Chapter 1 The Ongoing Impact

Barcelona's Champions League group stage exit continued to generate significant fallout.

Relevant institutions pointed out that not only would Champions League prize money and broadcasting revenue decrease, but the club's various income streams would also suffer a substantial decline.

Subsequent Champions League ticket sales, advertising revenue from Champions League home matches at Camp Nou, and tiered bonuses from brand endorsements... all gone.

Reputation damaged.

Commercial value significantly reduced.

The market value of some star players plummeted.

Fans jokingly speculated on online platforms: if Barcelona were to face Li Kang in the Champions League again in the coming years, would they be bankrupt?

Conversely, Arsenal... they won more than just a game.

Li Kang, from the divine performance, became the new byword for traffic.

...

Barcelona's meeting room.

Club executives engaged in a heated discussion.

"Enrique cannot leave. His reform direction is perfectly fine. We must give him more time and see the good in him... Enrique enjoys interacting with fans online!"

"He has improved Barcelona's set-piece tactics!"

"We need to give him more time; tactical reforms cannot be abandoned halfway!"

Two hours later.

Barcelona's official website released a message: *Goodbye! Enrique departs from Camp Nou.*

The comments section was extremely uniform.

"Two hundred million versus one million."

...

The next day.

In contrast to Barcelona's turmoil, the atmosphere at the Colney training ground remained as calm as ever.

The 7-1 victory seemed to have a magical effect. The injured players were in good physical and mental condition, and many had returned to the pitch for light recovery training.

After training, Li Kang was pulled aside by Maguire to discuss the mid-season finale.

Old Ma even pulled out a projected starting lineup.

"Li, you don't always have to cover my ass next game."

"This Lukaku guy, I can shut him down all by myself!"

"For me, his threat isn't even as great as that Benteke from Crystal Palace."

"Six-foot-four, but only weighs a hundred and eighty pounds! Afraid of physical contact! Only dares to bully the full-backs! What kind of little beast is that? Hmm... where are you pointing? You're saying to watch out for this Barkley kid? I've dealt with him before! You can rest assured about the defense..."

With Mertesacker and Koscielny not yet fully recovered, Maguire, who had secured a starting position, was very proactive in his preparations.

However, before he could finish speaking, their conversation was interrupted by Bould's call.

"Li, get ready to change!"

"We're leaving!"

...

Nyon, Switzerland.

Media reporters set up their cameras.

Security personnel stood in two rows, on high alert outside the cordon.

Several vans with the Champions League logo sped over!

The crowd stirred!

"Lee!!!"

"Messi!!!"

Many tourists who had come to see the spectacle hadn't even realized that Barcelona had been eliminated.

Security personnel were extremely vigilant.

The vans stopped at the entrance to UEFA headquarters.

Sarri and Jorginho got out and slowly stepped onto the carpet.

The Napoli coach and midfielder didn't seem to be very well-known... The originally restless crowd instantly calmed down, and even the cameras became lazy.

However,

A small number of fans still applauded.

Since Sarri took over Napoli, European football had gained an aggressive force specializing in "vertical attacks"!

Neutral fans would be fascinated by the electric team's deadly trio.

Their own fans would be annoyed by Jorginho's passing speed.

...

"Li! It's Li!"

In the lobby,

Jorginho excitedly rushed to Li Kang.

Gesturing with his fingers, he spoke rapidly.

"Li, I often watch your games!"

"Van Gaal called me last season! He said I might have the chance to form a new midfield partnership with you..."

"He said you were the most suitable to help me distribute the ball... the new Pirlo and Gattuso, did Van Gaal tell you that?"

He was about to say more when his coach interrupted him.

"Be mindful of social etiquette, don't bother Li!"

"I don't want to draw Arsenal in the round of sixteen."

Everyone couldn't help but laugh.

The Napoli coach, not as stern as usual, gave Li Kang a smile before leading Jorginho away.

Wenger shook his head with a smile as he watched them leave.

He had stayed up late studying the basic tactical frameworks of all the potential opponents in the Champions League round of sixteen.

This season's Napoli could still threaten Juventus's dominance in Serie A.

Arsenal wasn't afraid of their vertical attacking system, but after two legs, they would definitely be worn thin... It would be much easier if they could draw an opponent with a style like Borussia Mönchengladbach.

.....

Reception staff warmly greeted them.

Leading the Arsenal group towards the venue.

The rules for the round of sixteen draw can be simply summarized as follows:

1. Group winners are drawn against group runners-up;

For example, Arsenal will not be drawn against Napoli, who are also group winners.

2. Teams from the same group or the same association cannot meet;

For example, Arsenal will not face Tottenham Hotspur or Manchester City, who are also from the Premier League, nor will they face Monaco, who were in the same group.

3. A two-legged home-and-away knockout system.

For example, if Arsenal draw Bayern Munich, they will play one leg at the Allianz Arena and another at the Emirates Stadium. If the aggregate score is tied after both legs, the away goals rule will be applied. If the away goals are also tied, there will be extra time... If a winner still cannot be determined, it will go to a penalty shootout...

.....

Entering the venue.

Wenger and Li Kang made a "call" gesture to each other before heading to the club representatives' seats.

Li Kang took his number and found his seat.

Again, it was in the front row.

And again, he was next to Buffon and Ronaldo!

"Li, long time no see."

"Did you know? Juventus fans like you very much and often leave messages on my social media accounts asking about the possibility of you joining... I replied that I might not live to see that day!"

"Haha, just kidding."

Buffon smiled kindly and patted Li Kang on the shoulder.

Ronaldo couldn't help but smile when he heard this, but he immediately stiffened his face when he felt their eyes on him.

Hmph.

He hadn't forgotten about the European Championship final.

He simply nodded to acknowledge them.

Buffon laughed and said, "Li, he wasn't always this petty."

Ronaldo almost lost his cool expression...

However,

Not seeing Messi's figure in this setting.

He felt empty inside, as if something was missing.

......

More and more people entered.

Li Kang saw many familiar faces: Reus, Çalhanoğlu, Mbappé, Müller, Pjanić... and a group of famous coaches in the club representatives' seats. Herr Topp was still as talkative as ever...

The Champions League theme song abruptly stopped.

The master of ceremonies, Pedro Pinto, wearing a pink suit, scurried onto the main stage!

He gave a long speech.

The platitudes made everyone sleepy, and the scattered applause seemed to be urging him to shut up.

After a long time,

The lights dimmed.

Several staff members carried two large tables and quickly set them up.

When the lights came on again,

A young woman, holding two transparent glass bowls, walked slowly to the main stage. Each bowl contained eight mini footballs.

Li Kang thought she looked familiar.

It was Esley again!

Buffon covered his mouth and chuckled, "This girl will definitely peek at you again this year!"

Li Kang nodded seriously.

Just as the Juventus goalkeeper had predicted: Esley put down the glass bowls, secretly scanned the player representatives' seats, then blushed, smiled shyly, and left from the side stage.

....

Then,

Two old UEFA officials went on stage and gave a long speech.

It was like a lullaby.

Making everyone sleepy.

After a long time,

Two tall and burly figures appeared on the main stage, breaking the monotony and bringing the atmosphere of the draw to its climax!

Thunderous applause!

Drogba!

Henry!

The two were the guests for this Champions League round of sixteen draw!

"The draw is about to begin!"

.....

Coach representatives' seats.

Herr Topp couldn't help but become nervous, adjusting his posture and staring intently at the Benfica coach!

The Benfica coach's mouth twitched: did Leverkusen think he was the softest target among the group winners? What good is it to look at me? Can you draw Benfica just by looking at me?

Pochettino looked solemn.

Tuchel remained calm.

Wenger's smile was brighter than in previous years.

Guardiola kept writing and drawing on a piece of paper, staying out of it.

Simeone was eager to try.

Ancelotti crossed his arms, giving the impression that he was just going through the motions, and it didn't matter who he drew!

Zidane didn't seem to be looking forward to the draw result.

The Real Madrid coach's eyes always wandered to the player representatives' seats.

....

The draw officially began.

Drogba would never dawdle.

With a strong arm, he reached out and grabbed a fragile little ball.

Pop.

He accidentally crushed it!

The audience burst into laughter.

Drogba scratched his head awkwardly and unfolded the paper inside to show the camera.

"Atletico!"

On the other side,

Henry pulled out a little ball.

"Gladbach!"

"The first pairing is out: Atletico versus Gladbach!"

....

Livestream.

The comments section exploded.

-[I'm betting on an upset in this game!]

-[Can I please see Bayern vs. Gladbach in the Champions League once!]

-[No way there's an upset, Atletico were Champions League runners-up last season!]

......

Henry's mood was a bit complicated.

He and Wenger were like father and son, and together they created the Premier League Invincibles.

Although he often criticized Wenger on TV...

He still hoped that Arsenal's Champions League journey would be a little easier.

This year, he had to draw a... damn, how come all these runners-up look so strong?

....

As the mini footballs were cracked open one by one,

The Champions League round of sixteen pairings were revealed one by one.

"Benfica versus Napoli!"

"Man City versus Monaco!"

"Leicester City versus Lyon!"

At this moment,

Herr Topp frowned.

All the soft targets had been taken.

The remaining opponents were all tough nuts to crack.

....

When the fifth draw was revealed,

The whole place was in an uproar.

"Real Madrid versus Paris Saint-Germain!"

EEmery tried to maintain the demeanor of a famous coach.

Zidane shook his head with a smile.

-[Is UEFA trying to take down Real Madrid this year?]

-[Kidding, PSG can't stop Real Madrid.]

-[Clash of the Titans! A high-quality match that's like a Champions League semi-final played early!]

-[More like a small meteorite hitting Earth. Paris is cursed in the Champions League. Real Madrid's squad strength is currently the best in Europe, and they're very likely to defend their Champions League title.]

-[I wanted to see Li Mingdeng battle Di Maria, Cavani, Verratti, and Thiago Silva! My hopes are dashed!]

-[Looks like Arsenal will draw Bayern after all.]

-[Is there any behind-the-scenes manipulation in the Champions League draw?]

........

The draw didn't linger for too long.

Drogba continued to crack balls.

"Bayer Leverkusen!"

Henry's heart skipped a beat.

He looked at Wenger from afar.

The director's camera happened to zoom in on the two of them.

The King of Highbury took a deep breath and resolutely pulled out a small ball, cracking it open forcefully!

"Arsenal!"

"The sixth pairing is out!"

"Bayer Leverkusen versus Arsenal!"

The whole place was in an uproar.

The two-hundred-million-dollar man would be returning to North Rhine so soon?

Henry was overjoyed.

Herr Topp was stunned for a moment, then collapsed...

....

Livestream.

The comments section exploded.

-[Nice, Henry!]

-[Alright, Arsenal have suffered for so many years, they can finally be guaranteed a spot in the quarter-finals!]

-[Who doesn't get to eat dumplings during the New Year?]

-[Hard to say, Leverkusen splashed a lot of money in the summer window. If Balotelli can perform normally...]

-[I wonder how Li Kang feels about facing his old club.]

-[What's there to feel? He won't throw the game! Even if Little Li is a substitute, it's hard for Arsenal to screw up.]

-[Looking forward to Li Kang's super performance back in North Rhine.]

-[The place where the dream began.]

...

Player representatives' seats.

Li Kang's expression was calm.

Çalhanoğlu looked helpless.

Besides Bayern, which runner-up would want to draw Arsenal?

Who didn't know that they were currently the most potent attacking force in the Champions League!

Main stage.

Drogba revealed a new slip of paper.

"Juventus!"

Henry perked up and pulled with all his might!

Snap!

"Dortmund!"

"The seventh pairing is out!"

The last pairing was a foregone conclusion.

Tottenham Hotspur and Bayern Munich.

It was just a matter of cracking open the little ball according to procedure to determine the home and away order.

...

The Champions League round of sixteen draw came to an end.

The clubs' coaches were surrounded by reporters.

An English reporter asked, "Herr Topp, are you satisfied with Leverkusen's draw?"

What kind of stupid question was that?

Herr Topp wanted to curse.

He straightened his suit and said proudly, "I was very much looking forward to Li returning to North Rhine, but not as an opponent. He will always be my pride."

A double entendre.

His witty and humorous answer won applause from the audience.

Regardless of the outcome, he had to maintain his composure.

At the same time,

Arsenal were also surrounded by many media outlets.

"Mr. Wenger, can Arsenal break their curse of being eliminated in the round of sixteen this season?"

"Does Li have a girlfriend?"

"Can Arsenal, with their injury-riddled squad, withstand the dark horse from North Rhine?"

"..."

Wenger patiently answered all sorts of random questions.

"Leverkusen cannot be described as a dark horse. With their current squad, they have the strength to challenge any of the top clubs."

"Don't worry, Arsenal's injury crisis will soon ease."

"Li's girlfriend... I haven't heard of that. You should focus on his performance on the field!"

...

The player representatives stood on the main stage.

For a group photo.

Li Kang's position had changed; he stood closer to the center.

The Saint-Braid Cup shone with a brilliant light.

Under the spotlight, there were many unfamiliar faces and many familiar figures were missing.