Chapter 167 Return to London (1)

England lost again in a penalty shootout. Is this a fate or has it become a tradition? This is really an irony for the entire English football! Watching the tears left by captain Beckham after the game, I wonder how many fans were moved by that moment.

There are too many football stars in history who have fallen into the cliff of penalties, and in this European Cup, Beckham became the protagonist of the tragedy, two penalties and two failures. Perhaps this is really the fate of a superstar.

After the game, when interviewed by reporters, the father of penalty shootout, the 90-year-old German old man Wald, said: "I am really a little disappointed." After the first game of this European Cup finals, he questioned his "invention" because many people believed that the weak team could win the game as long as it dragged the game into penalty shootouts.

"Penalties will have to retire one day. I saw the tears of the English people. I think there will be more reasonable rules to replace penalty shootouts." It seems that England's perseverance in this game has touched him deeply.

This match may also be Scolari's sorrow, because the tactics he used in overtime were criticized by many local media after the game. They all called it "the shame of the Portuguese team", and some radical fans even called it "a stain on history". They believed that this game would be written into the history of Portuguese football, and this famous Brazilian coach would definitely become Portugal's "historical sinner".

A report in the News directly called out, "We don't need this kind of victory!"

Yes, Scolari's tactics betrayed the tradition of the Portuguese team. The fans felt that the Portuguese team, which implemented this "turtle" tactic, seemed to be further away from themselves. That feeling could not be made up by a victory, even if it was the final of the European Cup!

Therefore, after the game, Scolari will definitely not have an easy time. Among the fans, there are many people shouting for Scolari to be fired.

Even the England players who lost the game were very dissatisfied with the result. In Wang Li's words, "Losing was just bad luck."

Yesterday, he was in a bad mood and would not explain too much to these annoying reporters. In fact, everyone who watched this game knew that Portugal's victory was too lucky!

"I'm looking forward to the two teams meeting again, and we will definitely be the winner in the end!" Rooney said confidently. It seemed that the little fat man was very dissatisfied with the result of the game, and he threw a challenge to Portugal.

When asked about his injury, Rooney felt sorry for being injured in the second half, but fortunately, his left foot was just a little swollen and did not affect his physical condition. Perhaps he can still go on vacation with Colleen this summer.

"The whole team tried hard in the game, but in the end we failed. I was a little nervous when the penalty shootout started." Facing the interview with the reporter, Beckham said frankly that he did not explain too much for his missed penalty. As a man who loves football, he will bravely take his responsibility.

"Now, the team is still very young, maybe this is a kind of training for them. There are too many young players in the team, and I am looking forward to their growth. This time, we failed, but we will win back next time!" Eriksen said with a little regret, but his words were full of provocation, and everyone could hear the unwillingness.

…………

"On the edge of the pitch, England captain Beckham stood there, his white jersey slightly covered with grass debris, his eyes filled with sad tears. He was looking back at the Stadium of Light, at those lost England fans. His sad expression seemed to be mixed with a bit of determination, and his handsome face revealed his memories of the game." This lost photo became the large cover of the Express the next day.

The picture was named "Beckham's Tears".

"England did not lose in the regular match, but lost in the penalty shootout. This made the fans feel disappointed, and they also had to sigh at the cruelty of football matches. Judging from the scene of yesterday's match, England was not inferior to its opponents in terms of tactics, cooperation, and individual skills, especially in the final overtime, and even beat the host country without any chance to fight back, but in the end they still lost. This result is somewhat unacceptable, especially for these players who fought hard throughout the regular match."

Even the local media in England had some words for the captain of the team, Beckham. If he had not failed to score on his first penalty kick in the penalty shootout, the team would have won the first five rounds. However, the Portuguese media, Expresso, did not mention Portugal at all, but praised the performance of the English team and expressed regret for their defeat, which is somewhat puzzling.

Wang Li had noticed this newspaper since he first arrived in Lisbon, because their words were always favorable to the England team. It was hard for such a Portuguese newspaper not to attract attention. But now he knew the reason - this newspaper belonged to the English royal family, and the largest shareholder was Duke Edward, Angela's father. Now, Angela, who was in the United States, controlled 51% of its shares, which meant that she had become the real boss.

"The team's failure, the players' success!" - News Agency

'In a hearty battle of the century, the England team failed, they were eliminated in the quarterfinals and lost to the host. However, although the team's performance was not ideal, their players' value doubled! Wayne Rooney, Alan Wong, Wayne Bridge, etc., perhaps many people had never heard of these names before the European Championships, but now, they have become the focus of almost all clubs!

"Wayne Rooney and Alan Wong are definitely the two most successful young players in this European Cup. They have won the recognition of many clubs with their performance. I believe that in this summer, there will be a lot of news about them in the transfer market. For example, a Manchester United staff member revealed that they intend to introduce these two young players this year. It is said that they have prepared a financial budget of 50 million pounds for this purpose. However, according to analysis, Manchester United's frontcourt is already very crowded, and Rooney and Alan are obviously not likely to play as substitutes. So is Sir Alex Ferguson considering selling the Dutch striker Van Nistelrooy?"

Yes, the England team did fail, but Wang Li and Rooney also became famous. This is the European Cup. While competing for honors, it is also a stage to prove your strength to the world. As long as you perform well here, your value will double!

Perhaps the person who is most distressed now is Jose Moxey, the CEO of Wolverhampton Club, because Wang Li’s breach of contract clause is only 10 million pounds. Perhaps all European clubs are rushing to help him pay this money!

…………

"There are 13 clubs that want to get you now, among which Inter Milan, Liverpool, Manchester United, Chelsea, Atletico Madrid and Barcelona are very sincere, because the conditions they offer are very generous and they don't force you to pay the penalty. I think you should consider it. According to your opinion, I will negotiate with them appropriately."

In the hotel, Rita was reporting to Wang Li about her recent transfer. Whenever she was working, she became very serious, even when she spoke to Wang Li. This woman seemed to like pretending to be serious. Wang Li was helpless about this. Although the two had made their relationship clear, Rita's personality was like this. What could he do?

"Owen came to me today and he wanted me to join Liverpool." Wang Li thought for a moment and continued, "What do you think? You know, you are still at the University of London, so I don't want to leave England."

After hearing Wang Li's words, Rita felt a warm current surge through her body. 'He stayed in England for me? Could this be true?' Thinking of this, Rita's face turned red. She turned and sat down next to Wang Li, and her tone became a little gentle. "Then, I will turn down all the clubs in other leagues. Have you really decided?"

"Well, I think so."

"I think Liverpool is very good, but their finances have not been very good in recent years. If you go there, it may be difficult to win any honors, which is not good for your future development."

Wang Li lay on the sofa naturally, but his right hand unconsciously grasped the pair of small hands beside him, and asked unconsciously: "So what do you think of Chelsea?"

Of course, Rita noticed Wang Li's little move. She struggled a little, glanced at him angrily, and then slowly said, "Chelsea has just invited a young head coach, who was formerly the coach of Porto. They sent a senior official to contact me and seemed very sincere, but they can't guarantee the starting position."

"And what about Manchester United?"

"Manchester United is mainly negotiating with Everton about Rooney's transfer. They have also contacted me. It seems that the old Scottish man is also very sincere, but they don't seem to be willing to spend more money on your transfer, but they are willing to sign a bigger contract."

Wang Li thought about it and said, "Let's just transfer normally." After all, Wolverhampton is his first club in the football field, and the fans there are also very lovely. He doesn't want to leave any bad impression after he leaves.

After saying that, he grinned wickedly and tried to put his arm around Rita from behind the sofa with one hand, but Rita immediately jumped away, glared at him seductively, and then walked out leisurely.

In the room, Wang Li spread his hands helplessly, it seems that his skills are not deep enough...;