Godfather Of Champions

Paul Gerrard is about to retire, Dunn ordered a strict seal of the news, except that he, Don, Chris Lac, team doctor Fleming, and Professor Constantine are not allowed to disclose it to others, not even the team. Players and other staff inside are not allowed to say. Dunn also greeted Paul Gerrard and told him not to announce his retirement and wait until the Champions League is over.

Gerrard understands this, now is a critical moment for the team, there is no reason to affect the team's preparations for his alone.

In three days, the team will set off for Athens. This time, everyone was there, and there was no shortage of 22 people on the team.

The other two, Chris Cammons, who was loaned to Watford, and goalkeeper Igor Akinfeev, who was rented back to CSKA Moscow, received a letter after the end of their respective seasons. The red envelope sent by Nottingham Forest Club contains a ticket to the European Champions Cup final.

Dunn doesn't know if other clubs will issue tickets to players who have been loaned out and have not contributed to the team after they have reached the Champions League final or similar important game finals. He didn't refer to other teams before. He just thought of it suddenly. Those people should also feel the glory of the team. This is conducive to cultivating their team cohesion, and it is also a way to win people's hearts.

Sure enough, Chris Cammons was very happy after receiving the tickets, and Akinfeev, who was planning a vacation in Russia, also called and said that he would definitely go to the finals.

Distributing tickets around before the final seemed to be a habit of Dunn.

In addition to letting the club send tickets to these two players in other places, Dunn himself has a lot of tickets waiting to be sent.

In the United States, Chris Gronia called Dunn, thanking him for sending the final tickets, and said that even if he was busy, he would definitely go to see it, and it was incumbent to cheer for friends.

※※※

Michael Bernard had finished his day at work and had just returned home. Before he had time to change his shoes, he heard the doorbell ring.

"Mike." Wife Fiona called from the inside kitchen. "Go and open the door."

"I'm right at the door." Michael responded and turned to open the door.

A young man with a hat printed with the "FedEx" logo stood in front of him. "Mr. Michael Bernard?"

"I am." Michael nodded.

"Your express." The young man took out a letter from his bag. "Please sign for it."

Michael took the receipt, took out his pen, wrote his name, and handed it back. The young man handed the envelope to Michael, then turned and left.

Michael opened the outer packaging, and a red envelope appeared in front of him. Very familiar, because he has received this stuff for two consecutive years.

Familiarity does not mean that he is not surprised. When he opened the envelope and found that it was a ticket to the Champions League final, Michael was still surprised. He thought that time was going back, today is a year ago.

Bend down and picked up the ticket from the hand, and checked the time. Yes, it was in 2007. So to say……

Did that kid lead the team to the Champions League final for two consecutive years?

Michael looked up at the ceiling.

What he sees before his eyes is the situation where the Forest team reached the Champions League final 27 years ago. It has been three years away from England. He doesn't know what it is now, and he can't imagine it.

football……

He didn't care about these things a long time ago, and now there are only his previous memories about football. He doesn't watch football matches or news reports about football. He doesn't even know where Nottingham Forest ranks in the Premier League today. When my old friends in Nottingham called themselves occasionally, they never mentioned anything about football or Nottingham Forest.

Nowadays, he is no longer an avid fan, but a white-collar worker in a suit and leather shoes working in an energy company. He lives nine to five every day, living a simple life of company-family two-point line.

For three years, he was used to this and didn't feel anything wrong. Having lost his son, he now hopes to accompany his wife to make up for his previous mistakes.

He had no other thoughts. This is life, live it.

Even though he thought so, he picked up the ticket and looked at it carefully.

There is a very eye-catching five-star Champions League logo on the ticket, which is very familiar. This was the case twenty-seven years ago, and it is still the case twenty-seven years later.

People say that the winning team engraved their name on the shiny silver championship trophy, but he engraved his youth on it.

Shaking the envelope, I found that there was nothing but this ticket. Did not write a greeting, and never called. The friendship between him and Tony Dunn seems to be the only ticket left. If the Forest team does not reach the Champions League final in a certain season, it is estimated that even this ticket will not be available again.

Friends need to be maintained attentively. If you don’t contact for a long time, the friendship that was good before will gradually fade. Michael has no doubt that if he doesn't even send the tickets, he will completely forget the coach he once met in Nottingham in a few years.

Now, this ticket in hand is a testimony and maintenance of all their friendship, it is really fragile...

In fact, Michael doesn't blame Dunn for never calling him, and he doesn't say anything except send tickets, because he betrayed the friendship between the two. But... who made him a father who lost his son?

"Mike, who is it?" Fiona in the kitchen couldn't help asking without hearing a sound for a long time.

"Ah, a boring salesman, Luo Li asked for it. I finally sent him away." Michael repacked the ticket in the red envelope and put it in his briefcase.

A crappy salesman who takes the trouble to sell his ideals to him.

——Do you have ideals, Michael?

——Of course we like victory. We also like that the team will return to the Super League after this season. Our favorite is to be the **** league champion next season. Next season we will be the king of Europe!

Putting the envelope containing the tickets into the briefcase, there was a pause.

※※※

This day was the last day before going to Athens, Greece. The team only conducted simple training, the training time was not long and the intensity was not high. The players who were nervously preparing for the game got a rare rest. They were given a half-day vacation by Dunn and went back to relax with their family and women.

Dunn believes that Chinese traditional wisdom can also play a huge role in coaching a European professional football team.

Relax one by one, the way of civil and martial arts.

What's more, if he doesn't take a half-day holiday, he can't handle his own affairs.

Another year has passed and he has also met some new friends, so he no longer has to worry about where he has so many tickets as he did a year ago. Shania, Fasal, Armani...These people have received the Champions League final tickets sent to them by Dunn in the past few days.

After mailing out Michael Bernard's ticket, he only had one on hand. Think about it a year ago, when his Forest team broke into the Champions League qualifying game for the first time, he held six tickets in his hand and had nowhere to send them. In the end, he could only take them to Gavin's grave and burn them all.

This time, he still wanted to give Gavin a few more tickets as a souvenir, it was impossible.

With the last ticket, he got on the tram going to the suburbs. This afternoon, just before going to Athens, he came to hand out the last ticket.

Bought a bunch of flowers outside the church and wrote "For Dear Gavin", Dunn took the flowers to the small cemetery behind the church.

It is always quiet here. He has been here several times, and there is no one else except himself. But this time, he saw someone.

The man was standing in front of a tombstone with his back to him.

Dunn just glanced at it at first, thinking that maybe it was a stranger who came to mourn his relatives, but he didn't care about it. But when he got closer and closer, he found that this person was standing in front of the tombstone of Gavin Bernard where he was going.

This is strange. Gavin is resting here. Very few people come to visit him. Even if someone comes, Dunn knows him at a glance. The person standing here today with his back turned to him, but he tilted his head and looked at it for a long time, unable to match up with anyone in his heart. John is a fat man, Bill is much thinner than this man, and George Wood, what kind of figure the boy is, Dunn is so familiar with him, he will never admit his mistake. So who is this person?

Dunn deliberately made his own footsteps a little, and the man turned his head when he heard the sound.

At the moment when the two people's eyes met, Dun En was stunned.

He seemed to have been hit by a thunderbolt, standing still, without reacting for a long time.

Who did he see? Although there are some changes, it is indeed that person.

He thought he had a vision.

The person standing opposite him was also a little embarrassed and surprised.

Two old friends who hadn't seen each other in three years met again. In such a place, it would be a bit embarrassing indeed.

"I... didn't you read it wrong, Michael?" Dunn asked first after he recovered.

Michael Bernard turned and walked over: "I'm surprised to see you here, Tony."

"It's me who should say this. I have to come every year, but you... the first time I see you." Dunn's tone was bad, and he was still worried about Michael leaving them to run.

How could Michael couldn't hear the meaning of Dun En's tone, he smiled bitterly without explaining.

Dunn looked at the old friend in front of him, his face was a little whiter than before. It turned out that his unshaven chin was shrunk by a razor, and his hair was meticulously combed and attached to his scalp. He might have applied some hairspray. Yes, meticulous, with black-framed eyes on the bridge of his nose, and wearing a straight black suit, it looks much more gentle.

Dunn laughed from his nose: "I almost didn't dare to recognize it. Is this still the old fan leader Michael Bernard who was drinking in the bar all day and full of swear words? Congratulations, it seems that you are in the United States. The new life is pretty good."

"Your habit of talking bitterly hasn't changed a bit, Tony." Michael smiled bitterly again. Seeing his old friend, he seemed to have no other expression except a wry smile.

Dun En was taken aback by these words. In fact, he didn’t want to talk to Michael like this, but seeing him like this, I don’t know why, one mouth is a mean word, and I can’t stop it. It’s as if he really planned it in the depths of his heart. Eruption, he would be uncomfortable if he didn't vent.

"It's fine if I didn't punch you in person, Michael." Dunn finished speaking, walked around Michael Bernard, and placed the bouquet in front of Gavin's tombstone.

Bernard turned around and saw that he took another piece of paper from his pocket-that was the ticket.

Dunn took out the lighter with his other hand and lit the ticket in front of the tombstone.

Both people were silent in the flames, until the tongue of fire was about to lick Dun En's fingers, he threw down the ticket, and before it landed, the ticket was burned to ashes in the flame. Then a forest wind blew, blowing the pile of ashes into the air.

"Every time you receive a ticket, I will come here to send Gavin once. Burn it-this is how I gave it to him." Dunn said with his back to Michael. "How many times have you received?"

"three times."

"I burned three times. The first time was six, the second time was two, and the third time...this is the one. You see, you have a new life, and I have made a lot of new tickets to give away Friends who went out, we have all changed." He spread his hands, "But I will leave this to him for Gavin."

"Thank you."

The atmosphere between the two gradually eased.

Dunn turned to look at Michael: "Why come back this time? Just to see your son?"

"Business trip," Michael replied.

Dunn blew his whistle, "What a busy man. Come to Nottingham, England for a business trip?"

"No." Michael shook his head. "Go to Athens on a business trip."

Dunn was stunned for a moment, watching Michael reach out and take out a red envelope from the suit. He is very familiar with the envelope because it was the club envelope containing the tickets he sent to Michael himself.

Michael took out a ticket from the envelope.

"I quit my job just to watch the ball."

"You are crazy!" Dunn shouted. "Where is your wife? Will she agree?"

"Of course Fiona would not agree, but she would agree to my business trip."

"You lied to her?" Dunn hugged his head, "You are done, your new life is done."

"It's strange, I thought you would be glad I came back to watch the game." Michael said blankly.

"Don’t make a mistake, Michael. I want you to watch the game, but the premise is not that you lose your job and deceive your wife. You know why I don’t say anything but send the ticket, nor call you to persuade you to watch The ball? I'm just afraid of this day." He pointed to Michael, "It's just a ball."

"It's just a game?" Michael asked rhetorically. "I think the person who made the mistake is you, Tony. This is the UEFA Champions League final!" He raised his voice. "The last time I saw the Forest team enter the Champions League final was in May 1980, and it is now 2007! For me, it was only once in 27 years. I can find another job if I don’t have a job. If this opportunity is let go, I'm afraid I will wait another twenty-seven years...How many twenty-seven years do I have, Tony?"

Looking at the white hair on top of Michael's head, Dunn didn't say a word.

"Fiona, I will explain. Of course I won't give up my family, so you don't have to worry about it. Why do you always think about their wife, Tony?"

Dunn punched Michael in the chest, "You foolish fool!"

Then he hugged Michael: "Should I say welcome back, Michael?"

"Whatever you want, I just come back to watch the ball, and I have to go back to America after the game."

"Of course I don't expect you to stay here. You have your life, Michael. That's good. I hope you don't give up football, and I don't want you to give up life. Do you know?"

Michael Bernard nodded: "I'm no longer an avid fan, I know this better than you, Tony."

"That's good, that's good..." Tang En muttered.

"By the way, when I came, I met George here." Michael Bernard pointed to his feet and said.

"George Wood?"

"Yeah. He is giving Gavin flowers."

After hearing what Michael said, Dunn noticed that there were not two bunches of flowers in front of Gavin's tombstone, but three bunches.

"Did you talk about anything?" he asked.

"No, I nodded to him, and he nodded to me, he turned and left when I came."

Dunn thought this was in line with George's personality.

"He is a big star now." Dunn said proudly.

Michael nodded: "I know. After I came here, I bought some newspapers and magazines, and the local media introduced him. He became the captain of the Forest team, was selected for the England team, participated in the World Cup... I didn't expect it."

The two looked back at Gavin's tombstone at the same time.

He was George's first fan. He accurately predicted that George would become a big star one day, but he did not personally wait until that day.

"He still remembers Gavin, I am very grateful to him." Michael whispered.

"No one has ever forgotten Gavin." Dunn patted the old man on the shoulder: "You just came back, have you been to the forest bar?"

"No."

"Go and have a few drinks together, the old folks will be very happy to see you back, even if you just leave after watching a game."

After speaking, Dunn took Michael and left the silent cemetery.

The three bunches of flowers in front of the tombstone are arranged side by side, gently swaying in the breeze, and there are some black spots on the petals, which are the ashes after the burning of the ticket.

※※※

Kenny Burns and the others were very surprised when Michael Bernard came back. They looked at Michael, who was wearing his eyes and changing his costume, and couldn't recognize it. It was fat John who rushed up to hug him first, and everyone was convinced that this man was indeed their former leader, Michael Bernard.

"Welcome back, Michael!" Burns handed him a glass of wine.

"Every time Tony sends you a ball ticket, I say to him,'Don't be foolish, that guy won't come back.' It seems I was wrong, but I'm glad I was wrong." Fat John held Michael very much. Said emotionally. "Michael, we can sing in the stands together again!"

"Fuck the **** who look down on us together!" Skinny Bill continued.

Dunn stood on the side and watched the scene of this friend's reunion with a smile. He hadn't been angry with Michael long ago. As he himself said, football is football, life is life, everyone always has their own way, not everyone can rely on football for food.

"I'm sorry, John, Bill. But I can only come back to watch this game..." Michael said apologetically.

"That's okay, that's okay." John shook his head. "One is fine, one is enough. This is the Champions League final! It's been twenty-seven years, and we can watch the Champions League final together again!"

There were not many people in the bar in the afternoon. Most of them were Michael's old friends. Everyone got together to raise their glasses and toast to Michael's return.

When everyone was over, they noticed Dunn standing next to him.

John turned his head to look at Dunn with a smile: "Hey, Tony. I want you to give me a promise."

Dunn raised his eyebrows.

"Michael finally came back. This is the time we all get together to watch the Champions League final after 27 years. Do you have the heart to let him run for nothing?" John turned his head and looked around, everyone shouted.

"Yes! If we lose again, we can't spare you, Tony!"

"I don't care what kind of **** it is because of this time. Anyway, I can't lose!"

"You must win! Tony, you said that you can't lead the team to win the championship. The coach who won the victory is utterly fucking! If you lose again, I guarantee you will hear it every home game.' Shouts of sucks!"

"Champion! Except for the championship, we will not accept any results!"

"We've been waiting for twenty-seven years, we are impatient and don't want to wait anymore!"

All sorts of roars in the bar for a while, and no other sounds were heard.

In the face of these enthusiastic fans, Dunn did not rush to speak, but smiled. When everyone gradually calmed down, he opened his hands and said:

"Does anyone here doubt my desire for victory and championship? You are all watching how I went from being a rookie to the present."

He said he was a rookie, everyone laughed. Indeed, when he entered this bar to find a drink, he was surrounded by Michael and his people and ridiculed him. At that time, who knew there would be today?

"Also, I bet with all of Italy. If I lose, I will jump into the sea. Do you think I am the kind of coward who would be willing to be ashamed of the enemy?"

At this moment Michael suddenly interrupted loudly: "Hey, Tony! I am very upset. Of course we hope that Nottingham Forest will win the Champions League, but we also want to watch you jump into the sea. What should we do?"

Everyone laughed loudly.

"Want to be beautiful, Michael! You can only choose one!" Dunn waved to him.

"That's the champion without a doubt." Michael shrugged.

"I'm the same as you, I don't accept any results other than the championship. No before, no now, nor in the future!" Dunn shook his fist vigorously, taking out his posture of advocating to the players in the locker room. . "I tell you, it is our own, no one can grab it!"

Everyone whistled in excitement.

Dunn raised the wine glass in his hand: "Don't just drink wine, let's have a toast, guys."

Michael followed and raised his glass, turned his head and shouted to the people in the bar: "For the champion—"

John then raised his glass: "For another championship twenty-seven years later--"

Bill was hoarse: "For the King of Europe--"

"Cheers——!!!" (To be continued, if you want to know what's going on, please visit www.qidian.com, more chapters, support the author, support genuine reading!)

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