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Chapter 231 We Bring Death to Them
Wang Lie raised his hand to ask for the ball.

But Vitini, who had the ball, didn't see Wang Lie's gesture of asking for the ball at all, and forcibly dribbled the ball towards the penalty area from the edge of the penalty area.

As a result, even when facing two Ruhr Steel Union defenders, he still didn't choose to pass the ball to Wang Lie, but instead forced a shot.

The football flew high out of bounds!
"What the hell are you doing?!"

Wang Lie rushed over and roared at Vitini.

Vitini completely ignored Wang Lie and turned to leave.

Wang Lie continued to roar behind him, but none of the Tyne players responded to him. He was like a transparent person, standing on the court, doing nothing but waving his arms and throwing tantrums at others.

The commentator sarcastically remarked, "It seems Wang has lost control of the team. It's ironic to think back to what he said when he announced his contract extension with the club at the end of last season. I wonder if he regrets extending his contract for five years now?"

Just then, the referee blew his whistle three times, and the Lize Park stadium erupted in boos.

"Match over! Tain trails Ruhr United by four goals at home! The Bundesliga champions have shattered the dreams of Tain fans away from home! Let them know that the Champions League is not so fun!"

"Sven Heldon avenged his loss to Wang with a resounding and dominant victory! He also used this win to show Sofia United how wrong it was to sack him!"

Amidst a chorus of boos, Sven Heldon straightened his suit, buttoned it up, and rose from his seat on the coaching bench as if going on stage to receive an award. He walked leisurely toward the home team's bench with a triumphant smile on his face and extended his hand first.

Tyne's head coach, Sam McNeil, acted as if he hadn't seen him at all, turning around with an angry expression and walking towards the players' tunnel.

However, Heldon did not seem offended; he simply spread his hands and shrugged as McNeil fled in disarray.

Then, with a smile on his face, he walked towards his players.

He wanted to celebrate the victory with them.

※※※

Sven Heldon felt refreshed when he opened his eyes in bed.

He hadn't felt this comfortable after waking up since that 0-9 defeat.

In the past, he would always struggle with various nightmares, and after waking up, he would feel exhausted, without any of the feeling of being fully recharged after a good night's sleep.

It's not that he slept soundly through the night without any dreams this time.

He still had a dream, but compared to his previous nightmares, last night's dream was clearly a sweet one.

Even now that he's awake, he's still savoring everything from his dream; the wonderful feeling makes him reluctant to get out of bed.

It seems that once you wake up, you'll completely forget the feeling of the dream.

But he quickly convinced himself to escape this haven of comfort:

How can I defeat my enemy while lying in bed?
I will work hard to prepare for our "reunion"!
Thinking of this, Heldon rolled out of bed.

When he finished washing up and changing, he went into the living room and saw his wife setting breakfast on the table.

Upon seeing him, she said, "I was just about to call you... dinner will be ready soon."

Heldon didn't answer, but instead leaned in and put his arm around his wife's waist, giving her a gentle kiss on the cheek: "Thank you, Mia!"

His wife, nestled in his arms, laughed: "Alright, alright, let's eat breakfast..."

She could tell that her husband was in a very good mood after waking up today. She didn't ask why, because she knew the answer:
He was overjoyed after seeing the Champions League group stage results last night.

Even after a good night's sleep, this feeling of happiness did not diminish in the slightest.

The defeat at Sofia left an indelible scar on her husband's heart.

She had always been worried about her husband's mental health.

She did try to comfort him or persuade him to see a psychologist.

But either the results were minimal, or the husband refused to see a psychologist—he didn't think he had any psychological problems, so naturally he didn't need to see a psychologist.

His wife then understood that a mental illness requires a mental cure.

The only way to help her husband escape the shadow of that crushing defeat is probably for him to defeat Wang Lie and Tai En.

There are almost no other ways to solve the problem.

Sure enough, when he saw his team and Tyne in the same group during the live broadcast yesterday, my husband suddenly got up from the sofa, raised his arms and cheered, as if he were celebrating winning the game.

This feeling of excitement lingered even after I took a nap.

Mia didn't know if her husband could actually beat Tyne, but at least from now until the day of the match, her husband would be so vibrant and hopeful.

She thought this was a good thing.

Perhaps one day her husband will figure it out on his own?
Besides... given the strength of the Ruhr Steel Union, why can't they defeat Tyne?
The circumstances surrounding Sofia United's crushing defeat to Tyne last season were unique.

That was the first time Wang had faced his former club since leaving Sofia. He had nowhere to vent his pent-up anger, so he unleashed it all in that match.

In addition, the entire Sofia team was mentally unstable and not in their best form due to Tyne's relentless pursuit in the standings.

The third important reason is that while Sofia United's overall strength was indeed stronger than Tyne's at the time, it wasn't by much, not strong enough to offset the first two disadvantages.

Her husband's current team, Ruhr United, is a "mini-treble" team, having won the Bundesliga, German Cup, and Europa League titles last season, second only to the "treble" team that won the league title, domestic cup title, and Champions League title.

Ruhr United is stronger than Sofia United. Although they have changed their head coach, most of the players have remained the same, still the core of the "Mini treble winners".

So why couldn't her husband defeat the king this time?
※※※

Last night, Will Foster was still representing Tyne at the Champions League group stage draw ceremony. After the draw, he returned to Newcastle overnight on a private plane provided by his boss.

This morning, he appeared in the office of the team's head coach, Sam McNeil.

“I watched the live stream last night, Will. I noticed you looked very serious when the draw results came out. What were you worried about?”

McNeil asked him.

Will Foster thought McNeil was being deliberately obtuse: "You really don't know what I'm worried about? It's the 'Group of Death'! We were put in the Group of Death! Honestly, Sam, at the time I even thought UEFA was targeting us..."

McNeil was amused by his words: "UEFA is targeting us? How could that be? Ha! Why would they target us? We have no grudge against UEFA."

"Of course there's no grudge, but we have enough hype. To be honest, after Ruhr Steel was selected, I did have a thought that maybe we'd be drawn into this group. You know why?"

“Because of Heldon?” McNeil replied.

"Yes! Because of Heldon! Ever since that 9-0 thrashing last season, all of Europe knows how deep the grudge is between the King and Heldon. So, for the sake of buzz, ratings, and viewership, why not just let the King and Heldon meet again in the Champions League?"

Will Foster said.

"And as the draw continued, my premonition grew stronger. Milan City was also drawn into Group F. Do you know how unpleasant things were between Ribeiro and Milan City when he wanted to come here? Milan City almost didn't want to let him go. So there's a story between Milan City and us... And! Atlético Lille..."

McNeil scoffed: "Isn't the Isara transfer process very peaceful? We offered more than the Scotsmen, and Lille chose to sell Isara to us. What's the problem with that?"

Will Foster said, "No problem, there's no problem between Atlético Lille and us. I'm just saying there's something to talk about in the Atlético Lille vs. us match – their midfield maestro Fu and Wang are teammates on the national team..."

"'Chinese Derby'? That's not exactly an attractive topic, is it? There are three 'Chinese Derby's' in the Champions League this season," McNeil said, frowning.

"No, it's not as simple as a 'Chinese derby.' After the group stage results were finalized, I specifically looked into Wang and Fu's personal relationship last night. You know what, Sam? Although they are teammates on the national team, their relationship is actually not good. The Chinese media even hyped up the conflict between them back then... So you see, each of our three opponents has some kind of story with us."

Will Foster shrugged:
“I could consider one similar situation a coincidence. But three in a row? This really makes me suspect that the Champions League draw can be manipulated. You know, many people interpreted Wang’s words at the signing ceremony as him wanting to win the Champions League… Although this is our first time participating in the Champions League, we are already the target of everyone’s criticism. UEFA might want to use this to increase the Champions League’s buzz.”

After a moment's thought, McNeil said, "Now that you mention it, it does seem to be true. We've been tricked by UEFA." Seeing that McNeil finally agreed, Will Foster said in a tone of finding a kindred spirit, "So now you understand what I'm worried about, right?"

McNeil nodded. "I understand. But Will, I still have to say, your worries are actually pointless..."

"Huh? Why?" Will Foster thought he would get McNeil's understanding, but he was surprised by what McNeil said.

"Have you forgotten what Wang said back then? 'Tyne will definitely participate in the Champions League, just like the River Tyne will flow into the sea.' Regardless of whether we are drawn into the 'Group of Death' or not, Wang's goal will not change, and we will ultimately strive for the Champions League. The 'Group of Death' will increase the difficulty for us, but it will not change our goal. So, there is really nothing to worry about."

Will Foster shook his head: "That sounds reasonable. But Sam... Wang sometimes likes to put on that kind of act. I can understand, after all, he's the captain. He needs to maintain the team's image in the public eye and ensure everyone still has confidence in him—we all know that everything this season has been built on Wang's confidence in everyone..."

“It’s not that I don’t believe in him, otherwise I wouldn’t have convinced the boss to invest so much money in signings this summer… It’s just that qualifying for the Champions League and winning the Champions League are completely different. But I’m absolutely serious about this goal, and precisely because I’m serious, I hope we can approach the reality with a more pragmatic attitude…”

Will Foster said this with a serious expression, clearly indicating that he was seriously considering the issue.

He was so serious and earnest, and McNeil responded to him in a serious and earnest manner:
“Will, to be honest, I can’t promise you whether we can win the Champions League this season. After all, I’m not a king. But there’s one thing I can guarantee you: this ‘group of death’ isn’t as ‘dead’ as you think, Tyne. At least on paper, I’m confident we can beat Ruhr United, the strongest team in the group.”

"why?"

McNeil suddenly laughed, his serious expression vanishing instantly, replaced by a somewhat playful grin: "Will, you just said that the King and Heldon have a grudge. You don't actually think that after the King ousted Heldon from Soforth, he forgave Heldon, do you?"

“Isn’t that right?” Will Foster shrugged. “Isn’t getting Heldon out of Soforth exactly what the King wanted?”

"That was only one of the purposes. Out of old friendship with Sofia United, the King got rid of Heldon, which helped Sofia United solve 50% of their problems. But the score between him and Heldon is not over yet - before it was a 'public score,' now it's a 'personal score.' I assure you, Will, when we meet Ruhr United in the Champions League, you will see a King just like he was on May 9th."

May 9th was the match day for the 35th round of last season's league.

That day, Tyne thrashed Sofia United 9-0 at his home ground, setting a series of records in the history of both his club and the opposing club.

So Will Foster was very impressed with this date.

His eyes widened: "We can beat Ruhr United 9-0?!"

McNeil hadn't expected Foster to think this way, and fearing he might have given Foster the wrong information, causing the club's general manager to misjudge the situation, he quickly waved his hand.

"No, no, no, don't get your hopes up. Is a 9-0 score so easy to replicate? I'm just saying we can beat Ruhr United, just like we beat Soforth United back then."

"It would be great if we could actually defeat Ruhr Steel Union..."

When Will Foster said that, McNeil actually detected a hint of regret in his tone...

So he couldn't help but complain, "I really don't understand if you're a conservative or a radical, Will..."

Foster chuckled: "After your analysis, I do have more confidence in the future. But I still have to tell you, regardless of whether we win the championship this season, your position is secure, Sam. You are currently the most suitable head coach for this Tyne team."

McNeil knew that Foster was trying to reassure him.

Because he showed a lack of confidence at the beginning of the league season, Foster may have hoped to boost his confidence through this promise.

However, I am definitely more confident now than before.

Because in the previous league match, they defeated the Scotsmen 3-1.

It wasn't just the result, but also the team's performance in the game that he wanted to see, showcasing the tactics they had been practicing since the start of training camp.

This time, it was the source of his confidence.

He realized that the team's style of play, based on his tactical approach, was capable of defeating a strong opponent like the Scots.

So when we get to the Champions League and face those European opponents, Tyne won't be a pushover.

After all, Scorsese is a seeded team in the Champions League.

We beat a seeded team 3-1, what about you?

※※※

Every Tyne player who came to the training base today saw Wang Lie in the locker room.

This seems like a pointless statement.

But anyone who knows Wang Lie knows that this phenomenon is unusual.

As is customary, Wang Lie would arrive at the training base early on Tuesdays to do extra training.

So under normal circumstances, most Tyne players wouldn't see Wang Lie in the locker room when they came to change and prepare for training—Wang Lie should be on the training field at that time.

But Wang Lie didn't do any extra training today.

This is very unusual.

He was clearly waiting for his teammates.

After the last first-team player who came to training entered the locker room.

Wang Lie stood up from his seat.

Before he could say or do anything, everyone in the locker room put down what they were doing, looked up at him, and quietly waited for the captain to speak.

This is Wang Lie's influence on the team.

He no longer needs to clap or shout to get his teammates to listen to him.

As soon as he stands up, everyone has to be ready to listen to him.

"The draw results are out. I don't know how many of you watched the live stream, and I don't know what your first reaction was when you saw the results. But I have to say my first reaction was excitement. Because in this group, I saw an 'old acquaintance'."

When he said "old acquaintance," he even made a "quotation mark" gesture with both hands.

This remark drew laughter from the locker room.

It's obvious that everyone knows who his so-called "old acquaintance" is.

“From last night to this morning, I’ve read a lot of comments online. Some people think UEFA manipulated the group stage draw, while others are pessimistic about our Champions League prospects. I don’t think so.”

Wang Lie shook his head.

"If this was really manipulated by UEFA, then I have to give them a thumbs up."

He gave a thumbs up.

"This is the best arrangement! If this group was indeed specially arranged for us by UEFA... then congratulations, guys, we've received official recognition from UEFA. They value us so much that they arranged this group for us. You know, this is only our first time participating in the Champions League in 165 years since the founding of Tyne, and to receive this kind of treatment, has any other team in history ever done that? No! Only us! Because we are strong enough!"
"As for being pessimistic about our Champions League prospects, there's absolutely no need. I've never changed my goals, neither before nor after the draw. On the contrary, I think this group result is a good thing because we can face strong opponents and gain experience in the relatively strategic group stage. This way, when we go to the knockout stage, we won't be caught off guard by the sudden increase in the intensity of the matches."

"Just like when we played with ten men and still managed to draw against Clayton, and beat Scorsese 3-1 at home. Both of these opponents are seeded teams in this season's Champions League, and the experience we gained from playing against them isn't just applicable to the league. Playing against them boosted our confidence. So when we face the Bundesliga champions, Serie A and Ligue 1 runners-up in the group stage, beating them will give us the confidence to face even stronger opponents in the knockout stage."

As he said this, some of his teammates couldn't help but nod in agreement with Wang Lie's words.

They haven't played in the Champions League yet, so we don't know how it goes.

But they have been undefeated for three rounds of the league, and their undefeated record is of very high quality.

After these three league matches, their confidence and morale have indeed increased significantly.

Applying the experience gained in the league to the Champions League seems to make sense, just as the captain said...

Observing his teammates' performance, Wang Lie knew that his speech had achieved its purpose, so he decided to wrap things up:

"Everyone's saying Group F is a group of death. Yes, it truly is. But they're mistaken about one thing—it's a group of death because of us, because we're going to bring them death!"

(End of this chapter)