Bab 209: Chapter 209 Wenger Will Also Be Kicked Out Of Class? A Plan To Revitalize Chinese Football
"We could have won this game, but unfortunately... we faced Su Luo."
At the press conference, Wenger appeared somewhat relieved. Despite Arsenal's 3:0 lead being overturned to a 3:4 defeat, Wenger, with his 20 years of experience, remained composed.
The momentum was gone. Before this game, Arsenal might have been able to claim a championship spot by leveraging their early-season strength. But now, even with a 3:0 lead, they had shown signs of timidity, effectively ending their championship hopes.
There were issues within the team, with a lack of toughness and resilience. Wenger reflected on his own responsibility, thinking that perhaps if he had adopted a bold strategy like Conte's 3-3-4 attacking formation, the outcome might have been different. The brave win when they meet on a narrow road, and Chelsea's comeback was a testament to that.
Su Luo had brought the spirit of risking everything to win from East Berlin to London, injecting new life into Chelsea. But where was Arsenal's spirit? Perhaps it was time for Wenger to consider retirement.
Unbeknownst to the reporters, Wenger, who maintained a calm exterior, was already contemplating his future.
On the other side, Conte struggled to hide his joy after the thrilling comeback.
"This game was incredibly tough. When we were down 3 goals, I was almost in despair. Fortunately, Su Luo led the counterattack, and the team didn't give up."
"Even though we won, we can't relax. Manchester City also staged a comeback to beat Tottenham 3:2, so our lead isn't secure. We must stay vigilant!"
Conte left the press conference with a serious expression, which puzzled the reporters. Despite winning, he looked as though he had lost. In reality, Conte was trying to temper the team's excitement and prevent complacency. He feared that if he spoke more, he might not be able to contain his elation.
This season was turning out to be quite a spectacle. The boss's 155 million euro investment was proving to be worthwhile!
Chelsea's dramatic 4-goal comeback against Arsenal sparked widespread discussion in the Premier League. Cesc Fabregas's record-breaking goal and Su Luo's stunning second goal became highlights of the season's seventh round.
In the following week, football skill streamers on platforms like YouTube and China's Bilibili began imitating Su Luo's remarkable moves. The challenge, dubbed #SuLuoMagicChallenge, offered huge traffic rewards for those who could replicate his skills.
On Weibo and Twitter, gifs of Su Luo's exceptional performance were widely shared, with interactions surpassing 100 million.
Sky Sports even interviewed Xhaka and Koscielny. Xhaka, looking a bit embarrassed, admitted:
"To be honest, I couldn't really see what Su Luo was doing. He broke through so quickly."
Veteran Koscielny, smiling, said:
"That goal was truly beautiful. I've watched it several times. Even if I went back in my memory, I doubt I'd be able to defend against it."
Even Guardiola expressed his frustration:
"After our comeback against Tottenham, we saw Arsenal leading by 3 goals and thought we might be back at the top of the table. But when we woke up, Chelsea was still at the top."
"They are definitely Manchester City's biggest rivals for the title this season."
The memory of Bayern's struggle against Su Luo's Union Berlin in the Bundesliga haunted Guardiola. The same sense of pressure seemed to follow Su Luo to the Premier League.
The silver lining was the upcoming international break after the seventh round of the Premier League. Perhaps Chelsea's winning streak could be interrupted when players returned from their national teams.
In the Chelsea lineup, the main players were called up for international duty. Ajar, Lukaku, and Courtois were key members of the Belgian team. Pedro, Cesc Fabregas, Azpilicueta, and Marcos Alonso were selected for Spain. Willian and David Luiz represented Brazil. Kante and Zouma were crucial for France. Matic and Ivanovic played for Serbia. Even Loftus-Cheek, Chalobah, and Gary Cahill were considered for England.
With Southgate taking charge of the Three Lions, young talents like Cheek, Pickford, Rice, and Rashford were getting their chance.
While the Cobham training base was almost empty with the first-team players away, Su Luo was left with only the second-team players and veteran Terry. Fortunately, Terry had retired from international duty in 2012, sparing Su Luo from being completely alone.
In the summer, after Su Luo moved to London, Southgate reached out to him.
"Su Luo," Southgate said, "I've personally called to invite you to join England. If you come, I will build the tactics around you. My goal is to win the 2018 World Cup."
Su Luo considered the offer seriously. The World Cup is every player's ultimate dream, and he had never joined a national team before. If he decided to switch to England, he could immediately play for them.
However, Su Luo had deep ties to China and had no intention of changing his nationality. He did not recognize dual citizenship either, making the decision clear despite the temptation.
The Football Association's attempt to recruit him faced another obstacle. Every international match day, the association faced significant backlash online for not utilizing the best talent available, like Su Luo.
Despite this, since the National Day press conference last year, where Su Luo's evidence had led to an investigation, progress seemed slow. But on the eve of Lippi leading the national team against Syria in the top 12 qualifiers, the investigation team, in cooperation with the police, made a shocking move: they publicly arrested an assistant coach.
The assistant coach in question was once a core midfielder for the national team in 2002 and had later played a significant role at Everton in the Premier League. He had recently joined Lippi's coaching staff but was now unexpectedly detained.
The news stunned everyone, including Su Luo. "Brother Tiezi got arrested six years ahead of schedule? It seems something was wrong with him for a long time!"
It was likely that his corruption began during his tenure with Hebei Xingfu. In the world of Chinese football, corruption was a persistent issue, and getting caught was often just a matter of time.
Su Luo wondered if Brother Tiezi's early arrest meant he might expose more individuals involved in corruption. Nonetheless, it was a relief to prevent further damage.
Su Luo's influence, meanwhile, had increased interest in football in China. Despite the national team's failures, Su Luo's performances in Europe were setting new records, and football enthusiasm in China rivaled that of 2002.
Shenhai City began constructing a new stadium last year, with several other major cities launching sports projects. Universities and schools also strengthened their football programs. The rise in football-related activities and events was evident.
However, the root problems within the national football system remained unresolved. Yet, the budding interest in football was a hopeful sign of progress.
As a prominent figure in Chinese football, Su Luo was already making an impact, and he hoped this influence would grow.
Meanwhile, Su Luo had another idea. "Mino, I want to set up a football training camp in China to help children from ordinary families. How much investment would a project like this require?"
Raiola was curious. Su Luo was only 19, and his career was just starting. Why was he already thinking about such projects?
Given the state of Chinese football, Raiola understood Su Luo's eagerness. "Conservatively, a 10-year investment could be at least 300 million euros. But with your income, that shouldn't be an issue."
With his new Chelsea contract paying up to 330,000 pounds a week, Su Luo's annual income exceeded 20 million euros, not including endorsements and other earnings. Raiola suggested investing in a sports brand, similar to Ronaldo's CR7, which generates substantial revenue.
Su Luo was committed to investing even more for the future of Chinese football. "Let's create a preliminary plan and move forward step by step."
"Understood," Raiola replied. "I'll organize everything. You focus on your training and competitions."
Raiola was excited about Su Luo's ambitious plan and felt it could make a significant difference.
After the international break, the Premier League resumed. Chelsea, playing at Stamford Bridge, faced the defending champions, Leicester City.
The good news was that Leicester's strength had significantly declined, putting them near the relegation zone. However, the bad news was the impact of the "FIFA virus" – several Chelsea players were injured during the international break.
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