Capítulo 232: Chapter 232 Su Luo Is Still The King Of East Berlin! Salah's Fighting Spirit!
For the first time, Su Luo stepped into the visiting team's locker room. He finally understood why his opponents often complained about this place.
"Is it true there's no hot water?" Ajal asked, his face twisted in frustration as he inspected the shower area.
"I heard the hot water comes and goes. It's all down to luck," Rudiger replied, shrugging helplessly.
Su Luo had thought the home team's locker room was in bad shape, but the visiting team's locker room at the Forest Management Institute stadium was a whole new level of dilapidated. It looked as though it had been abandoned for decades, with rusted cabinets and outdated facilities. It was clear that the club wasn't short on money; they simply chose to leave the visiting team's space in this condition to mess with their opponents' mentality.
Now, it was Su Luo's turn to endure it.
Before the game, Conte and the coaching staff entered the locker room to go over the final tactics. As Conte finished, he turned to Su Luo with a concerned look.
"Su, you good to go?"
"Don't worry, Coach. I'm a pro," Su Luo replied with a confident smile.
Conte nodded, reassured, and exited the locker room.
"Alright, boys, time to go to war!" Su Luo rallied his teammates.
"Hoo-Rah!" they responded in unison.
As they walked out of the locker room, Su Luo spotted some familiar faces.
"Hey, Su! Have you grown taller?" Sane called out, grinning.
"Almost, I'm 185 now," Su Luo replied. Thanks to Chelsea's professional nutritionist and fitness trainer, Su Luo had not only grown taller but also bulked up, making him even more formidable on the field. His height advantage now put him on par with many central defenders, making aerial duels easier.
"Muscles are looking solid too. That's good," Richards said, giving Su Luo a friendly pat on the shoulder.
Since Rudiger had joined Chelsea with Su Luo, Richards, who was only 19, had seen fewer appearances. However, with Su Luo's transfer, Richards had reclaimed his spot as a starting central defender for Union Berlin. In his previous life, Richards had struggled to find playing time late in his career and retired in disappointment. But now, he had found new life and was flourishing in Union Berlin, experiencing a career renaissance.
Fate works in mysterious ways, Su Luo thought. Sometimes, it's the small, seemingly insignificant factors that spark a chain reaction of changes.
Richards and Ake had formed a solid defensive partnership, with Pavard and Portugal international Rafael Guerrero covering the full-back positions. Union Berlin had lost Laxalt, their Bundesliga champion, to AC Milan but brought in Guerrero from Lorient over the summer.
Some of Su Luo's old teammates had left, but there were new faces too—Rice, Goretzka, Guerrero, and Salah, who had quickly become key players.
"Sue! So good to see you!" Christopher Ning, a diehard fan of Su Luo, ran over and hugged him excitedly.
Su Luo's old partners, Weihorst, Pavard, Pickford, Ake, and others, greeted him warmly. Pickford, who had performed exceptionally well at Union Berlin, had now become the No. 1 goalkeeper for England under Southgate's management—just as Su Luo had predicted. Pickford was grateful to Su Luo; without his encouragement, who knows how long it might have taken him to regain his confidence.
As the players reminisced, Salah stood off to the side, his expression complicated. In many ways, he had been a footnote in Su Luo's transfer saga. Once valued at over 20 million euros, he had been sold for nearly half that price, with Chelsea showing little interest in keeping him. But it was this rejection that fueled Salah's determination, and he gradually became a star in the Bundesliga.
For Salah, Su Luo wasn't just a former teammate—he was the person he aspired to surpass. Not Ronaldo, not Messi, but Su Luo. No matter how hard Salah tried at Union Berlin, he could never reach Su Luo's level. The fans adored him, but in their hearts, there was only one true king—Su Luo.
Silently, Salah clenched his fists. He was determined to outshine Su Luo today, in front of all the fans. If he could do that, then perhaps, just perhaps, East Berlin would forget about Su Luo, and he could become their new hero.
"Muhammad, you okay?" Rice asked, noticing Salah's intense expression.
"I'm fine. Let's get ready to play," Salah replied, snapping out of his thoughts.
Rice nodded. As an Englishman, he had always followed the Premier League closely. Chelsea's dominant performance this season had put immense pressure on him. He wasn't sure if he could contain Su Luo, but he would give it everything he had.
After the greetings, the players from both sides walked onto the pitch with the caddies. As Su Luo emerged from the tunnel, the crowd erupted into applause—not for the home team, but for him.
In the diehard North stands, a massive tifo unfolded, revealing Su Luo in his iconic red No. 10 jersey, holding a sickle and a hammer, his eyes glaring fiercely at the intruders. This tifo had once been used to intimidate opponents, but now it was a symbol of the fans' admiration for Su Luo.
Beneath the tifo, Uncle Hans and other dedicated fans held up a sign with a simple message: "Welcome home, Su!"
Seeing the scene, He Wei, the CCTV 5 commentator, couldn't help but feel moved, his eyes moistening slightly. This was the essence of fan culture—how a Chinese player found his place and belonging in distant East Berlin, while his homeland cast him aside. The irony was palpable, a reflection of the tragic state of Chinese football.
"Su Luo was warmly welcomed by the fans in Berlin! The family here will always remember what he brought to the club."
"Though he wears blue now, his heart remains red!"
"Of course, as professional players, we'll give our all to defeat our opponents. But we also believe the professionalism on both sides will make this a spectacular match!"
"Ladies and gentlemen, this knockout rematch of the 2016-17 UEFA Champions League is about to begin!"
The TV screen displayed the starting lineups for both teams as the commentators introduced them.
Union Berlin fielded their strongest lineup. With a weak bench, the starting eleven was their best hope. Under coach Urs Fischer, the team lined up in a balanced 4-4-2 formation, likely to focus on defensive counterattacks.
The lineup featured England's goalkeeper, Jordan Pickford; defenders Pavard, Richards, Aké, and Raphael Guerreiro; midfielders Christopher Quirinen, Declan Rice, Leon Goretzka, and Leroy Sané; and forwards Wout Weghorst and Mohamed Salah, a duo combining height and speed.
"In attack, they might make some adjustments," the commentator noted. "Now, let's look at Chelsea, who rotated all their main players in the last league match to prepare for today's knockout round."
"Conte sticks with his preferred 3-4-3 formation..."
Chelsea's lineup featured Thibaut Courtois in goal; defenders Azpilicueta, David Luiz, and Rudiger; midfielders Willian, Kante, Matic, and Marcos Alonso; and the attacking trio of Ajar, Lukaku, and Su Luo.
"This is Chelsea's strongest lineup at the moment. Both sides are fielding their best!"
"The referee has blown the whistle, and the match is underway!"
Union Berlin started cautiously, not attacking too aggressively. Sané advanced the ball down the left wing, then sent a wide pass to Quirinen. Quirinen quickly crossed the ball to Weghorst, who headed it down to Salah. Salah took a shot from the edge of the penalty area, but the ball sailed just over the crossbar!
"Union Berlin is as sharp as ever in attack!" the commentator exclaimed. "Salah nearly scored within the first 30 seconds!"
Conte was caught off guard by Union Berlin's aggressive start. Chelsea had been dominant in the Premier League, but they were facing a tough challenge in the Champions League.
Chelsea gradually took control of the game, pressing high to limit Union Berlin's space and cutting off passing lanes to Rice and Goretzka. This made it difficult for Union Berlin's midfield to connect with their forwards. Long balls aimed at Weghorst were quickly intercepted by David Luiz and Rudiger.
When Chelsea won the ball, they quickly launched counterattacks, with Su Luo as the focal point, delivering the ball to unexpected but dangerous positions.
This strategy had won Chelsea many games before, and today was no different. They bombarded Union Berlin's goal with relentless attacks.
"Su Luo takes a long shot from outside the penalty area!" The commentator's voice rose with excitement. "Just wide of the post!"
The crowd in the stands roared, urging Su Luo to shoot again, a clear sign of his popularity in Berlin.
One minute later, Chelsea regained possession, and Su Luo dribbled laterally to create space. He struck again with his left foot!
This time, the ball hit the post!
Pickford, always vigilant, anticipated Su Luo's shot. The moment the ball rocketed toward the goal, Pickford sprang into action, diving to punch the ball away and deflecting what would have been a high-quality strike from Su Luo.
"Pickford! What a thrilling save!" the commentator cheered.
Howe applauded. "Su Luo's shot was already incredibly tricky, yet Pickford anticipated it perfectly. Clearly, he's done his homework on Su Luo."
After making the save, Pickford got up and gave Su Luo a thumbs up from a distance. Su Luo responded with a nod.
Though rivals on the field, there was mutual respect between the two. However, deep down, Pickford felt a twinge of unease. That faint smile on Su Luo's face was all too familiar—a look of "happy hunting" brimming with intent to kill.
In the past, it was usually the opponent's goalkeeper who suffered when facing Su Luo. Now, Pickford was beginning to feel that same pressure.
"Damn, I never want to face him again," Pickford thought.
The heavy artillery of Su Luo's shots had shaken Union Berlin's confidence. They were reminded of just how terrifying an opponent he was.
In the stands, the fans were conflicted. Bud wore a pained expression.
"Su's gotten even stronger... We might not stand a chance this time," he lamented.
But Hans, waving the team flag, shouted to the crowd, "It's not about winning or losing! It's about the thrill of the battle!"
The red sea of fans in the stadium turned into an invisible force, reinvigorating the Union Berlin players.
Back on the pitch, it felt as if invisible red and blue stars were colliding. The match had reached a fever pitch far sooner than expected!
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