All of a sudden, Tang En became a busy man again. Many local media outlets in Nottingham lined up in hopes of interviewing him. Television stations, newspapers, the internet … As a manager who had led the team to the Champions League semi-finals two years in a row, he was worthy of such treatment.
Last season, Tang En led the team to the Champions League finals and could still be seen as a dark horse. Perhaps some people disdainfully thought it was "dogsh * t luck."
This year, they reached the semifinals again and eliminated the defending champion, Barcelona. Those who thought Tang En had "dogsh * t luck" had nothing to say.
Once was a coincidence, but was it still a coincidence twice?
There were only a handful of excellent managers in England's history, and most of them came from Scotland. In the early days of modern football, the Scots were the first to innovate in football tactics. At that time, there were almost no tactics to speak of in football. Offense was to let the striker dribble the ball towards the goal and then kick the ball in. It was no different from the rookies who did not know how to play football now. It was the Scots who changed everything. They reformed the headless tactics to rely on continuous passing to advance. It seemed simple now, but it was like what American astronaut Armstrong said when he first landed on the moon: "One small step for me is one giant leap for mankind." A simple reform broadened the horizons of people engaged in football, and passing became an indispensable technique and tactic in football in the future.
As the pioneer of football tactical reform, Scotland did not produce any world-renowned outstanding players. Instead, they produced a large number of world-class managers. The current Manchester United manager, Ferguson, was a Scot.
Compared to their northern neighbors, the achievements of the English in this area were more limited. Although there were great people like Chapman, they were still behind the Scots in terms of overall numbers.
Moreover, since the 66 World Cup, England had not produced a truly world-class manager.
For example, the current England manager, McClaren, was the product of choosing a general from a dwarf. Because of the ridiculous stubbornness of the English Football Association, they were more willing to look for English people. They believed that only their own people would give wholeheartedly to their country's team. Only then would there be so-called loyalty. A foreigner like Eriksson, whose mind was only filled with money, was really unsettling.
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"Tony Twain is now the most popular English manager. This Nottingham Forest manager, after taking over the team three seasons ago, he used one season to bring the team to the Premier League and win the EFL Cup. In his second season, he led the team to qualify for the Champions League. In his third season, he led the team into the Champions League final and almost won the title with one less player. "
Twain was lying on his back on the sofa, happily watching a program about him on the television. The program had already put him on par with the four managers, Ferguson, Wenger, Benítez and Mourinho. Although he had only won one EFL Cup title, leading the team to the Champions League semi-finals for two years in a row was not something any manager could do. The Argentine coach, Cooper, had led Valencia to the Champions League final for two years in a row. Although he did not win a title in the end, he still established his position in the world of football.
Of course, Tang En's goal was not to be like Cooper, which was to fight his way into the finals. This time, no matter which team was waiting for him in the final, he had to win.
"What interests us is that Tony Twain, who has achieved this, is not even 40 years old. Although the European football world is now dominated by young managers, compared to Van Basten, Rijkaard, Deschamps and Ancelotti, he is still too young. Moreover, this young manager always seems to be shrouded in a mysterious aura. Peter Shilton once commented that his mentor, Brian Clough, had a mysterious X gene in him. I think Tony Twain might have the same gene in him. An accident at the side of the pitch created this young and promising manager … "
The scene of Twain standing on the sidelines and using rich body language to direct the game appeared on the television screen, which made Tang En very happy. What used to be an ordinary football fan had now become a celebrity specially introduced by the television. Who did not want to become famous?
Just as Tang En was reveling in admiring himself on the television, the screen in front of him turned black with a beep.
Lying on the sofa, he looked up at Shania, who was standing behind him. "Hey, Shania, give me the remote control …"
"Don't 'hey', Uncle Tony. I've already changed, and you're still lying on the sofa in a T-shirt watching TV? " Shania threw the remote control on the sofa a little further away. Toto the cat immediately pounced over and pressed the remote control under its body.
Seeing this scene, Tang En let out a strange cry. "Does this damn cat already have this kind of tacit understanding with you?"
Shania raised her head proudly and then said sternly to Tang En, "Alright, Uncle Tony, go change your clothes!"
"What's so good about changing into a man's clothes? Isn't it just a suit? "Tang En grumbled as he got up from the sofa and went upstairs to change his clothes.
Shania, who had changed into an evening gown, saw him go upstairs and grabbed Toto. She took out the remote control and secretly turned on the television. The show was still going on. She looked at the high-spirited Uncle Tony on the screen and smiled.
Today was the rest day after the league tournament. Armani Company had a dinner party in London in the evening. As the spokesperson model for the Armani brand, Shania was naturally invited. She planned to bring Tang En along. Didn't she mention to Tang En some time ago that she wanted to improve his image and distance him from the "country bumpkin" image? Shania thought this dinner party was an opportunity. Following the rise of Nottingham Forest's results, Uncle Tony's popularity in the celebrity circle also grew. When everyone discussed football together, they would ask Shania about her "Uncle Tony." Everyone knew that there was such a young, arrogant, handsome, and promising manager in Nottingham, England. Moreover, due to his personal relationships with Judy Shania Jordana, Clarice Gloria, and the Beckhams, he was closer to the fashion and entertainment circles …
"Shania!" Tang En's voice came from upstairs. "Do you want a tie or a bow tie?"
"A bow tie!" Shania shouted. "I've put it on your bed!"
After a while, Tang En walked down from upstairs. He was wearing a black suit and a black bow tie on the collar of his white shirt. "I feel like I look silly right now. I've never worn a bow tie before." He stood on the stairs and spread his arms wide for Shania to see.
Shania stood up from the sofa and bounced up to greet him. She looked him up and down carefully. "You'll look more presentable if you dress up a little." She nodded and commented.
"Like those waiters in Indian restaurants?" Tang En bowed slightly. "Would you like to order anything, beautiful lady? Our curry chicken here tastes terrible. I suggest you go to the Chinese restaurant across the street to try some Kung Pao chicken. "
Shania covered her mouth and laughed. "A waiter like you will be fired by the boss. We're going out, Uncle Tony. Mr. Fasal should be here soon. "
Just as she finished speaking, a car horn sounded outside the door.
"What chemistry." Tang En jumped down from above and extended his hand to Shania. "Please."
Shania giggled and hugged Tang En's outstretched hand. The two opened the door and walked out.
Fasal's car was parked by the side of the road. Hearing the horn, Dunn opened the door and poked his head out. He saw Tang En and Shania about to leave.
"Ah, Dunn, did you record the program just now?" Tang En suddenly remembered when he saw him.
Dunn nodded.
"Well done. I knew you'd record it. Show it to me when I get back. "
Dunn nodded again.
"Then … Shania and I are going out." He pointed to the car parked at the door.
Dunn continued to nod.
"Don't you want to say something?" Tang En was unhappy with Dunn's silent attitude of only staring at him.
"Goodbye." With that, Dunn shrunk back and closed the door again.
The unhappy Tang En was dragged into the car by Shania with a smile.
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"London, this colorful world …" Tang En muttered to himself as he looked at the London streets outside. "Compared to this noisy big city, I prefer a small city like Nottingham."
"The British have a rustic complex." Fasal, who was driving in front, said with a smile. "I don't like big cities either. I have a manor in Scotland. You can bring Shania along to play during the holidays. "
Tang En turned his head to look at Shania and then said to Fasal, "Thank you in advance."
As they spoke, they had already arrived at the hotel where the dinner was being held.
The parking lot was already full of cars. There was a constant stream of cars stopping at the door. The invited guests alighted and were then driven to the designated parking lot by the valet.
The two sides of the entrance were crowded with the media and star-chasers who had rushed over after hearing the news.
"What a big scene." Tang En whistled.
"It doesn't match Armani's reputation if it's small," Shania said.
Someone had already come to open the car door for them. Tang En took the lead and got out. He then stood outside and helped Shania out of the car.
When Tang En appeared in front of the crowd holding Shania's hand, the flashing lights that had paused for a moment just now buzzed again.
Fortunately, Tang En and Shania were both "battle-hardened" people and did not get dizzy from the sudden light. Shania even smiled as she gestured to the media.
Tang En did not have the leisure to do so. He stood beside Shania with a straight face. He did not look like Shania's companion. If he wore a pair of sunglasses, he would look more like her bodyguard.
With great difficulty, Shania finished posing and the media were ready to leave when another car came from behind. Tang En was a little interested in who would come next. He looked back and did not expect this look to make him stop in his tracks again.
The person who came out of the car was his "old friend."
The person who appeared in front of Tang En was none other than Chelsea's manager, José Mourinho.
He looked back and saw Mourinho. Mourinho also looked up and saw him.
"Tsk, it's really a small world for enemies …" Tang En muttered softly.
Shania saw this scene from the side. She rolled her eyes and understood. She said to Tang En, "He's also a signed star of Armani. He's definitely on the list of invited guests."
"Mr. Armani's taste is uneven …" Tang En said as he extended his hand and took the initiative to walk toward Mourinho.
"Ah ha, my friend, I really didn't expect to see you everywhere." He greeted warmly.
Mourinho was clearly not mentally prepared for Tang En's appearance here. He was stunned for a moment before he reacted and greeted Tang En with a handshake. In front of the media, both parties smiled hypocritically and greeted each other as if they were very good friends.
Then, when they shook hands, he said in a low voice that the media could not hear, "I really didn't expect to see you here, Mr. Tang."
"I'm here to accompany Shania. What's so surprising about that?"
Mourinho's gaze went past Tang En and saw Shania behind him. He smiled and greeted her. But when he faced Tang En, the smile quickly disappeared.
"Can you let go of my hand, Mr. Tang?"
"Ah, of course …" Tang En let go of Mourinho's hand and said goodbye to Mourinho with a grin. "We'll see you later, Mr. Mourinho."
With that, he turned around and walked toward Shania.
"Your warm greetings are real or fake," Shania said to him. "You're not professional actors yet. I think the media would be more than happy to see you fight in real life here. "
Tang En grinned and extended his hand to let her hold it. Then he said to her, "Mourinho and I have at least one thing in common, and that is, we don't want the media to get what they want."
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Tang En was not interested in things like dinner parties. Instead, Shania pulled him to talk to Mr. Armani for a while. As a fan, Armani was also very interested in the legend of Nottingham Forest's rocket-like rise. Of course, he was more interested in the manager who created this legend — Tony Twain.
"You're younger than the Tang En I see on TV, young man." Armani said with a smile. "And younger than Mourinho."
"Mr. Armani, the two of them are going to fight again soon in the Champions League." Shania reminded Armani that the two men were competitors.
Armani nodded. "Of course, I know that. I think it's very interesting. I'm also looking forward to the showdown between two outstanding managers with unique personalities. Mourinho is also my friend. Who should I support when the time comes? It's really a headache. "
Tang En could only smirk. He did not know how to answer this question.
"I'll support whoever wins." Mourinho's voice rang out next to him. Tang En turned his head to see his opponent standing beside him with a glass of wine in his hand. Seeing Tang En looking at him, he even raised his glass in greeting.
Is this a letter of challenge? Tang En looked at Mourinho and said, "I also agree with what Mr. Mourinho said. And I think whether it's Chelsea or Nottingham Forest, once they break into the finals, the chances of winning the Champions League are very high. I wonder if Mr. Mourinho agrees? "He raised his glass and returned the salute.
"Of course. My team didn't enter the finals to almost win the Champions League."
The air between the two men seemed to be filled with positive and negative electrons, constantly colliding and creating sparks. Even a fool could see that the relationship between the two men was not good.
It was Armani who came out to smooth things over. He put his left arm around Mourinho and his right arm around Tony Twain. He smiled and patted them on the shoulder. "No matter who wins or loses, I'll support them all the same. You're both my friends, aren't you?"
With his words, the two men could no longer continue to be at each other's throats in the air.
After that, everyone casually chatted for a while. Armani went to greet the other guests, while Mourinho went straight to find his friend.
"Men are so hypocritical. They obviously can't stand each other, but they still have to beat around the bush." Shania looked at Tang En and curled her lips.
"What does a child know? All gentlemen are like this," Tang En replied, looking at Mourinho's back.
Shania scoffed at this.
"Being able to get to know Mr. Armani is the only thing I've gained today," Tang En said to Shania until he could no longer see Mourinho in the crowd.
Speaking of this, Shania laughed. "Do you know why I want to introduce Mr. Armani to you?"
Tang En thought for a moment. "Well … Mr. Armani is good friends with AC Milan's Brazilian star, Kaka. Through him, I can get to know Kaka. In the future, if … Oh, right! Maybe I can bring Kaka from Milan to Nottingham … "He punched his left fist into his right palm, looking like he had a sudden realization.
"You're so lame, Uncle Tony." Shania rolled her eyes in dissatisfaction.
"Ah, what other reason could it be?"
"Forget it, I won't tell you. You'll naturally know when the time comes!" Shania ignored Tang En and turned to greet the celebrities she was familiar with.
Tang En stood in the middle of the crowd with a glass of wine in his hand and looked around. Most of the faces were unfamiliar to him. Mourinho was surrounded by a group of women in the distance, looking very popular. Tang En viciously thought to himself that the next time they met, he would change to calling Mourinho "the idol of middle-aged and elderly women." He just did not know if Mourinho would understand the joke.
Shania was together with a group of girls dressed like models, chattering happily.
Mr. Armani, on the other hand, was greeting his guests. He looked friendly and warm to everyone. This discovery made Tang En a little depressed. He had thought he was the "special one."
"A banquet …" Tang En picked up his glass and drank the rest of the wine in it. "… Just like the taverns in fantasy novels, it's a good place to scout for information, meet new friends, and meet old enemies …"
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PS: Not yet recovered from the fever. My head still hurts a little. My legs got vasculitis. I can't walk or stand. I went to the hospital and got two injections, one in my buttocks and one in my veins. My legs are swollen and purple. I'm worried it can't be cured …
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