i am gun king

Chapter 367 Working hard for hope

"Gigi, are you really going to accept this contract from Arsenal?" Agent Martina looked at Buffon with some doubts.

"Of course not, unless they shorten my contract," Buffon said.

"That's not the point, Gigi. You mean if Arsenal agree to a shorter contract, you'll sign it?"

"Why not?" Buffon asked rhetorically.

"What's the matter, Gigi? Aren't you going to play football abroad? Go back to AC Milan, Paris Saint-Germain, or a giant in the Premier League..." As Buffon's agent, Martina can be said to be the closest person to him besides Buffon's relatives, but he doesn't know why Buffon's mind changed overnight.

"Martina, will I be able to win the Champions League if I go abroad?" Buffon asked rhetorically.

Martina froze for a moment: "I can't guarantee it, but I think it must be better than your chance at Arsenal."

"I'm not quite sure of that now, Michael."

Martina easily guessed why Buffon said that.

"Is it because of Lee's persuasion?" he asked.

Buffon nodded: "I see hope in that kid. Maybe we really have hope to win the Champions League?"

Martina didn't understand why Buffon was so optimistic about Li Yuxin: "What's wrong with you, Gigi? Did Gazidis say anything to you?"

"No, no, I didn't talk to Gazidis individually. I just think... I'm 34 in six months, Michael. When I move out, I go to a new team and start over. This transfer may be my last chance, the last chance to possibly win the Champions League."

"Yes, that's why we have to treat it with caution." Martina said. "This is your last chance in your career. If you don't go out this time, you won't be able to go out in the future."

"What is the purpose of going out? To win the Champions League." Buffon said.

"Isn't it also because of the conflict between you and Gazidis?"

"He and I are not considered friends, and we do have conflicts, but I think these can be put aside in front of the Champions League champions. At least they gave me the highest salary in history, which also shows their respect for me." Buffon said.

Martina looked at Buffon who said this: "No, Gazidis didn't say anything to you. But you must have talked about something with someone. Who is it, Michal?"

"Lee." Buffon didn't hide anything from his agent.

"Li?" Martina was very surprised. Based on his understanding of Li Yuxin, he didn't think Li Yuxin was the kind of person who could persuade Buffon with his perfect tongue.

"Well, we talked and I decided to stay at Arsenal," Buffon told Maltina.

"Just because you think you have more chances to win the Champions League if you stay here?"

Buffon nodded.

"But there's a chance you won't get it. So it's a gamble."

"Going home to play football is also a gamble," Buffon said.

Martina opened his mouth, but was speechless.

Because Buffon is right, staying at Arsenal and playing abroad is a gamble.

It's just that at the time, the two of them felt that in addition to having the opportunity to win the Champions League by going abroad, they could also stay away from Gazidis and England.

But now, it seems that Buffon really thinks that Arsenal has a great chance of winning the Champions League, so much so that he is willing to endure Gazidis and the harassment of the English media for this.

Martina couldn't believe that Li Yuxin really had the ability to change Buffon's mind?

But believe it or not, Buffon seems to have made up his mind.

"Have you really decided, Michael?"

Buffon nodded: "Yes, I have decided. I am willing to stay for two more seasons. After two seasons, I will be 32 years old. If I remain in good condition by then, I will have another chance."

This decision made Martina more or less acceptable.

At least it is better than a four-year contract-the plan given by Gazidis before was a four-year contract. After four years, Buffon is 34 years old and can almost retire at Arsenal.

"Okay, I'll talk to Gazidis. But don't get your hopes up."

Buffon smiled: "Then trouble you, Martina, I know you can do it."

"Don't put too much pressure on me!"

Martina complained.

Gazidis did not expect that Buffon did not directly accept the four-year contract with a weekly salary of 10 pounds, but bargained.

He only hopes to extend his contract with Arsenal for three years.

It seems that he still wants to return to play football...

Gazidis didn't think Buffon's request was unacceptable.

Buffon's contract extension was originally given mainly because Buffon performed well in the European Cup and put tremendous pressure on the club.

And as a world-class coach, Wenger also clearly sees the importance of an excellent goalkeeper. A top goalkeeper is a player who can lead the team and control his destiny in his own hands.Some small mistakes made by a poor goalkeeper at the beginning of the game will change the atmosphere and state of the entire stadium and even the team.Sometimes, the success of an entire season in the league depends on whether the goalkeeper can save some one-handed goals.

In addition, top goalkeepers also need to maintain a high degree of concentration when they are not participating in the game.A good team might let his keeper go five or six minutes without work at all.It's not the superhuman saves that impress me, but the excellent judgment you can make when you've had a period of complete idleness.If Van der Sar hadn't had the chance to touch the ball the whole game, he would have thought it was a good performance.He doesn't want to play because he wants to express himself.

If you're a fan and you're watching a game live on the weekend, try to reach out to the opposing goalkeeper.If you can hit the confidence of the opposing goalkeeper, you have successfully hit that team.A botched clearance five minutes into the game can cause concern.Hitting the goalkeeper is like a key to a door.Fans, you can do your part now by knocking down the confidence of the goalkeeper and making the opposing goalkeeper's job difficult.If you can hit his confidence, it means you have unlocked the opponent's goal.

For the team, a good goalkeeper is not only his superb defense and saving ability.More importantly, he gave the defenders, as well as the entire team and fans the confidence.Defensive players will feel that even if the opponent takes a shot, our goalkeeper can block your shot.These psychological factors also explain why a great goalkeeper can make a great team.

And Buffon is just such a goalkeeper. Not only the professor thinks this way, but Li Yuxin also thinks this way. I remember someone said in the 08 European Cup:
In fact, looking at Buffon's career, he has never been God.In the 2003 Champions League final, when the Juventus people expected Buffon to perform well in the penalty shootout, Buffon failed to do so.For the national team, when people expect him to perform super and ensure that the Italian team does not concede a goal, he still fails to do so.

Of course, this is easy to understand.Buffon and Toldo were originally two types of goalkeepers.Buffon's strong point is to choose the position, which allows him to use the simplest action to resolve the opponent's shot.And Toldo relies on his height and long arms, amazing deterrent power, and quick response.The biggest advantage of a goalkeeper like Buffon is his stability. Usually he will not concede the ball that should not be conceded, but he can only save a small part of the ball that should be conceded.But Toldo is different. Toldo is not stable, but as long as Toldo becomes crazy, he will not let go of any balls that should be conceded or should not be conceded.In Toldo's growth experience, "magic" is a word that runs through his life. Whether it is changing from right back to goalkeeper at the age of 13 and saving consecutive penalty kicks of opponents, or saving Su Ke's penalty kicks in his national team debut, or the miracle of penalty kicks in 2000, or the miracle of "1 to 27" when Inter Milan played against Valencia, as long as Toldo goes crazy, no shot can pass through his ten fingers.

So, the conclusion is: if you want to see a great, solid goalkeeper, then you should watch Buffon.But if you want to see a goalkeeper who is not stable, but will suddenly become a God-like invincible goalkeeper at a certain time, then you should go to Toldo.Buffon's professional characteristics determine that he is unlikely to become a god.

But for a long-standing team, Buffon's stable goalkeeper is not as valuable as Fabianski. Since Lehmann retired, Arsenal's goalkeeper has been a weakness, and Buffon's arrival has just made up for this shortcoming. Coupled with the growing maturity of Mertesacker, Koscielny, Vermaelen, and Bennetia, Arsenal have a reliable defense line that is extremely important for the championship!
And here, for a manager like Gazidis who only looks at the interests of the club, in the eyes of some players, he will naturally feel that he lacks a little human touch.

Walking out of the club's office building, the two stood in the bright sunshine and Martina said to Buffon: "I still hope you don't regret today's decision, Michal."

Buffon turned his head and looked in the direction of the training ground. It was the afternoon break, the temperature was still a little high, the sun was shining brightly, and it was even hot.

He thought of what he had seen through the huge French windows in Gazidis's office when the new contract had just been signed.

On the first-team training ground, a figure was running and training under the scorching sun.

That person is Li Yuxin.

When everyone is resting, he is still the only one still training there.

"I'll give my all and then... I won't regret it," he said.

If I regret it, it must be that I didn't try hard enough...

In his heart, Buffon said so.

However, Li Yuxin at this time did not know what Buffon was thinking at the moment. For him, Arsenal, which had gradually stepped out of the financial quagmire, should go for the Premier League champion and another Champions League champion that he had never had!

(End of this chapter)