Tang Long Scores the Decisive Goal in the Champions League Final! 2-1 Against Real Madrid! Guardiola Wins His Third Champions League!
Chivu was very happy after declining Mancini's invitation.
When he worked with Mancini at Inter Milan, he often dined with the famous Italy coach and lamented when he would be able to become a head coach himself.
However, a club in his native Romania once sent him an invitation, and Chivu was tempted by it.
However, Mancini persuaded him to stay, saying he deserved a higher platform.
But just now, Chivu flatly rejected the opportunity to join Palermo, a team that frequently changes teams in Serie A.
As he and Mancini said, Chivu feels a great responsibility at this moment. He will not leave Manchester City; he will accompany Tang Long and help him grow into a world-class superstar like Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo!
Of course, Chivu had a clear idea in mind when he said that.
Two years ago, Tang Long was personally recommended to Inter Milan's first team by Chivu keenly recognized Tang Long's immense potential at the time.
A broad perspective, vision, anticipation, and the ability to read the game...
Although Tang Long's individual skills were quite average at the time, his football thinking talent far surpassed that of his peers. Chivu, who had won the treble as a player, was very certain of this.
"How long will it take for Tang to become a world-class superstar like Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo? Not too long, just a few years, maybe even less. We'll see after this season ends."
After working late into the night at his desk to finish the film analysis needed for the next day, Chivu fell asleep in bed.
At night.
He had a very strange dream!
He dreamed that he was at the Etihad Stadium.
The once bustling stadium, filled with people and singing, was now completely empty, with only Tang Long and himself conducting various training sessions.
Passing, running, sprinting, defending...
Chivu was practically Tang Long's sparring partner the whole time. He ran countless steps with Tang Long, passed the ball countless times, took countless shots, and did countless bench presses. He didn't know how long it lasted, but when he suddenly opened his eyes, he could still see Tang Long's afterimage. He checked his phone and found that it was already 7:45.
"Oh dear, I overslept!"
Chivu never needs to set an alarm clock; no matter how late he goes to bed, he always wakes up naturally at 6:30 every morning.
This is a good habit he developed during his playing days.
But today, when he rolled over to sit up, he felt his calves were very heavy, his chest felt tight, and he couldn't help but gasp for breath.
A wave of exhaustion washed over him, and he remembered the dream he had last night.
At 8:00 AM sharp, it was time for the morning review meeting on the second day of the competition. Without even washing up, Chivu grabbed his laptop, rushed to his car, started the engine, and sped away.
Inside the Manchester City meeting room.
Guardiola glanced at his watch; it was already 7:58.
The entire first-team coaching staff was present, except for Chivu.
This is a very strange thing.
Because Chivu is always the first to arrive at the meeting room, usually around 7:30, even earlier than Guardiola.
Everyone was also curious.
"What's going on? There are only two minutes left! Is Christian going to be late?" someone asked in surprise.
"It's like the sun has risen in the west, haha!" someone gloated.
"Did something happen to him on the way? Perhaps we should give him a call?" someone worried.
Some people even asked Guardiola whether to start earlier, because the morning meeting after a match day is very time-consuming, and after the meeting, he still needs to guide the players' morning training.
Guardiola rubbed his bald head and said, "Let's wait a little longer, let's wait a little longer, there's still two minutes!"
Guardiola has made it a habit to play a carefully prepared video clip by Chivu before the meeting begins, just like Mancini did back then.
He will lead the coaching staff to analyze the problems that occurred during the match, based on Chivu's explanation.
In the last round of the Premier League, Manchester City won against Chelsea in the battle for Premier League top spot, but the narrow 3-2 victory exposed some problems in the team's defense.
If Chivu doesn't come, Guardiola won't know where to begin.
Guardiola glanced at his watch again. The second hand showed less than twenty seconds until eight o'clock. He thought to himself, "He's always so punctual, how could he be late?"
Clap clap clap!
A series of hurried footsteps came from outside the corridor.
Chivu, looking disheveled, rushed into the meeting room carrying his laptop.
A dozen pairs of eyes all turned to him.
The first thing everyone noticed was Chivu's unshaven face; he clearly hadn't shaved that morning.
The top two buttons of his shirt were undone, revealing glimpses of his black chest hair.
The funniest thing was his shoes; they weren't dress shoes or sneakers, but a pair of slippers!
Knowing he was going to be late, Chivu rushed out and forgot to change his shoes, getting out of bed and driving off in his slippers.
He realized something was wrong halfway through the drive, but it was too late.
This scene bears a striking resemblance to the time when Tang Long sprinted 100 meters to Inter Milan's youth team training ground in slippers.
"Okay, it's exactly eight o'clock now. Teaching assistant, please begin the video presentation."
Guardiola, intending to ease Chivu's embarrassment, went straight to the point and brought everyone's attention back to the present.
Wearing slippers, Chivu began his workday in Manchester City's meeting room.
His explanation, using video footage, revealed the weaknesses in Manchester City's defensive system and connected them to the previous match against Chelsea.
It was still so meticulous and incisive, every sentence hitting the nail on the head, saving a lot of time for analysis.
"When Costa had the ball, Stones could have done better, that play..."
"In midfield, Ranocchia's positioning is too close to Gündoğan; he should be positioned closer to Fabregas..."
After the meeting, the other coaches went down to the training field.
Chivu apologized to Guardiola separately.
"Mr. Guardiola, please forgive my embarrassing attire today, I'm sorry." He glanced at his slippers with embarrassment.
Guardiola smiled slightly and bent down to untie his shoelaces;
Then he stood up, flicked his left foot and then his right, sending his two leather shoes flying, while he himself, wearing flesh-colored stockings, stood on the ground.
Chivu was startled, wondering why Guardiola making such an outrageous move, but when he saw that Guardiola's left sock had a big hole and his big toe was sticking out, he couldn't help but laugh!
Guardiola looked down, was stunned, and then burst into laughter!
His intention was to tell Chivu that there was no need to apologize, that he wasn't late, and that wearing slippers was no big deal. But then he realized his own socks had a huge hole in them, and Guardiola couldn't help but laugh at himself.
"Christian, we are all born for football. There's no need to waste our energy on these trivial things, don't you think?" Guardiola put on his shoes, pulled Chivu to sit on the sofa, and the two started chatting.
Chivu recalled his predecessor, Mancini, the handsome Italy man who always wore expensive suits, had neatly combed hair, and was meticulously refined, a style completely different from Guardiola's. He was immediately moved by Guardiola's sincerity and decided to explain why he was late.
"Pep, believe it or not, I had a really strange dream last night."
"I dreamt that I went into a basketball court and trained with Tang. I think we trained for at least four hours. I was exhausted. When I woke up, my calves were sore. It felt like the things that happened in the dream were real. I really ran that many steps and passed that many balls."
Chivu, fearing Guardiola wouldn't believe him, bent down and rubbed his calves. "It's really strange. It was clearly a dream, yet it felt so real. I rarely sleep and rarely dream. I don't know what happened yesterday."
Guardiola laughed loudly, his hand holding the glass trembling so much that water spilled out.
"Didn't I just say that we're all born for football, we're all football fanatics? Maybe it's because we just beat Chelsea and solidified our top spot that you're so excited that you're dreaming. What does that show? It shows that you love football!"
"I dream too, but my dreams are different from yours; they're not about training."
The training schedule has already been arranged.
Guardiola isn't the type to attend every training session, so when the topic turned to Dream, he simply opened up to Chivu.
Guardiola picked up his glass, took a small sip of water, and with a mysterious smile on his face, began to recount his dream.
"A week ago, I dreamt that our Manchester City team made it to this year's UEFA Champions League final. What was the name of that stadium in Wales again? Was it the venue for this year's UEFA Champions League final?"
"Cardiff Millennium Stadium!" Chivu exclaimed, slapping his thigh.
"Ah, right, right, Cardiff Millennium Stadium, we're playing Real Madrid, haha, my old rivals in La Liga, Real Madrid."
Chivu listened with great interest when the topic turned to the UEFA Champions League final; it was certainly a good subject.
Guardiola leaned forward slightly, and his secretary waved a document at him from the doorway. Guardiola waved his hand, signaling her to close the door.
"The stadium was packed, the cheers were deafening, and our blue Manchester City flags were fluttering in the wind. The fans' chants seemed to be trying to lift the roof off the stadium!"
Guardiola narrowed his eyes slightly, as if he had returned to that dream, his face beaming with excitement, and continued:
"The match has reached a crucial moment, and the score is still tied at 1-1."
"Just as the game was about to end, Tang Long received a pass from De Bruyne. He was like a black lightning bolt, weaving through the opponent's defense. I was standing on the sidelines, my heart was pounding in my chest, and I was shouting at the top of my lungs, 'Tang, shoot! Shoot!'"
Chivu was startled and interrupted Guardiola: "Wait, you dreamt that De Bruyne the UEFA Champions League final? You're not mistaken, are you? Could it be Gündoğan, or Thiago?"
Guardiola laughed heartily and said he was right, it wasn't Gündoğan, it wasn't Thiago, it wasn't Mkhitaryan, it was De Bruyne!
"After receiving a pass from De Bruyne, Tang Long executed a pendulum move, sending Ramos sprawling. Facing the onrushing Navas, he gently chipped the ball over the goalkeeper's head and slowly rolled into the net."
"The entire stadium erupted instantly. Our players rushed forward like madmen, pinning Tang Long down to the ground in celebration of this game-winning goal."
"I shouted it out in my dream, and my wife said the next day that she thought a thief had broken into the house, haha!"
"I was so excited that I burst into tears. I rushed onto the field to celebrate my third UEFA Champions League with the players. I hugged Tang Long tightly and said to him, 'You are our hero, you helped us win the UEFA Champions League!'"
"Just as we were basking in the joy of victory, suddenly, all the lights went out, plunging the stadium into darkness!"
"I was startled and looked around, but couldn't see anything. Just then, I heard Tang Long's voice. He said..."
A gasp came from the players on the training field downstairs.
Guardiola and Chivu walked to the viewing window and saw Ranocchia and Gündoğan giving Tang Long a high-five.
"Haha, that kid Tang must have scored another brilliant goal, it's just a pity we didn't see it," Guardiola laughed.
Chivu pressed on, "You haven't finished yet. What did Tang tell you?"
Guardiola said, "He said, 'Coach, I can get even better, I want to be the greatest player in the world!'"
"I answered him loudly, 'You can do it, Don, I'll always be with you.' And then I woke up."
After Guardiola finished speaking, he let out a long sigh, his face still showing a lingering sense of satisfaction. He smacked his lips twice, as if savoring the delicious meal he had just enjoyed.
"Although this dream is unreal, I can sense the immense potential in Tang Long. He is a rising superstar, and I believe that with our joint efforts, he will definitely become the greatest player in the world, without exception!"
Guardiola's descriptions were so vivid and lifelike, just like a live commentator;
Chivu listened intently, and in his mind, the scene of Manchester City defeating Real Madrid 2-1 in the UEFA Champions League final next year began to appear.
His heart was pounding, and his face flushed.
Just as Chivu was about to say a few words about his anticipation of the UEFA Champions League final, Guardiola suddenly slapped his forehead and widened his eyes, saying:
"Oh, right, there's one more strange detail that you definitely won't believe when I tell you..."
(I missed yesterday, so I'll be posting three chapters today, with one more to be released around 1 a. m.)