long live football

Two inappropriate activities were going on in the ward in the afternoon sun.

After the huge surprise in the early stage, Beckham and Irving were finally able to calmly treat Alan Cranstone who appeared in the room, and sat down to continue their entertainment activities—just out of curiosity, they still Every ten minutes, I have to cast a glance into the corner to prove that what I saw before is not my illusion.

Yes, they are world-class football stars, yes, they may have fans in more than 200 countries around the world, but this does not prevent them from loving music, movies, fashion, and gossiping about those award-winning and scandal-filled fans. A Hollywood star, as if he is an ordinary person who is nothing more than an ordinary person.

This is not a joke. In fact, there is very little communication between European football and Hollywood. The people in the entertainment industry that the stars have the most contact with are advertising models (most of them are not mainstream models from the four major fashion weeks). Movie queens, unless you are the kind who are particularly interested in football, you will never see a few football players in your life (except from TV).

Of course, Owen was extremely happy to meet a new friend. After seeing enough novelty, he became more interested in gambling and devoted more attention to the cards.

On the contrary, Beckham, because of his great interest in Hollywood, frequently looked back at Cranstone, which directly led to his absent-mindedness when he played his cards, and the embarrassment of losing a crushing defeat later.

Carl and Owen knocked on the table impatiently.

Reluctantly, Beckham rips his shirt off (he's still wearing a T-shirt underneath, thank goodness) and throws his cards in the middle of the table: "I'm not playing."

Owen gave him a look of extreme contempt, and let out a "tsk tsk" sound of disgust.

Beckham's dead pig is not afraid of boiling water: "Unless you are willing to change the bet." After a pause, he coughed and said, "Didn't you see that we still have a guest today? 'Skinning a pig' is too impolite."

After the metal and crystal products made a short impact sound, Allen held the goblet and pointed it towards the sunny place, squinting at the colorful cocktail in the glass.He acts like he doesn't care who loses all his clothes in the next second.

Carl didn't care about Beckham's little venting. He shuffled the cards on his own, and at the same time glanced to the side: "Apple Martini...do you think this is a bar?"

"There is no doubt that this is a ward, but it is very exciting to sneak in bartending tools from under the noses of doctors and nurses." Allen shook his glass slightly: "I am looking for some entertainment for myself, just like what you are doing now Same—is it proper to gamble in the ward?"

Shrugging without rebuttal, Karl began to deal the cards.

Beckham took the initiative to strike up a conversation with Allen: "You were very professional in bartending just now."

"I studied it for two months to make a movie. Thank you for your compliments. Your gambling posture is also very... entertaining." After inserting a slice of lemon on the glass, Alan buried his head in his pile of tools In the middle, he asked without raising his head: "Want to drink something? I have all the materials."

"The stimulation of some alcohol will make me more happy." Owen flipped the cards in his hand flexibly with his fingers: "How can there be no alcohol in the casino?"

Beckham was in high spirits: "I'm going to—"

"You two are sick." Carl said casually: "Sick people can't drink."

"I'll give you a glass of the strongest James Bond I can make, and I wish you a happy relationship with Aston Martin." Allen raised his chin towards Carl: "As for these two patients, Perhaps Shirley Temple would be a good choice."

"Shirley Temple." Beckham touched his nose, "That's my son's favorite drink."

Allen made a helpless look: "Non-alcoholic stuff, that's all I have here." But he seemed to be hiding some schadenfreude.

Carl focused on other aspects: "You know that Aston Martin is going to sign me?"

In fact, to be precise, Aston Martin intends to be the sponsor of Munich 1860. If the contract is negotiated, they also want to pay for Karl to be the spokesperson and shoot a set of commercials, but they only started a week ago with Munich 1860. As well as Mendes contact, the specific details of the contract are not even known to Karl himself.

"I know everything." Allen held his cocktail glass high, but he was only willing to spit out these few words.He who doesn't want to talk too much seems to be very lacklustre and very good at the moment.

Beckham watched the two talking with great interest.

Owen whistled: "Aston Martin! If the contract is concluded, I will borrow your car to drive for a while."

……

When Beckham and Owen were pushed for examinations, Carl and Allen were responsible for "destroying the body" in the ward.

"The good times are numbered." After sorting out the set of playing cards that had begun to show signs of wear and tear due to playing for a long time, Carl said with a little melancholy: "David will be discharged from the hospital and go home to recuperate in a few days. Michael's going to be crazy at the time—maybe you could join us?" He said the last words to Allen.

"I don't understand the meaning of your doing this at all." Allen looked a little unhappy: "Draw me here without saying a word, do you think I will make two more new friends and talk more, and suddenly Do you think the world is beautiful and full of hope?"

"Your psychiatrist said that you need some new social activities." Carl pointed out his purpose: "You have met two new friends who will not reveal your actions or cast strange glances at you. Staying in a safe enough place, and even the drinks are starting to be appreciated by more people, isn't that good enough?"

"I think it's boring."

"Boredom is also a necessary seasoning in life." Carl showed him a fake smile: "If you don't like it, then continue to play the tramp, or stay in the house until you die."

"As a friendship therapist, you are not nice at all."

"That's because I'm not your licensed psychiatrist, and I don't have expensive consultation fees." Carl's words sounded more like whining.

Allen's expression moved slightly, and he took out the checkbook from his pocket: "What is your ideal number?"

Carl turned around with a surprised expression: "You don't really think I want your money, do you?"

"Maybe you're joking, maybe you're telling the truth. I'm not living in your brain, how do I know if you're telling the truth or a lie?"

"Your rest time is over, Mr. Sensitive and Suspicious." Carl opened the door of the ward expressionlessly and asked the other party to go out: "Get out of here now, I will take you home."

"You're angry?"

Carl didn't answer him.

Allen felt the other party's displeasure. He thought it was his act of writing a check to the other party, which made the other party feel that he had insulted him... He felt a little sorry, but he was not kind and would not apologize, so he could only follow silently. Carl walked out of the Ren Burke clinic, and finally found a topic the moment he got into the car: "Your friend, Michael Owen, seems to be very worried about his future."

Carl didn't respond at first, but the moment he started the car, he still said, "Have you been listening to the conversation between the three of us?"

Allen nodded: "Not a single word is missing."

"So what conclusion did you draw?" Carl asked.

The three of them, Carl and Irving, were either players or coaches. Naturally, the topic of public discussion would not be movies or music, but games and tactics. Later, they talked about the vigorous transfer that was going on this summer.

When Carl accidentally said that "Newcastle is buying strikers all over the world", Owen's expression suddenly became depressed, and then the atmosphere did not become active again. Even Beckham lost his smile because of the troublesome things brought up—— —Owen's distress is that if Newcastle buys enough forwards in the transfer season, he will have no place in the team's main force after he returns from injury.What bothers Beckham is the contract renewal negotiation with Real Madrid. His contract at the Bernabeu has only one year left, but regarding the renewal issue, the two sides have still been unable to reach an agreement.

"Your friend is seeking your advice."

"You're joking." Carl glanced at Allen inexplicably: "David and Michael must have their own career plans, and at this time, our identities are very sensitive to each other. Maybe they just want to confide in me, Instead of trying to get an answer from me."

"But in my opinion they are." Allen looked back at Carl: "I don't understand football, let alone transfers, but I'm an actor, and I can tell from people's micro expressions what they are thinking. What."

"Perhaps you're right. But I can't easily give them advice."

"why?"

"Because I'm a manager and they're very desirable players, I'm worried that if I open my mouth at them, I'll say 'come to my team' instead of really being objective from their point of view. Look at things fairly."

"Why don't you do this? Could it be that your team is bad?" Allen shrugged indifferently: "Or do you mean that when your friends become your subordinates, you will intentionally abuse them?"

"None...not." Carl blinked, his heart moved slightly.

……

A "whimsical" idea was born in Carl's mind.

He has been thinking about it for the past few days.

Consider the possibility of 1860 Munich buying Michael Owen and what Owen could do with the Lions.

The latter question is easy to answer: Owen signed with the Liverpool first team when he was 17 years old, was selected for the national team at the age of 19, and scored 22 goals in the club when he was 100 years old, and helped Liverpool achieve the "five crowns". , also won the European Footballer of the year, just like a famous template for talented teenagers, and won countless honors at a very young age.

At the brightest moment of Owen's career, he was one of the top strikers in world football and a well-deserved core of the club and the national team. If such a star joins 1860 Munich, it will not only greatly enhance the team's popularity , It can even help the Lions go further in the European battlefield-the current Munich 1860 has no experience in the European war. Although young, but with rich experience, the team can get a great supplement both in terms of psychology and strength.

What's more, Irving is not old now. 27 years old is the golden age of players. If Irving can recover more than half of his state after his injury, it will definitely not be a problem to gallop in the Bundesliga or even the Champions League.

But if you want to buy Irving, you must face three problems: transfer money, salary, and Irving's own wishes.

Newcastle only spent 1600 million pounds to buy Irving last season. It is impossible to sell him at a discount this season. Although Irving is injured, he is still a world-class star, and his salary after the transfer cannot be too low. Outrageous.

Adding up the two, if you want to buy out Irving, the finances of 1860 Munich will be very difficult. What's more, Irving can't play at all in the first few months after his transfer. The board of directors will not agree with Karl to do so.

Then there is only one option left, renting.

Will Newcastle agree to loan Owen out?And, is Owen willing to leave the Premier League, which is full of spotlights, and come to the relatively deserted Bundesliga?Or in the form of being rented?

While Carl was looking at the feasibility of this, several events happened next that gave him the impetus to act.

One is that 1860 Munich increased his transfer funds as they prepared to sell Jekas to Bayer Leverkusen.

550 million euros, the pharmaceutical company hopes to get the Greek striker.

"This is a good deal." Orr said to him: "Agreed to this, you may be able to buy a star this summer-a truly top-notch European star. contribute to our development."

"Is it okay to buy Owen?"

Orr thought Karl was joking with him, so he didn't take it seriously: "As long as Beckham is willing to come and the money is enough, you can buy him."

Selling Jekas to Leverkusen... Karl's first consideration was the player's idea.

He had a short exchange with Yekas and concluded that Yekas himself wanted to leave the team.

Because the brilliance of Greek players in the Munich 1860 team is being overshadowed by Portillo, Dzeko and others who are constantly rising, so he wants to go to a team that needs him more and can give him more opportunities and salary. Absolute main force.

Karl thought of the team's current lineup: there are Portillo, Dzeko, and Leport in the forward line, Ozil, Lars and others in the midfield are all capable, and Munich 1860 has no shortage of offensive power. What is missing is the kind of well-known striker who can help the team in the European battlefield. If you sell Yekas and buy a Champions League helper, it seems like a win-win deal.

Karl nodded in agreement.

1860 Munich and Bayer Leverkusen hit it off and decided to make the deal.

Carl tested Newcastle on the second day, wanting to know whether the other party agreed to rent Owen on loan. If he did not agree, he would look for other strikers in the transfer market.

The response from Newcastle was gratifying.

……

Shearer retired due to Owen's injury, and Newcastle fell into a forward shortage this summer, leaving only two healthy players on the team's offensive line.So the Magpies made frequent moves after the opening of the transfer window. Through purchases, loans, and returns, they brought three forwards and two wingers to the team in one go, spending a total of more than 3000 million pounds.

The weakness of the front means that the symptoms have been alleviated, but it also puts an additional burden on the club's finances, which are not well-off.

Head coach Rodel wants to increase the income of the club by selling players, but there are not many players in the team that can be sold. The biggest gain this summer is the sale of defender Boumsson to Juventus for 400 million. EUR.

Newcastle chairman Shepard felt the huge financial pressure. He began to appeal to the FA and FIFA frequently about Irving's injury in the World Cup, hoping that the latter two could issue the compensation as soon as possible.

Shepard's reason for asking for compensation is justified: "Newcastle still pays the bill for Owen-his treatment costs, and his weekly salary, and even because he can't continue to play for a long time, we have to buy it. A new striker takes his place! Every fan knows that Michael Owen was injured while playing for his country in the World Cup. The FA should take responsibility and not let innocent clubs like us take the blame.”

But bureaucracies in the world probably have a common problem, that is, slow response and laziness to take responsibility, and the FA is naturally the same. They assured Newcastle that they would definitely pay the Magpies a certain amount of compensation, but as for how much compensation, When to pay, but never an answer.

Newcastle was very upset by this.

As Chairman Shepard said, last year they spent a record-breaking club transfer amount of £1600 million to bring Irving from Real Madrid to Newcastle. The mantle of legendary shooter Alan Shearer has become the team's new frontcourt attacker and spiritual core.However, Owen was not only unable to regain his state in Liverpool for a long time, but also contracted a glass body physique due to his return to the fierce game of the Premier League. The endless medical expenses and sky-high salary made Newcastle lose money all the time. .

The "star of hope" last summer has gradually become a burden.

After solving the plight of the team's weak striker, Newcastle has the idea of ​​​​selling Irving (there is no shortage of forwards in the team anyway, instead of keeping Irving to pay him for nothing, it is better to sell him quickly for cash), but No club is willing to pay tens of millions of pounds to buy a star who is temporarily unable to play.

Well, it can't be sold anymore.Newcastle chairman Shepard wants to accept his fate. He doesn't expect to get back his money from Owen now. He just hopes that the FA's compensation will be issued earlier so that he can pay less.

At this time, Newcastle received a loan application from Munich 1860.

Last season's Bundesliga champions hoped to loan striker Michael Owen from Newcastle. The conditions they gave were very generous: After the loan contract is reached, Munich 1860 will afford all Michael Owen's treatment and salary, even if Owen cannot play for several months There is no need for Newcastle to pay a penny for the game.

It is a bit unrealistic to say that this application is a gift in the snow (the Magpies prefer to sell Owen once and for all, rather than temporarily renting it), but it is very cost-effective. Since Newcastle has no shortage of strikers and cannot use Owen to create profits, why not send him What about renting out?At least they can easily remove Irving's salary from the bill.

So Newcastle agreed to the loan application of Munich 1860 almost without hesitation, and asked them to contact Owen himself. As long as Owen nodded, they could sign the contract immediately.

Munich 1860 did not expect that Newcastle could agree so simply, but the result was undoubtedly satisfactory for all, and the two clubs quickly reached an agreement.

Then there is only one question left: Michael Owen, is he willing to go to the Bundesliga on loan?

……

Michael Owen has made many choices in his life.

Several of them cannot be said to be very wrong, but they all produced regrettable results.

If he is allowed to go through life again from a young age, Owen thinks that he will rewrite many things with his own ideas: for example, when he is seventeen or eighteen years old and his body is not yet mature, he will no longer overdraw his energy for fame; For example, if you have an injury, don’t let the team doctor bandage it and continue playing. At least you should find a regular hospital for a full-body examination and wait patiently for treatment; for example, don’t stubbornly play with an injury until you are fully recovered; In the summer of 2004, don't leave Anfield...

In 2004, Liverpool changed coaches, and the new head coach was Benitez who had just led Valencia to the La Liga title.Irving originally had the opportunity to play under the master tactician, but Benitez didn't seem too impressed with him. The plan submitted by the former to the club didn't pay much attention to Irving, and the latter got a job at that time. Real Madrid's opportunity, one didn't keep the other wanted to leave, and the two missed it.

In Real Madrid, Owen scored very efficiently and was the top player in La Liga that year. However, he was never reused at the Bernabeu, and he was just a super substitute.So Owen wanted to come back again, back to Liverpool, back to England, but Real Madrid opened their mouths to the Liverpool Lions, and the transfer fee was even higher than when he left. Red Army coach Benitez made it clear that he would not buy it. Newcastle appeared in due course, Owen then came to the magpie.

Then in Newcastle, he suffered the most injuries in his career, and his competitive state completely fell from his peak.

Is it because you didn't cherish the bitter fruit you made when you were young, or is it just a wrong step?

There may be both reasons, but Owen still can't figure out who is more important than others.

Now, it is the critical moment of his life decision.

Munich 1860 proposed to Newcastle to loan him for two seasons, but after two seasons, Owen's contract with the Magpies is almost over, so whether to go to Germany or stay in England may be another important in his career. turning point.

Karl did not try to persuade him with personal feelings, but just stood in the position of the head coach of Munich 1860 and said some purely objective things to him.

"Michael, I know that a loan contract is a bit of an insult to a world-class star like you, but you need to know the truth-1860 Munich has not had much money. A season ago we were even in abject poverty. After winning the Bundesliga championship, the cash on the team’s books can only be chosen between your transfer fee and your salary. Either we buy you and cannot afford your salary, or we can afford your salary, But I can't buy you."

Owen laughed when he heard this: "Why is there no option for a salary cut? Haven't you considered that I will choose to cut my salary to join?"

"Lease plus salary cut, are you kidding?" Owen's half-English friend rolled his eyes at him and said, "Although I have helped you, I don't want you to pay me back. And deliberate concessions. We follow the rules. You start from your interests, and I consider from the standpoint of my team. Michael Owen, now you have a chance to re-determine your own destiny, whether to go left or right, You choose."

"Don't let me consider human factors at all?" Owen said deliberately: "What if I refuse to join Munich 1860?"

Carl said indifferently: "Then I will kick you back to England after Dr. Ren Burke cures you."

Owen laughed, loudly and happily.

He began to exclude emotional factors for the first time, and considered this proposal purely and objectively.

Is it agreed to go to Munich on loan, or return to Newcastle after recovering from the injury?

If he chooses the latter, what will he get?Well, probably after recovering from the injury, he had to constantly compete with the new forwards for playing opportunities, confronted those fierce defenders in the Premier League, was shoveled, received careless treatment from the team doctor, and repeated what he had experienced in the past few years everything of.

What if you choose to join Munich?Owen puts his thoughts farther: The environment of the Bundesliga is very good, the media here is not so gossip, the fans are not so extreme, the medical level is high, and 1860 Munich will play the Champions League next season...

Reason told Owen that repeating the past years would not bring much change to his life, but if the environment and challenge were changed, the ending... I don't know.

It may be better than staying in the Premier League, or it may be worse than that. Whether it is good or bad, he needs to bet on himself.

Irving approached Karl and asked himself one last question: "What would I get if I joined your team?"

His friend, the ever-smiling Carl, raised the corners of his mouth and said, "A whole new future."

"Then, I will join."

Michael Owen said in the firmest voice he could.

The author has something to say:

PPS: Shirley Temple, an American child star, is also the name of a non-alcoholic children's cocktail, which is mainly made of fruit juice.

James Bond: A strong cocktail named after Agent James Bond. In the early 007 movies, it was a blend of vodka and martini. Shake it with ice cubes and don’t stir it. Starring Daniel Craig The Bond from "Casino Royale", the cocktail preparation method has changed a little, become three gins, one vodka, half absinthe, shake with ice and add a thin slice of lemon, then Bond He named it Vespa again, because this woman was his favorite. (Finally, Aston Martin, the British high-end car brand, is famous all over the world for producing convertibles, racing cars and limited-production sports cars. From the third 1964 movie "Goldfinger" in 007, James Bond De's imperial car.