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Chapter 303 Your King Has Returned

Wang Lie and his teammates ran out of the tunnel and onto the court to warm up.

He saw the familiar stands again, and even the noise around him seemed somewhat familiar.

Everything here is practically ingrained in his blood.

After all, he played here for nine and a half years, making 454 appearances for Sofia United in all competitions, including 227 home games if the home and away record is split evenly.

He came here with the team last night for an acclimatization training session.

But he didn’t actually need to adapt, because the moment he stepped onto the grass, the familiar feel returned to him—he knew all too well how soft or firm the grass was.

Although it has been almost eleven months since he left Sofia, he still vividly remembers the feeling of playing there.

However, he did not let himself get caught up in these emotions, but quickly threw himself into warm-up exercises.

※※※

Xiao Cheng felt he was very lucky today, because right below the stands where he was standing was Wang Lie, who was warming up!

The last time Tyne played Sofia United at home, he missed the entire first half because his train was delayed.

So this time he set off from London early and arrived in Manchester in the morning, waiting outside Redstone Stadium.

The weather was bad; it even rained lightly, making it cold and damp.

But none of this could cool the fire in his heart.

While waiting, he recalled the moment when he rushed here after hearing online that Wang Lie had terminated his contract with Sofia.

When he arrived outside Redstone Stadium, he happened to see workers hired by Sofia United cleaning up the posters of Wang Lie on the stadium's exterior wall.

He only had time to say goodbye to Wang Lie's "feet".

He was so upset at the time...

She became an "internet celebrity" by crying right there outside.

But he doesn't want to be that kind of internet celebrity.

So he didn't release a video to tell everyone that it was him when that video went viral, and then take the opportunity to create an account.

He no longer considers Sofia United his home team, but the joys and sorrows he experienced for the team over the past nine and a half years are undeniable and real.

Therefore, he was determined to come to the stadium to witness Wang Lie's return to the Redstone Stadium.

Even if you buy tickets from scalpers at a high price.

He saw this as a farewell to Wang Lie's time at the Red Stone Stadium, and also as a farewell to his own nine and a half years of youth.

After the ticket check began, he went into the stadium immediately and waited in the stands.

Perhaps missing the entire first half of the game in Newcastle last time helped him accumulate enough good karma.

This time, Wang Lie was warming up right under his nose, which could be said to be the closest he had ever been to Wang Lie...

He felt that if he shouted, Wang Lie would turn around.

However, he didn't actually do that.

The main reason is that he witnessed the conflict firsthand before the match.

Being an undercover agent in the home fans' section of the stands, I was worried that revealing my identity as a Wang Lie fan would cause me trouble...

He wasn't afraid of being beaten up, but rather of being forcibly removed by security guards—a common occurrence in English football stadiums. There are frequent news reports of away fans sitting in the home team's section, causing dissatisfaction among the surrounding home fans, leading to clashes, and ultimately, the away fans being "asked" to leave the stands.

Getting beaten up is a minor matter; the real issue is not being able to fully witness Wang Lie's historic return to the Redstone Stadium.

He didn't want to repeat the mistake he made at Newcastle.

So even though Wang Lie was warming up right under his nose, he could neither call out Wang Lie's name nor take out his phone to take a picture. He could only stare at the figure with eager eyes.

He wasn't the only one watching Wang Lie's figure; right next to him, a Sofia United fan remarked:

"To be honest, I thought I had gotten used to seeing Wang in a Tyne jersey, but seeing him in another team's training gear on the Redstone Stadium pitch still feels hard to accept..."

"Me too……"

"Alex was right not to come. He's right. I really don't know how to feel about him. Should I welcome him back? Or boo him? The game hasn't even started yet, and I'm already feeling the torment. I can't even imagine what I'll do when Wang scores..."

Hearing the discussions among the Sofia United fans, Xiao Cheng scoffed inwardly:
I don't know what to do?
It's simple, just curse that idiot Hall and tell him to get lost!

In such a high-profile match, they put pressure on the club owner face-to-face, telling him who the real culprit was in making Sofia United a laughing stock in the world!
Didn't Wang Lie already prescribe all the medications from Sofia for you?
※※※

After finishing warm-up and returning to the locker room, with only twenty minutes left before the start of the match, both sides needed to prepare for the upcoming game.

McNeil's tactics for Tyne in this game were more aggressive. Judging from the pieces he placed on the tactical board, when Tyne attacked, he required everyone except the two center-backs and the goalkeeper to push past the halfway line, with the two full-backs even pushing into the opponent's 30-meter zone.

To be honest, if an outsider saw this tactical setup, they wouldn't be able to tell for a moment which team is the real powerhouse and which team is playing on home soil...

Seriously, this scene wouldn't even have appeared in the dreams of the most daring Tyne fans in the past.

"...Just keep pressing them! Push forward from the start of the game, press high, and make sure we have two players to challenge them when they have the ball..."

McNeil was emphasizing key points to the players.

In fact, this highly aggressive strategy came to McNeil's mind when the League Cup opponent was confirmed to be Sofia United.

He definitely didn't act on a whim after seeing the timid and hesitant reaction from everyone at Sofia after Wang Lie started criticizing him.

During the team's tactical training, he had already decided that they would dominate Soford United at Redstone Stadium today.

So who gave him that confidence?

Of course it's Wang Lie.

In fact, McNeil dared to make such a decision because of Wang Lie's outstanding individual performance and his deep understanding of Wang Lie's feelings towards Sofia United.

His biggest advantage is Wang Lie's ability to get fired up whenever he plays against Sofia United.

He hadn't asked Wang Lie about this, but he trusted his own judgment.

Another point is his analysis of Sofia United's current manager, Meler Shapman. He believes that as long as his team can put enough pressure on Sofia United from the start of the game, they will be able to force the opponent to lose their composure.

Meanwhile, in the home team's locker room, Meler Shapman was also emphasizing to his players who they should focus on protecting:
“...No matter where the king is, you must always make sure there's someone next to him. If he gets the ball, then immediately another person goes up to make sure there are at least two people marking him. Remember, I said ‘no matter where the king is.’ Even if he's in their penalty area, you have to do it this way…”

In this game, Shapman's tactics for his team can be summarized in one key word:
Wang Lie.

Wang Lie's words before the game convinced Shapman that Wang Lie would be very active in this game and become Tyne's most threatening player.

And Tyne will definitely focus his attacks on Wang Lie.

So for Sofia United, it's actually quite simple: as long as they can contain Wang Lie and cut off the connection between him and the other Tyne players, this game will be much easier to handle...

Many outsiders probably thought that Sofia United was doomed to lose this match.

But Shapman didn't see it that way. He was so patient before the game, not because he wanted to lose.

To secure his position as head coach, he must fight hard in this match and strive for victory.

※※※

"Your Majesty, is there anything you'd like to say before this match begins?"

McNeil then proceeded with the usual pre-game routine, calling for team captain Wang Lie to speak. Wang Lie waved his hand, refusing to go to the center, and instead remained seated, addressing his teammates:
"I don't have much to say. The only thing I want to say is... don't overthink it, guys, it's just a League Cup match. Just play the way the boss instructed before the game, and keep them on the line."

His tone was calm, as if it were just a regular League Cup match.

After speaking, he stood up from his seat, looked at his teammates who were sitting and looking up at him, and clapped his hands:
"Get ready to go on stage! We have only one goal in this match: victory!"

※※※

Despite it being just a League Cup match, Sofia United fans still prepared a giant TIFO for their team in the South Stand.

Against a red background, all the championship trophies won by Sofia United are printed in white silhouettes, including domestic league, cup, European, and world titles. Because there are so many championships, all the less important ones are shrunk in size to ensure that all the trophies can be contained on a giant TIFO.

Below these trophy silhouettes are the slogans:

"This is Sofia United, this is the king of England!"

Domineering.

Sofia fans certainly have the right to say such things.

For a long time, in the entire history of English football, only Liverpool's Scorsese have been able to rival them.

Both sides have a similar number of championship titles, with each having their own wins and losses.

For example, Sofia United has more English top-flight league titles than Scots United, but they have fewer Champions League titles than Scots United.

Although Scots United have won more Champions League titles than Sofia United, Sofia United have a "seven-time champion" – winning every possible title in a single year, a feat unique to England.

Furthermore, because England has one more domestic cup competition than other European countries like La Liga, Ligue 1, Serie A, and the Bundesliga, Sofia United not only set an English record but also a European record in terms of sheer numbers. Other top clubs in other countries have at most achieved six titles, never seven…

Therefore, Sofia United absolutely has the right to call themselves the kings of England in front of Tyne.

Correspondingly, in the North Stand opposite the South Stand, there was also a giant TIFO, except the background had changed from red to white—it was a huge white cloth, but there was nothing on the cloth except for a single, not particularly eye-catching word:
YOU
you guys
It doesn't take much effort; anyone can see that this is something Solskjaer fans used to mock Tyne.

The "you" in this context refers to Tyne.

One side displayed a dense array of trophies won throughout the history of Sofia United, while the other side used a huge white cloth to satirize Tyne for not having any notable achievements.

It can be described as "perfectly matched"...

※※※

"FUCK! That damn Manchester bastard!"

In the stands where the away fans were gathered, many Tyne fans started cursing and swearing when they saw this.

What angered them so much was not only the mockery in the TIFO by the Sofia fans, but also the arrogance and malice of the Sofia fans – they could draw every single championship of their own club, big or small, important or not, on it, but left Tyne a blank sheet, as if Tyne had never won a championship in its history.

But how is it possible?
Historically, Tyne FC is much older than Sofia United; they also had their glorious periods, but those were a long time ago.

泰恩俱乐部历史上一共赢得三次英格兰顶级联赛的冠军，分别是1902-1903赛季、1905-1906赛季和1906-1907赛季，其中一次还是卫冕成功。

在足总杯上面则有四次夺冠的经历，分别是1905-1906赛季、1911-1912赛季、1920-1921赛季、1927-1928赛季。

They were double champions in the 1905-1906 season.

As for the League Cup, they've never won it...

There is also a European competition trophy, the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup, but because UEFA does not recognize the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup as an official event organized by them, Tyne has never won any of the three major European trophies in its history.

In addition, they also have titles in the English second tier. For example, their last title win was in the 2004-2005 season when they won the Championship and were promoted to the Premier League.

While Tyne cannot compare to Sofia United in terms of the number of championships, it shouldn't be as completely blank as this TIFO shows.

This TIFO by Sofia fans is not only an insult to Tyne, but also a fabrication, as if Tyne has never won a single title in the club's 165-year history...

Thorpe United could have won in terms of the number of championships, but they chose to humiliate Tyne in such a despicable way, which Tyne's fans naturally could not tolerate.

"Those damn bastards from Sofia United!"

In the stands, Robbie Dixie was cursing and swearing.

Jon Berg shook his head: "It's a pity we weren't prepared since we were playing away, otherwise we could have retaliated with banners..."

"How should we retaliate?" Ryan asked from the side.

"9:0."

When the surrounding Tyne fans heard Berg say that, they all burst into laughter.

Robbie Dixie clapped his hands happily: "They're going to be furious!"

Harry Collins said, "I'm going to write this down and make a TIFO like this when we get back to our home ground!"

As he spoke, he actually took out his phone and started recording...

A month later, in the fourteenth round of the league, Tyne hosted Sofia United.

Now, the Tyne fans, caught off guard, will surely prepare a grand welcome ceremony for the Sofia United fans.

After all, they couldn't stand being treated like that.

Two teams that originally had little interaction now seem to be turning into "sworn enemies" or "sworn rivals"...

※※※

Upon seeing the two TIFO images in the stands, Xiao Cheng instinctively burst out laughing.

He didn't need to worry about his laughter giving him away, because seeing those two TIFOs mocking the opponents and laughing out loud was quite in line with his persona as "a Sofia United fan"...

But he actually laughed out loud only because he felt genuinely saddened by the foolish Sofia United fans.

That's so low-class!
It's shameful that a top English club like Tyne would fabricate even more championship titles than a little-known team like Tyne!
Even if Tyne's number of titles were accurately reflected, Sofia United would still be a sure winner.

But the Sofia fans' insistence on doing so immediately exposed their narrow-mindedness and arrogance.

It's unclear whether they genuinely didn't know Tyne wasn't without a championship, or if they simply wanted to humiliate and provoke him in this way.
If it's the former, with today's advanced information technology, you can find the correct answer with a simple search, or even ask an AI.
If it's the latter...

What good will it do you to provoke Tyne?

Don't you know why neither the club's top management nor the head coach responded to Wang Lie before the match?

Isn't it just because they're afraid of completely enraging Wang Lie?

As a Sofia United fan, shouldn't you be even more aware of the consequences of provoking Wang Lie?
Damn it, I'm starting to wonder if it was actually me, a Tyne spy, who came up with this idea!

※※※

"...Do the Sofia fans think they're funny?"

Zhao Zhou, a part-time commentator who was providing commentary for Chinese fans in the PiliPili live streaming room for this League Cup match, made the same reaction as Xiao Cheng after seeing TIFO—he simply sneered.

"Very well, Sofia has found a way to bring about their own demise!"

Just then, the TV broadcast suddenly switched the camera to the players' tunnel.

Wang Lie was the first to turn out from the end, followed by the other players from Tyne.

When this group of people walked out from around the corner, they instantly filled the not-so-spacious players' tunnel, creating a very imposing atmosphere...

So Zhao Zhou stopped mocking the Sofia United fans and excitedly shouted:
"Here he comes! Redstone Stadium, Sofia United, your king is back!"

(End of this chapter)