Chapter 191: The UEFA European Football Championship Part 2
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
The shining new football stars were all taken a long time ago. In that case, what could Nottingham Forest, a new Premier League team that was neither as influential as the powerhouses nor able to promise better wages to those players, use to attract them? Perhaps the only thing that it could offer was “participation in the next season’s UEFA Europa League”….But for players who were being contested over by various powerhouses, which one of them would still care about the qualifications for the UEFA Europa league? Shouldn’t their battlefield be the UEFA Champions League instead?
It really was really a paradox; the players who had caught Tang En’s eye would not show the slightest interest in Nottingham Forest, while the players who would be interested in Nottingham Forest would not have caught Tang En’s eye.
Greece’s center back, Dellas, was instead a rather decent candidate for the newly-promoted Nottingham Forest. His performance in the UEFA European Football Championship had gotten widespread recognition; he was currently deemed the last traditional sweeper remaining in Europe. But the problem was that if Tang En had quoted a price to Roma one month earlier, then the club, which had already decided on giving up the Greek player, might have even given him away for free. However, that opportunity was no longer available. If Nottingham Forest really wanted him, Roma could definitely ask for an exorbitant price based on his extraordinary performance during the UEFA European Football Championship. In any case, there were many other teams that were interested in this tall Greek player, and Nottingham Forest was merely one of the many.
As the UEFA European Football Championship progressed, Tang En and Dunn’s workload actually lessened. By the end of the championships, there were only those few teams left. The players whom they had to assess had already been assessed, and the only ones left were either those who did not catch Tang En’s eye or who Tang En had no means of purchasing at the moment.
The Greek team played well, challenging the traditional perspectives of European Football time and again in their matches. This had, however, also repeatedly caused football fans to grind their teeth in hate. However, in Tang En’s eyes, despite him always putting in good words for the Greek team in his special column, none of the Greek players caught his attention. That was because Tang En knew that even if the Greeks were to attain the championship title this time, it was still insufficient to say that their players were on the same level as the other top players in Europe, or that they were on equal footing with other football stars from traditional strong teams.
It could only be said that throughout the twenty-odd days of the UEFA European Football Championship, the Greek team was the best-performing team among the sixteen teams present, and that their players worked together the best. Nothing more, nothing less. After the finals ended and everything settled down, discussing whether Greece would become a powerhouse in the European Football scene from then onwards, or whether Greek players would become more popular, was completely meaningless.
Perhaps others might disagree, but it should be noted that Tang En had time travelled back in time from year 2007. How many players from the Greek team had continued to play well for their clubs? Not even one.
※※※
When the Greek team had defeated many powerhouses such as France and Czech Republic to finally advance and meet Portugal in the finals, the whole world favored Scolari more. Regardless of which angle they looked from, they felt that Portugal should win that night. They were the hosts, had a world-class champion manager, and their opponents were one of the weakest teams, Greece.
Even the waiter at the hotel where Tang En was staying gave him an unusually friendly smile. The waiter took the initiative to chat with Tang En about the finals match that would be held that night. This Portuguese youngster was very confident about his country’s national team. Out of sympathy, Tang En did not shatter his dreams.
After sending off the waiter, who had rattled on endlessly, Tang En stood near the windows of the hotel and saw the crowd of Portuguese fans assembled downstairs. They were wearing red and green colored Portuguese jerseys, waving Portuguese flags, and singing songs as they walked past the hotel in flocks.
“I really don’t know what these people’s expressions will look like in a few hours. Celebrating so brazenly before the match even starts… aren’t they afraid of angering the Greeks?” Tang En shrugged and turned around to look at Dunn, who was still taking down notes in front of the table.
“Got it, Dunn.” Tang En walked up to Dunn and closed his notebook. “You got to learn how to enjoy things… Only when you learn to enjoy life can you enjoy your work. Haven’t you heard that saying? They often use it in advertisements, but I’ve got to admit that it’s true. Let’s go, we’ll get a drink.”
Dunn looked up at Tang En, who shrugged again. “You can’t become a successful manager by just burying yourself in a mountain of information. Go and relax a bit, engage in some idle chat, and maybe you’ll find some inspiration. Let’s go.”
Dunn still did not move.
“Alright, I don’t care what you were like in the past, but now that you’re with me, you have to do as I do. That way, we can improve our chemistry.” After Tang En said that, he directly dragged Dunn out of the hotel room.
Tang En randomly chose a crowded bar along the streets outside, brought Dunn along, and squeezed in. The majority of the patrons in the bar were Portuguese, but there were, of course, still a minority of Greeks present as well. This was easily discernible just from a look at the jerseys which they wore. Before the match started, everyone was still able to get along with one another, taking pictures of themselves raising their beer glasses as mementos. Speaking as a whole, the Greek fans were slightly low-profile. Next to the Portuguese people, who were celebrating as though they had already won the championship, the Greek fans did not seem humiliated.
Tang En squeezed to the bar counter and asked for two glasses of beer in English. Afterwards, he pushed one glass to Dunn and said, “Just drink. It’s not poison.”
Dunn shook his head. “I once swore never to drink alcohol again.”
Tang En did not want to put him in a tight spot, so he took that glass of beer and put it in front of himself. “What a coincidence, I was afraid you would want to drink… mmm…So good!”
After downing a mouthful of icy beer, Tang En felt so good that his hair was standing on end. Unable to help it, Tang En shivered.
Seeing that Tang En was completely immersed in it, Dunn remained unmoved. Right at that moment, another voice sounded from behind Tang En. “What a coincidence! Hi Tony!”
Right after Tang En opened his eyes, he saw Pierce Brosnan standing behind Dunn and waving at Tang En frantically.
“Hi, Mr. Reporter.” Tang En said as he waved, and Dunn turned his head around to look behind him.
“It’s really unbelievable that even though we’re both in Portugal, we only met on the day of the finals.” Brosnan saw Dunn, and the sight of an Asian face shocked him.
“Hello.” Dunn took the initiative and greeted the other.
“Hello…”
“I forgot to introduce him to you.” Tang En waved his hands at the waiter to ask for more beer before pointing at Dunn and saying to Brosnan, “Dunn, from China. From today onwards, you’ll be seeing him very frequently.”
“Chinese? Your second Chinese teacher?” Brosnan started laughing. “He looks really young… How did you guys get to know each other?”
“No, Mr. Reporter.” What Tang En said after made Brosnan stare at him in shock, unable to believe his ears. “He’s the new assistant manager of Nottingham Forest; my assistant, partner, and colleague.”
As Brosnan turned his head and saw the calm look on Dunn’s face, his mouth was opened so wide that one could stuff a beer glass into his mouth.
Tang En was pleased to see Brosnan in such a state of shock. and he continued to giggle by the side. Despite bringing the beer glass to his mouth, Tang En was simply unable to pour it into his mouth.
Brosnan, who had finally recovered from his initial shock, shook his head and said to Tang En, “Tony, we all know that you like to do things in an unconventional way… but I dare say that your action this time is the most exaggerated one ever! You know that? Never has there been any English Premier League team that is willing to hire a Chinese person to be an assistant manager. And he is still so young…”
Tang En pointed at Dunn, who was behind him, and said, “Be careful what you say, Mr. Reporter. Dunn is completely able to understand what you’re saying. His understanding of English Football might even be more than yours and mine combined.”
Brosnan still felt found it hard to believe, and said, “An Indian fan who reads the news everyday might also be more knowledgeable about English Football than us! But what’s the point of all this? He… does he have a coaching license?”
“I will make him get one this summer,” Tang En casually said as he sipped on his beer.
“Which is to say that he doesn’t have any coaching experience?”
“In a way… you can say it like that, but it isn’t entirely correct…” As he said this, Tang En thought about how Dunn’s work experience on the youth team alone was much more than Tang En’s experience as a manager.
“No fame, no qualifications, no… nothing at all. You intend to let this kind of person become Nottingham Forest’s assistant manager?”
Tang En suddenly hated Brosnan’s tone and attitude. This was in spite the fact that Tang En knew that it was only natural for him to doubt Dunn. After all, Dunn had not displayed his abilities to others yet. However, Brosnan yelling at his assistant manager in such a rude manner was equivalent to doubting Tang En, because this person was chosen by Tang En himself.
“I don’t feel like there is any issue. Assessing a manager’s abilities cannot be done by looking at boring things such as their qualifications or reputations. Whether or not he is able to be an assistant manager, won’t the answer be clear once you see him in action? You, on the other hand, Mr. Reporter, must be terribly drunk. You should go to the toilet and sober yourself up,” Tang En said unceremoniously, with a displeased look on his face.
Realizing that he had gotten carried away, Brosnan sat dumbfounded for a while before apologizing awkwardly to Tang En and Dunn. “I’m really sorry. You’re right. I don’t even know how many glasses I drank just now. Alright, let me go to the toilet and sober up…”
Seeing Brosnan’s figure disappear amidst the crowd, Tang En said to Dunn, who had been silent all the while, “Dunn, you’ve been doubted by someone. And you’ll have to get used to it. There will be more such situations happening this summer.”
Dunn replied dismissively, “It’s very normal. I haven’t done anything yet.”
Looking at that placid face, Tang En felt that that was a face that he wouldn’t have made if it were him. “You don’t feel that you’ve been humiliated, or feel angry?”
“I’m different from you. I’m not used to quarrelling with people.” Dunn finished all the water in his glass before turning and heading for the exit. “I’m heading back first.”
Tang En, who was holding the beer glass in his hand, grinned behind Dunn. Unsure of the reason why, Tang En suddenly recalled the piece of red paper that was stuck onto the refrigerator door: “Must win,” accompanied by three big exclamation marks.
