Chapter 225: Chapter 225: The Shining Pharaoh
Chapter 225: The Shining Pharaoh
The camera zoomed in on the stands at Friuli Stadium. The sections with the home fans were in an uproar, while the areas occupied by Barcelona supporters were silent. Barcelona fans, who had traveled all the way from Spain, couldn't believe what they were witnessing.
How could this be happening?
By halftime, their team was leading 2-1 and had a 5-2 aggregate lead, including the advantage of away goals. Since 2009, Barcelona had never been on the losing end of a dramatic game. Known for their tiki-taka style and beautiful football, they were the best team in the world, earning the nickname "the Universe team." Across Europe and the world, they were a feared powerhouse.
Even though Barcelona had seen some decline since Guardiola left and Xavi aged, they remained one of the top clubs in European football. But tonight, they were being torn apart by an unheralded team like Udinese. Leading 5-2 on aggregate with just 45 minutes left, they allowed the opposition to score four consecutive goals and stage a comeback!
As Barcelona conceded goal after goal in the second half, their players' attitudes shifted from relaxed to nervous, then to confusion, and finally to collapse.
Now, with the match over and everything settled, the collapse turned into a blank, incomprehensible stare at the reality before them. They didn't know what had happened.
Guidolin went over to shake Enrique's hand. He patted Enrique's shoulder and said something comforting about both teams playing well in different halves.
After the dejected Barcelona players left, Friuli Stadium became a playground for Udinese. The players and fans celebrated wildly, rejoicing in their team's dramatic comeback against Barcelona and their historic first-ever entry into the Champions League final. Fans in the stands sang and danced, reluctant to leave even after the players had gone back to the locker room.
As soon as Salah turned on his phone, it buzzed with countless messages, followed by incoming calls. The first was from his wife. She had been trying to call him since the match ended, and now, finally, she got through.
In the call, his wife was emotional, even crying tears of joy. To her, all of Salah's years of hard work, focus, and sacrifices were worth it. Salah had finally reaped the rewards of his efforts.
His wife knew better than anyone the hard work he had put in for this success. But it was all worth it. After this epic comeback, Salah's performance had made him the focal point of European football fans.
Salah, equally emotional, thanked his wife for her unwavering support over the years, especially her backing when he decided to move to Udinese at the beginning of the year.
Salah knew clearly that without his wife's support, he would likely still be sitting on Chelsea's bench, waiting for an opportunity, rather than dazzling in Serie A and the Champions League.
After hanging up with his wife, more calls came in. Salah was surrounded by greetings and congratulations from teammates, friends, and family.
The post-match press conference was extremely lively. Journalists were wild, focusing mainly on three questions:
How did Barcelona collapse after leading 5-2 on aggregate? Is Bruno now the best midfielder in the world? Salah was simply phenomenal!
Five months ago, this Egyptian was warming the bench at Chelsea, but since transferring to Udinese in January, Salah seemed like a completely different player. Since his debut goal against Roma, Salah's performances had only improved, with continuous goals and assists.
Now, after this spectacular comeback against Barcelona, Salah's brilliance could not be overshadowed.
Thus, Guidolin fulfilled everyone's wishes and generously praised his protégé.
"From the first time I saw Mohamed, I knew he was the player I wanted! Five months ago, Udinese swapped Allan for Mohamed, who had few opportunities at Chelsea. Many people said I was crazy, but it turned out to be an incredible transfer!"
Some reporters rolled their eyes, thinking, "Hey, we want to hear you praise Salah, not brag about yourself." Nonetheless, they were interested in the backstory of Salah's recruitment, seeing it as a classic tale of a wise mentor recognizing a hidden talent.
Enrique watched all this, feeling both pained and envious, even a bit jealous. Sitting there in agony, he saw Guidolin chatting and laughing with the journalists. This was the brutal nature of competitive football. If Barcelona had won, those journalists would be flattering him instead.
The match between Barcelona and Udinese, being a Champions League semifinal, naturally garnered much attention. By halftime, Barcelona led 5-2 on aggregate. However, Udinese staged a dramatic comeback in the second half, scoring four goals.
The match's process and result were so dramatic that they left viewers stunned. Especially Salah, who became the focal point across Europe.
"Even the most imaginative screenwriter couldn't come up with such a script!" — Bild (Germany). "Mohamed Salah, the name that shone brightest across Europe tonight!" — France Football. "Mohamed Salah, he made Barcelona tremble!" — The Times (UK). "Facing the frenzy of Mohamed Salah, the calm and wise Bruno Fernandes, and the resilient Antonio Di Natale... the strong confidence once built among Messi, Suarez, Neymar, and other Barcelona players was severely shaken... From 5-2 to 5-6, Barcelona's champions' pride was also shattered!" — Gazzetta dello Sport (Italy).
The Sun summed up Salah's performance at Friuli Stadium: "Mohamed Salah's exceptional performance in this Champions League semifinal has increased his value by at least 10 million euros. This Egyptian star invigorated Udinese's second half. Undoubtedly, the young Egyptian star is now the most coveted attacking player in Europe."
"Udinese will certainly reject any offers for Salah. Before this match, his value on Transfermarkt was 18 million euros. Now, if Salah is worth only 18 million euros, it's an insult to the football world. After this match, his value has increased by at least 10 million euros." — Tuttosport (Italy).
Marca revealed that Real Madrid President Florentino Perez even discussed Salah with the club's executives after the match. Subsequently, Perez publicly admitted that Real Madrid would be "very willing" to sign the Egyptian player and bring him to the Bernabéu.
Real Madrid faced the possibility of a trophy-less season. They were already out of the Copa del Rey early, trailed Barcelona by four points with two La Liga rounds left, and were behind 2-1 in the Champions League semifinal after the first leg against Juventus, making a home comeback uncertain. However, seeing Udinese's comeback from a 3-1 away deficit gave Real Madrid hope for their home leg the following night.
This season was undoubtedly a failure for Real Madrid unless they overturned Juventus at home and then won the Champions League final, which seemed unlikely.
Regardless, Real Madrid would continue to strengthen their squad with major signings in the summer. For Real Madrid, even if Salah's value doubled, they would have no difficulty acquiring him.
Although Udinese had a match against Roma at the Stadio Olimpico that weekend, Guidolin gave the team half a day off on Wednesday. He himself came to Udinese's training base in the morning.
"What's this?" Guidolin looked at the pile of documents on his desk. He flipped through them; they were reports submitted by the club's general manager, Gino Pozzo. Many club executives had contacted Pozzo in the past few hours, inquiring about Salah. While no direct offers had been made, it was clear they were testing the waters.
Guidolin casually flipped through the documents and set them aside. He then called club owner Giampaolo Pozzo and made several suggestions:
Quickly sign a new contract with Salah. Accelerate the renewal of other players' contracts. Reject all offers for Salah.
When Salah transferred from Chelsea during the winter transfer window, his annual salary was only 1.2 million euros. Two seasons ago, this was the highest salary at Udinese, but with the club's recent development, it was now just mid-tier.
Giampaolo Pozzo, who watched the match from a box, understood the necessity of Guidolin's suggestions. In fact, even without Guidolin's prompting, Pozzo had already considered renegotiating Salah's contract. The existing contract included a 40 million euro release clause.
When the contract was signed, that amount seemed high. But after Salah's outstanding performances this half-season, 40 million euros no longer seemed sufficient to Pozzo.
Nevertheless, Pozzo believed this wasn't a big issue. Salah still had three and a half years left on his contract with Udinese, so the club remained in a strong position.
Furthermore, the better a player performed, the more the club benefited.
Of course, quickly renegotiating Salah's contract was now a top priority for Udinese.
(End of Chapter)
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