Team Spirit

Chapter 263 Retirement Countdown: Audience Shouts Record
London First People's Hospital, Inpatient Department, Senior Cadre Quarters.

Lu Kai made a special trip to visit Cech before the team took off.

"Lu, over here." Abu also came today, but his expression was off; he looked somewhat sad.

After hugging Abu, Lu Kai asked as they walked away, "What's going on?"

Abu sighed: "The surgery was completed the day before yesterday, and he has woken up. He was in a daze yesterday, and I thought it was a normal postoperative reaction."

"But during today's examination and questioning, we discovered that he seems... to not remember who he is!"

Lu Kai frowned, but he wasn't actually surprised.

Cech's recovery is legendary. Doctors predicted it would take him at least eight months, but he actually returned to the field in just three months.

He set a new record for the fastest recovery in the Premier League.

But in fact, his recovery process was full of hardships.

In the early stages of his recovery, he experienced symptoms such as amnesia.

Regarding his injury, doctors determined that he would be unable to return to the field.

The club also made the same judgment from a professional perspective regarding amnesia.

"At least he's alright," Lu Kai comforted Abu.

Abramovich's entourage muttered under their breath, "But the club's losses are enormous..."

However, before he could finish speaking, Abu confirmed Lu Kai's words: "Yes, I simply cannot bear the loss of my own players."

“I know each and every one of them well, and I would rather treat them as friends than as club assets, even though they may not see me that way.”

Petr Cech has shared both glory and success with Chelsea, and his performance for the national team has also been strong. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that he is currently one of the top three goalkeepers in the world.

The German transfer fee is 30 million euros, but there are no buyers.

You can't buy such a good goalkeeper.

However, Abu didn't care about the money.

Lu Kai's words, "At least no one is hurt," eased his emotions considerably.

in the ward.

Cech's family members had red eyes, clearly having just cried.

Several doctors were also at a loss.

"How is it?" Abu became the pillar of support as soon as he came in.

The doctor reported, "This is normal intermittent amnesia after surgery. From a medical perspective, his memory will gradually recover over time."

Abramovich's assistant: "Will he never relapse after recovery?"

The doctor paused for a moment, then shook his head: "There's no way to guarantee that."

Lu Kai looked at the door of the ward, lost in thought.

He had just heard a noise over there, and a figure flashed by, but the person didn't come in.

That figure looked familiar.

“Faria!” Lu Kai remembered.

He is Mourinho's close assistant.

He was supposed to be visiting Cech on behalf of Mourinho, but...

Lu Kai's eyes darted around, and he pressed the doctor for an answer: "I want to know, is it possible that Cech might suddenly experience temporary amnesia while he's competing? For example, he might forget who he is, what skills he has, or what he's doing right now?"

This question has attracted everyone's attention because it is very pointed.

Even the breathing outside the door was temporarily silenced.

The doctor nodded helplessly: "We can't rule out this possibility. As you know, the human brain is still an area that modern medicine hasn't been able to conquer. There are too many unknowns here. So far, our understanding of diseases in this area is limited..."

"Hello, are you here to visit a patient?" a voice came from outside the door.

"Oh, yes, I just arrived." Faria pushed open the door and entered, handing the flowers to Cech's family, and then greeted Abu, Lu Kai, and others.

His face was slightly red, which showed that he wasn't good at lying.

After visiting Cech for a while, Lu Kai had to leave. If he missed his flight to Turkey, the Green Guns would have to fight Besiktas with a "nuclear-less lineup".

Abu personally escorted Lu Kai to the airport, and Faria also volunteered to accompany him.

Inside the car, Faria asked about some team matters: "I feel sorry for what happened to Cech, but as the team's assistant coach, I still have to consider some things from the team's perspective."

"If it were you, what would you do next?"

Lu Kai spoke frankly: "First of all, we must select a goalkeeper who is capable of starting, but it is said that the only goalkeeper in Chelsea's squad who can satisfy Mourinho is Cech."

Chelsea has a strong reserve of goalkeepers, including three well-known veteran goalkeepers such as Cudicini, as well as two young goalkeepers from the academy.

Faria nodded: "In fact, they are all excellent backup goalkeepers, but as starters they are still..."

Lu Kai: "The goalkeeper position is very special, unique and exclusive. No promising goalkeeper will sit on the bench."

"Chelsea need to bring in a first-class goalkeeper in the winter transfer window to ensure the success of this season."

"But we all know that we can't buy truly outstanding players in the winter transfer window, and the players we find temporarily won't be the best ones."

"Therefore, Chelsea will definitely need to bring in a true first-choice goalkeeper next summer, who is in his prime, at his peak, and still has room for improvement."

"But if the goalkeepers you bring in during the winter transfer window are eight-pointers, then you won't find nine-point goalkeepers like them in the summer."

Faria understood Lu Kai's meaning and agreed with it.

In fact, this is what Mourinho is worried about.

They can't find a goalkeeper who scores nine points in the winter transfer window; at most, they can find one who scores seven or eight points.

But after acquiring such a goalkeeper, even higher-rated goalkeepers won't come in the summer because they don't have a guaranteed win.

There have been instances where a goalkeeper rated nine points has been relegated to the bench by a goalkeeper rated seven points due to unfamiliarity with the team's tactics or some accidental mistakes.

That would be terrible.

Finally, as they approached the airport, Abramovich addressed the media issue: "In fact, I hope that all media outlets will refrain from reporting on these matters concerning Cech."

"I want him to receive at least basic respect."

Lu Kai shook his head: "That's difficult. You can't control everyone's mouth. The news of Cech's amnesia will be in the papers by tomorrow at the latest."

Faria was somewhat worried: "That would be even more disadvantageous for us in signing a goalkeeper."

Lu Kai patted Abu on the shoulder: "Relax. Since Cech has amnesia, those comments won't really affect him."

"And once his memory returns, these words will no longer be able to hurt him."

"At this stage, the main thing is to work on his family members and reduce their exposure to the media and the internet so that they can accept those sharp comments."

Abu kept these words in mind.

After Lu Kai left, Faria wanted to discuss goalkeeper-related matters with Abramovich, but Abramovich stopped him directly: "You can discuss and decide the specifics with Mourinho."

Not enough words to speculate.

Abu and Lu Kai can talk about Cech, injuries, the team, investments, and all sorts of things, and they never get tired of talking.

But you get really annoyed after just a couple of sentences with Mourinho's people.

After all, it was these guys who kept Shevchenko out of the picture.

Then there's Arshavin, who was practically invincible at Chelsea, but under Mourinho he suffered frequent injuries and was known as one of Chelsea's injury-prone players, along with Robben.

Abramovich has had enough of Mourinho's "expendable" tactics.

He hopes to drive Chelsea's transformation into a technically-oriented, growth-oriented team like Green Gun.

It's not that we can't afford to spend money, but this way our reputation will be much better.

Abramovich has now won several championships and is frequently victorious, and he is beginning to have higher aspirations in football.

If Mourinho weren't truly capable, Abramovich would have replaced him long ago, given his three rejections of Shevchenko.

This so-called Magical Phoenix Chick, does it really think it's Zhuge Liang?
……

Sky Sports: "Retirement Possible? Hospital staff reveal Cech may not be able to return to the pitch in the future; the violent impact could kill him!"

BBC: "Cech suffers amnesia! According to sources, Cech has not remembered his name or past experiences after waking up, and he even thinks he is an ice hockey player!"

France Football: "Czech goalkeeper falls! The surgery was successful, but Cech's career is ruined."

Transfermarkt: "Cech's market value has been reduced, but what's even more terrifying is that his market value may be reduced to zero in one click!"

The Italian newspaper La Repubblica wrote: "The English Premier League, known for its intensity, is suffering a backlash. While brutality may win over fans, it will lose players! Football leagues should learn from Serie A!"

Spanish TV: "He should have been the world's best goalkeeper, but he fell from grace because of the Premier League's decline. This proves that La Liga becoming the world's best league is the real progress of football!" Overnight, rumors of Cech's amnesia and retirement spread like wildfire.

The whole world feels sorry for him.

Due to overwhelming public pressure, Chelsea FC was forced to publicly respond to the news, confirming that Cech had experienced "temporary amnesia" and other issues.

They also stated that they would do their best to treat Cech.

Chelsea fans also unfurled a banner that read "We'll always wait for you," which was very touching.

"Ding! Your account has received a transfer of 1,588 euros from the BBC editor-in-chief..." Ashley Young's phone rang as he was pouring water for Lu Kai.

In the hotel conference room, everyone participating in the tactical meeting looked at him.

Ashley Young gave an awkward smile, held up his phone and shook it: "Made in China, it can read the text on the phone, which is very suitable for middle-aged and elderly people."

"You guys continue, I'm going to the restroom."

After Ashley Young left, Zidane suddenly realized what was going on and said to Lu Kai, "So last night you deliberately brought up Cech in front of me to get Ashley Young to..."

Lu Kai smiled but said nothing.

Zidane pressed further: "But what is the purpose of doing this?"

Lu Kai raised his hands: "Don't talk nonsense. I didn't do anything. Even if we go to court, I won't know anything. The source of the information is just a certain deputy captain of Green Gun."

Everyone understood immediately, and then continued their tactical discussion.

But the wise Alfred had already seen through everything.

The devoted fanatic Modric pondered the deeper meaning behind Lu Kai's actions, then his pupils suddenly contracted: "Could it be that Cech can actually... still play football?"

"Captain Lu thinks highly of him, so he deliberately shorted Cech."

"Given the intensity of this public opinion, could it be that the winter transfer window will be..."

Modric looked up and saw Lu Kai looking at him.

He immediately composed himself and stopped thinking about it.

He got the answer from Lu Kai's approving look.

"The atmosphere among Turkish fans is very passionate, so the players play with a lot of energy," Lu Kai said, referring to the upcoming match. "We will definitely be aiming for victory in this game."

"But I hope that all our players can leave here in good health."

"Therefore, we must pay extra attention to the use of players and remind everyone to avoid injuries on the field..."

……

October 19, Vodafone Economic Stadium, UEFA Cup group stage, first round.

Dartford will play away against Besiktas.

There weren't many fans at the stadium, only 27,000.

But they were all Besiktas fans, and they were extremely enthusiastic.

Ashley Young covered his ears in the players' tunnel: "I swear, this is hotter than the hottest nightclubs in London!"

Modric, unusually, shared Ashley Young's opinion: "It's too noisy, how many decibels is that?"

Lu Kai was dealing with several players from Besiktas, who were clearly his fans, even though they were all older than him.

Lu Kai did recognize two people, one of whom was former Brazilian international Ricardinho.

One is Blake Yilmaz.

She's a month older than me.

A future Turkish international, he has played for various top Turkish clubs and joined Beijing Guoan in 2016, making him a legend in the Chinese Super League.

Moreover, like many future legends of the Chinese Super League, he became even stronger after gaining experience in the Chinese Super League. He later joined Lille, a strong team in Ligue 1, and won the Ligue 1 title and other honors.

As the players from both sides entered the field, the cheers from the crowd grew louder and louder.

A monitor on the sidelines, specifically for recording decibels, displayed the number 132.

At that moment, all the Turks cheered.

Because they just set a new world record for audience shouting.

They surpassed Borussia Dortmund.

Before the match began, Lu Kai quickly read the opponent's positions and obtained some basic information.

Besiktas' formation should be 4-5-1.

It places a strong emphasis on defense.

It looks like they're preparing to hold on for a draw and then try to win.

Conservative and prudent.

Dartford's starting lineup today is:

Duff, Giroud, Ribery
Lu Kai, Motta, Modric

Filho, Vidic, Kompany, Ashley Young
范德萨

-

With a whistle, the game officially begins.

In the second minute, Lu Kai was given a hard time by the opponent when he was fouled in the attacking third, earning a free kick.

Modric took a tactical free kick and passed it across to Kompany.

The latter's through ball pierced through the chaotic wall of players from both sides.

Ribery caught up with the ball on the right side of the penalty area and delivered a cutback pass.

Lu Kai poked the ball into the goal with his left foot.

The football grazed the post and went wide.

This, in turn, gave Besiktas a scare, making them reconsider their fouling tactics.

In the seventh minute, Modric's pass to Lu Kai was intercepted by Ricardinho.

The Brazilian's visionary shot was a long-range lob from the backfield.

Surprisingly accurate!

Van der Sar ran all the way to the goal, leaped and raised his hand to block the ball out of the goal.

They almost conceded a goal.

Modric turned pale; he almost made a mistake.

It's important to know that he does have competitors within the team.

Although he had the upper hand in his competition with Chen Tao, he didn't possess any unique advantages. Besides, their positions were meant to be adjusted based on the strength of their opponents.

The team will only start him or Chen Tao if they want to play offensively.

If they want to play defensively, they'll start Barton or Pepe, as they did against Chelsea previously.

Modric himself cannot forgive himself if he cannot deliver consistent performances in games where the team is striving for victory.

In the twelfth minute, a focused Modric delivered a beautiful through ball, finding Ribery on the right flank.

Ashley Young made a run down the wing, and Ribery delivered the pass.

Ashley Young dribbled along the byline into the penalty area and delivered a triangular back pass to Modric, who completed the call-back!

when!
Modric's shot from the penalty spot hit the crossbar, a bit of bad luck.

The football bounced to the left, and Duff volleyed a low shot towards the goal.

The quality is not high, and the ball speed is not fast.

But after the ball bounced up, Lu Kai, positioned in front of the penalty area, flicked his head and headed the ball towards the goal.

The ball changed direction, and the opposing goalkeeper, who had already made a save, could not change course and could only watch the ball go into the net.

"GOAL! 1-0! Dartford takes the lead!"

"Lu Kai scores with a header."

"Although Besiktas has many players in the midfield and defense, they lack the ability to mark players and failed to contain Green Gun's attack."

"Whether it was Ashley Young, Modric, Duff, or Lu Kai, they didn't face much contact or pressure when they were attacking."

(End of this chapter)