novelraw Chapter 890 - 612: Free Agent at 29! Time to Start a New Chapter!
Chapter 890 - 612: Free Agent at 29! Time to Start a New Chapter!
Tang Long's penalty kick completely killed the game!
All the Real Madrid players on the field seemed to be hit in the chest by a bullet, collapsing to the ground.
Kroos knelt on the grass like a puppet with its soul extracted, fingers digging deep into the dirt; winger Asensio lay on the ground, his face of disappointment covered in sweat; captain Ramos took off his captain's armband, sitting on the ground twisting it repeatedly, muttering curses under his breath.
The only one standing was C Luo.
His gaze was fixed for a long time on the goal guarded by Navas.
The moment the ball hit the net, the Portuguese player slowly closed his eyes, his Adam's apple moved up and down with difficulty, then he slowly bowed his head, which almost never yielded easily—a movement reminiscent of a defeated hero in ancient Greek sculpture, marked by a poignant mix of reluctance and acceptance.
The photographer nearby keenly captured this scene, a photo that even years later, became the talk among fans, a topic never exhausted over tea or after meals.
[A new god is born, the old god bows his head]
This photo, later titled "Twilight," was printed on the covers of countless football magazines over the next eight years, becoming a symbol of an era's transition.
Strangely enough, Tang Long's memory was a bit hazy, he only recalled that after the goal, the referee immediately blew the whistle ending the game.
It was said that this was because the referee, seeing all Real Madrid players collapsed, determined their psychological defense had completely disintegrated and decisively ended the match.
As Tang Long's left foot, which scored the penalty, also cramped at the moment of impact. He originally wanted to run and celebrate, but the intense pain forced him to sit on the ground.
Fatigue engulfed him like a tide, the noise around him gradually became blurry.
In a daze, he saw the young boy who first stepped onto the Serie A field eight years ago, wearing an ill-fitting Inter Milan jersey, fumbling his first touch amid the taunts of Meazza fans; he saw the fireworks-filled sky at Manchester City's Etihad Stadium, Guardiola angrily slamming his tactical board to the ground...
Like C Luo, he also closed his eyes, and in the thunderous Champions League final, he fell asleep.
Thus, an unbelievably comical scene unfolded on the field.
Apart from the standing C Luo, all Real Madrid players were lying on the ground.
Except for the lying Tang Long, all Manchester City teammates were running towards him.
When Tang Long opened his eyes again, he found himself being thrown high into the air by his teammates.
Kompany's bronze arms bulged with muscles, steadily lifting him towards the night sky;
Kolarov tore off his shirt, revealing the fierce scar on his chest;
Stones' eyes were red, tears and snot mixed on his face.
They were like ancient warriors, surrounding the new king and running around the field.
The Manchester City fans in the stands ignited blue fireworks, their chants of "Tang! Tang" engulfed in a heatwave, threatening to overturn the roof of Cardiff Millennium Stadium.
The cries, roars, screams, and joyful sobs rose and fell...
"Treble! The glory of that season was like a heavy epic!"
"Manchester City's first Champions League trophy in history, Tang Long crowned the Champions League Golden Boot with 23 goals, surpassing C Luo with fewer penalties."
"More shocking was his terrifying data of 83 goals in a single season—57 league goals, 23 Champions League goals, 3 FA Cup goals. This number brutally increased Messi's record of 73 goals by 10, engraving a new milestone in the history of football!"
Eight years later, at this twilight, Tang Long sat in the courtyard of a luxurious villa in Madrid, his fingers caressing the autobiography about him written by Dilata.
The sunset shone through the tall magnolia trees in the yard, casting mottled shadows on the pages of the book, suddenly bringing the words of glory and struggle to life.
"83 goals..." he murmured softly to the air, a sense of longing unnoticed by himself in his voice, "Can I still surpass that now?"
...
The final match of the 38th round of the Serie A was held as scheduled.
Inter Milan tenaciously drew 1-1 with Juventus at home.
This originally gave Juventus' title rival Napoli a great opportunity, but who would have thought that the southern giant of Italy would slip up, also drawing 1-1 with visiting Lazio at home.
In this way, although Juventus was held to a draw, they still won the league championship with a fragile one-point advantage.
Perhaps feeling lucky about their victory, Juventus' celebration at Meazza Stadium was much more restrained than expected.
However, the Inter Milan coach standing on the sidelines gritted his teeth in hatred as he watched the Juventus players in their black and white stripes flaunt their triumphant smiles!
Although he blocked Juventus, he still couldn't avoid the disgraceful scene of the opponents celebrating their championship at their home stadium.
Fortunately, this draw also salvaged some dignity for Inter.
Even though the season ended at ninth place, far from Chiwo's initial target agreed with the board, Inter Milan still decided to give the young coach another chance, at least let him fulfill the three-year contract signed with the team, ensuring Chiwo's coaching position for the next season.
Chiwo and his coaching staff finally breathed a sigh of relief. Berni even suggested everyone go out for a few drinks to celebrate, but Chiwo politely declined.
"Celebrate what? It's not like we won the championship, celebrating for this makes me feel ashamed. Let's focus on the transfer market, refine the lineup, and fight with Juventus for the championship next season!"
...
The next morning, the headline of "Milan Sports" front page was like a bombshell: [Returning to Inter? All blue and black fans are waiting for Tang's return!]
The accompanying image was a Photoshop picture of Tang Long in an Inter Milan jersey, with a burning Meazza Stadium in the background.
This news quickly became a hot topic on major sports websites, with the theme #TangLongHome breaking 50 million reads on Twitter within three hours!
In fact, rumors of Tang Long leaving Real Madrid had been rampant for a while.
Since the thrilling transfer window in 2018—when Real Madrid brought him from Manchester City at a staggering price of 290 million Euros, when Florentino held up his jersey at Bernabéu Stadium, when C Luo's departing back formed a destiny's crossover with his arrival—skepticism never ceased.
In seven years at Real Madrid, Tang Long delivered a terrifying answer of 301 matches and 340 goals.
His overhead kick was made into a game cover, his free kick goal slow-motion replayed on TV, even rival fans had to admit: this Oriental striker had a natural scoring instinct!
But the price was increasingly frequent injuries.
By then, La Liga was no longer the passing-oriented league it used to be, perhaps the term "logging league" was more fitting.
Those rough fouls on the field, like invisible shackles, restrained his legs.
He became a target for tight marking, the tearing of his knee's cruciate ligament sidelining him for most of the season.
Now, at 29, Tang Long stood at a crossroads in life—having refused to renew his contract with Real Madrid a year ago, he regained free agency at the end of the season.
The leaves of the magnolia tree in the yard fell, he gazed at the street scene outside the walls of Madrid.
The phone constantly popped up the invitations forwarded by Ronaldo: high-paying contracts from Major League Soccer, exorbitant offers from Chinese Super League teams, even large checks from West Asia leagues.
But his thoughts drifted back to Milan, the city where he first stepped onto the European stage, the blue ocean of Meazza Stadium.
Tang Long got up from the deck chair, the sunset stretched his shadow long, sketching a running posture on the grass.
"Perhaps, it's time to open a new chapter."