On the 21st of May, at the first glimmer of dawn, Tang En was awakened by the pitter-patter of water outside the window. The raindrops hit the glass window and made a continuous sound. Only then did he notice that it was indeed raining today. Yesterday's weather forecast only said that there might be rain, so the team was asked to make two preparations in the tactical meeting. Different preparations were needed to play in a rainy environment and a sunny environment.
Opening the window, the cold morning wind poured in through the window on the eleventh floor, causing Tang En, who was bare-chested, to shiver. The air conditioner was on in the room, but the temperature difference inside and outside was not big. If it did not rain, the weather would be perfect for playing in the finals.
In the misty rain, the spire of the hotel where Chelsea was staying in the distance could no longer be seen. The huge figure of the Luzhniki Stadium was faintly discernible. Tang En stretched, turned off the air conditioner, and went to wash up.
※ ※ ※
In the afternoon, the outside of the Luzhniki Stadium gradually became lively.
Fans from both sides rushed over from the United Kingdom to the stadium, and the vehicles of many television media outlets drove in one after another. Construction machinery such as cranes were busy hanging the team flags of both teams in the finals above the outer wall of the stadium's main entrance in order to separate the two teams of fans, allowing the excited crowd to enter from two different passageways according to the team they supported to avoid chaos. Everyone knew what the English fans would do when they had too much to drink.
The flags of the sponsors were planted all over the square around the stadium, fluttering in the wind in the pitter-patter of rain.
Some people just treated it as a holiday, while others poured all their enthusiasm into it.
"Third time! Third time in a row! " Skinny Bill stood in front of the main entrance of the Luzhniki Stadium, looking up at the giant Nottingham Forest team emblem hanging directly above the main entrance and shouting excitedly.
"It's a pity Michael isn't with us …" Someone behind him sighed.
Fat John patted him. "He has his own life. We have our own lives too. Our lives are here to witness the team lift the championship trophy again! When that time comes, Bill will shout 'fourth time, fourth time!' "
"Ahaha —"
"Nottingham Forest — champion! Nottingham Forest — champion! "
※ ※ ※
The stadium was built half a century ago and was now the home of two Russian Premier League teams — Sparta Moscow and Torpedo Moscow. Today, it temporarily belonged to two teams from England — Nottingham Forest and Chelsea.
When Pierce Brosnan followed his fellow reporters into the stadium, the fans had already begun to check in for admission. With a large number of police patrolling and meticulous security measures, the scene was orderly. But Brosnan knew that the real test was actually at the beginning and after the game. The losing side was bound to have someone who could not accept the cruel reality and would do something bad. If there was some alcohol and verbal provocation from the opposing fans … it would be a disaster.
Some reporters from England gathered together to eat the free fast food provided by the stadium while excitedly discussing whether the English Premier League was already the best football league in the world. Then the topic quickly changed to whether English football was the best in Europe.
Brosnan had no interest in such a topic. He did not eat the free dinner provided by the stadium. He only took a box of milk to drink. He was not hungry, just a little thirsty. At the same time, he looked around at the stadium stands that were gradually filling up. This was a comprehensive stadium that was once the main venue of the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow. There was a red plastic track outside the stadium, so the stands were a little far from the field. For the English spectators, it might be a little uncomfortable. But Pierce did not have such a problem. As a reporter, he followed the team all over the world and saw all kinds of stadiums. This summer, he would also follow the team to China to see that mysterious country.
Someone in the group recognized Pierce Brosnan. With the rise of Nottingham Forest in European football, the reporter from the Nottingham Evening Post, who had always followed and reported on the Nottingham Forest team, also rose to fame and became famous in the circle of reporters. He was no longer the unknown intern he used to be.
They enthusiastically invited Brosnan to join in to discuss the topic — how strong was the strength of English football?
Brosnan felt that this group of people really had nothing better to do — they were all holding leftover fast food packaging in their hands — what was there to discuss about this topic?
So, he mercilessly poured cold water on it.
"Two teams from England have reached the UEFA Champions League final, but ironically, our England team did not even reach the final stage of the UEFA European Championship."
As soon as he said this, everyone was silent. It really did not feel good to watch other people's excitement this summer.
"Hey, Pierce. You're talking more and more like that bastard Tony. " There were still some people who expressed a little dissatisfaction. After all, it was a little annoying to disturb the mood of other people's conversation.
"Is it acrimonious?" Brosnan was not angry when he heard it. Instead, he was happy because he thought of Dunn, who was brought to Wilford three years ago. At that time, he was quiet like an autistic person, which at one time made those British people who knew nothing about China think that all of China was like that.
We've all been affected by that man …
※ ※ ※
That man was sitting in the team's bus at this time, waiting for the police car to open the way at the entrance of the stadium to lead them into the designated parking area. The others were busy with their own things. Some listened to music, some closed their eyes to rest, and some waved to the fans below. As for him, he was observing the Lenin statue in the square.
As someone born in the 80s, seeing Lenin's statue still gave him some different feelings.
Ah, Great God Lenin, although your red flag of communism has not been planted all over the world, my Nottingham Forest red is about to become the main color of European football in this era. Come, let the whole of Europe, the whole world, tremble under our "red terror"! Wahahahaha …
Sitting next to him, Dunn noticed that Tang En suddenly laughed. He turned his head and asked curiously, "What's wrong?"
"No, it's nothing." Tang En looked at the Lenin statue outside and laughed. "I had a dream: Overnight, the whole world turned red."
Dunn thought about it. "That will increase the number of people with high blood pressure …"
"Idiot!" Tang En scolded. However, Dunn pulled him out of his beautiful vision. He found that the sky outside had darkened, and the street lights around the stadium were all lit up. Through the tall outer wall of the stadium, the lights in the stadium overflowed and illuminated the entire sky.
It was still raining, but Tang En would not be like the first time he led the team into the Champions League final and worry blindly about the lousy weather for the whole night. Rain if you want. My team is fighting 24/7!
"Warm up, warm up! It's a little cold tonight. Don't let your joints get rusty from the rain! Get your bodies warmed up! " Kerslake's loud voice rang out at the door of the locker room. This had become a routine before every game.
Under his urging, the players did not dare to stay in the locker room for a second longer. They changed and ran out, passing through another tunnel and into the curtain of rain.
"Tony." Kerslake called out when he saw that everyone had left and only Tang En was left in the locker room.
"Hmm?" Tang En did not even lift his eyelids. He sat in his chair to rest.
"The rain outside is getting heavier."
"I got it. Thank you, David. "
Kerslake nodded and turned to run out.
※ ※ ※
When Kerslake came out of the locker room and entered the field, Dunn was already supervising the players with the other coaches as they warmed up. He walked to Dunn's side and looked at the situation for a while before shaking his head. "This turf is really lousy."
Dunn nodded. "We hastily changed the turf, and we ran into this kind of rain."
"Even if we don't change the turf, it's still lousy." Kerslake shrunk his neck and grimaced. "Artificial turf … is really hateful."
Due to the special weather in Russia, the maintenance of the natural turf in the stadiums of the various clubs was a huge expense. Moreover, during the winter, it was difficult for the natural turf to survive in the cold weather. Most teams played on the dirt ground, which greatly increased the chances of players getting injured. Taking these circumstances into account, the UEFA had approved the use of artificial turf at the Luzhniki Stadium a few years ago. Since then, the stadium had become a "devil's home ground" in another sense.
Due to the particularity of the artificial turf, the movement of the football on it was very different from that of the natural turf. As a result, many teams that were used to playing on the natural turf were at a disadvantage when playing on this field. In addition to the fact that the artificial turf was more likely to injure the players than the natural turf, the other biggest difference was that the football rolled faster on the artificial turf and the rebound pattern was different. It was more slippery than the natural turf. If there was water, it would be no different from an ice-skating rink. McClaren's England team lost to the Russian team in the away game of the UEFA European Championship qualifier. In addition to their own problems, the artificial turf also helped the Russians a lot.
Therefore, before the game, the two participating clubs negotiated with the UEFA about the turf at the Luzhniki Stadium. They believed that playing the Champions League final on the artificial turf was not conducive to both sides playing at the highest level. The excitement of the game and the value of the championship would be greatly reduced.
Therefore, after the UEFA negotiated with Moscow, the artificial turf at the Luzhniki Stadium was finally replaced with natural turf before the game. It was just that how long the turf, which was hastily laid, could last in the heavy rain and how effective it would be. It was really a big question mark.
"I can only hope that the drainage system of the stadium can play its best role …" Dunn muttered.
※ ※ ※
When the players finished their warm-up and returned to the locker room from the field, everyone was like a drowned rat. Neatly folded dry towels and dry jerseys were placed on each of their chairs.
"Don't catch a cold. Hurry up and dry off and change into dry clothes." Kerslake also walked into the locker room dripping wet. He did not bother to wipe the water droplets on his face before shouting first. He was really a responsible assistant manager.
"How's the situation on the field?" Tang En asked Dunn.
"It's going to have some bad effects on the game." He did not say "it's going to have a bad effect on us" because he knew the adverse effects were directed at both sides of the game.
"There's nothing to worry about. We have a headache, and so does the people next door." Tang En shook his head and did not take the weather seriously. His mood now was much more relaxed than when he faced such a situation in the past.
The locker room was messy and noisy. Everyone was busy changing clothes, and some people turned on the music to relax. Tang En, Dunn, and Kerslake also chatted casually. Where was the tension before the final? If a Nottingham Forest fan suddenly barged in and saw this scene, he would definitely be disappointed with the team's performance.
But when Tang En finished chatting with the people around him and stood up from his seat, it all ended.
The players consciously quieted down, and the noisy rock music stopped abruptly.
"All right, all right, guys." Tang En waved his hands and gestured for everyone to sit down. He did not want anyone to stand higher than him.
"It's another final match. Eh, why did I say 'another'? "Tang En's words amused everyone. Of course, they did not laugh because it was an imitation of Stephen Chow's lines, but because it was the reality of their situation. Ever since they followed Tony Twain, they always faced all kinds of finals. They always had an affinity with the champions.
"We always have an affinity with the champions. In the four seasons since our return to the Premier League, we've reached three Champions League finals. When we were still in League One, we picked up the EFL Cup title, and this season we've won the Premier League title. There aren't many teams in the world of football that crazily loot champions like us. But I don't want you to have any mental fatigue after winning these championships, because … "
Tang En paused for a moment. He had to whet the appetite of this group of people.
"Ever since the restructuring of the UEFA Champions League, there hasn't been a team in the football world that has successfully won the trophy two years in a row. I'm absolutely not exaggerating when I say it's a 'great undertaking.' There's a big difference between winning the title for the first time and defending the title. Personally, I think it's harder to defend the title than to win it for the first time. Why? Because we've become the target of public criticism. We've become a target! Those people hold shotguns and crouch in a corner you can't see, wanting to shoot when you're not paying attention! It's a pity that we weren't beaten down by them. We went all the way to the final … Without any controversy, we've made it to the final three years in a row! This is a very remarkable achievement, guys! But if we can make it to the final three times in a row and pick up the trophy two times in a row, it'll be even more remarkable! "He waved his arms vigorously. Tang En's" showtime "had arrived.
"Why not? No team has ever done it. Why can't we be the 'first'?! Think about it. Long after this game, people will talk about Nottingham Forest and say, 'They're the first team to successfully defend the title after the restructuring of the Champions League!' We're also champions, so we'll take the best and most unique title! There are many teams in this world that can win the championship, but they're different from us, because we're Nottingham Forest! Even if we win the championship, we'll do better than those teams! What's so great about winning the championship? Not only do we want to win the championship, but we also want to win the historical record! "
Some of the players below were already making whimpering noises. They were not booing Tang En, but they could not help but want to scream out of excitement.
"The UEFA Champions League has been around for 53 years. There have been countless teams and players who have won the championship. But today, you have the chance to carve your names on that trophy forever, in the history of the Champions League, in the history of European football! As long as you win the championship. "
Tang En looked at the people around him. He was very satisfied with their emotions.
"Do you hate being champions?" he asked loudly.
"No!" The players also answered loudly.
"Are you afraid of being champions?"
"No!"
"Do you feel sorry for your opponents because you've won too many championships?!"
"How is that possible!"
"Then go and win! Go and win for them to see! "
※ ※ ※
PS: Some readers have asked in the book review section why they did not see the plot of the Wenchuan earthquake. Although I've already repeatedly explained it in the book review section, to avoid trouble, I'll focus my answers here, hoping to dispel the doubts of those who still have doubts:
As for the catastrophe that happened in the real world, I, as an ordinary person, was powerless and had no way to deal with it. Those days are still deeply engraved in my heart. Some people say that I've forgotten? That's absolutely impossible. It's impossible to forget such a thing, even if you want to.
But in the world I created, I'm God. I can control many things, including the movement of the earth's crust …
So, in the world of "The Champion Godfather," there will not be a 5.12 earthquake in Wenchuan. Everything is normal. There will not be 100,000 deaths, millions of people will not be homeless, their families will not be broken up, and they will not be homeless. The people of Sichuan, Gansu, Shaanxi … all the people of China will not be in fear all day long.
That Sichuan kid named Chen Jian may be working hard now, planning a beautiful future for his unborn child. And another Sichuan kid with the same name as him is sweating like rain in North Wilford, training hard and fighting hard for his dreams.
So, this is it. In the world of "The Champion Godfather," there will be no earthquakes and no deaths.
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