"Completely crushed by Liverpool at home?"
"No, I don't think we lost. We had four or five excellent chances in the match. We should have beaten Liverpool by a big score, so we didn't lose."
"And this is a two-legged tie. Losing 3-0 in the first leg doesn't mean anything. We'll come back in the second leg."
"We'll overturn this just like Liverpool overturned Bayern last season. I have full confidence in my team."
"This was not a bad day. As far as I'm concerned, the team played very well today, and we didn't lose. Absolutely not."
After the match, Ten Hag faced the reporters' questions and doubts by repeatedly insisting that his team had not lost. But the 3-0 scoreline could not fool a single Ajax fan.
"Wasn't Manchester United supposed to be very interested in Ten Hag? I think those two would be a perfect match."
"The thought of Manchester United preparing to let Ten Hag take over honestly scares me a little. In future Liverpool-Manchester United derby matches, Ten Hag's Manchester United against Klopp's Liverpool... what would that even look like?"
"A great comeback! Ten Hag completes a post-match hat trick and helps Ajax snatch a draw against Liverpool. Ajax did not lose!"
After De Jong posted online declaring himself one of Leo Lin's fanboys, many other players joined the battle for that title.
Among them was a young midfielder from Norway, but his reply under De Jong's post did not attract much attention.
Although he had already gained a little fame at this point, compared with those established stars, he still did not amount to much.
Username: young Norwegian midfielder Ødegaard!
After Liverpool defeated Ajax, many clubs entered a brief break, because the international matches had officially begun.
The Euro qualifiers, the qualifying campaign prepared for Euro 2020.
March 6, Spain against Norway. The match was about to begin.
Norway could be considered one of the stronger opponents in Spain's qualifying group, but compared with the World Cup squad from a few months earlier, Spain's current call-up list had changed completely.
After Spain won the World Cup, the legendary four-man coaching staff continued to lead the national team. Added to that was defensive coach Zubizarreta, who had come to Spain together with Leo Lin. The familiar formula was back again.
But the players were no longer the familiar faces Spanish fans knew. Many young players and in-form stars in their prime had all been selected.
On the flight to Spain, Leo Lin leaned back on the sofa in a relaxed manner, tasting red wine. Sitting opposite him, Rodri was on pins and needles. The wine was good, but he could not bring himself to take even one sip.
"Everyone says Sergio Ramos is fierce. This is my first time meeting him. He won't give me attitude, will he?"
"And people keep saying I'm here to take over from Iniesta, or maybe from Busquets, but I've barely even played for Spain's senior team!"
"What if I don't perform well and the Spanish fans tear me apart? How am I supposed to play the next match then? I'm scared!"
Rodri kept firing off questions. Compared with Leo Lin, he was still a complete rookie at senior national team level.
Leo Lin already had plenty of experience with Spain's senior team, and his status within the national team had risen higher and higher.
"You're right. Sergio Ramos won't just give you attitude. He might even make life difficult for you!"
"It's fine. If you play badly, the worst that happens is you get flamed so hard you have to shut down your social media. No, wait, you don't even have any social media accounts."
"Relax. It's only a European qualifier. If you play badly, you might just lose your starting spot when you go back to Liverpool!"
Bald Zubizarreta had started his favorite teasing-and-threatening routine again. Leo Lin smiled and stopped Zubizarreta before Rodri was scared into losing his mind on the plane.
After they got off the plane, the special car sent by Spain had already been waiting for some time. Rodri and the others officially headed to Spain's headquarters to prepare for the match against Norway, a game Spain were determined to win.
When they entered the hall, Sergio Ramos had arrived earliest. He looked very happy when he saw Leo Lin. The two of them had finally met again.
Rodri was a little reserved, but he soon discovered that Sergio Ramos was not some kind of bully at all.
After that, the excellent atmosphere within the Spain squad quickly helped Rodri fit in.
Compared with the World Cup squad, this Spain squad had many more new faces, such as Sevilla full-back Gayà, who could occasionally fill in as a winger, as well as Jesús Navas, Íñigo Martínez, and others. All of them had been called up to the national team.
Before the match against Norway, the Spanish Football Federation planned to hold a farewell ceremony, and the person being sent off was none other than Iniesta.
After the World Cup ended, Iniesta decided to officially retire from the Spain national team. The rise of Rodri and the emergence of Leo Lin made Iniesta understand that he could leave the national team with peace of mind, because Spain's midfield had successors.
And during the process of deciding Spain's squad numbers for this call-up, the legendary number 10, the number representing the core of the team, was handed to Leo Lin by Hierro.
In the Spain national team, players chose numbers in order according to status and reputation.
So Sergio Ramos still chose his number 4, followed by the players who had spent more time with the Spain national team.
But Leo Lin was placed third by Hierro, and the number 10 was also given to him by Hierro.
With a market value of 180 million, Leo Lin was currently the most valuable star in the Spain squad. From the superstar of Spain's U17 team back then to now, Leo Lin had already become a major star in Spain's senior team.
March 6. Spain's Euro qualifier against Norway was about to begin.
At the Spanish Arena, before the match.
Iniesta appeared one last time as a Spain national team player. The Spanish fans at the stadium looked at Iniesta, their eyes filled with reluctance.
"To every Spanish fan here today, let us pay the highest tribute one last time to this legendary Spanish midfielder!"
"We will never forget Iniesta's contributions to the Spain national team!"
Leo Lin and Sergio Ramos stood to Iniesta's left and right, watching him enjoy the applause from the fans. Both of them felt deeply comforted.
When a legend leaves, he deserves to be treated properly.
After Iniesta's brief speech, the farewell ceremony was about to end.
But very quickly, some Spanish fans noticed a major highlight.
"If I'm not mistaken, is Lin wearing the number 10 shirt?"
"Spain have given the number 10 shirt to Lin! A brand-new beginning!"
"Once Sergio Ramos gradually fades out of the national team, I think Spain's future leader has already been decided!"
...
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