On April 28th, in the 36th round of the Premier League, Manchester City faced Manchester United.

This was the Manchester Derby, and also a battle for the League Championship!

Currently, Manchester United led Manchester City by four points.

If Manchester City wanted to win the championship and make history, they had to defeat Manchester United; only then would they have a chance.

The match had already reached the 80th minute, and the score remained 1:1, with the situation extremely tense.

For Manchester City, Carlos Tevez, Aguero, and Nasri formed the attacking trio, constantly pushing into Manchester United's defense.

David Silva in the midfield connected all lines with perfectly timed passes.

And Yaya Touré, as the strongest B2B player, was always ready for solo attacks, putting more pressure on Manchester United.

They were well aware that the current Manchester United was showing signs of decline.

Although the team had powerful players like Modrić and Cristiano Ronaldo, other players were either old or too young, making it difficult to pose a threat.

Rooney, as another attacking point, was sidelined with injury, so most of the offensive pressure fell on Cristiano Ronaldo.

Moreover, Cristiano Ronaldo was tightly marked by Manchester City players.

On the big screen, Sir Alex Ferguson was chewing gum rapidly, and those familiar with him knew this was a sign of the Sir's tension.

The situation was indeed not very favorable for Manchester United!

Inside the VIP box at Old Trafford.

Bayern Munich's CEO Rummenigge and chief scout Neppe were seated, watching the match.

"The situation is not favorable for Manchester United!" said Rummenigge.

"It's more than just unfavorable; Modrić is the only one struggling in midfield. If he couldn't run so much, they might have already collapsed. The pressure on the defense is also immense, and their attacking routes are too obvious. Besides Cristiano Ronaldo, attacks from other routes hardly work!" said scout Neppe.

Rummenigge nodded; "This is very similar to our situation in the Champions League Semi-Final second leg!"

At that time, Bayern Munich was also in a stalemate, unable to score, and faced the counter-attacking threat from Suker, ultimately losing the match.

After the loss, Bayern Munich didn't have much time to grieve; they immediately began to initiate the transfer for Cristiano Ronaldo!

They desperately needed a super striker!

The club had decided to invest most of the new season's transfer budget into Cristiano Ronaldo.

Bayern Munich, usually so thrifty, was truly stimulated this time; they had to make some changes.

This was also why CEO Rummenigge personally visited Old Trafford.

He also wanted to witness firsthand what kind of performance Cristiano Ronaldo would deliver.

Match time passed bit by bit.

Manchester United's defensive line faced increasing pressure.

Manchester City yearned for victory, for the championship, so their attacks were incredibly fierce.

But too much of a good thing can be bad; perhaps due to their overly aggressive mindset, they had a coordination issue during an attack.

Nasri's pass during a challenge was too powerful, causing the ball to hit Aguero's heel and bounce up.

Seeing this, Ferdinand's eyes lit up.

"Get out of the way!"

Ferdinand pushed Aguero aside and powerfully headed the ball to Modrić with his forehead.

"Luka!—" Ferdinand roared; "Counter-attack!"

Modrić easily controlled the ball and turned, immediately sending it towards the right flank.

The ball passed between Clichy and Zabaleta, rolling into the open space on the right.

On the wing, Nani sprinted forward.

He fully utilized his speed, dribbling all the way down the flank, and as he neared the byline, he swung his right foot, delivering a cross.

Nani's entire body flew off the field, but his eyes remained fixed on the ball.

"Steady! Steady!"

Vincent Kompany commanded loudly.

Just as he was about to clear the ball, intense footsteps sounded beside him.

The next second, a red figure suddenly rose from the ground before his eyes.

The large number 7 came into view.

"Oh no!"

Vincent Kompany's heart sank.

But it was too late.

Cristiano Ronaldo, in the air, was like a soaring eagle. His gaze was fixed on the ball, and with a powerful contraction of his abdomen, he fiercely whipped his head.

Thwack! Swish!

The ball hit the net!

"Gooooooooooooooooooooaaaaaaaaaaaaal!!!!"

"Cristiano Ronaldo!!"

"Game-winner!! An 89th-minute goal!! Such a crucial goal!!"

"Manchester United 2:1 Manchester City!!"

The entire Old Trafford erupted.

Cristiano Ronaldo sprinted towards the corner flag, his right hand waving in the air. As he neared the corner, he leapt into the air, spun, and brought his hands down.

His iconic celebration, executed flawlessly!

Tens of thousands of Manchester United fans throughout the stadium simultaneously erupted in a tremendous roar.

Siu!!!!!!!!!!!!—

On the sidelines, Sir Alex Ferguson excitedly rushed out of the dugout, raising his hands, his face flushed.

But after a moment, he clutched his chest, breathing heavily.

Once his excitement subsided, his thumping heart began to calm down.

His body was already in poor condition and could no longer handle high-intensity work.

Sir Alex Ferguson had already begun preparing for retirement.

But before that...

"Have Rummenigge and his people arrived?" Sir Alex Ferguson asked.

Assistant Coach Fran nodded; "They are already in the VIP box, watching the match!"

Sir Alex Ferguson nodded, then turned to look at Cristiano Ronaldo.

There was a hint of reluctance in his eyes, but also some helplessness.

This was perhaps his most favored child, who deserved to be even more excellent and outstanding, but alas, his body truly couldn't hold up, and he couldn't bring more to this child.

"It's time to let go!" Sir Alex Ferguson sighed.

After this season, Cristiano Ronaldo might truly leave Old Trafford.

"However, Rummenigge has also expressed interest in Luka!"

"They want to package Roni and Luka together in one go?" Sir Alex Ferguson scoffed, but quickly pursed his lips and asked; "Does Luka know?"

Fran nodded: "I've already communicated with him!"

"What did he say?"

"He said he's not leaving!"

Upon hearing this, Sir Alex Ferguson smiled: "He's a good kid!"

The 90-minute match ended.

Ultimately, Manchester United defeated Manchester City 2:1, securing victory in the 36th round of the Premier League.

They also successfully extended their points lead to 7 points.

Manchester United won the League Championship two rounds early!

"Bayern contacted you? And then you decided to stay?"

Suker heard Modrić's voice on the phone.

In fact, Suker had heard some things about Modrić from Zorancic.

But he didn't expect Modrić to actually refuse.

"Are you crazy?! Why refuse?!"

"Why wouldn't I refuse? I'm a Manchester United player! I'm a born Red Devil!"

Listening to Modrić's stubborn voice on the other end of the phone, Suker couldn't help but rub his temples.

Sir Alex Ferguson was still there now, so it wasn't an issue.

But after Sir Alex Ferguson retired, Manchester United would fall into chaos!

Manchester United's hierarchy began to interfere with the first team, showing impatience with the Head Coach.

The 'eternally wronged' Moyes was truly miserable!

His coaching record, compared to Sir Alex Ferguson's early period, was still acceptable, but the hierarchy lacked patience, leading to his forced departure.

Afterward, they had to endure Giggs' temporary coaching.

The Van Gaal era!

Mourinho's reign, but he was forced out by that 'Rainbow Little White Horse'; this time, Manchester United surprisingly chose to support the players over the Head Coach.

Although Mourinho was sometimes indeed aggressive, he was definitely a reliable Head Coach.

Solskjær's legacy also failed to save Manchester United; the so-called Red Devil DNA began to gradually fade.

Tough guys started turning into softies!

Then came Carrick's brief coaching, the Rangnick era.

Finally, 'Ten Hag the Saint' emerged, and the mighty Red Devils, representatives of iron-blooded football, became a meme team.

From tough guys, they completely evolved into softies!

If Modrić stayed at Manchester United, this guy wouldn't be able to stand it!

Given Modrić's stubborn personality, he would constantly clash with various Head Coaches. Results were one thing, but wasting his career was another.

Moreover, if things got too out of hand, with Modrić being such a simple guy, he would definitely be played for a fool. If he stood in the way of others' interests at Manchester United, he might even be kicked out.

After all, in the later stages, Manchester United became somewhat demonic.

The returning Cristiano Ronaldo was forced out!

Sancho not allowed to eat in the cafeteria!

The Dark Four Heavenly Kings: Nasri (doesn't pass), Van Persie (doesn't shoot), Young (can't cross), Smalling (can't defend)!

Aircraft carrier turning around!

Antony spinning around, etc.!

Manchester United could totally be called the meme king of the Premier League alongside Arsenal.

Suker ultimately couldn't persuade Modrić; this guy was a stubborn mule no less than himself.

"I have to find a way to get him out!"

Suker couldn't help but sigh.

Modrić staying at Manchester United might truly be a waste!

He didn't expect him to join Real Madrid; anywhere else would be fine, even Bayern Munich or Barcelona.

But he couldn't stay at Manchester United!

Modrić, with his single-minded personality, simply couldn't handle the mind games with those guys.

Suker couldn't even guarantee that he would be able to establish himself at Manchester United; the most likely outcome would be an unhappy parting.

"Why do you want Luka to leave Manchester United?" Zorancic, who was standing by, couldn't help but ask, "Manchester United is pretty good, isn't it!"

"It's pretty good now!" Suker said grumpily, "But you know, Sir Alex Ferguson won't last much longer."

Zorancic was slightly surprised; he hadn't expected Suker to know about this, as the news was kept under wraps within Manchester United.

"I think you're overthinking it, that's Manchester United!" Zorancic said with a smile.

That's the Red Devils, Manchester United; how bad could they possibly get?

Suker rolled his eyes grumpily.

It was precisely because everyone thought this way that Manchester United continued to decline.

In fact, Suker even felt that Manchester United fans were very pitiful.

From initial anger, they gradually became numb.

For a period, they even started to deceive themselves.

A small FA Cup could make them incredibly happy!

That was Manchester United!

They used to disdain the FA Cup, but in the future, one FA Cup would be enough to satisfy them.

Suker didn't want Modrić to play in such an environment.

This guy was going to play with him until the 2022 World Cup!

Others might gradually leave, but Modrić was still going strong.

But the problem was, this guy couldn't suffer a career setback, nor could his form decline due to club issues; at that point, Suker would have nowhere to cry.

"You need to talk to Luka, this guy is very stubborn, he needs some persuasion!" Suker frowned, "If it really doesn't work, I'll discuss it with Florentino and see how we can get Modrić over here."

"He doesn't have much interest in Real Madrid!" Zorancic said.

Suker: "Why?"

"How would I know!" Zorancic shook his head, "Manchester United just offered Luka a contract extension, and the terms are very good."

Suker grinned, "How many years?"

"Five years!"

"Can't he refuse?"

"Sir Alex Ferguson proposed it!" Zorancic shook his head.

Suker sighed.

There was no way to refuse then.

Given Modrić's personality, and with acceptable terms, he would sign without hesitation out of gratitude for Sir Alex Ferguson's guidance.

Suker understood Sir Alex Ferguson's approach.

Modrić was different from Cristiano Ronaldo.

Modrić was a cornerstone of the team; it could be said that as long as Modrić was at Manchester United, any Head Coach who wasn't a complete idiot could build the team around him.

This was also Sir Alex Ferguson's last gift to Manchester United when he left.

But Sir Alex Ferguson probably didn't know that this gift would be the death of Modrić!

If Suker were Modrić, and he wasn't leaving, Suker might form factions, consolidate his position and influence in the locker room, and thus begin to dominate the locker room.

To put it bluntly, without Sir Alex Ferguson, Suker (Modrić) would become the boss.

But Modrić wasn't that kind of person!

This guy was always smiling with everyone; even though he played fiercely and had a fiery temper on the field, in daily life, he rarely got into conflicts with people.

And the future Manchester United, each of them would be full of schemes; could Modrić handle that?

Suker felt a headache coming on.

This guy wasn't listening to him!

In the Croatia National Team, Srna was the captain, but Suker was the hidden boss.

There were also a few mischievous and disobedient ones in their circle.

Mandžukić, Dujmović, and others were like that.

But Modrić was fundamentally different from these guys.

When they were at Mostar Zrinjski, Van Stoyak had given Modrić a nickname.

'The Silent Stubborn Donkey!'

He spoke little, but he was incredibly stubborn!

Seeing Suker's fluctuating expression, Zorancic suddenly spoke up: "Why don't you choose to trust Luka?"

Suker looked up: "Trust him?"

Zorancic had no idea what the future held!

Suker was stunned for a moment.

That's not right!

If Modrić was at Manchester United, would the 'Rainbow Little White Horse' still come?

At that time, this guy joined Manchester United as a team cornerstone and midfield core.

Whether he was ultimately a core or not was unknown, but he was a cancerous growth!

He caused chaos throughout the entire locker room.

Now with Modrić, could this guy still come?

Or rather, would he still be willing to come?

Suker stroked his chin, then suddenly sighed, "It's so messy! Forget it, let's take it one step at a time!"

"Exactly, don't overthink it, Luka will handle it himself." Zorancic smiled, "You should focus on tomorrow's match, this is a title decider!"

Tomorrow, April 29th, Real Madrid would play Sporting de Gijón away in the 36th round of the League.

Real Madrid currently led Barcelona by 7 points.

Therefore, they only needed to win this match to secure the League Championship two rounds early.

Most crucially, in the 37th round, Real Madrid was scheduled to play Barcelona!

And with Real Madrid already having secured the League Championship, when they arrived at Camp Nou, according to La Liga tradition, even if they were unwilling, Barcelona would have to form a guard of honor to welcome the champions.

Thinking about this, Suker's mood improved slightly.

However, the top priority was to win tomorrow's match!

The next day, Gijón, Asturias, Spain.

The El Molinón Stadium was silent.

Sporting de Gijón fans watched as the clock reached 84 minutes.

The scoreboard showed Sporting de Gijón 0:4 Real Madrid.

Currently, Sporting de Gijón was second to last in the League standings; they were already in the relegation zone.

And at such a critical moment, they encountered Real Madrid!

They had hoped to secure a draw with defensive tactics, as they didn't dare to dream of winning.

But in the 17th minute, Suker scored from a free-kick.

In the 23rd minute, Kaka scored with a long-range shot.

In the 53rd minute, Benzema received a pass from Suker and scored with a chip shot.

In the 72nd minute, Ramos scored with a header from a Real Madrid corner kick.

Now, there was no suspense left in the situation.

With this loss, Sporting de Gijón would confirm their relegation fate.

They would join Racing Santander in being relegated to Serie B next season.

As for Granada, currently in third-to-last place, they still had a chance to fight.

After all, Villarreal, in fourth-to-last, was only one point ahead of them, and Zaragoza was two points ahead.

But Sporting de Gijón had no chance left.

Real Madrid's victory in this match virtually secured them the League Championship.

However, they didn't dare to celebrate too wildly.

After all, Sporting de Gijón was being relegated, winning the League Championship in their home stadium, extinguishing their last hope, and then celebrating in their home stadium—this would simply be too hateful.

However, Real Madrid players still quietly fist-bumped in celebration.

Bale was smiling very happily.

He believed that his transfer to Real Madrid was the correct decision.

He had played for Tottenham for so many years without winning a single League Championship.

But in his first season at Real Madrid, he had already won four League Championships!

And there was still the Champions League awaiting them.

At this moment, Bale was also full of fighting spirit!

At this time, the whistle blew in the stadium.

The match was over.

"The match is over! Real Madrid defeated Sporting de Gijón 4:0 away, Sporting de Gijón is unfortunately relegated, but at the same time, in this stadium, Real Madrid has won the La Liga title two rounds early!"

"After a season of fierce battle, Real Madrid will finally lift the crown of the 2011/2012 League Championship!"

At the end of the match, the Real Madrid players enthusiastically high-fived and waved to the away fans.

At this moment, Bale ran over excitedly.

"When do we get the trophy!"

This was his first La Liga title, very meaningful.

Hearing Bale's words, Srna turned his head, "Next season!"

"Huh?"

Bale was dumbfounded.

"Next season?" Bale asked in astonishment, "Did I hear that right? They're giving out this season's trophy next season?"

"That's right!" Srna shrugged, "At first, I was also very surprised!"

Bale couldn't help but complain, "What kind of rule is this!"