Chapter 138 Draw Someone's Face

Napoli lost 1:3 away, and the Spanish media was already complaining about Raúl. They said it wasn't worth it, why go to Napoli? Now, things were bad, and he couldn't even play in the Champions League. If he had known, he might as well have gone to Schalke 04. After all, they were the runners-up in the Bundesliga last season and were eligible to directly participate in the Champions League group stage without having to play any qualifying rounds.

The Spaniards' complaints didn't reach the ears of the Neapolitans. At this time, Mazzarri was inspiring the team, asking the whole team to cheer up and fight with their backs to the wall.

"If we meet the third-place team in the Bundesliga in the qualifying round, that's terrible, right? No, not at all. Because we Napoli have never had good luck! Believe me, guys, even if we get through this qualifying round, we won't get any advantage in the group draw. So don't be complacent, thinking that entering the Champions League group stage will let us vent our anger, and that we can win the Champions League qualifying round casually. Never have such luck, because our opponent is..."

Before he could finish his sentence, the players roared and answered, "UEFA!"

Raúl was in the team, and he was a little surprised to hear this shocking answer. He thought that the media's speculation had always been true. This is really a team that Platini hates...

"Very good, you know it. So in fact, our Napoli's Champions League group stage starts with the match against Werder Bremen, guys. Everyone must show two hundred percent of their ability to ensure that we can make it all the way to the knockout stage!"

Why did Mazzarri say "make it all the way to the knockout stage" instead of the semi-finals or finals? It's definitely not because Mazzarri is more realistic and rational, and Napoli knows its limits, but because as long as they enter the knockout stage, Chen Hero will be able to return from his ban. At that time, Napoli's combat power will directly increase by an order of magnitude—this is not an exaggeration, just look at Chen Hero's terrifying vitality in the Champions League last season, and you will understand.

So Napoli's current tactics and strategies in the Champions League are all based on the goal of "let Chen Hero return."

Everyone is very clear about this, and no one has any objections.

It is no exaggeration to say that the Champions League group stage and knockout stage are completely different events...

"I still can't forget our match against Barcelona at home, and I believe you can't forget it either. If you still want revenge, if you want to slap a certain big shot in the face in person, then you have to make it to the knockout stage for me!"

Using Barcelona and Platini as targets for revenge is very effective, because everyone in Napoli still remembers the unforgettable hatred from last season at their home stadium. Those scenes are still in the minds of the Neapolitans, whether it is players or fans, no one has forgotten.

This can completely be described as "irreconcilable."

However, Raúl listened to it from the side and was filled with emotion. As a Real Madrid player, his hostility towards Barcelona is natural. However, in recent years, due to Barcelona's strength, Real Madrid players have also appeared to lack confidence when they meet Barcelona, and even take the initiative to beg for mercy. For example, claiming that "the current Barcelona is indeed stronger than Real Madrid, I'm telling the truth," which is indeed the truth, but it is too inappropriate for a Real Madrid player to say it.

He just didn't expect that in Napoli, southern Italy, there is a group of people whose hatred for Barcelona is no less than that of Real Madrid, and even more so than some of Real Madrid's current players...

※※※

Before Napoli's home game against Werder Bremen, a Chinese media outlet interviewed Chen Hero. The reporter wanted to flatter him so that he could arrange an exclusive interview with Chen Hero in private.

He said, "Your absence has put Napoli in a tough battle away from home. Now, even entering the Champions League group stage has become a problem. Does this indicate your important position in the team..."

Who would have thought that Chen Hero would glare at him unhappily: "I believe that even without me, Napoli has the ability to enter the Champions League group stage and make it to the knockout stage!"

He was right. Napoli, forced to a dead end, erupted with great fighting power and launched a great counterattack, returning the same score to Werder Bremen at home—3:1.

The total score was tied, and the number of away goals was exactly the same. They went into thirty minutes of extra time. As a result, neither side made any achievements in the thirty minutes, so they had to decide the winner with a penalty shootout.

After five rounds of tense and fierce draws, Napoli eliminated Werder Bremen 3:2 in the penalty shootout and advanced to the Champions League group stage.

All the Napoli fans breathed a sigh of relief.

Chen Hero also breathed a sigh of relief in his heart. He was really afraid that the team would be eliminated in the qualifying round. If that happened, there would be a lot of criticism outside, saying that he only cared about venting his anger and pushed the entire team into an unfavorable situation, and that he was the culprit for Napoli's elimination in the qualifying round.

Mazzarri was actually right. Napoli can't stop working without Chen Hero. However, people are always used to finding scapegoats. Who cares about those things at this time?

After Chen Hero breathed a sigh of relief, he also knew that this was not the end. If the team was eliminated in the group stage, the same voices would definitely appear, but it was just a matter of replacing "qualifying round" with "group stage."

But no matter what, they have entered the group stage. As long as they enter the group stage, they have a chance to advance to the knockout stage. By then, he would be back.

He can laugh three times: "Your grandpa, Hu Han, is back!" Then he will vent all the fire in his stomach, kill the gods if they block him, and kill the Buddhas if they obstruct him!

※※※

After all the qualifying rounds were over, the list of thirty-two teams participating in the Champions League group stage was also released.

There are four teams in the Italian Serie A, namely Inter Milan, AC Milan, Roma, and Napoli. It was originally said that the number of Champions League qualification spots in Serie A this season might be reduced to three. Fortunately, Inter Milan won the Champions League, earning enough European points for Serie A, so Serie A still has four Champions League spots this season, otherwise Napoli would not even have the qualification to participate in the qualifying rounds...

There are only two teams in the Bundesliga: Bayern Munich and Schalke 04.

The Premier League also has four spots: Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal, and Tottenham Hotspur.

Representing France are Lyon, Auxerre, and Marseille.

La Liga has three teams participating, namely Barcelona, Real Madrid, and Valencia.

Other teams include: Twente and Ajax from the Netherlands, Rubin Kazan and Spartak Moscow from Russia, Benfica and Braga from Portugal, Hapoel Tel Aviv from Israel, Bursaspor from Turkey, Glasgow Rangers from Scotland, Panathinaikos from Greece, Copenhagen from Denmark, Basel from Switzerland, Cluj from Romania, Žilina from Slovakia, Shakhtar Donetsk from Ukraine, and Partizan Belgrade from the Serbian league.

These thirty-two teams are then divided into four different levels based on their European points over the years. The first level is the seeded teams, including Inter Milan, Barcelona, Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal, Bayern, AC Milan, and Lyon.

The second-level teams are Ajax, Real Madrid, Roma, Shakhtar Donetsk, Benfica, Valencia, Marseille, and Panathinaikos.

The third-level teams are Tottenham, Glasgow Rangers, Partizan Belgrade, Schalke 04, Basel, Braga, Copenhagen, and Spartak Moscow.

The fourth-level teams are Hapoel Tel Aviv, Twente, Rubin Kazan, Auxerre, Cluj, Žilina, Bursaspor, and Napoli.

Although Napoli's performance in the Champions League last season can be described as amazing, and they were considered the biggest dark horse in that season's Champions League, they suffered because they played too few European games. Last season was their first time participating in the Champions League in eighteen years, and they were eliminated in the group stage of the UEFA Cup the season before last. In so many years, they only had these two European experiences, so they didn't have many points. So this time, Napoli was once again assigned to the fourth level.

And this division means...Napoli has a very good chance of being assigned to the group of death!

Napoli, without Chen Hero, has been assigned to the group of death again. What fate awaits them? There is no need to explain any further, right?

Mazzarri felt that for Platini, this was simply a piece of fat meat placed in front of his mouth, a perfect opportunity that had been delivered to his door, like a shot facing an empty goal. Would he not want it? Would he give up? This is so natural, reasonable, and impeccable... If he doesn't want it, he's an idiot!

However, he couldn't worry about what tricks Platini would play at the draw ceremony.

Because the first round of the 2010-2011 Italian Serie A was imminent.

On August 29th, Napoli will go to the away game to challenge their first-round opponent, Fiorentina.

However, Chen Hero is likely to be absent from this game, because he cannot train well before the game, and he cannot even go to the away game with the team.

On the morning of August 27th, he and the team's manager, Bigon, took a plane to Monaco.

There, there is the new season's European Super Cup, with the Champions League champion Inter Milan against the UEFA Cup champion Atlético Madrid.

However, Chen Hero is not going to Monaco to watch the game. He is going to attend the UEFA awards ceremony for various European games last season in Monaco. At the same time, he and Bigon will participate in the new season's Champions League group stage draw ceremony.

But Chen Hero doesn't think he is going to receive an award. On the way to Monaco with Bigon, he joked to the club manager sitting next to him.

"I'm going to draw someone's face."