Chapter 2 Chen Hero's Girlfriend

The next day, newspapers in Naples, Italy, and even England and China featured photos of Chen Hero, who had no national team duties, appearing on the streets of Naples, holding hands with his new girlfriend.

Many media outlets paid close attention to the fact that Chen Hero had a girlfriend. As everyone knows, although Chen Hero has a reputation as a playboy, he never seemed to have a girlfriend. His secret relationship with Sharapova ended before it was exposed, so the outside world never knew that Chen Hero had really dated Sharapova for a while; they just thought it was a rumor...

Thus, in the eyes of the media, this sunglass-wearing woman, whose name is currently unknown, became Chen Hero's first girlfriend—why "first girlfriend"? Because the media felt that Chen Hero, who is so flirtatious and loves to have fun, and frequently goes to nightclubs, certainly wouldn't last long with this woman. No woman can tolerate her man flirting around outside, messing around everywhere...

As for the girlfriend's name and identity, which are still unknown, it doesn't matter, they can do a "human flesh search." Ordinary people need privacy, but who told you to be a celebrity's girlfriend?

※※※

Dalglish naturally also saw the news about Chen Hero going to Naples in the Liverpool media. On Monday morning, he did indeed see Chen Hero at Melwood. This kid wasn't late.

After seeing Chen Hero, he greeted him, "How was Naples?"

Chen Hero pretended to be surprised, "Liverpool knows about this? Not bad, thanks for your concern, boss!"

Dalglish smiled and patted Chen Hero on the shoulder. "You are a big star now, your every move will naturally be watched by the media. How do you feel after taking a vacation? You have to know that our next game is a tough one!"

Chen Hero gave a thumbs up: "Never felt better!"

He was telling the truth. After returning from Naples, although he was still a little reluctant, his heart calmed down.

Because he felt that he had found a spiritual home. During the two days he spent with Cabrella, she was still as serious as ever, not saying much. Most of the time, Chen Hero was talking, and she was listening.

Everything was just like when they were still in Naples. From the outside, except for holding hands, you couldn't tell that they were lovers at all.

But Chen Hero just felt comfortable. Cabrella wouldn't pressure him like Sharapova, if he dared not to call her for a day, she would definitely call back to ask him if something happened...

He liked Cabrella's feeling of being close and distant. They were lovers, but they left each other enough private space. As a public figure, a big star who is followed by the media, his private space is already pitifully small. Even if there is no one outside, he doesn't dare to pick his nose or fart, for fear of being photographed by a camera hidden somewhere, and then spread widely, becoming a laughing stock.

Just take the German national team coach Löw eating boogers as an example... That is a personal habit, and some people in Europe do believe that eating the picked boogers can cure diseases or something... But if the camera captures it and then brings a burst of ridicule, it's a bit...

Chen Hero just doesn't like this kind of life without any private space, so he feels that a woman like Cabrella is so precious—many women, once they confirm a relationship with you, wish they could move into your brain and live there, knowing what you are thinking every minute, every hour, every second of every day. If you don't reply to a text message for ten minutes, they will definitely call to ask you why you didn't reply, whether you didn't see it or you were busy. If you didn't see it, what was the reason? If you were busy, what were you busy with... Many men start to get annoyed after experiencing the honeymoon period, why? Because they have no private space at all...

If Cabrella had pressured him step by step after establishing a relationship with him, Chen Hero's restless heart would have only become more restless.

But now, it is very peaceful.

In the next league game, Liverpool's opponent is their arch-rival Manchester United. Chen Hero will definitely start in this game, which is highly anticipated throughout England, barring any accidents. A good state of mind will help him perform well in that game.

Manchester United is a very strong opponent, and Liverpool attaches great importance to this game. But Chen Hero felt no pressure, just like preparing for any ordinary game.

Because he had just led Napoli to fight Manchester United last season, winning both games in two legs. Although the scores were not big, they were still victories, and he also had a goal and a key assist in these two games, performing very well, which gave him a great psychological advantage in his heart.

Playing against Manchester United, perhaps other Liverpool teammates are nervous, but he doesn't take it seriously at all.

Seeing such a confident Chen Hero, Dalglish felt relieved. Now that Gerrard is injured and has not recovered, the one who makes him feel the most secure is Chen Hero.

As for other players, although some of them were bought by him, he is still relatively sober, knowing that these people are not capable of changing the outcome of the game on their own. Liverpool only has two people who have this ability, one is Chen Hero, and the other is captain Gerrard.

It's a pity that Gerrard is injured and is still in recovery.

This game can only rely on Chen Hero.

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Without Chen Hero, the Chinese national team played against Iraq at home. This was a must-win game. If they lost, it would be even more ominous to play against Iraq away. Once they lost two games in a row to Iraq, the team's chances of qualifying would be in jeopardy.

In order to ease the pressure of playing against Iraq away, this game must be won!

The Chinese team, playing at home, still had an advantage, and the fans had high hopes for this game—don't look at the fierce scolding at ordinary times, but when it comes to the critical moment, the fans are still unambiguous, and they still cheer for the Chinese team.

Unfortunately, Chinese football disappointed them once again. The Chinese team, which had been placed high hopes on before the game, actually lost 0:1 to Iraq at home!

Iraq didn't have many good chances throughout the game, but the Chinese team did get some chances, but it was a pity that the Chinese team continued to be toothless, and no matter who was put on, it seemed that they didn't wear their shooting boots. Not only that, there were also mistakes on the defense line. Li Weifeng, a veteran who had been excluded from the national team by Gao Hongbo for many years, also returned to the national team after Camacho took office, and wore the captain's armband. It's just that his performance was really not stable enough, and almost all of the Chinese team's goals conceded were related to him, with frequent mistakes on the defense line.

Iraq also seized the mistakes on the Chinese team's defense line and scored the only goal, and finally took away the unexpected three points from the away game...

After losing the game, the angry fans once again bombarded the Football Association, demanding that the Football Association recall Chen Hero to the Chinese national team. In their opinion, as long as Chen Hero can come to the rescue, there may not be no chance to play against Iraq away—with Chen Hero's current strength, even if ten people are still pig-like teammates, relying on him alone should be able to defeat Iraq.

But the Chinese Football Association had no intention of bowing to Chen Hero. China is out of the World Cup? This is not news for Chinese football, and it is not the first time that they have missed the top ten. It is not a big deal. The key is that the Football Association's face cannot be lost!

Besides, the fans are wishful thinking. Can recalling Chen Hero guarantee qualification from this group? Football is a collective sport, not a platform for individual heroism.

What's the use of one Chen Hero!

So the Football Association once again acted like a turtle, shrinking into its shell and saying nothing in the face of the angry criticism from fans and the media across the country.

※※※

The Chinese team's poor performance also affected Chen Hero. After the team's training ended, he was surrounded by a group of Chinese reporters, who asked him whether he was willing to go back to save the Chinese team at this critical moment...

"Hero, do you know the result? The Chinese team actually lost to Iraq at home!" the reporter said to Chen Hero with a shocked face.

Chen Hero widened his eyes, with an unbelievable expression on his face. But he was not surprised that the national team lost to Iraq, he was surprised by other things... "This is unbelievable! You are still surprised that the national team lost the game?!"

A group of reporters originally wanted to arouse Chen Hero's righteous indignation and make him take the initiative to shout out that he wanted to serve the country.

Who would have thought that Chen Hero would say such a thing, and immediately made a group of Chinese reporters look at each other, not knowing what to say.

After a long while, a reporter weakly retorted: "But this is at our home stadium..."

"Is our home stadium a hellish home stadium? Will the visiting team definitely lose when they come?" Chen Hero asked back.

"Isn't it normal to lose to Iraq? Iraq's strength is very strong, if not a big chunk stronger than us, at least a head taller, right?"

"Uh... this..." The reporter who retorted was also speechless, because Chen Hero was right. The current Chinese team is really not as good as Iraq. At the beginning of this year, when the Chinese team went to the Asian Cup, the then national team coach Gao Hongbo said in an interview that the Chinese team was a third-rate team in the Asian Cup.

At that time, it also caused fierce criticism from the media and fans, who believed that the coach's saying such a thing before the war was too demoralizing. He had already surrendered before the game even started, which was simply unforgivable.

But he was just telling the truth... The Chinese team is indeed a third-rate team in the Asian Cup, not only in the Asian Cup, but also in Asia—even a team like Singapore is struggling so hard in their home games, what is it if not third-rate? This is completely a team of the same level as Singapore.

The Chinese media and fans were not convinced, and as a result, the Chinese team proved the coach's accurate positioning of them with practical actions in the Asian Cup.

"We created a lot of opportunities, but no matter who it was, no one was able to seize them..." another reporter said.

Chen Hero turned to look at him: "Are you saying that it would be okay if I went?"

The reporter nodded reflexively.

Chen Hero smiled: "You are also an old reporter, do you really think that with me, the Chinese team can rush into the World Cup from Asia?"

After saying that, he shook his head, and just like that, he ignored those reporters from his own country and walked away, pushing through the crowd.

Looking at his back, someone sighed.

"We need a hero, but the hero can't save us..."