Chapter 1 When Chen Hero Scored the Second Goal

When Chen Hero scored the second goal, many old Liverpool fans were moved to tears.

It wasn't that they saw a bright future, but this scene reminded them of the past. Back then, Liverpool swept the world, winning all the championships. It was like this back then, Liverpool could score in the early stages of the game, and no matter how strong the team was, whether it was Inter Milan or Barcelona, they were all just the backdrop for Liverpool.

But this scene had not been seen for many years.

They never thought that in Chen Hero's last season of his career, they would see it again.

Should such a hero retire?

The fans in the stands quickly had such a thought.

A person who can score twice against Inter Milan in the Champions League round of 16 in four minutes, even if he is nearly forty-one years old, is he someone who should retire? There are plenty of stars in this world who sit on the bench, taking high salaries and just passing the time. They are the ones who should retire the most, but Chen Hero is definitely not one of them.

Not only did the fans have this idea, but even the commentators were full of emotion.

"Look at Hero's performance, would you believe me if I said he was a forty-year-old? Would you believe me if I said he would retire this season? But the truth is... a player in such excellent form is going to retire after this season..."

"Many people like to say that only time can defeat him, but I want to say that this sentence does not apply to Hero! Even time... even time cannot defeat this man in front of us! He is retiring because he wants to retire, not because he is old!"

"Forty-year-old Chen Hero gave the youngsters of Inter Milan a good lesson! Before the game, Inter Milan actually thought they could easily defeat Liverpool, and at Anfield! I wonder if they saw the statue next to the visitors' entrance when they came in from outside the stadium. I think Liverpool Football Club specifically placed Chen Hero's statue there with meaning, because it will remind those visiting teams where they are fighting and who they are fighting against!"

"Although it was only four minutes, these four minutes once again proved to us an unbreakable truth, that is, as long as Chen Hero is there, Liverpool's spaceship will never sink!"

No matter how much they usually disliked Chen Hero, in the face of his amazing performance, these people had to lower their heads and surrender.

Football is a sport that respects the strong, and people here like to worship the strong. Chen Hero is such a strong man. At the age of forty, without any conspiracies or tricks, without any underhanded means, he defeated a strong enemy on the court in a fair and square manner. Such a performance deserves everyone to cheer for him and worship him.

Soon, the "Song of Hero" rang out in the stands.

This song has been around for more than ten years. With Liverpool's expeditions, this song has been sung all over the world, and many fans who are not Liverpool fans are familiar with this song.

As long as this song rings out, they know that the terrifying Chen Hero has shown his power, and as their opponents, they can only kneel down, lower their heads and tremble, and do nothing else.

In the fan song record albums released by Liverpool Football Club over the years, this song has been the main song alongside Liverpool's team song.

Now this song is ringing again, and Liverpool fans are using this way to express their support and affection for Chen Hero.

This song will no longer be sung on the field after this season.

Because the person who deserves them to do so is no longer there.

Perhaps it was with such emotions that Liverpool fans sang exceptionally loudly this time.

In the singing, Chen Hero and his teammates ended their celebration and slowly ran back to their own half.

In the singing, he raised his right fist.

Just like receiving the signal from the band conductor, the singing in the stands suddenly rose to another level, like a storm sweeping the entire stadium.

Causing the Inter Milan fans in the stadium to change color.

They then realized what kind of opponent they were playing against.

Nine months is not a long time, but they had forgotten this point...

Yes, this Liverpool team may still not be able to win the Champions League, but they wouldn't be so bad that they couldn't even reach the top eight, right? They were unlucky to have met Liverpool led by Chen Hero in the round of 16!

※※※

Stramaccioni, the coach of the visiting team, was not angry this time. He just stood on the sidelines without any other expression.

In fact, after he discovered what the players on the field were doing, he was mentally prepared for this. It was impossible to yell at them loudly and stop them from doing so, because the noise at Anfield was too loud, and it was difficult to hear clearly even when speaking face to face, let alone yell at them with his voice. He was human, not a machine, and he couldn't compete with more than 70,000 Liverpool fans alone.

When the goal really happened, his thought was actually... "These bastards should know how powerful Hero is, they should be more honest next, right?"

He had a sense of relief, and he even thanked Liverpool and Chen Hero for teaching these people who thought they were the best thing since sliced bread a lesson.

He thought that after this game, these people would probably never dare to underestimate anyone again.

As for the game itself, Stramaccioni didn't care much anymore.

Even if they lost the game in the end, it would be normal. What he had to consider was how to maximize the benefits of losing this game.

So that the team can avoid making such mistakes in the future. Only teams that have passed this test can truly become hegemons.

Anyway, Chen Hero will retire this season. Liverpool after his retirement will definitely not be as strong as they are now. If Inter Milan is well prepared by then, they can take the opportunity to rise and become the new king of European football.

Let's start with this game!

※※※

Chen Hero scored twice in four minutes, giving Liverpool a two-goal lead in just twenty minutes of the game. This game had completely fallen into Liverpool's rhythm.

In the following game, Liverpool no longer continued to attack aggressively, but instead defended steadily and counterattacked.

Let Inter Milan press up, leaving Chen Hero alone in the frontcourt. He is old, not as fast as before, and his stamina is not as good as before, but as long as he is on the field, he is still a huge threat.

And Inter Milan no longer dared to underestimate him, even if he didn't have the ball, there were always two central defenders close to him.

This also led to Inter Milan's attack not being able to press up completely, and there were not many troops invested in the attack.

Giving Liverpool a chance to breathe, and occasionally launch a counterattack to threaten Inter Milan's goal.

And fearing Liverpool's counterattack threat, Inter Milan did not dare to really counterattack recklessly. They could only shrink their defense and retreat to defend, which made Liverpool's counterattack unable to score any more goals.

The two sides were in a stalemate until the end of the first half, and the score did not change again.

※※※

Returning to the halftime break, Stramaccioni did not scold the players. He knew that scolding at this time would not solve the problem.

The matter had already happened, so what he had to do was to guide them correctly and avoid the players' morale from plummeting.

But lessons still had to be given to them.

"How does it feel to be taught a lesson by a forty-year-old?"

The players lowered their heads one after another, not daring to look at their coach.

This matter was indeed their fault.

"Don't be unconvinced, and don't feel wronged. I'm telling you, this is normal! Who do you think Chen Hero is? He was able to lead Liverpool to monopolize the Champions League for nine years, not by luck! Don't think that he is already forty years old, but his experience and skills have reached perfection! You are still too young compared to him! But this game is a good thing for you. Never underestimate any opponent, even if it is an opponent that seems harmless. I hope the four minutes of this game can give you some inspiration, which will become a valuable asset in your career! Don't just focus on this game, you have to look further ahead, this game will affect your whole life! You just won a Champions League title and you are complacent. But do you know how Liverpool created the nine consecutive Champions League titles? Even if they won another championship, they always maintained a cautious and humble attitude, and treated every opponent seriously, even cautiously to the point of being excessive. The media ridiculed them for this, but they never changed because of it. They are still like this, so no matter how strong the opponent is, all they can feel in front of them is despair! Absolutely no chance! This is the demeanor that a real strong team should have!"

Speaking of this, Stramaccioni thought of Martin O'Neill, who was ridiculed by countless people as a coward and a spineless weakling when he was in charge. But when he left Liverpool, everyone realized his greatness.

Humility is a virtue. Taking every opponent seriously is a reflection of professional quality. Never be arrogant and underestimate the enemy.

Everyone can say these words, but few people can actually do it.

Martin O'Neill did it all, and persisted for so many years.

He is like the coolant of Liverpool's high-speed racing car. Without him, the engine would have exploded due to overheating. Because of him, Liverpool can gallop wildly on the European continent without worrying about any accidents.

Some people say that Chen Hero is the biggest contributor to Liverpool's nine consecutive Champions League titles.

But from the perspective of a head coach, Stramaccioni felt that Martin O'Neill was perhaps the most important but most easily overlooked person.

His aura is not as dazzling as the famous coaches of the time such as Guardiola and Mourinho, but he is the coach with the most championships in the history of world football. He is the person who ranked first in the historical coach points list selected by the Sports History and Data Statistics Association.

There is no statue of Martin O'Neill outside Anfield, but the gate at the entrance of the stadium's home fans is named "Martin O'Neill Gate".

He has been ranked alongside the legendary meritorious coaches in the history of Liverpool Football Club for future generations to admire.