On the Front Page of The Sun! Public Opinion Turns Against Him, and Everyone Questions Tang Long's Professionalism!
Upon hearing this, Tang Long smiled slightly, but his gaze remained fixed on his phone screen.
He said softly, "Brother, you don't understand. I'm doing extra training. In the world of football, if you don't train for a day, you know it; if you don't train for two days, the coach knows it; if you don't train for three days, the whole world knows. I can't let myself stop."
Ranocchia his tongue twice, seemingly unimpressed.
"If you want extra training, you have to go to the gym, to the training ground. Kompany told me that things are really chaotic in the team lately. Our defense is okay, but you've turned the midfield and attack into a complete mess. A lot of people have to do extra training to keep their positions. And you, you're just watching a video in the car and calling it extra training? That's too Versailles!"
Tang Long said you don't understand. My extra training involves watching videos. Everyone has their own method.
Ranocchia shook his head and chuckled, "Alright, alright, you always have your reasons. But we'll have to relax properly once we get to London. Remember to remind me, I can't forget to buy that plush rabbit for my little one."
The train slowly pulled into London Station.
The two followed the flow of people out of the station and were immediately surrounded by the city's prosperity.
Skyscrapers stand tall, and a rich cultural atmosphere permeates the streets and alleys. The faces of the people hurrying by are filled with their own stories.
"Let's go find Guarin first; he should be waiting for us already."
Tang Long suggested, and then opened his phone's map to find the agreed location.
The two got into a taxi and, after a few difficult exchanges with the driver who spoke with an Indian accent, the car arrived at a steakhouse in the city center.
As you push open the door, a rich aroma of black pepper wafts out. The interior is simply yet stylishly decorated, and a few customers sit leisurely by the window, enjoying the afternoon sun.
Guarin was already seated by the window. When he saw Tang Long and Ranocchia, he waved enthusiastically, his face beaming with the joy of a long-awaited reunion.
"Hey guys, you're finally here! I thought you were lost."
Guarin joked, then got up and gave each of them a hug.
"How could we get lost? Two grown people can't get lost!" Ranocchia laughed and joined the conversation.
Guarin talked about his life after being suspended. Although he felt somewhat helpless, he also took the opportunity to adjust his condition and prepare to return to the field in a better state.
Of course, the topic inevitably turned to Icardi, and the three of them unanimously condemned his irrational behavior, but also found a lot of amusement in it, with laughter filling the air.
For example, Tang Long remembers that when Icardi played for Inter Milan, he dreamed of winning the European Golden Shoe.
"Mauro has a huge appetite! At 22, Serie A's the youngest Golden Boot winner in Serie A's history, and that's not enough for him. The Premier League Golden Boot winner won't be satisfied either. He's determined to compete with Lionel Messi and Ronaldo for the European Golden Shoe," Tang Long said.
Guarin snorted through his nose, his tone full of disdain.
"Given his appalling sportsmanship, even if he wins the European Golden Shoe, it's a disgrace to the European Golden Shoe! I'm going to appeal to UEFA to have that goal disqualified; it shouldn't be credited to him."
Ranocchia chuckled and interjected, "That guy didn't say anything after the game, but his wife Wanda has been arguing with fans online. Birds of a feather flock together, really!"
"What round is the Manchester Derby in?" Guarin pulled out his phone and started scrolling. "You guys have to get revenge for me, kill that kid!"
"In the 11th round, we'll play our first away game," Tang Long said.
"Then let's beat this kid to a pulp right here at Old Trafford, in front of their own fans!"
As Guarin spoke, he slapped his palm with his fist, which was as big as a sandbag, making a slapping sound, as if he was about to beat someone up.
After the three finished their steaks, they chatted for a while. Then Guarin took the two to a shopping mall and bought some things. Ranocchia, feeling sorry for his daughter, bought her a whole bag of 10 Jellycat rabbit plushies.
Tang Long only bought a Sony headset as a gift for Diletta.
The group then went their separate ways.
Ranocchia went to Guarin's home to visit his family, while Tang Long went to Sky Sport headquarters to find Diletta.
Since his promotion and return to London headquarters from Italy, Dieter has been extremely busy with work and is quite exhausted.
Knowing that Tang Long was coming, she took leave from work at four o'clock in advance.
Diletta happily accepted Tang Long's gift, then bought a small, exquisite cake and took him to her rented apartment in London.
This is a two-bedroom, one-living room apartment. Although it's not large, only 71 square meters, the location is good, making it very convenient for commuting to and from get off work.
"Let me make you Italy with tomato sauce."
(Diletta cooks for Tang Long)
Upon hearing that there was Italy to eat, with tomato sauce, Tang Long's mouth watered.
"Why did you think of serving me this?"
Diletta chuckled.
"I bet you haven't had authentic Italy pasta since you left Milan and came to Manchester, have you?"
When Tang Long played for Inter Milan, he followed the diet set by Chivu and ate Italy every day in the club's restaurant.
The pairing is also very strict; only black pepper is used, nothing else is added.
While it's good for maintaining your figure, eating too much of it really makes you feel nauseous.
Tang Long occasionally adds a tiny bit of tomato sauce, but he doesn't dare add too much.
However, since it had been a long time since he had eaten this, he decided to eat as much as he wanted. Diletta cooked a big pot, Tang Long ate it all by himself.
He slumped in his chair, hands on the backrest, patting his bulging belly, and said to Diletta across the table:
"Sigh, if only you were in Manchester, you could eat authentic Italy pasta every day!"
Diletta, with blonde hair, propped her chin on one hand and rested her elbow on the dining table, and joked with him:
"Then go talk to the director of Sky Sport and ask him to transfer me to Manchester!"
After finishing the Italy, Diletta started lighting candles for Tang Long and eating cake.
Watching Diletta, dressed in her pajamas, bustling about in the small kitchen, Tang Long felt a surge of emotion.
He finally understood why so many star athletes preferred to be with women older than themselves.
Because these women have rich life experience, they take care of their partners just like a mother takes care of her son, always providing meticulous care in both daily life and emotional support.
"Would you like to make a wish?" Diletta asked with a smile.
Tang Long blew out the candles, closed his eyes, and silently made a wish in his heart.
"One day I will beat Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo and win the Ballon d'Or..."
Seeing Tang Long's determined look, Diletta knew that this wish was truly significant, and curiously asked him what he had wished for.
Tang Long just smiled and said, "I can't say it out loud, or it won't work."
After finishing the cake and cleaning up the table, Diletta wanted to talk to Tang Long about an important issue.
"Tang, I've worked in media for seven or eight years. Actually, I think that with your current achievements, if you want to continue to expand your influence in the football world, you still need a personal brand."
"My signature move is my passing," Tang Long said instinctively.
Diletta shook her head. "That's not what I meant. I meant your signature celebration move."
"Robbie Keane makes a machine gun gesture after scoring a goal, Gilardino plays the violin, Cristiano Ronaldo makes a 'siu' sound. These are all intentionally designed gestures, personal symbols they present to the world."
"There must be a team meticulously planning this behind the scenes. I don't know if your agent Ronaldo has told you any of this. If not, you should think about it carefully."
Tang Long pondered for a while and felt that what Diletta said made some sense.
He has only played 8 games for Manchester City, but his goal tally is already almost equal to what Inter Milan has scored in half a season.
This is due not only to his own growing abilities, but also to Pellegrini's adjustment of his position.
If that's the case, designing a personalized goal celebration wouldn't be a bad thing; on the contrary, it would deepen the impression of him on fans worldwide and thus enhance his commercial value.
Tang Long, who traveled through time, actually had many choices in his mind. Two players' celebration actions left a deep impression on him.
One is Haaland sitting in meditation;
Another one is Mbappe with his hands crossed and placed in front of his chest.
In 2015, both of them were unknown; why not borrow them?
So Tang Long demonstrated these two moves to him right there in Diletta's restaurant.
"Haha, you've got some creative ideas! No player has ever done either of those moves before, especially that meditation one, it cracked me up! Are you a monk?"
"I'll think about it some more, no rush," Tang Long said.
Tang Long had booked a train ticket for 7:30 p. m., so he stayed at Diletta's house for a while longer before saying goodbye.
Diletta gave Tang Long a big hug, and Tang Long felt a soft, very soft sensation on his chest.
"I haven't had time to buy a car since I arrived in the UK, so you'll have to take a taxi there yourself."
Goodbye, 19-year-old!
After going downstairs, Tang Long hailed a taxi and headed straight for the London train station.
Click, click!
Two reporters from the Sun, who were lurking in the corner, captured this scene on camera.
The next morning, Tang Long arrived at the training ground at 9 a. m. While changing clothes in the locker room, he noticed his teammates pointing and whispering about him, with many of them clearly trying to suppress their laughter.
Tang Long was completely bewildered until Ranocchia came over and quietly pulled him out of the locker room.
"Tang, you're famous! You're on the front page of the Sun!"
Ranocchia took out his phone and showed him the freshly printed electronic version of the Sun.
While his teammates were practicing extra, he went to London to meet his new lover!
The other two accompanying images show Tang Long following Diletta to his apartment, and then Tang Long emerging alone an hour and a half later.
"Manchester City's star player, Don, who has always been free of any romantic scandals, has finally been exposed with a major bombshell!"
"His new love is Italy beauty Diletta, who is known as the top female streamer on Sky Sport."
"Without us having to spell it out, readers can probably guess what Don and Diletta did in her apartment during that hour and a half."
"The alluring and gentle Diletta must have captivated this young China man playing football in a foreign land."
"A young football player, rich, handsome, and with really good stamina. On his rare day off, he actually drove four hours round trip from Manchester just to see his new love!"
"Ironically, according to our reporter, on this very day of rest, nearly 10 Manchester City first-team players voluntarily trained at the club!"
"This stark contrast suggests that this 19-year-old player's ego is starting to swell; he's become arrogant!"
"The Premier League is a highly competitive league, especially for strong teams like Manchester City, where the competition within the team is fierce. Tang Long's actions this time have raised serious doubts about his professionalism!"
"As Manchester City's record transfer fee player, at least in terms of self-discipline, Tang is far inferior to his other teammates at Manchester City."
"Many young professional athletes, after achieving fame, often fall into various traps of alcohol, women, and money, leading to an early decline in their careers and a development far below expectations."
"I wonder what Manchester City manager Pellegrini will think after seeing this news?"