From Arsenal to the Ball God

”Phew...” He touched his heart, putting on a sorrowful expression, and waved to the three, ”Anyway, the discussion is almost over, both sides have exchanged opinions, I’ll go home first.

”Sorry, I’ve always had this problem; whenever I lose a game, my heart feels uncomfortable, and I need to rest.”

He put on quite an act, but no one believed him. It was just a more decent way to express that the negotiations had collapsed.

After Ma’el left, the consultant with gold-rimmed glasses sneered a few times, ”His heart doesn’t feel good when he loses, so that’s why he always wins, right?”

”Haha...” Everyone chuckled dryly, looking a bit awkward.

Rose dialed a phone number and solemnly reported that their first attempt had failed, roughly describing how resolute Ma’el’s attitude was.

After a long while, a voice came from the other end, ”I plan to acquire 90% of Kevin Strom and others in May. If you reach an agreement before May, I’ll pay you a 3% commission of the acquisition price.

”If it’s settled in the latter half of the year, I’ll pay you a 2% commission... If it’s next year, the cooperation will end.”

After hanging up the phone, a greedy look appeared in Rose’s eyes. He waved to the two, ”Let’s go and discuss strategies after we go back. If this works out, we can get 4.5 million US Dollars.”

The other two immediately brightened up, following Rose on each side like warriors flanking their leader.

...

In the match that ended that day, Arsenal eventually lost 0-2 to Sunderland, thus ending their FA Cup journey for the season.

Somehow, after the team’s loss, the news about Ma’el’s ’heart discomfort’ was known by the UK’s ”Daily Mail,” and it was reported online, becoming a topic of amusement among fans.

”This is blatant revenge, someone is trying to harm me.”

The next day during training, Ma’el complained to his teammates while running, but didn’t explain what happened.

He was lively and full of energy, being particularly active in various training sessions, fearing that someone might really think he was mentally fragile.

”Haha.....”

His antics provoked laughter among quite a few players; everyone found him amusing.

Days continued to pass by, and on February 22, the day before the team’s first knockout round of the Champions League, Wenger gathered everyone together.

”Everyone already knows, our opponent in the round of 16 is the Serie A giant AC Milan, and we also know that we have to play an away game first.”

He stood holding a small tactical board, ”The schedule is very tough for us. If we go all out, it will inevitably tire the entire team.

”To avoid affecting the English League Cup final on February 28, some starters won’t play in this match, and some will only play a half, leaving the rest to the substitute players.”

The words were tactful, but the meaning was clear: the team was going to drop the Champions League campaign this season.

The game against Milan was not meant for victory, but rather to let the core players who didn’t play against Sunderland warm up and find their form for the final, avoiding too long of a rest that might cause them to lose rhythm.

Thus, Arsenal’s outline for the remaining matches of the season became clear.

After this Champions League match, their elite power will only be used in two campaigns.

Once the English League Cup final is over at the end of the month, the team will concentrate all its efforts and strive for the Premier League title!

”Go, go!”

”Chase the title!”

Ma’el and the players encouraged each other with high-fives; everything was confirmed, and now they were launching the final charge towards the goal.

...

”Milan... Milan...!!”

On February 24, in Milan, Italy, the San Siro Stadium, which can seat more than 80,000 people, was in a frenzy, and the chorus echoed to the sky.

The stadium’s attendance rate exceeded 98%, looking like a dense black sea from afar, with giant fan tifos spread across several stands, exuding a powerful atmosphere.

Ma’el saw all this during the warm-up and felt the surging atmosphere on the scene, and his heart was somewhat trembling.

The San Siro Stadium, it must be the first stadium with a capacity over 80,000 he’s walked into... This feeling is truly different.

Fighting here against AC Milan, who has won 7 UEFA Champions League titles and 18 top Italian league titles, will certainly be an unforgettable experience!

He had long wanted to visit the home grounds of all the major teams around the world, and today he had unlocked another one.

Unfortunately, the team wasn’t ready to compete for the Champions League title this season, and it was unlikely he would secure a victory here.

But having come here and experienced it once is already a great motivation for him.

When he returns here in the future, he will certainly strive to defeat these strong clubs and chase the Champions League dream with Arsenal!

”Beep beep!”

The referee’s urging whistle blew, signaling the players of both teams to return to the dressing room, with the starters getting ready for the entrance ceremony.

Ma’el ran back to the locker room, put on his shin pads, and headed to the player tunnel, where he quickly saw a group of familiar faces from AC Milan’s lineup, and some new ones too.

The Bicycle Kick King Robinho, Great Fengxian Eevee, legendary midfielder Sneijder, and Van Bommel, the Umbrella Man.

These people who used to live in legends, today, will face off against him on the green field!

Having spent a lot of time in the Premier League, he got familiar with many top players, sometimes losing the subtle sensations, but today he felt it again.

Having the opportunity and ability to compete with these people on the field is truly wonderful, indeed a blessing.

He should seize the opportunities and encounters of this lifetime and strive to defeat these legendary players and top stars in the future, leaving his own story in the UEFA Champions League.