Chapter 1 Zhang Hui Kang

Zhang Hui Kang, the former main goalkeeper of the Chinese national team, once contributed to the Chinese Olympic team's entry into the 1988 Olympics and was named the best Asian goalkeeper in 1988, known as the "National Gate." In a game in 1991, he injured his head when he hit the goalpost while trying to make a save. After retiring in 1993, he could not take care of himself. He had a mild concussion and suffered from depression due to long-term medication and his personality. He couldn't find a suitable job, and even when friends helped him find one, he had to resign due to his personality. Later, he was sent to a sanatorium for treatment because of an episode, and he only had an elderly mother in her sixties at home. He belonged to the Shanghai Sports and Technical School and received a retirement pension of nine hundred yuan from the Shanghai Sports Commission every month, but this amount of money was not enough for someone who needed medical treatment in Shanghai, and he lived a hard life. Later, after the media reported his tragic situation after retirement, the Shanghai government began to provide him with some subsidies every month and arranged a job for his mother—running a small newsstand and sports lottery station on a street corner, which barely solved the living problems of his family.

In fact, not only in China but all over the world, very few athletes who have made outstanding contributions to national honor can live very well after retirement. They suffered injuries during their time as athletes, but after retirement, they had no money to treat them, which led to their physical deterioration and eventually became useless. Not everyone can be like Fu Yu Bin, who took Zhang Hui Kang's main position back then, who opened a company and released records after retirement, leading a colorful life.

Very few people live well both before and after retirement. Most of them are left without a livelihood after retirement, becoming recipients of social security or even beggars. Those trophies and medals cannot be eaten, and neither can honor. What did they get after dedicating their youth? A body full of injuries.

Just like Zhang Hui Kang, the best Asian goalkeeper of that year, the only warrior in the "least ambitious" Chinese team at the 1988 Olympics, now few of his neighbors know who he is or what he has done. People only know that he is the honest middle-aged man who helps out at the sports lottery shop and doesn't like to talk…

※※※

After Lin Jia returned to the hospital room, looking at An Ke's smile, she didn't know how to tell him to retire. Shouldn't An Ke be looking forward to his bright future now? Thirty years old, the golden age for a professional goalkeeper, the age of maturity in life, everything is just beginning, why should he bid farewell so cruelly?

In order not to let An Ke see through her, Lin Jia could only force a smile: "When can you go home?"

"I can go now." An Ke lifted the quilt and jumped out of bed. "It's just a scratch, why are you making such a fuss? Full-body check-ups and hospital observation…"

He looked down to put on his shoes, not noticing Lin Jia's slight tremor.

"Since... since the doctor said so, let's stay in the hospital."

An Ke looked up at Lin Jia, then shook his head and said, "Jia Jia, what's wrong with you? You seem to be in a bad mood…"

"Isn't it because you had this accident!" Lin Jia reacted quickly enough, and she shifted the topic to the car accident, afraid that An Ke would find something wrong with her and start digging into it, which she couldn't handle. She couldn't imagine what it would be like if she spoke her mind then.

Sure enough, as soon as he heard something related to himself, An Ke scratched his head embarrassedly, then sat on the bed: "Let's go, let's go back! I'm suffocating here, nothing is better than my own home."

Lin Jia didn't know whether to agree or object, when the door was pushed open, and Kahn and Sammer walked in. Lin Jia turned her head to look at the two men, and her expression became unnatural again.

When An Ke saw his two coaches, he started to fool around again: "Hey, you two, isn't this making a mountain out of a molehill? I just had a little car accident, I didn't lose any arms or legs, and you want me to stay in the hospital. Let me out?"

Faced with such a vibrant face, the two big men also felt a little unnatural. "Ah... well, this is the hospital's arrangement, just to be on the safe side. Besides, there are so many reporters outside now, are you looking for death?" Kahn advised, and his words really worked.

At the thought of those annoying reporters outside, An Ke got a headache. He finally raised his hands in surrender: "Okay, I'll stay here. But, Jia Jia has to stay here to keep me company."

Kahn smiled: "She's already your girlfriend, why do you need to ask for our opinion? We'll leave first, take good care of yourself, the team still needs you."

After speaking, the two men hurriedly "fled" the scene.

On the way back, Sammer was still complaining to Kahn: "Who told you to add that last sentence? Aren't you giving An hope and then shattering it with your own hands?" He was referring to the sentence "the team still needs you."

Kahn felt a little aggrieved: "It's normal to say that. If I didn't say that, he would definitely suspect something. Also, when I looked at his face, I couldn't help but want to say: come back and be my goalkeeper..."

Looking at the increasing number of reporters at the gate, the two men sighed at the same time. How would they face An Ke's angry and disappointed face? And how would they face these reporters who were eager to stir up trouble?

※※※

Throughout the night, Lin Jia had several opportunities to speak, but in the end, she gave up each time. She decided not to tell An Ke for the time being, because she really couldn't face An Ke's face. She felt like she was a thief who had stolen An Ke's future.

※※※

Zhang Jun arrived at the training ground very early as usual, but to his surprise, someone was there even earlier than him—Li Yan by the side of the training ground. He decided to walk over to say hello and ask him why he had arrived so early as well.

"Yo!" Zhang Jun waved his hand and walked to the iron fence, "Usually you don't start work until ten o'clock, why are you here at nine today?"

"I rushed here to tell you a huge piece of news, do you want to hear it?"

Zhang Jun smiled: "What's going on? If you have something to say, just say it over the phone, why do you have to say it in person? Why so formal?"

Li Yan didn't laugh at Zhang Jun's joke: "This matter can only be explained clearly in person. An Ke had a car accident, do you know?"

Zhang Jun continued to smile: "I know, he called me and showed off that he was lucky and only suffered scratches. But seriously, he really is lucky. There's no justice if he didn't die in that!"

Li Yan coughed: "Then what I'm about to say, don't think I'm joking."

"What?" Zhang Jun shrugged, not understanding what Li Yan was going to say.

"A reporter friend of mine in Germany secretly revealed to me that although this car accident didn't take An Ke's life, it indirectly ended his career."

Zhang Jun was stunned: "What did you say!"

"Don't get excited, let me finish." Li Yan continued calmly, "You also know that goalkeepers often have very dangerous moves, such as hitting their heads on the goalposts to save the ball. And An Ke is a goalkeeper who doesn't care about his life once the game starts, so he is called a 'world-class' goalkeeper. He can save any difficult ball. But this also greatly increases the chances of his head hitting the goalpost. Remember four years ago when he hit his head on the goalpost during training and was unconscious for several days?"

Zhang Jun nodded.

"That was just one of them."

Zhang Jun remembered that in high school, during their sophomore year when they participated in the national competition qualifiers and the final against Ke Da High School, An Ke had hit his head on the goalpost to save the ball, and his whole person looked dazed. He couldn't judge the correct trajectory of the soccer ball, so he had to close his eyes and guard the goal.

"According to my friend, he bribed the doctors and nurses in the hospital to get An Ke's medical report. It clearly states that 'the brain nerves are damaged, affecting behavior and judgment. The left pupil is narrowed, with the possibility of blindness.' The doctor also gave him an example: a simple action like picking up a glass of water, in An Ke's eyes, the glass is very close to him, and he can grab it with a slight reach, but in reality, the distance is a little farther than he thought. He has to stretch his arm out a little further to grab it, which causes him to reach for nothing... An Ke is in this kind of situation now. He cannot correctly judge the distance between objects and him, so he cannot correctly hold the soccer ball in the game. You also know about his inexplicably poor performance and low-level mistakes some time ago."

Zhang Jun was stunned. So, the reason why he didn't play in the Champions League was because of this... Damn it, why didn't I connect his poor performance some time ago with this earlier?

"It is said that the Bayern executives are preparing to advise him to retire early. This is also for his own good. If he continues like this, he may really become a vegetable. The best-case scenario is that he becomes demented... There are precedents for athletes leading miserable lives after retirement."

"Does he... does he know about this? Does An Ke know?"

"He probably doesn't know. He returned to the team this morning to participate in training..."

"So, does that mean your friend discovered this exclusive news and didn't report it?"

"I didn't let him publish it. I told him to wait a few days to see... But you know that reporters value the timeliness and exclusivity of news the most. If these few days pass, who knows how many other people will find out? I don't have the confidence that I can really make him wait a few days. I believe it will be revealed by the media soon..."

Zhang Jun could completely imagine how An Ke, who was completely unaware, would feel after suddenly learning about the inside story of his career from the media. He glanced at Li Yan: "Sigh! You reporters!" After saying that, he ignored Li Yan's explanation and turned to leave.

Throughout the entire morning training session, he made frequent mistakes and was absent-minded, which made Sabato scold him while also being unable to figure out what was going on.

※※※

The Bayern Munich first-team goalkeeper coach and head coach were also confused. They were somewhat surprised to see An Ke appear on the training ground.

"Why are you looking at me with that expression? Aren't you welcoming me back to the team?" An Ke brought his face close to Kahn.

"Uh... no, it's just that I didn't expect you to recover so quickly. You were discharged from the hospital in two days." Kahn randomly found an excuse to gloss over it.

Sammer asked, "An, did you drive here yourself?"

"No. Jia Jia wouldn't let me drive no matter what. She drove me here." An Ke pointed to the iron fence not far behind him.

Sammer and Kahn followed his gaze and indeed saw Lin Jia standing outside. The two sighed in their hearts at the same time. It seemed that she had not completed the task they had given her. It was indeed a bit too much to ask a girl to say such a cruel thing.

"Her decision is right. We don't want anything to happen to you again." Sammer nodded, and then Kahn waved and slapped An Ke on the butt: "Go train! The welcome gift for your return to the team is to make up for the training you missed in the last three days!"

An Ke screamed and ran away. The remaining two turned their attention to Lin Jia, who bowed slightly to the two as a sign of apology.

"Oliver, I'm leaving this task to you." Sammer patted Kahn on the shoulder, and then turned around and left before he could react.

Later, during a break in training, Kahn announced that An Ke would be the starting goalkeeper for tomorrow's league match. This decision was supported by the entire team. Only Sammer was a little surprised. Wasn't he supposed to persuade An Ke? How could he give him the starting position? Kahn turned to look at Sammer, his eyes full of helplessness. This goalkeeper, who was full of dominance on the field, had completely lost his decisiveness at this moment. Who asked him to hold the future of a person in his hands? It was indeed too heavy, an even heavier burden than leading the German team into the World Cup final alone.

※※※

Zhang Jun's worries were always right. Li Yan's German friend didn't keep the exclusive news under wraps for long. Only two days after he discovered it, he published the sensational news in the newspaper he worked for.

"'God of Goalkeeping' An Faces Retirement Decision!" The headline was already sensational, attracting everyone's attention, and the content below was even more so. Almost every word made readers exclaim.

Zhang Jun tore the photocopy of the newspaper that Li Yan had given him into pieces, scattering them all over the room.

※※※

Kahn was counting the number of people in the locker room. It was an hour and a half before the start of the game, and the team had arrived at the stadium early to adapt to the field and prepare for the game as required. After counting and counting, he found that one person was missing—An Ke.

An Ke used to be the most enthusiastic one during games. How could he, as the captain, be late?

But they couldn't wait any longer. Helplessly, Sammer announced that the team should go out to warm up.

Just as the team had just left and Kahn was still packing his things in the locker room, An Ke pushed the door open and entered.

"An, why are you only..."

"Oliver, there are some things I want to ask you." An Ke interrupted Kahn and put a newspaper in front of him.

"'God of Goalkeeping' An Faces Retirement Decision!" The black headline caught Kahn's eye.

"Is everything said on this true?" An Ke asked with a sullen face.

Kahn quickly scanned through it. Although he didn't know where the reporter named "A. Baris" had gotten the internal information, it was indeed true. He had been trying to find an opportunity to talk to An Ke, but he didn't expect him to find out in this way.

He looked up at An Ke and nodded.

An Ke supported himself on a locker with his hand and chuckled twice: "I didn't expect it to be true. I thought this was a manuscript that was forgotten to be published on April Fool's Day."

"An, let me explain..."

"Was letting me start in this game out of compensation and pity for my impending retirement?"

Kahn realized what An Ke was thinking, and he quickly shook his head: "No, absolutely not! You starting was decided after the Champions League game. We didn't know anything at that time. Even if you had a car accident and returned to the team, and only trained for one day, I would still insist on you starting... That's because I believe in your ability. You are Bayern Munich's goalkeeper, captain, and Bayern's goal can only be guarded by you!"

An Ke lowered his head and remained silent for a while, then looked up and smiled at Kahn: "Captain—please allow me to call you that, I will go to the game and play well. Then, after the game, I will also announce my retirement. I understand your good intentions and thank you for your trust and cultivation over the years. An Ke will never forget two people for being able to be where I am today, one is Oliver who just passed away not long ago, and the other is you, this Oliver."

"An..."

"I think I've been greedy enough. Originally, I shouldn't have appeared on the professional stage. I should have studied abroad, returned to China, found a job, found a wife, and had children, and lived my life like that. Although my eight years of professional career have been short, I will cherish them forever. My dad didn't approve of me being a professional player in the first place. I think he can rest assured now..." An Ke pursed his lips, trying to stabilize his emotions so as not to cry. "Goodbye, I'm going to warm up! Please watch my performance later, I won't let Dortmund score a single goal!"

After saying that, he turned and ran out of the locker room.

Kahn kicked over the chair in front of him that was holding the newspaper, then slammed his fist hard on the locker. He finally let out a roar, the roar that the Lion King once used to inspire morale and intimidate opponents, but now it was so helpless and unwilling.

※※※

"The goal of xx can only be guarded by you!" How nostalgic, when was the last time I heard that?

…

"Guard it well! The goal of Shuguang can only be guarded by you! Before advancing to the national competition, if you dare to take matters into your own hands and get another yellow card, I will definitely skin you alive!" That's right, it was in the winter of 1999, the Shuguang Middle School vs. Yincai Middle School match in the Luoyang Division qualifiers for the National High School Football Championship. It was raining that day, and that silly boy Zhang Jun swore to perform a hat-trick to dedicate to Su Fei, that was too romantic!

I got a yellow card because of my impulsiveness, yes, it was because of this that I was scolded by Yang Pan. At the end, he pointed at me and coolly said such irresponsible things...

Shouldn't I be very angry? But why... why do I like the feeling of being trusted so much?

Whether it's the teammates of Shuguang, or the teammates of Dortmund, Bayern Munich, they all trust me so much, and they put their hearts at ease and leave the defense to me.

"The goal of Shuguang can only be guarded by you!"

"The goal of Bayern can only be guarded by you!"

That feeling, those words will be gone after today.

An Ke, don't cry! Can't cry! I can't let that Rensinger kid see your embarrassing side, absolutely not!

He wiped his eyes and rushed out of the tunnel.

The Bayern Munich players strangely looked at An Ke, who hadn't changed his clothes or put on his gloves, rushed into the field, stood in front of the goal, and then patted his chest hard and shouted: "Royce! Groy! Fred! And all of you, shoot here! Let me warm up!"

※※※

Sammer, who was standing in front of the coach's bench, looked at Kahn, who was walking towards him with his head down, looking weak.

"Did you tell him?"

"No, he told me."

"Hmm?"

"I didn't even have time to say a word of comfort to him... Mattes, watch closely, this is the last performance of Bayern's captain." Kahn looked up and saw Sammer's solemn expression, and he smiled: "Why are you looking so sad? If he sees it, he will definitely laugh at us: 'Hey, I'm not dead yet!'"

"You're talking about me, but you're smiling even more ugly than crying..." Sammer also "smiled."

※※※

April 4, 2013, a day that is not very auspicious in the eyes of Chinese people, An Ke ushered in the last official match of his career. Bayern Munich faced Dortmund at the Allianz Arena.

Today's Dortmund has had a change of president, a change of coach, and almost all of the players he knew have been replaced. Nevertheless, he still has deep feelings for them. The scenes at Westfalenstadion will always be in his heart, being remembered from time to time. Being able to meet such an opponent in his last match, An Ke felt that God really took care of him.

When the whistle sounded to kick off, An Ke completely forgot the fact that he was about to announce his retirement and threw himself wholeheartedly into the match against Dortmund. He indeed kept his promise before the match, and he made great saves and did not let Dortmund score any goals in front of him. The Dortmund fans who had come from afar dedicated their cheers and applause to An Ke. There was a banner that had existed since his time at Dortmund, and later when he went to Bayern Munich, this banner would appear in the stands whenever there was a match against Dortmund, whether it was an away game or a home game.

"God of Goalkeeping"

Just this phrase alone was enough to show the hearts of the fans who liked An Ke. In the eyes of German fans, An Ke was the only goalkeeper after Kahn who could be called a "god."

Thanks to An Ke's performance and the goal of Brazilian striker Fred, Bayern Munich completely defeated Dortmund 2:0 in their home game. After the match, An Ke was named the best player of the match, and he was immediately surrounded by many media outlets. Apart from a small number of people who congratulated him on winning the best player award, the questions asked by others were all related to the news of his retirement.

Faced with these people, An Ke only answered with one sentence: "Please go to the press conference."

※※※

Although Bayern Munich won the match and returned to the top of the standings, the atmosphere in the locker room was not very happy. Everyone silently looked at the captain standing in front of them.

An Ke removed the captain's armband from his arm and gently placed it on the table.

"That's the way things are. For the sake of my future health, I have decided to retire." An Ke said with a forced smile, "I'm very happy that you were able to be with me in the end. I'm very happy that we played together for so many years, although it wasn't a long time, only five years. But thank you for trusting me and putting this armband on me with confidence. Although I didn't do a great job, it wasn't bad, right? To those teammates who I used to scold on the field, I hope you don't take it to heart. I definitely didn't mean to do it. And to someone who I took the starting position from," An Ke looked at Rensinger. "I'm sorry, I can't wait for you to take it back again. You are already excellent enough, you don't need to worry about anything anymore. I'm now giving this..." He picked up his number 1 goalkeeper jersey, "to you, don't disappoint me."

Rensinger knew that An Ke was talking about him. He bit his lip tightly, and tears welled up in his eyes. He always had a proud expression in front of people. It would be too embarrassing to cry now!

But some people in the locker room were already sobbing softly.

Which kid is so tactless? Why are you making it so sad? It's not like we're saying goodbye forever, really! It's making me want to cry myself... Rensinger's tears still couldn't be held back, and they silently ran down his face.

Sammer coughed next to him: "An, let's go, the reporters should be getting impatient."

An Ke nodded, then waved to everyone: "Comrades, goodbye! Don't worry, I will watch your matches every weekend. If you don't perform well, be careful I'll come back and scold you, haha!"

Amidst the loud laughter, An Ke and Sammer walked out side by side.

Kahn looked at the silent players in the room and gently clapped his hands: "Okay, everyone pack up your things and prepare to go home." But he didn't see anyone get up and move, and in the end, he opened his mouth, but let them be.

※※※

Sammer looked at An Ke, who was silent with his head down: "Why are you enduring it so hard?"

An Ke choked up and said: "A man! Never sheds tears in front of others!"

"Am I not a person?"

"You didn't see!"

"Okay, I didn't see. Hmm, why is there sand in your eyes?"

"What a cliche line..." An Ke laughed through his tears.

"Like this, wipe the 'water' off your face, don't let those annoying reporters see you like this." Sammer pointed to An Ke's face.

After An Ke wiped his face clean, the two men walked into the press conference hall with their heads held high. What awaited them was not flashing lights and tricky questions, but a hazy future. No matter what happens in the future, this last step today must be taken well.

Even if I, An Ke, am forced to retire, I must say goodbye with my head held high and my back straight. I have never been afraid of anyone, and that includes injuries!

※※※

At 5:47 PM on April 4, 2013, after the Bundesliga Round 30 match between Bayern Munich and Dortmund, in front of nearly a hundred news media, An Ke officially announced his retirement today, completely ending his professional career.

From September 18, 2004, when he first stepped onto the Bundesliga stage representing Dortmund, to April 4, 2013, when he last participated in a professional match representing Bayern Munich, he dedicated countless brilliant saves and unforgettable moments to the fans for eight and a half years. It is worth mentioning that when he first appeared for Dortmund, his opponent was Bayern Munich, and when he last played for Bayern Munich, his opponent happened to be the first team he played for, Dortmund. It was as if a cycle included An Ke's eight-and-a-half-year career.

He brought back four league championship trophies, two German Cup championship trophies, and three German Super Cup championship trophies for Bayern Munich. The only regret was that he was unable to bring back even one European Champions League trophy for Bayern Munich. Originally, if he continued to play, then everything would have been possible. But now that the words of announcing his retirement have been spoken, this has become a lifelong regret for him.

For Zhang Jun and An Ke, thirty years old seems to be a threshold. Zhang Jun suffered the second serious injury of his life before the age of thirty and was forced to withdraw from the national team because of it. And An Ke, at the age of thirty, encountered the most serious blow of his life and said goodbye to professional football because of it.

Although Zhang Jun was frequently injured, he was still on the green field and could give people something to look forward to. And An Ke said goodbye to everyone, goodbye, never to be seen again... Bayern Munich's number 1, the Chinese national team's number 1, that flamboyant and sincere goalkeeper, will forever disappear in front of the goal. The only thing left is his majestic and mountain-like figure standing in front of the goal, how reassuring it is...

His often-repeated phrase "I won't let the opponent score a goal!" has also become an echo.

※※※

Sabato, considering Zhang Jun's physical risks, decided not to let him play in the Champions League match against Bayern, not even on the bench list. After all, they beat the opponent 4:0 in the first leg at their home stadium, so no matter how they played in the return leg, they wouldn't be overturned. Moreover, their captain and main goalkeeper An Ke had just announced his retirement, which was not a small blow to the team.

But when Zhang Jun learned that he might miss the second leg, he went directly to Sabato.

"I want to play, start, and play for the full ninety minutes." He said to Sabato decisively.

"But we don't need to go all out anymore..." Sabato considered more of the overall interests.

"You don't need to go all out. You can send up all the substitutes, but I must play, start, and play for the full ninety minutes." Zhang Jun didn't give in at all.

Sabato's mind turned a circle: "Is it because of An's matter?"

Zhang Jun nodded.

"You're always like this... Okay, I'll let you start, and I will definitely not substitute you. But you have to be careful. If you get injured, then our agreement will be immediately invalidated, and I will immediately substitute you."

"Thank you, Antonio. I think An Ke will also be happy with your decision." Zhang Jun bowed to Sabato.

"Why so formal?" Sabato curled his lips. "He is a... the only opponent I don't want to meet, very, very good. It's really a pity to retire at the age of thirty. Say hello to him for me."

"I will."

After saying goodbye to the head coach, Zhang Jun took out his phone and smiled at the text message An Ke had sent him an hour ago: "Kid, I'm completely free now. Keep the position of principal of your football school for me. I'll go there to take office after I'm done playing! Also, help me teach the goalkeeper in this match a hard lesson. Score goals, score a lot of goals, don't give me any face!"

※※※

"This is Bayern Munich's first match after their captain and main goalkeeper An Ke retired!" The commentator introduced the background information of this match to all the television viewers. "Although they were惨败0:4 in the first leg at their home stadium, we can see that the head coach Sammer still sent out their main lineup for this match. For them, this match is not about competing for a spot in the next round, but about paying tribute to their departing captain! For their dignity!"

Looking at the Bayern goalkeeper number 12, Rensinger, standing in front of the opposite goal, Zhang Jun murmured to himself: "Is this your successor? I don't understand, you are obviously incompatible, and his performance in the last match was not good at all, so why did you entrust your number to him? Since that's the case, then let me test his quality for you, his true strength..."

He looked back at Krull outside the center circle. Krull originally didn't need to play in this match either, but when he heard that Zhang Jun was also going to play, he also insisted on playing. Like him, all the other players who should have been resting also requested to play. Two days before the match, Sabato told the outside world that they would play with substitutes in this match that was already without suspense, in order to preserve their stamina for future matches. As a result, unexpectedly, the full main and strongest lineup was used to face Bayern Munich at home.

The German media scolded him as a "liar," "cheater," "shameless," and "scumbag." They originally hoped that Fiorentina would play with substitutes, so that Bayern's match would be much easier, and they might even be able to win and offer the best farewell gift to An Ke. Now that Fiorentina is playing with its full main lineup... the outcome is unpredictable.

Only Zhang Jun knew why Sabato agreed to the demands of those lawless subordinates to start.

"Let's just treat it as us sending off An. It would be too disrespectful to the other side to send up substitutes." This is what that "madman" said.

Yes, the other side is also a giant, a Bundesliga powerhouse. The departure of their main goalkeeper and captain cannot be forgotten so quietly. Zhang Jun wants to dedicate a classic match to everyone that can still be recalled often many years later, so that when people mention this match, they will immediately think of it as a farewell match for An Ke!

Although you are not on the field... then I will treat that number 12 kid as you and deal with him!

※※※

The second leg between Fiorentina and Bayern Munich was not as easy as some people thought. Fiorentina, with its full main lineup, did not form an overwhelming advantage against Bayern Munich, this "army of mourning." On the contrary, the opponent's counterattacks were well-organized.

Everyone went all out, so the scene looked very good, with extremely fast offensive and defensive transitions, wonderful shots, and beautiful defense. Everything was as Zhang Jun wished. Although there were no goals in the entire match for seventy minutes, it did not prevent it from becoming a classic.

Until the seventy-third minute, Krull made a direct pass near the center circle in a Fiorentina counterattack. Zhang Jun started at high speed from a place parallel to the defender and cut diagonally, a beautiful anti-offside! Then he dribbled the ball and formed a one-on-one situation with the attacking Rensinger.

"Look at this ball! A Fiorentina counterattack, Zhang Jun! He's one-on-one with Rensinger!! This is the best chance of the entire match for Fiorentina!"

This was indeed the best chance for Fiorentina in the entire match so far, and it was also the most helpless ball for the goalkeeper—when facing Zhang Jun one-on-one, most goalkeepers gave up resisting, because resisting was also futile. No one could grab the ball from his feet.

Rensinger also hesitated when he attacked. In the past few days, he had crammed everything related to Zhang Jun, so he naturally knew that Zhang Jun's win rate in one-on-one situations with goalkeepers was almost 100%. But just in the moment of his hesitation, An Ke's roar suddenly rang in his head: "A goalkeeper should be fearless! No matter who the opponent is, crush them! Crush them! Fucking crush them! Show your momentum, the ones who should be feeling fear and terror are the strikers!"

He rushed out like a cheetah, facing Zhang Jun, facing his nightmare.

When Zhang Jun looked up to find someone, he almost really thought that the goalkeeper rushing out in front of him was An Ke, because the aura he exuded was so familiar... Suddenly, his eyes were actually a little dazed.

In just this instant, Rensinger keenly captured it, and then his body sank and slid towards the soccer ball under Zhang Jun's feet. He wanted to perfectly block this attack. He wanted to be a true attack terminator, just like An.

When Zhang Jun reacted, Rensinger was almost at his feet. Facing such a situation, if he didn't do something, this counterattack would end here. He flicked the soccer ball to the side, Rensinger's hand touched it, and the soccer ball bounced away. Zhang Jun himself was also tripped by Rensinger, and he stumbled forward, almost falling to the ground, but he didn't fall down in the end. There was something inside his body supporting him, he had to catch up with the soccer ball and score it.

Rensinger didn't give up either, he used his hands and feet to crawl forward from the ground, chasing the soccer ball with Zhang Jun. He wanted to stop this goal. He wanted to accept the number 1 jersey with his own hands without any regrets.

Zhang Jun and Rensinger arrived almost at the same time. The Bayern goalkeeper jumped up at the last moment, hoping to block Zhang Jun's shooting route with his entire body, and Zhang Jun didn't have time to do any more feints to shake off the opponent. He could only compete with Rensinger to see who was faster and poke the ball out before the other!

The soccer ball rolled from under Rensinger's armpit and was blocked by his body, slowing down. The Bayern defender who was returning to defend tried his best to chase back, and he finally caught up. He slid out, but rolled into the goal with the soccer ball...

"It's a goal! Goooooal! Gooooooooooooooooal——!!" The commentator and the emotions of the fans at the scene were completely mobilized by this goal. They shouted and vented their passion. "The aggregate score is behind 0:5! There are still twenty minutes left in the match. Bayern Munich is almost certainly unable to advance to the next round!"

After scoring the goal, Zhang Jun didn't run around excitedly to celebrate his seventh goal in this Champions League, he just stood there blankly in front of the goal. He scored in Bayern's goal, so why was he so empty? He didn't have any happy emotions in his heart, but instead wanted to cry. In a very short moment, the scenes of An Ke from high school until now quickly replayed in his mind.

"So that when we play soccer together in the future, you won't have to pick up the ball from inside the goal every time." This is what he said to An Ke during his first Christmas in the Netherlands. But now how much he hoped that the person who bent down to pick up the ball was