novelraw Chapter 892 - 614: Mr. Golden Ball's Ten-Year Assist Promise—A Smile to Bury Old Grudges
Chapter 892 - 614: Mr. Golden Ball's Ten-Year Assist Promise—A Smile to Bury Old Grudges
Tang Long, now a free agent, found himself with nothing to do and planned a trip with Berni.
He had been recovering from an anterior cruciate ligament injury in Madrid for a long time. The injury no longer affected his normal walking, so he decided to use this opportunity to travel.
After packing his luggage.
Their first destination was nearby Turkey.
Istanbul, the city that spans two continents, is picturesque, like a flowing painting.
The deep blue Marmara Sea sparkled, and ferries carried bustling crowds and vehicles back and forth on the Bosphorus Strait, with the sound of their horns echoing across the water.
The Galata Tower stood quietly by the shore, overlooking this ancient and vibrant city.
On both sides of the Golden Horn, the minarets of mosques pierced the sky. The six minarets of the Blue Mosque shone with a holy light under the sun. Beneath the dome, countless devotees earnestly prayed, and the low chant of scripture floated on the wind.
Tang Long and Berni strolled along the streets, where the ancient cobblestone paths meandered. The shops lining the streets were full of colorful Turkish carpets, exquisite ceramics, and spice shops exuding a unique fragrance, all radiating a rich exotic charm.
A decade ago, Tang Long and Icardi had a complete falling-out.
They even blocked each other's phone numbers.
In the Premier League, they played for the Manchester Giants, bitter rivals.
Under Wanda's instigation, Icardi's ego inflated, even boldly claiming, "De Bruyne is the Premier League's best midfielder."
However, Icardi's two years at Manchester United could be described as a decline after a strong start.
He ultimately lost to Tang Long's Manchester City.
Not only did two years pass without a single club honor;
On a personal level, he lost the Golden Boot to Agüero in the first year, and indisputably to Tang Long in the second.
The Argentine forward had tense relationships with his teammates!
De Bruyne and Eevee didn't like him, and even the Manchester United captain, Rooney, had grievances against this teammate with the highest transfer fee in club history.
The then-coach Pellegrini loaned him to Inter Milan in Serie A.
Back at Inter Milan, Icardi gradually regained his confidence.
In just half a season, he scored 14 league goals, becoming Inter's top scorer that season and helping the club secure a last-minute Champions League qualification.
However, due to financial constraints, Inter ultimately did not keep this forward.
After the six-month loan period ended, Icardi returned to Manchester United and was again loaned out, leaving his mark across the five major leagues, with goals in Bundesliga's Dortmund, Ligue 1's Paris Saint-Germain, and La Liga's Atletico Madrid.
Icardi was bought out by Seville in the 2020-2021 season for just 25 million Euro, a far cry from his peak price of over 100 million Euro.
After three years at Seville.
In the summer of 2024, 31-year-old Icardi transferred to Turkey's Galatasaray for 9.8 million Euro.
The decision to choose this league was partly because of the decent wages offered in Turkey;
And partly because Icardi was tired of the battles in the five major leagues and wanted to live in a place somewhat removed from the center of European football with his new Turkish model girlfriend.
In this country, Icardi's front-of-the-net skills were unparalleled!
In the 2024-2025 Turkish Super League season, he appeared 31 times, scoring 27 goals, and won the league's top scorer award, making the best team of the season without any suspense.
At the Golden Boot ceremony, Icardi, with tears in his eyes, emotionally stated:
"After many years, I finally found the pride of being a forward in Turkey. I hope to continue playing at Galatasaray until the end of my contract and then retire."
So when Tang Long and Berni met him, Icardi was utterly stunned.
He couldn't fathom why Inter would seek him out at this time.
"Tang, how many years has it been since we met? It feels like an eternity, right?" In the cafe's private room, Icardi stirred his coffee with a spoon, nervously glancing at Tang Long.
Through the cafe's window, the three could see vendors in traditional attire pushing carts selling Turkish delicacies on the street outside, women in headscarves leisurely strolling, and the domes of distant mosques glowing softly in the sunlight.
At that moment, Icardi knew clearly in his heart.
Ever since being loaned out by Manchester United in the 2016-2017 season, he hadn't met with Tang Long again, on or off the field.
For these eight years, Icardi watched as Tang Long grew stronger and collected Golden Balls effortlessly;
While he himself, though having scored goals in various leagues and won a La Liga title with Atletico Madrid, never secured a permanent starting position in any team, living a life of drifting, constantly on the move, one could even say.
The stark contrast made Icardi feel that the gap between him and Tang Long was unbridgeable.
His heart was filled with guilt, not only towards Tang Long but also towards all the former Inter teammates with whom he had a falling-out.
Years of a nomadic life had matured Icardi.
The youthful and arrogant words dissipated in the unique aroma of Turkish coffee with cinnamon and cardamom in front of him.