The Finals Begin!

"Did Wenger really say that?"

After Wenger left, Lin Feng thought it over repeatedly before deciding to share the warning with Klopp.

"Yes, he told me personally. It shouldn't be a lie."

Klopp looked at Lin Feng in surprise upon hearing this. He hadn't expected Wenger to value Lin Feng so highly that he would personally come to poach him.

"Alright, I understand!"

Klopp nodded, signaling that he had taken note.

He then added a question: "So, did you accept Wenger's invitation?"

Lin Feng shook his head: "No, I refused."

"..."

Klopp was even more astonished.

That was Arsenal, one of the best clubs in the Premier League, a place where countless people flocked to; yet, Lin Feng had actually refused!

However, after a moment of reflection, Klopp felt this was truly in line with Lin Feng's style.

This youngster possessed a maturity far beyond his years, and every decision he made was inevitably the optimal solution reached after careful deliberation.

The reputation of Arsenal was indeed illustrious, and Wenger was indeed famous for his skill in developing and utilizing young players.

But the physical confrontation in the Premier League was extremely intense, and the referees' officiating standards were quite lenient, making it far from the best place for a young player to level up.

Especially for a player like Lin Feng, who relied on his speed; once he suffered a serious injury, he might well disappear from the scene entirely.

If one wanted to level up, the Bundesliga and La Liga were both excellent destinations.

The Youth National Team's triumphant march in the Youth World Cup had brought them immense popularity.

Ever since the semi-finals concluded, more and more fans had been gathering outside the Training Base.

Among these fans were international students studying in Europe and overseas Chinese working hard abroad.

As strangers in a strange land, these wandering children of China felt an incomparable sense of intimacy upon seeing the Youth National Team, as if they were meeting family from back home.

Moreover, this "relative" was so formidable, having defeated various powerhouses in the sport Europeans excelled at most, all the way to the finals.

This made the overseas Chinese feel a sense of shared honor, a rare moment of pride and vindication!

But compared to the massive population base back home, the number of overseas fans was ultimately quite small.

Most of those who came to watch in person were fans who had traveled specifically from China.

These fans spared no expense, traveling such a long distance just to witness the Youth National Team reach the summit on the stage of the Youth World Cup!

Unfortunately, due to the venue limitations of the Youth World Cup final, the number of tickets sold by the organizers was limited.

Many fans who had traveled from afar failed to secure tickets, and it seemed their wish would be difficult to fulfill.

Fans who didn't get tickets had to settle for second best, heading to the outside of the Training Base to cheer for the youngsters of the Youth National Team.

The influx of so many fans and the immense enthusiasm they displayed left the Youth National Team players feeling flattered.

The treatment previously reserved only for the big brothers of the senior team was now being experienced by this group of youngsters.

They were even receiving a level of welcome that surpassed that of the senior national team!

This Youth National Team had become the apple of every Chinese fan's eye—cherished as if they would melt in the mouth or shatter if held too tightly—receiving unprecedented favor and affection.

With the fans supporting them so fervently, the youngsters of the Youth National Team naturally had to show their appreciation.

During their downtime, many players came to the sidelines to fulfill requests from the fans who had traveled from afar for autographs and group photos.

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

They were surrounded by the largest number of fans, especially Lin Feng; not only was his crowd the largest, but the vibe was also quite different from that of the other players.

While his teammates were surrounded by burly male fans, Lin Feng was surrounded by a group of teenage girls and young women in their early twenties.

If it weren't for Lin Feng, the others wouldn't have even known there were so many female fans following the Youth National Team.

It was hard to tell whether these young ladies loved football or just loved Lin Feng.

In addition to ordinary fans, the base had also seen a large influx of reporters drawn by the news, as well as inspections by officials of various levels over the past few days.

The breakthrough of the Youth National Team in the Youth World Cup was a momentous event of great significance for Chinese football and even Chinese sports as a whole.

A breakthrough in the three major men's ball sports for Chinese athletics might very well be realized through them.

Therefore, no amount of attention paid to this batch of talented young players could be considered excessive.

It was foreseeable that if the Youth National Team truly won the championship in the final, it would trigger earth-shattering changes in the domestic sports world!

Although Klopp was famous for his stubbornness, this stubborn old man was not someone who refused to listen to any advice.

After hearing Wenger's suggestions, Klopp made further adjustments to the team's tactics, specifically targeting the characteristics of Nigeria.

He had prepared three different tactics for the final.

The Nigeria team hadn't been idle either; they had also conducted extensive research and preparation regarding the China Youth Team.

Both sides were raring to go, waiting only to fight tooth and nail on the stage of the final!

At the press conference the day before the match, the head coaches of both teams exchanged barbs from afar.

The head coach of Nigeria declared:

"My team is ready to win the first Championship Trophy of the Dutch Youth World Cup for Africa!"

When a reporter asked him how he viewed his next opponent, the China Youth Team, the Nigerian head coach was even more arrogant:

"We are very grateful that the Chinese team eliminated Argentina, the favorites to win the title. This has greatly reduced the difficulty of us winning the championship; they deserve the credit for us taking home this trophy!"

Between the lines, he didn't take the China Youth Team seriously at all.

It was as if the championship were already in the bag for Nigeria.

This arrogant tone made the Chinese reporters and Chinese fans very unhappy.

"Heh, the China Youth Team has already defeated both Brazil and Argentina, so why would they be afraid of you?"

"Just a frog in a well, having amused themselves in Africa for too long, they really think they're invincible!"

"Go for it, China Youth Team, kick their asses!"

"Heh, we are also very grateful to the Nigeria team for helping us eliminate the hosts!"

Facing the psychological warfare from the opposing head coach, Klopp did not take the bait:

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

Klopp didn't even mention the opponent's name, but his words were resonant and brimming with dominance.

Since neither Asia nor Africa had ever won the Dutch Youth World Cup before, this match was not just a duel between the Chinese team and the Nigeria team, but a contest between the two continents of Asia and Africa.

Influenced by this, many Asian fans began to step up to cheer for the China Youth Team, hoping they could vindicate Asian football.

For the Chinese fans, this was a first—like a bride getting on a sedan chair for the very first time!

When had the National Football Team ever had this kind of prestige before?

Indeed, relying on the National Football Team was no good; when it came to winning glory for the country, one still had to rely on the China Youth Team!

One day later, under the watchful eyes of hundreds of millions of fans.

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

PS: The content of this chapter is a bit sensitive, so I gave it a major overhaul.