Chapter 180: Invite
The time came to the second half, and after the halftime break, AC Milan players managed to recover their spirits and launched a spirited chase. Meanwhile, Inter Milan adopted a defensive strategy, substituting Cooper for Vieri, strengthening the midfield and defense.
Wang Feng remained on the field, exerting significant pressure on AC Milan's defense, and his constant running kept the opponents occupied.
Although the Red and Black Legion created several threatening attacks, they always fell short, and the score remained 2-0 until the end of the match.
Inter Milan secured victory in the first leg of the final, and they were already halfway to lifting the cup!
After defeating AC Milan, the entire Inter Milan team headed to Perugia, including the still-injured Recoba and Materazzi. They all participated in the final award ceremony. The league trophy had already been sent ahead, so the Italian Football Association didn't need to prepare replicas this time.
The final round of matches was uneventful. Inter Milan had already secured the title, so they fielded their entire bench. Perugia had no aspirations for a result and didn't want to play seriously either. The match ended in a 0-0 draw, with the referee blowing the final whistle as soon as the time was up.
When Zanetti lifted the league championship trophy again, both the traveling Inter Milan fans and the home Perugia fans applauded this dynasty team.
Wang Feng was awarded both the league Golden Boot and the assist king honors!
Some are happy, some are sad. The four Serie A teams that secured Champions League berths this season were Inter Milan, AC Milan, Juventus, and Lazio, while Parma narrowly missed out and had to settle for the Europa League.
The situation regarding relegation was more complicated. Piacenza, Como, and Torino were already relegated, but Reggina, Modena, and Atalanta all finished with the same points. According to Serie A rules, the three teams needed to play a round-robin tournament to determine their final standings.
Modena accumulated the most points and secured safety. Reggina then faced Atalanta in a two-legged playoff, narrowly defeating their opponents. The "curse" of Inter Milan's relegation to Serie B was broken.
The four promoted teams for next season are Ancona, Siena, Lecce, and Sampdoria. It's rumored that Serie A chairman Carraro is preparing a plan to expand Serie A, with the league set to include 20 teams as early as the 2004-2005 season.
In Amsterdam, Christian Civu held a letter and a ticket to the Champions League final, unable to calm his excitement. Many thoughts raced through his mind, recalling the extra training sessions with Wang Feng, and their joint victory in the Europa League. These moments were the most significant in his professional career.
Returning to Ajax with the glory of the Europa League, Civu quickly secured his place in the starting lineup. He took over the captain's armband from Brindisi, becoming the youngest captain in Ajax's history, leading the team to a domestic double.
Unlike Bess and Renee, his connection with Wang Feng wasn't as close. He simply admired Wang Feng's leadership in winning the Europa League last season and sent a congratulatory message.
This season's Champions League drew Inter Milan and Ajax in the same group, and both teams advanced. After the matches, there wasn't much communication between the two, as their schedules were tight.
Ajax was eventually knocked out in the quarter-finals of the Champions League, losing to AC Milan, also from Serie A. Meanwhile, Inter Milan steadily progressed to the final stage.
Now, Wang Feng sincerely invited Civu to Old Trafford to watch Inter Milan's Champions League final. In the letter, he mentioned his hope that Civu would consider joining Inter Milan next season and fight alongside him again!
Both Civu and his agent felt that staying at Ajax couldn't further his career. They were considering moving to a higher level league, with Serie A and La Liga being the main targets.
Their primary target had always been AS Roma. Negotiations were going smoothly, but unexpectedly, Wang Feng extended the invitation at this time.
His agent, Bacalli, was with him at the moment and saw Civu's complex expression. He said, 'Roma is indeed a good platform, but they didn't secure a European spot this year. Next season, they only have the league to play.'
'Inter Milan, on the other hand, is different. They're in great form, and their defense is shaky. If you go there, you'll definitely make an impact, especially with Wang Feng's recommendation.'
'Have you heard of Ribery? He started in the French third division, but thanks to Wang Feng's recommendation, he shone on the Serie A stage and became a hotshot forward.'
'Listen to me, go to Inter Milan. There, your career will surely take another step forward!' Bacalli said confidently. Civu nodded in agreement, thinking that training with Wang Feng at Inter Milan would accelerate his progress, with a world-class striker as a sparring partner.
Apart from Civu, Bess, Renee, and Barry, among other old friends, also received tickets to the final from Wang Feng, hoping they would come to cheer for him. This was Wang Feng's first time reaching the Champions League final!
Bess felt deeply moved. Without Wang Feng, Genk was no longer magical, and this year, they missed out on European competition. Looking back, it was Wang Feng who had made Genk, and they achieved glory that seemed unattainable forever.
'I'll go. Seeing Wang Feng lift the trophy will be quite an experience. By then, we can also take a photo with the Champions League trophy,' Bess said to Renee, confident that Wang Feng would win. This man never disappointed.
'Sounds great. That's settled then. I'll call Wang and remind him to remember to find us with the trophy,' Renee said mischievously.
In addition to these close friends, Wang Feng also invited his family to join him. Compared to the Europa League final, tickets for the Champions League final were much harder to come by, with scalpers charging thousands of euros.
But Wang Feng still managed to secure plenty of tickets. After all, he was the most precious asset of the club. As long as there was demand, the club's management would spare no effort to accommodate him. Wang Feng's entourage in Manchester, including his family, had everything taken care of by Inter Milan's staff, showing a sincere gesture.
His younger sister and Lu Yao were on summer vacation. They were delighted to see their long-lost relatives in England. This time, Wang Feng chose not to accompany them, as the preparation time was too tight.
After spending a year in Europe, two young girls traveling around England with their family was no problem at all. They even went to London, with Lu Yao eagerly suggesting the idea, as she had long wanted to visit the capital city.
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