Godfather Of Champions

Where in England would there be a lot of customers after night falls on the 8th of July?

Without a question, it would be the bars. And, to be more specific, the bars where one is able to watch a televised football match.

The British enjoy watching football in groups. They would rather head down to a bar and watch a football match with their friends over a drink instead of watching it in their own homes.

The BBC5 channel aired a pre-match analysis two hours before the finals kicked off. The pundits did an in-depth discussion of the match and analyzed it from different angles. It was the first time in 50 years that England has made its way into the finals of an international football competition. The channel has to make sure that their show reflects the significance of the match or the viewers could end up being upset.

Dunn was not the kind of person who enjoyed being in a crowd. He prefers watching the live coverage of the football match at home quietly than in a noisy environment.

However, it seems like he would not be getting the peace and quiet that he seeks tonight.

“Dear~” His wife, Tang Jing, stood before him while being dressed in sexy lingerie, and she blocked the television screen with her body. “Do I look beautiful in this?”

“You do.” Dunn’s eyes never left the television screen. He shifted to a different seat after seeing that Tang Jing had blocked his view. Alan Shearer was predicting the England team’s potential line-up for the match on the screen. Twain did not change one bit. He would not reveal his starting line-up for the match until the very last minute, just as he has always done in the past.

Even a fool could tell that Dunn did not really meant what he said. Fury flashed across Tang Jing’s face. She shifted her position after seeing Dunn change his seat.

“Do you want me or not?” Tang Jing was not embarrassed to say such words. She has become bold after spending so much time in England. The Chinese might be known to be more bashful when it comes to speaking about topics like these, but no such bashfulness exists in Tang Jing any longer.

Dunn averted his gaze towards Tang Jing. He watched as his wife lowered her bra straps all the way to her elbow and revealed her breasts partially. Thereafter, he shook his head and said, “No.”

His words made Tang Jing feel humiliated. Dunn realized that he had said something wrong after seeing that his wife was about to explode from anger. He quickly added, “I just don’t feel like doing it tonight.”

He did not salvage the situation with his words. All he did was to add fuel to the fire.

Tang Jing erupted like a volcano. She removed her bra and tossed it at Dunn’s face. “Do it with your football then!”

Tang Jing stormed back into her room with two balls of bouncing flesh before her chest, and she did not forget to slam the door shut behind her after entering the room. The impact of her door slam was so great that some of the dust on the ceiling fell off.

Dunn looked at the closed bedroom door and smiled helplessly before directing his attention back onto the television screen. He can finally watch the match in peace now. He heard sounds of items being thrown onto the floor from the bedroom shortly after, but he ignored them.

“… England has yet to set off for the stadium, but we can already see some players at the hotel’s lobby…”

Scenes of the hotel’s interior were being shown on the television screen. The video was taken by the reporter from a distance, and it was a little blurry as a result. However, one is still able to make out players like Rooney and Mitchell from the video. As for Twain, he is still nowhere to be seen, and the camera continues to shift about in an attempt to search for him.

※※※

Twain sat at a corner of the lobby where the cameras would not be able to capture him. He was able to see the lift from where he sat, and he conversed with Des Walker while paying attention to the players who walked out from the lift. He was trying to take attendance and determine if there are any players who are still in their rooms.

“Des, are you nervous?” Twain asked.

“A little. Are you not nervous?” Walker asked back.

“Of course I’m a little nervous.” Twain laughed. “Can’t you see that I’ve been chewing on gum all this time?” He pointed at his mouth. “I’ve been chewing for close to an hour.”

“Why do you still chew on it when it’s tasteless?”

“You are right.” Twain spit his gum into the wrapper and tossed it into the bin. He then fished out another piece of gum and placed it into his mouth. “I should buy bubble gum next time. At least it’d be fun to chew on it.”

“I don’t think you are nervous at all, Tony…”

Twain was surprised by Walker’s words. “Really? That’s good!”

Twain was truly feeling nervous at the moment. However, he did not really want others to discern that he was nervous. He wanted to divert his attention onto something else, and that is why he chose to sit at the hotel lobby and have an idle chat with Walker. It seems like talking to Walker has definitely helped to calm his nerves.

The player who walked out of the lift was Mitchell. His height caused him to stick out like a sore thumb. Twain noticed the look of depression upon his countenance. It looks like the kid is still harping over the fact that he is unable to play in the finals.

“Aaron, come over here!” Twain shouted and waved his hands.

Mitchell walked over obediently.

“Sit.” Twain pointed at the sofa across of him. “That seat is reserved for the coaches. The players who are playing in the finals later are not able to enjoy this privilege that I’m offering to you now.”

Twain joked with Mitchell.

“Thanks boss…” Mitchell knew that Twain was trying to comfort him. He was still feeling upset on the inside, but he did not show it through his mannerisms.

“Don’t think too much about it. Just sit back and enjoy the moment when we are crowned champions.” Twain walked over and patted Mitchell on the shoulder.

“But, it’s not like I did anything to help the team achieve it. I just can’t enjoy becoming champions like this…”

“That’s not true. You are doing something for the team in your own way. Think about it. What do you think your teammates will feel when they see you sitting by the side of the pitch with a glum face? They would definitely be affected emotionally and they would end up performing poorly in the match. I’m not joking about this. Won’t you feel upset if you saw someone who is pulling a long face or who looks disinterested sitting by the side while you are working hard on the pitch?”

Mitchell froze. He has to admit that his boss’s words were very persuasive. He imagined himself being on the pitch and encountering a situation like that, and he came to the conclusion that he would certainly be affected emotionally if he saw those scenes.

“Smile, Aaron.” Twain grinned at Mitchell. “Our smiles possess a mysterious power. Your smile can infect your teammates and it can help them feel even more confident about overcoming their obstacles and defeating their opponents. Remember this. No matter what happens, all of you form a whole entity. You are always going to affect your teammates whether you play in a match or not, and affecting your teammates means that you will affect the results of the match as well. I would get angry when we are losing in a match, but I’ve never pulled a face while I’m watching a match from the side. Do you know why? It’s because I can convert my anger into motivation, but being depressed only causes others to lose their fight and confidence. It’s just like a contagious disease.”

Mitchell suddenly saw the light once Twain finished his words.

“I understand now, boss.” Mitchell led out a smile.

“Good. Go back to the team now. You have been stripped of the right to sit at that very seat from here on out!”

Mitchell stood to his feet and left hastily.

“I want you to talk to them. Don’t let them play in the match while being worried about you.” Twain’s voice emerged from behind. Mitchell turned his head around and replied, “I know that!”

“I’m very impressed, Tony.” Des Walker lamented as he watched Mitchell run away from them looking full of energy. Mitchell looked like a totally different person. The kid who had walked over to them with a sullen face earlier was nowhere to be found. “I’ve not come across many people who are as skilled as you are when it comes to managing the psychological state of players.”

“It’s actually very simple. You just need to put yourselves in the players’ shoes and be sincere with your words.” Twain reclined against the sofa, and he noticed Wood walking out of the lift. Wood was the last one to come down. It looks like he had carried out his duties as the captain of the team, and he had only come down after ensuring that all his teammates had already gone down ahead of him.

Twain lifted his wrist towards him and glanced at his watch. There were still close to two hours before the match kicked off.

“It’s about time. I don’t want to stay here and be watched by the reporters as though we are a bunch of monkeys at the zoo. Let’s go.” Twain stood to his feet. His gesture signaled to the other players who were still lounging around the lobby and chatting with one another that it was time to leave. Everyone stood to their feet and walked towards the bus that was parked right outside the entrance to the hotel.

The reporters outside the hotel became excited when they noticed that the players were headed towards the entrance. They all came out of hiding and rushed towards the entrance to capture photos of the players up close, but they were blocked by a line of security guards.

The England fans were less rowdy. All they did was to stand behind the security guards and shout, “We are the champions! We are the champions! England! England! Ohhh!”

“They have set off!” The reporter from BBC5 yelled excitedly.

※※※

Elsewhere, an Italian television host also announced how the Italy national team was on its way to become the champions excitedly. Both teams had set off for the Bernabéu Stadium at the same time.

Two buses of different colors drove towards the Bernabéu Stadium in different directions. Several police cars drove before the buses, and they helped to control the traffic. There were also helicopters flying above the buses, and they have been flown by the television stations to capture the teams’ journeys towards the stadium. It was truly a sight to behold. Both teams were making grand entrances.

The bus carrying the England team pulled up outside the Bernabéu Stadium soon after. The entire England team could hear the din coming from within the stadium as they sat within the air-conditioned bus.

The Santiago Bernabéu Stadium is basked in a blinding white light before them. It is just like the ‘White House’ of the footballing world, and it eagerly awaits the arrival of the two stars for tonight’s show.

The players alighted from the bus a moment later. A commotion broke out when the players appeared before a crowd of reporters and fans. The security guards at the scene fought hard to keep the crowd back. The players are used to seeing scenes like these, and they did not stop in their tracks to entertain the crowd. They simply walked into the stadium and towards their locker room.

The last one to get off the bus was Twain, and he accepted a brief interview from BBC5 as he stood behind the line of security guards.

“It is said that there are many British fans who have flown over to Spain over the past few days. Clearly, none of them expected their team to be able to make its way into the finals. What are your thoughts on this, Mr. Twain?” The reporter pressed onto his earpiece with one hand and held onto a microphone with the other. He had spoken very quickly, but Twain was still able to make out what he said due to his good pronunciation.

“I’m very pleased.” Twain raised his voice as he responded. “I actually wish that the Bernabéu would allow the England fans without tickets to enter! Ha! That’d help us turn this stadium into our own home grounds! But, I doubt the Italians would agree to this!”

“Is Italy a very strong team?”

“Of course. All teams that are able to make its way into the finals are strong teams. Even teams like Greece have to be regarded as a strong team if they are in the finals.”

“You have good memories about the Bernabéu Stadium, don’t you?”

“Indeed.” A smile emerged on Twain’s face as he spoke. “I was able to achieve the Treble at this very stadium two years ago. I like the Bernabéu.”

“If you don’t mind me asking again, how has Mitchell’s absence impacted the team for the finals?”

“I don’t think his absence affects the team much. We are not a one-man team. We are a whole entity. Every single player who has been selected to be a part of the national team is talented. I’m not worried about the absence of one player.”

Twain waved his hands and signaled that he wanted to leave.

The reporter heard an anxious voice coming from his earpiece. “Ask him one last question! Don’t let him go just yet! The audience needs to hear his declaration! His declaration that England would become the champions! Get him to say it!”

“Wait a moment, Mr. Twain. Please wait for a moment…” The reporter reached out a hand and stopped Twain from leaving before he pressed a hand on his earpiece and listened to the director’s newest set of instructions. “One last question. Have you ever thought about what happens if…”

Twain cut the reporter off curtly before he could even finish his words. “Impossible. That’s definitely impossible. We are not here to work hard and get second place!”

Twain was quite upset with the reporter’s idiotic question. He turned around and walked away with no intention of stopping this time round.

After Twain left, the reporter noticed that the cameraman had given him a thumbs up. He then heard the director’s voice from his earpiece, and the director sounded pleased. “Excellent work, Louis! Those words from Twain were exactly what I was looking for! Okay, I want you to go into the stadium now and wait for the players to do their warm-ups!”

※※※

Likewise, at another entrance leading into the Bernabéu Stadium, the Italy team was also warmly greeted by the press and their fans.

Lippi was dressed like an Italian gentleman. He had donned a tuxedo and he held onto a cigar in one hand. There was an air of poise and elegance around him.

He stopped in his tracks and accepted an interview with Radiotelevisione italiana while his players walked past him from behind and entered the stadium.

“Is it good news that England is without Mitchell for this match?”

“No, they still have Rooney and other talented attacking players.” Lippi did not display any optimism. “Mitchell is not the core of the team. His absence does not affect England by much.”

“Do you think the match will go to a penalty shoot-out?”

“I can’t say for sure. It depends on the score after 90 minutes have been played.” Lippi did not give anything away.

“This is your last time in charge of the Italy national team. Do you wish to end your career with a Euro Cup trophy?”

“Of course. I hope we can bring the Euro Cup trophy back to Italy.”

“There are some people who are worried that you’d experience a lack of motivation to win the competition since you are a manager who has lifted almost every possible trophy in your career…”

“I’ve never lifted the Euro Cup trophy before.” Lippi was not upset with the comment. He responded with a smile.

“Thank you for accepting the interview. Good luck for the match.”

“I wish Italy all the best,” Lippi replied.

“He’s never arrogant and he never underestimates his opponents either. He’s a mature and composed manager. He is a manager that instills confidence in us.” The reporter spoke before the camera after Lippi left. “I believe that Tony Twain has met his match this time. Should I wish Twain all the best? No, I should wish that all the good luck in the world would not get close to him and his team. We would see you again after the break!”

※※※

“Crap, I’m feeling a little nervous…” Joe Mattock stood by the side of the pitch and lifted his head to look at the stadium that was packed with spectators. A thought flashed by his mind – he was really at the finals. This is the finals match of the Euro Cup. This is the very first time in 50 years that England is participating in the finals of an international competition!

Mattock felt his knees go weak at the thought. His heart started palpitating at an accelerated pace, and his lips became dry as well.

“F*ck!” Mitchell cursed from the side. “If you are nervous then switch places with me! I can play as left back! Can you please get yourself together? You are a player from Nottingham Forest! Don’t embarrass us!”

The words that Twain said to Mitchell earlier had clearly worked. Mitchell was all pumped up and full of fight now.

“Uh…” Joe Mattock scratched the back of his head in shame. He felt less nervous after being scolded by Mitchell.

In truth, Joe Mattock was not the only player who was feeling nervous. The other players were simply not as forthcoming as he was. However, they all felt like they were foolish to be feeling this nervous after hearing Mitchell’s words. There was someone amongst them who was unable to feel nervous even if he wanted to! How could they be thinking about how nervous they are when they are playing in the match later? Their minds should be full of thoughts about the match that they would play in soon!

“Go and do your warm-up, lads. What are you all doing here? Discussing about the weather?”

Twain’s voice rang from behind the players’ backs, and a group of people rushed onto the pitch hastily.