If you are a brother, come and play football

Chapter 173 High Salary of the Century, Champions League, European All-Star Team (Please Subscribe)

One minute after Lu Deyang left the field, the referee blew the final whistle to end the match.

Sampdoria's substitutes rushed onto the pitch.

Lu Deyang followed them into the stadium and applauded the stands.

"Deyang!"

"Deyang!!"

"Deyang!!!"

The cheers from the away fans in the stands grew louder and louder.

Today's game was a microcosm of the past three seasons.

The team is excellent.

But with Lu Deyang, Sampdoria became the true six-time champions.

You might not notice anything unusual at other times, but in crucial moments, Lu Deyang is the most decisive star for the entire team, and even for UEFA.

Sampdoria lost to AC Milan after suffering an injury.

Perhaps a large-scale rotation is a good reason, but Sampdoria fans believe that even if all the starters are replaced, AC Milan still won't be able to win at the Ferraris Stadium as long as Ludjohnsen can play.

Rossi excitedly said, "It's the end of the season again, the time to reap the rewards of championships. Next up are the Italian Cup and the Champions League, and Sampdoria will continue to defend their title. I'm happy to witness this era with everyone. The reason I didn't mention this season is because next season, and the season after that, Dejan will still be the strongest champion."

Rivera and Riva proved their foresight, Paolo Mantovani demonstrated his decisiveness, Boskov showed us the importance of luck, and Dejan showed the world what absolute strength truly means.

Sampdoria fans have won championships, one after another. Every summer, Sampdoria has to find ways to ward off covetous eyes, because they possess one of the world's most important treasures. On the sidelines, Suarez could be brought to Italy by Moratti's hefty sum, but Dejan rejected Iberia's lucrative offer.

Perhaps Suarez is a good player, but Dejan's skill and perseverance demonstrate that the gap between Ballon d'Or winners is greater than that between ordinary players and Ballon d'Or winners. Earning money is understandable, but it's precisely players like Dejan who bring light to confused fans and children, letting them understand that playing football is more than just making money. Perhaps it is because of such a noble soul that God bestowed upon him outstanding skills; because of one man, the history of Genoa will be rewritten!

Inter Milan players once again walked into the tunnel as losers.

Fortunately, having experienced conceding four goals in the final moments last time, conceding two goals this time did not have a significant impact on them.

Sometimes, the damage is not just superficial.

It's like some people can't even cry when they lose a loved one.

But this pain will not disappear. Just like rheumatism on a rainy day, it will pierce their hearts at certain times and haunt them for the rest of their lives.

Lu Deyang prefers Ferguson's version of events.

I will become stronger the day after losing.

Everything has two sides. Don't dwell on past pain; instead, be grateful and strive to live well.

He felt that he should go on TV to give his opponents and fans some motivational speeches and encouragement, which would also earn him a good reputation.

Fortunately, the King of Land Balls won't experience failure.

At this moment, he also admired the Baresi brothers and Maldini.

At the very least, these opponents are definitely more mentally strong than him.

Lu Deyang was filled with emotion as he walked onto the podium with his teammates.

"Congratulations, Deyang..."

"You've won again. We'll see each other again soon."

The Italian Football Federation's top officials all had smiling faces.

Lu Deyang politely shook hands with everyone before taking his medal and walking to the podium.

"champion!!!"

"champion!!!"

"champion!!!"

The atmosphere at the scene became increasingly heated.

The Sampdoria fans had flushed faces.

This is the result of getting carried away with passion.

In the world of sports, nothing is more exciting than your team winning a championship.

If there is a chance, it's to reverse the situation and win the championship again!
The only regret about today's match is that it wasn't a final.

Otherwise, some fans might end up in the hospital due to excessive excitement.

Too exciting!

Lu Deyang simply waved to the stands, which immediately elicited a scream an octave higher.

"Come on, let's raise a glass!"

Mancini exclaimed with a hint of envy.

"Is it because of that?" Vialli asked, staring at him with a half-smile.

"what?"

Mancini, feeling uneasy, asked, his neck stiff.

“I saw a magazine the other day. In the poll of the most desired boyfriend, husband, lover, and cheating partner, Dejan ranked first in all four categories, while you only ranked ninth in the most desired husband category. Are you angry about this?”

Vialli asked with a smile.

He knew Mancini's character very well.

After realizing the gap between his skills and Lu Deyang's, he gave up comparing himself to Lu and instead pretended to be part of the same team.

However, his competitive spirit could not be eliminated, especially since Mancini had always been confident in his appearance.

"What are you talking about? I'm already a married man, why would I care about that kind of thing?"

Mancini scoffed, "Only idiots care about what others think. It's exhausting to live like that. People who are spiritually rich don't need to care about others' opinions. Besides, I never read gossip like 'Heart' that has no substance..."

Before he could finish speaking, Mancini realized something was wrong.

He said in a somewhat reckless tone, "So what if I saw it?"

"Fangxin" is a famous Italian adult magazine. It was they who first reported that Guti was suspected of having a liking for men. This magazine pays great attention to handsome players, after all, their target audience is women.

"It's alright, Deyang, come here quickly."

Vialli pulled Ludjan between him and Mancini and handed him the trophy.

Lu Deyang turned to look at Mancini, who was the team captain today.

"Go ahead and raise your hand; whoever makes you look better."

Mancini said sourly.

3,

2,

1...

As the fans counted down, Lu Deyang raised the trophy high.

After the family members entered the venue.

Paul, Wiljoward's son, was not in good spirits.

Lu Deyang, who was holding Monica, walked over and rubbed his head, asking, "What's wrong, young man? You seem a little unhappy."

"The Soviet Union collapsed..."

Paul Wiljoward sniffled, almost bursting into tears.

Lu Deyang: ...

Four months have passed, and this kid still can't forget it.

It seems she has a deep affection for her grandfather's motherland.

"My life is over."

Paul Wiljoward said, "I have no idea what I'm living for."

"I think you're wrong."

Lu Deyang squatted down and advised, "When the Soviet Union existed, you could grow up and build it. Now that the Soviet Union is gone, you can inherit its spirit and create a new Soviet Union."

Paul Wiljoward's eyes lit up, making Lu Deyang's scalp tingle.

He nodded vigorously and said, "Yes, I can create a new Soviet Union!"

Monica kicked Lu Deyang with the tip of her shoe in an annoyed manner.

Lu Deyang could only manage a forced smile.

I didn't expect this kid to actually have ambitions.

Who knows, one day he might be able to plant the red flag all over the world, and then Uncle Deyan and Aunt Monica, those two people's entrepreneurs, will need Paul to go easy on them.

Lu Deyang rubbed his head before pulling Paul Wiljoward to take a photo together.

"Deyang..."

Pezzotti came over and called out.

"Urine test?"

"No, a press conference."

Pezzotti said with a smile.

Lu Deyang shook his head with some regret and walked into the passage.

Suarez and Baresi arrived later than Boskov and Ludjan this time.

It seems that losing the game did have some impact on Inter Milan.

"Louis, what are your thoughts on losing the game in the final moments?"

"Franco, some fans say that Baresi loses to Dejan the most times every season. After all, you two are brothers. What do you have to say about that?"

"I heard the starting lineup was changed, is it because Dejan hasn't fully recovered yet, Mr. Boskov?"

"Mr. Boskov, someone revealed that Capello is learning Chinese; he's trying to steal your job. What are your thoughts on that?"

"..."

Is Capello learning Chinese?

That will make things easier when I go there to coach. I learned Chinese specifically for coaching Jiangsu Suning, and I have a deep sense of awe for it.

Baresi preemptively stated, "If a fan says that, then he must be a Juventus fan."

The reporters at the scene laughed along.

Suarez continued, "It's a pity we lost today, but it's just a league game. What's regrettable is the way we lost, not because the game was important."

"But Inter Milan hasn't beaten Sampdoria in a long time, while AC Milan only won recently," the reporter pointed out.

"If Dejan plays and they win, remember to let me know."

Suarez then stood up.

These reporters are just being unreasonable.

Without Lu Deyang and with all the key players rotated, Sampdoria was no better than Genoa. What's there to say about winning?

Upon seeing this, Boskov grabbed the microphone and said, "The starting lineup change today is because I'm worried about Dejan's injury recovery, and it has nothing to do with Dejan not being fully recovered. I want to wait a little longer."

"Then why did you bring on Dejan at the last minute?"

The reporter pressed for an answer.

"It was mainly because Dejan himself volunteered to play. He didn't want to lose the game, and as you all saw, Dejan is the kind of player who won't lose if he doesn't want to!"

Boskov said with a smile.

Even he was startled by those two free kicks today.

Even according to probability, Lu Deyang should have scored one goal and conceded one today, since he only had two chances.

Lu Deyang's free-kick probability is what it is.

But reality is just that crazy; one can only say that Lu Deyang was born for big occasions.

Thinking about it carefully, it seems to make sense. The free kicks that were missed before all seemed to be when we were leading or under no pressure. Perhaps some people really do perform better under pressure.

What are your thoughts on Capello?

the reporter asked.

Boskov frowned.

Learning Chinese?
This kind of thing is very strange in itself.

Lu Deyang is the only Chinese player in the entire European football scene.

What is Sacchi's assistant coach trying to do? After a few seconds of silence, Boskov said, "I don't know Capello's intention in learning Chinese; it's probably just his own hobby. But every coach wants a player like Dejan, so it's not surprising that other coaches would want to coach Dejan. Okay, that concludes today's press conference."

Boskov ignored the reporters' attempts to persuade him to stay and stood up abruptly.

Capello is still quite concerned about learning Chinese.

He needs to sort out his thoughts.

Later that day, Boskov appeared at Mantovani's house.

Upon hearing his concerns, Paolo Mantovani simply laughed and said, "You don't need to worry about that at all. No one will replace you, Vujadin. We've been working together for many years, why would we want to change coaches just because he's learning Chinese?"

“I know, Paul, I just wanted to say that if you have any opinions about me, you can tell me.”

Boskov said.

He also felt that he was taking it a little too seriously.

Mantovani smiled and nodded.

The team's performance is stable, so they only change coaches when they have nothing better to do.

Capello may be good, but he doesn't have any notable achievements.

After Boskov left, Mantovani turned on the television. The news was full of reports about the team's comeback victory that day, but the Sampdoria president watched the television lost in thought.

Ludyan is more important than Boskov.

There's not even a question about the competitive aspect.

Even at the agent level, it can bring huge benefits to the team.

This made him feel somewhat threatened.

Not every team has endorsement contracts.

After thinking it over, he made a new decision.

On the second day of their rest day, Lu Deyang and Monica went to the old chairman's house together at noon.

"I'm so sorry to have you come during your holiday."

The old chairman greeted him with a smile.

“Monica and I have been wanting to come and see for a long time.” Lu Deyang handed over the wine he was carrying.

It's not very expensive, but it's not cheap either.

“You haven’t eaten either, have you? I had someone make some Chinese food. I don’t know if it will suit your taste,” Mantovani said.

Monica looked at Lu Deyang.

Lu Deyang patted her hand and said with a smile, "Don't think too much. The Chairman can't have called us here for anything bad."

Mantovani smiled and nodded.

Lu Deyang is very generous and always speaks his mind directly.

He admired this style of work.

Mantovani turned and walked to the table, picked up a file folder and handed it to Monica, saying, "I thought about it yesterday, and Dejan's contract still doesn't match his performance. Now Dejan needs a better contract. The world's number one star should have the world's number one salary."

"I already have an annual salary of 200 million."

Lu Deyang said with a smile.

Mantovani spread his hands, gesturing for Monica to open the file folder.

Monica pulled out the contract and looked at it for a few seconds before exclaiming in surprise, "Six million dollars?"

This is three times Lu Deyang's previous salary.

Lu Deyang also turned to look over; he thought 300 million would be about right.

He hadn't expected there to be so much more than he'd anticipated.

Mantovani said, "The team's annual endorsement income is about $1000 million. Although it's not as much as Dejan's personal endorsement income, it's still a lot. We're the only team in the football world with that much income. This is all because of Dejan. His teammates have also attracted the attention of some brands. I think a portion of the team's endorsement income should be allocated to Dejan's salary, so I've decided on a figure of $600 million. The rest will be invested in the team."

“That’s too much, Mr. Chairman…”

Lu Deyang said directly.

For him, salary doesn't make up a large portion of his income, but it's a different story for the team.

Mantovani waved his hand with a smile and said, "You deserve this salary, otherwise people will think we're exploiting you. I've already spoken with some first-team players this morning, and they're very supportive of this, so don't refuse."

Lu Deyang took out a pen from his inner pocket, flipped to the last page of the contract, and signed his name.

"Come and eat."

Mantovani greeted him.

Lu Deyang nodded and pulled Monica over.

Monica silently rolled her eyes.

They didn't even look at the $600 million contract carefully.

She also admired her boyfriend and the club president; one dared to pay salaries, and the other dared to sign contracts without carefully reading the terms.

Perhaps this is the tacit understanding between men?

There was no talk of money at all at the dinner table.

Mantovani has been talking about the team's future plans.

“I think we should have our own stadium. We should put some pressure on the city hall. The mayor should solve this for us taxpayers.”

Lu Deyang said.

"I agree."

Mantovani nodded and said, "We haven't spent much money on transfers for three consecutive seasons, and we have a lot left over from the championship bonuses and ticket revenue. If we can build our own stadium, it will definitely strengthen the team's finances even further. This will create a positive cycle, and even if we are no longer at Sampdoria decades from now, the team will still have a good future."

In Italian football, even slightly ambitious club presidents dream of building their own stadiums.

However, this is not a matter for one person alone.

Instead, they have to face the city halls of all places.

Whoever makes this move, there's likely to be a second team requesting to build a stadium.

This is a significant blow to their finances.

That's why no one dared to nod.

Both Mantovani and Ludjohnsen believe that Sampdoria's achievements and reputation are already sufficient.

If we win six titles this season, it will put pressure on the Genoa City Hall. As soon as the land is approved and the procedures are completed, we will immediately hire a foreign construction company to build the stadium as quickly as possible.

One reason is that Italians are inefficient.

The wages are a minor issue.

I'm afraid the city hall will change its mind.

Then they'll find another reason to stop the already approved stadium project from being built.

Lu Deyang and Monica did not leave until after 4 p.m.

On the way back, Monica complained, "You should have looked at the contract more carefully just now."

Lu Deyang put his arm around her shoulder and said, "I only dared to do this because it's Mr. Mantovani."

“You can’t entrust your future to someone else’s conscience,” Monica said, snorting, and slapped Lu Deyang’s arm hard.

“I know,” Lu Deyang said, patting her head. “But isn’t a player’s performance on the field ultimately up to the player himself? Mr. Mantovani’s character and intelligence are both impeccable; he wouldn’t do anything underhanded in that regard.”

Monica then nodded.

The incident made the newspaper the next day.

The headline of the Gazzetta dello Sport featured a long string of numbers: 1,350,000,000. Just seeing so many zeros is enough to make one astonished.

Salaries exceeding 10 billion lira!
They wrote: "Sampdoria announced Dejan's new contract to deter other clubs from pursuing him. The new contract triples Dejan's salary from $200 million to $600 million. Even knowing that Dejan's performance justifies such a salary, it's still quite surprising. Dejan's income alone is comparable to that of a small country. The biggest problem in football is that salaries aren't that high; compared to some sports in the United States, $600 million isn't even considered a top salary."

The main point of the Gazzetta dello Sport was to express shock at the salary.

This also serves as a reminder to fans that even among top athletes, $600 million is not the most extravagant sum.

The strength of the United States lies precisely in this.

Forget the American Dream, it's mainly because Americans are rich.

The sports they enjoy tend to lead to higher incomes for athletes.

Even so, it still scared quite a few people.

When Ferguson received the news in the afternoon, he held the newspaper and remained speechless for a long time.

What did you say?

I will never be able to coach Lu Deyang in this lifetime.

If you send someone to work in a worse place, then you have to pay them a good salary and benefits.

Given the current state of British football, shouldn't they be given $1000 million?
He would like to, but Manchester United can't afford that much money.

Compared to this, there is another piece of news that has attracted more attention from fans.

UEFA has announced new rules on tackles, which will impose many restrictions on tackles from behind, making things difficult for defensive players for the foreseeable future.

They also announced that they will release the rosters for the European All-Star team and the Italian All-Star team, as well as the head coaches of both teams, before the Champions League final.

This was arguably the most talked-about event of the summer.

However, this has led to conflicts between some national teams and players.

The national team certainly doesn't want its players to play an exhibition match before the European Championship. Although the intensity may not be high, given the current level of attention, the players might play very hard.

That would put them at risk of injury.

Whether it's the Italian Serie A All-Star team or the European All-Star team, the players selected are the absolute core of their national teams. Some small footballing nations may only have one or two outstanding stars.

If they get injured, will they still be able to play in the European Championship?
From a player's perspective, most of them want to play.

If others can be selected but you're not on the roster, even if you explain to the fans that you didn't want to go, some people will still say you're not capable enough.

It is an honor in itself, which makes the players care a lot about it.

I can choose not to play, but I must be a member of the All-Star team.

It's a blow to top players if so many players don't make the final roster.

UEFA is still coordinating this matter, but the preliminary rosters have basically been cast.

Fans definitely want to see the best players, and there's no debate about that. Their performance on the field is evident, and there are statistics to back it up.

The main reason is that the national team doesn't want its players to play.

UEFA still has related work to do.

A few days later, Sampdoria faced Marseille in the Champions League semi-final.

Ferraris Stadium has been eagerly anticipating this.

These days, fans are all happy about Lu Deyang's contract renewal.

$600?
Sampdoria fans felt that Lu Deyang's performance was not even worthy of them.

Banners expressing support and gratitude for Lu Deyang were unfurled early in the stands at Ferraris Stadium.

They finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Every summer, many wealthy families have their eyes on Lu Deyang.

Lu Deyang's refusal to transfer allowed Sampdoria to win so many championships.

Before either team's players even came out to warm up, the stands were already chanting Lu Deyang's name.

In the away locker room, Papin frowned and said, "It's really noisy here."

Abedi Bailey pretended not to hear.

Since winning the Ballon d'Or and FIFA World Player of the Year awards, Papin's temper has worsened considerably.

But don't you think about it yourself? Even without Lu Deyang, Matthäus and the others are more qualified than you.

He wouldn't say such things, but that doesn't mean he doesn't have his own thoughts.

Don't you even look at how others are performing? If you want to win the Ballon d'Or, lead your team to win the Champions League first.

The atmosphere in the home team's locker room was much better.

Mancini sat down next to Lu Deyang and said, "You recently made $600 million, don't you feel anything about it?"

"Not recently."

Lu Deyang explained with a wry smile, "That's the annual salary. Does earning more money make you feel superior? I think it depends on your skills."

"Yes, Dejan is several levels above you because of his ball skills."

Vialli added fuel to the fire from the sidelines.

"Go away!"

Mancini said irritably, "Just thinking about it makes me feel a little scared. I didn't expect Dejan to not have any emotional fluctuations at all. If it were me, it would definitely take me a long time to adjust and catch up."

“Roberto is right,” Pagliuca nodded and said, “If it were me, I would probably have insomnia for several days. It would feel unreal. I would buy a lot of things in the coming days and want to spend money every day. I’ll get used to it and then go back to a peaceful life.”

"So you guys can't earn $600 million a month."

Wiljoward laughed and said, "With your abilities, you won't have the mentality of finding money on the street. Every penny of your salary is earned through your skills, so naturally you won't think about spending it every day. It's hard-earned money."

Mannini nodded vigorously on the side.

Lu Deyang's performance speaks for itself. When Mantovani called him, he was taken aback for a moment, but quickly nodded.

Whether Lu Deyang earns the same amount of money as two or three Maradonas, he certainly thinks it's worth it.

They've already reached the Champions League semi-finals; Barcelona won the day before.

If they advance, they will almost certainly face Barcelona.

The whole team is now confident in their ability to avenge their defeat, and that confidence comes from Lu Deyang.
Lu Deyang chatted with his teammates while smiling and changing his equipment.

His salary is so high that the whole team has no complaints, which is great.

Although he is very capable, his high salary will still cause some chain reactions.

It can only be said that the players at this time were simple-minded, and the atmosphere in Sampdoria's locker room was also good.

Later, Menou asked for £20. Did he deserve it?

It's because he sees his teammates getting higher salaries; he wants an outrageous salary just because he's made a little bit of progress.

After changing his clothes, Lu Deyang chose to participate in the lottery.

[Your good brother, Verjoward, wasn't very famous because he played for Sampdoria. After retiring, few people knew he was one of the best players of his era. So, we've drawn a player whose fame is greater than his ability. Ding! You've obtained a Jean-Pierre Papin experience card for the 1986 international friendly match between France and Northern Ireland.]

Papan.

This doesn't mean that fame outweighs ability.

The main issue is that the Golden Globe he received was quite controversial.

It's a bit of a shame about Will Joward, but as the teammate of the King of the Road, he will still be remembered even after he retires.

(End of this chapter)