June 20th.
Basel, Switzerland.
St. Jacob's Park Stadium.
Li Shiguang, along with Shakira and Mendes, who had just arrived in Switzerland yesterday, were sitting in the VIP box at the top of the stadium, waiting for the start of this European Championship quarter-final match.
“Mr. Li, you didn’t actually need to come in person. Since the Champions League ended, Cristiano has decided that he will leave Manchester United no matter what,” Mendes said with a relaxed expression, standing behind the floor-to-ceiling window of the VIP box.
Li Shiguang nodded slightly: "I know, and I'm not just here to see him. There are quite a few of my players in the German team, aren't there?"
Mendes was taken aback.
It turns out that what Li Shiguang said was indeed correct.
The German team's starting lineup includes four Leeds United players: Lahm, Reus, Kroos, and Neuer, and Podolski is also on the bench.
As the manager of Leeds United.
It seems unlikely that Li Shiguang came to see Ronaldo solely for the sake of him.
"And... Jorge, Cristiano will most likely be very disappointed after today's game! I think if I could personally offer him a big contract, it might help him shake off the gloom in his heart."
"Disappointed?" Mendes blinked. "Mr. Li, do you mean Portugal will lose?"
Hearing Mendes' question.
Li Shiguang smiled mysteriously: "You're Portuguese, I know this might upset you... but the truth is, I do favor the German team..."
····
In fact, Li Shiguang noticed a phenomenon starting from the second match of this European Championship.
He has been reborn in England for more than four years.
In the first two years, his arrival did not have a particularly significant impact on English or European football. Many things that had happened in his memory did not change because of his arrival.
But in the last two years, things have changed more and more!
This European Championship is the best example of this!
Take Group B, which includes Germany and Croatia, for example.
In Li Shiguang's memory...
Croatia defeated Germany 2-1 in the group stage and advanced to the quarterfinals with three wins out of three.
But on the day of the competition, things didn't turn out that way.
The biggest variable came when Löw brought on Leeds United's young player Reus in the second half.
In the final moments of the game.
Reus single-handedly broke through Croatia's defense on the wing, leveling the score at 2-2!
Although Croatia ultimately finished first in the group due to a superior goal difference.
However, looking at the process...
These players, whose abilities have surpassed the timeline under their tutelage, have begun to influence the original history.
And today's match.
It is also different from what Li Shiguang remembers.
Portugal is doing well; Scolari, who is about to take over Chelsea, is still using the 4-1-2-2-1 formation that Li Shiguang remembers, and the starting lineup remains unchanged.
But the German team is different.
Like Lee Shih-shih, Löw seems to be enthusiastic about youth storms!
The German coach is still using the 4-2-3-1 formation.
However, regarding personnel...
Neuer replaced Lehmann, and Kroos replaced Rorolfes.
As for Reus, who had previously been in phenomenal form, he had already become Germany's starting left winger since the third group stage match, along with Lahm, who consistently held the starting left-back position.
Li Shiguang was very curious.
Will the German team, having made these personnel changes, be able to alter the course of this match?
····
As it turns out, Li Shiguang's guess was correct.
The appearance of these young players from Leeds United changed the course and the memory of the game!
In Li Shiguang's memory.
Germany's first goal was originally expected to come in the twentieth minute or so.
However, just nine minutes into the game, Kroos's precise through ball from the left flank pierced through Portugal's defense, and Reus, who had made a long run into the box, crossed the ball from just outside the byline.
Klose caught up quickly and smashed Ricardo's fingers open with a powerful headbutt.
1:0!
Germany takes the lead by one goal!
And that's not all.
Five minutes later.
Kroos and Reus executed another brilliant two-on-two pass on the left flank.
After shaking off Bosingwa, Reus passed the ball across the middle, where Sweinsteiger swept it into the Portuguese goal!
2-0!
Germany's relentless offensive seemed to have stunned Portugal, leaving them unable to recover for a long time. The expected goal that Nuno Gomez should have pulled one back with a rebound at the end of the first half never materialized.
On the contrary, they suffered another heavy blow at the very beginning of the second half.
Forty-seventh minute.
Germany launched an attack outside Portugal's penalty area.
Ballack's long-range shot was blocked by Ricardo, leading to a scramble in the penalty area, before Pepe finally kicked the ball out of the box.
Unfortunately,
Pepe's kick landed right at Kroos's feet.
Without any hesitation.
Kroos stopped the ball, adjusted his body slightly, and then took a shot.
The football flew over the heads of the crowd in the penalty area and went straight into the top left corner of the Portuguese goal!
3-0!
At this point, the competition is essentially over.
No matter how Scolari made substitutions in the remaining time, the demoralized Portuguese team was unable to break through the German's ironclad defense.
With five minutes of added time remaining, the referee blew the final whistle to end the match.
Germany advanced to the semi-finals of this European Championship with a resounding victory that was completely different from what Li Shiguang remembered!
····
In the VIP box where Li Shiguang was.
Mendes's expression was rather unpleasant.
Li Shiguang understood Mendes' feelings. After all, before his rebirth, he often saw the national team he supported getting thrashed in various ways, and that feeling was really bad.
Frustrated, Mendes downed the rest of his drink in one gulp, then shook his head at Li Shiguang.
"Mr. Li, I have to admire your foresight. Scolari was completely outplayed by Löw... If you hadn't already reached a preliminary agreement with Manchester United, I feel that Cristiano's market value would have dropped a bit after this match..."
"Hahaha, Jorge, no need to worry, your worries are a bit unnecessary..." Li Shiguang also downed the rest of his drink in one gulp. "But you don't need to be too upset. Although your national team was eliminated in the European Championship, from the perspective of your personal career, you don't have to wait until the end of the European Championship to become the agent of the world's most valuable player, right?"
Upon hearing this...
Mendes' eyes lit up: "Mr. Li, you mean...?"
"Yes, contact Cristiano later and tell him I've arranged to talk to him tomorrow..."
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