We agreed to play football together, and you will be the head coach?

Chapter 108: The Trojan Horse of Hodesius

On April 17, Palermo defeated Treviso.

Since the second and third teams in Serie B lost at the same time, Palermo had the opportunity to win the championship early.

In the next round, as long as they win, no matter how other teams perform, Palermo will become the Serie B champion... seven rounds in advance!
But Arteta's performance in this game was quite bad.

There were a lot of mistakes.

The kick was very anxious.

I slow down when I should be fast, and I speed up when I should be slow. I lose my composure.

This is closely related to Palermo's upcoming match against Barcelona.

In fact, it's not just Arteta, the outside world is generally more optimistic about this giant from Catalonia.

In the first half of this season, Barcelona's performance was very unstable and they fell to twelfth place in the league before the winter break.

However, with the loan of strong players such as Davis from Juventus during the winter break, Barcelona rebounded and soared to third in La Liga.

Even if they are the La Liga champions, they may still have a chance!
This kind of team with great momentum cannot be compared with the declining and collapsed giants like Liverpool.

That kind of sharpness seems to be able to defeat everything.

On April 22nd, Sicily faced the challenge of Barcelona.

Ninety minutes later, the Friedrich II Stadium fell into silence.

Although in the second half, Luca Toni scored a goal assisted by Grosso.

But the final score remained at one to four.

The host comes in front and the guest comes behind.

On the Barcelona side, Motta, who returned from injury, played well, was versatile in offense and defense, and scored a world-class goal.

But the absolute protagonist of this game is Ronaldinho.

He scored two goals and made one assist, dominating the entire game.

Barzagli and Chiellini both had stress reactions due to his sudden attack and could not be stopped at all.

Modric even created a famous scene for Ronaldinho, as Ronaldinho passed him three times in a row in one attack!
After the game, He Tianqi expressed his dissatisfaction with the home fans.

He Tianqi: "I know Ronaldinho's football style is very attractive, and his wonderful performance even made me want to applaud him."

“But how can we do that when the game is still going on?”

"The dust has not settled yet, our players are still fighting on the field, but our fans are giving Ronaldinho a round of applause!"

“This is a huge mistake!”

"At least until the end of the game, we shouldn't cheer for our opponents and boo our own players!"

"This is of course our war, but I hope every Palermo fan realizes that this is also your war! It is your unremitting support that has allowed us to go from Serie C to Serie B, to the Italian Cup final, and to the UEFA Cup semi-finals!"

There are actually quite a few cases of cheering for fans of visiting teams.

But the abstract thing is that this is the exclusive domain of fans of strong teams!

On the one hand, fans of strong teams use this method to express their dissatisfaction with the team and encourage the team to make big moves in the transfer market.

On the other hand, even if a strong team loses, it still has historical heritage and is still a powerful team.

What about the weak teams?

If the weak team loses, the weak team is nothing.

You have been trampled into the mud by others, and you are still cheering for others?
The performance of Palermo fans in this game is typical of the performance of mainland Chinese people in the early days of opening up.

Expressing yourself in other people's way is essentially an attempt to please the other party, but this will make you less respected by the other party.

And decades later, when we became truly powerful and began to express ourselves in our own traditional ways and did not try to integrate into the so-called mainstream of others, we were surprised to find that the other party seemed to start to cater to us.

The team needs to improve and so do the fans.

Palermo fans are not ready to become fans of the big clubs.

They need to be taught a lesson.

Of course, He Tianqi did not shirk his responsibility, he wanted to point out the fans' problems.

He has to take responsibility for the team's problems and the players' problems.

But in his opinion, Palermo does not have any big problems in this game.

The reason for such a terrible loss was not only because the fans created a bad playing environment for Palermo and a good playing environment for the opponent, but also because Palermo had too bad luck.

In front of reporters, He Tianqi said bluntly: "Ronaldinho's performance is undoubtedly excellent, but our defensive players are not as bad as everyone thinks."

"Zaccardo had several direct tackles on Ronaldinho."

"Chiellini and Barzagli also succeeded in limiting Ronaldinho to a certain extent."

"In Modric's famous performance, I saw more of his effort and determination in defense."

"But Barcelona had better luck, as most of the threatening attacks they launched turned into goals. Our threatening attacks were always a little short of goals."

"As long as we solve this problem, we still have a chance."

The reporter from Spain was amused by He Tianqi's explanation and asked, "What is the chance? Win the game? Reverse Barcelona?"

He Tianqi nodded seriously and said, "Yes, I think so."

The reporter laughed and said, "Then I can also think that you have gone crazy."

After this interview was published by Daily Sports, it immediately spread throughout Europe and became a laughing stock.

That reporter's complaints about He Tianqi are everyone's complaints about He Tianqi.

Outrageous!

The score is four to one, and you are still being stubborn?

According to this score, the two rounds will be eight to two!

Palermo gave Liverpool a bottle of Lafite, and Barcelona should also give Palermo a bottle!
Mundo Deportivo: "Can't afford to lose? He Tianqi spoke nonsense after the game. It seems that he couldn't bear the blow of being eliminated from the UEFA Cup?"

"Marca": "Forcing the two heroes together is not advisable! Mourinho's Champions League semi-final first leg was 0-0, and there was great hope. He Tianqi lost 1-4 in the League Cup semi-final, and lost miserably!"

Sky Sports: "Palermo fans may be the most miserable fans in the world! Not only do they have to drink defeat, but they also have to be taught a lesson by the losers!"

"France Football": "Among the five major leagues, the Premier League is the worst! Palermo, who can get whatever they want in England, has no chance to fight back against Barcelona!"

In Sicily, He Tianqi's remarks of "being strict with others and lenient with oneself" were also boycotted by some Palermo fans.

Some fans suggested that after the team is promoted to Serie A next season, they should replace grassroots coaches like He Tianqi and find a real famous coach.

Otherwise, the team may not be able to avoid relegation.

Capello, Ancelotti, Lippi, any of them are fine!
It doesn't matter whether the above-mentioned coaches are willing or not.

……

On April 26, Palermo was not affected by the European war and beat Verona 2-0 at home.

After the game, they lifted the Serie B championship trophy.

Crowned seven rounds in advance.

Starting from next season, they will become the first and only Sicilian Serie A team!
In the entire Frederick II Stadium, there was only one person who was not in a good mood.

That is He Tianqi.

Because he still has to rack his brains for the team's second leg of the European Cup.

As for the upgrade... He had anticipated this a few months ago, so what was there to be excited about now?
With this group of players and their skills, it would be abnormal if they couldn't play in Serie A.

As a head coach, you often have to realize that you still have an opportunity before anyone else sees that opportunity.

While everyone is celebrating a victory, look forward to the next one.

To get ready for a new season just as people are beginning to enjoy a successful season.

On May 1st, Palermo drew 1-1 with Genoa.

This was their first league game after winning the championship. Genoa lined up to welcome them at home, giving them the treatment of a king.

After the game, He Tianqi found Arteta.

"Sorry, boss, I didn't play well in this game." Arteta knew why He Tianqi was looking for him.

"This game? No, no, no." He Tianqi shook his head and threw a data report to Arteta. "Your performance has been problematic since the game against Treviso on April 17."

"After that we played against Barcelona, ​​Verona and Genoa and the problems got bigger and bigger."

"How do you think you make a living as a player?"

"Appearance? Speed? Confrontation? Shooting? Dribbling? Defense?"

"answer my question."

Arteta is a smart man, he realized his real problem, "organizing the attack."

He Tianqi nodded: "It seems that you don't completely forget your last name. You are an attacking midfielder, you can do anything in the frontcourt."

"You can dribble past opponents, pass the ball to assist, or shoot."

"But those are not your goals. Your goal is to help the team attack. You need to use your wisdom to decide which of the above actions to choose to achieve your goals."

"But you have lost your wisdom recently. Your purpose has become confused. It is no longer about helping the team attack, but about scoring goals."

"When you can't tell the difference between the primary and the secondary, you behave like a clown on the court!"

After that, He Tianqi handed some newspapers to Arteta: "I asked someone to buy these from Catalonia. They are real newspapers that the locals read."

Arteta picked it up and took a look.

"Barcelona's youth training gem? Does Arteta deserve this title?"

"Arteta has never been the best in La Masia, not even the best!"

"The level of Serie B is too low, Arteta's 15+15 league data is meaningless! He is not worth Barcelona's money!"

"Arteta is worth considering if he is below 3 million euros, but if he is above this price, he is not worth it! He is not a promising player!"

"Headless Knight Arteta, because his performance on the field is like a headless fly!"

These are the most authentic evaluations of Arteta by Catalan fans.

Mainly refers to his performance in the first leg against Barcelona.

He was not wronged at all.

These words hurt Arteta's heart.

"I know you want to return to Barcelona." He Tianqi and Arteta made it clear, "People will be troubled for the rest of their lives by the things they couldn't get when they were young."

"You fell behind in the fierce competition at La Masia, so you wanted to return to Barcelona more than anyone else and make those who thought you were a failure realize that they were wrong."

"But are you going to go back this way?"

"He was invisible throughout the entire game, his logic was chaotic, he shot when he should have passed the ball, he dribbled past the defense when he should have shot, and he passed the ball back when he should have dribbled past the defense..."

"No matter where you play in the future, I don't want anyone to underestimate you because you were once a player I selected and played a vital role in my lineup."

"You are a key player and you deserve everyone's respect!"

Arteta burst into tears.

He was completely struck.

He is only a 22-year-old boy.

What He Tianqi said was what he was thinking.

"Find your wisdom and follow my instructions." He Tianqi pointed to his head, "Let Barcelona realize how good you are!"

"Remember, when we join a team, we should beat him first."

"Instead of being defeated by him and then choosing to join."

On this day, Arteta cried all his tears dry.

He also truly recognized He Tianqi's status as a mentor from the bottom of his heart.

……

Soon, Palermo will head to Barcelona, ​​which is likely to be their last stop in the UEFA Cup this season.

They wore the same casual clothes and baseball caps with the same logo, looking like a whole.

The reporter from the Daily Sports subconsciously felt that there must be something fishy going on. After checking, he indeed uncovered some shocking information behind the scenes.

"With elimination imminent, He Tianqi is still in the mood to advertise his own clothing brand!"

"The clothes and hats worn by Palermo players are all products of the trendy brand "Knights of the Apocalypse", and the owner of the brand is He Tianqi!"

《Shocked! An unscrupulous head coach forced his players to wear his own brand. Is this an illegal endorsement?》

That's right!

He Tianqi had actually been doing this for a long time.

They have the ability to develop business.

But he didn't eat alone.

He gave the players 20 percent of the brand's profits over the past year.

With the big battle approaching, everyone believes that the release of this news will affect Palermo's condition.

It also further stigmatized He Tianqi.

However, He Tianqi did not give any explanation when faced with reporters' questions.

This makes more people feel that there is indeed a problem here.

Some media also began to discuss He Tianqi's professional ethics as the head coach.

In Barcelona, ​​in a high-end hotel where Palermo is staying.

Didi!

A social app on Arteta’s phone rang.

He opened it and took a look.

Someone in the group "Future Bigwigs of Barcelona" sent a message.

There has been no chat in this group for some time.

It was built by players such as Arteta, Reina, Valdes, Motta, and Iniesta.

But with some players leaving Barcelona, ​​it’s a little…awkward.

The most recent conversation saw Iniesta pull in an account called “Leonard Messi.”

The other party expressed that he was honored to join this group and hoped that the seniors would give him more advice.

Then other people came out and said something like "Come on!"

This time it was Valdés who spoke.

Valdés: Mikel, you guys are in Barcelona? I saw the news and it's a shame they said that about you. When you get back to the team, they will realize how good you are.

The Valdez people are pretty nice.

Arteta then responded: Thank you, Victor.

Valdés: Don't be depressed. Don't rush back after the game tomorrow. Let's get together in the evening? Have a drink, it will help you get rid of some depression. Iniesta: I'm fine.

Messi: The little transparent one is looking forward to it.

Motta: That’s possible.

Arteta: Guys, don’t underestimate us. Our head coach has rich experience in comebacks. If you look at Palermo’s record in the past two years, you will be shocked.

Valdés: What? Hasn't he given up his fantasy yet? The Camp Nou is not like other stadiums, you should know that.

Reina: Mikel doesn't know because he has never played for Barcelona's first team.

Arteta sent a "crying with laughter" emoji.

Arteta: I'm not kidding, the boss said Victor is Barcelona's biggest weakness, so let's just kick the ball wildly when the time comes.

Valdez: ???
Arteta: Don't be angry, his original words were - "If Barcelona's goalkeeper is Reina, there is no need to play this game. But the problem is that the opponent is Valdes"

"He is very unstable. Whether it is his reaction to save or his goal-line technique, he is not as good as Reina"

"In fact, if Valdes comes to Palermo, he will not only be inferior to Handanovic, but he will not even be as good as our backup goalkeeper Foster."

"Valdez's range of motion and better footwork are not worth mentioning at all"

"In the same age group, there are at least eight goalkeepers who are better than Valdés, if not ten."

After Arteta sent these words, the group fell silent instantly.

The young player Messi, holding the mobile phone, even stopped breathing subconsciously.

Is the world of big guys always so embarrassing?
In the end, it was the outsider Reina who first came out and posted in a humorous way: I suddenly feel that He Tianqi should know a lot about football. When he coaches a big club in the future, I will accept his invitation.

Valdes finally typed: Haha!
Arteta then turned off his phone and looked at He Tianqi at the door of the room.

When he received the group message, he didn't know whether he should reply or not. He was afraid of leaking the team's tactics, so he informed He Tianqi.

As a result, He Tianqi came up with an idea.

Arteta looked embarrassed: "I don't know if this will work, and I don't know if this is right."

He Tianqi nodded: "The first question, this will certainly be very useful."

"For the second question, what I said is true, Valdes is not as good as Reina."

Arteta: "I mean, will this affect Valdes' game status?"

He Tianqi: "Has Valdés ever considered inviting you out for a midnight snack after the loss? Will it affect your performance in the game?"

"Everything can have an impact, even a look from someone can have an impact on you."

"He initiated this conversation, which means he didn't think it would have any impact on him."

"And what you said is all true information."

"We will indeed target Valdés on the pitch."

"He received the message in advance, so his performance will only be better."

"Let me be honest. If I wasn't here, your actions today wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that you were the Judas of Palermo. Are you still worried about whether you're letting Valdes down?"

"Go to bed early! Be at your best tomorrow! Tazi!"

Arteta nodded.

……

The next day was May 5th.

UEFA Cup semi-final second leg match day.

Earlier, Barcelona goalkeeper Valdes insulted Palermo head coach He Tianqi by name in an interview.

He was quite emotional.

Valdés: "He Tianqi is not worthy of being a head coach. He doesn't have that ability."

"How old is he? Half the team has more experience than him!"

"His seemingly excellent record in Italy is only because Italian football has declined!"

"He has ever defeated a Serie A giant? They only sent out their second team."

"He has ever beaten a Premier League giant? What can those rough English guys know about football!"

"He has ever beaten a French Ligue 1 giant? The level of French Ligue 1 is not even as good as that of Portugal and the Eredivisie."

"He has beaten a Bundesliga team? What is the difference between the Bundesliga and Ligue 1?"

"In short, we will massacre Palermo once again and make them feel despair at the Camp Nou!"

Perhaps only those in the group of "Future Bigwigs of Barcelona" know why Valdes is so irritable.

He Tianqi responded publicly in a pre-match interview: "Desperate? Why should we be desperate? Because Camp Nou has a height limit, and we have four or five players over 1.9 meters tall?"

"We will never despair, no matter what the score is, that's the spirit of Palermo!"

"As for Valdes, I never considered him a good option. That's why we think the match still has a good chance."

"I don't know why Barcelona chose Reina over Valdes, because if they were to choose again a hundred times, Reina would still be the winner."

"Of course, Reina has been loaned out, so we don't talk about him."

"But Barcelona still has Rustu in the team. He is Türkiye's starting goalkeeper, experienced and strong. How can Valdés compare to him?"

"I know that Rustu was abandoned because of his poor form some time ago and because he took up a non-European quota. But even so, he is still better than Valdes."

"I've never seen a worse goalkeeper."

"The core reason why Valdes can become Barcelona's starting goalkeeper is actually Barcelona's xenophobia."

"This is also confirmed in the selection of Valdes and Reina."

"Although they were both Barcelona youth players, Valdes was born in Catalonia and Reina was born in Madrid. So do you know what your problem is now, Reina?"

As soon as this statement came out, the whole audience was stunned.

Compared with Valdes's questioning, He Tianqi's questioning is more impactful.

And… lies never hurt, the truth is the sharpest knife.

It goes without saying who these words will affect.

Some reporters in Catalonia wanted to help Valdes win the game. They said: "Valdes' defensive range and ability at the feet are more in line with Barcelona's tactical requirements."

"If you don't understand that, you really don't have the qualifications to be a head coach."

He Tianqi shrugged: "But I am indeed a head coach, and many teams have offered me olive branches recently."

"Maybe it's hard for you to accept, but believe me, tactically, I am at least ten years ahead of Barcelona."

"I also emphasize the goalkeeper's defensive range, attacking ability, footwork and so on. But is Valdes better than Reina in these aspects? I don't think so."

"Even if we are really strong, it is still very limited. This part can be adjusted through training, tactical adjustments and competitions."

"I believe that with Reina's talent, if he is given enough time, he can definitely become the goalkeeper Barcelona wants most. Unless the goalkeeper Barcelona wants is called Valdes."

"If I have the chance, I will introduce you to some goalkeepers who are really good with their feet, and then you will know how many times Valdes has been defeated!"

"Really, his footwork is not even as good as mine! And I can't play professional football in Italy."

Blast!

The pre-match press conference was so explosive for the first time!
It’s hard to say what other people think, but Valdes must be eager to beat He Tianqi up now.

But on the Internet, there are actually a large number of neutral fans who think that what He Tianqi said does make sense.

Because from childhood to adulthood, Reina and Valdes have always had the upper hand in Barcelona's youth training team.

The former also entered the Barcelona first team earlier and participated in official matches.

But the time when Reina played the game happened to be the worst time for Barcelona, ​​so his performance was naturally not good.

If Barcelona's overall condition is better, would his performance be much better?
At least there is expectation.

But on the other hand, Barcelona's form has clearly recovered in the second half of this season, but Valdes' performance has not improved accordingly, and he still often makes low-level mistakes.

AS immediately caught on to the news and gave its old rival a heavy blow: "Barcelona's goalkeeper selection criteria are way off! They chose Valdés because he has better footwork than Reina!"

For a time, Real Madrid fans ridiculed Barcelona.

In Palermo, Modric, the leader of the Knights who organized everyone to watch the press conference, began his speech: "The opportunity has come!"

"Remember what the boss said?"

"Valdes has a very impulsive personality and can get angry easily. This time the boss has definitely angered him completely, and he will be very aggressive on the court."

"His attacks will be very fast and his reaction time will be even faster. This is the negative effect of angering him."

"But at the same time, his overly aggressive attack will give us opportunities. Everyone should always pay attention to the distance between him and the goal."

"He will be obsessed with proving himself with excellent footwork and proving that the biggest reason why Barcelona chose him is not a fallacy. So we have to press him when he receives the ball and holds the ball."

"Every time Valdés touches the ball, someone has to press or block it."

“This will place considerable demands on the physical fitness of our frontcourt players, but this is what we must pay in order to win!”

"Let's take off at Camp Nou!"

Palermo's players nodded one after another: "Take off! Take off! Take off!"

……

But the press conference wasn't over yet.

Because the starting lineup still needs to be announced.

Barcelona's starting lineup has some adjustments compared to last time:

Ronaldinho, Saviola, Quaresma

Xavi, Gerrard, Motta

Gabri, Oleguer, Puyol, Reiziger
Valdez
-

Not to mention Ronaldinho.

Saviola is a talented Argentine striker nicknamed Rabbit. He was in poor form in the first half of the season and only scored three goals in the league.

But he has scored ten goals since the winter transfer window, and he started in both the last and this game.

Quaresma was in great form after coming to Barcelona, ​​but he gradually lost his way as injuries struck. Now he is showing signs of recovery and is known as the king of outside of the foot.

The defensive midfielder Gerard Lopez, also known as Gerard, is a Barcelona youth player. He became famous in Valencia a few years ago and transferred back to Barcelona for 24 million euros.

Due to injuries, he has not been able to play.

The starters in this position are usually Cocu and the uninjured Motta. Gerrard was asked to come because there is not much pressure in this game.

Central defender Oleger is also a substitute-level player, and he was also the only weakness in the Barcelona lineup after it took off.

As for Palermo, the starting lineup is:
Ribery, Toni, Eduardo

Arteta, Chiellini, Modric

Grosso, Vidic, Barzagli, Zaccardo

Handanovic

-

That’s right, a strange name appeared here.

That is……

"Ribery?"

Everyone at the press conference was dumbfounded.

Ribery to start?

Is he coming to Barcelona?

no!
Isn't he still not fully recovered from his injury?

Hasn't he ever been to team training?
what's the situation?
For a time, many Spanish media published a news titled "Where is Ribery?"
Even if the outside world does not recognize Ribery's ability, if you want to play against Palermo, you must know that the strongest and most threatening player of this team is called Ribery.

Barcelona's tactics never included any contingency plans against Ribery.

But Ribery playing as a left winger and Arteta playing as a left winger are definitely two different styles.

This will obviously have a certain impact on the game.

Soon, The Sun invited private detective Sherlock to analyze the matter and successfully solved the global problem raised by the Spanish media.

Sherlock: "The suspect was very cautious and left no trace, making him almost impossible to detect. But we finally found a breakthrough in the match between Palermo and Inter Milan."

"The answer is... Ribery is in the hotel where he is staying in Palermo!"

"In fact, Ribery has always been in everyone's sight, but no one realized it was Ribery!"

The Sun published a series of photos.

They are all photos of several men wearing "Knights of the Apocalypse" costumes and hats.

In terms of appearance, he looks very much like Modric, Ashley Young and Valencia.

They have been arriving and leaving the team together recently.

In order to prepare for the game against Barcelona, ​​Palermo's training during this period is not open to the public.

But The Sun believes that it was actually Ribery, Ashley Young and Valencia who were wearing height-increasing insoles.

Because when He Tianqi drove away from the team, they took a picture of another person in his car.

After analysis, it was found that the person in He Tianqi's car was Modric, because he was holding a Bible!
So Ribery has already been training with the team.

Not only that, The Sun also found traces of Ribery in the pictures of Palermo staying in Barcelona.

Because everyone was wearing the uniform of the "Knights of the Apocalypse", wearing hats and had white hair.

So at a glance, it is impossible to tell who is who.

Finally, Sherlock and The Sun concluded: "Perhaps, when people's eyes are attracted by the dazzling logo of the Knights of Apocalypse, when people's discussion focuses on whether He Tianqi abuses public resources for personal gain and uses players to promote his personal brand, He Tianqi's strategic goal has been achieved."

"Now the players from both teams are on their way to the stadium."

“No one can make last-minute changes anymore.”

"He Tianqi pulled off a perfect crime against Barcelona!"

"In Eastern strategy, this is called stealth."

“In the West, such stories are more likely to remind people of the Trojan War. He Tianqi is Odysseus who changed the entire war situation by going to Palermo!”

Only then did people realize that He Tianqi had actually played such a big game.

In order to gain every chance of winning for the team, he even sacrificed his own reputation and let people mistakenly think that he was a greedy and salesman.

For a while, a person with the ID "人可大户口" appealed on the Internet: "We all owe He Tianqi a group uniform!"

The three-piece uniform of the Knights of the Apocalypse, consisting of clothes, pants and hat, is selling like hot cakes throughout Italy!

So far, the second leg of the European Cup semi-final has not yet started.

But...it has become a classic!
[PS: Leverkusen is really mysterious. How many games have they not lost in extra time? If you write this in a novel, you will be criticized and people will say it is too fake. So is it possible for the three Asian champions of that year to become the triple crown winner this year? ]

(End of this chapter)