The town of Alpadro Breguete.
This town was about 12 kilometers southwest of Barcelona. It was where the Barcelona Airport was located. Barcelona had three airports. This airport was the main one in Barcelona. There was also an airport in Girona (another small city near Barcelona) that was dedicated to low-cost airlines. Another small city, Reus, also had an airport, but it was not usually used.
The Inter Milan team had arrived. There were already many media reporters waiting in the airport hall.
"They're here!"
With a shout, everyone saw the Inter Milan players file in. Walking in front was the Inter Milan Argentinian defender, Samuels. He was chatting with his fellow Argentinian, Burdisso. Behind the two, the Inter Milan players began to appear in twos and threes. Walking at the back was the Inter Milan manager, Li Ang. He was with his assistants.
"Why don't I see Carlos?" Some people were surprised to find that one person was missing. Inter Milan's midfield warrior, the Spanish national footballer, Juan Carlos, was not among these people.
This was a big discovery.
"The news we got from Milan is that when they set off from Malpensa Airport, Carlos set off together."
"Did something happen?"
"Could it be that Carlos annoyed Li Ang for some reason and was sent back to Milan directly?" A Catalonia reporter said maliciously.
*****
This was a very ordinary bar in Barcelona. It was a place where the fans gathered as the match day approached.
The sports news was playing on the wall-mounted TV.
"Barcelona is an opponent I like very much." On the TV screen, the Inter Milan manager said with a smile on his face.
However, in the eyes of the Barcelona fans, this smile was as disgusting as it could be.
This smile immediately made the bad memories in their hearts overflow. In the 20042005 season, Sporting de Gijón, coached by Li Ang, practically trampled Barcelona, who had led for most of the season, under their feet and forcibly snatched the La Liga title.
After that, Li Ang left La Liga and went to Italy to coach Inter Milan. However, the pain he brought to Barcelona continued. In the 20052006 season, Inter Milan defeated Barcelona in the final of the UEFA Champions League and stood at the top of Europe.
It could be said that Li Ang had stepped on Barcelona's corpses and pain to forge his glory as a world-class commander!
Which team's fans hated Li Ang the most in European football? Barcelona's fans definitely ranked second. Number one? Of course, it was Real Madrid. Everyone on Earth knew about the love and hate story between Li Ang and Real Madrid.
"Damn China Lao!"
"Sh * t!"
"Kill him!"
The Barcelona fans cursed incessantly.
*****
However, the Barcelona fans' attention was then attracted by a piece of news broadcast on TV.
"Among the Inter Milan players who arrived in Barcelona, we did not see Juan Carlos. The latest news we received was that Carlos did not come with the team. He disappeared from the team's big list before the flight took off from Malpensa Airport."
"The latest news is that Carlos's wife, Lily Bianco, may be in premature labor. Lily Bianco has entered a ward in a hospital in downtown Milan to await delivery. When the team was about to leave for Barcelona, Carlos received a call from the hospital. His wife is about to give birth …"
There was a sudden burst of whistles and applause in the bar.
These Barcelona fans were naturally not congratulating Carlos on being a father. They were happy that Carlos would be absent from the game against Barcelona. Now everyone was well aware of the importance of Carlos to Inter Milan.
Liverpool manager Benítez, who was previously eliminated by Inter Milan, once said that with Carlos on the field, Inter Milan's defense would at least improve by two levels. "The defensive strength of Inter Milan with Carlos is completely different from that of Inter Milan without Carlos."
The opponent's praise and fear were the most persuasive.
Of course, from the time when Li Ang was in charge of Sporting de Gijón, the Barcelona fans had a good understanding of Li Ang's team. They also knew more about the importance of Juan Carlos in Li Ang's team's tactical system.
It could be said that Carlos was the least flashy and most inconspicuous part of Li Ang's Li-On tactics, but he was also the most important part. This defensive warrior was the most important one to maintain the stability of the team's midfield. With Carlos on the field, Inter Milan's defensive line was equivalent to having a layer of protection. Only then could they display their powerful offensive strength!
Therefore, when they heard the news that Carlos did not come to Barcelona with the team because his wife was about to give birth, the Barcelona fans were naturally overjoyed. It could even be said that they cheered and celebrated.
"Awesome!"
"I love this child who is about to be born!"
"I bet this child must be a Barcelona fan!"
"If this child is talented in playing football in the future, he will definitely wear the Barcelona shirt!"
The Barcelona fans laughed and discussed.
Obviously, because of this news, they seemed to be more confident that the team would take down Inter Milan on their home ground.
*****
"How is it?" Li Ang asked.
He was on the phone with his wife, Alice. As Carlos's sister, Alice was naturally guarding in the hospital at this time.
"She's already in the delivery room and hasn't come out yet," Alice said. "Dear, I'm a little scared."
"What are you afraid of? Medicine is so advanced now. It's easier to give birth than a hen laying eggs." Li Ang smiled and comforted her. He knew that Alice was pregnant now, so she would be affected and subconsciously let her imagination run wild.
"What are you saying …" Alice said angrily.
"How's Juan?" Li Ang asked again.
"He's been walking around. He looks very worried." Alice glanced at her brother, who was pacing around outside the delivery room, looking very nervous and worried.
"Ha, I didn't expect him to be promoted to a father first as the younger brother," Li Ang said with a smile. After chatting with his wife for a while, Li Ang ended the call.
Originally, Carlos insisted on coming to Barcelona with the team, but Li Ang was firm and did not let Carlos come with the team. It was not because Carlos was his brother-in-law, but because he noticed that Carlos seemed uneasy after receiving the call. After all, Carlos was only twenty-one years old. He was going to be a father at such a young age. It could be said that it was the most important thing in a man's life. Even some fathers-to-be in their thirties would be nervous and uneasy, let alone Carlos, a young man. Carlos must be worried and stressed. It would be difficult for him to concentrate on the game, so he simply gave Carlos a holiday.
You've already exceeded your reading limit for today. If you want to read more, please log in.
Login
Select text and click 'Report' to let us know about any bad translation.
