With the World Cup approaching, the China team was entering the World Cup for the second time in history. The venue was Germany in Europe. A small number of Chinese fans formed a group and began to act as "cheerleaders."
When Qin Xiong arrived at the airport in Copenhagen on May 23, he did not expect to see hundreds of China fans outside the airport to welcome him to the national team.
There were no bodyguards accompanying him on this trip. The fans directly surrounded Qin Xiong, taking photos and hoping to get his autograph. Qin Xiong patiently greeted the fans, smiled and chatted for a while, and then got into the car sent by the national team to pick him up.
Liu Yi, Zhang Pengfei, and Shao Jiayi came to pick him up. After getting into the car, Qin Xiong tiredly leaned against the car seat and fell asleep.
The journey was a bit exhausting. After arriving at the hotel where the national team was staying, Qin Xiong went straight back to his room to rest. He only showed up for dinner in the evening.
"Captain, good job!"
Sun Xiang gave Qin Xiong a thumbs up. The other players smiled and looked at Qin Xiong with reverence.
In terms of his achievements in the Grassi world alone, Qin Xiong had almost reached the peak of modern Asian football players!
And he was still very young. He had become a "god" in the hearts of many new China young people who loved football!
He was no longer an idol, he was a god!
Qin Xiong had reached the summit of Europe twice in three years. Although the attention he received after the game was still second only to Henry, the real honor and the glory of being the MVP of the Champions League final twice had allowed him to climb to a height that was previously unreachable in the hearts of the Asian fans.
Qin Xiong smiled and greeted everyone. For this World Cup, Ali Khan brought almost all the champions of the AFC Asian Cup two years ago to Europe.
At the World Cup, with the foundation of the China team, it was naturally impossible to talk about training the players. Therefore, other than Zhou Haibin, the rest of the young seedlings were not brought.
So what if they were brought?
Would Ali Khan dare to use them?
Could he count on them?
As for bringing the old Hao Haidong, it was indeed inappropriate, but perhaps Arihan just didn't want to cruelly exclude the veteran general who had worked hard for both merits and hard work from the list.
On the day when Qin Xiong and the China team met in Copenhagen.
Freddy also had what he thought was the last contract renewal negotiation with Dane.
Although the negotiation wasn't something that could be finalized in a single meeting, Freddy felt that there was no need for them to continue if they couldn't reach an agreement during this formal negotiation.
At night, Freddy stood in front of the window of the hotel suite, overlooking the night view of the streets of London.
He recalled the negotiation with Dane during the day.
The terms brought by Dane could not be said to be lacking in sincerity. By making Qin Xiong the second highest paid player in Arsenal's team, it also gave Qin Xiong the position of a core player in the new era.
It was just that the weekly salary of 101,000 pounds sounded a little funny, just to symbolically be a little higher than Campbell's weekly salary of 100,000 pounds. It showed the stinginess of Arsenal's financial control.
It was just that today was different from the past. If it were six months ago, or a year ago, Freddy would have definitely accepted the contract without hesitation.
But Qin Xiong already had a personal new idea. He wanted to be the king of Arsenal!
Surpass Henry!
This was not the conflict between him and Henry.
To be precise, it was his determination to tie his future to Arsenal.
Because once Arsenal gave him the conditions he wanted, then the contract would inevitably be the longest contract, which was five years!
Adding up the total, Qin Xiong would play for Arsenal for at least six years!
Unless there was a major change in the middle, or Qin Xiong chose to leave before the last year of the contract, Qin Xiong would play for the team for a longer time, then he would be a veteran player.
There was a luxury in football called loyalty.
But loyalty could not be equated with selfless dedication.
Qin Xiong could not bet his youth and future on Arsenal's verbal promise.
He needed a substantial guarantee.
That was the position he wanted in the team!
Freddy offered a new condition to Dane.
A treatment that would surpass Henry!
For the rest of his life, he would never forget Dane's dumbfounded expression when he heard the new conditions.
In this year-long contract renewal negotiation, both sides were constantly playing games. In the process of the game, Arsenal raised the conditions bit by bit, and Qin Xiong's side also raised the new conditions bit by bit.
When it came to the final showdown, it was still a game of drama and plot.
Dane's expression was ugly as he told Freddy to wait for news. He needed to talk to the board of directors and the manager, Wenger, about the matter.
It was not a problem to let Qin Xiong surpass Campbell. With Qin Xiong's contribution, no one would say anything about him getting such a position.
But Henry was too special. He was Highbury's monument. He was the genius killer that Arsenal had waited a hundred years for.
Qin Xiong was very good. His contribution to the team in the past two years could not go unnoticed. But to really challenge Henry's position?
About 90% of Arsenal's people only had one thought: Qin Xiong wanted to beat Henry. Sure, but in a few years!
In a few years, Henry would be old!
In other words, in the Arsenal Football Club, no player could shake Henry's position. The only thing that could shake Henry's position was time!
Freddy was very supportive of Qin Xiong's idea.
It was not because of monetary benefits.
It was because he understood Qin Xiong.
Qin Xiong had a deep and farsighted plan for his career.
He was not like Henry, who had spent his youth in Highbury and brought surprises to the fans. He had accompanied the club through the years. Henry's hard work was something that Qin Xiong did not have at the moment.
However, Qin Xiong was not a person who would "bang the bell for one day." He had a long-term plan for his future.
He was now gambling his future on Arsenal!
What Arsenal had to do was also a gamble. As for whether Arsenal dared to do it, whether they wanted to do it, or whether they could do it, that was Arsenal's problem.
Qin Xiong played his last card. He also made up his mind to "pledge his loyalty."
He was the kind of man who would shoulder the responsibility.
He would work hard to return what Arsenal had given him tenfold or a hundredfold.
So, from the beginning to the end, Freddy did not threaten Qin Xiong with a transfer. After all, Qin Xiong did not owe Arsenal anything. On the contrary, Qin Xiong had made a hundred times more valuable contribution with a low salary in the past two years. Compared to Reyes, Robin van Persie, and Hleb, who was signed last season, Qin Xiong's contribution was greater than all of them combined, but his salary was similar to each of them.
Was this normal?
There was nothing to talk about loyalty. Qin Xiong did not come from Arsenal's youth training system. Instead, what kind of means did Ashley Cole, who came from the Arsenal's youth training system, use to threaten the club? What kind of situation had it become?
The matter was actually very simple.
Qin Xiong was improving. He either went to a bigger stage or rose to the ideal height he needed. Otherwise, why must he stay at Arsenal?
The time to test the courage of Arsenal's club had arrived.
Did he dare to bet his future on Qin Xiong?!
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