Mr. Ballon d'Or's Decade-Long Promise to Assist, a Smile to Bury the Hatchet!

Now that he was a free man, Tang Long had nothing to do, so he decided to go out with Berni.

He had been recuperating in Madrid for a long time, and the cruciate ligament injury no longer affected his normal walking, so he took this opportunity to go out for a walk.

After packing my luggage.

Tang Long and Berni's first stop was nearby Turkey.

Istanbul, a city straddling Europe and Asia, boasts stunning scenery, resembling a flowing painting.

The Sea of Marmara, a clear, deep blue, glistens in the sunlight. On the Bosphorus Strait, ferries carrying bustling crowds and vehicles shuttle back and forth, their horns echoing melodiously across the water.

The Galata Tower stands quietly on the shore, overlooking this ancient yet vibrant city.

On both sides of Golden Horn, the minarets of mosques pierce the sky, and the six minarets of the Blue Mosque gleam with holy light under the sun. Beneath the dome, countless believers pray devoutly, and the deep chanting of prayers drifts on the wind.

Tang Long and Berni strolled along the streets, where the ancient cobblestone paths meandered and the shops along the way were filled with a dazzling array of goods, from brightly colored Turkey carpets and exquisite ceramic ware to spice shops exuding a unique fragrance, all radiating a rich exotic atmosphere.

Ten years ago, Tang Long and Icardi's relationship broke down.

The two even blocked each other's phone numbers.

In the Premier League, the two players played for Manchester City and Manchester United respectively, and were fierce rivals.

Fueled by Wanda's encouragement, Icardi's ego grew increasingly inflated, to the point that he even uttered the arrogant statement that "De Bruyne is the best midfielder in the Premier League."

However, Icardi's two years at Manchester United can be described as a high start followed by a decline.

He ultimately lost to Manchester City, led by Tang Long.

Not only did the club fail to win any honors in two years;

In terms of individual honors, he won the Premier League Golden Boot in his first year with Agüero, and in his second year he lost to Tang Long without any controversy.

The Argentina striker's relationship with his teammates has also become very strained!

De Bruyne didn't like him, Ibrahimovic didn't like him, and even Manchester United captain Rooney had some complaints about his teammate, who had the highest transfer fee in the club's history.

Then-manager Pellegrini loaned him to Inter Milan in Serie A.

Upon returning to Inter Milan, Icardi gradually regained his confidence.

He scored 14 league goals in just half a season, becoming Inter Milan's top scorer that season and helping the club qualify for the UEFA Champions League at the last minute.

However, due to financial constraints, Inter Milan ultimately did not retain the striker.

After his six-month loan spell ended, Icardi returned to Manchester United and was loaned out again. His journey took him to all Top Five Leagues, with Atletico Madrid for Borussia Dortmund Bundesliga, Paris Saint-Germain in Ligue 1, and La Liga.

Icardi was bought outright by Sevilla in the 2020-2021 season for only 25 million euros, a far cry from his peak value of over 100 million euros.

After playing for Sevilla for three years.

In the summer of 2024, 31-year-old Icardi went to Galatasaray in Turkey for a transfer fee of 9.8 million euros.

The reason for choosing this league is partly because Turkey offers decent salaries;

On the other hand, it's because Icardi is tired of the infighting in the Top Five Leagues and wants to live with his new Turkey model girlfriend in a place relatively far from the center of Europe football.

Icardi's finishing skills are absolutely dominant in this country!

In the 2024-2025 Turkish Super Lig League season, he made 31 appearances, scored 27 goals, won the Turkish Super Lig top scorer award that season, and was unsurprisingly selected for the Turkish Super Lig Team of the Year.

At the Golden Boot award ceremony, Icardi, with tears in his eyes, said emotionally:

"After many years, I have finally found my pride as a striker in Turkey. I hope to play for Galatasaray until my contract expires, and then retire."

So when Tang Long and Berni met, Icardi was shocked.

He couldn't understand why Inter Milan would contact him at this time.

"Tang, how many years has it been since we last met? It feels like a very, very long time, doesn't it?" In a private room at the coffee shop, Icardi stirred his coffee with a spoon while glancing nervously at Tang Long.

Through the café window, the three could see vendors in traditional clothing pushing carts and hawking Turkey delicacies on the street outside, women wearing headscarves strolling leisurely, and the domes of mosques in the distance glowing softly in the sunlight.

At this moment, Icardi was actually very clear about the situation.

Since being loaned out by Manchester United in the 2016-2017 season, he has never seen Tang Long again, either on the pitch or in his personal life.

Over the past eight years, Icardi has watched Tang Long grow stronger and stronger, winning the Ballon d'Or' Or so easily;

And what about him? Although he scored in major leagues and even won a La Liga title with Atlético Madrid, he was never able to secure a starting position on any team. His life was one of constant wandering, and it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that he was constantly on the move.

This stark contrast made Icardi feel that the gap between him and Tang Long was insurmountable.

He was filled with guilt, not only towards Tang Long, but also towards his past estrangement from many of his Inter Milan teammates.

Years of wandering have matured Icardi.

The youthful arrogance and recklessness vanished in the unique aroma of the Turkey coffee in the cup before me, infused with cinnamon and cardamom.

"Mauro, what kind of garbage coffee did you serve us? It tastes worse than dog piss!"

Berni swallowed a mouthful of coffee with a frustrated expression, then spat the cinnamon from his mouth onto the table.

As Italy, pasta, pizza, and baristas are their pride and joy, unmatched anywhere else.

Icardi said apologetically, "Uncle Bei, I'm sorry, but Turkey coffee just tastes like this. The food culture here is quite different from Italy's. Actually, many things are different. For example, they eat dinner early, around six o'clock, while in Italy, you eat dinner at eight or nine o'clock, and..."

Just as Icardi was enthusiastically about to introduce the customs and culture he had experienced in Turkey over the past year;

Berni slammed his coffee down on the table and said sternly:

"Mauro! Don't say 'you,' 'we'! Your name is Mauro Icardi, and in Italy, there are millions of people named Mauro, because you are all sons of Italians, and you are Italian too!"

Berni is right.

Zanetti, Cambiasso, Milito, and even Icardi himself, are all descendants of Argentina -born Italy. Of Argentina's 40 million people, 15 million have Italy blood flowing through their veins.

Icardi's ancestors were descendants of Italy who immigrated to Argentina from the town of Assisi after World War I to seek their fortune.

His body trembled slightly, and he nodded silently without saying a word.

Tang Long said, "Mauro, ten years have passed, and we're both old now, but I still remember the promise I made to you back then. Do you remember it?"

Icardi couldn't help but exclaim, "Ah! You mean Europe...?"

Tang Long said decisively, "That's right. When I was 19, I promised you I would train you to become the European Golden Shoe winner."

A glint of delight flashed in Icardi's eyes.

The light was quickly moistened by tears.

He recalled a conversation they had after a training session, when they were showering and being completely honest with each other:

"I feel like your passing is actually pretty good, not as bad as Guarin said. For your age, it's good enough!"

"It's mainly because you made good positioning runs. If it were someone else, even if I passed the ball in the right place, they still wouldn't have been able to score."

"Haha, I'm not being modest, but my striker skills are still among the best in Serie A. You see, I'm not strong or tall, but I can still play center forward. I make a living by my positioning and shooting."

"I can tell, otherwise how could you score 9 goals in 11 league matches? I think you'll have no problem winning the Serie A Golden Boot!"

"You know what, Tang? If I win the Serie A Golden Boot, I'll be the youngest Golden Boot winner in the Serie A's 100-year history, at 22 years old!"

"You'll definitely be fine. As long as someone feeds you good passes, you might not only win the Serie A Golden Boot, but the European Golden Shoe too!"

"European Golden Shoe? You're even more audacious than I am! I'd rather start with Serie A."

"Mauro, if I were on the field, I would definitely feed you the ball. You deserve to compete for the European Golden Shoe; you were born to score goals!"

Icardi wiped away his tears with the back of his hand.

He was utterly ashamed.

He understood that Tang Long, now a free agent, would definitely return to Inter Milan.

Who is Tang Long?

A player who has won four Ballon d'Or and four European Golden Shoe, a world-class striker who delivered a terrifying record of 340 goals in 301 appearances during his time at Real Madrid, with an efficiency even higher than Cristiano Ronaldo's during his time at Real Madrid!

Tang Long's first European Golden Shoe was witnessed by Icardi during his time at Manchester United.

Such a superstar who broke through the Messi and Ronaldo -Ronaldo divide and created a three-way balance of power in football, actually has to feed the ball to himself?

No one would believe it if I told them!

But Icardi, because he knew that Tang Long never lied.

"Tang, I apologize for my youthful ignorance at Manchester United. I was too arrogant and was also bewitched by that rotten woman Wanda. Now I'm 31 years old and have experienced countless ups and downs in life. I've finally seen things clearly. You are the real brother, the one who can help me. I..." Icardi choked up.

Memories of Tang Long providing assists for me during my time at Inter Milan flooded my mind.

"Mauro, I will lead the brothers to create new glories at Inter Milan. Now, I need you to join us."

"I suffered a serious injury, and my knee no longer allows me to dribble and shoot like I used to as a winger. However, my passing skills are much better than they were ten years ago! Next season, let's work together and give Juventus a good beating!"

With a loud slap, Tang Long and Icardi gave each other a heavy high five, and both of them laughed.

Berni crossed his arms and watched the two reunite, their long-standing grudges vanishing in an instant. He couldn't help but let out a long sigh of relief.

On the flight to Istanbul, Tang Long told Berni that Mauro was a good kid, but he had bad luck with women when he was young and was bewitched by Wanda, that rotten woman. If it weren't for Wanda, he would have been Inter Milan's all-time top scorer long ago.

Now, thinking about the "Sugar-coated Cannonball" duo making a comeback, Tang Long felt a surge of pride.

People are better when they're old, but clothes are better when they're new. We're going to fight alongside Mauro again.

Berni joked, "Mauro, you've readily agreed, but there's still room for negotiation between Inter Milan and Galatasaray. You're the Turkish Super Lig scorer; they probably won't let you go easily."

Icardi laughed loudly, "What's there to be afraid of? To tell you the truth, before I left the Top Five Leagues, although I was already disheartened and wanted to end my career in Turkey, I still had a backup plan."

Tang Long and Berni exchanged a glance, then stared intently at Icardi, anticipating his next words.

Icardi said, "I came to Galatasaray from Sevilla for 9.8 million euros. I have a secret written agreement with the club that if any team from Top Five Leagues makes an offer for me that exceeds 9.8 million euros, even by just one euro, they must let me go!"

Upon hearing this, Berni exclaimed, jumped up, and hugged Icardi.

"Sure, 9.8 million euros is within our budget, don't worry!"

Icardi continued, "As for the salary, I don't care anymore. Wanda may be a terrible woman, but she taught me one thing: no one can take a single penny of the money I earn, not even my parents. They can't spend my money however they want. I've invested my salary in real estate over the past few years and made enough. I'm only 32 years old; I'm still young. Right now, all I want to do is win—win in football. I don't care about anything else!"

Berni laughed and said, "Okay! But don't be too happy yet. Do you remember Bonazzoli? That kid who asked you for advice on positioning techniques is now our team's star striker. Now that you're here, you'll be competing with him."

Icardi nodded solemnly and said, "Of course, I know how to deal with Serie A defenders. I have the confidence to establish myself in the team. I am the youngest Golden Boot winner in Serie A's 100-year history, and also the record holder for most goals in a single season!"

Having said that, Tang Long and Berni both received a satisfactory answer.

The three of them stepped out of the coffee shop. In the warm June sunshine of Istanbul, the minarets, streets, and sea were all bathed in golden light.

Tang Long looked up at the setting sun in the distance and thought about the past ten years.

The sun sets in the west, but it will rise again in the east tomorrow;

But youth is fleeting, when will it return?

In the twilight, Icardi bid a reluctant farewell to the two, promising to see them again next season in Milan.

After a brief stop in Turkey, Tang and Bei flew on to Colombia in the Southern Hemisphere.

In that country that Tang Long and Berni had never been to, they would face a problem far more difficult than Icardi's.

Head to the chaotic slums to rescue your former best friend, Guarin, known as the "violent midfielder"!