Bonazzoli Brought His Mother to Manchester for Treatment, and Tang Long Presented Him with a Mysterious Gift!
One day in early February, Tang Long, wrapped in a thick scarf, sat in the waiting hall of Manchester International Airport in the biting cold wind.
Despite wearing sunglasses, a hat, and a scarf, and sitting in a corner trying his best to conceal himself, some people still recognized him and came up to ask for his autograph and a photo.
However, Tang Long politely declined.
He didn't want to be the center of attention at this time.
Today he has some personal matters to attend to; he is waiting at the airport for his former roommate, Inter Milan striker Bonazzoli.
Crowds surged at the exits.
Tang Long finally saw Bonazzoli.
With his robust physique and typical center-forward height of 1.85 meters, Bonazzoli stood out in the crowd.
He also saw Tang Long and waved to him from afar.
Compared to the energetic Bonazzoli, the woman sitting in the wheelchair he was pushing had thinning hair, a pale face, and looked sickly as she huddled inside.
This is Bonazzoli's mother.
Although the lady's hair was thinning and half of it was white, she still carefully combed it into a long braid and tied it in front of her chest. Even in her illness, she did not forget to maintain her dignified elegance.
"Hello, Tang. My son has talked about you many times, and now I'm finally meeting you."
Tang Long placed the bouquet of flowers in Bonazzoli's mother's hands and kissed her on the cheek;
The three of them then got into a minivan and drove towards Manchester Central Hospital.
Bonazzoli's mother's leg condition worsened, and she became unable to care for herself, relying solely on a wheelchair for mobility.
Bonazzoli was very anxious. Over the past few months, he had visited famous hospitals in major cities such as Roma, Turin, and Bologna, seeking out renowned doctors throughout Italy, but the treatment results were still not ideal.
Bonazzoli discussed this matter with Tang Long on the phone one day.
After consulting with Gracie, Tang Long had Bonazzoli transfer his mother to Manchester Central Hospital for treatment and, using Gracie's connections, arranged a private room for her in advance.
This place boasts one of the most renowned orthopedic centers in Europe, with extensive experience in treating leg ailments in middle-aged and elderly individuals.
So Bonazzoli took two days off from the team, packed his bags, and sent his mother to Manchester.
After accompanying them through the entire process of completing the hospital admission procedures, the two strolled in the park downstairs from the hospital and found a bench by the lake to sit on.
Bonazzoli actually pulled out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket and started smoking them.
"When did you learn to smoke?" Tang Long asked Bonazzoli, who looked rather clumsy while smoking, with great surprise.
"When I'm in a bad mood, I might smoke one occasionally, but don't worry, I never inhale it," Bonazzoli forced a smile.
Today, the British Isles enjoyed a rare sunny and warm day.
The bare branches of the sycamore tree offer little protection from the sunlight.
The two even squinted in the sunlight.
As Tang Long gazed at the trees in the park that still stood tall in the cold wind, his thoughts drifted back to his days at Inter Milan.
Back then, the two were young and impetuous, full of boundless dreams for the future. Now, they are each on different paths, facing different challenges.
As they chatted, they realized that both were professional football players and shared the same agent Ronaldo, so the conversation turned to football.
Since Icardi left Inter Milan, Bonazzoli, the 18-year-old center forward, has become a key player for Inter Milan and has been the starting center forward this season.
The information is pretty good.
Halfway through the season, he has already scored 9 league goals and 2 goals in the UEFA Champions League group stage, bringing his total goals to double digits.
Tang Long congratulated Bonazzoli on his performance and also inquired about the current situation of Dimarco, the other member of the three-man squad he used to play for Inter Milan.
When Dimarco was mentioned, Bonazzoli's interest gradually rose;
The lingering worry that had been on his face when he was handling his mother's hospital admission procedures was no longer visible.
"Dimarco is amazing! Can you believe he became a starter for the national team before I did!"
"Conte often praises him in the media, and barring any unforeseen circumstances, he will definitely go to this year's UEFA European Championship!"
"I still need to work harder," Bonazzoli said with great enthusiasm. "It would be wonderful to play alongside Dimarco in the national team, after all, I really love his curving crosses."
The two then started talking about the UEFA Champions League.
This is an unavoidable topic!
Manchester City and Inter Milan were surprisingly drawn into the first round of the knockout stage after advancing from their group.
"Hey Tang, you know what? When we heard that Inter Milan had drawn Manchester City in the UEFA Champions League Round of 16, I was initially shocked, but after a while, I was actually quite happy."
"What do you mean?" Tang Long leaned back on a park bench, his hands clasped behind his head, watching the unknown birds hopping about on the branches.
"Think about it, we're playing Manchester City right after qualifying for the knockout stage, isn't that scary? But we can't blame anyone else, since we qualified as the second-place team in our group, while you were the first."
"I was quite surprised at first," Tang Long said truthfully. "I had thought about when I would face my former master, but I never expected to encounter him so soon."
Bonazzoli continued, "After the initial surprise, I'm actually a little excited. After all, you've always been my teammate. Just imagining us facing off as opponents on the field... I really can't picture it!"
Tang Long chuckled and said, "Then you'll have to ask Guarin, Podolski, Nagatomo Yuto, and Shaqiri; they have a wealth of experience."
Bonazzoli didn't hesitate and immediately dialed Guarin's number.
They even played it on speakerphone.
"Hey, Guarin, this is Bonazzoli. Inter Milan is playing Manchester City in the first round of the UEFA Champions League knockout stage. How should we deal with them? Give me some advice."
"I've played against Tang twice, and my advice is to tackle him to a pulp in the first minute and have him carried off the field on a stretcher."
"Then I'll get a red card, and we'll be playing 10 against 11?"
"Without Tang on the field, Inter Milan still has a chance to win even playing 10 against 11. But with Tang on the field, it's 11 against 11, and they have absolutely no chance!"
Bonazzoli hung up the phone with a laugh and chatted with Tang Long about the current situation of Inter Milan.
After achieving a brilliant double championship last season.
Inter Milan, with its core squad dismantled and suffering severe player losses, has experienced a precipitous decline this season!
Although the outstanding performance of Serie A teams in European competitions last season, especially Inter Milan's unexpected victory in the UEFA Europa League, boosted Serie A's European competition points, allowing them to surpass Ligue 1 and secure four UEFA Champions League spots.
However, Inter Milan has struggled in the league this season, ranking only 7th after 21 rounds, 8 points away from the UEFA Champions League qualification zone.
Many believe Inter Milan's chances of qualifying for the UEFA Champions League are slim, especially since rivals Fiorentina and Lazio have been actively recruiting during the winter transfer window, while Inter Milan, strapped for cash, has made no signings.
"Do you remember Laino? He's worried about his job. I believe he really values UEFA Champions League knockout stage against Manchester City. If he can reach the UEFA Champions League semi-finals and achieve a historic breakthrough in recent years, he might stay. Otherwise, he's definitely out."
"Juventus will probably win the Serie A title again this season. Sigh, we can't beat Juventus no matter what we do after you left, Tang. But thankfully you beat them twice in the UEFA Champions League. I watched the highlights of those two group stage matches from beginning to end. It was so satisfying. It was a way of avenging Inter Milan!"
Bonazzoli also enthusiastically predicted the UEFA Champions League winner for Tang Long this season.
He believes the outcome will primarily depend on the three teams.
"Real Madrid, Barca, Manchester City —believe me, one of these three teams will definitely win the UEFA Champions League."
"You forgot about Bayern Munich, they're very strong too," Tang Long said.
"I don't have high hopes for Bayern. They lost to Barca last season and Real Madrid the season before that. They won't make it past La Liga. Heh, Guardiola left Barca, so they're really not that great!"
"Inter Milan, don't you want to win the UEFA Champions League?" Tang Long teased.
Bonazzoli was drinking water when he suddenly spat it out.
"I think we're more likely to be relegated than to win the UEFA Champions League."
The two chatted for a while longer, and then Tang Long took a box out of his bag.
"I originally wanted to give it to you after the two-legged UEFA Champions League match against Inter Milan, but since you seem so lacking in confidence, I'll give it to you earlier. Take a look at it when you get back; I hope it will be helpful."
Bonazzoli picked up the box, shook it, and asked curiously what it was.
Tang Long stood up and patted him on the shoulder.
"This is an idol that every center must acknowledge."