When Zhao Zhao arrived at the press conference room at Old Trafford, he found it already packed with reporters.
These reporters, whether from the host city of Manchester, or having traveled all the way from Sunderland, or even from the distant East, were all eagerly waiting for Zhao Zhao!
Mourinho, on the other hand, was already seated at the podium, resting his chin on one hand and tapping the table with the fingertips of the other, looking very impatient.
It was clear that the reporters were all waiting for a good show.
It is well-known that any press conference attended by Mourinho, the 'Special One,' is usually full of news.
He often makes surprising statements, unlike other Coaches who only speak in officialese, so he is considered a 'darling' of reporters—he can generate tons of traffic!
And today, Zhao Zhao was added to the mix!
The match that had just ended was full of controversy.
Leaving aside Sunderland's miraculous comeback from two goals down to win three, just the two red cards and two penalties that appeared in the match were enough to maximize the discussion.
And among them, Mourinho even had a direct conflict with Zhao Zhao, almost coming to blows!
Given Mourinho's style of speaking without holding back, plus Zhao Zhao's fearless recklessness as a newcomer, today truly promised to be lively!
However, it was very clear that Zhao Zhao was the protagonist of today's press conference.
After all, he was the underdog who reversed the situation; he was the victor!
So when he slowly walked into the press conference room, all the cameras and microphones immediately focused on Zhao Zhao.
And some female reporters even had stars in their eyes:
"Wow, he's so handsome just by the way he walks. I love him."
To be honest, in terms of looks, Mourinho is also quite a handsome man.
But compared to Zhao Zhao, he was still one or two levels below.
Plus, Zhao Zhao is young, while Mourinho is already a 53-year-old uncle with graying hair, so naturally, the 25-year-old fresh-faced Zhao Zhao was more attractive to females.
Zhao Zhao walked to his seat, and just then, Mourinho also looked up at Zhao Zhao.
Their eyes met, as if sparks were about to fly!
However, Zhao Zhao remained calm, merely smiling slightly before gently sitting down.
The press officer in charge of hosting quickly said his lines: "Uh, both Coaches are here now, reporter friends, you may begin asking your questions!"
After speaking, the press officer subconsciously moved his chair away.
Mainly, these two were already at loggerheads on the field, so how could they not cause something when facing each other now?
It's better to stay away from them to avoid being caught in the crossfire!
And the first to raise a hand to ask a question was not from Manchester, nor from Sunderland, nor even from China.
It was a reporter from The Sun in London!
"Hello, Mr. Mourinho. You received a red card in today's match, and the cause was pushing Mr. Zhao. What are your thoughts on this conflict?"
Truly, it was The Sun; they didn't care about the match itself, immediately asking such a sharp question!
This fellow's question also made the reporters below secretly give a thumbs up.
That's how traffic is generated!
Sure enough, Mourinho's expression changed: "I don't want to comment too much on this matter."
"If Mr. Zhao deliberately planned such a tactic, then congratulations to him, he succeeded. My personality does not tolerate others acting like that in front of me."
"But I only hope he can put more energy into the team's tactics, rather than intentionally messing with people's mentality (mindset), otherwise, he will only be a mediocre Coach in the future."
Here it comes, here it comes!!
The reporters were greatly invigorated.
Although Mourinho seemed to concede somewhat, his words carried a passive-aggressive tone.
This meant the fuse of the battle had been lit, and it was up to Zhao Zhao to respond!
And The Sun reporter was clearly experienced and knew how to fan the flames.
He immediately turned to Zhao Zhao: "Coach Zhao, what were you thinking at the time? Why did you slide on your knees to celebrate in front of Mr. Mourinho?"
Zhao Zhao smiled and replied: "Perhaps everyone isn't too familiar with me yet. I am neither a Special One nor an Ordinary One."
"I am the Calm One, and also the Passionate One. These two seemingly contradictory terms were the key to my victory today."
"As you can see, when I watch the game from the sidelines, I am actually very calm. But when I saw Pickford save the penalty and Defoe score the crucial goal, I needed to celebrate to vent my emotions, so I slid on my knees."
"I did not intend to provoke anyone; I just happened to slide there, that's all."
"As for tactical issues... I believe everyone is very clear about the difference in player market value between Sunderland and Manchester United."
"And through personnel and tactical adjustments, I made the team score three consecutive goals after being two goals down. I won't say more about other things, thank you."
As soon as Zhao Zhao finished speaking, a burst of laughter erupted in the press conference room.
Truly, it was Zhao Zhao; he didn't hold back at all.
And after all, as the victor, he had full confidence in his rebuttal.
And Zhao Zhao saying he was 'the Calm One' and 'the Passionate One' was also playing on a meme.
When Mourinho first came to the Premier League, he said at a press conference that he was 'the Special One.'
Later, when Klopp arrived at Liverpool, he said he was 'the Ordinary One.'
Zhao Zhao's words today cleverly summarized his performance on the field into two 'Ones,' which made the reporters present understand and admire Zhao Zhao's eloquence.
But these words, reaching Mourinho's ears, were not so funny.
His face turned ashen, and he tapped the table with his finger a few times: "Respect, respect!"
And The Sun reporter seized the opportunity, asking: "Mr. Mourinho, after losing this match, Manchester United's distance from the top four in the standings has widened again. Can we assume that Manchester United will again achieve nothing this season?"
Mourinho could no longer hold back, and he stood up with a "whoosh": "I tell you, losing one match is not the end of the world. Under my leadership, Manchester United is on the right path!"
With that, he actually walked out of the press conference room without looking back!
He stormed off in such a rage, yet surprisingly, few of the reporters present found anything amiss.
Well, they had seen this too many times; Mourinho often did this after a loss.
No problem, the confrontation everyone needed had occurred, and tomorrow's headlines were already secured!
And now, everyone's focus could truly only be on Zhao Zhao.
However, without Mourinho to play off, the questions asked were more conventional, such as what was said during halftime, his thoughts on Defoe's hat-trick, O'Shea's reaction to being substituted, and so on.
Zhao Zhao basically answered these truthfully, as there was nothing to hide anyway.
When asked about guiding Pickford to save penalties and teaching Defoe to take penalties, Zhao Zhao evaded the questions by saying, "Our coaching staff conducted thorough research before the match."
And when finally asked about Sunderland's prospects for avoiding relegation, Zhao Zhao firmly stated:
"Although difficulties remain, I firmly believe that as long as we unite, we will surely break through the darkness."
"Our famous scholar Mr. Lu Xun once said, 'Actually, there was no road on the ground to begin with, but when many people walk on it, a road comes into being.'"
"We are going to forge such a correct path and ultimately reach the shore of victory."
"Yes, I believe Sunderland will stay in the Premier League! And next, it starts with defeating Middlesbrough!"