Chapter 247: I'm leaving now !
Wang Feng contributed 43 goals and 14 assists in the league, 17 goals and 7 assists in the Champions League, once again becoming the Serie A Golden Boot winner, European Golden Boot winner, and Champions League top scorer. However, Inter Milan only won two trophies, the UEFA Super Cup and the Toyota Cup.
Behind Inter Milan on the standings are AC Milan and Udinese, while the relegated teams are Atalanta, Brescia, and Bologna. The teams promoted from Serie B to Serie A are Ascoli, Treviso, and Empoli.
As for the Champions League, Liverpool advanced to the final after eliminating PSV Eindhoven in the semi-finals. They faced Chelsea in an English derby on the European stage. With Shevchenko's excellent performance, Chelsea defeated Liverpool 1-0, and Mourinho finally lifted the UEFA Champions League trophy after a year!
Chelsea won their first-ever Champions League trophy in the club's history, achieving unparalleled success, which made their owner Abramovich proud and drew the attention of many wealthy investors to other clubs, signaling the emergence of money-driven football.
Liverpool missed out on the eternal Champions League trophy. Despite winning it four times in history, they fell short in their last attempt to permanently retain the cup, unfortunately missing out by a small margin.
In addition to European competitions, Wang Feng also participated in some World Cup qualifiers during the 2004-2005 season.
On September 4, 2004, in the fourth round of the group stage, China faced Malaysia away. Confidence was high among the Chinese team due to their significant victory in the first leg, so Wang Feng was not called up. Despite numerous attempts, China only managed a difficult 1-0 victory thanks to Li Jinyu's late goal, narrowly avoiding a mishap.
On October 9, in the fifth round of the group stage, China faced Kuwait away. They faced the prospect of advancing with a draw, causing anxiety among domestic fans as if under a spell. However, Wang Feng's presence changed everything, as he scored a hat-trick to help the team secure a 4-1 victory and advance to the quarter-finals!
On November 17, in the final round of the group stage against Hong Kong, the Chinese national team played without pressure and won 3-0 even without Wang Feng.
In December, when Wang Feng was named Footballer of the Year for the second consecutive time, the groups for the quarter-finals were also determined. China was placed in Group A, with South Korea, Saudi Arabia, and Uzbekistan as their opponents.
Since the top two teams in the group would directly qualify for the 2006 FIFA World Cup, Wang Feng responded to every call-up, hoping to secure qualification as soon as possible.
On February 9, 2005, in the first round of the quarter-finals, China hosted South Korea. Both sides fielded almost all their overseas-based players, and with Wang Feng leading the attack, China's defense held up well. Eventually, with his three goals and one assist, China defeated South Korea 4-2.
On March 26, in the second round of the quarter-finals, China faced Saudi Arabia away. Despite facing strong West Asian defense, Wang Feng still managed to score twice, securing a 2-1 victory.
On March 31, in the third round of the quarter-finals, China hosted Uzbekistan. Wang Feng's two goals and one assist helped the team win 3-0.
On June 4, in the fourth round of the quarter-finals, China faced Uzbekistan away. With Wang Feng providing three consecutive assists, the team won 3-1.
On June 11, in the fifth round of the quarter-finals, China hosted Saudi Arabia. Facing the challenge of needing a draw to advance, Wang Feng defied the odds with a hat-trick, leading the team to a 3-2 victory and securing qualification for the World Cup with five consecutive wins, one round ahead of schedule!
On August 17, in the final round of the group stage, China faced South Korea away. With the focus on training, Wang Feng did not play in this match, but his teammates held firm with a defensive attitude, drawing 0-0 with South Korea.
After all matches were concluded, the teams directly qualified for the World Cup were China, Saudi Arabia, Japan, and Iran, while South Korea and Bahrain needed to participate in the playoffs against the fourth-placed team from the CONCACAF region.
Failure to directly qualify for the World Cup caused a stir in South Korea. The national team coach, in an interview, explained that China's Wang Feng was simply too formidable, scoring 10 goals in 6 group stage matches, surpassing all opponents.
However, this explanation failed to quell the anger of the fans, and the coach himself was dismissed. Nonetheless, facing Bahrain, Trinidad and Tobago in the playoffs, South Korea's chances of advancing were still quite high.
Back in May, after the final match against Reggina, Wang Feng learned that he had missed out on the league title. He went to a secluded place, called his agent Balmond, and said, "I want to leave Serie A, and I want to leave now! Help me contact other clubs."
After saying this, he hung up the phone and silently returned to the corner of the locker room, as if all his strength had been drained. He could accept failure, but not this kind of failure!
Teammates and staff approached to console him, but Wang Feng forced a smile and said it was okay. Ribery sat angrily aside, saying, "Boss, this is too unfair. Just because of one mistake in the Juventus match!"
"We were just one win away!" Zanetti approached, patting Ribery on the shoulder and saying softly, "Let it go."
"Wang Feng seeks transfer out of Serie A!" The Serie A season had just ended, and the British Sky Sports newspaper was the first to reveal this sensational news.
The article pointed out that Wang Feng was disappointed with the current situation in Serie A, and his agent Balmond was actively contacting other top league giants, including Manchester United, Chelsea, and others.
This news sent shockwaves throughout European football. Everyone knew how strong Wang Feng was; he had scored 40+ goals in Serie A for three consecutive seasons and was not yet twenty-two years old.
Moreover, Wang Feng was a robust player immune to major injuries, with only a few absences due to injury in his six-year professional football career. If a club acquired Wang Feng, they would not only win in the present but also secure their future, as he had at least a decade of his prime left!
Italian media only learned of this news later, and they mobilized to interview Wang Feng and other Inter Milan players, hoping to uncover deeper insights. However, since the league was over and the team was on vacation, all players declined interviews.
At the club's final press conference, coach Mancini was interviewed. He refused to discuss Wang Feng's transfer saga and instead said, "Inter Milan showed strong performances this season. Unfortunately, we faced some off-field issues, which had a significant impact on the team and irreparably damaged the reputation of Serie A."
A sharp journalist asked, "Are you implying that Inter Milan suffered unfair treatment in the league this season?"
"I won't say such things without evidence. Let the audience judge whether it was fair."
Italian media focused on why Wang Feng wanted to leave rather than where he would go, causing a storm of controversy. Inter Milan fans protested the outcome of the season, demanding a rematch or additional playoffs. Juventus fans, who had finally won the championship, were also dissatisfied and joined the protests.
This chapt𝙚r is updated by fr(e)ew𝒆bnov(e)l.com