The Final Kicks Off!

"Did Wenger really say that?"

After Wenger left, Lin Feng thought it over again and again before finally telling Klopp about Wenger's warning.

"Yeah, he told me himself. It shouldn't be false."

Klopp looked at Lin Feng in surprise. He had not expected Wenger to think so highly of Lin Feng that he would personally come to recruit him.

"Alright, I understand!"

Klopp nodded, indicating that he understood.

Before long, he asked, "Did you accept Wenger's invitation?"

Lin Feng shook his head. "No, I turned it down."

"..."

Klopp was even more surprised.

That was Arsenal, one of the best clubs in the Premier League, a place countless people dreamed of joining. Yet Lin Feng had actually turned it down!

But after giving it some thought, Klopp felt that this did fit Lin Feng's usual style.

This kid possessed a maturity far beyond his years. Every decision he made had surely been the optimal answer after careful consideration.

Arsenal's reputation was indeed enormous, and Wenger was indeed famous for developing and trusting young players.

But the Premier League's Physical Confrontation was extremely intense, and referees allowed a great deal of contact. It was not the best place for young players to gain experience.

Especially for a player like Lin Feng, whose strengths lay in his speed. Once he suffered a serious injury, he could very well disappear from the scene entirely.

If he wanted to level up, the Bundesliga and La Liga were both good destinations.

China Youth Team's unstoppable run at the Youth World Cup had brought them immense popularity.

Ever since the semifinal ended, more and more fans had gathered outside China Youth Team's Training Base.

Some of these fans were international students studying in Europe, while others were overseas Chinese working hard to make a living there.

Alone in a foreign land, they had all drifted overseas. Seeing China Youth Team felt like seeing family from back home, filling them with incomparable warmth.

What was more, these relatives were so formidable. They had actually defeated powerhouse after powerhouse in football, the sport Europeans excelled at most, and charged all the way into the final.

It made these overseas Chinese immensely proud, and they finally held their heads high!

But compared with China's enormous population base, the number of overseas fans was ultimately still too small.

More of those who came to watch in person were fans who had made a special trip from China.

These fans had spared no expense and traveled such a long way just to witness China Youth Team reach the summit of the Youth World Cup stage with their own eyes!

Unfortunately, the final venue had limited capacity, and the organizers had only put a limited number of tickets on sale.

Many fans who had traveled from afar had failed to get tickets, and their wish would likely be difficult to fulfill.

The fans who failed to secure tickets could only settle for the next best thing and come outside China Youth Team's Training Base to cheer for the young players.

The flood of fans and the incredible enthusiasm they showed left the China Youth Team players flattered and overwhelmed.

In the past, only the older brothers of the senior team could enjoy such treatment. Now these greenhorns were getting a taste of it too.

They were even more popular than the National Football Team!

This China Youth Team had become the darling of every Chinese football fan, cherished beyond measure and showered with unprecedented affection!

With the fans supporting them so passionately, China Youth Team's young players naturally could not remain indifferent.

During breaks from training, quite a few players came to the sidelines to fulfill the autograph, Group Photo, and other requests of fans who had traveled from afar.

Lin Feng, Chen Tao, and the others who had performed brilliantly in previous matches had clearly become the brightest stars in the crowd.

They had the largest groups of fans around them, especially Lin Feng. Not only did he have the most fans, but the crowd around him was rather different from those around the other players.

While the fans surrounding his teammates were mostly burly older men, Lin Feng was surrounded by girls in their late teens and early twenties.

If not for Lin Feng, no one would have known that China Youth Team had so many female fans.

Who knew whether these girls liked football or liked Lin Feng?

Besides ordinary fans, the Training Base had also received a large number of reporters drawn by the news in recent days, as well as officials at every level coming to inspect the team.

China Youth Team's breakthrough at the Youth World Cup was a momentous event for Chinese football and even Chinese sports as a whole.

A breakthrough in China's men's three major ball sports might very well be achieved through them.

Therefore, no amount of attention paid to this batch of exceptionally talented young players would be too much.

It was foreseeable that if China Youth Team truly won the final, massive, earth-shaking changes would surely sweep through China's sports world in the future!

Although Klopp was famous for being stubborn, the old man was not someone who refused to listen to anyone's advice.

After hearing Wenger's suggestion, Klopp made further adjustments to China Youth Team's tactics based on Nigeria's characteristics.

He prepared three different tactical plans for the final.

Nigeria had not been idle either. They had likewise conducted extensive research and preparation on China Youth Team.

Both sides were raring to go, waiting only to fight to the death on the final stage!

At the pre-match press conference the day before the game, the Head Coaches of both teams traded barbs from afar.

Nigeria's Head Coach declared:

"My team is ready to win Africa's first Youth World Cup Championship Trophy!"

When a reporter asked how he viewed China Youth Team, their next opponent, Nigeria's Head Coach spoke even more arrogantly:

"We are very grateful to the Chinese team for eliminating Argentina, one of the favorites to win the tournament. That has greatly reduced the difficulty of our path to the title. They deserve great credit for helping us win this Championship Trophy!"

His words made it clear that he did not take China Youth Team seriously at all.

It was as if the championship were already Nigeria's for the taking.

That arrogant tone greatly displeased Chinese reporters and fans.

"Hehe, China Youth Team has beaten both Brazil and Argentina. Why would they be afraid of you?"

"Just frogs at the bottom of a well. They've entertained themselves in Africa for so long that they really think they're invincible!"

"Go, China Youth Team! Crush them!"

"Hehe, we're also very grateful to the Nigeria team for helping us eliminate the hosts!"

Faced with the opposing Head Coach's psychological warfare, Klopp did not take the bait:

"My team has remained undefeated so far. In the next match, we will continue our previous momentum and bring this Youth World Cup journey to a perfect close with a flawless record!"

Klopp did not even mention his opponent's name, yet his words rang with force and overflowing dominance.

Since neither Asia nor Africa had ever won the Youth World Cup before, this match was not merely a clash between the Chinese team and the Nigeria team. It was also a contest between the two continents of Asia and Africa.

Influenced by this, many Asian fans stepped forward to cheer for China Youth Team, hoping they could bring honor to Asian football.

For Chinese fans, this was a first in history!

When had the National Football Team ever received such treatment?

Sure enough, relying on the National Football Team was hopeless. When it came to bringing glory to the country, China Youth Team had to do it!

One day later, under the gaze of hundreds of millions of fans.

The final of the 2005 Dutch Youth World Cup officially kicked off!

PS: The chapter content was a little sensitive, so it underwent a major revision.