The road to godhood starting from Ligue 1

Chapter 389 Liverpool's New Era: First Match in Charge Against Arsenal!
Gaio walked briskly through his teammates who were still embracing and celebrating, heading towards the stands.

The image on the big screen was still vivid in his mind: the crooked, bolded text and the red heart at the end, like a little sun.

The railings by the stands weren't very high, and the little fan had already been lifted to the front row by his father. His face was flushed red, and he was still tightly clutching the cardboard in his hand, his knuckles turning white.

When she saw Gaio walking towards her, her eyes widened, her mouth formed an "O" shape, and her hand that had been covering her mouth was still frozen in mid-air. Tears suddenly welled up and streamed down her cheeks, but she couldn't bear to blink, afraid that it was an illusion.

"Hey, little guy."

Gaio stopped, tilted his head slightly, and smiled gently.

He reached out and gently pointed to the cardboard in the little fan's hand, "Your handwriting is really beautiful, especially that heart."

The young fan was speechless when he shouted at him. He could only nod repeatedly, his tears falling even harder, but he grinned, revealing two chipped front teeth.

Her father chimed in, "She specifically asked me to bold it, saying she wanted you to see it!"

Gaio smiled and nodded, pointed to the cardboard, and asked if there was a pen.
The little fan nodded like a chick pecking at rice.

Hand over the cardboard and marker.

When Gaio reached out to take it, the little guy's hand was still trembling, and he almost dropped the pen. Gaio quickly caught it.

Subsequently,

He carefully signed his name in the blank space on the cardboard, then drew a red heart that matched the one on the cardboard before handing it back.

“Thank you for your support.” Gaio’s voice was soft, but loud enough for the young fans and those around him to hear clearly. “The three things you wrote about are also my favorites—Anfield, winning, and you guys.”

He pointed to the cheering fans around him, then his gaze finally fell on the young fan's face. "Without you guys cheering here, we wouldn't be this happy to win."

The young fan finally managed to squeeze out, his voice choked with emotion, "Gaio, I'll come to every game you play from now on!"

Gaio's eyes lit up.

He then raised his hand to untie the red wristband on his wrist, which he had worn when he first arrived, and which had the Liverpool crest printed on it.

He handed the wristband over and gently placed it in the young fan's hand: "This is for you. Wear it next time you come, and I'll definitely recognize you."

The little fan gripped the wristband tightly, tears mixed with laughter, making his little face wet.

She suddenly lunged at the railing, gently touched Gaio's hand, and said softly, "Gaio, you have to keep winning. I want to see you win the Golden Globe!"

“Okay.” Gaio smiled and agreed, raising his hand to gently touch her hair. His fingertips touched the soft strands, and his heart warmed. “I will try my best, for Anfield, and for little ones like you.”

The surrounding fans had already gathered around, taking photos with their phones, and cheers rose and fell.

Cheers mingled with applause, and someone gently tapped the railing in a slow, rhythmic beat.

A fan waved a red scarf and shouted at Gaio, "Gaio, well done!"

Someone even shouted to the young fan, "Treasure this!"

His voice was full of envy and goodwill.

In the distant stands, some people even spontaneously sang snippets of YNWA's songs, the gentle melody blending with the heartwarming scene here.

Gaio waved to the young fans again before turning to rejoin the team.

After taking a couple of steps, he turned back and made his signature outstretched arms gesture to the little fan, causing the boy to scream and jump up, clutching the cardboard and wristband to his chest as if afraid someone would snatch them away.

The surrounding fans all looked in their direction.

A young player, a naive fan, and a cardboard sign filled with their love—everyone around them became a witness to this bond, their faces beaming with emotion and their eyes shining, as if they too had participated in this tender interaction.

The enthusiastic celebration of victory took on a gentler tone with these few minutes of interaction.

The love for Anfield has never been just about the joy of winning, but also about the pure bond between people that transcends the stands and the pitch.

Gaio ran back to his teammates with a smile. Suarez patted him on the shoulder, raised an eyebrow, and asked, "What are you chatting about with the little fan? You seem so happy."

“She said she loves Anfield, loves winning, and loves me,” Gaio said, a smile playing on his lips. “I told her I do too.”

When Gaio returned to the locker room.

I'm still thinking about what just happened. Sometimes fans are just so adorable.

Simultaneously.

He also checked his current winning points.

With the win against Norwich, he finally gained points again, but perhaps because the opponent was not strong overall and it was the EFL Cup, he only gained 10 points.

Although it's only ten points.

However, thanks to his previous efforts, he has now surpassed 100 points again!
105 points!
He can open treasure chests again; originally, he didn't use points because his purpose was to open treasure chests.

but,

This time, Gaio didn't plan to use his points to open treasure chests.

He wants to use the points to increase his attribute cap.

After comprehensive advancement and enhancement, the remaining two abilities are balanced, but the unlocking conditions have not yet been met.

Balanced dominance requires a flexibility attribute of ≥75.
Fatigue sharing, requirements: Strength attribute ≥ 80, Stamina attribute ≥ 80, Injury attribute ≥ 70
Currently,

Gaio lacks flexibility, strength, and injury resilience.

Klopp is about to take charge of the team.

Gaio needs to be at his best, so he needs to distribute his fatigue more evenly to reduce the risk of injury.

Although it has the attribute of injury, if you are really injured, you will still be sidelined.

So it would be best to avoid getting injured.

I thought about it.

Gaio simply spent 80 winning points to raise his power cap from 77 to 85.

The reason for adding 5 points is based on Gaio's experience from actual training.

Improvements have diminishing marginal returns.

With a maximum level of 90 and 80, increasing from 70 to 75 is not difficult at all.

After the game.

In the press conference room, flashes of light went off one after another. Colin sat at the podium, his face showing the ease of victory.

He really enjoys these post-victory interview moments.

It was completely different from the pressure before the competition.

At this moment, he is the victor.

When interviewed by reporters, Colin first spoke about tonight's game, saying, "I want to congratulate my players; they played a very good game tonight."

The score speaks volumes. We controlled the tempo from the start, were highly efficient in attack, and didn't give Norwich many opportunities in defense.

This is the result of the whole team's hard work; everyone executed the pre-game plan, which deserves recognition.” He also specifically praised the players, especially Gaio, saying, “Gaio's performance has been remarkable; he's only 19 next month, which is truly amazing.”

He possesses a maturity and talent far beyond his years, and his breakthroughs, crosses, and ability to draw defenders have opened up many opportunities for the team.

Of course, Suarez, Sturridge, and Gerrard also did very well; their teamwork made the game flow more smoothly.

We rotated our squad in the second half with a clear objective: to conserve energy for the weekend league match. It seems this decision was correct; we secured our place in the EFL Cup quarterfinals while also giving our key players a rest—a win-win situation.

A reporter immediately raised his hand and asked a question, his voice clearly coming through: "Coach Colin, congratulations on the team's advancement. I'd like to ask, what preparations will the team make for the weekend's match against league leaders Arsenal? Will you continue with the attacking lineup from tonight?"

Colin smiled, picked up his water glass, took a sip, and answered succinctly: "Arsenal is a very strong team, currently at the top of the league. Their attack is very threatening. We will prepare seriously for the weekend's game, and the players will give their all to play in the Liverpool style, that's for sure."

This answer clearly did not satisfy the reporter, and another reporter followed up with a probing question: "You said the players will give their all, so will you continue to lead the team in this crucial match? After all, there is a lot of speculation about the team's head coach position right now."

As soon as he finished speaking, the scene fell silent, and all the cameras were pointed at Colin, waiting for his response.

Colin's smile faded slightly, and he looked calmly at the reporter who asked the question, uttering only two words: "Perhaps."

This ambiguous answer immediately caused an uproar in the audience, with reporters raising their hands, wanting to ask for more details—"What do you mean by 'perhaps'? Are you unsure, or do you have other plans?"

Has the club already been in contact with the new manager?

"If you weren't leading the team, who would have taken over?"

Colin did not respond further. He stood up and nodded slightly to the audience: "Thank you for your questions. That concludes today's press conference."

The reporters' questions came one after another, but they couldn't stop him from leaving.

That "perhaps" sparked countless speculations.

Is Colin himself unsure if he can continue leading the team?
Or has the club already selected a new head coach and is just waiting for an official announcement?

This seemingly simple post-match press conference, because of those two words, has added another layer of suspense to Liverpool's match against Arsenal this weekend.

Reporters had already started typing away, heads down, no one wanting to miss this topic brimming with imagination.

Liverpool fans also had a variety of discussions after the match.

"This 3-0 victory was so satisfying to watch! Gaibo outmaneuvered Norwich on the right wing, and Suarez and Sturridge were also on point. Collin's decision to rotate and conserve energy in the second half was a wise one!"

"Winning is great, but the coach's situation is the real issue!"

"Is it possible that Colin was hinting that Klopp is coming? Didn't they say Dortmund was going to let him go? It's so exciting to think about!"

"Colin was actually quite steady. He rotated Gaio today and brought on Gerrard in the 60th minute. He didn't overextend at all. He secured qualification while also conserving the energy of the key players. Can he lead the team like this against Arsenal?"

"An interim head coach is ultimately an interim one, and playing like this definitely won't work. But I think that whether it's for the whole season or for the seasons to come in the future, when changing coaches, we must choose a head coach who is suitable for the team. We shouldn't just choose a coach for the sake of having one. Even if we use Collin, if we lose, we lose. There's no rush. But the head coach must not be a slouch!"

"Agree!"

"That's true."

While fans and various figures in the football world were speculating...

Multiple media outlets, including Sky Sports and the Daily Mail, have reported the same news.

"Dortmund manager Jurgen Klopp's agent, Marc Kositz, has been spotted in the Liverpool stands!"

As soon as the news came out.

This immediately sparked much speculation about Liverpool's new manager position.

Many people speculate that Klopp will most likely take over as manager of Liverpool!

While fans were buzzing about the news of "Klopp's agent appearing in the Liverpool stands" and football commentators were analyzing the possibility of a new manager, Liverpool's players had already returned to the training ground by car.

David Dunn was already waiting at the training base. Upon seeing all the players, he first praised the team's performance tonight.

They also praised Colin's achievements.

He then said meaningfully, "Your performance at Anfield today deserves all the applause."

But now, listen to me, put aside the joy of victory and all the off-field noise, take a good shower, eat something hot, and then get a good night's sleep. Put aside the fatigue from running the whole race and all the speculation from the outside world, and get plenty of rest. That's the most important thing right now.

We'll arrive at the training ground first thing tomorrow morning, and everyone will refocus their energy. We need to prepare for our new days in Liverpool.

No need to ask questions, no need to overthink, just remember to rest well and come back tomorrow in top form. That's the best way to welcome a new era for Liverpool. Remember, get a good night's rest tonight, and tomorrow, we'll wait for a new beginning together.

As soon as these words came out.

The players looked at each other, wondering if this was a clear indication that a new head coach would be arriving tomorrow.

"it is good!"

Gerrard, as the captain, spoke first, and although everyone had some guesses, they all echoed his sentiments.

Gaio's gaze met Dunn's.

The latter nodded slightly.

Gaio understood.

Klopp is coming!
Dunn left quickly, while the others began to discuss the matter.

Colin had mixed feelings.

He wants the team to improve, but after experiencing what it's like to be the head coach, wouldn't he want to stay in that position longer?

He quickly greeted the players and then left.

Gerrard said, "There were rumors before that Dortmund wanted to let Klopp go, and now with what Dunn said and the news of his agent appearing, it's pretty much a done deal. If he really comes, his style of play might really revitalize our attack."

Sturridge crossed his arms, his tone tinged with anticipation: "But can this really work out? Will Dortmund try to stop us? And getting to the base tomorrow? That's too fast, isn't it? Dunn didn't say anything explicitly, so let's not end up with nothing but disappointment."

Gerrard patted his arm: "Dunne isn't one to make empty promises, he must have something going on. Let's not speculate, just rest well as he said, and we'll know for sure on the training ground tomorrow, right? If it really is Klopp, we'll have to be at our best to work with him, we have to play Arsenal this weekend, there's not much time to get used to it."

Henderson nodded in agreement: "Yes, regardless of whether it's him or not, let's focus on getting the training done."

Everyone else nodded in agreement. Ultimately, no matter how the coach changes, they still have to play well on the field.

Gaio didn't say much.

A quiet ripple stirred within me.

It seems like Liverpool's new era is really about to begin tomorrow.

He knew that no one yet understood what this managerial change meant for Liverpool.

He looked up at the sky above Melwood.

A rare sunny day.

The evening sun hadn't completely set yet, dyeing the clouds on the horizon a translucent, vibrant, warm red, not a dazzling gold.

It looks just like the scarves that floated like a sea in the Anfield stands, like the team crest embroidered on the chest of his jersey, and like the burning heart on the cardboard of the little fan tonight.

(End of this chapter)