Football: Starting from the Ronaldinho template

Chapter 239: FA Cup Match Against Maguire Leaves a Psychological Scar on the Young Maguire! Champions League Match Against Benfica!
Emirates Stadium.

Wenger shook hands with Ranieri, and judging from appearances alone, the former seemed younger.

In fact, Wenger is two years older than Ranieri.

"Thank you for the flowers." Ranieri accepted the loss with composure, unlike some other coaches who always make excuses.

"You're welcome."

Wenger smiled and nodded.

He has a habit of putting flowers in the visiting team's dressing room when playing at home, even for Tottenham.

This is because of his coaching philosophy.

One must demonstrate grace and dignity, and never forget to keep one's promises.

This is relevant to everyone in the club.

Even gardeners are the same.

Therefore, before the game starts, he would buy a bouquet of flowers in the opposing team's colors and place it on the table in the away team's locker room.

"You have an enviable player," Ranieri said after seeing Kanté's visibly frustrated face.

After the two games against Arsenal, he sometimes fantasized about what would happen to Leicester City this season if they could find a talented player like Qin Ming, just like Wolfsburg did.
The league title should be a sure thing now.

After all, Mahrez on the right wing, Drinkwater and Kanté in the middle, if Qin Ming were replaced on the left wing...

That attack was absolutely beautiful to watch.

Ranieri could only dream about it.

"Ninety million pounds is far from his limit." Wenger looked down from the North Stand, where Qin Ming was thanking his teammates.

"Danny, you're in pretty good shape today. It seems your injury is recovering well."

Arteta looked at Welbeck and said.

Arsenal suffered several injuries at the start of the season, including Rosicky, Wilshere, Welbeck, and others.

Welbeck has now recovered from his injury and returned to the field, even coming on as a substitute for about twenty minutes.

Qin Ming carefully examined the black clam.

Because he used to be a Manchester United fan, he knew quite a bit about Welsh. He joined the team at 17 and was treated like a precious gem, but unfortunately his technique wasn't refined enough and his ability to seize opportunities was also average.

That's how he transferred from Manchester United to Arsenal.

€2000 million, 25 appearances last season, 4 goals, 2 assists.

The data is also unremarkable.

Having been injured for most of the season, it's practically impossible for him to compete with Giroud for a starting position in the future.

Sometimes football is just that cruel.

Qin Ming then thought of Wilshere, who was still recovering. The little threat's amazing performance against Barcelona was something Guardiola would bring up from time to time.

"I don't know if we'll have a chance to face Barcelona this season."

Qin Ming muttered to himself.

Wilshere's 19-year-old solo victory against Barcelona for the MVP award still gets my blood pumping.

He also wanted to see just how good the current Barcelona team really was.

"Qin, we're playing Benfica in two weeks, are you nervous?" Giroud was worried, thinking about Arsenal's Champions League Round of 16 curse.

"It's alright. Last season we played in the Europa League and faced a lot of strong teams. At first I was a little unaccustomed to it, but later I didn't feel anything."

Qin Ming recalled his first match against Tottenham Hotspur, during which he suffered from insomnia. However, he gradually adapted after playing against Inter Milan, Napoli, Serbia, and other teams.

Of course, the Champions League is completely different from the Europa League, as it brings together the top teams in Europe.

However, Benfica isn't considered very strong.

Even though the team has future stars like Ederson and Ruben Diaz, they are still in their infancy.

Qin Ming was already eager to give them a surprise from the 90 million pound man.

The group chatted as they returned to the Kearney training ground.

Recently, the professor has carried out a comprehensive upgrade of the training base, such as installing cameras under the swimming pool to observe the players' movements in the water and make targeted adjustments accordingly.

They also replaced the glass with brand new ones.

Qin Ming heard the professor say that the refractive index of sunlight passing through a window affects serotonin and dopamine in the human body.

Both of these hormones help reduce player stress and maintain a good mood.

Qin Ming learned from a conversation with De Bruyne that even Manchester City couldn't be this meticulous.

"Mr. Wenger is a really competent manager."

He remarked to Arteta.

"So we need to work harder and not let his efforts go to waste; it's also for our own sake."

Arteta said.

Qin Ming nodded in agreement. In the six months since joining Arsenal, he had become familiar with Wenger.

To be honest, Wenger doesn't feel like someone from the 21st century; he seems more like someone from the Victorian era, someone who values ​​elegance, gentlemanliness, and tradition.

An idealist.

This is Qin Ming's evaluation of Wenger. Walking with someone like him really gives you the feeling of pursuing your ideals.

"take it easy."

Qin Ming got up and put the plate in the recycling bin. He knew that building a castle was not something that could be done in a short time.

Time, he, Wenger, and the Gunners all need time.

How to shorten this time as much as possible depends on individual skills.

The fifth round of the FA Cup on February 20th.

Arsenal vs. Hull City.

Hull City, relegated last season, are currently top of the Championship, with a record of 8 wins and 2 losses in their last 10 matches, scoring 20 goals and conceding 4.

MKM Stadium in Kingston am Hull.

In the player tunnel, Qin Ming looked at Maguire next to him, who had a kind face, a strong build, and a strikingly large head.

He laughs at the jokes, not at the people; Ma Kui is a true man.

The aircraft carrier turns around.

No one could have predicted that this unremarkable center-back would one day become Manchester United's captain.

Maguire noticed Qin Ming's gaze and became a little nervous at the age of 22.

After all, although Qin Ming is younger than him, he is already a household name and a star player. Last season, he transferred to Hull City for 310 million euros, which is not even a fraction of Qin Ming's transfer fee.

It's impossible not to be nervous.

Qin Ming smiled and looked away. When he was a fan, he had a good impression of Maguire; he thought he was a responsible man.

At the start of the match, Hull City, despite being at the top of the Championship table, were still far behind the Premier League leaders.

Therefore, their idea was quite simple.

Parking the bus to force a draw.

According to the FA Cup format, if a match ends in a draw, the game must be rescheduled, with an interval of approximately twenty days.

By mid-next month, Arsenal will be competing on three fronts: the Champions League, the league, and the FA Cup, which will keep them busy.

Hull City might be able to find an opportunity to advance by taking this opportunity.

After playing Leicester City, the Gunners had six days of rest and displayed absolute dominance today.

The 21th minute of the game.

Qin Ming dribbled past several defenders in the heart of the penalty area, then crashed into Cazorla and entered the penalty area.

Hull City's formation today is 3-5-2, with Maguire playing as the right center-back, so the task of defending against Qin Ming falls on his shoulders.

However, looking at Qin Ming's dazzling footwork...

I'm too slow.

Maguire was already quite clumsy, and when Qin Ming broke through from the outside, it took him a while to turn around.

boom!
Qin Ming's left-footed shot found the far post, leaving the Swiss goalkeeper helpless.

That's a game-changer! In the next match, despite the cool February weather, Maguire was sweating bullets.

Players like Qin Ming, with their exquisite footwork and explosive power, are an unstoppable force for him.

Maguire's childhood was filled with existential doubts.

The 31th minute of the game.

Qin Ming partnered with Elneny on the wing. The newly arrived Egyptian defensive midfielder was of average skill, but he had a very close brother.

Salah.

"Move towards the center!" Qin Ming looked at Welbeck, today's starting center forward, and gave the instruction with a hint of helplessness.

Giroud understands himself better.

When Welbeck made a quick forward run, drawing away the defenders on the flanks, he took the opportunity to dribble past Malone and cut inside.

Maguire's speed disadvantage cannot be changed.

However, his defensive awareness is not bad; he knows that the two sides of the edge of the penalty area are Qin Ming's favorite areas for chip shots.

"I can't keep up!"

Maguire felt like his legs were made of lead.

Qin Ming feinted a shot and then flicked the ball on, causing Maguire to freeze for a moment. Qin Ming then glanced coldly at the goal and curled a sharp arc with his right foot.

Maguire didn't even need to turn around; he just turned back to see the ball go into the net.

They've made it in again.

"We got completely destroyed!" Maguire was extremely frustrated.

“Harry, no Premier League defender can stop me, so don’t put too much pressure on yourself. I think you will improve a lot in the future.”

Qin Ming spoke sincerely, without a trace of sarcasm.

He was truly sincere.

After saying that, he turned and walked back to his own half of the field, leaving Maguire with a dashing back view.

“I will catch up with you.” Maguire took a deep breath.

Hull City fans at MKM Stadium applauded. The FA Cup match was important to them, but Qin Ming's performance today also deserved their applause.

Because it's so pleasing to the eye.

Upon hearing this, Qin Ming waved to the fans, his bright smile making people wonder how he could possibly be the Bundesliga's "Iron Elbow King".

The fifth round of the FA Cup ended with Hull City losing 0-4 to Arsenal.

"Harry, I didn't expect you to be so good at dribbling. You even managed to stretch the flanks later in the game."

Qin Ming took off his number 10 jersey and handed it over, "Want to exchange jerseys?"

"Okay!" Maguire took the jersey and tried to take it off, but was stopped by Big Head.

"Haha!" Qin Ming couldn't help but chuckle and gave him a little tug.

Putting aside everything else, Maguire has a rather interesting personality, giving off a kind of goofy vibe.

Thinking of this, he remembered De Gea. During Manchester United's difficult time, the two of them provided a lot of laughs.

"See you next time." Qin Ming waved to Maguire. In fact, as long as they weren't players like Kyle Walker or Leroy Sané who were hostile towards him, he got along quite well with them.

De Bruyne is a living example.

Also, when he posts on social media, he gets a lot of comments from his player friends.

This also proves that he is quite popular.

The day after returning to London, he boarded a flight to Lisbon, where the Champions League knockout stage of this season had finally begun.

As the westernmost city on the European continent, Lisbon is the political, economic, cultural, and educational center of Portugal.

The scenery is beautiful.

Qin Ming simply didn't have time to travel. Otherwise, he would have liked to explore the city and also visit the Madeira Islands, where Cristiano Ronaldo's hometown, Funchal, is located.

I heard it's a great place for a vacation.

Qin Ming asked the hotel manager to buy him some gifts for De Bruyne and his wife.

February 24th arrived quickly.

Bright Stadium.

More than 60,000 fans came to the stadium, making it the highest attendance of the season at the Stadium of Light.

The vast majority of them were Benfica fans.

In terms of fan numbers and willingness to pay, Benfica boasts the world's largest number of fans, with 160392 paid members, making them the club with the most paid members.

It was even included in the Guinness World Records, although it was recently broken by Bayern Munich.

Such a large number of fans is related to their glorious history.

They have reached the Champions League final seven times, won the Champions League twice, and have won countless domestic league titles.

It has become stagnant in recent decades.

Speaking of this, we have to talk about one person: Bella Gutmann.

During his nearly 40-year coaching career, the Hungarian coach's footprints have covered many countries in Europe and South America. In particular, during his time coaching São Paulo, he became the founder of the 4-2-4 formation, which was used by the Samba Army to win the World Cup in 1958.

In 1961 and 1962, Benfica defeated Barcelona and Real Madrid in succession to win the European Cup for the second consecutive year, becoming the first team in history to break Real Madrid's five-time consecutive title monopoly.

However, after leading his team to victory in the 1962 European Cup final against Real Madrid, a team led by stars such as Di Stéfano and Puskás, Guttmann asked the Benfica board for a pay raise, but was refused.

In a fit of anger, he left the team, uttering a vicious curse.

"Not in a hundred years from now willBenfica ever win a European Cup!"

Benfica will not win the European Champions League for the next 100 years.

Who knew his words would become a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Since then, Benfica have reached the Champions League final six times and the UEFA Cup final twice, but have lost every time.

Five appearances in the Champions League final in the 1960s, the last three of which led to AC Milan, Inter Milan, and Manchester United 10 years after the Munich air disaster.

In the 1990 Champions League final, despite Benfica legend Eusébio visiting Guttmann's grave to pray before the match, they still lost 0-1 to Milan.

Last season's Europa League final saw them lose 2-4 to Sevilla on penalties.

Even in the inaugural UEFA Youth League season two seasons ago, they lost 3-0 to Barcelona and missed out on the European championship.

In the players' tunnel.

Qin Ming looked at the staff outside, an eagle perched on his arm as he raised it.

Falcons soared over the stadium.

The Benfica fans roared with excitement, hoping their players would hunt down their opponents as swiftly, precisely, and fiercely as falcons.

Even though their opponent was the invincible Arsenal.

“Elson, Ruben Diaz.” Qin Ming glanced at the two young stars.

This startled the two of them, because a few days ago The Sun's sports section used a photo of Qin Ming looking at Maguire with his head turned to the side.

The contempt of the 90 million pound man!

This is the title.

The content features an 18-year-old football star enjoying the process of destroying young players.

Upon seeing this, Qin Ming immediately declared he would file a lawsuit.

He felt his gaze wasn't that terrifying; The Sun must have used Photoshop, and it was purely meant to damage his reputation.

"Watch out for his breakthroughs," Ruben Diaz told Semedo.

The latter is a Benfica youth academy player who was just promoted to the first team this season and is also the full-back who will play opposite Qin Ming.

"rest assured!"

As the saying goes, a newborn calf is not afraid of a tiger. Semedo was very confident in himself, and he even thought about stepping on Qin Ming to get ahead.

Since Qin Ming was able to win two titles in his first year as a professional player and join Arsenal with a record-breaking transfer fee in world football, it is understandable that...

Even if he's just a defender, he wants to follow Qin Ming's example, prove his worth in his first season, and then transfer to a top club.

(End of this chapter)