Five chapters!
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When Ajax returned to Amsterdam in the early hours of the morning, he was warmly welcomed by a large number of hardcore fans. The fans expressed their love by singing and shouting the name of a certain player.
Even the television station sent reporters to record the moment.
Qin Xiong and his teammates carried backpacks and waved to the fan group as they left the airport. With a smile on their faces, they enjoyed such treatment and were worshipped and sought after.
Qin Xiong and his teammates did not go home after leaving the airport. They went to a high-end hotel in the city to "rot".
They fell asleep while enjoying the massage.
After waking up the next day, he, Snede, Heitinga, Derong, and Ibrahimovic, a total of five people, strolled through the streets of the city and found a restaurant to enjoy delicious food. They were also surrounded by many fans who asked for autographs and photos.
Ajax's star player made a lot of noise in the city.
They spent the day in a leisurely manner and got the information about the Champions League semi-final match when they had dinner together in the evening.
Ajax would play against Monaco in the semi-final!
Deporto and Deporto were in another semi-final.
Faced with this news, Qin Xiong and the others seemed very calm. In fact, in the top four, they felt that the opponents were of similar level and there was not much difference in who played in the semi-final.
After another day, they began their step-by-step training.
Ajax would be a guest at Feyenoord in the league on the weekend. As long as they did not lose, Ajax could be sure to win the league, so the club still attached great importance to it.
After the training, Qin Xiong returned to Ward Street and had dinner with Freddy.
They did not eat at Dekoiz's restaurant because they would be ambushed by many fans and reporters.
In the corner of the restaurant, the two men sat opposite each other. Qin Xiong was almost done eating. He picked up a napkin to wipe his mouth, drank two mouthfuls of water and was about to leave. Freddy raised his hand to stop him from getting up, indicating that he should be patient.
Qin Xiong sat down and understood that Freddy had something important to say.
Freddy also wiped his mouth, then poked his head in front of Qin Xiong with a serious face and whispered, "Chelsea's boss called me."
Qin Xiong thought for a moment and asked, "That Russian? I think his name is Abramovich? "
Freddy nodded and continued, "We didn't talk much. He asked me to pass a message to you."
"What?"
Qin Xiong felt that the situation was a bit strange. He felt that this kind of communication was very unprofessional.
Freddy seemed to be suppressing the excitement in his heart. He deliberately lowered his voice, causing it to tremble slightly.
"He told me to tell you: If you're willing to go to Chelsea, no matter what other clubs offer you, Chelsea will give you three times the highest offer! Three times! Listen carefully, it's three times! "
After being eliminated from the Champions League, a series of changes were taking place within Chelsea Football Club.
This included the fact that Head Coach Ranieri's dismissal was a foregone conclusion.
Chelsea officially launched the selection of managers and no longer kept it a secret.
This included the three managers of the teams that made it to the semi-finals of the Champions League this season: Comain, Didier Deschamps, Mourinho, and the England national team manager, Sven-Goran Eriksson, whom Abramovich admired. Louis Van Gaal, who was idle at home, was also on the list of managers. But because of the conflict between Louis Van Gaal and Ajax, his voice began to decline. After all, a manager who made such a big fuss was not wanted by the top management.
Abramovich also continued to plan his dream lineup.
Chelsea could not buy Zidane even if he had the money.
But Abramovich had seen Qin Xiong, who was often called "China's Zidane" by the European media, play football with his own eyes. It was more real and reliable than watching a video. He saw Qin Xiong's talent and believed that Qin Xiong still had potential in the future.
He hoped to bring Qin Xiong to Stamford Bridge, and then form the "strongest midfield combination in Europe" with Lampard and Makelele in the near future!
He thought it was ideal and dreamy. He also respected the role distribution of football.
With such a combination, if they wanted to defend, if they wanted to attack, they would have to attack. If they wanted to be tough, they would have to be tough. They were well-rounded and powerful!
Qin Xiong leaned back in his seat and was lost in thought. From his unchanged expression, one could not tell if he was excited or had other emotions.
He appeared very calm.
From a bystander's point of view, perhaps the words that Abramovich asked Freddy to convey were very hurtful, especially to a person's dignity!
Money?
Do you think money is omnipotent?
Give me more money and I will be convinced by you?
In fact, Qin Xiong was not hurt at all.
Even if money was not omnipotent, it was still something with a thousand kinds of energy.
Did the players not care about money?
Of course they cared!
It was just that in order to maintain their own image and not let themselves become slaves to money in the eyes of others, most of them downplayed the importance of money in their speeches to the outside world.
But secretly, the players would go to any lengths to ask for a high salary when discussing contract benefits.
Playing football was a high-risk industry in itself.
And it was also a special industry.
Not everyone could come to play football. Not everyone could take up a job after three to five years of training on a whim!
No one could guarantee that an injury on the field in the next second would not cause a premature end to their career. No one could guarantee that their condition and health would remain stable.
Youthful meals that took great risks were, of course, to earn as much money as possible.
Moreover, from another point of view, how much money was earned also reflected the player's value.
If a world-class superstar was paid the salary of a third-rate player, would he be satisfied? Would he take it for granted?
Of course not!
Abramovich's way was actually very appropriate!
Let's not talk about those hypocritical things. Chelsea really did not have anything else that could be compared with the other powerhouses' attractiveness.
Not only was it not a kind of injury or humiliation.
Instead, it made the player satisfied and speechless.
You would be too embarrassed to open your mouth to bargain!
Qin Xiong finally experienced Abramovich's generosity and forthrightness in the media.
He was a very good boss. A boss who made the players feel embarrassed to create conflicts even if they worked hard for him.
At the very least, he solved one of the root causes of conflicts between most clubs and players: money.
Freddy saw that Qin Xiong did not speak for a long time, so he whispered, "In consideration of your personal development, I think Chelsea's invitation is worthy of your attention. Compared to other more traditional and stable big clubs, Chelsea is like a rebirth. Everything has been pushed back. In such an environment, if you join Chelsea, at least the traditional resistance of the locker room order will be much smaller. From a financial point of view, Chelsea is definitely the first choice. Now, there are already clubs willing to offer you a weekly salary of 20,000 euros. Chelsea will give you 60,000. At the end of the season, if a club is willing to give you 30,000 euros, Chelsea will give you 90,000! We don't live in an ideal world. Money is a factor that we must take seriously. "
Qin Xiong nodded when he heard that. Freddy's words made sense.
As for the football dream that fans always talk about, it did not mean that Qin Xiong did not have it.
Instead, I am the one playing football on the field. The fans only see me playing football on the field, but not my life. I want a better life. I have to prepare early for the hidden dangers of this profession. If I am seriously injured and retire in two years, what will my source of income rely on? Learn the skills of another profession again?
Oh, at that time, what will I get from the fans? Praise? Memories? Nostalgia?
Sorry, maybe 99.9% of the fans will immediately forget me!
It is my own life. No one is qualified to criticize me.
Qin Xiong certainly liked money. With money, he could go out for entertainment anytime, anywhere, like his teammates with a high income. He could live in a better house, buy a better car, and make his beloved girl happy.
99% of the happiness in this world was also based on material conditions.
"What about the hidden dangers?"
Although Qin Xiong was a little tempted, he still calmly asked Freddy. He always remembered Louis Van Gaal's warning to him: If you leave Ajax, you must think carefully when choosing your next club!
Freddy would not wholeheartedly promote Qin Xiong to Stamford Bridge, even if the other side had already extended an olive branch. As long as he nodded his head and agreed, the two sides would hit it off.
He would objectively provide his personal advice and opinions.
At the same time, no one can guarantee how a mercenary team like Chelsea will develop in the future. That is to say, excluding the advantages in salary, Chelsea is full of unknowns. An unknown manager, an unknown direction of the team's construction, an unknown locker room, and an unknown future. Among these, there may be a deviation in any small issue that will affect your career. If you can't win the trust of the new manager, you may be buried in Chelsea's crowded lineup. Alas, in the end, we still don't know who the new manager will be. In short, you should think about the hidden dangers in this regard more clearly than I can say, because what I know is no more than what you know from watching the British news. "
Qin Xiong frowned and pondered for a moment. Chelsea's offer was very tempting, but Stamford Bridge was now like a riddle full of unknowns. He was cautious in his career planning and was still rational. He could not firmly make up his mind to serve Abramovich only for the sake of monetary benefits.
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