[Football] Bad Boy Batty

A week later, Manchester City ended their trip to the United States this year. Although there were some discordant episodes, such as losing to Barcelona in a friendly match, and De Bruyne and Neymar had a dispute over the pass (luckily it was photographed), but overall, the trip ended successfully.

On the morning of the resumption of joint training, Batistuta arrived at the club early. There were some talk shows that needed to be recorded before the start of the season. In addition, there were specific fan benefits to be prepared in the next few months.

The publicity and promotion department will prepare some two-player games for them to show the fans the good atmosphere within the team. Usually, these two players have the highest frequency of interaction and the loudest voice in the team.

Batty's partner is Stones.

During the time when others were promoting in the United States, their training clips were interspersed between the special episodes of the American tour, and they have maintained a high number of clicks. In order to consolidate the fan base, Sam Eli proposed to make a series of short films "Gay Friends War", similar to Dortmund's "Roommate War" a few years ago.

No one doesn't like gossip, let alone the unknown private side of these big-name stars.

Batty scoffed at the suggestion.

It is quite rare for a team like Manchester City to have documentaries every season. They don't need to show them to the fans deliberately, as the fans already know enough.

But he didn't refuse.

After all, as a captain, you have to set a good example.

After asking Loach to save a few puddings for him, Batty walked towards the filming location. He deliberately made a half circle, thinking that the time was about right. If he could meet Stones together, he could also ask him about some matters within the England team on the way. The more he knew, the better it would be for him as captain.

But I didn't meet Stones, but I met the head coach.

"Good morning, Pep. You've only been back for a few days and you're already in a hurry to become a workaholic again?" Batistuta walked up to him and hugged him, then teased with a smile.

"Yeah, some things are better done early." Guardiola patted Batistuta on the back, "Have your weight and statistics returned? If not, I will not let you return to the team."

"Don't worry, it's already been done. Now you should be thinking about when I can score 100 goals in the Premier League."

"Really, Barty? So soon?"

"Hmm." Batty raised his chin proudly, "Hey Pep, there are still 7 left. Want to make a bet? How many games do you think it will take me to finish it?"

"If you can solve it in one game, that would be great." Guardiola was in a good mood and joked with Batistuta, "Seriously, if you can do it, I will treat everyone to a meal."

"That's too harsh!" Batty made an exaggerated face, "I can't do it, it's impossible!"

"Oh?" This answer was not like Batistuta, too modest. Guardiola stroked his beard and asked: "How many games do you think it will be?"

"I think -" Batty made a fake thinking gesture, "half time."

"Half time?"

"Yes." Batistuta smiled, in stark contrast to the cloudy sky in Manchester. "Did you watch the America's Cup? They scored double digits even though I did. Easy-peasy."

"Haha! Good!" This was Batistuta's arrogant response. Guardiola shook his head and said, "That's it. My wallet and I are waiting for you to score 100 goals in the Premier League."

"Welcome back."

"Ah, you too."

They hugged again.

Just as they were about to part, Batistuta noticed a folder in Guardiola's hand. A corner of it was exposed, and it seemed to contain some list of players.

"Pep, wait a minute," he called out to the head coach.

"What's wrong?" Guardiola seemed a little confused. "Are you worried that you won't be able to meet the requirements and want to regret it?"

He thought Batty was calling him over for the 100-goal bet, but no, Batty walked over, shook his head, and asked, "Do you know about Rahim?"

"Rahim?" Guardiola looked at Batistuta with suspicion. "You mean he—"

"Yes, it's about his transfer." Batistuta pointed out directly that he hadn't seen him at the club for some time. "What do you think about this?"

"I don't have any thoughts. Raheem is a great player, but some conflicts cannot be avoided. That's his decision. You have to know that Manchester City never stops players who want to leave." After saying that, Guardiola changed his posture, crossed his arms and looked at Batistuta, "Why do you care so much about this?"

"Of course I care," Batty said confidently. "I'm the captain, I have to take good care of my team. If the lack of players on the left leads to problems in performance, then I am responsible."

Guardiola looked at him for a while and suddenly laughed.

"Don't worry about that, I'm the head coach." He patted Batistuta's arm with a document. "We still have a lot of good players. In the absence of Neymar, I think Phil Foden can take his place, and so can Bernardo. Don't think too much. As long as you play well, everything will be fine."

Batty nodded.

But having said that, he still has a bad feeling. Kompany is gone, Danilo is gone, Delph is gone, and Sterling is leaving too. He always feels that this season will not be peaceful.

"Speaking of this, Batistuta," Guardiola suddenly remembered something, "Congratulations, from this season on, you are a player with an English residence permit!"

"Hmm?" Batty didn't understand. "What do you mean?"

"Local youth training, the English Football Association stipulates that players aged 16-21, regardless of nationality, as long as they play for British clubs for three seasons, they will officially become local youth training players and will not occupy foreign aid quotas." Guardiola explained, "It is said that the policy will be changed next year to prohibit cross-border transfers of players under the age of 3, so-"

"So?" Batty still didn't understand what the big deal was.

Guardiola patted his forehead, as if he was looking at his own stupid child.

"So your value will double, of course, to the Premier League team." The head coach pulled him forward, "I remember you are about to start contract renewal negotiations with the club. Remember what I said, this is a good bargaining chip for asking price."

……

After saying goodbye to the head coach, Batistuta arrived at the filming location, where Stones was already waiting for him. Also in the room were Loach and Qiao Lin. As a family member of the player and a little-known internet celebrity, Qiao Lin was allowed to appear here to take some small highlights and post them on the Chinese Internet for promotion.

The whole room was decorated very warmly, as if it was prepared for a couple on a date. Batistuta and Stones needed to sit back to back and hold up signs to answer questions. Only when their answers were the same would they get points.

"I want to be the highest scorer, John, do you understand me?" Batty knocked Stones on the head with the sign in his hand, "You answer me well, if we can't get 1 point, it's all your fault!"

"Hey! This is not fair!" Stones used his height to squeeze Batistuta with his back. "We haven't even answered one question yet, why are you putting the blame on me first? How come it's not your fault?"

"My fault? Impossible. Absolutely impossible."

"Really? Why don't I believe it at all?"

Qiao Lin leaned against the loach, holding up her phone to take pictures as she pleased. She shook her head and exclaimed sincerely: "It's great to be able to work in the club!"

Soon, the questions began.

[Who has a worse temper in training?] Stones raised the sign representing Batistuta without hesitation, and Batistuta quickly raised the sign representing Stones, almost at the same time.

Host: "Unfortunately, you didn't score."

"What?" Stones was very surprised. He turned around and saw Batistuta and the sign with his name on it. "Me? How can you say I have a bad temper? Just ask anyone on the training ground and they will know the answer is you, Batistuta!"

"No, no, no, I never lose my temper during training." Batty glanced at him, "Because you are all big sieves, passing you is as easy as crossing the road, I don't need to lose my temper at all."

Stones stared at him and denied it again and again.

"I'm right, John, you're the only one who screams when you're hit on the head. Oh, and Walker of course, but if you have to choose between the two of us, it must be you, and everyone knows it." Batty hit Stones on the head with the sign again.

Out of Batistuta's sight and out of the camera's reach, Stones raised his middle finger.

[Who is more likely to win the Millionaire Game? ] (A quiz show where you can get a million-pound cheque by answering all the questions correctly)

This time Batistuta and Stones did not hold up each other's signs.

They raised their own.

Host: "Unfortunately, you two failed to score again."

"Come on John!" Batty raised his hands and complained, "You know I'm the one who knows more and has been to more places between the two of us."

"Come on." Stones was very disdainful. "You have no common sense at all. Remember last year's game, you pointed Abu Dhabi to Canada's position. I have never seen anything so outrageous!"

“…It was just a mistake.”

“That’s why I said that if you were to participate in that show, you wouldn’t even be able to pass the first level.”

The England defender smirked.

He pulled one back.

Out of Stones' sight but within the camera's reach, Batistuta gave him the middle finger.

Host: “…Poof!”

In a sense, it's a very tacit understanding.

……

The game was over, Batistuta and Stones only scored 1 point. The only thing they agreed on was that no one in the entire club loved pudding more than Batistuta.

They were still arguing about this until everyone started indoor training in the afternoon.

"How is it possible that I am more afraid of spiders? I can even let them crawl all over my body, but you can't. I still remember how you were scared away by a beetle during training the day before yesterday." Barty said while swinging a pink elastic rope. He had just finished three sets of anaerobic training.

"That's not a beetle, that's a cockroach!" Stones sat up on the mat and argued loudly. There were many teammates around him and he had to maintain his image. "Come on, who wouldn't hide when seeing a flying cockroach the size of two pennies?"

"I don't." Batty raised his eyebrows at him, "So it's your fault that we didn't score that time."

"Well, even if it's true, who spends more time on the phone?" Stones changed the subject, "You will die without a phone, that's what you said."

"Yes, but—"

Before Batistuta could finish his words, Neymar ran in from the corridor screaming, and then threw a piece of wet cloth on Batistuta's face.

"Hahaha, it's the water from the freezing pool, and that's my training suit. How does it feel!" He used his mobile phone to take a picture of Barty's miserable, wet body. He had wanted to do this prank for a long time, but when he was in Brazil, Barty was still injured, so he had been holding back.

"Oh my God! Can you be more annoying!" Batty bared his canine teeth at him, then angrily threw the wet clothes back, "Be careful! I'm going to put depilatory cream in your shampoo in the next two days, just wait for you to become bald!"

"Come on, you can try it."

Batistuta used an elastic rope to make a slingshot gesture to provoke Neymar. Neymar, not to be outdone, made some funny kung fu moves. At this time, De Bruyne walked in drinking water. As soon as he came in, he saw Batistuta and Neymar's somewhat childish but harmonious interaction. The corners of his mouth twitched, but he said nothing.

Following De Bruyne in came B Silva, who was checking the news on his phone.

"Hey guys, you have no idea what I just saw!" The Portuguese midfielder waved his phone at everyone, "UEFA is officially investigating Manchester City about the Financial Fair Play Act. The person who broke the news also said that Manchester City is gathering a team of lawyers and has no intention of bowing to UEFA."

"What the hell." Batty put down the elastic rope in his hand and smoothed his wet hair. "Why is this not over yet? It feels like a century has passed."

Sean B shrugged. He was just telling everyone the news. How could he know more details?

"But Batistuta, speaking of this, there is one more thing I think you should know." The Portuguese tapped on his phone and forwarded something, "Read the private message."

"What is so mysterious?" Neymar asked curiously.

"Nothing." Seat B was vague. He winked at Batty and said, "It's just some information that the captain should know so that he can deal with the reporters when the time comes."

Batty saw the other party's hidden meaning and took out his cell phone to check.

B席 forwarded him a piece of news from the German newspaper Kicker, which said that due to being deeply involved in the Financial Fairness Act, Manchester City may be disqualified from participating in the Champions League next season (19-20), and the players need to find a new club as soon as possible before the end of the summer transfer window.

Tsk.

Exaggerated.

UEFA just wants to use Manchester City to prove its prestige. Batistuta sneered twice. He didn't believe that Manchester City didn't have any leverage over UEFA.

But that’s not the point of the news.

Kicker said that Bayern is pursuing Manchester City left-back Lucas Hernandez. They believe that if Manchester City cannot participate in the Champions League next season, it will become relatively easier for them to get this player.

Batty looked at the news and slid his finger across the screen twice.

Looking up, he searched for Lucas in the room. The French defender was walking on the balance beam with his coach at a far corner away from him. He looked a little silent, totally unlike his usual Lucas.

Could it be——
Already contacted?

If so, it seems that he was tempted by the conditions offered by Bayern.

Batty narrowed his eyes and decided to find some time to talk to Luki.

(End of this chapter)