I build a giant in the Premier League

Chapter 346 Unanimously Approved! Double Crown Victory! Reform and Pioneering! My Amazing Premier League Debut [Please Subscribe]

For Yang Cheng and ICC, this year's International Champions Cup is not just a competition, but also a comprehensive market research and analysis.

To better understand the market, ICC hired three highly professional organizations to analyze the event from multiple dimensions, including the market, fans, and competition, in preparation for further expansion.

During this period, Yang Cheng led the team to play in the International Champions Cup in North America.

This time, the Chinese team from Beswain faced Real Madrid directly in the group stage, staging a peak showdown.

Ultimately, Yang Cheng's team defeated Real Madrid 1-0 thanks to Walcott's goal.

In the remaining two group stage matches, Yang Cheng's team defeated Inter Milan and Borussia Dortmund respectively.

They finished the group stage with three consecutive wins.

In the Tennessee final, Yang Cheng's team defeated Mourinho's Chelsea 2-0 and advanced to the final.

In the Asian final, Manchester United and Manchester City finally staged a thrilling showdown.

The clash between Messi and Ronaldo in the Chinese capital ignited the domestic market, creating a frenzy.

Ultimately, Guardiola's Manchester City came out on top.

Messi and Ronaldo's overall performances are comparable, but Manchester City's team as a whole is more mature than Manchester United's.

Van Gaal said after the match that he was satisfied with Manchester United's overall performance.

He believes that Ronaldo's arrival will greatly boost Manchester United's morale and elevate the team's strength.

"We are the strongest contenders in the new Premier League and Champions League season!"

Yes, although Manchester United only finished 5th in the Premier League last season, they were able to qualify for the Champions League group stage because they won the Europa League.

This season's Champions League will once again feature five Premier League teams.

This is an absolute nightmare for other teams!
However, this year's Champions League group stage seedings will be based on the defending champions and league champions, making the draw very interesting.

At least, it's completely different from the past.

In the International Champions Cup final held at Prudential Stadium in London, Baswater Chinese defeated Manchester City 3-1 with goals from Gareth Bale, Harry Kane and Raheem Sterling.

Guardiola's team ultimately couldn't withstand the onslaught from the Chinese team at Besworth.

After all, it's Prudential Stadium in London!
Incidentally, Patrick Roberts, who was poached from Baswater by the Chinese, came on as a substitute in the second half.

However, the player's performance was mediocre when facing his former team.

Manchester City currently boasts top wingers like Messi and Reus, as well as stars like Jovetic, making their overall strength exceptional.

Whether Patrick Roberts' decision to leave Bayswater and choose Manchester City was the right one is hard to say.

……

After the International Champions Cup final, the Community Shield will soon follow.

As league champions, the Chinese team will face Arsenal, the reigning FA Cup champions.

The match was held at Wembley Stadium.

Whether it's Yang Cheng or Wenger, they are more inclined to focus on training their players.

But after the game started, both teams played very intensely.

The Chinese players from Beswain continuously used short passes to penetrate Arsenal's penalty area.

But the gunmen were no less formidable.

Despite being at a disadvantage in terms of possession and control, they showed great resilience.

It wasn't until the 23rd minute that Walcott dribbled past his marker and passed the ball across to Modric.

When the Croatian midfielder tried to break through the middle, he was fouled by Toulalan, winning a free kick in the attacking third.

The ball is 27 meters from the goal, slightly to the right of center.

Gareth Bale calmly took the penalty, executing a brilliant knuckleball that precisely sent the ball into the goal guarded by Lloris.

1 is better than 0!

The subsequent matches became more open.

In the first half, the Gunners also had an excellent opportunity.

In the 37th minute, Sanchez delivered a cross from the left wing, Benzema made a run from the back and headed the ball towards goal from the far post, but it was saved by goalkeeper Courtois. Fabregas then followed up with a close-range shot.

As a result, Courtois, who was lying on the ground, suddenly pounced and blocked Fabregas's shot again.

This miraculous save earned Courtois a thunderous applause from the Wembley Stadium.

But in the second half, the game completely turned into a performance by the Chinese players from Basworth.

Especially after the 60th minute, Sterling, who came on as a substitute, was extremely active, creating chances one after another.

In the 86th minute, Sterling received a brilliant pass from his teammate on the edge of the penalty area, creating a one-on-one opportunity. His shot was blocked by Lloris, but Ramsey followed up with a shot that sent the ball back into Arsenal's goal.

Near the end of the match, Sterling once again broke through with the ball and delivered a through pass, giving substitute Salah an excellent one-on-one opportunity.

The Egyptian winger probably never expected that he would get such a golden opportunity.

This resulted in him being tackled by Loris again at the last moment.

Salah collapsed to his knees inside the penalty area.

What a great opportunity this is!
Break through Arsenal's goal!

He just missed it like that.

Ultimately, the Chinese from Beswain defeated Arsenal 2-0 with goals from Gareth Bale and Aaron Ramsey to win the Community Shield!
……

After the Community Shield match, the Baswater Chinese team enjoyed their final rest period before the start of the new season.

But Yang Cheng was still extremely busy.

Besides his FIFA-related matters, he also took time to attend the ICC shareholders' meeting held at the Royal Lancaster Hotel in London.

Having obtained authorization from FIFA and subsequently signed authorization agreements with UEFA, South American and other continental football federations, the ICC's meeting was conducted openly and legitimately.

Even during the meeting, a number of media reporters came to the hotel.

The club representatives who came to attend the shareholders' meeting all stood tall and proud.

For the past few years, they have been extremely cautious, holding meetings as if they were thieves.

Now, we can finally do it openly and honestly.

Therefore, the atmosphere in the venue was quite enthusiastic when Yang Cheng entered.

The heads of the 12 clubs, along with Yang Cheng, the largest shareholder of ICC, sat down for a roundtable meeting.

Before the meeting, everyone was discussing the UEFA presidential election to be held in mid-September.

Currently, only two people have announced their candidacy.

One is Van Praag, president of the Dutch Football Association and vice president of UEFA.

The other is Aleksandar Ceferin, president of the Slovenian Football Federation.

UEFA is the first continental football federation to hold a presidential election after FIFA's reforms, so they will be the first to implement the reformed mechanism.

From now on, the term of office for important officials such as the president and vice presidents of FIFA will be limited to a maximum of three terms, totaling 12 years, and they will not be eligible for re-election after the term expires.

The same applies to the continental football federations below.

The purpose of this is to further limit the power of FIFA and the presidents of the continental football federations, and to further curb corruption within FIFA.

In the past, FIFA and UEFA were almost like emperors, with virtually no end to their terms.

Blatter has repeatedly stated that he will not seek re-election and that this is his last term.

But as his term was about to end, he pulled off a series of bizarre moves, making it seem as if he had no choice but to be re-elected, and even claiming it was to maintain the stability of world football.

Pooh!
Now it's all good. The term limit is now set at three terms, which is written directly into FIFA's statutes. Nobody can change it!
As for the UEFA president, Yang Cheng doesn't actually value him that much.

Whether it's Ceferin or Van Prag, ultimately, whoever comes to power won't change the overall situation in the short term.

Once they have consolidated their power, FIFA's reforms will be largely finalized, and the overall situation will be settled, making it difficult for them to cause any further trouble.

However, judging from the current situation, Ceferin is more likely to be the one chosen.

It has to be said, this Slovenian is quite impressive.

He firmly sees himself as a reformer, actively responding to the reforms advocated by FIFA and UEFA, and echoing the calls for reform from various countries under UEFA.

Ceferin graduated from the University of Ljubljana with a degree in law and is fluent in four foreign languages. He became president of the Slovenian Football Federation in 2011 and had just been re-elected before the UEFA presidential election.

During his tenure as president of the Slovenian Football Federation, he successfully organized the U17 European Championship and used this event to build very good relationships with UEFA and the European football community.

However, those familiar with the dynamics of European football will easily discover, upon careful examination of the UEFA president selection process, that it is essentially a contest between Western and non-Western European regions.

The first president, Schwartz, was Danish; the second, Wiedeker, was Swiss; the third, Frankie, was Italian; the fourth, Jacques George, was French; and the fifth, Johansson, was Swedish.

The sixth was Platini, a Frenchman.

This time, Van Pragner is from the Netherlands and seems to represent Western Europe, but in reality, many Western European countries, including Germany, have chosen to support Ceferin.

This is where Ceferin is better than Van Prag.

It's worth noting that Slovenia only joined the European Union in 2004.

If it were countries in the Nordic region such as Denmark, Sweden, Norway, and Finland, choosing to support Ceferin, it wouldn't be surprising at all.

However, if even some countries in Western Europe, including Germany and Italy, support Ceferin, and if the Balkans and Turks also support him, they will likely lean towards Ceferin.

There's basically no need to choose!

The 12 top clubs took the opportunity of the meeting to make their voices heard in the upcoming European Club Association elections.

Simply put, it's about getting into the UEFA Executive Committee!
The club has three slots available.

When UEFA Executive Committee formulates policies, it will certainly have to give more consideration to the interests of the clubs.

Although the European Club Association now covers hundreds of professional clubs across Europe, the real influence is still held by the top teams.

The final consensus was that this time, one team from each of Serie A, Bundesliga, and La Liga would be selected.

Barring any unforeseen circumstances, Juventus will undoubtedly be the Serie A champions now, and Bayern Munich will be the Bundesliga champions.

In La Liga, Real Madrid is the most likely candidate.

Florentino needs to work on Barcelona and Atletico Madrid; those are his biggest rivals.

As for the Premier League and Ligue 1, we'll talk about them next time.

The Premier League's goal is simple: to do everything in its power to support David Gill's rise to power.

Don't assume that these 12 teams are overconfident or forming cliques.

In fact, UEFA destroyed the G14 and created the European Club Association in order to recruit these top teams.

And now, in this very setting, the three future UEFA executive committee members have been largely decided.

……

At the start of the meeting, David Pensell announced several pieces of news.

First of all, this year's International Champions Cup is more profitable than any previous year, and the revenue is constantly increasing.

Simply put, everyone gets a larger share of the money.

But there will be no money distribution this year!
Why not separate them?
Because ICC has several big things to do next.

The company has been established for 7 years, and the International Champions Cup has been successfully held 6 times.

ICC now has offices not only in the United States, but also in London, Europe, the capital of China, Asia, and the Middle East.

As the company grew larger, it had more than one hundred direct employees.

Not to mention the outsourced business and the personnel from the third-party companies we cooperate with.

David Pensell stated that after several years of experience, ICC has developed excellent event operation capabilities.

Therefore, the company plans to launch a women's football tournament, namely the International Women's Champions Cup, within the next three years.

why?
Women's football is becoming increasingly popular and is receiving more and more attention.

Now is the perfect time to enter the market!
This can actually be seen from this year's UEFA presidential election.

Both Ceferin and Van Prag are clearly leveraging the women's football brand.

This is enough to prove that women's football is receiving increasing attention in Europe and even around the world.

More and more clubs are starting to form women's football teams.

It's funny, Real Madrid and Barcelona are pretty awesome in La Liga, right?

But in women's football, Rayo Vallecano is the leader.

The Chinese in Bethwaite are actually considering forming a women's soccer team, because there are more and more women playing soccer and more and more fans of women's soccer, and it is gradually attracting a lot of attention.

The investment required to establish a women's soccer team is actually very small.

Given the current situation of the Chinese team at Besworth, even a tiny fraction of their budget would be enough to support a top European women's football club, or even a world-class team.

Another important reason why Yang Cheng was interested was that while the men's football team in China was not good, the women's team was quite good.

For example, Wang Shuang.

Incidentally, after Yang Cheng acquired Twente in the Dutch Eredivisie, he actually contacted several domestic players who were capable of playing in the Eredivisie.

However, the responses received were not very positive.

On the one hand, Twente cannot afford to offer such high salaries as those in China.

On the other hand, for players, playing football is indeed a job that relies on their youth, and they also need to support their families.

To put it bluntly, pursuing ideals and life goals is a luxury for everyone.

At the very least, we have to wait until people have some kind of protection, right?
Playing football in Europe doesn't necessarily mean you'll earn more money, but it will definitely be more tiring.

As for becoming successful, who can guarantee that?
Even someone like Yang Cheng couldn't guarantee, "Come on, even if you don't play well, I'll still support you."

That doesn't make sense, does it?

On the other hand, the women's football team is actually quite good.

In addition to women's football, ICC also plans to enter youth competitions.

There are many youth competitions in Europe, but they are mostly exchange matches and there is no series of formal competitions.

The most formal competition right now is the UEFA Champions League youth tournament.

ICC wants to enter this field. They are optimistic about the market, believing that youth competitions require little investment but have huge potential, and that clubs have an urgent need for them.

And all of these require investment!
The bigwigs from the 12 clubs present weren't too concerned about the share of the profits, but they were increasingly optimistic about the long-term development of ICC.

Especially when David Pensell talks about the next plan.

Event copyright management!

The reason for creating the Women's Champions Cup and the Youth Champions Cup is ultimately to operate the competitions and then sell the broadcasting rights.

This is something ICC is already very familiar with, and they have well-established resources and channels.

It's quite interesting to think about.

The world's most powerful sports venue operator is an American company that started by operating NFL stadiums. It began with a single stadium, gradually accumulating experience and growing into a large and powerful enterprise.

In just two or three decades, it has become number one in the world.

Now ICC is also going down this path.

"We are already in talks with UEFA to acquire the agency rights for UEFA competitions in some countries in North and Central America and South America. This will be a brand new business expansion!"

The so-called agency rights are not about buying the property directly, splitting it up, and then reselling it.

No, it's an agent!
Simply put, they are middlemen who help find buyers.

For many years, UEFA has had its own partner, Team Marketing, headquartered in Switzerland. This company has worked with UEFA for many years, representing the global sales of the broadcasting rights for all of UEFA's competitions, including the Champions League, Europa League, and European Championship.

In the previous scandal involving Infantino, he shifted all the blame to TM Corporation.

The former UEFA Secretary General stated that the Argentine company that bought low and sold high was not found by him at all, but recommended to him by TM Company.

Everyone knows that this involves a lot of gray areas.

For example, TM has been the global distributor for all UEFA competitions for many years.

Is there absolutely no problem with this?

The same principle applies to FIFA and other continental competitions.

Now, isn't this a reform?
We need to introduce more competition.

ICC has successfully operated the International Champions Cup and has built its own channels and networks globally over the past seven years. They plan to enter the lucrative industry of event rights agency.

They started with North America, which they were most familiar with.

As for South America, ultimately, it's because of the incident involving Infantino.

From UEFA's perspective, introducing more competition is a good thing.

Over the years, whether TM sold more or less was entirely up to them. There was no competitive pressure, which made UEFA very unhappy.

Putting aside everything else, just look at the English Premier League in terms of global operations; they've made a fortune.

But what about the Champions League?

This is the true gem of world club competitions, isn't it?
David Pensell revealed that negotiations with UEFA regarding the agency rights for North and Central America are progressing very smoothly.

Securing this agency right will undoubtedly add another highly promising business segment to the company's future development.

Everyone present was well aware of the value of copyright, especially in today's globalized world.

To put it bluntly, which club doesn't make a fortune by selling copyrights and intellectual property?
Anyone who doesn't support ICC's entry into this field is a fool!

Moreover, ICC now has connections.

Yang Cheng is the Chairman of the FIFA Supervisory Board!

Thinking about this, everyone present felt immense regret.

Yang Cheng had initially offered to transfer more shares to them, but they didn't dare to accept them at the time.

it's good now.

Watching this company's business expand and its value soar, it's too late to regret it!
……

Another crucial topic at this meeting was the expansion of the International Champions Cup!

ICC previously commissioned three companies to conduct market research and offered further suggestions regarding expansion and events.

Now, the report is out.

Each of the 12 shareholders, plus Yang Cheng, received a very detailed evaluation report.

It details the current development potential of the International Champions Cup, the potential value of its expansion, and its future prospects, but more importantly, it includes various suggestions.

One of these points was completely unexpected by Yang Cheng.

That is, all three reports have "criticized" the current format of the International Champions Cup.

In fact, ICC conducts thorough market research before making any major decision.

But everyone knows that the International Champions Cup is a vacuum in the world of football, and no one has ever done this before.

Yang Cheng's previous life's International Champions Cup served as a cautionary tale, so he drew heavily on his past experiences to come up with various suggestions.

And indeed, the results have proven to be excellent.

In the past few years, the International Champions Cup has expanded its market rapidly, and its popularity and fan response have been quite enthusiastic.

It's safe to say that this event was a great success!

However, all three reports this year raised the same question.

Aesthetic fatigue!

Although the participating teams in the International Champions Cup are all very prestigious and the matches are quite intense, there is no shortage of star players, exciting goals, and various off-field news, including transfer news.

Simply put, it has all the elements of a hit product.

Therefore, the International Champions Cup has set new records every year for the past few years.

But is this a good thing?
One or two years, three or five years, the fans remain enthusiastic.

But what if we extend the timeframe a bit further?

What about five or seven years from now?
The International Champions Cup is about to enter its so-called "seven-year itch".

The tournament has always been held in North America and Asia, and it's a huge hit every summer, igniting the football market.

But gradually, even the most passionate fans will lose interest.

The novelty will gradually wear off!
All three reports pointed out that in the last two years, the situation has gradually become apparent: fans in North America and Asia have begun to experience some aesthetic fatigue.

Although the teams change every year after the draw, watching such a big show every summer gets tiresome after a while!

Some people might ask, wait a minute, the Champions League is played every year, why don't you get tired of it?
The report also points out the differences.

emotion!

In Europe, fans support their clubs in the Champions League with genuine emotion, sometimes spanning decades.

But in North America and Asia, this is just a commercial show.

Even if the show is very popular, watching it every year, repeatedly, will eventually lose its novelty and become boring.

Once things start to get boring, the market will gradually decline, and then all sorts of problems will follow. There's another issue: expansion.

Currently, there are 16 teams (12+4). If the league is to be expanded further, more competition zones will undoubtedly need to be added.

At that time, it will be a huge challenge, or even a disaster, for the organization of the entire event.

No one could imagine that a tournament could be held simultaneously in North America, Asia, Europe, South America, and Oceania, and that this tournament would also have knockout rounds. It would be an absolute disaster!
All the participating teams will go crazy!

Therefore, all three reports pointed out that if the expansion of the competition is to be decided, then the competition format must be changed.

Furthermore, it is essential to minimize the possibility of aesthetic fatigue among fans.

How do the World Cup and the European Championship work?
Once every four years!
That's why it's always so popular!

What if the World Cup were held every year?

It's obvious that things are different.

Does that mean the International Champions Cup will also be held every four years?
No, club competitions definitely can't be done like that.

Their suggestion was to continue holding the event annually, but to concentrate all the teams in one country.

This year to the United States, next year to East Asia, then Oceania and Southeast Asia, then Africa and Europe...

There are many advantages to organizing the competition in this way.

One is to minimize the possibility of fans experiencing aesthetic fatigue.

Another advantage is that by bringing the teams together, the schedule can be more compact, and the matches will be more intense.

Especially when it comes to knockout rounds.

By creating a continuous stream of exciting matches in a short period of time, we can ignite the football market and maximize our influence.

This is also a great opportunity for all sponsors, broadcasters, and partners.

They would be happy to offer more sponsorship and broadcasting fees, thereby enhancing the overall prestige of the event.

Rotating the host country will likely attract more interest from other countries and regions, who will be more willing to offer more favorable terms and generous benefits.

This could turn the tournament into a truly international cup competition!

When Yang Cheng saw the report, he was completely stunned.

He looked back and wondered if his previous life's International Champions Cup also had the same problem.

It seems that it really is.

Especially in 2018 and 2019, did people get a little tired of it?
The initial plan to establish competition zones in North America, Asia, and Oceania was to quickly establish the International Champions Cup brand, solidify the event's position, and enhance its global influence.

Looking back now, it was a great success.

The International Champions Cup is now a FIFA-authorized tournament that is highly sought after by sponsors, broadcasters, and fans, but its format is still quite loose.

Moving from loose to cohesive is yet another entirely new stage.

Yang Cheng also had to admit that, at least in this area, he was not professional enough.

The conclusions reached by ICC and other research institutions were truly enlightening for him.

As he said before: The only constant in this world is change!

In the subsequent vote, Yang Cheng was the first to raise his sign in support of David Pensell's reform of the International Champions Cup format, with the latter promising to work towards creating a more memorable viewing experience that is suitable for internet sharing.

Ultimately, it passed unanimously!

……

On the evening of August 7, at the London Brent Training Centre.

Tomorrow is the first round of the 15/16 Premier League season, and the Chinese from Baswater will be heading south to play against Bournemouth away.

After a day of training, all the players returned to the locker room.

We took a shower, changed clothes, and chatted about tomorrow's plans.

Bournemouth is located about 170 kilometers southwest of London, a little further southwest than Southampton.

It used to take about two and a half hours.

The match kicks off at 12:45 PM.

The match between Baswater China and Bournemouth is the opening game of the new Premier League season.

Teammates familiar with the Premier League and club arrangements will introduce things to the new teammates.

On the evening of the 11th, the team will play the European Super Cup in Georgia against Manchester United.

Manchester United will be playing Tottenham at home this round, and the match is scheduled for 15 p.m. on the 7th.

Judging from the schedule, both teams are under a lot of pressure.

After all, it's not a short distance from London to Georgia.

After returning, the second round of the Premier League will be next weekend, with the Chinese from Basworth Field hosting Manchester United.

It must be said that this is indeed a challenging schedule.

The new season has just begun, and with such a schedule right on the table, the pressure on the team is unimaginable.

But as a new signing for the team, Salah didn't seem to see much tension or pressure from his teammates.

It's as if they've already gotten used to it.

"Muhammad, is everything prepared in your room?"

Captain Modric asked casually.

Salah paused for a moment, but immediately nodded. "Everything is ready."

He had already started learning English while playing for Nice in Ligue 1.

Moreover, many things in Baswater are similar to those in Nice, so it's not difficult to adapt.

Of course, the teammates around him are different, and they're even stronger!
"That's good. Remember to let me know if anything comes up later."

After saying that, Modric walked away.

Salah was a little confused, wondering why his captain would suddenly ask him this.

Just then, a round of applause came from the locker room door.

Everyone turned to look and saw Yang Cheng walking in with Flick, Brian Kidd, and others.

"Everyone, hurry up, we need to talk to you about something."

Everyone immediately got busy with their own things.

Soon, after finishing their work, they all gathered around.

Yang Cheng waved to Flick.

The German coach came out, holding a document in his hand.

This scene has happened many times before.

In the past, announcing the starting lineup and the roster for away games was the head coach's job.

But now, Yang Cheng is gradually delegating this power to Flick.

Everyone gradually accepted and adapted to this change.

"OK, let's start announcing the roster for tomorrow's away game. All players will have to make do tonight and stay at our training base. If any players need to go home to prepare, they must check in before 10 pm tonight, understand?"

"clear."

Everyone responded in unison.

This has been the consistent rule for many years.

It takes a full two and a half hours to drive from the Brent Training Centre to Bournemouth.

The match is scheduled for 12:45 pm, and the teams must arrive early, so they basically have to leave very early in the morning.

If players are allowed to live at home, problems can easily arise.

For example, waking up late, getting stuck in traffic, or other problems.

In conclusion, having the players stay at the training base the night before is the most suitable option.

Of course, this would force players to leave their families.

This is actually the norm for many Premier League teams.

Unfortunately, there's just too much playing time scheduled for noon and afternoon to accommodate fans all over the world.

For example, Guardiola.

When he was at Barcelona, ​​wasn't he primarily known for his humanistic management style?
One of the rules is that players are allowed to go home the night before a match.

But there's a catch: La Liga basically doesn't have afternoon matches, let alone midday matches.

The Premier League is different.

Therefore, after Guardiola arrived in the Premier League, he changed everything, requiring everyone to stay overnight at the training center the night before the match.

Yang Cheng is actually relatively better.

If time permits, he will send the players home.

But like now, going to play Bournemouth away in the middle of the day, time is tight, and I definitely can't go home the night before the game.

It was only at this moment that Salah understood why Modric had asked him that question.

"I am now announcing the starting lineup for tomorrow's match."

Flick's direct announcement of the starting lineup surprised many.

But he immediately started reading out names.

Goalkeeper: Courtois;
Defense: Luke Shaw, Thiago Silva, John Stones, and Kyle Walker;
Midfielders: Toni Kroos, Casemiro, and De Bruyne;

Forwards: Sterling, Harry Kane and Salah.

But when Flick called his name, Salah was completely bewildered.

The Egyptian winger looked to his left, then to his right, and found that everyone else seemed to be used to it, as if he was the only one who was surprised.

"Muhammad, is there a problem?"

Yang Cheng asked.

Salah first shook his head in confusion, then nodded. "I...want to start?"

This is the first game of the new season.

People around them burst out laughing.

Everyone clearly sensed that the newcomer was a bit nervous.

Salah vowed that he would never do this if it were a real game.

But he was indeed a little nervous.

He just arrived, and it's his first game of the new season.

"Yes, get ready tonight and get some rest. Although Bournemouth is a newly promoted team, their overall strength is not bad. They are aiming to avoid relegation this season, and they will definitely fight hard from the first round!"

Yang Cheng smiled slightly at Salah as he said this, "Don't be nervous, Mohammed, we'll be fine!"

The teammates around him burst into laughter again.

Salah could sense that this wasn't mockery, but rather a kind of good-natured teasing.

Okay, I'm not nervous!
Since none of you are nervous, why should I be nervous?
Besides, I'm partnered with Harry Kane and Sterling.

The midfield also includes Toni Kroos and De Bruyne.

What am I afraid of?
Salah took a deep breath to calm himself down.

The remaining 7 players are substitutes.

Tonight, these 18 players will stay overnight at the training center.

Everyone else can go home, but they still need to be back for training on time tomorrow morning.

Their task is to prepare for the European Super Cup next Wednesday, as well as the second round of the league this weekend.

Both matches were against Manchester United.

Salah also noted that Gareth Bale and Walcott were not in the 18-man squad.

And Modric.

It has to be said that the coaching staff's decision was truly bold.

Or rather, they are very confident in the team's own strength.

However, upon reflection, it seems normal.

No one can play three games in a row, right?
In particular, there is a flight to Georgia in the middle of the journey.

……

Bournemouth Vitality Stadium, noon on August 8.

In the first round of the 15/16 Premier League season, Baswater's Chinese team played away against Bournemouth.

Just like yesterday evening, I was completely bewildered.

Salah never expected that he would start in the first round of the league as a newcomer, and suffer a blow right from the start.

In his view, the Chinese at Bethwater must have a clear idea of ​​how to rotate players.

The coaching staff certainly has enough confidence in the team's strength.

Facing a newly promoted team should be quite easy.

At least in Ligue 1, and in other leagues, this is true.

However, it only lasted 48 seconds.

Yes, only 48 seconds.

Salah hadn't even actually touched the ball once; he was near the halfway line, on the right side of his own half, when he heard cheers coming from his own goal.

Then he saw the Bournemouth right winger wearing the number 30 jersey excitedly rush off the pitch.

Salah plays on the right wing, and is separated from player number 30, Matt Ritchie, by a pitch, so he didn't even get a clear look at what the other player looked like.

It was vaguely described as a short figure, but it ran quite fast.

But... they conceded a goal?

Salah was completely bewildered!
The Egyptian kept calling out to God in his heart, feeling that this matter was too outrageous.

Even though the ball wasn't lost from their right flank, it was still lost way too quickly.
It took less than a minute.

How did you get in?

But the next moment, Salah heard a shout from his teammate De Bruyne.

"Muhammad, what are you up to?"

Salah paused for a moment, then quickly turned his head, still looking bewildered.

Where is the person you're keeping an eye on?

people?
Salah's first look was at number 4.

But soon he realized something was wrong.

Number 4 is positioned in the center of the midfield.

What about the left-back?

"Number 11, oh my god!" Kyle Walker was jumping up and down in frustration.

Salah felt as if he had fallen into an ice cellar.

Isn't it?
I repeatedly reminded them before the competition.

The opposing left-back is wearing number 11.

Salah really felt like cursing!

Damn it, who would let a full-back wear the number 11 jersey?
Stand up, or I'll make him pay!

How could Bournemouth do such a thing?
Now Salah knows exactly how the ball went in.

He was a little confused.

The pace of the Premier League is too fast. He glanced around briefly, and then Daniels, number 11, suddenly rushed forward, received the ball, and delivered a cross from the left wing.

Matt Ritchie, number 30 on the right wing, is a left-footed player. He suddenly cut diagonally into the right side of the penalty area and fired a left-footed shot, breaking through Courtois' goal.

The reason for this is that Salah missed his man, and Kyle Walker didn't have time to cover.

He also has his own people to keep an eye on.

Salah was completely tense.

This is the Premier League!
Damn Premier League!
The pace is too fast!
In just 48 seconds, he was given such a rude awakening!

"It's alright, it's alright, everyone cheer up and get ready, we're going to counterattack!"

Harry Kane ran back quickly.

Despite being only 22 years old, Harry Kane, as a true heir to the team, carries extraordinary weight in the locker room.

Other players, including Kyle Walker, were also constantly urging their teammates on.

Tony Cross even made a harsh statement.

"Steady and methodical, we'll tie the score in 10 minutes! Hurry up, everyone get moving!"

The pace of the Premier League is just too fast!
Salah worked hard to stay alert and quickly got into the game.

He's already 23 years old; he's not one of those clueless newbies.

He played in the French Ligue 1 league at Nice and also in the Champions League.

It was just an accident.

Soon, he witnessed the amazing skills of the Chinese in Bethwater.

Tony Cross said he wanted to equalize the score within 10 minutes, and everyone focused their efforts on that.

Especially around the 9th minute, seeing Bournemouth retreating across the board and unable to break through, everyone fought even harder.

They were really giving it their all, wanting to equalize the score within 10 minutes!

When everyone shares the same goal, the fighting power they unleash is terrifying.

Including Salah himself.

He gradually overcame the nervousness of his first Premier League appearance, began to get into the game, and started to integrate into the rhythm and atmosphere of the game created by his teammates.

But Bournemouth is indeed very strong!
They adopted a 4-4-2 formation, but in reality, the two midfielders, number 4 and number 6, dropped very far back.

In addition, the two wingers actively dropped back.

Therefore, their penalty area always has two lines of defense, which are airtight and difficult to break through.

Salah himself also attempted to dribble past his opponent twice, but both attempts were blocked.

There was a lot of physical contact and many small movements, but it was mostly a contest of strength.

Salah is experiencing his impressions of the Premier League time and time again.

On the other side, Sterling was much more aggressive, charging forward every time he got the ball.

Time kept passing, and that minute between 9 and 10 minutes seemed to last a long time.

But it will eventually come to an end.

Still unable to tie the score?
Just as Salah had his doubts, and as he dribbled towards the flanks and was blocked by a defender again, he heard someone calling his name from behind.

Tony Cross!
That German midfielder!

Salah passed the ball almost without hesitation.

When the ball came to Toni Kroos, the German didn't even adjust his position. Instead, he rushed forward and, before the defender could react, delivered a long pass with his right foot.

The ball sailed over Bournemouth's two defensive lines, over the heads of all the players, and landed near the right side of Bournemouth's six-yard box.

Almost simultaneously, a red figure was seen darting out from the middle of Bournemouth's defense.

Without any prior warning, the two players executed a perfectly coordinated play.

Harry Kane quickly broke the offside trap, surged into the penalty area, and rushed to the edge of the six-yard box, intercepting Toni Kroos's over-the-top pass before the onrushing goalkeeper could react.

After being deflected by Harry Kane, the ball changed direction and flew past the onrushing Polish goalkeeper Boruc, disappearing into the unguarded goal.

1 is better than 1!

A gasp of surprise echoed throughout the entire stadium.

Immediately following was the cheers of Harry Kane after his goal!

Salah was stunned!
They really tied it!
Exactly 10 minutes, no more, no less!

This was his amazing Premier League debut!

(End of this chapter)