Manchester City Had Lost Hart and Agüero-How Were They Supposed to Play?
Commercial Director Berrada had previously stated in front of everyone that only three representatives from Manchester City would attend this charity event on behalf of the club, so Tang Long was quite curious to see Gracie sitting next to him.
Gracie, dressed in a long dress, simply smiled and said that your suit was very appropriate today. Then the host went on stage to speak and announced the start of the luncheon.
The first speaker was the Mayor of Manchester, who began by thanking all the participants and emphasizing the importance of community support for retired players.
He pointed out that many players brought honor and passion to the city during their careers, but faced economic difficulties after retirement. Society should not forget their contributions and should work together to help them overcome their difficulties. The mayor called on all sectors of society to give more attention and support, and jointly build a warm and inclusive care system for retired players.
As the initiator of this event, Manchester City's Commercial Director, Berrada, expressed the club's deep concern for retired players and introduced the club's preparations for this charity event and its future plans.
"I believe that the club is not only a part of a player's professional career, but also a strong support for them after they retire!"
"The Abu Dhabi United Group will introduce a series of assistance measures, including establishing a special medical assistance fund, providing vocational training opportunities, and offering mental health support services, aimed at helping retired players reintegrate into society and realize their self-worth."
A round of applause erupted from the audience, and many of the retired players who had been invited were moved to tears upon hearing that money would be distributed.
Subsequently, Tang Long, as a representative of the current players, went on stage to speak.
He didn't need to write the speech himself; the club's secretary had already prepared it. Tang Long had memorized it perfectly and spoke fluently on stage.
Tang Long shared his thoughts on life after retirement, drawing on his personal experience as an active player.
He expressed his respect for his predecessors and pledged to actively participate in and support aid work for retired players.
Tang Long urged his peers to cherish the present while also planning for the future, and encouraged retired players to maintain a positive attitude.
"We believe society will not forget their contributions. Let us join hands and face the challenges together!" Applause rang out again!
During his speech, Tang Long's tone was melodious and full of emotion, captivating the audience who listened intently, nodding frequently in agreement with the player's insights.
"Well said! Every word hits the nail on the head."
"This young man is remarkable; his insights are profound. It's rare to find someone his age with such a deep understanding of a player's career!"
"I heard he's not even 20 years old yet, and he's already able to speak on behalf of current players. His future is definitely limitless."
"A very kind young man, and handsome too, really nice!"
Diletta laughed and took out her phone, snapping several photos of Tang Long. "You've memorized the script pretty well, kid, hehe."
When Tang Long was speaking, Gracie looked at him with eyes shining with admiration, and after he finished speaking, she applauded him enthusiastically.
"Now Gracie, please welcome Dr. Gracie to the stage. Dr. Gracie is the daughter of the Mayor of Manchester, works for the Manchester City medical team, and is also a medical professional hired by the Special Medical Assistance Fund."
As Tang Long stepped off the stage, he brushed past Gracie. The host told him that she was the daughter of the mayor of Manchester. Tang Long exchanged a glance with her and secretly found it amusing. He realized he had guessed wrong and couldn't help but feel a bit ridiculous.
Gracie wore an elegant blue long dress, the hem of which just reached her calves, and brown flat shoes. Her white ankles were exposed, fair and delicate, and quite beautiful.
Gracie detailed how the foundation helps retired athletes cope with long-term health problems caused by sports injuries through professional medical services.
She emphasized the importance of physical and mental health for retired athletes to start their lives anew, and introduced the foundation's programs, including free medical checkups, rehabilitation treatments, and psychological counseling.
"I hereby appeal to more doctors to join the medical staff of the relief foundation and provide comprehensive care for retired athletes."
Then came the luncheon.
Kolarov and Ranocchia were starving after finishing their morning training and started eating heartily.
Tang Long and Gracie, who was beside him, ate and talked, and the two had a very pleasant conversation.
An hour later, people began to leave.
Diletta had arranged an hour-long interview with the mayor after the banquet. She lightly raised her wrist, glanced at the exquisite watch face, and then gracefully walked to Tang Long's table to say goodbye.
However, as she approached, a fleeting scene caught her eye— Gracie's delicate, porcelain-like hand was lazily resting on the table.
Diletta's gaze froze, fixed on those beautiful little hands, on the surface of the index finger joint, where a faint knife scar was visible.
It wasn't until Gracie turned her head, caught her gaze, slowly stood up, and a faint smile appeared on her lips that she was pulled back to reality from her daze.
Gracie recognized the woman in front of her; she was the same woman Tang Long had video-called when he was receiving physical therapy in the therapy room that day.
She stood up, smiling as she looked into Diletta's eyes.
The seemingly friendly greetings between the two also carried an unspoken undercurrent between the women.
Then, Diletta, under a pretext, led Tang Long aside, a sly glint in her eyes, and whispered, "Wow, big star, so you like petite white girls. You even managed to snag the mayor of Manchester's darling. You're really popular with girls."
As a veteran who has spent many years in the news industry, Diletta's keen eye has long been honed to the point of having an instinctive ability to capture details.
Recalling that FaceTime call at Milan airport, the image of Tang Long shirtless, with his delicate, fair hands gently resting on her shoulders, and a similar slight knife scar on his index finger knuckle, a ripple of jealousy stirred in Diletta's heart.
Tang Long waved his hand and explained righteously, "That's not the case. We're just ordinary friends, and I only just found out she's the Mayor of Manchester's daughter."
Diletta naturally didn't believe Tang Long's nonsense; she just felt that this kid was worse than she had imagined.
"Alright, I need to get ready for my visit. By the way, I've been staying at the Hilton in the city center for the past few days. If there's any more news about Manchester City, I'll need your inside help, you hear me, my beloved superstar?" With that, she smiled slightly, raised her red high heel, stomped heavily on Tang Long's leather shoes, turned and walked away, leaving behind a trail of echoing high heels.
Tang Long hissed softly in pain, turned around and returned to his seat, only to find that Gracie was gone.
Kolarov and Ranocchia were looking at themselves.
"I also want to be stepped on by her high heels." Kolarov squinted, looking at Delight's slender back.
"Where are the Gracie people?" Tang Long ignored Kolarov and asked Ranocchia.
"When you were talking to Diletta just now, she said she had to leave first," Ranocchia said with a smile.
In the afternoon, Tang Long, Ranocchia, and Kolarov continued their activities on behalf of Manchester City.
They, along with some retired players, came to Manchester City's training ground, split into two teams, and played a half-hour seven-a-side football match.
Watching these players, some in their fifties and sixties with gray hair, running and fighting hard on the field, Tang Long felt a surge of emotion.
He will soon turn 19.
With the continuous development of modern medical technology, as long as one perseveres, playing for another seventeen or eighteen years, or even twenty years, is not a difficult task.
However, many of these older colleagues, whose figures have changed and whose temples are gray, are in their early 30s or even under 30. Due to injuries or other reasons, they have no choice but to hang up their boots. Their figures appear somewhat lonely under the baptism of time.
Among them were many warriors who had played in England's top league, but the glory and rewards of that time seem so simple and distant compared to the brilliance of today's Premier League stars.
Someone scored a goal, and the teammates ran over to hug and celebrate. Tang Long also rushed over, shouting along.
Reporters and spectators on the sidelines were also infected by this enthusiasm that transcended age, and applause and cheers rose and fell.
The veteran who scored the goal had tears in his eyes and bowed deeply to the sidelines. At that moment, it was as if time had turned back, and he had returned to his golden age, running freely on the green field as a professional player, chasing his immortal football dream.
Tang Long thought to himself, how wonderful it would be if he could still play football and enjoy the pure joy that football brings to life when he was 60 years old.
Back then, there was no more grueling training day after day, no more sharp criticism from the media, and no more heavy pressure from the standings. All that remained was an unyielding love for football. Perhaps this is the most precious gift that football can give to life.
"Hart, has the match started?"
It was a little after 3 p. m. on Sunday.
On a roadside outside Manchester, Agüero was sweeping the road with a sanitation worker, shouting anxiously at Hart across the street.
"It should be ready soon, but my phone's dead, so I can't watch it!"
Comrade Hart, also dressed in a sanitation worker's uniform, is no pushover when it comes to height. With a roll up of his sleeves, he tosses the garbage bags, which are like obedient little brothers, into the garbage truck with ease, not forgetting to show off his Premier League Golden Glove-level "hand-throwing technique."
"I wonder if my substitute Caballero will be up to the task. Sigh, he barely played in the league last season. I hope Southampton doesn't get completely thrashed!" Hart said worriedly.
"Don't worry about my fellow Argentina," Agüero said. "I'm worried about Bony. He often can't keep up with Dom's thinking in training. Will he be able to handle it in an official match?"
Hart and Agüero, these two unfortunate brothers, were suspended for three matches and given a 50-hour community service package by the Premier League League after the game for acting impulsively. However, the fire of football in their hearts still burned brightly, even on this afternoon of match day when they were sweeping up the trash.
One is the team's main striker, last season's Premier League Golden Boot, and so far this season's top scorer;
One is the starting goalkeeper, the Premier League Golden Glove winner with 14 clean sheets last season, and the team's most senior homegrown player.
If it weren't for this suspension controversy, the two of them would probably be standing at the Etihad Stadium right now, having a "friendly" exchange with the visiting Southampton team in front of 50,000 people.
But the reality is that they are busy fighting against garbage and cleaning every corner of this community.
It felt like asking a soldier to put down his gun and start embroidering—they were itching to do it!
"Hey bro, can I borrow your phone to watch the game for a bit, just ten minutes? I promise it won't interfere with my work!" Agüero with a fawning smile, trying to break down his coworker's defenses with sweet talk.
"Come on, you were always on your phone yesterday, so the person in charge confiscated it before you went out today. He said if you don't concentrate on sweeping, we'll all be in trouble. Watch the game? I'd like to go to the game live!" the coworker refused.
Agüero's eyes darted around, and he pulled his coworker aside, a clever idea forming in his mind. "Dude," he said, "If you lend me your phone to watch the game, I'll give you a ticket to Manchester City's home stadium, a VIP box ticket with snacks and drinks. They sell for Pound Sterling 800 a ticket outside."
The coworker chuckled, "Sorry, I'm a Manchester United fan."
Agüero's face darkened. He made a "goodbye" gesture to his coworkers, cursed Wenger under his breath, and then continued sweeping the floor in silence.
Etihad Stadium.
The match between Manchester City and Southampton has reached the 72nd minute of the second half.
The score is 1-1, with each team having scored one goal.
After Tang Long dropped back, he received a through pass from Ranocchia, used a feint to get past the close marking midfielder Ward- Prowse, dribbled forward two steps, then played a one-two with Sterling on the left wing, and then delivered a brilliant through pass to Bony!
"That should do it now!" Tang Long looked expectantly at Bony was making a diagonal run into the penalty area...