Chapter 26
As if driven by a meta-driving force, the goal and assist data of Cristiano and Kaka soared up like a rocket, and they became the new darlings dominating the sports newspapers.
#God's son Kaka started the game and kicked off AC Milan's first battle#
#ManchesterUnited Red Devil Ronaldo is in a goal drought? Response to hat trick in Champions League debut#
#Kaka made a super assist from the sky! Shevchenko helps AC Milan secure qualification for the Champions League quarter-finals#
#ManchesterUnited narrowly won and advanced into the quarterfinals! Ronaldo pouted on the field, and his teammates became estranged because he didn't score a goal#
#The Son of God is about to face off against the Red Devils! Angel or Devil, who will win?#
#The vase on the field breaks with a push vs. the saint pretending to be a gentleman on the field#
…
Cristiano read with relish the newspaper headlines that put him and Kaka together. He curled his lips and thought what a perfect match they were.
As for those headlines in the newspapers? Come on, with his and Kaka's pictures on it, who would read those lines of nonsense written in black and white?
Cristiano held up the newspaper and looked at it for a few more times, then folded it and put it away, completely unaware that his behavior had been observed by his Manchester United teammates for a long time.
Keane frowned and privately asked Ferdinand, Giggs and others what they thought about the kids in the team collecting reports about him and Milan's new No. 22 attacking midfielder Kaka.
Ferdinand said with a straight face: "It's a good thing to have a competitor of the same age. I don't think there is anything wrong with Ronnie's approach. It will make him more motivated."
Giggs: "I think Ronnie simply likes Kaka's face. Don't you think he always takes a second look at some good-looking guys every time he plays football?"
Ferdinand immediately refuted Giggs: "I don't think so."
Rooney joked: "Giggs, you noticed this? You weren't staring at Ronnie on the field, were you?"
Giggs gave Rooney an eye roll and an elbow.
"Also, I think Ronnie is simply jealous of that attacking midfielder named Kaka." Rooney spread his hands.
"If you ask me, their performances are equally good and Ronnie has nothing to be jealous of, especially since one of them is a striker and the other is a midfielder." Keane retorted to Rooney with a frown.
Rooney shrugged his shoulders: "Let's not talk about the performance, just the treatment from the media, isn't that enough to make Ronnie jealous?"
This time, not only Keane was speechless, but Ferdinand and Giggs were also silent.
It has to be said that Cristiano has a strange influence in the media. He can always easily provoke the media's hostility towards him. The negative headlines in the past few months alone are enough to open people's eyes.
Ruud van Nistelrooy came over and heard what they were talking about. He sneered and said, "Do you think that guy cares what the media says? And he's jealous? Rooney?"
Rooney: “…”
For some reason, Rooney felt that the Dutchman's words were full of hidden meaning, and his face turned red in an instant.
Ferdinand agreed with Van Nistelrooy: "You are right."
He had no doubt that the media never understood what kind of person Cristiano Ronaldo was.
He could even imagine that if Cristiano was as curious about places like bars and nightclubs as ordinary teenagers, went in and out more often and had more female companions, the treatment he would receive from the media would be even more outrageous.
"Fortunately Ronnie declined those places, otherwise the Boss would probably have even more headaches." Neville joked.
Keane nodded.
To be honest, their Ronnie has the face of a playboy, but surprisingly, they have been together for such a long time, but they have never seen each other have sex, never dated a girlfriend, and it seems that they have no impulse in that direction at all, whether it is towards men or women.
There are always some embarrassing situations between them on the court, and it is not uncommon for them to help each other in the locker room, but Cristiano prefers to soak in a cold water pool to relax his muscles and calm down.
Giggs once joked that if they revealed the true situation in the locker room, no reporter would believe it, as it was too inconsistent with the stereotype of Cristiano Ronaldo.
Manchester United's big brothers were worried about their mascot's strange habit of collecting newspapers, but the person involved was not aware of the big brothers' thoughts at all. Cristiano even planned to buy a nice-looking, shiny folder for collection.
——Rounding it off, this is a testimony to the media's love for them.
Giggs would never have thought that his answer was just one step away from reality.
"By the way, is it the one-eighth draw today?" Ferdinand asked.
Keane nodded in response.
Giggs grinned when he heard this, looking forward to a good show: "If we draw AC Milan..."
"The media will love it," Rooney added.
Neville also smiled in a watching manner.
///
The draw results came out, and Cristiano stared nervously at Keane and Sir Alex Ferguson who came in to announce the results, even though he already knew the answer.
"AC Milan." Keane announced the result.
Cristiano relaxed his shoulders and a smile appeared on his face almost instantly.
Ferguson gave a pre-match mobilization and finally focused on Cristiano: "Cristiano, protect yourself in the game against AC Milan and don't get into a conflict."
"Even if there is trouble, I will take him away." Ferdinand said.
Ferguson nodded slightly in relief: "Take it away first."
And everyone at Manchester United agrees on this.
Cristiano: “…”
"Everyone knows that there are some guys over there who are famous for their fighting skills. As for you, you'd better behave yourself." Neville patted Cristiano's face. His face, which still had a bit of baby fat, felt great whether he patted or pinched it.
Neville can easily name a few fighters in AC Milan, "Nesta, Gattuso, and that Kaka..."
Rooney commented: "The good-looking ones on the Milan side are fierce in fights."
Cristiano retorted: "Kaka is different. He doesn't like fighting. If he fights with others, it must be because the other party kicked too much."
Rooney raised his eyebrows: "Really? Are you speaking well of our opponent? The one called Kaka?"
"You really have a crush on her, don't you?" Giggs laughed happily, "I told you that you collect newspapers based on your appearance."
Cristiano: “…”
Ferguson interrupted the rambling conversation and slammed the table twice, successfully quieting everyone down instantly.
No one dared to interrupt Sir Alex's speech until the real king of Old Trafford finished his speech and left. Only then did all the main players in the room relax and no one remembered the topic they wanted to talk about before.
"Get some rest and be prepared." Keane looked around at everyone and began to dismiss them.
Cristiano was the first to jump up from his chair and immediately ran out happily.
Keane and Ferdinand looked at each other, and Keane said: "It seems that he is really looking forward to playing against AC Milan."
"Maybe he wants to compete with the opponent's attacking midfielder. After all, the newspapers always compare the two of them together," said Ferdinand.
Keane nodded thoughtfully and said to Ferdinand, "Maybe there will be a lot of tension on the field. Keep an eye on him."
"I know," Ferdinand replied.
AC Milan also announced the draw results.
"The team we will face in the quarter-finals is——"
"Manchester United!" Ancelotti announced the answer.
Seedorf, Cafu and others immediately started booing. Who doesn’t know that Kaka’s friend is at Manchester United?
Recently, the two seem to be competing secretly. If one side gets a few assists, the other side has to follow up. If Kaka scores twice here, the other side may score a hat trick in the next game.
If they hadn't witnessed the sincere friendship between the two with their own eyes during the last European Cup, they would definitely be 100% sure that the two were sworn enemies, the kind that would take advantage of each other's results as their meal.
Kaka curled the corners of his mouth. He could fully imagine Chris's reaction on the Manchester United side. Maybe the other party would call him soon, or make an appointment to enter the space.
He absentmindedly bent his fingers, tapped the armrest of the chair lightly, and responded to his teammates' booing with a smile: "Manchester United and AC Milan are both clubs with outstanding performance. It is only a matter of time before we meet on the court. We have been looking forward to this day."
"Kaka, this should be discussed in the post-match interview," Shevchenko said jokingly. "If the media find out that you guys are not as confrontational as they imagined on the court, they will probably be surprised."
Rui Costa spread his hands and smiled: "I have to say in advance that although Cristiano is a scumbag, whether in the national team or in the club, as long as someone fouls him, basically the other big brothers will rush up. So in order to avoid trouble, I suggest... let Kaka go one-on-one."
"Good job. I agree." Nesta was the first to agree.
The person who cannot be fought can completely disappear from Nesta's sight, especially since he has watched Cristiano's games. There is really nothing he can say to a guy who pushes someone and takes two steps back.
Cafu also nodded: "To be honest, I want to laugh when I see the kid from your national team now, especially since Kaka said he cries easily, and I witnessed it myself."
Rui Costa: “…”
Whatever he says is correct and pertinent.
Kaka coughed lightly, interrupting the jokes of his club friends: "No matter what Cristiano's personality is, we follow the coach's plan, and what happens on the field stays on the field. He is a mature player."
"But I love to cry." The Ukrainian player suddenly responded, and then successfully made all his Milan teammates laugh.
Kaka pinched the tip of his nose in worry. He could well imagine that his unreliable teammates might make some weird jokes after seeing Chris on the court, and his big boy would probably stand there in a daze with a confused look on his face.
That's cute too. Kaka thought.
Cristiano suddenly sneezed a series of times in his cold water pool and wondered if he should change the pool. He didn't want to catch a cold at this critical moment.
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