May 19th.
Qin Xiong had breakfast early in the morning, then walked to the club with his shoulder bag.
He did not choose to hitch a ride today.
With the sea breeze sweeping in from the North Sea, the smell of summer had already permeated the city, making people feel relaxed and happy.
On this road that he had walked countless times since the end of August last year until today, Qin Xiong enjoyed the same scenery, but passed by different people every time.
He had become a famous figure in this area. From time to time, joggers would take the initiative to say hello to him when they passed by in the morning. They did not know each other, but Qin Xiong could feel the goodwill of passers-by towards him, and may even reveal a faint fanaticism.
He always responded to these people in the same way, and today was no exception.
When he was about to arrive at the training base, he stopped outside the Amsterdam Athletic Stadium and looked up seriously and calmly at the magnificent building that he was already very familiar with.
About two minutes later, thousands of thoughts flashed through his mind. He still remembered that during the third round of the Champions League qualifiers, he and Freddy were on the street opposite the stadium, listening to the cheers that broke out in the stadium, and fantasizing about the game through the wall.
At that time, he was determined to be the protagonist of this stadium!
He did it, and he did it without regret!
Putting away his thoughts, he continued to walk to the training base.
Today, he walked into the training base as usual, and naturally greeted every staff member he saw.
When he came to the locker room, he saw the locker room manager, a man that most of the players did not remember. He looked to be over fifty years old, and would tidy up the players' shoes and jerseys every day. Even if the players left the locker room in a mess, the next time they walked into the locker room, they would see that the locker room had become brand new.
This old man over fifty years old was called Fitz, and Qin Xiong could only remember so much. In fact, he did not pay much attention to the small figures in the club, but such small figures were respected by him from the bottom of his heart.
Qin Xiong could see that Fitz's work was extremely rigid and orderly.
The locker room had to be spotless. The hanging jerseys would always have their numbers facing outwards. Even if a player had two, three, or more pairs of sneakers, the placement would follow a pattern that had never been broken.
There was a time when a staff member lost one of Ivan's sneakers, and Fitz flew into a rage because of it. He changed from his usual kind and gentle demeanor to scolding the young staff member, as if the young staff member's mistake had greatly affected his work.
When Qin Xiong walked into the locker room, Fitz was checking whether the jerseys, shoes, and leggings were placed in the order he was used to. After he finished checking, he turned around and saw Qin Xiong standing by the door. He smiled kindly at Qin Xiong as usual and greeted him, "Good morning, young man."
Qin Xiong nodded at him with a smile and said good morning.
After Fitz left, Qin Xiong still leaned against the wall. His gaze slowly swept across every corner of the locker room. He closed his eyes and could not help but smile.
In this locker room, there were many stories about him, or he was just a bystander. After a season, the atmosphere here was also changing. Although it was not a precious and happy memory for every player, for example, Sikora's smile significantly decreased in the second half of the season, Sonke and Sottars were depressed, O 'Brien was still an invisible person that no one cared about, and Litmanen became more and more silent and entered the role of a bystander …
But the main players who carried Ajax and were the kings in their home country, and the main players who were eager to forge ahead in Europe, they laughed here, complained here, played here, and established an indescribable friendship here.
Qin Xiong was about to no longer be a part of this locker room.
He looked back on what had happened here in the first half of the season. Perhaps it was as inconceivable as the first time he stepped in here, ignoring the gazes of others to change his jersey here, and being made difficult by Ivan.
The inconceivable players gathered together and created an inconceivable miracle.
He liked the Netherlands. He liked it from the bottom of his heart.
The theme here was young, hot-blooded, and amazing. Ajax, PSV Eindhoven, Feyenoord, these teams represented the Dutch football world. Every year, new players came out in large numbers, every year, geniuses competed for the top positions, and every year, miracles were written that could happen.
But this was not his home. At least, at Qin Xiong's age, he thought that the Netherlands was no longer suitable for him.
This was the stage for the new players to make a name for themselves and the old players to retire.
Qin Xiong felt that it was time for him to welcome a new challenge.
So he would leave.
The day's training went on as usual. Qin Xiong was as serious as when he came to Ajax for the first time. His teammates were not surprised, and the coach also felt that it was natural.
Qin Xiong maintained a focused attitude throughout the season's training. He seemed to have become a totem in the training, a warning sign that his teammates could see. Even the geniuses were no exception.
He did not know when, but from the day his teammates really began to pay attention to him, he gave others a sense of pressure and crisis. The geniuses were afraid that Qin Xiong would take away all the glory, and the ordinary teammates were afraid that Qin Xiong would leave them further and further behind, never to make a comeback. This sense of crisis promoted the team's enthusiasm during training.
When every drop of sweat flowed, the teammates either gritted their teeth and worked hard with the idea of catching up or defeating Qin Xiong.
But by the end of the season, every teammate already admired Qin Xiong from the bottom of their hearts.
This China player's success was not accidental.
Just by the focus and hard work of training, this perseverance and determination was beyond the reach of ordinary people.
Night fell.
The Amsterdam Athletics Stadium was packed to the brim.
The Ajax fans poured into the stadium. They put up a variety of slogans in the stands, congratulating the team for winning the championship, cheering for the star players, looking forward to the Champions League final, and so on.
Qin Xiong and his starting teammates stood in the players' tunnel, waiting to be played.
He held his head high, his eyes were bright and spirited, and there seemed to be a faint smile at the corner of his mouth.
This should be the last time he would wear the Ajax jersey in the Amsterdam Athletic Stadium!
Maybe there would be a chance to come back in the future, but he was not sure if he would still be wearing the Ajax jersey at that time.
The last time he would play at home, the last time he would play for the fans and himself at his home!
When the referee led the players from both teams out of the players' tunnel and stepped into the stadium, Qin Xiong's expression suddenly changed. His bright and gentle eyes became as sharp as a knife, and the smile at the corner of his mouth disappeared. It was replaced by a fierce and sharp edge like a tiger!
In the noisy Amsterdam Athletic Stadium, amidst the confusing voices in the noisy stands, Qin Xiong still heard the Dutch fans shouting his new nickname when they were cheering for him.
"China Hero! China Hero! "
That was the nickname given to him by the Chinese fans, and it was quickly adopted by the Dutch fans. Then, at the end of the season, it became a sonorous echo in the Amsterdam Athletic Stadium.
Walking into the stadium and standing in line, the kickoff ceremony was in progress. Qin Xiong turned his head to look at his teammates. Every teammate's expression was similar to his. Everyone did not hide the sharpness that young hot-blooded people should have.
Perhaps there was a way of life in China that the tallest tree in the forest would be destroyed by the wind.
But sorry, in the Grassi world, you have to be famous early, and you have to fight while you are young!
There was nothing to hide here, and there was no need for any shrewdness or concealment.
Ajax's 03-04 generation had their heads held high. Their talent was amazing, and they were young and fearless. They wanted to show it to the world and shock the world!
"The first leg of the 2003-2004 Dutch Cup final is about to start in the Amsterdam Athletic Stadium. Ajax, who has won the league title this season, will face Utrecht, who is ranked tenth in the league this season.
It looks like a game with a great disparity between the strong and the weak, but Utrecht's fans said in a random interview on the street before the game that their team has a chance to win the title!
The reason is that they think Ajax will be distracted by the Champions League final, which will be held in Germany a week later. This will allow Ajax to have a lot of reservations in the two-legged cup final.
But after seeing Ajax's starting lineup today, I don't think the Utrecht fans will be so naive to think that Ajax doesn't care about the Dutch Cup.
Comain has sent out all the main players in the starting lineup!
This is the first leg of the final, and it is in Ajax's home ground. Comain will definitely win the game, and then maybe he will have reservations in the next game. After all, that game is only three days away from the Champions League final!
Who will win the Dutch Cup crown in the end? The first ninety-minute battle is about to begin! "
When the referee blew the whistle for the game, Qin Xiong and his teammates mobilized all the offensive factors in their bodies. There was no need for any communication. They attacked Utrecht's penalty area as fast as the wind. They cooperated together tacitly and looked more like a whole than ever before!
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