Master Tutoring Class

Chapter 293 The eve of the decisive battle
"Wei! That's enough! Save your energy, the final is the day after tomorrow!"

Assistant coach Pescho stood on the sidelines, cupping his hands around his mouth, and shouted in slightly accented English.

Wei Lai stopped what he was doing, turned to look at Pei Shang, and smiled as always, replying, "Just the last five!"

Without waiting for approval, he stepped back again, measured his steps, took a deep breath, ran up, and swung his leg.

The ball flew out again with a whoosh.

This isn't competitive training; it's a deeply ingrained habit, an obsession with perfection, an invisible pressure that can only be slightly relieved by sweat.

Tomorrow, the Europa League final!

Gdansk, that remote coastal city in Poland, seemed to overlap with the familiar grass beneath his feet at this moment.

He knew that what awaited him there was not only the most important ninety minutes of his career to date, but also a huge vortex of expectation, scrutiny, glory and burden.

I bent down to pick up the ball, my fingertips touching the cool grass.

At that moment, he inexplicably recalled the scene a year ago when he had just joined Amsterdam Athletic from Jiaozhou Willys and stepped onto this training ground for the first time.

Back then, I was filled with the naivety and aspirations unique to Eastern youths. My language skills were not fluent enough, my tactical concepts were out of step with the times, and my physical strength was far from meeting the requirements.

He was singled out for strength training, attended tactical theory intensive classes, and studied his teammates' positioning and habits by watching computer videos.

Loneliness is the norm on his career path, but his dream is the lighthouse that guides him through the fog.

While Wei Lai was training quietly, a media storm about him had already swept across Europe and even the Far East.

The sports section of De Telegraaf, the Netherlands' largest newspaper, was practically a "Wei Lai special" that day. The front page featured a close-up of him, his gaze resolute as he stared ahead, against a backdrop of blurred red stripes from the Amsterdam Arena logo. The headline was in bold, eye-catching font.

"De Oosterse Parel van Amsterdam!" (The Pearl of the Orient in Amsterdam!)

The feature article, spanning four pages, provides a comprehensive analysis of the company's technological characteristics, development process, psychological qualities, and cultural adaptation.

Veteran football journalist Van der Heist (Roy's go-to reporter) wrote in his column: "Data doesn't lie, but it doesn't tell the whole story! Data can't capture Wei's magic on the pitch. His maturity beyond his years, his calm understanding of the situation, and his precise long passes make him the true metronome of Atlético Amsterdam's dazzling attacking machine. His journey from the distant Jiaozhou Weili Football School to the heart of Atlético Amsterdam is itself a modern football story about talent and perseverance."

During a BBC Sport Europa League preview program, former England international and special guest, former Taulhamletz, also mentioned him.

"We must keep a close eye on Amsterdam's number 25. He reminds me of many people, but his style doesn't quite match theirs. He always drives the game in an incomprehensible way. I know very well that this is not the European style; it's more intense, realistic, and deadly enough!"

Meanwhile, across the ocean, especially in Wei Lai's homeland, the media frenzy has reached unprecedented levels.

Almost all mainstream media outlets, including Tengfei, Xinle, Wangxu, and Leke Sports, have dispatched unprecedentedly large reporting teams to be stationed in Amsterdam and Gdansk.

Their cameras, microphones, and pens captured almost every moment of Wei Lai's life—from the training ground to his residence, from pre-match press conferences to occasional meals out.

Sports Weekly published a special edition on the finals, with a cover featuring a photo of Wei Lai roaring in his Amsterdam Athletic jersey. The title, though only four characters, carried immense weight.

'The glory of the nation!'

On social media, topics such as "Wei Lai", "Go Amsterdam Athletic", and "Chinese players in the Europa League final" have consistently topped the trending charts.

His personal social media account saw a surge in followers, with tens of thousands of blessings and encouragement under every post.

The CCTV program "World Football" had already prepared two sets of commentary scripts and post-production editing plans.

One set for victory, one set for defeat.

The chief planner frankly stated in an internal meeting: "Regardless of the outcome, Wei Lai's appearance in the Europa League final is already a historic achievement. It proves that Chinese players are fully capable of playing important roles on the core stage of top European competitions. This demonstration effect far exceeds the value of a medal."

This media storm thrust Wei Lai into the very center of the spotlight.

He is no longer the 'young player from China' who needs to be introduced, but one of the key players for Atlético Amsterdam, a rising star in European football, and a 'pride of China' carrying the expectations of hundreds of millions of people.

This attention is both a driving force and a tremendous responsibility!
Beyond the media frenzy, the emotions surging from the fans were even more direct and intense.

In the streets of Amsterdam, sales of Wei Lai's No. 25 jersey have surged in the past month, rivaling those of the team's star player, Lehmann.

A young force within the renowned Amsterdam Sporting 'Red & White Youth Fan Group' has posted a touching video on social media.

Hundreds of people, dressed in red and white jerseys, sang in unison in a square along the canal, a song they had written to cheer on their new idol.
【Hij komt uit het Oosten，met magle in zijn voeten (He comes from the East, and magic is at his feet)】

Lei Wei! Lei Wei! Onze Oosterse winddmolen! (Wei Lai! Wei Lai! Our Oriental Windmill!)

Each province is rugged yet sincere, brimming with acceptance and love.

The local Chinese community was immersed in a festive atmosphere.

The Dutch Chinese Football Fans Association chartered several buses to transport their compatriots to Gdansk.

They meticulously crafted cheering items that blended Chinese and Dutch elements—scarves printed with the Amsterdam team crest and a Chinese dragon, and banners that read 'Chinese heritage, glory to Amsterdam!'

Meanwhile, in Wei Lai's hometown, Bohai Port City in Liaodong Province, the heatwave was equally scorching.

The elementary school he attended hung up a banner wishing him success.

At Wei Chenggong's residence, neighbors spontaneously hung red lanterns and encouraging slogans on both sides of the street.

Wei Lai's home was already packed with relatives and friends who came to offer their congratulations, and the living room was filled with all kinds of flowers and gifts.

His mother, Chen Qian, was both incredibly proud of her son and couldn't hide her inner worries.

Chen Qian looked at the photos of her son's tiring training on her phone over and over again, and whispered to her husband, "Don't put so much pressure on the child, just let him finish the game safely."

Jiaozhou Weili Football School, the school that trained Wei Lai, is also paying attention to this match.

The school leaders decided to organize all students, coaches and their families to watch the game together on the night of the finals.

The head coach of the youth team, Mr. Chen, stood on the podium with his hands behind his back.

Looking at the young players in the various youth training teams, and seeing their burning eyes, a warm feeling welled up inside him.

"Look at this grass beneath your feet. Nine years ago, Wei Lai stepped onto this ground, sweating and dreaming here. Children, dreams are not far away; they require you to put in 200% effort, just like Wei Lai. Look at his back as you move forward and learn, until one day you can catch up with him, and even surpass him!"

Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

After finishing the afternoon training and tactical meeting, Wei Lai returned to his villa.

"I'm going to sleep!"

Diego Ruma went straight upstairs to rest and recharge for tomorrow's match.

Wei Lai sat alone on the sofa, trying to relax his tense nerves as much as possible.

On the coffee table were tea bags sent from his hometown. Wei Lai didn't drink tea often, occasionally just mate tea brewed by Diego Ruma, but today he specially brewed himself a cup of tea from his hometown.

The sweet tea flowed down my throat and into my stomach, leaving me feeling warm and cozy.

The phone on the coffee table kept vibrating, constantly receiving congratulatory messages from relatives, friends, former teammates, and even some football legends in China—a dense stream of over a hundred messages.

He clicked on one of the voice messages from his mentor, Chang Chen-ting.

That familiar and steady voice rang out in the room:

"Xiao Lai, I am truly happy for you seeing what you have achieved."

"The competition is the day after tomorrow, and you guys need to adjust your condition tomorrow, so I'm sending you my best wishes in advance."

"Don't overthink it. Keep a calm mind. You got to where you are today not because of luck, but because of your hard work and talent."

"Remember, you have already made history for Chinese players. No matter what the result of the final is, you are already our pride."

"Put down the burden, go on the field, and enjoy those 90 minutes, just like when you first encountered football as a child, purely enjoy it."

The day before the final, the Amsterdam team arrived in Poland and checked into a designated hotel on the outskirts of Gdansk.

The atmosphere was heavy and somber.

After dinner, head coach Morton gathered all the players in the conference room for final tactical planning and psychological pep talk.

On the huge projection screen, highlights of the opponent's matches and tactical analysis were played repeatedly.

Mr. Morton's explanation was extremely detailed, and he pointed out many intricate details.

How to deal with high pressing, how to exploit gaps in the opponent's defense, and how to seize set-piece opportunities.
Morton likened Taulhamletz to a powerful dragon that must be defeated.

And they are the dragon-slaying youths!
In fact, Wei Lai and the others knew very well that Taurhamletz was already crippled!

After two semi-final matches against Leverkusen, their defense was almost paralyzed. The absence of Davies and Rooney, the two most important defensive core players, will inevitably cause Taurhamletz to face huge defensive difficulties.

Although the others were not injured, their stamina levels were also nearing the critical point.

After all, the Premier League won't go easy on them just because they're struggling; they'll ruthlessly beat them when they're down.

The threat from Riber and Boyes remains.

With an unstable defense, Taurhamletz will definitely use high pressing to relieve the pressure on the backline.

This match will be fast-paced because neither Atlético Amsterdam nor Taurhamles will primarily focus on solidifying their defense.

Once all the tactical details were explained, the conference room lights dimmed, and a carefully edited video began playing on the screen.

There was no rousing music, only soothing piano music as background.

The screen flickered, the screen flickered, and he was running and training with other children of similarly youthful faces at the Jiaozhou Weili Youth Training Center. Young Wei Lai shyly high-fived his teammates in celebration, his eyes filled with a nervous yet excited love for football.

Where can I find the video?

Mr. Morton slowly began to speak:
"Tomorrow, we will fight for the club's 120-year history, for the millions of fans in the stands who support us, and for every partner around us."

He paused for a moment, then looked at Wei Lai.

"And for everyone like Wei, who has left their hometown and crossed oceans to realize their football dreams."

"We are a team, we trust each other, remember what we've been working on all season, bring it onto the court, and then bring the trophy home!"

Old Master Morton looked around and tilted his head slightly; "Too heavy? Let's look at something more interesting then."

The scene shifts to Morton's office.

In the video, Wei Lai is carrying a simple ball bag and wearing a brand new black tracksuit.

The video's angle was a bit strange, somewhat like a surveillance camera shot, but it had sound, and you could hear rustling noises coming from inside the office.

"This is..." Wei Lai slowly opened his mouth, his eyes gradually widening.

Hendrick raised an eyebrow, a slight smile playing at the corners of his lips.

"Oh huh?"

In the video, Hendrick walked in, and the young and inexperienced Wei Lai uttered that resounding compliment to Hendrick!

I'm your fan!

boom! !

Wei Lai jumped up, his face flushed, and shouted excitedly, "Turn it off! Turn it off! Turn it off!"

Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha! ! !
Hendrick gripped Wei Lai's hands like vises and shouted at old man Morton, "Play it! Play this part on repeat! I love hearing this line!"

puff! !

Ha ha ha ha! !
"Killing me!"

"Wei is flattering me? Hahahaha!"

"He was only 16 years old then, so cute!"

Wei Lai, filled with shame and indignation, shouted, "Cute my ass! Turn it off! Turn it off!"

The video played on a loop more than ten times, and Wei Lai stopped struggling.

He accepted his fate.

Wei Lai sat in the chair, surrounded by his teammates who gave him teasing looks and spoke in a mocking tone.

In response, Wei Lai could only try his best to block it out, wanting to find a hole to crawl into.

"Are you still nervous?"

Musar patted Wei Lai on the shoulder and asked.

"I'm not nervous anymore!" Wei Lai shook his head, then his face immediately fell; "But I want to die!"

Hahahahahaha!

The teammates burst into laughter again, completely oblivious to the world around them.

It was late at night, and Wei Lai stood alone on the balcony of his hotel room.

The distinctive salty scent of the Baltic Sea wafts through the air. In the distance, the final venue—the Gdansk Arena—lies.

The stadium's outline was exceptionally clear and majestic under the night lights, like a lurking beast awaiting the clamor and roar of tomorrow night.

My phone vibrated again; this time it was a message from the chat group.

Yang Fan: [Brothers, keep the formation! Lao Wei is awesome! Keep it up!]

Pei Le: [Wei Lai is awesome! Keep it up!]

Millennium: [Old Wei is awesome! Keep it up!]

Chen Shaojie: [Old Wei is awesome! Keep it up!]

Xiang Yu: [Brother Wei is awesome! Keep it up!]

He Chaoyue: [Wei Lai! Keep it up!]

Lu Chaokuan: [Go Wei Lai!]

His former teammates from the national youth team all came to cheer him on.

Wei Lai's lips curled slightly as he tapped his phone screen repeatedly.

Wei Lai: [Brothers! Thanks!]

Wei Lai slowly exhaled and walked into the room.

Tomorrow is the Europa League final!

As dawn breaks, the decisive battle is imminent. The piper's melody is about to begin.

The following day, a wild atmosphere began to envelop the entire city of Gdansk, making it incredibly noisy.

With a large influx of fans from Amsterdam and Taurhamletz, the entire city was like a boiling powder keg.

This is the Europa League final, often referred to as the prelude to the Champions League.

Compared to the Champions League final, theirs is held a week earlier, serving as a warm-up.

While it doesn't garner as much attention or prestige as the Champions League, this is Wei Lai's first European final.

In May, the temperature in Poland is around 15 degrees Celsius. Today is also a cloudy and rainy day, making it feel even colder overall.

Even so, the media reporters arrived at the hotel where the Amsterdam Arena was staying early.

They are currently unable to enter the hotel and can only wait outside for approval to enter the lobby. However, through the glass windows, they can still see the players moving in and out of the cafeteria and elevators, and the staff are also busy moving supplies and equipment in preparation for the final.

"Ah!"

Liu Yang sneezed, rubbed his arms, and said, "It's so cold!"

"This awful weather, when will this rain stop?!"

Most of the reporters were dressed in thin clothing, and naturally felt chilly under the influence of the cold air.

Not to mention, they might have to wait here until the very last minute before they can set off in the evening.

"It's Wei Lai!"

Suddenly, a fellow journalist who had been searching online pointed at the hotel lobby and shouted.

They immediately saw Wei Lai step out of the elevator and head towards the cafeteria.

Immediately, the Chinese journalists couldn't help but cheer.

"Wei Lai! Keep it up!"

We've come to cheer you on!

"Wei Lai! Keep it up!"

The noise seeped into the hotel lobby through the crack in the door. Wei Lai stopped, turned to look at them, and waved with a smile as a greeting.

After a while, Wei Lai returned, this time with a hotel staff member beside him.

Wei Lai pointed at the reporters outside the hotel and gave some instructions to the staff member.

About five minutes later, hotel staff began taking turns carrying cups of steaming black coffee out and handing them to the reporters.

"Wei treated you to drinks. He said, 'Don't catch a cold!'"

Holding a steaming cup of coffee in his hand, Liu Yang felt his body warm up considerably.

Moreover, it wasn't just them who had hot coffee; journalists from other countries did too.

More than a hundred reporters received a copy, almost one for each of them.

The reporters also looked surprised.

They've been going on these kinds of trips more than once or twice, but Wei Lai is the only one who truly cares about their feelings.

The foreign journalists took the hot coffee and gave the Chinese journalists a thumbs up.

"Good!"

(End of this chapter)