September 16th, departure day.
In the afternoon, Maël finished packing his luggage in the villa, waiting for the club's assembly call.
He would be flying to the Ruhr area of Germany today for his first ever Champions League group stage away game.
This was actually a normal occurrence every season for top players, but for him, it was a fresh experience.
He had long wanted to experience Dortmund's home stadium, the Westfalen Stadium, which was famous throughout Europe as a devil's home ground.
It's just that last life he wanted to go as a fan, this life he can go as a player.
"Kick Barcelona"
With nothing to do, Maël hummed the Champions League theme song at home. He could already imagine the heat of tomorrow's Champions League opening match with his eyes closed.
Speaking of which, this song was edited by Chinese fans like this to describe Arsenal's situation in the Champions League in recent years.
Every time they qualified from the group stage with excellent results, they would run into Bayern or the cosmic team Barcelona, always finishing in the round of sixteen, causing the club's morale to collapse.
"Ding-dong..." The doorbell rang, and Maël looked up, seeing Safina, who was right by the door, go to open it.
He could feel that Safina was obviously stunned after opening the door, as if she was amazed by what she saw, and turned her head back with her lips slightly parted.
"Ta-da~ Ta-da~!" A light female voice sounded, the tone joyful and generous.
Isabella walked in briskly, wearing black mid-calf high-heeled boots, her steps as cheerful as if she was dancing a tap solo, instantly warming the atmosphere of the home.
Today, she was wearing a well-tailored khaki silk shirt, the peak lapel design making her neck tall and slender. Her lower body was wearing black straight-leg cropped trousers, just reaching her beautifully shaped calves, outlining her slender legs even more.
Looking up, square sunglasses rested on her delicate, upturned nose, and an LV black bag hung on her shoulder, making her look very stylish as she walked.
"Surprise?"
Isabella threw her bag onto the sofa in a familiar manner, walked towards Maël and opened her right arm for a hug.
Maël quickly jumped up from the sofa, surprised, "Isabella?"
"And me."
A male voice sounded, it was Gilbert holding a box standing outside the door. He hadn't been seen for a long time, and he was much darker.
"Gilbert?"
Maël was not only surprised now, but had turned to shock, "Why are you two here together? Do you know each other?"
His first thought was that Gilbert had never mentioned his family's financial situation. Could he also be super-rich, and the joy he showed when he got a raise was all an act?
It turns out that he was the only one from an ordinary family, and the people around him were all from wealthy families.
"It's time to come clean with you."
Gilbert put the box at the door, with a sense of mystery, "Actually, I, oh no, actually Isabella, is the daughter of the Sheffield United owner."
"Ah?" Maël turned his head to look at Isabella, and immediately felt even more shocked.
Seeing her flick her glossy chestnut hair, raising her head to reveal a bright smile, and combining it with all the details of the past, and the fact that she appeared here with Gilbert today.
He immediately believed it, without the slightest doubt that they were joking, "Okay, okay, you've kept it from me for so long."
"It's not like we were deliberately hiding it from you." Isabella walked forward, hugged him, and gave him a simple kiss on the cheek.
Maël didn't actually blame her, after all, he hadn't been too curious before and hadn't asked.
He turned around and opened his arms towards Gilbert, wanting to give this old friend a big hug.
No matter what, there was still more joy at this time, the reunion of old friends.
As a result, after Gilbert came up and hugged him, he leaned his face towards him with a gloomy expression, wanting to give him a kiss on the cheek. He immediately waved his hand in ugly refusal, "I don't think there's any need for that, right?"
"Hahaha" Gilbert and Isabella laughed together. They sat on the sofa, and Safina quickly made coffee for them.
"Why are you here at this time?"
Maël sat on the sofa looking at the two of them, with more worries in his heart, "I might be leaving for Germany at any time."
"Because we're leaving too."
Gilbert hadn't seen Maël in a long time, and besides the joy in his eyes, he felt a bit emotional. He patted him on the shoulder and said, "You probably don't know, but Sheffield United won their first Premier League game last round."
"I scored my first Premier League goal, a brace no less. I smashed Swansea's goal with two headers."
"I didn't notice, actually."
Maël's eyes showed a hint of guilt, but he chose to answer with a joke, exaggerating in Mendes's style, "Well, you have to understand, I'm a red-hot star in the Premier League right now.
"Businesses wanting to sign me are lined up all the way to Southampton, and I have all sorts of interviews and parties, plus a tight schedule, so it's normal not to have time to pay attention to these things."
"Lame, lame." Gilbert waved his hand dismissively with a mocking smile, as if ridiculing that Maël's joke level was still so poor after not seeing him for so long.
"Maël."
Isabella inadvertently glanced at Safina, then turned back and smiled, "The European football scene has really been plastered with you lately. Are you ready to go even further in the Champions League? Do you remember? I actually promised to give you a birthday present, but I just haven't found the chance."
"Forgot." Maël touched his hair. He'd been so busy lately that he'd neglected his friends, not even sparing a bit of energy to pay attention to them.
"I don't hold grudges, so don't you either."
Isabella raised her eyebrows and pointed at him, meaning they were even, then smiled brightly, "Check out the gift I'm making up for you."
She opened her bag and took out a badge fastened with glass, which had a lot of texture and looked quite old.
"A knight's crest."
Isabella tilted her head, observing Maël's expression, wanting to see surprise on his face, "This isn't a replica, it was passed down from the Hundred Years' War. My family has three of them."
Maël took the crest and examined it carefully, looking at the patterns and crown. He was indeed surprised, but he asked first, "Are your family okay with you giving away something from your house?"
Isabella saw that Maël's reaction was relatively calm and was slightly disappointed, but she didn't show it. "They know, and they're okay with it. Who would begrudge giving a knight's crest to our team's best player from last season?"
Maël thought that made sense, since Isabella was the daughter of his old acquaintance McCabe. He carefully put away the knight's crest, vowing to keep it safe. No boy disliked this kind of thing.
"Mine is simpler."
Gilbert walked to the door, unpacked a box, and took out two signs and a box. "Guess what these are? I'll state first, it's not just my gift.
"Joelson and Gareth Speed heard I was coming and brought gifts too."
"Price tags."
As soon as Maël heard Joelson's name, he instantly guessed what Gilbert was holding. "Those two signs are both price tags, one for 20 million from the second increase, and one for 30 million from the third increase?"
Gilbert was stunned, and his face quickly turned red. "Hey? That's impossible. I thought this was very creative. I discussed it with Joelson for a long time before deciding to give you this.
"We figured you don't lack anything now, but you just don't have time to order these meaningful souvenirs, so we ordered them for you."
Maël smiled and took the signs, saying, "I still remember the time Joelson gave me the price tag. Seeing you mention him reminds me of it.
"Alright, I can definitely feel your good intentions. It doesn't matter whether I can guess it or not. What's in that box?"
"Mr. Gareth Speed gave it to you." Gilbert's expression improved a bit as he handed the box to Maël. "He said he promised to tell you something when you left, and now he can tell you half of it."
Maël immediately took the box, opened it, and saw a small note inside. He curiously unfolded it.
But it only had half a sentence on it—"Actually, I always..."
Maël: "..."
Saying he'd tell him half was really telling him half?
Why did Mr. Gareth Speed still want to tease him from so far away? But thinking that the other party should be in a good mood recently to have the leisure to joke with others, he felt a little relieved.
"Now tell me, where are you guys planning to go?"
"The Ruhr."
"To watch my game?"
"Your first Champions League game, of course we have to watch it. And I said, if I'm doing well enough along the way, I'll come back to see you early."
"Sounds good." Maël was a little touched. He showed them around his trophy room and put the two new price tags together with the original 8 million euro price tag.
Isabella's mouth was slightly open as she looked around. She hadn't expected that Maël's achievements since his debut, when put together, were already so amazing.
She also looked at the photo wall and saw Maël's wonderful moments in the Premier League, and her beautiful eyes rippled.
Finally, she came to the price tags again, looked at the three neatly arranged tags, and yearned, "These are all the roads you've walked. You must collect them well and look forward to the day your price breaks 100 million."
"100 million?" Gilbert's eyes widened, then he burst into laughter, "Only Messi of Barcelona is worth 100 million. If Maël is worth 100 million, wouldn't he become the Ballon d'Or winner?"
Maël and Isabella exchanged glances and smiled, but they both saw a strange sense of confidence in each other's eyes.
...
September 18th, 7:20 PM, Westfalen Stadium, Arsenal's Champions League debut of the new season is about to kick off.
"Dortmund! Dortmund!! Ooh ooh.!!"
Amidst the deafening cheers, the players from both teams walked out of the player tunnel and headed towards the center of the field.
As Maël walked onto the field, he instantly felt as if the entire sky had turned yellow and black. More than 70,000 Dortmund fans, holding up pieces of paper, displayed banners spanning three home stands.
He had seen this scene on TV before, but when he stood on the field and looked at these banner formations made up of human walls, he still felt a strong sense of oppression.
He felt so small, and this club from Germany was so united and so powerful.
But he quickly took a deep breath and adjusted himself. Conquering such a team, conquering such fans, is the most challenging and rewarding thing!
No matter who the stands belong to, the green field belongs to the players. This is his stage, and he will not be affected by others!
"Buzz buzz buzz"
When the players from both sides walked to the circular flag with the Champions League logo, dozens of staff members quickly shook the flag, creating a feeling of surging waves.
Maël's breathing became rapid. His first Champions League main match had finally arrived.
This is a stage for top players, the highest level of competition in the world. Every year, many world-renowned superstars will emerge from here, and countless people will be crowned with the Ballon d'Or here! The Champions League!
A dreamlike football stage! "Deng deng deng deng deng deng. Deng deng deng deng deng deng!" *2 The inspiring Champions League theme song suddenly began at this moment, the melody most familiar to football fans around the world, shaking the entire Westfalen Stadium.
Maël looked up and closed his eyes, then quickly opened them again. His breathing became even more rapid, his chest constantly rising and falling, his whole body trembling.
"Ce sont les meilleures equipes!
(French) They are the best teams!"
The first powerful female voice entered his ears, and Maël's head trembled, as if he had entered a completely new realm.
"Sie sind die allerbesten Mannschaften!
(German) They are the best teams!"
After two more intense sounds from the orchestra, the second voice sounded. At this moment, no one in the entire stadium could remain calm.
This is a song that mixes French, German, and English. It was undoubtedly born for this great competition and is the most exciting theme song in the world! All the past honors and legendary teams have made this song even more powerful and evocative.
It will make everyone understand what kind of game is currently underway! "The main event!
(English) The most important event.!"
The last foreshadowing sound rang out, and all emotions were piled up to the highest point. The song also ushered in its climax, "Deng deng deng deng. Deng deng deng deng!" *2 "Die Meister (German) Masters of victory.!!"
When the chorus arrived, Maël's eyes and nose seemed to be strongly stimulated, and he couldn't help but feel a burst of heat.
"Die Besten (German) Masters of kings.!!"
He raised his head to the highest point, put his hands behind his back, and forced himself to stand still calmly.
"Les grandes equipes (French) Great teams!!"
Maël opened his mouth to breathe, and sweat was already rolling down his cheeks. He felt like he was experiencing the most wonderful moment of his life.
Childhood dreams, a stage of glory. In this life, he must make the Champions League his own Champions League! "The champions (English) Champions.!!"
As the last sound of the first paragraph fell, all the Dortmund fans and Arsenal fans in the stadium burst into a violent cheer, "Oh!!"
Maël and the Arsenal players all raised their hands and clapped excitedly.
Arteta was standing next to him. He turned his head and saw that this veteran who had played in the Premier League for many years was already in tears.
"Let's go!!"
Maël patted him on the chest, and Arteta also turned around and shouted, "Vamos!!"
The two did not communicate any further, but closed their eyes, enjoyed the remaining songs, and then excitedly clapped their hands and ran to their positions.
"Beep!!"
At 7:30, amidst the still majestic giant banners, the referee blew the whistle to start the game. This opening match of the 11-12 season Champions League officially kicked off.
Maël even had the illusion that he couldn't feel his body anymore, only knowing to clench his teeth and sprint towards the opponent's half with all his might.
He craved his first Champions League goal.
"CCTV! CCTV!"
In the live broadcast room, the voice of CCTV-5 commentator He Wei rang out, with a strong personal style, "The match between Dortmund and Arsenal has begun, Van Persie kicks off for Arsenal from the center circle.
"Let's take a look at the starting lineups of both sides. Dortmund is fielding a 5-4-1 formation today, with Weidenfeller in goal. The defense line from left to right is Schmelzer, Subotić, Hummels, Gross, and Piszczek.
"The midfield line is Kehl, Kagawa Shinji, Sven Bender, and Götze.
"Up front is the Polish striker Lewandowski, who is only 22 years old this year.
"Arsenal also has changes today, they are fielding a 4-2-4 formation, with Van Persie and Walcott at center forward, Maël on the left, and Gervinho on the right.
"In midfield, Arteta and Alexandre Song partner up, the defense line..."
After introducing the starting lineups of both sides, He Wei began to face the Westfalen Stadium squarely, his voice not very excited but with a different kind of poetic feeling, "The stage for chasing dreams lights up again, 32 teams will compete for the ultimate honor!
"Let's take a look at this attacking opportunity, Dortmund is retreating across the board, their intention for a defensive counterattack is very clear.
"Arsenal controls the midfield, the two wingers are recovering, with five defenders, they may not get too many opportunities in the frontcourt."
On the football field, Maël constantly probed the defending players with forward feints and sprints, today he was up against Piszczek.
This is a very balanced full-back in both attack and defense, strong and sturdy, able to contribute on both the defensive and offensive ends.
He initially played as a winger, and after switching to full-back, he was immediately hailed as the best full-back in the German league.
Facing him has some pressure, but Maël is also happy to compete with these top-level full-backs, he thinks Piszczek will be a good opponent.
"Bang."
In the 2nd minute of the match, Arteta passed the ball horizontally to him.
He dribbled the ball towards Piszczek, who lowered his center of gravity and retreated, his eyes focused, waiting for an opportunity to steal the ball.
Maël used Bicycle Kick and step-over skills to try continuously, but failed to shake the opponent's center of gravity at all, even when he quickly dribbled the ball towards the center, the opponent could quickly turn around and keep up.
"Bang!" With the purpose of trying, he suddenly dribbled the ball towards the baseline, wanting to try a wave of Speed.
"Pay attention to the center!" Piszczek quickly turned around and chased back, his initial reaction was even faster than Maël, he should have anticipated it.
In the first few steps, he was in the lead, and was about to get the football.
Maël gritted his teeth and pushed off the ground to keep up, gradually closing the distance with him, and after reaching the parallel line, he lowered his center of gravity and bumped into the opponent.
"Bang!" After a loud noise, Piszczek's figure staggered, but he still maintained a forward rushing posture.
Of course, his condition was not good, with each step he ran, his center of gravity became more unstable, with the risk of falling at any time.
"Agh!!"
At the moment before falling to the ground, Piszczek shouted, and his body exploded forward with a tackle.
His tackle was very sharp, touching the football that was about to slip to the baseline, and shoveling it out of the sideline.
"Come on!" After getting up, he waved a rising dragon punch towards the fans in the South Stand in front of him.
Maël didn't brake in time, and rushed out of the baseline all the way and fell towards the advertising board. Although he had an advantage in the breakthrough, he looked quite embarrassed at the last moment.
He stood up, and excitement rose in his heart, only such opponents can help him better test his strength! He raised some combative emotions, glanced at Piszczek, just as the other party also turned his head.
"Pa!"
The two's right hands touched together, and they lightly gave each other a high-five.
It was quite similar to the elegant scene of Ronaldinho being tackled and then getting up to high-five his opponent back then.
Both of them understood very well in their hearts that they could not avoid each other in this match, a real battle was about to begin on the left!
"In the first confrontation, Piszczek didn't let Maël pass."
In the live broadcast room, He Wei's voice was somewhat expectant, "Their contest on the left is also a major highlight of this match.
"This is a collision between the Premier League's super explosive point and the Bundesliga's best full-back on the Champions League stage!"
I didn't expect it to be so troublesome, very busy, and I couldn't close my eyes all the time. The update was late, only 11,000 words, sorry, I may only be able to guarantee over 10,000 words every day next. It will be better after the funeral on November 2nd.
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