become a world-class striker now."
"More than just world-class!"
As the fans chatted, the referee's whistle blew.
Instantly, the stadium atmosphere ignited.
Amid the roars of the crowd, the match began!
"The match is underway! Real Madrid kicks off, and AC Milan immediately presses high—Suker is charging hard!"
Suker sprinted directly at Cannavaro.
Cannavaro calmly passed wide and backpedaled slightly, opening up a return passing lane.
But Suker seemed to sense it coming—rather than blindly charging, he cut off the passing lane between Helguera and Cannavaro before pressing again.
At the same time, Kaká quickly joined the press.
The two formed a pincer attack.
Helguera wanted to play it out, but all the options were shut down by Milan's pressure.
"Damn it!"
Helguera cursed, then launched a long ball forward.
Kaká shifted sideways, leapt up, and got just enough of a touch to deflect the ball out of bounds.
"Well done!"
Suker shouted in encouragement.
If Kaká had intercepted that cleanly, it would've sparked a dangerous counter.
Even though it didn't come off, it had still unsettled Madrid's backline.
Still Madrid's ball.
Helguera prepared for the throw-in. This time, he was extra cautious, tossing it to a dropping Emerson, who returned it immediately. Helguera then launched a diagonal long ball.
It flew toward Robinho on the far flank.
Robinho gave chase with all his might.
"Break it up!"
Maldini immediately signaled Jankulovski.
But Jankulovski was in top form.
He got to the ball first, shielded Robinho, and headed it to Maldini.
Maldini controlled it on his chest and, before Raúl could close down, passed to Pirlo.
"Boss! Nice one!" Pirlo praised loudly.
"This kid…" Maldini shook his head. Everyone was calling him "boss" now because of Suker.
But he preferred the title "captain."
Not that it really mattered.
Kaká looked over at Suker before receiving the ball.
Suker, as if telepathic, dropped back a few steps.
Kaká received the ball sideways and nudged it toward Suker.
Suker didn't trap it underfoot—instead, he let it bounce slightly forward.
Bang!
Suker was suddenly slammed.
No need to look. That had to be "Dirty Ramos."
Sergio Ramos had rammed into him hard.
When he saw that Suker didn't go down, he prepared to bump him again—but Suker adjusted his footing and struck the ball on goal.
"Suker! Shoots!"
The ball flew toward goal.
Casillas dived, full stretch, but couldn't reach it.
"Damn!"
Ding!
A clear, ringing sound. To Casillas, it was the sweetest music.
The ball grazed the crossbar and went out of play.
"Suker! His first shot hits the crossbar—a brilliant attempt! Even under pressure from Ramos, he still managed to get the shot off!"
On the pitch, Suker rolled his ankle and shouted:
"Just testing the waters—next one's going in!"
Kaká laughed and muttered to himself:
No one's rushing you, you know…