Watching the thousands of people in the stadium cheering Batty’s name, even Cannigia felt a twinge of envy at that moment.
But of course, Chen Yu wouldn’t forget him.
He is the eternal Child of the Wind of the Pampas Grassland.
They made each other great. Without Maradona’s passes, there would be no "Child of the Wind" moniker. And without the Child of the Wind’s goals, Maradona’s passes would never have achieved their world-shocking fame!
"You were the perfect partners! I’ll never forget that year’s Argentina national derby, when Maradona made another brilliant pass to you for a goal, and then you two embraced for the kiss of the century!"
The fan’s words and the knowing laughter from the crowd made Cannigia, after hearing the translator, burst out laughing as well.
"Thank you all!"
He grabbed the microphone and shouted in halting Chinese.
He had reached the age of farewells and retirement. He had seen the highs and weathered the lows. He had come to accept it all with grace. The only thing he couldn’t let go of was the beauty and brilliance of those years.
This was his most beautiful memory, and also the best memory he could offer to all the fans around the world.
He was already immensely satisfied just to be remembered.
"Thank you all!"
He slung an arm around Batty’s shoulders and bowed to all the fans in thanks.
The atmosphere reached its peak at that moment, with countless fans moved to tears.
Then, Chen Yu appeared.
"I said there would be three surprises today. I’ve already announced one, so now it’s time for the second."
With a wave of Chen Yu’s hand, the surrounding lights dimmed, and a series of spotlights focused on the entrance of the players’ tunnel.
All the fans, along with the media reporters in attendance, craned their necks to look toward the tunnel.
On the big screen overhead, the logo of the Mallorca Club appeared.
Chen Yu announced in a clear voice, "He is the greatest player in the history of the La Liga club, Mallorca!"
Many fans in the crowd looked bewildered.
Unlike Serie A, CCTV had only started broadcasting La Liga last year, so many fans had limited knowledge of the league. They were more familiar with Real Madrid, Barça, the Yellow Submarine, and Super Laco.
Mallorca, on the other hand, was not very well-known in China.
The screen changed, now showing the Barça crest.
Chen Yu continued, "He played for Barça for eight years and was a starting defender for Cruyff’s Dream One Team. He made 208 appearances for Barça, scoring 13 goals. As a pillar of the backline, he helped Barça win five La Liga titles, two King’s Cups, four Super Cups, one Champions League, one Cup Winners’ Cup, and another two Super Cups!"
At this point, Chen Yu paused.
In the darkness, a fan who had figured it out shouted, "I know! It’s Barça’s number 20, Miguel Nadal!"
His shout made many others remember as well.
"I know him!"
"I remember him. His defense was tough as nails."
"I think Van Gaal drove him out, and he went back to Mallorca, right?"
"That’s him. Did they really get him to come here?"
Batty and Cannigia also turned to look. They hadn’t known about Miguel’s arrival.
"Let’s welcome Miguel Nadal!"
At Chen Yu’s call, Miguel appeared in the players’ tunnel, wearing a number 20 Pioneer jersey.
Thunderous applause erupted.
Although many people there had never heard of Miguel, the fact that he could play for Barça for eight years and was a Spanish international was enough to prove he was no nobody.
The old fans of the Guang City Club were especially happy. They were just thrilled that the team could bring in so many stars.
Miguel was the second surprise.
And there was still a third.
The stadium lights came back on.
Chen Yu stood before Batty and the other two players, facing a crowd of fans with gleaming eyes. He smiled and said, "As everyone knows, this year in the Chinese Super League, each team can sign five foreign players."
As soon as he said this, the stadium erupted in cheers.
If Chen Yu was saying this, it definitely meant he intended to use all five foreign player slots.
In other words, more stars would be coming to China because of Chen Yu.
Chen Yu waved for the fans to quiet down, then pointed to the three men behind him. "We already have two forwards and a center-back. So, aren’t we missing a top-class midfielder?"
A chorus of "Yes!" rose from the stands.
The media on the sidelines also began to put their heads together, whispering and discussing who Chen Yu might bring in.
"Su Jun, any news?"
In the press box, Ma Dexiong, who was from the same hometown as Su Jun and was the current deputy editor-in-chief of Sports Weekly, immediately turned to ask the man beside him.
In the world of Chinese sports media, everyone knew that Su Jun’s relationship with Chen Yu was special, and he could always get inside information.
Su Jun shook his head with a wry smile. "Old Ma, I honestly don’t know. Do you think it could be Hassler?"
Ma Dexiong’s eyebrows shot up. "You know, that’s actually a real possibility."
Thomas Hassler, 39 years old and the last active player from Germany’s 1990 World Cup-winning team, had already announced in March of this year that he would be bidding farewell to the pitch.
The Bundesliga season ends in mid-May, so it was entirely possible for Hassler to come play in the Chinese Super League. The timing worked out.
More importantly, Chen Yu had an unusually good relationship with the German Football Association and several major German clubs.
In the center of the field, Chen Yu announced, "You all can take a guess. I’ll give you a clue: he’s from Italy."
The words "from Italy" made many fans’ eyes light up.
Many of them knew the stars of Serie A like the back of their hand.
"Is it Zola?"
A fan in the main stand shouted.
Many other fans nodded in agreement.
Zola, who could be considered an ambassador for Italian football, had been linked with the world-class king of football, Maradona, ever since he entered Serie A.
In ’91, to let Zola wear the number 10 jersey, Maradona even voluntarily wore number 9.
But after disappointment with the National Team, Zola found his glory in the Premier League with Chelsea.
If his jersey could only be one color, it would have to be Chelsea’s blue.
In ’03, longing for his hometown, Zola rejected Chelsea’s attempts to keep him and returned home, helping Cagliari achieve promotion.
You have to understand, back then, Ah Bu was so desperate to keep him that he was even willing to buy Cagliari outright.
Last year, after Cagliari’s successful promotion, Zola stayed for another year at the strong urging of his hometown fans.
This year, many sources had already confirmed that he was about to retire.
And as someone who often played as a shadow striker, he was perfectly capable of playing in midfield.
"Dr. Chen, were we right?"
Many fans shouted.
Chen Yu smiled playfully. "Gianfranco is a great player, and I know him well, but I’m sorry, he’s not the one. However, the player I’m talking about does have a little connection to him."
"I’ll give you another clue: the ’96 UEFA European Championship."
With the mention of the UEFA European Championship and a connection to Zola, some quick-witted fans had already figured out who it was.
"Holy shit, it can’t be him!"
Gasps of shock spread through the stands.
"Who! Who are you talking about?"
Some fans hadn’t caught on yet and anxiously asked those around them.
"An Italian who’s connected to Zola... well, think about how Zola faded from the National Team. It wasn’t just because of the red card in ’94, right? The real reason was probably that penalty kick in ’96 that got Italy knocked out in the group stage."
"Shit, I know! Albertini! Oh my god!"
"That’s him! If I remember correctly, Albertini was the one who let Zola take that penalty."
"Albertini... damn, Dr. Chen is ruthless! He even managed to get him."
"The key is, isn’t he at Barça? And he’s only 34. How could he possibly come to the Chinese Super League?"
"Nothing’s impossible. He’s on loan to Barça, and La Liga is about to end. He went there for Rijkaard, but the problem is he’s not getting much playing time at Barça. He wants to go back to Milan but can’t. Maybe he’ll really come play in the Chinese Super League for a year just for Dr. Chen."
"It’s a long shot. You said it yourself, he wants to return to Milan most of all. Why would he come to China to play? Dammit, Ancelotti is a real piece of work."
Back in the day, Capello’s unwavering decision to promote Albertini directly led to Ancelotti’s retirement. Years later, like a boomerang, Ancelotti returned to the Red-Black Legion and pushed Albertini out.
Albertini, who had always dreamed of retiring at AC Milan, was forced to embark on a journeyman’s path.
The fans in the stands chattered endlessly. Even Batty, standing beside him, couldn’t help but turn and ask Chen Yu if it could really be Albertini.
Just then, a series of numbers appeared on the screen overhead.
July 2nd, 2005.
Many fans’ eyes lit up.
That date had to be for the eleventh round of the Chinese Super League, right after the first mid-season break this year.
Then, a video began to play.
Albertini appeared on screen, wearing the number 4 Pioneer jersey.
"Guys, wait for me. I’ll be seeing you all very soon."
It was just one sentence, but it sent the entire stadium into a frenzy.
It really was Albertini!
"Dr. Chen is the man!"
Someone was the first to shout it.
Then, the chant of "Dr. Chen is the man!" swept through the stadium like a tidal wave.
Chen Yu just smiled without saying a word.
Actually, Albertini hadn’t been the original target.
It was a matter of coincidence.
Albertini was only 34, not really old enough to be retiring.
It was true he was covered in injuries, especially his Achilles tendon, which he had torn and which had relapsed more than once.
In the middle of last month, Albertini had contacted Chen Yu, hoping to get proper treatment and conditioning from him during the off-season to see if he could extend his career by a few more years.
He hadn’t given up hope; he still wanted to return to AC Milan.
So Chen Yu made a timely proposal, or rather, an exchange: he could help Albertini make that happen.
The main person to convince wasn’t Berlusconi or Galliani, but Ancelotti.
But as one of the top team doctors in the world, Chen Yu had his ways of handling Ancelotti. It was a favor Ancelotti had to grant him.
So, with Chen Yu acting as the mediator, they reached an agreement.
After the La Liga season ended, Albertini would come to China and join the Pioneer Club.
Then in November, after the Chinese Super League season concluded, Albertini would rejoin AC Milan before the winter transfer window.
If his form was poor and the team really had no place for him, then he would hold a farewell match at San Siro and announce his retirement.
If, after a season in the Chinese Super League with Chen Yu’s conditioning and maintenance, his form was still decent, then whether he could continue to play for AC Milan was a matter for another day.
In any case, Chen Yu had signed another top-class midfield superstar.
The cost was also very low.
Barça had paid 350,000 euros to loan Albertini for five months, and when Albertini joined Atlanta from Lazio, he even took a pay cut, with an annual salary of just 750,000 euros.
So Chen Yu only offered Albertini a salary of US$1,000,000.
And even that money would likely be returned to Chen Yu in the form of his treatment fees.
Albertini didn’t care about the money anyway. He had only one goal: to return to the Red-Black Legion.

Comments

Loading...