Chapter 71
Van Nistelrooy left Manchester United in this year's summer transfer window. This was an inevitable thing, but this time it happened a year earlier.
There was no dispute with Ferguson in the previous life, and there was no unpleasant parting or regrets.
With the FA Cup and Premier League titles, Van Nistelrooy went to Real Madrid.
Cristiano and a few others went to see Van Nistelrooy off. Chris gave him a gentle hug and said, "Let's keep in touch, okay?"
"Of course." Fanny laughed.
He lowered his head and could only see the top of Cristiano's head. Today was a private farewell trip, so Cristiano's hair was not styled with that terrible hairspray. It looked fluffy and soft. He reached out and rubbed it twice, and it felt really good.
There was a smile and indescribable complex emotions in Van Nistelrooy's eyes. He thought to himself that no matter how rebellious and courageous Cristiano was on the court, off the court, he was still just a big boy who had just become an adult not long ago and was not used to separation yet.
He chose to leave Manchester United in order to find himself a better space to display his talents.
In Cristiano's first season at Manchester United, the boy showed his aggressive shooting ability. Although Sir Alex Ferguson arranged him in the midfielder position, he was still able to score double-digit goals with an astonishing efficiency. At that time, Van Nistelrooy knew that Cristiano should not be just in the midfield.
With the arrival of the second season, Van Nistelrooy felt the boy's new changes more directly. Cristiano was like a drop of water thrown into Manchester United's pool. He blended in so naturally, as if he belonged here. However, he created ripples in this pool, clearly vibrating his energy.
Fanny is well aware of his temper; he is not someone who can easily fit in with a group.
He likes and needs distance. He likes and needs to be valued. Cristiano breaks all of this.
Cristiano destroyed Ferguson's attention to him. Cristiano became the most important star in Ferguson's eyes. Cristiano was born lacking a sense of distance. Cristiano was like a passionate curly-haired puppy and seemed not to know how to hold grudges against past injuries.
——But Van Nistelrooy will not understand that Cristiano is not really someone who will make peace with those who have hurt him, but he will be able to distinguish between those who are impulsive and unintentional and those who are driven by interests, and Van Nistelrooy is the former.
Van Nistelrooy and his other teammates were the same at first, and were very reluctant to join the new teammate, but as Giggs said, no one could resist liking Cristiano, and the Dutchman had to admit that he was the same.
But he knows himself very well. He is anxious that he will gradually lose his core position in Ferguson's heart. His dissatisfaction is accumulating, and his temper will inevitably make him do things that will cause misunderstandings, disappointment and regret when his negative emotions reach the peak threshold. He does not want this to happen, and does not want to end in an undignified way that tears apart all past friendships when he has to leave.
Or more importantly, he realized that Cristiano was more suitable for Manchester United than him.
On the front line, the cooperation between Rooney and Cristiano was equally impressive. Within the penalty area, Cristiano was like a goal-scoring machine that had already taken shape, and in the half court outside the twelve yards, Cristiano's heavy artillery was like a rocket, shaking everyone's soul.
As long as Cristiano gets the ball, anything is possible. When Van Nistelrooy had this thought in the last minute of the last round of the league, he realized that he really should find a new world for himself.
Once this thought came to his mind, he felt a sudden sense of relief.
He looked at Cristiano in front of him, curled his lips and said jokingly: "Even if I leave the Premier League, I will keep a close eye on you, don't let up, kid."
Cristiano paused, then grinned and nodded slightly.
"I am very happy that we have won the FA Cup and the Premier League Cup together." Van Nistelrooy said softly, looking at Cristiano and a group of familiar teammates behind the boy. "This is a wonderful process that cannot be more wonderful. I wish you, my friends, I wish you better in the future. We will meet again."
…
Van Nistelrooy's departure from Manchester United and move to Real Madrid in La Liga became the hottest topic of conversation during this summer transfer window.
The reporters were like sharks with a keen sense of smell, intending to lick out some discordant blood from such a transfer, and threw one question after another to coach Sir Alex Ferguson and Manchester United's main players.
Until the hot-tempered old man rudely bombarded them, the reporters turned their attention to faraway Spain. They would rather go farther to ask the person involved - considering that Cristiano was blocked from the microphone by Ferguson and Mendes during the summer break - the reporters only had Van Nistelrooy to ask:
"Given that you have scored 20 or even 30 league goals for three consecutive seasons, it is hard to understand why Sir Alex Ferguson would choose to transfer you to Real Madrid?"
"You know, Ronaldo's goal count this season is not as good as yours, but he seems to be squeezing your ball possession space at Manchester United. Is this the main reason why you chose to leave Manchester United?"
The reporters pointed the microphone at the Dutchman who seemed to be very easy to say some revelations with a cold face, and smiled, making a joke that everyone understood: "After all, I think we have all seen Sir Alex Ferguson's preference and attention to Cristiano Ronaldo."
Van Nistelrooy frowned in disgust almost instantly. He had said long ago that Ferguson's excessive favoritism was not a good thing. Look what it brought to Ronnie. But the Scottish coach would not listen.
He looked up at the reporters in front of him and said coldly: "First of all, I have to correct you. Sir Alex Ferguson is a very wise coach. He is very strict with everyone. If he has a preference for Ronnie, it is because Ronnie has performed well."
"Secondly, you compare the number of goals scored by a midfielder with that of a striker? Do you really watch football?" Ruud pulled the corner of his mouth, "Thank you for your recognition of me, but I still have to say that as a midfielder, Ronnie has provided the most assists this season. He has provided enough quality and quantity of ammunition for me, Giggs and Rooney. This is obvious to all."
"Leaving Manchester United is my personal choice. Please don't speculate too much. This is not only disrespectful to Ronnie, but also disrespectful to me and Sir Alex Ferguson. Everyone in the club clearly understands this: the ball in the team is won by fighting for it, not by courtesy. Football is a competitive sport, not a gift of modesty and give and take."
Fanny spoke very seriously, even bluntly, which made the reporters in front of him look stiff and embarrassed.
Dig
They were expecting to hear some explosive gossip about internal conflicts - as far as they knew, Van Nistelrooy and Ronaldo had a fight during training, and their relationship was not good at all. They even rarely got together for post-match interviews, and it was always Neville who took Ronaldo to be interviewed.
However, Fanny refuted them harshly in front of them.
These reporters were never gentle and easy to get along with. Upon seeing this, one of them immediately asked sharply, "So it's not that the older players are making room for the new potential players?"
Fanny looked over suddenly, his eyes as sharp and cold as an eagle: "If you understand what I just said, if your brain is still working and can analyze what I said, you won't ask this question."
"But I'm still willing to answer you again: there is no such thing as vacating a position. No one is supposed to be a starter or a core player. Every player fights for his position based on his own strength. Are older players inferior to young players? I don't think so. We will see it in the future."
"If a team abandons its true, peak core leader in order to bring out young players, then this team will definitely not make it to the finals of any major competition."
"If a team's core young players are replaced by veteran players, then they are just that good."
"The confidence and ability of the players come from their own play, not from giving in."
"Sir Ferguson's Manchester United would never have such a situation, and Cristiano Ronaldo is a player I admire. He has amazed the fans at Old Trafford and Sir Ferguson's trust on his own, and has also won my recognition and respect. That's all I have to say."
After Fanny finished speaking, he glanced at the reporters in front of him who had fallen silent. These piranhas chasing the smell of blood seemed to have become quails.
"I hope you can publish my words verbatim instead of quoting them out of context. Although I know this may be a little difficult for you, believe me, I will reserve the right to verify the authenticity of my original interview. So finally, good day, ladies and gentlemen." He pulled the corner of his mouth, turned around and left expressionlessly.
After Fanni had completely walked away, some people in the crowd of reporters slowly began to make some noises, as if they were tidying up the cameras and microphones, or as if they were breathing a sigh of relief.
Someone couldn't help but break the silence and complained: "Which genius came up with the idea to interview Van Nistelrooy? He is famous for being a loner!"
"So you think he will defend Manchester United and Sir Alex? Even Ronaldo? Believe me, everyone here knows his temper!"
"Yeah, damn, I didn't expect him to say that. But I agree with what he said. I hate those talks about giving up the seat. It's stupid and blasphemous to the spirit of sports."
"Indeed. Actually, think about it, even if we really steal the ball, it's not a big deal, right? This is a competitive game, isn't that its charm? The winner takes it all, and that's the only rule of the game. I like it."
"Whether you like it or not, I have to publish it anyway. I don't want to be chased by a Dutchman to complain about anything. Damn it, this article really doesn't have any explosive points. The editor will definitely not be willing to reimburse my airfare and hotel expenses."
"...It's not like there's no explosive point. The aloof and unsociable Van Nistelrooy defended Ronaldo in every interview? This is a train of thought."
"Speaking of which, maybe any of you noticed? He called Ronaldo 'Ronnie' and oh my god, I was just about to say it, I got goosebumps."
"In fact, all the main players of Manchester United shouted that. If you dare to say that in front of them, think about the consequences yourself."
“…”
A group of reporters and cameramen were packing their things and getting in the car, thinking wildly. I believe that it won't be long before a dozen reports about "Van Nistelrooy talking about leaving Manchester United in the summer window" will appear.
However, before these reports appeared, Cristiano received a text message from Van Nistelrooy, which surprised Cristiano even more.
[Randy: There will probably be a lot of annoying mosquitoes bothering you about my transfer recently, don’t pay attention to what they say]
When Cristiano received the message, he was on the phone with Kaka. He was on speakerphone while calling Van Nistelrooy on the other end. The sound of his fingers tapping on the keys made Kaka clearly realize that his lover was "indecisive".
He couldn't help but laugh: "Are you replying to messages?"
"Yeah, Luther's." Cristiano responded, and he curled his lips. "He treated me as the real 20-year-old Ronaldo and told me not to pay attention to what the reporters who discussed the summer transfer window said."
"These are the same tricks that reporters use over and over again. I can guess them with my eyes closed," he said, with a hint of sarcasm and nonchalance in his voice.
Kaka heard Cristiano tapping the keys louder and louder, he sighed softly in his heart, he knew that Cristiano would not be as indifferent as he said, but he also knew that Cristiano would not be disturbed or affected by these.
"Fanni is a good man," Kaka said. "How many years older is he than you? Nine years old? He's like a brother."
"Yes, that's right," Cristiano responded. He finally replied to Van Nistelrooy. "Most of my teammates are older than me. Only Wazza and Gerrard are about the same age as me."
"But soon we will have another person of the same age coming. If I guess correctly, Alan will come before the summer transfer window closes." Cristiano narrowed his eyes and shared the changes and interesting things in the club with his lover.
Kaka thought to himself, Alan Smith is five years older than Chris, can they be considered peers?
As Cristiano said, at the last minute of the summer transfer window this year, Ferguson announced the joining of Alan Smith, in addition to goalkeeper Van der Sar.
Leeds United's relegation and the ensuing financial problems were key factors in Allan's move to Manchester United, with Leeds United accepting Manchester United's £7 million offer.
The White Rose captain of Leeds United switched to their arch-rival team after relegation, a move that almost drove all Leeds United fans crazy.
Cristiano met Alan on the training ground. He saw the former Leeds United captain warming up with an expressionless face. He had an aura that made him look unapproachable. He couldn't help but scratch the back of his head.
Alan noticed that there was one more person on the training ground. To be honest, he was a little surprised. After all, it was still the holiday period, but the club's training ground was still open. He thought he could enjoy this space alone, but he didn't expect someone to come.
He looked up at the extra person and narrowed his eyes slightly. It was the guy who fell down after he pushed him casually.
Alan pulled the corner of his mouth. A weak midfielder kicked several long-distance goals. I don’t know if this guy is really diving or pretending to be weak?
The new striker didn't think he was wearing any filter at all. He just glanced at Cristiano and continued to warm up his legs in silence.
Cristiano: “…”
He stared at Alan. The handsome and fierce striker glanced at him and then ignored him calmly. Cristiano remembered that in his previous life, they did not have such a harmonious relationship at the beginning. They only became familiar with each other after several games. So he decided to let nature take its course.
Cristiano pinched his nose and continued his training silently.
Alan looked at Chris from the corner of his eye. He found that Cristiano had not paid any attention to him since he started training. His wholehearted concentration made him think a little bit about comparison——
If Cristiano did eight sets of crunches, he would do ten. If Cristiano did ten sets of sit-ups, he would do twelve. If Cristiano did six sets of acceleration runs, he would do eight.
But he never spoke a word to Cristiano.
Cristiano seemed to have regained some of the feeling he had with Alan in his previous life. Sometimes they would order a cup of coffee at the coffee shop on the corner and sit there for the whole afternoon - God knows how a man like Alan, who likes to ride an off-road mountain bike, would like a quiet afternoon tea.
However, when Cristiano was young, he could not sit still and did not know how to keep quiet. He would carry a deck of playing cards with him and ask the quiet English people to guess the size of the cards. Usually Ferdinand would be the most supportive one in their coffee afternoon tea.
When Cristiano was older, when the media were hyping up the "return of the wanderer", Alan once again asked him out for coffee, and he was suddenly able to enjoy the quietness of the English.
Cristiano finished his extra training. He picked up his training bag and nodded towards Alan as a greeting.
Alan stiffened for a moment, and by the time he thought of greeting the boy back, the boy had already walked away quickly.
To be honest, the recent criticism and accusations from Leeds United fans have made him overwhelmed. Does he want to leave Leeds United? He was sold.
No one could understand his pain, and he even tried to explain it, but was still scolded like a traitor.
The fans he loved, the fans who loved him, burned his No. 17 jersey and called him a "Judas."
He could only immerse himself in training as quickly as possible to forget these nightmare-like things.
These things made him feel out of shape. He didn't want to socialize with anyone and hated being close to anyone. He knew that something was wrong with his condition and he could only hope that training could help him improve it.
Cristiano has long been accustomed to not stopping training during the summer break. Manchester United's training ground may look old and dilapidated 20 years later, but 20 years ago, it was still a very good facility. He always comes here to train, even on rainy days.
Therefore, throughout the summer break, Cristiano would occasionally bump into the former Leeds United captain, or see Alan's mountain bike parked outside the training ground, but they unexpectedly never said a word, as if it was a tacit understanding.
It was not until the end of the summer break that the players began to return to the club one after another.
Ferguson announced the changes for this season to them. The addition of Alan and Van der Sar made the Red Devils team more powerful, and Cristiano also needed to get used to it and cooperate with Rooney and others to create the most threatening striker combination.
Rooney understood what Ferguson meant. He had to compete with Alan and others to see who was the strongest striker to partner with Cristiano. The winner would win Cristiano, and more importantly, win Ferguson's choice.
He almost yelled in his mind, but he held it back.
Alan glanced at Rooney and said nothing, but that glance alone was enough to make Rooney almost jump up. He clearly felt the contempt. If it weren't for Ferdinand's pressure in the locker room, he would definitely let the former Leeds United captain feel the atmosphere of the Manchester United locker room.
"You think too much, he definitely doesn't mean that." Cristiano grinned and said to Rooney who was complaining while taking his lunch, "He just treats everyone like that."
Rooney recalled what he said. It was true that except for Ferdinand, Alan's former teammate, Alan had that expression towards everyone. He was somewhat appeased and snorted awkwardly: "Okay, maybe you're right."
However, just after the Community Shield match before the start of the season, Alan's post-match interview instantly overturned Rooney's newly calmed mentality.
Alan scored a goal, but they still lost the game.
“It does take a long time to adapt from Leeds United to Manchester United, and this summer break gave me a window to get back into shape.
I am very grateful to my teammate Ronaldo, who trained with me during the summer break. No one asked him to do this, but he did it. This did overturn some of my wrong impressions of him. He is a man who does more than he talks. Even though we rarely communicated, his company made me feel better. ”
Rooney: Fuck him he's just like that to everybody.
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