Chapter 267 Staying or Leaving (Part 2)

Three days later, the Stadio Artemio Franchi had become the site of a grand celebration. The game itself was secondary. Fiorentina and Empoli both fielded as many substitutes as possible, and the fans were in a festive mood, unfurling a banner that read, "We're Going to Serie A Together!" The players and coaches of both sides cheerfully greeted each other and chatted during pre-match warm-ups. In short, no one cared about the match.

The game ended in a dull 0-0 draw, but no one was focused on it. The TV stations had foreseen this and hadn't included the match in their broadcast schedule.

From the 80th minute onwards, the Stadio Artemio Franchi was filled with chants of "Zhang Jun!" The fans hoped the coach would let Zhang Jun come on and greet them, even if it was just for a minute.

Zhang Jun was caught off guard by the fans' affection. As a loaned player, he never dared to hope he would be so highly regarded by the discerning Fiorentina fans.

Mondonico was in a dilemma. He didn't want to disappoint the fans who had supported the team through thick and thin. On the other hand, Zhang Jun's stamina was a concern, and he hadn't planned to let him play, only to participate in the post-match celebrations.

He got up and walked to Zhang Jun's seat, then knelt down and asked, "Do you hear that?" He pointed to the stands behind him. "They're calling for you. Do you want to play? I want to hear your opinion."

Zhang Jun sat on the bench, looking up at the swirling purple sea of fans. He heard their calls. How could he refuse? Sitting on the bench, hearing their voices, how could he not play?

He stood up and nodded to Mondonico, saying, "I'll go on."

Mondonico remained kneeling, looking up at Zhang Jun. "Your stamina..."

Zhang Jun twisted his waist, already starting to warm up. "Just a few minutes, no problem."

Mondonico finally stood up and said to Zhang Jun, "Then go warm up and come back in five minutes. When you get on the field, don't push yourself. Even if you just stand there, I won't scold you."

Zhang Jun smiled. "That won't do, Coach. I'll scold myself."

Mondonico chuckled and patted Zhang Jun on the shoulder. "Go on."

Seeing Zhang Jun get up from the bench and start warming up, the fans chanted even louder. The cheering continued until Zhang Jun stood next to the fourth official, ready to enter the game.

The fans' support further solidified his decision to stay in Florence.

Zhang Jun came on during injury time, playing for only two minutes and touching the ball twice before the referee blew the final whistle.

The entire stadium erupted. The excitement that had been building for three days exploded at that moment. The fans cheered, jumped, and shouted.

The Fiorentina players put on pre-prepared promotion 기념 t-shirts that read, "Serie A, We're Back!"

Di Livio gathered everyone together, and they held hands, forming a long line. After shouting "One, two, three!" they all charged towards the stands behind the goal, then let go and swooped down like fighter jets landing.

Zhang Jun lay on the grass, watching his jubilant teammates around him. Amidst the excitement, he suddenly felt a pang of sadness. How many of these people would actually stay?

Fiorentina, having been promoted to Serie A, would surely undergo a major overhaul to establish themselves and achieve better results. At least 60% of the current squad would be loaned out or sold off. Some might continue to play in Serie B, forever missing out on Serie A. And even among those who stayed, how many would get regular playing time?

Did they know? Yes, they were well aware. But like Zhang Jun, at that moment, they were only happy about the promotion. As for the future... they would think about that later. No matter how down on their luck they might be in the future, at least today, they were glorious.

"Long live Fiorentina!" They formed three rows, the front row lying on the ground, the ones behind them standing, holding up the Fiorentina team flag, and shouted at the cameras. The flashbulbs captured the moment on film and etched it into their memories.

※※※

After celebrating at the stadium, the team went to the Piazza del Duomo in Florence for further celebrations, and later, they were received by the mayor and attended a celebratory dinner hosted by the city government. The wild celebrations lasted until late into the night.

When Zhang Jun dragged his tired body home, he saw a text message from Yang Pan: "We won, but Juventus also won. Still tied, need to see the final battle next week."

Zhang Jun smiled and tossed his phone onto the bed, collapsing beside it. Yang Pan's work report-like text made him feel a brotherly affection. Although he was determined to leave Milan, he still hoped Milan would win the league title this season, because he didn't want Yang Pan and Kaka's efforts to be in vain.

Li Yongle, on the other hand, was getting more and more opportunities to play for Inter Milan. In his own words, he seized the initial opportunity, and then opportunities kept coming his way. Edgar Davids had been sold to Ajax during the winter break, and Cristiano Zanetti's form had been inconsistent and plagued by injuries, making it impossible for him to guarantee enough playing time.

Most of the time, Mancini was using Cambiasso, who had transferred from Real Madrid on a free. But Cambiasso was still lacking in strength and couldn't completely satisfy him, which gave Li Yongle more playing time.

In Mancini's eyes, the 22-year-old Li Yongle was a true "waist" (midfielder), able to attack and defend, tall and agile, with excellent stamina and tireless energy. All he needed now was experience.

Inter Milan had already secured a spot in next season's Champions League, and Mancini could boldly train his troops.

Zhang Jun got up and went to shower and prepare for bed.

He would not only wish Milan to win the league title, but also wish Li Yongle to squeeze out Cambiasso, and wish Cristiano Zanetti to suffer constant injuries, nothing but injuries, and poor form after recovery... In short, he wanted Li Yongle to smoothly become a key player for Inter Milan.

Zhang Jun silently made a wish in his heart.

As for himself... First, the negotiations with AC Milan could go smoothly, and he could successfully stay in Florence. Second, he wanted to see Sophie soon.

※※※

It was unknown which deity Zhang Jun prayed to, but his wishes for others were mostly fulfilled. In the 38th round of Serie A a week later, both AC Milan and Juventus won, so AC Milan, with a one-point advantage, won the 05/06 Serie A title, their 18th Serie A title in history. They only needed to win two more league titles to embroider a second gold star above the Milan crest on their chest.

And Li Yongle also got the chance to start in the last round of the league, his fifth start this season. C. Zanetti, who had recovered from his injury, could only sit on the bench due to his poor form.

The last round of the league started at the same time. Zhang Jun held the remote control, constantly switching channels, going back and forth between the Stadio Ennio Tardini and the San Siro.

Li Yongle performed very well. Watching him organize Inter Milan's previously chaotic midfield in an orderly manner, Zhang Jun was sure that next season, if he stayed in Florence, when he visited the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza, Li Yongle would greet him as a starting player.

On the other side, Yang Pan was a starter, and playing his favorite position, right winger. Gattuso was suspended for accumulating yellow cards in this crucial battle. Ancelotti's decision to use Yang Pan proved to be very effective. After a dull ninety minutes, with Juventus already leading their opponent 2-0 away from home, and with the Milanese growing increasingly anxious, Yang Pan stepped up. In the second minute of injury time, a rapid breakthrough on the right wing disrupted Cagliari's defense, and then he crossed for Shevchenko to head in the winning goal, sealing the victory.

When Shevchenko headed the ball in, the entire San Siro trembled with thunderous cheers. After the goal, Shevchenko hugged Yang Pan tightly, and more and more Milan players rushed towards them. Yang Pan had become a true Milanese, Zhang Jun thought.

After the game, Yang Pan put on the t-shirt thrown to him by his teammate, a white t-shirt with red letters: 18. That was the number of times Milan had won the Serie A title. He excitedly embraced Kaka. Zhang Jun knew that the game was being broadcast live in China, and the Chinese commentators were definitely very excited, because this was the first European top league title won by a Chinese player.

Zhang Jun was not excited or jealous. He was just happy, happy for Kaka and Yang Pan. Because he knew, he was convinced, that one day he would also hold up the Serie A trophy.

Tomorrow, he would return to Milan, where he needed to have a good talk with Milan's coach, Ancelotti, and also with the club's executive, Galliani. After talking to them, he would wait for Hua-jie (Sister Hua) to return and tell her his decision, then it would be her turn to take the stage.

Speaking of which, Hua-jie was also quite busy these days, being in Germany, as Anke seemed to be facing the same choice as him.

※※※

"The current situation is that Bayern Munich wants to get you. Kahn is getting old, and they want you to take over his spot. Last season, Bayern missed out on Hildebrand, and they don't want to miss out on another excellent goalkeeper this season. They have already submitted a transfer request to Borussia Dortmund," Hua Fang said to Anke, sitting across from him. "My suggestion is to choose Bayern Munich. After all, it is a traditional powerhouse, the Bundesliga leader, and the待遇 (benefits/treatment) are much better than what you have now. And you can also participate in the Champions League, enhancing your popularity and commercial value."

Anke nodded. He agreed with Hua-jie's view. Borussia Dortmund's financial situation had not fundamentally improved. The salary of a key player like Anke was only ranked sixteenth in the team, far behind Rosicky, Koller, and others.

He thought that to make his family no longer worry about his future, he needed to bring back more money, so his father would know that playing football could also earn a lot of money, enough for him to live out the rest of his life even if he couldn't find a job after retirement. His current salary at Borussia Dortmund was far from enough.

"And there's another piece of news that you'll definitely be interested in. Bayern has decided that if you go, Kahn will retire and become Bayern's goalkeeping coach. In other words, he will be solely responsible for your training."

Anke's eyes lit up. He was a little excited. "Really? Kahn will agree? Doesn't he always say he can play until the next World Cup in South Africa?"

Hua Fang was very satisfied with Anke's reaction. "He's always been a tough talker. His eye condition makes it impossible for him to continue. The doctors are already advising him to retire. And he also said that he would retire from the national team after this World Cup."

Anke nodded vigorously. "He did say that. In that case, I have no problems at all."

"Okay, I'll go to Bayern tomorrow. There are more things to do at the end of the season, and I have to hurry."

"Hua-jie, how is Zhang Jun doing?"

"Him? I don't know what he's thinking yet. I'll have a good talk with him when I go back to Italy." Hua Fang started packing her things. Time was running out, and she was starting to feel overwhelmed, as a sports agent, this time of year was the busiest.

"Oh, right, Hua-jie. Does the media know that we are in contact with Bayern?" Anke remembered to ask. "I haven't been reading the news lately."

Hua Fang continued to pack her documents, casually answering, "They know, all the media are reporting it. That's why I said joining Bayern is a great opportunity to enhance your own popularity..."

Anke was stunned. "E-everyone knows, Hua-jie?"

"Yes, what's wrong?" Hua Fang stopped and looked at Anke with a puzzled expression.

Anke shook his head, frowning. "If that's the case, then I need to reconsider the plan to go to Bayern. This is troublesome."

"Reconsider? Troublesome? Why?" Hua Fang was confused and didn't know why Anke said that.

"Doesn't Hua-jie know? Borussia Dortmund fans are the best, most loyal, and most enthusiastic fans in all of Germany. It's not bragging, but I'm quite popular among the fans. As someone who was cultivated by Borussia Dortmund's youth academy, I've become their vision of Borussia Dortmund's future. If they know that I'm going to abandon the crisis-ridden Borussia Dortmund and switch to the wealthy Bayern Munich, what will they think?"

Hua Fang was taken aback, then waved her hand dismissively. "So you're worried about the fans' reaction. But that's not a problem. No matter how much the fans protest, it won't affect your transfer." Hua Fang thought Anke was worried that the fans' dissatisfaction would lead the club to refuse to let him go. "Borussia Dortmund needs money now. As long as Bayern pays, they won't refuse to let you go."

"No, Hua-jie misunderstood me. I'm not worried about the Borussia Dortmund executives, I'm worried about myself."

"Yourself?"

"I'm worried that I'll be soft-hearted, that I won't bear to leave those fans..."

Hua Fang suddenly laughed, she leaned closer to Anke's face. "Anke, are you still a child? How many successful people do you know who have given up going to a better place because of the fans' pleas? What have they given you? When you go to a higher place, why should they stop you and criticize you? If they are really the best fans in Germany, they should bless you, not hold you back at this time. Look at Zhang Jun, when he was in Volendam, when he was leaving, none of the fans criticized him, they all blessed him. That's what real good fans are like. Transfers are very commercial. Letting too much emotion get involved will only ruin your future."

Anke was still hesitant. "Maybe you're right, Hua-jie. But after more than two years of feelings, I can't just let it go." Anke was right. Ever since he met Sophie in high school, he had never forgotten her, even though Sophie was already engaged to Zhang Jun. This showed that he was actually a very sentimental person. "This decision is too sudden for Borussia Dortmund fans. They can't accept it. I'm afraid they'll do something rash. And there's one thing you're not right about, Hua-jie."

"What is it?"

"Anke's achievements today are thanks to several people: the youth team coach, Mr. Rheinberg, the goalkeeping coach, old man Oliver, the first-team coach, Mr. van Marwijk, and the fans who always support the team. It was their support, encouragement, and care that turned me from an overseas student into a professional player. Maybe, as you said, successful people have to give up some things, but which superstar doesn't have the support of fans? Players, teams are trees, fans are the soil. I really want to go to Bayern, but I don't want to offend those fans."

Hua Fang was speechless at Anke's "fan theory". What Anke said made sense. After a while, she asked, "So what do you want to do?"

"Let's not rush to contact Bayern yet. Let me think about it some more. There's one round left in the Bundesliga. I'll tell you my plans after this last round."

That was all they could do for now. The most important thing was the player's own wishes. The agent could list ten thousand benefits of going to Bayern, even use money as bait, but if they met someone who valued emotion over money, it wouldn't work. Hua Fang sighed. "Alright, there are still four days. I have to go back to Milan first. Zhang Jun is waiting for me there. Think it over carefully, but I hope you don't act impulsively. Think clearly and don't regret it."

Anke grinned. "I will, Hua-jie."