If you are a brother, come and play football

Chapter 250 The Emperor of the Apennines Has Returned (Please Subscribe)
After a wild celebration, Lu Deyang finally entered a well-deserved vacation.

Even if you don't play every game, Manchester United's schedule this season is quite outrageous. As a member of the team, you should be prepared even if you don't play. In extreme cases, there are games every two days, which is torture for any player.

This is no longer within the scope of a healthy and reasonable schedule.

In other words, Manchester United's youth academy is effective, and injuries were staggered to avoid a wave of injuries.

That's why Ferguson repeatedly emphasized that he was lucky and had no chance to replicate his seven-time champion status.

Just look at Arsenal; when injuries are piling up, they can't even hold onto a single title, let alone compete on multiple fronts. Even if they have ten usable U21 academy players, these don't need to be registered for the main squad, and with the main squad, there are still over 30 players in total.

Facing a wave of injuries and fighting on multiple fronts will be very difficult.

That's the ideal situation. Usually, top clubs only have a few U21 players available. Beckham and others were all around the same age when they started playing for the first team. Having a youth academy player who can rotate, plus a registered roster of nearly 30 players, is already quite good.

When I got home, the two girls who had stayed in Rome hadn't returned yet.

But Lu Deyang had to return many calls.

Every year around this time, many people ask him if he wants to retire, as if it's his decision.

Playing football for 20 or 30 years from childhood to adulthood can indeed be tiring, especially psychologically. Players who are not short of money or honors are prone to losing motivation. However, after retirement, they generally miss their professional career. It is difficult for players to experience the feeling of tens of thousands of people cheering for them again after retirement.

Turn on the TV, and besides reviews of Manchester United's title-winning journey this season, there are mostly previews of the England national team.

Playing highlights of England national team players this season allows fans who don't usually watch football or other teams' matches to get to know some of the players.

The idea that football will return home is not just empty talk.

At least in terms of preparation and enthusiasm, the British are genuinely planning this and are making efforts in it.

The only problem is that the England national team isn't very good.

They can't compare to the Dutch and Italian teams in terms of forwards.

In terms of midfield, they can't compare to Germany or France.

In terms of defense, it can't compare to Italy and Germany.

Even the goalkeeper isn't world-class.

If they could adopt a more humble approach like Greece, they would have a good chance, and a significant one at that. English football makes excellent use of set pieces; their high-ball, straightforward tactics don't require much practice or coordination.

However, the England national team has not employed such an extreme counter-attacking tactic for many years.

Interviews with some Premier League managers are being broadcast on television.

The professor remained as elegant as ever, wearing a sharp suit even though it wasn't cold.

Facing the camera, the professor remained relatively rational, saying, "English football needs to find its own style. Gascoigne is an important part of England, but Manchester United players will also be very important. They have won many titles in the past few years and should be the cornerstone of England. Champion players are always more confident than others, which is a very useful quality in crucial moments."

He did not belittle Manchester United players because of the competition.

Lu Deyang felt there was a big problem: Scholes was not selected.

Gazza, that drunkard, is unpredictable, so Scholes would actually be a great addition.

Not long after, Lu Deyang received another invitation from the chairman of the English Football Association to kick off the match, which he declined, but he did agree to attend the opening ceremony.

He was planning to watch the European Cup anyway.

There was also heated discussion on television about whether Beckham should be selected for the national team.

Beckham was initially included in the 30-man preliminary squad but was dropped from the final list.

It's probably because of his red card in last year's Champions League final.

Unexpectedly, Beckham performed exceptionally well in this year's final, relieving a lot of pressure on Lu Deyang in both defense and offense, with his assists and playmaking.

According to Lu Deyang's opinion, it would definitely be better to take him along.

British media later lamented that Giggs wasn't English, and that England lacked a left wing.

McManaman can play on the left wing, so isn't it perfect to have Beckham on the right wing?

At that time, apart from Liverpool's prodigy, no one on England's flanks was better than Beckham.

Ince, Pratt, Ray, Anderton... none of these people are very creative.

Other national teams use number 9.5 or 10 players for playmaking, but England sends a bunch of misfit central midfielders.

Upon receiving another call, Lu Deyang drove to Manchester Airport.

He waited at the airport entrance for more than 20 minutes and saw Totti and Buffon walk out of the airport together, looking somewhat disdainful of each other.

"Deyang!!!"

Totti ran up, smiling and waving.

Buffon also joined in.

Both players often arrived in England carrying backpacks.

“Let’s go back together. You can stay at Fernando’s place. He doesn’t have a girlfriend.”

Lu Deyang said.

"it is good."

Totti nodded and said.

Buffon also got into the car.

How did you all come together?

Lu Deyang asked after getting into the car.

"I was planning to buy some clothes in Milan and then come to Manchester, but I didn't expect to run into this guy," Totti said with some disdain.

"I don't want to run into you yet. Who knows if idiocy is contagious?"

Buffon rolled his eyes and said.

"You didn't even graduate high school, and you're not even a first-team player, you idiot!"

Totti said angrily.

“You’re the idiot, even the newspapers know that,” Buffon said.

"It's you!"

"That's you!"

Lu Deyang: ...

Both of these little idiots are at a middle school level, yet they insist on arguing about who's better.

Who would have thought that these two players would cause their substitutes to despair for countless years?

The tragic situation of Roma's vice-captain and Italy's substitute goalkeeper.

Is it really true that people with empty minds have longer careers?

It's quite a coincidence that both of these famously illiterate Italians are in their forties.

“You two will be teammates on the national team for a long time to come, and maybe you’ll even lift a trophy together,” said Lu Deyang, who was driving.

"Tch, he probably won't get a chance to guard the goal."

Totti said with disdain.

"If a midfielder can't even spell his own name properly, I think he'll be stuck when filling out his passport application and won't be able to go abroad to play for the national team."

Buffon scoffed.

“What you wrote in the newspapers wasn’t very good either, and you almost got deported back to Albania. If you had gone there, you would have had a chance to be a starter.”

Totti said.

Do you know where Albania is?

Buffon asked.

Totti was stunned and couldn't help but look at Lu Deyang.

He really doesn't know.

I've heard about this country quite often.

Buffon glanced at it and gave it a look of disdain.

He only learned about it after he almost mixed up with the refugees last time.

He had often heard that the country was very poor, and he thought it was an African country, since Italy is near Africa.

Lu Deyang found it quite interesting.

Italy's younger generation is very energetic.

After returning, Lu Deyang went directly to the entrance of Lei Dongjia's house and honked his horn.

Redondo, wearing shorts, came downstairs and asked, "What's wrong, Deyang?"

“These two young men came to watch the European Cup, let them stay at your house,” Lu Deyang said.

"no problem."

Redondo gestured for them to get out of the car and said, "We can't turn on the air conditioning in the living room. The room is big, so please use it as you like. You can turn it on in the room, but I get dizzy if I keep the air conditioning on for too long."

"No problem, I'm very heat-resistant."

Totti said.

Air conditioning penetration is not high in Italy.

"I am very heat-resistant; the temperature is very high where I live."

Buffon immediately said.

"I can stay in a sauna for an hour!"

"I could shower for two hours!!!"

"I can soak in 140-degree hot water!"

"I can soak it at 180 degrees!"

"..."

Redondo looked at Lu Deyang.

Lu Deyang suppressed a laugh and shrugged.

Two idiots, even at 180 degrees Fahrenheit, would be quite frightening.

Why don't you just say that your dad used to whip you all with a 20-centimeter-thick solid steel pipe when you were little?

Since no one was home, Lu Deyang also went to visit Lei Dongjia's family.

The two future Italian internationals went straight up to the second floor to choose their rooms.

The interior design of Redondo's homes is Mediterranean in style. Argentinians and Italians do have a considerable amount in common, and many of them have Italian ancestry.

A fashion show was playing on the TV in the living room, which was left on—perfect for Redondo's taste.

As a renowned artist, Lu Deyang has never been able to appreciate the beauty of a fashion show, but that doesn't stop him from admiring girls who wear less clothing.

Although he's not a big fan of big breasts, the fact that models are getting smaller and smaller still feels inhuman to him.

Even a normal person walking without a bra will experience some fluctuation, right? These models might not even have as much as Gary Neville when they take their clothes off.

"Want to see a movie?"

After giving Lu Deyang a bottle of juice, Lei Dongduo said, "I've bought a lot of CDs lately."

Looking over, Lu Deyang noticed a prominent VCD logo in the upper left corner of the movie.

DVDs with larger capacity were not yet widespread.

Many of the movies Redondo bought were still unopened, probably because he hadn't had a chance to watch them yet.

Lu Deyang chose to watch a copy of "Waterworld".

This film lost a lot of money. It's a film from last year, and normally DVDs wouldn't be released so quickly. But the distributor was eager to recoup their investment, so production and promotion were rushed.

"I heard it's not very good," Lei Dongduo said, looking at the film Lu Deyang had chosen.

"Look, Costner's movies are pretty good."

Lu Deyang said.

The old cowboy can direct and act, and what's even more interesting is that he considered playing in the NBA during college, making him a genius with considerable talent in different fields.

After the movie started, Totti and Buffon also came down.

The film's soundtrack and visual effects are quite good.

"They actually drank urine."

Totti said with some disdain.

“This expresses a lack of fresh water,” Redondo explained.

Lu Deyang found it very interesting.

As a fellow film enthusiast, Redondo's understanding of movies is far more profound than Vialli's.

Vialli's acting and filming techniques were impressive.

Redondo, on the other hand, focuses more on the film's deeper meaning.

This is quite professional.

Lu Deyang usually just watches for the fun. He can understand simple principles, but he doesn't really like anything too profound.

After all, the main purpose of watching movies is to relax.

He prefers comedies.

In terms of film, the depth of thought it conveys is hard to compare with that of written text. Very few films can express profound ideas in 120 minutes without being preachy or off-putting.

This film primarily considers and reflects on the predicaments and future of humanity.

The pacing is quite tight.

However, it was still a bit ahead of its time. With a $2 million investment, it only recouped $3800 million at the box office. The top management of the film company must be held responsible for losses of this scale. If one or two films lose money like this in a row, it would not be surprising if the film company were sold or went bankrupt.

MGM is a case in point.

Not long after the movie started, Totti raised his hand and said, "Let's order pizza, this movie isn't very good."

Buffon surprisingly did not object.

Lu Deyang said with a smile, "Take a look and pick one that interests you. I'll go order takeout."

"The takeout order is stuck on the refrigerator."

Redondo said.

As a bachelor, he orders takeout quite often.

Lu Deyang found a few flyers under the magnetic stickers and chose an Italian pizza restaurant.

No matter where you were born in Italy, you won't like Pizza Hut.

When Lu Deyang sat back down, the movie had been changed to "Jurassic Park".

"This one looks better."

Totti even mentioned it to Lu Deyang.

"As long as it looks good."

Lu Deyang said with a smile.

The Little Prince is similar to the movies he likes.

After having pizza for dinner, Lu Deyang played games with them for a while before going home.

At this time, most players would play PS1. The penetration rate of game consoles in Europe was quite good. As high-income young people, they would buy one even if they didn't play it much.

Not everyone is like Rooney, asking the shopkeeper to throw in 10 discs when buying a PS game console.

Even if the boss's own father came, he wouldn't agree to this; 10 discs cost more than a game console.

6 month 8 day.

Lu Deyang and his group finally arrived at Wembley.

The Football Association didn't dare put them in the center of the stands, to save face for the royal family.

Monica and the Duchess have returned to England, and in addition to Totti and Buffon, they have also joined their good buddies Vialli and Mancini.

Neither of them made it into the national team.

"Damn it, Sacchi definitely has a problem with us," Mancini said, somewhat annoyed.

Both he and Vialli scored 20+ goals this season, yet they were not selected.

“The others are good too, Enrico is playing very well right now,” Vialli said.

Chiesa has been linked with top clubs this summer, and his 22 goals in 27 games is an outstanding record.

Buffon and Totti joined in the discussion.

They all thought Ravanelli was inferior to Vialli.

Ravanelli is just a smaller version of Vialli, and he's inferior to Vialli in many ways.

When the princess saw the camera lens coming towards her, she immediately pulled Lu Deyang's hand and wrapped it around her waist.

"Why didn't you bring Henry along? That would have been much more interesting."

Lu Deyang smiled and encouraged him.

“I’m afraid she’ll get too angry and hire agents to kill us,” the princess said with a smile.

"It shouldn't be possible."

Lu Deyang said.

It's been so long, if it was going to happen, it would have happened already.

The relationship between the two actually became a shield to some extent; if problems arose, the royal family would be the primary responsible party.

The King of the Land Ball saved their lives before, and even if the British royal family is shameless, they can't withstand the public opinion if they do something like this again.

“Doesn’t The Sun always encourage you to get married? I’d agree if you did,” Monica said with a mischievous grin.

"If I die, I will appear in your dreams every day."

The princess said in an annoyed tone.

Monica turned her head and licked her ear.

The princess immediately slapped Monica hard, telling her to stop fooling around.

At this point, Monica had reached her peak thanks to Lu Qiuwang's continuous efforts.

Even a casual shot will show several parts of the body shaking.

Unfortunately, fans didn't get a chance to see it. The director often put Lu Deyang on the edge of the camera, facing Vialli, and the princess and Monica would only flash by when the camera moved.

Clearly, they still wanted to preserve the last vestiges of dignity for the royal family.

The opening ceremony featured the flags of 16 national teams laid out on the Wembley pitch.

Shortly afterward, the symphony orchestra began to play, with Irish tenor Com Wilkinson as a guest performer.

Redondo said with a strange expression, "Isn't it a bit odd to sing a selection from Les Misérables, Bring Him Home, at the opening ceremony of the European Championship? It's too strange."

"Indeed it is."

Lu Deyang nodded and said.

The British wanted to showcase their artistic heritage, but who sings opera at the opening ceremony of a major competition?

Why don't you just give us a theme song?

Speaking of this, Lu Deyang immediately thought of the theme song's music video.

The British are really something else. It's fine for two men to watch the game together, but they even have a man working in the kitchen. They clearly wanted to express that friends are watching the game together, but they managed to make it sound like they're in a bromance. That's typical of the British.

The national anthem was played after both teams entered the field.

Several people stopped singing and shut their mouths.

This is basic etiquette.

England fans are indeed very passionate.

Even before the show started, people were chanting Alan Shearer's name. As a British star, he carried the expectations of more than 4000 million people.

"Can you win?"

"Redondo asked."

The others also looked at Lu Deyang.

"I don't think we can win," Lu Deyang said.

"England is not strong enough."

Mancini said with a hint of disdain, "If I were English, I would definitely be a starter right now."

"idiot."

Vialli complained.

Totti chimed in, "You're clearly a traitor."

“People who didn’t graduate high school have no right to talk to me,” Mancini said.

He and Totti started arguing again.

However, Lu Deyang felt that there was nothing wrong with what he said.

Mancini can dribble forward and create chances; he and Shearer would be an excellent pairing as strikers.

Even England's long passes are not a problem; this guy's first-time shot is quite skillful.

Contrary to what Lu Deyang had expected, England played very well in the opening stages.

The departed Ings and McManaman were very active in midfield, putting considerable pressure on the Swiss team.

Even with his watermelon-shaped haircut, Neville didn't forget to wave to them during the dead ball situation, his crosses from the byline were incredibly sharp.

"Gary is expected to perform well."

Redondo commented.

Lu Deyang nodded.

Shearer's ability to score points is undeniable.

Even if Gary Neville were to bluff, he could still get an assist.

In the 24th minute, Paul Ince cut inside the attacking third and delivered a through ball, which Shearer successfully scored from a tight angle, netting the first goal of the tournament.

"Alan!!!"

"Alan!!!"

"Alan!!!"

The roar of cheers echoed through Wembley.

Shearer's arm-raising celebration was full of power.

Compared to his predecessor, Kane lacked a certain domineering presence.

Being too mild-mannered is not a good quality for top-level athletes.

“England is in the lead and has the upper hand in possession. Your guess might be wrong, Dejan,” Mancini said gloatingly.

"So, are you prepared to bet on getting revenge on Dejan?"

"Redondo asked."

Lu Deyang was amused.

My good buddy is really good at this.

He persuaded Mancini to make the bet, and even reminded him that he should seek revenge for his past losses.

Mancini, with his pride, would still fall into a trap even if he knew it was a scheme.

"Come on, 10. If England wins, you'll consider it a draw or a loss, how about that?"

Mancini looked at Lu Deyang and asked.

He used a rather clumsy method of provocation.

"no problem."

Lu Deyang said.

He really doesn't remember the result.

But for him, 10 is just a game.

He doesn't care much about winning or losing.

Switzerland managed to equalize the score in the second half.

In the remainder of the match, Mancini kept cheering for England, berating anyone who wasted a chance, drawing stares from nearby fans. He acted more loyal than the most fanatical English football hooligans, like a lackey of the British Empire.

"Jamie Redknapp, you idiot! You only made the England national team because of your dad. My grandma could have scored that goal!"

"Damn it, are you guys spies? Your defense is so bad, even Paolo Maldini is better than you!"

Lu Deyang: ...

That's somewhat insulting to Paul Ma.

Mancini is the most passionate England fan today.

Unfortunately, his efforts couldn't help England make a difference, and the hosts still managed a 1-1 draw against Switzerland.

"Damn it, if anyone ever tells me England is strong again, I'll turn on them. Are these idiots even professional players?"

Mancini cursed angrily.

England played well today, but their organization was lacking.

It made him wish he could go on the field and play himself.

"It's no news that England lacks creativity."

Lu Deyang said with a smile.

"I'll find a chance to give you the money."

Mancini said irritably.

"Okay, then it's my treat today, a big meal in London."

Lu Deyang said.

Totti, Buffon, Vialli, and Redondo were all cheering.

Mancini was even angrier.

Lu Deyang had made a reservation at the restaurant in advance.

I just didn't expect Mancini to reimburse me.

接下来一天的三场比赛，丹麦1:1葡萄牙，西班牙1:1保加利亚，只有德国2:0在老特拉福德战胜了捷克。

In the first round of the group stage, only one team won.

Germany is truly a formidable power.

The Times: "The England national team has been a disgrace to fail to win the first game, so the upcoming match against Scotland is even more important."

The Sun: "The Dutch team eats in a black-and-white way."

Fleet Street changed direction and wind direction.

More importantly, some England players had already disappointed fans.

The England national team previously traveled to Hong Kong for a friendly match.

Manchester United's former captain, Bryan Robson, led the players in a relaxation session. The legendary drinker had a blast with the England players, and when they discovered a dental chair in a bar, Gazza, Sheringham, Fowler, and others immediately got the idea.

One person lies in a chair pretending to see a dentist, while others pour various kinds of strong liquor into their mouths.

This incident subjected them to a lot of criticism.

Interestingly, when he scored a goal later, he even used a similar celebration gesture.

Drinking heavily before a major tournament and still thinking he's fine is somewhat like a national team player telling fans, "If you're so good, then you do it." The European team is no joke.

Lu Deyang originally planned to watch England's second match.

But I received a phone call beforehand.

I could only wait at home that day.

Around 1 p.m., Galliani paid a visit.

"Ms. Bellucci, Ms. Spencer, Dejan."

Galliani greeted them after getting out of the car at the door and presented them with a gift.

Lu Deyang spotted several bottles of fine wine.

"Adriano, why are you being so polite?"

Lu Deyang greeted him with a smile.

Galliani followed him into the hall with a smile, took off his coat, sat on the sofa, and said, "This should be our first formal meeting."

"Yes."

Lu Deyang nodded and said.

I don't understand what he means.

"During that period, because we couldn't sign you, I became the target of the fans' anger."

Galliani said, "Even now, I don't think there's a problem. After all, Milan has already used up all their foreign player slots. I can't just sell a Dutchman, can I?"

Lu Deyang nodded.

Galliani had no idea that the King of the Land Ball had risen to power so quickly.

His choice was indeed correct.

No wealthy or powerful family would sell off its current star player just to give up a promising talent.

"So, Mr. Adriano Galliani, did you come here to complain?" Lu Deyang asked with a smile.

He was a little confused about Jia Tu's intentions, so he asked directly.

“No, no, no, I don’t know if you’ve heard, but I bought AC Milan,” Galliani said. “Nominally, Mr. Berlusconi is still the club’s president, but I own the club.”

"Congratulations on that."

Lu Deyang said sincerely.

Buying a club in just a few years is quite an adventure.

Lu Deyang understood Galliani's meaning somewhat.

“I want to make up for the disappointment of the Rossoneri and bring you back to the Apennines,” Galliani said.

Lu Deyang remained silent.

But Monica and the princess couldn't help but gasp in surprise.

Galliani didn't seem to care and continued, "I've come here with sincerity. If you're willing to play for Milan, I'll offer an irresistible deal to get Manchester United to release you. Milan will offer you the highest salary in the world, and we can also discuss endorsements. The team will also listen to your suggestions regarding player recruitment..."

Monica was even more surprised now.

She couldn't help but look at Lu Deyang.

"I don't quite understand the point of doing this. I know I'm excellent, but the income in football is unlikely to support me breaking the income system in football."

Lu Deyang said.

You're a once-in-a-century genius in this sport, and your income is based on it.

You can't say that just because you're Faker, invincible in League of Legends, your income is comparable to Cristiano Ronaldo's.

The income ceiling for each sector is limited.

“I’m willing to use my own money as your income,” Galliani said with a smile. “Since I couldn’t sign you, I should take responsibility for bringing you back to San Siro. I believe the Rossoneri would also like to see that. If you are willing to sign with Milan, I can even give you a portion of Milan’s shares.”

Lu Deyang: ...

Such conditions are really hard for him to refuse.

Even though the market in English-speaking regions is larger.

Lu Deyang thought for a moment, then extended his hand and said, "Then it will be a pleasure to cooperate, Mr. Chairman."

(End of this chapter)