Chapter 206: Before the Champions League Kick-off
The 2013/2014 Premier League season had come to an end.
The final standings were set.
Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester City and Liverpool finished first through fourth respectively, and all qualified for the Champions League.
Sir Alex Ferguson's Manchester United finished seventh in his final season — the worst finish of Ferguson's managerial career, marking the end of an era.
When Sir Alex Ferguson tearfully apologized at Old Trafford, Arsène Wenger in Colney also shed tears.
Wenger raised a glass toward Manchester.
Other Premier League teams took a break. Because of the World Cup, England internationals hired private coaches to keep fit at their own expense; with Xia Qi's help they trained at Colney together with him.
The success of players like Xia Qi, Kevin De Bruyne and Martínez made Arsène Wenger more prominent than ever — widely recognized as the coach who develops talent best.
So training at Colney was attractive; most members of the England squad showed up.
World Cup training was mainly about recovery — letting the body rest without becoming too relaxed.
For some reason, if players don't manage themselves for a month, their bodies change easily, especially bellies and calf muscles, which can look awful.
Look at players returning from beach holidays each season — the muscle rebound is absurd.
Xia Qi trained with national teammates; though they didn't work on tactics, they couldn't help talking about playing habits and sharing tips.
Xia Qi's closeness with them grew. His rapport with Raheem Sterling and Steven Gerrard rose past eighty — they had developed a telepathic understanding.
As time passed, all of Europe was talking about the Champions League final.
Would Cristiano Ronaldo lift the trophy back where his dream began, or would Arsenal complete the grand slam and establish a dynasty after Manchester United and Liverpool?
On 20 May 2014, Lisbon donned its Champions League attire.
UEFA had turned the final into a festival; both teams arrived three days early.
During those three days, Lisbon hosted a different football-related cultural performance each day.
Xia Qi's star power still couldn't match Cristiano Ronaldo. Their flights arrived around the same time, but many more media were there for Cristiano Ronaldo.
Part of that was because Cristiano was local, but there was no denying Real Madrid and Manchester United had far bigger platforms than Arsenal.
For the Penguin broadcast crew, that was good — they finally broke through crowds and put a microphone in front of Xia Qi.
"Hello Xia Qi, I'm from Penguin Sports—"
Xia Qi smiled and interrupted: "Mr. Zhan, I know you. I like listening to your commentary. Could you get a signature from Zhang Lu for me?"
Zhan Jun felt odd — shouldn't he be asking Xia Qi for an autograph?
Wait!
You like my commentary but want Zhang Lu's autograph?
Is that a healthy kind of fandom?
"I definitely want to visit China. I want to see the Yellow River, try authentic Shanxi noodles, and figure out how to eat doufubao correctly…"
"Who's greater, me or Cristiano Ronaldo? Right now it's definitely Cristiano; I'm just a rising star. But I believe I'll eventually surpass him. The younger surpassing the elder is the source of social progress — football is no different."
"Can you give any advice to Chinese football?"
"No. Playing and managing are completely different. I can't give management advice. But one principle applies: quantitative change leads to qualitative change…look at the football populations in England and Germany compared to Italy…"
Outside the hotel, countless fans in Arsenal red blocked the entrance chanting Xia Qi's name.
After Xia Qi stepped out, he saw a five- or six-year-old boy on his father's shoulders holding up a Xia Qi poster, shouting for an autograph.
Xia Qi took the pen offered and signed his Chinese name on the poster.
He signed for at least twenty to thirty people. The crowd kept swelling and he couldn't finish.
Xia Qi had to slip back into the hotel under security escort.
The next day Arsène Wenger gave the players half a day off.
In the morning they had free time; at four in the afternoon they went to the Luz Stadium for the pitch.
Fans were everywhere outside the hotel; Xia Qi and the others didn't dare go out. They lifted some weights in the gym and played a few rounds of Pro Evolution Soccer with Mario Balotelli.
…
…
24 May 2014
Xia Qi looked out the window and saw fewer fans — they had headed to the Luz Stadium.
At five in the afternoon they boarded the team bus.
Pedestrians wore jerseys — either Real Madrid white or Arsenal red — as if they had nothing else to wear.
Cristiano Ronaldo's No.7 and Arsenal's No.9 were the most common.
Billboards and lampposts along the route were plastered with both teams' logos and player posters.
As the egg-shaped outline of the Luz Stadium came into view, a huge banner loomed up.
UEFA's giant poster for the final showed Xia Qi and Cristiano Ronaldo standing with arms folded, each flanked in the background by heroic images of their teammates' goal celebrations: Balotelli's driven strikes, Theo Walcott's curled shots, Kevin De Bruyne's pumped fist…
Cristiano Ronaldo's side had similar vignettes.
For a moment the final's grim determination hit like a gust, and silence fell inside the bus.
Fans outside the Luz were so numerous the bus drove straight into the stadium.
After getting off, Wenger headed straight to the pre-match press conference.
Wenger and Carlo Ancelotti were not bombastic coaches; the two traded some mutual commercial compliments before the game.
Xia Qi and the others changed and went out to warm up.
Inside the Luz, both sets of fans sang club songs as loud as they could to drown the other side out.
When Xia Qi and his teammates appeared on the pitch, cheers and boos erupted.
Xia Qi stamped the turf and told his teammates: "Be careful, they've just watered the pitch."
"You mean Real Madrid want to out-posses us?"
"Maybe that's not Ancelotti's plan."
"Come on, every Portuguese wants Cristiano to win."
"Okay, don't overthink. Their ceremonial midfield is strong, but our Godín isn't bad either…"
"Heh…"
Half an hour later, inside Arsenal's dressing room,
Wenger gave his final talk: "When you step out that door I want you to forget the grand slam promise and be light. Our opponents are very strong — perhaps the strongest Real Madrid ever — but we are also the strongest Gunners ever.
Becoming Champions League winners is hard. Defending it is even harder, but that shouldn't be a burden…"
"Champions belong to Arsenal!"
"Gunners, be fearless."
(END CHAPTER)
Thank you for the support, friends. If you want to read more chapters in advance, go to my Patreon.
Read 30 Chapters In Advance: patreon.com/Bankai10