At the post-match press conference, both Li Shiguang and Rijkaard were inevitably asked about Rivaldo, who won the Man of the Match award with a goal and an assist.
At the peak of his career, he left a top club due to some off-field issues. After several years of ups and downs, and even fading out of the mainstream leagues, this player was brought back to one of the top five leagues by another club at the end of his career. Moreover, the club that brought him back was also very legendary. It was on the verge of bankruptcy, but was saved by a sudden emergence of Li Shiguang.
Now, this player, who was full of resentment and even hatred towards Barcelona, has returned under Li Shiguang's leadership and finally defeated his former club on the field where he had poured his blood and sweat, and even won the Man of the Match award!
Media reporters wouldn't miss such a thrilling scene that almost only appears in TV dramas.
Before the press conference even began, the tone for today's match had already been set. Almost all the journalists believed that Rivaldo's two brilliant moments determined the outcome of the game, so everyone wanted to know how Rijkaard viewed the former Barcelona player's performance.
But Rijkaard was truly speechless. What else could he do but look? He could only look with his eyes!
After receiving Li Shiguang's reply, Rijkaard realized that he had been completely outmaneuvered by Li Shiguang, not only losing the game but also being intellectually crushed by this Eastern boy.
When Rijkaard, who was the first to attend the press conference, was asked these questions by reporters, he was completely overwhelmed.
He also felt wronged. When Rivaldo left, he wasn't even the head coach of Barcelona yet. What did Rivaldo's mess with Van Gaal have to do with him?
Losing a game is already upsetting, but to have reporters relentlessly rub salt into the wound is unbearable for anyone! So in the end, Rijkaard chose to remain completely silent about Rivaldo.
Li Shiguang, who arrived at the venue after him, was all smiles. Rivaldo, as the best player of the night, attended the press conference with him.
When a reporter asked Li Shiguang what he thought of Rivaldo's performance in the match, he didn't mince words and chose to pluck a few more feathers from the "Black Swan."
"Fantastic! Can you imagine? This is the competitive state of an athlete who is about to turn 35! When Ferreira scored that goal in the second half, I couldn't help but wonder just how bad he was that Mr. Van Gaal let him go to Italy without hesitation. And Frank didn't even have Motta mark him closely. That's something I don't quite understand either, hehehehe."
A collective gasp of astonishment rippled through the room.
This person started ranting!
You have to understand, Van Gaal isn't exactly a pushover either. Even though the old man is back in the Netherlands now, what if these two meet in the Champions League someday? Wouldn't Li Shiguang's words become fodder for gossip again?
Li Shiguang's sarcastic remarks caught the attention of the reporters below, and almost everyone quickly lowered their heads and started typing away on their laptops!
Rivaldo, the person directly involved, didn't react as violently as Li Shiguang. When faced with reporters' questions, he simply maintained his usual straightforward style: "I admit I had some resentment towards Barcelona for letting me go, but that's in the past. Life is about moving forward. I'm very fortunate to have met such an excellent coach like Li at the end of my career. Whether on or off the field, he always provides the players with the greatest emotional value, and I think that's the key to Leeds United winning today's game!"
"As for the question a friend just asked me about whether I would consider retiring at Leeds United, I want to say that it is definitely the case. As long as Leeds doesn't give up on me, I will dedicate the rest of my career to Leeds United! Thank you!"
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The first leg of the Champions League Round of 16 has concluded. At the Estádio do Dragão in Portugal, Mourinho, returning to his home turf, failed to lead Chelsea to victory, as they drew 1-1 with Porto away from home.
While Manchester United's victory over Lille was expected, the fact that Leeds United, the strongest opponent among the remaining three Premier League teams, secured the win was something no one anticipated.
Before the match, no one could have imagined that Li Shiguang could take a victory from Rijkaard at Camp Nou, plus two away goals!
The next day, almost all European media outlets reported on the match.
The Yorkshire Post even used two highly contrasting photos above the main text.
On the left is a picture of Li Shiguang hugging and laughing with Rivaldo on the field after the match, while on the right is a picture of Rijkaard with his hand on Eto'o's shoulder as he slumped on the ground, saying something helplessly.
The text below the photo, combined with Li Shiguang's famous quote from an interview, "Rijkaard didn't even send Motta to specifically mark Rivaldo," makes the irony even more pronounced.
In addition, foreign media outlets have also praised Leeds United's performance in this match.
The biggest upset of the Champions League Round of 16, Day 2, occurred! Defending champions Barcelona suffered a 1-2 home defeat to Leeds United.
Old soldiers never die! Rivaldo shines again in European football!
Li Shiguang: A Genius Collector? No! Veterans can still shine under my command!
Rijkaard: It's a pity we didn't win at home, but there's still one game left. It's too early to say Barcelona is eliminated; nobody knows what the future holds!
With one foot already in the quarterfinals, Leeds United are advancing on two fronts simultaneously; could the championship be more than just a pipe dream?
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Winning the game at Camp Nou and also securing two away goals is truly something to be proud of! Even though there was a league match on Sunday, Li Shiguang generously gave the players a day off, and the high-spirited Leeds United players gave him a positive response.
On Sunday, Leeds United will host Newcastle United at home.
In fact, considering that there was a second leg match against Barcelona in a few days, Li Shiguang made a lot of rotations in this match.
But to his surprise, his substitutes also seemed to be in top form. Less than 40 minutes into the first half, they had already scored three goals, securing the victory in advance.
After winning this match, Leeds United continued to lead the Premier League standings on goal difference...
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