[football] walk side by side

On February 2010, 2, the Stamford Bridge Stadium was silent at night.

Powell raised his head, looking silently and desperately at the scoreboard hanging above the court. There were still 5 minutes before the end of the game, and the score between the two sides was 2:1.In fact, the score is not particularly important in many cases, because no one knows whether a miracle will happen in the next second. All the Chelsea fans in the audience couldn't afford the slightest hope.

At this moment, on the opposite coach's bench, stood a person they were too familiar with.

The head coach of Inter Milan, Jose Mourinho, was quietly standing on the edge of the away coach's bench. The Portuguese in a black windbreaker folded his arms and looked at the pitch with a stern expression.

In the last round, the away game against Inter Milan at the Giuseppe Meazza Stadium, Inter Milan and Chelsea reached a 0:0 settlement. In other words, if Chelsea want to beat Inter Milan and advance to the next round, they must at least In the next 5 minutes, two goals were scored.

Is it difficult to score two goals for Inter Milan at Stamford Bridge?

If it were Inter Milan two years ago, maybe Chelsea fans would still have a glimmer of hope in their hearts, but... Powell gritted his teeth, stared deeply at the unfamiliar figure on the opposite coach's bench, and then looked at the stadium. , can only show a helpless wry smile——

The gentleman knows him and this Chelsea... really too well.

Once again Zanetti and Cambiasso's defense broke the ball under his feet. Cyril gritted his teeth and quickly chased after him, but his heart was full of depression and helplessness.

On the surface, Chelsea seem to have changed a lot in the past few years.But in fact, as long as you pay attention, you can find that no matter how Chelsea's forwards, midfielders, and defenders change, the most basic and fundamental aspects of Chelsea have never changed.

What are Chelsea's roots?

If this question is thrown out suddenly, perhaps even Chelsea fans will hesitate for a long time before giving a confused answer, but Mourinho does not need to hesitate at all, and can easily come up with Conclusion - The foundation of Chelsea is the central axis of Chelsea with Drogba, Lampard, Cyril, Terry and Petr Cech as a straight line.

Didier Drogba led the front line, the midfielder Cyril and Lampard coordinated the organization, not to mention the backcourt. For so many years, captain Terry has led various defenders who are constantly changing, and he has held on. Chelsea's defense, Cech as the goalkeeper, is the pinnacle of Chelsea's goal.

When other teams face Chelsea and don’t know how to make a choice, Mourinho can easily make the most appropriate choice——

Because this Chelsea's famous Iron-Blooded Center Axis was built by him, game by game, gradually!

In the stands of the stadium, Jimmy, the commentator who has been paying attention to the game, couldn't help sighing at this moment: "...Chelsea have worked very hard, but..." He didn't finish his sentence, because this is Stamford Bridge Stadium, so many people To tell the truth, the Chelsea fans in the audience would probably hate him to death.

But almost everyone understood what he meant.

Yes, Chelsea worked hard.Ancelotti wasn't bad either, the players did everything they could...but that's it.

In 2005, the nascent Mu-style blue army fell at the feet of the undead red army.

In 2006, Chelsea, who had made a comeback, lost to the Peak Dream II with Ronaldinho.

In 2007, the team met Liverpool again amidst internal turmoil and left the European arena again.

In 2008, Moscow night, no tears.

In 2009, the Stamford Bridge tragedy was tragically out.

When will we be able to get the big ear cup?

This question has rang in the hearts of every Chelsea person countless times during countless tossing and turning nights.This top honor in European competitions seems more like an unattainable dream to the Blues who have suffered countless times over the years.

When Carlo Ancelotti terminated his contract with AC Milan and another world-renowned coach came to Stamford Bridge, countless fans hoped that this Italian coach could bring hope to Chelsea and give Chelsea the hope that they have been in the abyss for so many years. Chelsea in the midst of redemption.When Ancelotti led Chelsea to advance by leaps and bounds in this year's Premier League and firmly occupied the top spot in the league again, they also cheered in their hearts.

is it him?

Can this man pull Chelsea out of the abyss and bring them an unprecedented Champions League title?

However, no one thought that once again, with such a posture and under such circumstances, they would be shut out of the Champions League final again.

They have lost to the tenacity of Liverpool, the quality of Barcelona, ​​the luck of Manchester United and the malice of UEFA.But what no one expected was that what made them fall out of the Champions League final again...

——It will be the man who single-handedly established this iron-blooded blue army back then.

At the Stamford Bridge Stadium at this moment, on the bench under the away stands, the players of Inter Milan have been waiting for the last moment. The Song of Neo", after three years, this song, which has been heard countless times in the stadium, finally sounded again at Stamford Bridge.

Hearing this song again now, there were only tears in the eyes of the Chelsea fans.

"The score is now 2-1, there are still 3 minutes until the end of the game, we can see... Huh?"

With Jimmy making a surprised "Hey", most fans also noticed an unusual scene that happened on the side of the court——

There are only 3 minutes left before the end of the game, but Mourinho seems to be no longer ready to stay in this stadium.

Maybe it's because he has the chance to win this game, or maybe he just can't bear to see the team he once loved so much go to elimination in front of his own eyes.After the game was over, Mourinho turned around blankly and walked towards the player channel alone.

The expression on his face was extremely calm, neither the joy of victory nor any sadness.The screams of the fans and the retention of the players on the bench could not stop him from turning around and gradually disappearing into the player channel.

Until the end of the game, when the fans and players of Inter Milan celebrated the victory of the game crazily, the current Inter Milan coach did not appear in front of the players and celebrate with them.

***

Cyril lowered his head and walked into the player channel in silence.

He didn't go to see Mourinho, nor did he go to see the Chelsea fans in the stands—because he clearly understood how he was feeling at the moment, so the Chelsea fans in the stands would only feel the same mood .

The last time they won the European Champions Cup was in Porto in 2004.

At that time, as the main force of Porto, he reached the top of Europe. However, for the next six years, the Champions League champion seemed to be insulated from him, and fate seemed to be playing a never-ending joke with him. Watching the staff carefully move the Big Ears Cup into the stadium, watching Drogba thought he touched it secretly, and then left in the opposite direction after a certain game.

Why is this happening?

Is my effort not enough?Or am I not strong enough?When will they be able to hold high the trophy that symbolizes the Champions League, and break free from the hopeless abyss in front of them...?

he does not know.

……

The 2009/2010 season was not a bad one for Chelsea.

Compared with the late collapse of the 2008/2009 season, Chelsea this year once again took home the Premier League trophy and the FA Cup trophy with an overwhelming advantage, despite losing the Big Ear Cup once again, But Ancelotti's changes and influence on Chelsea are also seen by everyone. The Italian coach is indeed very good, and this year's double crown is enough to prove his excellence.

However, to the astonishment of everyone, and incomprehensible, even if Ancelotti won the double crown, Abramovich also showed obvious dissatisfaction.

He did not show his dissatisfaction at the end of the 2009/2010 season. However, when Ancelotti led Chelsea to three wins and four draws at the beginning of the 2010/2011 season, Abramovich again Once let everyone see his impatient characteristics, the Russian rich man didn't show much respect just because the opponent was a famous marshal.

If you can't win the championship, then get out of class.

Among the heated discussions among the Premier League media and Chelsea fans, Abramovich quickly pulled out his new coach candidate.

Andre Boas.

A year ago, this name was still unheard of, and he was not a member of any world-class head coach. According to common sense, he did not conform to Abramovich's logic of "not a famous coach". However, Just look at the reasons why Chelsea were eliminated from the Champions League in 2010, and the coach's resume, everything seems to be easy to understand——

He served as the head coach of the Porto youth team from 2002 to 2004, and was an important member of Mourinho's coaching staff from 2005 to 2007. When Mourinho switched to Inter Milan in 2007, the assistant coach chose to accept Porto's chairman At the invitation of Costa, he returned to Porto and helped Porto win the Portuguese Super League Championship in 2009. In 2010, he helped Porto win the Portuguese Super League Championship, UEFA Cup Championship and Portuguese Cup Championship at the same time.

Almost the second Mourinho.

When the inside of the Chelsea locker room became uneasy due to the arrival of the new coach, Cyril was always the calmest one among them-on the one hand, with his strength, Abramovich did not ask , No head coach would be so stupid as to put him on the bench. On the other hand, to some extent, this head coach is his mentor.

When Cyril was still struggling in Porto U18, it was the head coach of the second team who resisted all opinions, mentioned him to the second team, and firmly handed over the captaincy to him.

After finishing the training as usual, and saying goodbye to Lampard and others, Cyril walked towards the exit of the training center alone. Just as he passed the door of an office with a crack, a familiar voice suddenly came from inside. come out--

"Yes, I believe that I can bring Chelsea what the fans want, but I also have a fact that I have to remind you, Mr. Abramovich." Andre-Boas sat at the desk, In a calm tone, he said to the Russian rich man on the opposite side: "The tactics I created for Chelsea have very high requirements on the physical fitness and speed of the players. I know that you are a chairman who cherishes the players. It would be too cruel to say, but if we keep using the players we have and let Chelsea continue to age like they are now ... we will get nothing."

"If you want to gain something, you must lose something."

***

"Real Madrid encounters ups and downs in various competitions again, and there may be new signings during the winter break. "

"After leading Inter Milan to the top of the Triple Crown, Mourinho chose to go to La Liga to coach Real Madrid. For the Galaxy Battleship, which has repeatedly been at a disadvantage in the Spanish national derby in recent years, the arrival of the Triple Crown coach It may be able to change the bad situation at this time, but considering Real Madrid’s unsatisfactory performance in various competitions so far, I have reason to suspect that Real Madrid may have heavyweight signings during the winter break!”

"Considering the Portuguese's long-standing habits, the author thinks that the champion coach is very likely to take away his favorite disciple. When it comes to Mourinho's favorite disciple, we have to mention the core of Chelsea today. Midfielder, Cyril Slade."

"Despite Chelsea's lack of strong European titles in recent years, Cyril Slade has proved his quality with unquestionable performances in the Premier League and most recently in the World Cup. The important thing is that he and Real Madrid superstar Cristiano Ronaldo have always been Portugal's trump card combination. If this pair of Portugal's best combination can be reunited at the Bernabeu, the chemical reaction between the two will definitely bring Real Madrid. Here comes a new surprise."

"Since the Porto period, the Chelsea midfielder has always been Mourinho's confidant, and there is no shortage of his national team teammates who get along well with Real Madrid. In summary, the author believes that this may be the winter break this year. The most promising heavyweight transfer in the period!"

Cobham training ground.

Boas was holding a notebook, standing on the sidelines, while observing the group confrontation training in front of him, he raised his pen from time to time to write down something in the notebook.When he noticed a detail on the pitch, the new Chelsea coach raised his eyebrows, his heart clear.

--really.

"I'm sorry," Lampard whispered at a certain moment when the two were running close together: "Your pass was great. It was my mistake just now."

This is actually not a mistake that should have occurred.

Cyril thought silently.

Whether it is Lampard's ability or his habits, it is impossible to make mistakes.

All his passes will be tailored to different receivers, and he will make different fine adjustments. The prerequisite for this is to be familiar with his teammates' speed, feet and other habits. The cooperation has already allowed him and Lampard to develop an unusual tacit understanding. In the past few years, the turnovers in passing have been so small that they can be ignored.

And the ball just now...

Boas lowered his head, and added a line after the name of "Lampard" in the notebook: "Physical fitness and speed are showing a downward trend."He thinks about what he has observed recently, and thinks about the tactics he has developed for Chelsea - crazy high pressing and attacking.

With the current stamina and speed of the opponent, I am afraid it will be difficult to perform well under this tactic...

"It's nothing." The thought in his mind just flashed, and Cyril quickly shook his head gently: "It's just a confrontation training. It's good not to make such mistakes during the game. You don't have to take it to heart." .”

At the same time, on the Internet, fans of different teams have begun to encounter ups and downs in "Real Madrid's various competitions again, and there may be new signings during the winter break. "Under the news, a debate started.

"Portuguese fans said that Cyril should have left Chelsea a long time ago! After all, to be honest, the current Chelsea is really not worthy of Cyril in terms of performance! How good it is to go to Real Madrid, just as Ronaldo is also in Real Madrid, the two of them If you go to Real Madrid, you won’t be as miserable as you were at Chelsea, and you can avenge the tragedy at Stamford Bridge. Since you came to Chelsea, Cyril hasn’t won the Champions League for several years?”

"Upstairs 1, now I only hope that Cyril will go to Real Madrid quickly, that is the team that really deserves him. Chelsea will not talk about it, the old, the old, the disabled, staying at Chelsea is a waste of time and energy. Messi and Barcelona have been so perverted for a few years, how can they win the Champions League if they don't go to Real Madrid?"

"Although Cyril's performance in the Premier League and the national team is good, he has never won the Champions League except for Porto in 04. I always feel that his performance in the Champions League is very average... Real Madrid fans said whether to come. It doesn't matter, just watch your troubles calmly."

"Hahahaha, some people upstairs almost made fun of me. I really don't know where some Real Madrid fans have such a sense of superiority. Anyway, my little car has made it to the semi-finals of the Champions League in recent years. How about you? Let me tell you a joke: Champion Sixteen Lang."

"There is no official announcement that Cyril will go to Real Madrid. Why are you arguing? Can't you discuss it? Who said that Cyril must leave Chelsea? Let alone go to Real Madrid, okay?"

"Pfft, it's all for this sake, some car fans shouldn't be naive. Although he lacks the proof of winning the Champions League, after the 10th World Cup, how can Cyril be considered a world-class midfielder now? If nothing else, than Fabregas next door must be much stronger, right? He is still the captain of Arsenal, begging to go back to Barcelona? Not to mention Cyril, he is not stupid. Fabregas can do it Go, why not Cyril?"

"To be honest, although I also think that Cesc Fabregas has done a very unkind thing, and it is a proper betrayal for Arsenal fans, but from the player's point of view, it is not so incomprehensible- —For a player, in addition to the annual salary, victory and championships are all they have.”

"What's the point of staying on a team that's destined not to win a championship?"

With all parties clamoring and insisting on their own opinions, one month later, the winter break that everyone was secretly looking forward to and paying attention to finally arrived.

Cristiano changed into civilian clothes and prepared to leave.

Due to the ratings of the Christmas game, the Premier League has been relatively stingy during the winter break, but this situation will not occur in La Liga. They will have a holiday when it is time for a holiday. During the last training session this morning, Mourinho Announced the holiday to the whole team, and the delay until now is also the result of extra training by Cristiano himself.

When he walked out of the locker room and walked along the corridor to the parking lot, he accidentally ran into Mourinho who also left.

Originally, Cristiano and Mourinho had always looked at each other a little bit, frankly speaking, uh... until now he and Cyril are together, this feeling of looking at each other has never been broken, or , on the contrary, it became more complicated because of this, but no matter what, there was still a lot of respect that should be given.For example, at this moment, Cristiano nodded and called out politely: "Hello, sir."

Mourinho stared at him for a moment.

Cristiano's scalp was a little numb from his stare. Just as he couldn't help thinking about whether he had accidentally offended the other party recently, Mourinho suddenly threw out a sentence: "Winter break arrive."

"I should..." Knowing that... Cristiano was about to respond subconsciously, but he understood Mourinho's meaning in the middle of the sentence. He was stunned for a while, but he was calm, steady, and even said firmly: "He won't come."

Mourinho seemed a little stunned, but it was only for a moment. The Real Madrid coach didn't reply to his nonsensical words, but just nodded casually: "Don't be too hard on extra training, even if it's for the sake of the game, proper rest is also a must. It is very necessary."

Cristiano looked at the back of his head coach in a daze, until the other party completely disappeared to the end of the corridor.

I don't know why, for a moment, he somehow felt that the attitude of this head coach who also didn't like him at the end of the day seemed to be much more gentle than before...?

At the same moment, England, London.

The Cobham Training Center, which has been quiet most of the time, is now surrounded by fans wearing blue jerseys and scarves of the same color, and it looks densely packed from a distance.They didn't disturb the training inside, and they couldn't help showing anxious and worried expressions on their faces. Powell rubbed his cold palms while looking at the huge slogan that was spontaneously erected by the Chelsea fan organization.

"Cyril, please don't leave us!"

All kinds of slogans like this were held up in the hands of the fans excitedly.

Powell looked at those slogans, but his heart was full of bitterness.

Even if Cesc Fabregas has lowered his value, he has torn face with Arsenal fans. Even a fan like Powell who likes Cyril can't help but feel uneasy in his heart. Besides, the arrival of Villas-Boas It didn't bring any obvious changes to Chelsea. The league results were above average, and the Champions League group stage stumbled, and it could be regarded as breaking into the knockout rounds, but the process of the game was far less reassuring than in previous years.

Over the past month, the playing time of Drogba, Lampard and other players has begun to decrease significantly. It is not that Villas-Boas' tactics are ineffective, but they also have a bad impact on Chelsea.Because in any case, Drogba and others have been in Chelsea for so many years, among other things, the status of the locker room can be said to be quite stable.

Attacking these old players is equivalent to directly making enemies with most of Chelsea's dressing room!

The reason why these conflicts have not erupted for the time being is simply because, so far, Cyril has not expressed his position.

——But, is there really anything worthy of Cyril in this current Chelsea team?

And after losing the midfield core of the team, where is Chelsea's future...?

Powell didn't wait too long in this anxious mood, and saw the familiar figure coming out of the training center.

Almost at the same moment when Cyril walked out, the fans who had kept relatively quiet in order not to disturb the internal training burst into a huge shout!

"Cyril, stay!"

"Chelsea can't live without you!"

Looking at the hundreds of thousands of faces in front of him, Cyril was stunned for a moment.

He didn't know these fans, he only vaguely felt familiar.After all, the more loyal fans are, the more likely they are to appear near the team's training base and in the stadium's loyal stands to cheer for the team. However, for some reason, when he looked at these fans, he shouted hoarsely, When begging him not to leave, Cyril suddenly remembered that game that he hardly remembered anymore, and the [-] home fans at Stamford Bridge were crying.

He thought of a lot at once.

About his career, about himself and the future of football, about the countless long nights he spent in the past two years, about those regrets...and dreams that he never uttered.

He collected himself and said—