Chapter 71 Knockout Matches Revealed As the New Year approaches, everything seems to slow down. Trigoria base. The Roma players finished their 90-minute training session and gathered on the sidelines to rest. They started discussing their holiday plans. "Where are you going to play during the winter break?" "I really envy the Bundesliga's winter break, which lasts five weeks! Why don't Italians follow the Germans in this regard?" "Haha, the winter break of the Ukrainian Premier League is even longer, three months." "You should compare it to the Premier League, where there is not only no winter break, but also a Christmas game, unless you are lucky enough to get a 10-day break." Winters in the Mediterranean are wet.

Ivan handed Gao Qi a newspaper and asked him to put it on the chair. Gao Qi accidentally saw the headlines of the newspapers: "Beckenbauer: Bundesliga winter break is too long, affecting players' condition!" "Cruyff: La Liga winter break is too short." The Football Emperor - Beckenbauer has a great influence in European football. The Bundesliga will really change the winter break time just because of their words. As for the football saint Cruyff, he spoke too directly throughout his life and offended too many people. The bald assistant coach said, "Gao, come back to Santander with me during the winter break to celebrate the New Year. There you can ski, hunt, and fish!" Although he came from the La Masia youth training camp, he is not a Catalan and his hometown is Santander, a city in northern Spain. During this historical period, Santander was an experimental base for the "smart city". The city was equipped with more than 24 human body sensors and countless surveillance cameras, as well as -hour armed patrols, forcing gangsters, thieves and robbers to seek a living elsewhere. Gao Qi smiled and nodded. He had seen in geographical atlases that there were still many remains of primitive people in Santander. The belated system prompt sounded. 【The game is being settled. 】 【Congratulations on winning: Real Madrid Platinum Treasure Box. 】 [The platinum treasure chest is opening. Obtained: Jesse "Prince Bernabeu" module. 】 [I will surpass Messi and Ronaldo in the near future. ] I will win the Ballon d'Or. [Your comprehensive attributes have surpassed this role module] The Champions League platinum module played by the full substitute lineup...is actually not as good as myself? As expected, the lower the difficulty of the game, the worse the rewards. not far away.

The assistant held the briefcase under his arm and shouted, "Gao, get ready to take a shower and change clothes! We're leaving!" Roma teammates gathered around, their tone full of anticipation: "I hope we won't encounter a club that is too difficult to deal with in the round of 16." The club's player representative is Totti, but the Wolf King prefers to accompany his children in recent years, so he always gives the opportunity to travel far away to young people. The plane flew through thick clouds and landed at Geneva Airport. Enrique led the team out of the airport entrance. He was not ignored like he was during the group stage draw. Media reporters on both sides of the cordon rushed to interview Roma's No. 23 player who shined in the battle at the Bernabeu. Security personnel quickly separated them. Snowflakes were falling, and the Roman delegation, fearing the cold, could not help but quicken their pace. UEFA's business car had been waiting for a long time. Bella held the sign high. The little girl's cheeks were red from the cold, and she said excitedly: "Gao, I saw you in the crowd at a glance" The assistant looked puzzled and couldn't help but raised his head to refute: "Is that even necessary? He is the highest-ranking member of the Rome delegation." Everyone tried hard to hold back their laughter. Bella's face darkened and he instantly turned back into a fan of their arch-rival Lazio. There was no long greeting. Under the flashing spotlights, the business car slowly drove out of the airport. Gao Qi put down the magazine and admired the winter snow scenery of Geneva through the car window. On the side of the road, two pedestrians were walking on the snow, dragging a Christmas tree. Nyon, UEFA headquarters. The once deserted boulevard is now bustling with activity. The trees and flowers on the roadside are decorated with a Christmas atmosphere. Reporters gathered on the roadside, braving the cold, waiting eagerly. Several business cars drove slowly in and the security personnel opened the doors cautiously. "Mr. Arsene! For a club like Arsenal, which opponent would you most like to draw?" The media asked questions enthusiastically. Wenger shook his head helplessly with a bitter smile: "Arsenal has never been a big club. I hope that tonight's draw will be like opening a Christmas present, with surprises instead of shocks." Arsenal have been hit by another wave of injuries and have recently fallen from second place in the Premier League to fifth.

Fans have long been accustomed to this kind of plot: when the season draws to a close, the Gunners will be unstoppable and will easily return to the top four of the Premier League. Followed by. The Roman delegation got off the business car. Wenger turned around and saw Gao Qi, and his smile became even more bitter. Next summer, Arsenal may not be able to afford the Roma genius. The crowd suddenly burst into cheers. A Manchester City delegation was present. Reporters rushed to Balotelli one after another. "Mario? Which opponent do you most want to draw?" "Give me a Bayern!" “The strength of Bayern Munich.” "Idiot, have you forgotten the European Cup half a year ago? The German team's defense is a piece of shit to me! Do you know that?" "If I lose, I'll let my girlfriend accompany me" Mancini's face was filled with black lines, and he quickly dragged his disciple away. The rules for the draw for the round of 16 are simple. 1. Group first VS group second. For example: Roma, first in Group D, will not draw Malaga, first in Group C. 2. Clubs from the same group and association will not meet. For example: Bundesliga-Bayern Munich will not be drawn against Bundesliga-Schalke 04, and Roma in Group D will not be drawn against Real Madrid in Group D. 3. Home and away double-round elimination system. For example: Roma draws Celtic, so they have to play one game at Park Stadium and one game at the Olympic Stadium. Finally, the total score of the two rounds will be calculated. If it is a draw, the number of away goals will be calculated. If the number of away goals is the same, overtime will be played. If the overtime is still a draw, a penalty shootout will be played. Enter the venue. Gao Qi temporarily separated from the Roma delegation and went to the player representative seat alone with his number plate. while walking. He found his seat in the first row. Sitting on the left is Shinji Kagawa. "Gao-san! Dig in the air!" Xiao Rizi stood up and bowed! The exciting UEFA Champions League background music sounded, and the big screen on the main stage began to play highlights of the UEFA Champions League group stage.

The first shot is the violent scene of Gao Qi heading the ball into the goal. Followed by. The venue gradually became hotter with each exciting goal-scoring moment. The applause continued. The spotlight flashes. Star players from various clubs entered the stadium one after another. Figures walked past the camera: Messi, Ronaldo, Aguero, Muller, Reus, Hazard “A passionate era with shining stars!” Shinji Kagawa suddenly became excited, his tone fanatical, and he spoke in Japanese instinctively: "Taka-san, I hope we can play against each other on the Champions League stage!" Gao Qi couldn't understand the other party's chattering at all. soon. The attention of the little day was diverted: "Messi! Messi!" The Barcelona superstar's seat happened to be next to his. Shinji Kagawa stood up, put his hands on his thighs, and bowed deeply to his idol! Messi nodded and gently made a "press down" gesture with his right hand. Life suddenly became peaceful and quiet. In 2012, Messi set an unprecedented record by scoring 91 goals, which is much higher than some clubs. Coach representative seat. Enrique looked around at his colleagues. Suddenly I found two familiar and unfamiliar faces: Valencia's new coach - Valverde. Barcelona assistant coach - Lula. Familiar and strange. Familiarity means: these two guys were deeply loved by Cruyff when they were players. They won the European Cup Winners' Cup with Barcelona more than 20 years ago, but left later due to injuries. Strange means: I haven’t seen these two guys during the group stage draw. Valencia fired the previous coach more than ten days ago and hired Valverde. As for Barcelona head coach Vilanova, he is currently battling illness and can only send an assistant coach to the scene. This year's round of 16 draw ceremony was redundant and extremely lengthy. With the change of lighting. The host, Pedro Pinto, dressed in a purple suit, stepped onto the main stage.

"Ladies and gentlemen! Welcome to the draw ceremony for the Champions League knockout stage!" “I am honored to have the opportunity to host the ceremony again.” This guy said a lot of nice words. About ten minutes passed. UEFA leaders took turns to come on stage and "add" some formal remarks for half a day. The audience was drowsy. After a long time. The guest of the draw - Steve McManaman, made a brilliant appearance. This English football legend had a rich and colorful experience when he was young. He was immune to injuries on the football field. Even when his calf was deformed by a tackle from an opponent during a game, he was still able to continue playing. clap clap clap! The dull conference hall finally came alive. McManaman didn't waste any time and urged the staff to bring up the glass jar full of balls. The important part begins. The two small balls were unscrewed separately. "The first draw result!" Arsenal "Arsenal vs Valencia!" "Gunner vs. Bat Corps, a wonderful showdown" The audience applauded warmly: Congratulations to Arsenal for drawing a good draw in a long time. Wenger looked calm. Valencia's new coach, Valverde, smiled. at the same time. CTV5 Sports Channel is broadcasting the draw ceremony live. - 【Stable. 】 - 【Arsenal will advance to the quarterfinals of the Champions League. 】 - [Thank you McManaman for giving Arsenal fans the best Christmas gift! ] - [Why isn't Wenger smiling? Is Valencia difficult to deal with? ] McManaman continued to dig. Snapped! Break open the ball, take out the paper and show it to the audience. UEFA official Infantino quickly broke the second ball. "The result of the second match." "Bayern Munich vs. Manchester City!" In an instant.

Many people couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. Fortunately, Bayern, the cosmic team, was drawn first. The venue was suddenly filled with a relaxed and cheerful atmosphere. Others felt relieved. Only Mancini looked gloomy. At this moment, the media reporters all recalled Balotelli's words: "I hope to draw Bayern the most!" Studio. - 【Bayern will definitely advance. 】 - [Is the gap in the Champions League that big? I haven’t watched the Bundesliga for several years. 】 - [Let me describe to you how strong Bayern is. Even if Barcelona meets Bayern, they might get beaten like dogs. ] - [How is it possible? Can Bayern beat Barcelona? Dream on! The last time Barcelona lost by a large margin in a cup match was in 1946.] Enrique was preparing to build up his emotions and enjoy the excitement and tension of the draw ceremony. "The result of the third match." "Rome." "Barca!" "Roma vs. Barcelona!" Enrique was stunned, and his hands hidden in his trouser pockets began to tremble. Before the emotions were ready, I got the hell difficulty! The opponent is Barcelona! Roma's defense, which was able to score two goals against a relegation team in Serie A, had to defend against Xavi, Iniesta, Busquets, Villa, Messi. How can I play this game? Can I redraw it? Damn, why is that Barcelona assistant coach Lula grinning? Lula stopped smiling. He really wanted to tell Vilanova, who was lying on the hospital bed, the result of the draw as soon as possible. Hopefully next spring, Barcelona will advance to the quarterfinals of the Champions League and the head coach will recover. There was thunderous applause. The audience looked at the player representative seats with sympathy. Gao Qi followed suit and clapped a few times. It's ok. The stronger the opponent, the higher the reward. What's more, it is a club like Barcelona that has many legendary stars. Maybe after the game you can draw a platinum module of Cruyff or Maradona. "Gao-san?"

Shinji Kagawa tried hard to observe his expression and exclaimed, "Taka-san, why are you so excited? Is this the precious will of a strong man?" Messi showed no emotion. For 91 Mei, there is no defense that he cannot break except Bayern Munich. There are too many games that start with two goals in a single game, which enriches the meaning of the term "double". at the same time. The comments in the live broadcast room are constantly being updated. - 【Done! 】 - [That’s it. Gao Qi’s first Champions League journey ended in the round of 16 ahead of schedule. ] - [What luck! Roma got the second most difficult match! ] - [I thought Arsenal would play against Barcelona. I didn’t expect it to be Roma! ] - [If Roma can advance, I will eat shit! ] - [If we draw other strong teams, we still have a chance to upset, but the opponent is Barcelona, ​​and it is a two-round match. It is extremely difficult to upset. ] - [Messi scored 2012 goals and created 91 assists in 23. What a terrifying record. ] - [Enrique should focus on the league and the Italian Cup, so as not to end up with nothing. ] The distant Apennines. The Red Wolves fans gathered in the square couldn't help feeling a little disappointed. Roma's sporting director's office. When Sabatini saw the result of the draw, he covered his face helplessly. Drop drop drop. The landline rang. The caller ID is a US area code. The old man picked up the phone, his tone respectful. "Hello, hello. Yes, yes, our opponent in the knockout round is Barcelona!" "How many goals do you plan to win against Barcelona?" "Yes, we are confident. Of course we are confident that we can beat Barcelona." "Why not spend money in the winter transfer window? We really want to spend the money, but it is really difficult to buy good players in the winter transfer window." the other side. The Roma players in front of the TV in the cafeteria had complicated thoughts. De Rossi stood up and wanted to say something encouraging, but when he saw his own defense and thought about Barcelona's. Kjaer looked at Castan and asked, "Am I responsible for defending Messi or Iniesta?" The smart Brazilian center back thought about it and said, "It would be better to go to Qatar for vacation." The drawing ceremony ended quickly. Some people are happy that someone is worried. last of the last. Accompanied by the exciting Champions League BGM. Gao Qi stood on the main stage and took a precious photo with the stars of this era. (End of this chapter)