Chapter 475: Europe's No. 1 Black Shop

The third round of the European Cup group stage is a life-and-death battle for both France and Italy.

In the first two rounds of the group stage, the French team had one draw and one loss, 0:0 draw with Romania and 1:4 loss to the Netherlands, while Italy also had one draw and one loss, 0:3 loss to the Netherlands and 1:1 draw with Romania.

Therefore, for the third round of the group stage, France and Italy can be said to be a life-and-death duel. In addition to winning, they also have to look at the face of the Netherlands and Romania. Therefore, both sides of this game have the belief that they must win.

As a football coach, Ye Qiu did not chase and watch all the games, which was a bit too much. He was more like traveling, going wherever he went, seeing wherever he saw, and playing wherever he wanted, just to relax, and leave the children to his parents to take care of, so that he could enjoy the world of two people with his wife.

So in the third round of the group stage, he sat in the stands of the Zurich Reizigrund Stadium, waiting for the start of the game, and also looking forward to Ribery's outbreak, because when he visited the team before the game, Ribery told him that he was affected by injuries in the first two rounds and did not show his form, but after adjustments, he felt that he was in a good state in the third round.

Ribery's injury was left over from the Champions League final, so he played with injuries in the first two rounds of the group stage of this European Cup, so his performance was not very ideal, and he was full of anger and wanted to do a big fight in the third round.

This round was located in Zurich, the headquarters of FIFA, so it also attracted quite a lot of FIFA bosses to the scene.

At the beginning of the game, Ribery played very actively. Although it was raining, he shot a long shot with his left foot in front of the goal in less than 30 seconds after the start, but it was blocked by Zambrotta and went out of the baseline. Then Ribery completely became the source of the French national team's offense and played very well after the start.

Not only in attack, but also in defense, Ribery was very diligent and actively returned to defense, and his efforts finally paid off in the 19th minute. After a clever heel pass in front of the penalty area, he broke into the penalty area and formed a single shot. Ribery easily pushed the ball and broke through the goal guarded by Buffon, 1:0!

The French team scored the first goal, which made all French fans feel relieved.

Ye Qiu met UEFA President Platini and FIFA President Blatter before the game. The couple was invited to sit on the rostrum by them. After seeing Ribery's outstanding performance, Platini also joked with Ye Qiu, saying that this goal would at least make Real Madrid add another 10 million euros.

Ye Qiu smiled and did not answer, but he answered in his heart that even if Real Madrid added more money, he would not sell it unless Ribery wanted to leave. But from his conversation with Ribery last night, he felt that Ribery had at least not thought about leaving Tottenham Hotspur for the time being, because he wanted to compete for the World Footballer of the Year at the end of the year.

Although the first half of the year and the European Cup are important, the performance in the second half of the year is equally important. Ye Qiu also revealed that if he stayed in Tottenham Hotspur, the team would continue to use the offensive style of last season. With the addition of David Silva, the team's ability to create opportunities will become stronger and stronger, and Ribery will have more and more scoring opportunities.

Therefore, Ye Qiu can be sure that Ribery will not leave!

As the game progressed, Ribery became more and more active, especially in the frontcourt. He almost led the entire frontcourt attack of the French national team alone, but because of this, he gradually suffered from the invasion of opponents.

In the 29th minute, after half an hour of world-class performance, Ribery fell to the ground after a foot-to-foot collision with Zambrotta. At this time, Ye Qiu thought it was just a very ordinary foot-to-foot collision.

But soon, Italy kicked the ball out of bounds, and the referee called the team doctor to enter the field. Ribery hugged his left leg on the field, with a painful look on his face, and it was obvious that he was seriously injured.

"Nothing will happen, right?" Platini also looked concerned, after all, he is also a Frenchman.

Ye Qiu was also a little nervous and shook his head. Ribery's left foot was injured.

"Take me to see!" Huang Chu gently pulled Ye Qiu's hand.

Ye Qiu nodded, said something to Platini and others, then walked out of the chairman's stand, took the elevator directly to the locker room passage, and then saw the staff of the French national team carrying Ribery on a stretcher into the player's passage.

"Don't move, let me see!" Huang Chu walked over.

Ye Qiu stopped the team doctor, "My wife is a professional doctor. She has treated Frank before and she knows the situation."

"Mr. Ye Qiu!" The team doctor of the French national team seemed a little regretful, "I can be sure that it is not a fracture, but the initial suspicion is that the left ankle ligament is torn. It must be diagnosed as soon as possible and surgery must be performed!"

When Ye Qiu heard this, he wanted to curse. Ligaments are the most troublesome type of sports injuries for players. The degree of trouble may be second only to that damn knee meniscus, because once surgery is performed, it will be very troublesome, and it will be a long recovery process. Even if there are no other problems, it will take at least several months.

Ribery on the stretcher also has a lot of news about sports injuries. When he heard that it was suspected to be a torn ligament, he was dumbfounded, because this almost meant that even if the operation and recovery were successful, he would have to wait until September or even October to return.

"How is it?" Ye Qiu asked his wife.

Huang Chu looked at Ye Qiu, then at Ribery, and nodded, "It should be, but we'd better test again!"

"Then send him back to London immediately and send him to Wellington Hospital!"

Ye Qiu did what he said, and the French national team did not obstruct this aspect. Instead, they helped contact the nearest plane to London. The group arrived in London early the next morning and were rescued by Wellington Hospital. The car was taken directly to the hospital, and a series of tests followed.

The final conclusion was similar to Huang Chu's initial guess: the left ankle ligament was torn.

What's even more unfortunate is that with Ribery's dismissal, the performance of the French national team dropped sharply. Italy pulled two goals in a row, completed a reversal, and was eliminated from the European Cup, stopping in the group stage.

The next morning, many Tottenham Hotspur executives, including Peter Kenyon, arrived at Wellington Hospital. Peter Brandt also rushed back to London from vacation that afternoon and joined the team. A treatment plan for Ribery is being drawn up.

Finally, that night, Ribery underwent ligament repair surgery at Wellington Hospital and a steel nail was implanted. According to the plan, another surgery will be performed two months after the operation to remove the steel nail, and then there may be a long period of time. It takes at least 60 days of recovery period before you can return to the training ground, and then you need to carry out a lot of restorative training.

Ye Qiu didn't sleep all night last night. He was struggling to send Ribery back to London. It was almost noon before he went home to sleep. He slept until about eight o'clock in the evening before getting up. Huang Chu went to bed earlier than him, so Get up earlier than him.

When Ye Qiu left the room after washing, he happened to see her calling Ribery's wife Washiba. The two families were close to each other, and her relationship with Washiba was okay, and Peter Kenyon, Ron Gurley, Mauro Tassotti, Roland Schepas and others all gathered in the living room of Ye Qiu's house to discuss.

"Has Frank undergone surgery?" Ye Qiu, wearing pajamas, asked as the first thing he said after coming downstairs.

"Well, the operation went well!" Peter Kenyon replied, "But...he will definitely not be able to catch up with the early season games!"

Ye Qiu was also mentally prepared for this. He cursed angrily, "Damn it," and then thought, this will not have a great impact on Tottenham Hotspur, because there is also Ashavin, a Russian playing on the wing. The effect is still good, or Gareth Bell, this speedy player is also effective as a left winger.

"We were just discussing Barcelona's offer for Mascherano, what do you think?" Roland asked.

It is said that this is a deal chosen by Guardiola because he hopes that Mascherano can become the support for Barcelona's midfielder position, and after the introduction of Deco, Barcelona will continue to target the frontcourt. As an offensive player, at least in Guardiola's eyes, Hleb cannot fill the vacancy left after Ronaldinho left.

"The players have obviously been persuaded. After all, it is Barcelona, ​​and they have offered a high salary that we cannot give at all, so..." Ron Gurley's attitude is actually very clear.

Faced with a high salary and the temptation of a wealthy team, it would be a bit false for Mascherano not to be tempted.

Ye Qiu thought for a while, and the so-called forceful melon is not sweet, and if Mascherano is forced to stay, Tottenham Hotspur will have to pay more salary, which may break the current team's salary structure. On the whole, it's a bit worth the loss.

If Ye Qiu wants to poach David Silva, he knows how to get through the players first. Couldn't others do the same?

It should be said that from any point of view, there is no doubt that Mascherano has strengthened Barcelona. Ye Qiu feels that Guardiola alone is not enough. Maybe Cruyff is also making suggestions behind the scenes. After all, the latter But it is natural for the honorary president of Barcelona to pursue his own affairs in his position.

In addition to his poor overall vision and ball control ability, Mascherano meets Guardiola's requirements for a defensive midfielder. At least he has a very stable ability to deliver the ball from about 15 meters, and he does not like to intervene at all. attack.

Because of this, Tottenham Hotspur paid a high price for letting Mascherano go. If the Argentina midfielder leaves, Ye Qiu will definitely keep Lucas and support Yaya Toure. , but the Ivorian has never been able to meet Ye Qiu's requirements for his midfielder position, or in other words, he has not corrected some of his shortcomings.

"Twenty-five million euros is too little!" After thinking about it for a while, Ye Qiu made up his mind, "Tell Barcelona that our captain should get at least 50 million euros!"

After hearing this, Peter Kenyon smiled and nodded, "Don't worry, let me handle it!"

Negotiation has always been Peter Kenyon's specialty.

As the saying goes, blessings and misfortunes depend on each other.

Ribery went off due to injury, but Van Persie performed well, but the more surprising thing was Ashavin.

The Russian Tsar completely dominated this game in the third round of the European Cup group stage, and in the knockout round that followed, he almost single-handedly defeated the Netherlands and led Russia to the semi-finals. However, In the end, they were completely defeated by Spain 0:3, and in this game, David Silva performed brilliantly.

Sometimes, the world of football just feels so strange, it's hard to figure out what it's really thinking.

But after the European Cup was completely defeated by Spain, Arshavin, who became popular quickly with the European Cup, publicly expressed his dissatisfaction with his inability to play as a main player in Tottenham Hotspur when he was interviewed by European media, and believed that the head coach trusted players such as Ribery, Messi and Fabregas more than him.

Robert Milson, the press officer of Tottenham Hotspur, immediately contacted Arshavin to understand the situation of his answer at that time, and finally came to a conclusion that Arshavin's answer was because the reporter had set a trap for him to step on in advance.

However, Ye Qiu also understood in his heart that with the rapid rise of the European Cup, Arshavin had no idea of ​​being unwilling to continue to play as a substitute? Would he continue to be willing to return to Tottenham Hotspur as a substitute?

Sure enough, after Russia was eliminated from the European Cup, Chelsea was the first to stand up and publicly express its interest in Arshavin. The Russian tycoon Abramovich introduced the Russian superstar. Such news is indeed full of hype gimmicks, and Chelsea does need a player with outstanding personal ability to fill the team's current technical and tactical weaknesses.

But Tottenham Hotspur soon clarified that Arshavin was not for sale and would not consider selling him.

However, such a declaration was undoubtedly a temptation for many potential buyers. Soon, Ferguson publicly stated that Manchester United was interested in getting Arshavin for 25 million euros, but Ferguson's words were quickly rejected by Tottenham Hotspur. Peter Kenyon publicly stated that 25 million could only buy Arshavin a shoe, but not a person.

Unlike his previous life, Arshavin has performed well in the Tottenham Hotspur team in the past two years, especially last season, when he scored four goals and successfully revitalized Tottenham Hotspur's offense after coming on as a substitute in the Champions League final. It can be said that Arshavin contributed greatly to the team's final reversal of Manchester United.

In this case, Arshavin's strength no longer needs to be doubted, and coupled with the rapid rise in popularity in the European Cup, his current value can no longer be compared with his previous life.

After Ferguson made his public statement, he immediately called Ye Qiu. He didn't want to get Arshavin at all. He was just pulled out by Ye Qiu for a false move because he had a good personal relationship with Ye Qiu.

Ferguson's offer of 25 million euros was rejected in one breath. What about other teams? If they really offered a lower price than this, he would feel embarrassed to mention it again, so this was equivalent to raising the transfer fee in one breath.

Tottenham Hotspur also paid a price, because Tottenham Hotspur's scouts and Manchester United's scouts both targeted a young English player at the same time, a player whose name Ye Qiu had never heard of in his previous life, but now he was very optimistic about him, so Tottenham Hotspur did not compete with Manchester United. This was an agreement reached privately by Ye Qiu and Ferguson in exchange for Manchester United to build momentum for Tottenham Hotspur.

Sure enough, with the intervention of Manchester United's lion's mouth, many teams with insufficient financial resources, including Arsenal, chose to withdraw one after another, and finally Chelsea and Barcelona were the only two local tyrants left in the transfer market.

At this time, the British media also reported that Manchester City, which is being acquired by the UAE super rich Abu Dhabi consortium, also wants to make an offer for Arshavin, and the initial offer is expected to reach 40 million euros.

This almost earthquake transfer news immediately deterred many buyers, especially Barcelona, ​​who have already introduced many players and are currently negotiating with Tottenham Hotspur on the transfer of Mascherano. If Arshavin is really offered a sky-high price, then they can only choose between Arshavin and Mascherano.

When Chelsea was the only team left in the transfer market, the Italian media broke the news that in an interview, the management of Tottenham Hotspur clearly stated that they were unwilling to sell Arshavin to their arch-rival Chelsea to strengthen their arch-rival.

As if this rumor stimulated Chelsea's desire to acquire, or Abramovich really had a conversation with Arshavin, or had made some promises, Chelsea quickly raised the offer, and directly raised Arshavin's transfer offer from the original 35 million to 45 million euros.

Tottenham Hotspur did not hesitate this time and directly agreed to Chelsea's offer. Two days later, the team finally sold the Russian star Arshavin for a transfer fee of 45 million euros. The latter moved to Chelsea and his salary increased significantly. Both parties wished each other good luck, and it was obviously a peaceful breakup.

Less than two days after Arshavin's transfer was completed, Tottenham Hotspur announced that the team's main left back Vargas moved to Real Madrid for 35 million euros, and the main midfielder Mascherano moved to Barcelona for 45 million euros.

For a time, the whole of Europe was shocked by Tottenham Hotspur's successive sell-offs, because the newly-crowned champion of the Champions League actually sold three players in one summer, and each player was sold at a high price.

Although the fans had strong concerns about the team's selling of players, they also understood it, because everyone knew that Tottenham Hotspur would submit a new stadium payment of up to 100 million euros to the Olympic Committee in September, and after selling these three players, more than 100 million euros were raised. If the 20 million euros for the introduction of David Silva were included, the team's financial pressure would be very relaxed.

Therefore, both the media and the fans generally understand and support Tottenham Hotspur's selling behavior.

Moreover, after selling at high prices, Tottenham Hotspur's reputation has not been reduced, but has been greatly improved, and even many professionals have ridiculed it as the No. 1 black shop in Europe.

However, I am afraid that even Ye Qiu himself does not know that there are indeed people in this world who are not afraid of black, so even if everyone says that Tottenham Hotspur is a black shop, there are still people who are willing to keep an eye on this black shop.