Football: A late bloomer, starting with Leicester City

Chapter 349: Sampaoli dismissed from get out of class again? Chen Yufeng reaches the 30-goal milestone in the Premier League! (asking for monthly ticket)

At the post-match press conference, Sevilla head coach Sampaoli sat here with player Correa.

They were the standouts in today's game, each contributing disaster-level performance in their respective positions.

By walking together after the game, we can take care of each other and understand each other better.

"Uh……"

The first reporter who was called up to ask questions was obviously a pro-Sevilla reporter. After he stood up, he held the microphone and thought for a long time, but he still couldn't find an entry point.

What to ask?

How to make excuses for Sampaoli and the players?

"Sorry, I haven't prepared a question yet, please ask someone else to come first."

After more than ten seconds, the reporter said these words in an awkward atmosphere, and then sat down in his seat.

"Then let me do it."

The British media stood up with evil smiles on their faces. They had been waiting for this opportunity for a long time.

For them, it is a sure thing to stand on the same side as the British team in foreign wars.

After returning to the Premier League, everyone will definitely have their own stance and support for the team, and they will also create some negative news about Leicester City and Leicester players because it attracts attention.

But at this moment, there is only one home team for them, and that is Leicester City.

"Mr. Sampaoli, we don't seem to see the Spanish team's delicacy you mentioned before the game on the court. Do we disdain to use it?"

Some British media mentioned this: "There is also diversity in the offense, and the flexible play style in which every player has the probability to participate in scoring goals has not been demonstrated."

"On the contrary, Leicester City played a more fruitful game, with four players scoring goals in this game."

"If the team logos of the two teams on the scoreboard are reversed, then we can achieve the grand occasion you mentioned. Is there anything you want to say about this?"

A male reporter from Sky Sports attacked Ling Yun and took the difficulty to the extreme from the very beginning.

Since you are confident before the game and can't live up to what you say on the field, then be ready to be judged.

No one in this world loves a mouthy person, except in certain circumstances.

"We didn't play the kind of pressure we had in the league, nor did we play the offensive designs we had in training. From the moment the second goal was conceded, the team seemed to have lost its soul."

Sampaoli was already sweating profusely when he first sat here. Now that he heard this question, he even danced with embarrassment. Some people are like this, they like to do some actions to cover up when they are embarrassed.

"In addition, we also had four shots in the first half, and Leicester City only had five."

Sampaoli shrugged and said the wise words of the excuse festival, "Obviously, our luck is worse. Leicester City's luck is better. They scored three points when they had five shots."

Is this another reversal that a coach is preparing for a press conference?

The abstractness of his words was enough to help Sevilla recover two or three goals during the press conference.

"Do you think that's it? Pressing power, what pressing power? You are only fourth in La Liga with three teams above."

The British reporters obviously did not intend to let Sampaoli go. A female reporter from the Sun stood up again and said: "And you are facing the top team in the Premier League."

"Everyone knows that the competition in the Premier League is very fierce. There are no weak teams in this league. Every team at the top has something of its own."

"Leicester City has reached first place in this situation. Even if its paper strength is worse than Real Madrid and Barcelona, ​​it still has some advantages against Sevilla... Even if you don't want to believe it, this is ridiculous. This is something we have to admit.”

"Two seasons have passed, no one still thinks that Leicester City is the lucky man in the relegation team, right? This is a complete stereotype."

What the Sun reporter said was very serious and reasonable. I believe the Leicester City players will be stunned when they see the last sentence. When did this media support us so much?

On weekdays in the Premier League, the Sun is definitely among the media that is most capable of making headlines.

Even if you search now, you can see the worrying report issued by The Sun before the start of this game, as well as the candid photos of Vardy's encounter with a Spanish girl on the streets of Seville the night before...

"Um……"

Sampaoli was thinking of excuses again. This time, his face turned red and he couldn't think of anything. In the end, he had to say: "In short, we have not been eliminated yet. The team will definitely prepare well for the second round and strive to win the game in the next round." Find something to make up for in that game.”

"Leicester can play five at Pizjuan, why can't we play six at the King Power Stadium?"

This sentence can well show Mr. Sampaoli's mental state. He is completely crazy. This sentence is used in reverse.

Losing five at home and coming back on the road has never happened in history.

"Pfft..." Ranieri and Mahrez, who were waiting outside the press conference, laughed out loud. Neither of them talk much outside, and their emotions were not so obvious.

But I can’t stand Sampaoli’s abstraction…

Not far ahead, Sevilla President Castro, who was already awkward with his toes on the ground, heard laughter and his hatred for Sampaoli deepened.

I’ve lost all my face by you!

We are obviously a strong old team, a quasi-rich team in Spain, a star team with rich heritage and history!

As a result, Leicester City can now openly express their ridicule to us!

But we haven’t been able to fight back yet!

The score of zero to five was not only engraved on the scoreboard, but also engraved on Castro's face.

Therefore, when Sampaoli walked out of the press conference sweating profusely, Castro said unbearably, "Get ready for the next game against Leicester City. If you become the Champions League Ten Mukuro, I hope you will announce your resignation at the press conference yourself."

"Resign?"

Sampaoli did not expect Castro to speak so directly. He was stunned for a moment and then said: "I will not resign, Mr. Castro. Our contract is for two years."

"If you want to terminate my contract, please fulfill the liquidated damages in the contract."

"My coaching team follows me around, and if they lose their jobs because of my problems, the club must pay them the money according to the contract to comfort them."

He has finally broken the pot. Since both parties have no intention of continuing to cooperate, there is no need to do anything treacherous and shady. Let's just openly talk about it.

It's okay to terminate the contract, but resigning is just a pipe dream.

"Mr. Sampaoli."

Castro used honorifics. Although he spoke slowly, his tone was full of gritted teeth: "Did we have a conversation? Did you promise the top eight in the Champions League and the top four in the league?"

"I know the contract, but you also know the unspoken rules in the industry. Sometimes the person who breaks his promise first will choose to break up with dignity instead of messing around."

"I understand." Sampaoli held out his belly and stopped pretending. He confronted her head-on: "But I'm afraid we can't break up decently."

"Then get out of here now! You don't need to wait until the second round is over!" Castro suddenly became furious, and his voice was directly transmitted into the press conference room, causing all interviews inside to be suspended.

At the far end, Chen Yufeng, who happened to be passing by, also looked over. After all, everyone has some curiosity in their bones.

"Did you hear that?"

Castro ignored the countless media reporters who had already come over, pointed at Sampaoli's chest and said: "I will pay the full termination fee. The place you are now is the Pizjuan Stadium. I allow you to Go pick up the personal belongings left here!”

"Then, get off my court!"

"I..." Sampaoli felt countless eyes coming from behind him. He wanted to say something more, but was interrupted by Castro, who spoke louder.

"Without you! Don't worry about anyone or anything on the team anymore. I will immediately recruit the head coach of the second team to take your place, and then look for a new coach!"

Castro has been overwhelmed by anger. "I will inform the media about this after the interview with Leicester City. Even if this scandal that strikes first and ends later causes me to leave the team, I have to make this decision." understand?"

Logically speaking, this matter definitely requires internal deliberations and the integration of opinions from multiple parties.

It was indeed unkind of him to do so.

However, who can hold him back now?

"Okay, okay, okay..." Sampaoli said three good words with different emotions in a row, then turned and left.

Correa, who had been standing beside the two of them, seemed to be frightened and stood there at a loss.

…………

At night, Leicester City took a flight back to the East Midlands and was taken back to Leicestershire by bus.

They met at a barbecue restaurant they frequented to fill up the fatigue and hunger caused by the long journey and celebrate at the same time.

This barbecue restaurant is actually the one where Ranieri asked everyone to make pizza in the early days.

Every time they come back here, Leicester City players feel like the place where their dreams began.

A journey of great achievements always has countless courageous beginnings. From the first clean sheet in the Premier League, the cohesion of their team has reached its peak.

It's hard to describe in words how far this group of players have reached in their relationship after getting along day and night for such a long time.

And this is only part of it, they have other emotions and prospects invested in this team, which will become the most valuable asset in their careers.

"Mr. Vichai said that the club will not take a penny from the Champions League bonuses and will give them all to us as bonuses."

During the meal, an assistant coach mentioned something excitedly, "Since there are no Champions League points, we can only get the most basic book bonus, but this is still a lot of money."

"In the group stage alone, we received close to 6 million euros in prize money. After the first game of the knockout round, we have basically determined to enter the quarter-finals. Once we win both rounds and enter the quarter-finals, we will receive about 5 million euros. The prize money is waiting for us.”

The bonuses in the Champions League are roughly divided into three categories, one is the basic bonus, one is the appearance fee, and the other is the victory, draw and loss bonus.

Leicester City won a lot of games in the group stage, and they almost got all the winning bonus. Adding the basic bonus and appearance fees, it is reasonable to get nearly 6 million euros.

As for the elimination rounds, this is a place where the prize money keeps doubling.

As the assistant coach said, if Leicester City wins two games and enters the quarterfinals, four to five million is basically a relatively safe number.

"Many people now earn eight-figure annual salaries. When these bonuses are divided, they can only be said to be a drop in the bucket."

Chen Yufeng raised his head while eating and said with a smile: "But I hope everyone will also use the bonus as motivation. It is not just money, but also represents honor."

"Moreover, think about the team staff. They have been with us for so long, helping us with every detail, but they don't get much salary."

“Spreading these prizes among them is enough to change many of their lives.”

The number of first-team players is generally about 24, but bonuses are distributed to all members of the first-team, including the coaching team and the staff team.

Generally speaking, there are about 40 people sharing the money.

This means that once Leicester City reaches the quarter-finals, each of them will receive a bonus of about 25 euros, and it will be doubled if they take a step forward.

Although the apportioned shares may be different due to different levels of importance.

But no matter what, a bonus of hundreds of thousands of euros is enough for many staff to live a different level of life.

Some of them have an annual salary of tens of thousands of euros. After deducting high taxes and fees, they can only maintain their family life.

"Yufeng still remembers us." Holman, Leicester City's equipment manager, smiled. He was an uncle in his sixties.

He was one of the happiest people when he just heard the news about the bonus.

"Why doesn't Mahrez miss me? Every time you enter the ice treatment room, I accompany you. I obviously don't have to worry about fatigue and injuries, but I still have to suffer with you." Lewis, the training equipment assistant, joked.

The relationship between them and the players is still very good. As people who live in the spotlight every day, the players have gradually lost some of their normal lives, and it is even difficult to be normal people again.

At this time, the existence of these people is crucial.

They have nothing to do with football. Every time they contact and chat with them, the players can find some strange feelings. This is a fresh feeling, a plain but precious feeling.

Therefore, everyone is very open-minded, and there will be no barriers just because your annual salary is seven or eight figures, and my annual salary is five figures.

"Why didn't I think about it? Didn't I just know the news?" Mahrez said unconvinced. He is the most childish person in the team.

He was quite cute before he had a beard, but with a beard he looks a little weird and makes other people feel a little disgusted.

"So, how strong does Mahrez think we can get? How much bonus can we get?" Training equipment assistant Lewis asked with a smile. They can liven up the atmosphere every time.

"If Real Madrid and Barcelona are not drawn in advance, there is hope for the semi-finals."

Mahrez confidently patted his chest while eating barbecue, "Believe me, you will definitely make a lot of money this time. The bonus of 400,000 is stable. Take your family on vacation."

"Tch..." Even though his eyes were shining a little, Lewis still said provocatively: "Is the semi-finals going to stop? I thought you were going to rush to the finals. It's boring."

"I really want to give you my jersey and let you go out and play."

Mahrez rolled his eyes, "But if you stay with me for physical therapy a few more times, I will fight for it with them. After all, only with a healthy body can we pursue honors."

"It's spread that Mahrez is a gay. Every time he has such private ice therapy, he has a grown man accompany him." Lewis shouted, amusing many people eating at the scene.

In this relaxed and cheerful atmosphere, Godlin Kvothe was drinking water again and raised his mobile phone.

He is one of the few players who likes to look at his phone while eating, and he can catch some news every time.

"Scandal! A fierce conflict broke out between Sevilla president Castro and coach Sampaoli! Castro unilaterally announced Sampaoli's dismissal! Internal conflicts in Sevilla have intensified!"

Drinkwater followed the rhythm of the exclamation mark and spoke the report vividly.

The players at the scene all sighed. Only Chen Yufeng and others were still bowing their heads to eat. They knew this news in Seville...

This kind of act of accidentally dismissing the opponent's head coach is really intoxicating. "Historically, Ranieri was dismissed during this period, but in this life, with the help of Kante, Achraf, Odegaard, Klose and others."

Thinking of something, Chen Yufeng murmured a few words to himself and snickered, "Probably not."

As for himself?

Needless to say, the butterfly effect he brought has indirectly affected many things.

Not to mention, dozens of goals created in a single season.

This dinner did not last long. The players needed to ensure sleep and returned to their homes early to rest.

In the next few days, Ranieri arranged a small amount of technical and tactical training to solve some problems in single scenes during the game. The rest of the time was mostly restorative training.

March is about to enter, the final period of the season, and there is no need to arrange any heavy training.

This is a team that has been working together for almost two years, and basically there won't be any major problems.

If you can't beat them, that's the gap in hard power and attitude.

It has nothing to do with technique and tactics anymore.

Chen Yufeng also worked hard on his physical fitness during this period. He is already preparing for a significant increase in points in March.

The preliminary plan is that the extra points will be placed after the Premier League game against Hull City, because at that time, Leicester City will usher in an 11-day rest period, and the next opponent will also be Seville, who visits the King Power Stadium with a five-goal disadvantage. Leah.

Since March is a month with international matches, the Belgian national team coach Wilmots has repeatedly tested Chen Yufeng's status and desire to play, hoping that he can join the team to run in.

After all, next year, the World Cup, a super-large competition that attracts the attention of the whole world, is coming.

Can I play one more game with the team or play one more game with the team?

However, after Chen Yufeng looked at Belgium's lineup for the next few games, he still communicated with Wilmots in a consultative tone.

"Leicester City is currently competing for the title on three fronts, and it is really difficult to escape. I hope Mr. Wilmots understands that one more front will break my rhythm."

"I will not go to the two friendly matches. I will report to the team again on June 6, the sixth round of the European qualifying match against Estonia."

"Also, if Leicester City reaches the Champions League final, they will have to miss the game against Estonia (smirking)."

Chen Yufeng expressed his desire in a joking tone at the end.

He believed Wilmots could understand him.

He is basically determined to leave the team next season. Whether he can help his Bole club win the Honorable Grand Slam, and also help himself win the Honorable Grand Slam in the Premier League, depends on the last two or three months.

It's really unwise to distract yourself from those weak teams in Europe.

The World Cup is both close and far away.

With one less front line, Chen Yufeng can increase his speed more. When all aspects of quality are improved, are you still worried that the integration will not be good?

…………

On February 2, the 28th round of the Premier League came, and Leicester City faced Liverpool at home.

This was also their first home game in the second half of the month. They returned to the King Power Stadium after a long time. The home fans were enthusiastic and gave the home team very high support from the beginning.

Leicester City's players also completely let go in this game and easily started a fight with Liverpool.

Their relaxed state is as if they are not facing a giant team in the big 6, but more like facing a mid-range team in the Premier League.

I don’t know whether this is the confidence of being at the top of the Premier League or the confidence of the top eight teams in the Champions League.

In short, just one word, do it!

"Leicester City played very proactively today. This is the fourth time they have threatened Liverpool's goal in a short period of time. If it weren't for Vardy and Shinji Okazaki not feeling very good today, Liverpool's goal would have been blocked. Pierced many times.”

Premier League commentator Zhan Jun is still sitting conscientiously in the commentary box. His hoarse and passionate commentary voice is his trademark: "After the introduction of Mane, Liverpool's frontcourt trident has basically taken shape. They have recently played a wave of consecutive games. Win."

"But looking at the situation today, maybe Leicester City is their terminator."

"Hehe..." Director Zhang Lu chuckled beside him. I believe that Zhan Jun, as a Liverpool fan, felt more mixed after saying these words.

"Drinkvot! After passing Emre Can, some fans jokingly called him my brother. I wonder if he will pick a son for me from the Premier League in the future, hahaha..."

"Leave it to Mahrez and use breakthroughs to solve the problem?"

"Passed! Center, small penalty area line! Volley!"

"The goal was scored! Vardy broke the deadlock and Leicester City led Liverpool 1-0!"

"In the 32nd minute of the game, Leicester City swept through unstoppable momentum and took the lead in penetrating Liverpool's goal!"

"Will there be more?!"

"..."

"Mahrez comes to take this corner kick. He usually switches with Chen Yufeng. I would like to ask Director Zhang Lu, under what circumstances do you think Mahrez will take a free throw?" Zhan Jun looked at Director Zhang Lu next to him. .

"Heck, I think so. It depends on whether Chen Yufeng is tired and whether he has a strong desire to score goals. If so, he will arrange for Mahrez to go. Anyway, it is convenient to be the captain, right?" Director Zhang Lu laughed after saying this. .

"Hahaha……"

Zhan Jun also laughed out loud, and then started to stare at the screen: "The commentator gave the camera to Chen Yufeng, is this a hint?"

"Mahrez! Send the ball!"

"Matip's clearance! He was originally a midfielder, but because Liverpool didn't have enough manpower at the center back position, Klopp put him in the center back position, and his performance was pretty good!"

"The second penalty spot! Chen Yufeng has been waiting for a long time and volleyed! Will there be a goal?"

"There it is!! World wave!! Beautiful volley, all in one go!!"

Zhan Jun's excitement subsided, and director Zhang Lu added next to him, "When the director's footage was shown, I had a hunch. I didn't expect that he really scored this goal."

"In this case, before the first half of the game is over, Leicester City will lead 28-30. Chen Yufeng also scored his th goal of the season, + points away from the Premier League, very fast!"

"The record is waiting for him ahead!"

"..."

"Three to zero! Ashraf's assist helped Chen Yufeng score his 29th goal of the season! It's simply unstoppable!"

"Scoring twice is like a common occurrence at his feet, there is no difficulty!"

"In this case, it seems that a complete victory is inevitable. We can see that Klopp's expression is already a bit ferocious. He and Chen Yufeng are old rivals. The two had some conflicts in the early days of last season, but it is too early. The past feud has been settled.”

"..."

"Okay, let us congratulate Leicester City and Chen Yufeng! They gave the fans a wonderful game."

"Let's go back to the King Power Stadium in March and watch Leicester City host Hull City and Sevilla for a wonderful showdown!"

When the referee's whistle sounded, the 26th round of the Premier League match officially came to an end.

On one side of the stands, Jones stood up contentedly, hugged the old man from the factory next to him tightly, and sighed; "It's been a long time since I've been back to the King Power Stadium. It's so damn good to watch the game here." !”

"What's even more damn exciting is that Liverpool, which was previously out of reach, is now easily under our feet!"

"I have a hunch that we will definitely be able to win other championships this season!"

Jones raised his right hand high in a victory gesture. His appearance was also captured by the cameras in the field and was chosen as the cover title by countless media.

[Victory over Liverpool three to zero! Leicester City continues to lead the Premier League! Chen Yufeng scored his 29th goal of the season! There are still 5 goals left before the record! 】

…………

On March 3, the first game of the month came. Leicester City faced newly promoted Hull City at home. This was their opponent in the season opener.

A new beginning has arrived, and Leicester City players have shown high fighting spirit.

There are only a few games this month, and the overall arrangement is not chaotic. Their goals are also very clear. First, keep the top spot in the Premier League, and second, advance to the semi-finals of the FA Cup.

As for the third point, defeating Sevilla and entering the quarterfinals is no longer considered, because this is simply a game without any worries.

It’s difficult to get to U19 Sevilla...

"I vaguely remember that Leicester City's opening game this season did not go well. They were forced into a desperate situation by Hull City and almost suffered an upset. Fortunately, they recovered in the end."

"These hardships have created Leicester City's tough character."

"They rarely have problems because their mentality is stable enough."

"You know, some strong teams basically lose every day. Leicester City loses once a month. It's amazing."

"..."

"Chen Yufeng's dribbling breakthrough and his pendulum dribble were once considered to be the only inheritors of intangible cultural heritage after Ronaldo. Of course, this is the nickname of the fans."

"A cross!"

"Klose! Scored in the first start! One to zero! We hope this goal can bring Leicester City's good luck throughout March!"

"After such a long time, Chen Yufeng's Full Moon Scimitar Cross has changed from his first choice to his third choice, but we should never forget what Chen Yufeng is famous for!"

"This is still a good way for him to help the team score goals!"

"Always will be!"

"..."

"Quick counterattack! Kante! His worth in Germany is already 60 million euros. After following Leicester City for so long, his ball-holding ability has been developed very well!"

"Pass it to Mahrez! Mahrez missed it! Vardy picked up the ball! Beautiful, one-on-one!"

"Vardy! Selfless goal! Now it's Chen Yufeng who faces the goalkeeper alone!"

"Will the 30th league goal come today?!"

"A volley from the outside of the instep! There is no suspense anymore! Chen Yufeng scored this goal! The 30th goal in the league is here!!"

"This is a historic moment! Chen Yufeng has become the first forward to score 30+ goals in the Premier League in recent seasons! This is also the most glorious moment for Asian players in the five major leagues!"

"On the 27th round of the league, Chen Yufeng's goals have exceeded 30! We can even look forward to his 40th goal in the Premier League!"

"Unparalleled performance!"

"..."

"The game is over, another clean sheet! Leicester City played a suppressive battle for 90 minutes! A battle of annihilation! They didn't give Hull City the slightest chance!"

"I believe that today's protagonist must be Chen Yufeng. He has achieved a memorable achievement!"

"The miracle of late blooming continues. Will he reach a higher peak in his career? When will he return to form? I believe this will be what fans are most concerned about."

"However, for himself, he doesn't need to think about these things."

"Please close your eyes and enjoy your moment. Today's King Power Stadium belongs to you!"

"..."

The last thing Zhan Jun said was not that he wanted to be awkward, but that Chen Yufeng really did this at this moment.

Don’t underestimate the psychological fluctuations when you complete 30+ points in the league for the first time. This is a rare moment for every shooter.

"Chen Yufeng! Chen Yufeng! Chen Yufeng...!!"

Surrounded by the cheers of the fans, Chen Yufeng put his hands on his hips, closed his eyes and ears to listen to the enthusiasm caused by him, and felt every breeze with his skin.

Everything has become embellishment at this moment, which allows Chen Yufeng to enjoy it all better.

"Hurry, hurry, hurry! A new world-famous painting is about to be born, let's go and take a picture! Hurry, hurry, hurry!"

"Don't squeeze me, don't worry!"

"Don't compete for the spot, we have good cameras and we will give you a copy after we finish shooting!"

"..."

The photographers who were originally standing on the sidelines rushed to the court like crazy. They put the camera on their shoulders, squatted on the ground, and photographed Chen Yufeng to make him look taller.

This is the simplest lens language. What I want to express is very simple and crude - Chen Yufeng is awesome.

(End of this chapter)