Check out advanced chapters on P@treon: [email protected]/CosmicKaminari
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"What are your feelings about receiving the highest rating of 1 point in this match and scoring four goals for the first time?"
Facing the routine interview, Lance was already adept, like a skilled boy band idol.
"Of course, I'm very happy, but I'm not happy about scoring 4 goals myself."
"I'm happy that Bayer Leverkusen are back."
"In the first few matches of the season, we didn't perform very well, and everyone hadn't fully gelled yet."
"Today, I can feel that Bayer Leverkusen have become a unified team, and we've developed a certain understanding".
"We might have let our fans down in the previous matches, but starting today, we will repay their support with good results!"
Three days after the match day.
Bayer Leverkusen training base.
After a day off for winning, the team resumed training.
The players all arrived at the base cafeteria early in the morning, and Lance's interview was still playing on TV.
His four-goal haul had become one of the hottest topics in German football, and even European football, over the past two days.
Major football media outlets worldwide reported on Lance's four-goal haul and this impossible comeback.
The Bayer Leverkusen players couldn't keep up with the flood of news, but it was all praise.
This stood in stark contrast to the criticism the team faced when they went three matches without a win recently.
Before, people were saying Bayer Leverkusen "has been exposed, fighting for fourth place this new season," "the Bundesliga throne still belongs to Bayern," "Bayern were just napping, Bayer Leverkusen can't touch them"...
But in the past two days, public opinion had shifted to:
"Bayer Leverkusen make a king's return, Bayern are in trouble"
"This is Bayer Leverkusen's true strength"
"New season signings are performing, Bayer Leverkusen are about to explode"
"The Bundesliga is about to change completely"
Professional players are well aware of the media's fickle nature, their tendency to jump on bandwagons and contradict themselves.
Rookies at the start of their careers might pay close attention to outside evaluations, but truly experienced players long ago started treating such things as toilet reading for amusement.
"Lance is still so handsome, I feel like he could really form a band and debut. Wouldn't that make more money than playing football?"
"No, no, no, with Lance's achievements, he'll definitely earn more than the entertainment industry in the future."
Julian Brandt, Harry Maguire, and Virgil van Dijk, a few young men, were endlessly arguing about whether Lance should debut in the entertainment industry.
Until Lance himself arrived at the cafeteria.
"Guys, what are you chatting about?"
"We're saying you could actually debut."
"I guess so. If I formed a band or released an album, maybe I'd make it big."
"Then I could casually stir up a scandal with Taylor Swift..."
"Exactly, exactly!"
Many fans of Taylor Swift in the team would wholeheartedly support Lance if he could get involved with her.
"You're all talking nonsense!"
Lance laughed and scolded the silly guys.
"Football is my lifelong pursuit, something no other field can compare to."
Indeed.
The Bayer Leverkusen players felt this deeply.
Some people simply treat their playing career as a job, clocking in and out.
They cut corners and reduce training intensity where the coach can't see them, and the outcome of a match seems unrelated to them.
After a loss, they still go to nightclubs to have fun.
Lance was different.
The 17-year-old kid trained extra every day until evening, pushing his training intensity beyond his physical limits, even training by himself when the coach wasn't there.
At first, the Bayer Leverkusen players thought Lance was just showing off, but later they realised, this kid genuinely loves football!
He deserves his success!
"Alright, let's all put in some extra effort today. After all, we only won one Bundesliga match, there's nothing to be proud of."
After defeating Werder Bremen, the Champions League qualifiers were largely over, and the much-discussed Champions League draw was about to begin.
Due to some adjustments in the Champions League rules for the 2014-2015 season, champions of top leagues were automatically placed in the first pot.
Coupled with Bayer Leverkusen's Champions League semi-final qualification last season, they were confirmed to be in the first pot with Bayern Munich, Barcelona, Chelsea, Benfica, Atlético Madrid, Arsenal, and Porto.
Real Madrid, Borussia Dortmund, Juventus, Paris Saint-Germain, Shakhtar Donetsk, Basel, Zenit, and Manchester City were in the second pot.
The third pot included Schalke 04, CSKA Moscow, and other teams from lower-tier leagues, among them Liverpool, returning to the Champions League after many years.
The fourth pot consisted of teams just making up the numbers.
If Bayer Leverkusen had a bit of luck and didn't draw Liverpool, they would likely get a favourable draw.
However, any group that drew Liverpool would most likely become a Group of Death.
Amidst widespread discussion and attention from the global football community, the Champions League group stage draw ceremony was held at UEFA headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland.
The venue for the 2014-2015 Champions League Final was the Olympiastadion in Berlin, making it a semi-home advantage for German teams.
Teams including Bayern, Dortmund, Schalke, and Bayer Leverkusen all hoped to make it to the end and lift the Champions League trophy on home soil.
However, as world-class stars continued to flock to La Liga, Real Madrid and Barcelona gradually began their dominance in football, making it incredibly difficult for Bundesliga teams to snatch the Champions League from these two giants.
Moreover, there was also last season's defending champion Atlético Madrid stirring things up, and the Premier League powerhouses lurking.
Lance mused, Bayer Leverkusen had made many new signings this season, but winning the title would truly be difficult.
According to predictions, the 2014-2015 Champions League champion would be Barcelona!
Suárez had transferred to Barça this season, and the MSN trio of Messi, Suárez, and Neymar was unrivalled!
Perhaps this was the biggest obstacle standing in Bayer Leverkusen's way!
"Hopefully, we'll meet in the final..."
Fortunately, both Barça and Bayer Leverkusen were first-pot teams, so they wouldn't be drawn together.
With various thoughts swirling in his mind, Lance watched from his luxury apartment as German football legend, the Golden Bomber Jürgen Klinsmann, served as the draw guest, pulling out this season's Champions League matchups!
"Defending champions Atlético Madrid!! Their opponent is... Juventus!"
"Benfica, Monaco, Basel..."
"Let's see the draw results for Group C..."
Bayer Leverkusen hadn't been drawn yet, so Lance was a little distracted, chatting on the phone with a girl.
The last time they chatted was... the last time...
Lance couldn't even remember exactly when it was.
In short, Lance was busy playing in the World Cup, and Chloe was busy with who knows what during the summer, so they hadn't communicated for almost three months.
Lance originally had a slight crush on this adorable, divine-looking girl, but then he suddenly felt that her frequent contact with him before...
Perhaps it wasn't because she liked him?
Because Chloe's topics always revolved around football!
She was clearly like a passionate female football fan.
"Could it be that she's just a fan?"
Lance laughed self-deprecatingly, realising he had been presumptuous, thinking she was interested in him.
Chloe's message today was also because of the nervous Champions League draw, wanting to chat with Lance about the draw situation.
"What should we do? I feel like we're going to draw a strong team."
Over the phone, Chloe's voice was still soft, cute, and lazy.
One could imagine the girl probably lying on her bed, her small feet wiggling in the air.
Lance suddenly couldn't help but ask directly:
"What were you doing this summer? Why didn't you reply to my last message... Do you just want to talk about football with me?"
As an idol-level player, Lance was young and wealthy. A simple gesture at a nightclub would attract a bunch of hot supermodels.
He didn't like being a simp, nor did he need to be.
So if Chloe wasn't interested in him, Lance had no desire to "conquer" her.
He'd rather spend time practising football than chasing girls.
But before Lance could finish speaking, he suddenly heard Chloe exclaim:
"OMG! Lance, Real Madrid! It seems we've entered the Group of Death."
???
Lance finally looked up at the TV screen, where Klinsmann, with a smile, drew the third-pot team for Group C.
"Liverpool!"
Amidst laughter and applause from the guests, the four teams for Group C were revealed!
Pot 1: Bayer Leverkusen;
Pot 2: Real Madrid;
Pot 3: Liverpool!
Pot 4: Roma!
A true Group of Death!