Chapter 408: Fiction and Reality
The morning before the final, Spanish giants Barcelona held a pre-match press conference. Pen @ fun @ pavilion wWw. ļ½ļ½ļ½Uļ½Eć ļ½ļ½ļ½ļ½
Pep Guardiola, who won the double in charge of Barcelona for the first time, wore a dark suit like a white-collar worker, and the Argentine genius Messi, who finished second at the last Ballon d'Or, wore a black T-shirt, jeans and white sneakers, like a boy next door.
When the two walked into the studio hall, more than 200 reporters in the hall gave a standing ovation.
'I'm excited and looking forward to the game tomorrow because it's the first time I've been in charge of the Champions League final and I'm sure it's going to be a good game.
Porto is also a team from the Iberian Peninsula, the media says it's an Iberian derby, that's no problem, and some media say it's a Latin football match, I don't think there's anything wrong with it, Porto is a team with a tradition, they have won as many Champions League titles as Barcelona, in front of fans all over the world, I think they will play a good game with us, they have this background, they have this ability.
The players at Barcelona are in good shape, they can feel that the team is playing very beautifully, and I want them to dare to show their attacking instincts to the whole world, to show our beautiful football, to perform like they are in front of the whole world, that's our attitude. ā
When Pep Guardiola spoke, all the players and coaches of Porto watched in the conference room.
Seeing Guardiola's speech, Gao Xiaodong smiled and said to Ferreira: "Coach, Odilagua, this is fooling us into fighting against them." ā
Ferreira nodded in agreement, his face unchanged, his eyes flickering, not knowing what he was thinking.
Assistant coach Emmanuel whispered, "It's a fool to fight against them." ā
Hulk said: "Let's just set up the bus like Chelsea and see what they do. ā
Barca's press conference continued, with reporters starting to ask questions of Pep Guardiola and Messi.
The reporter asked, "Barcelona is already a double, it's a successful season, you achieved such a result in your first coach, even if you lose the Champions Cup, it's nothing, right?"
Pep Guardiola refuted the journalist's claims, "No, you can't think like that, if we think so, 120% of the time we will lose, if you want to succeed, you have to play under pressure and we will play for the title!"
The reporter asked: "You are just 38 years old this year, if you win the championship and complete the treble, what will affect your career?"
Pep Guardio joked: "Then I'll retire the next day because I can't have done better." ā
The reporter continued to ask: "Messi has now scored 8 goals, ranking second in the scorer list, and Gao Xiaodong has scored 10 goals, ranking first in the scorer list, do you think Messi still has any hope of becoming the top scorer?"
Pep Guardiola said: "Leao is a big man and I believe he did a miracle in the final and won the top scorer. ā
The reporter continued to ask: "Gao Xiaodong is only 19 years old, but he has already performed so well, will he surpass Messi in the future?"
Pep Guardiola shook his head and said: "Do you remember how the 19-year-old Messi was praised by the world? If you forget, I can tell you that the 19-year-old Messi has helped Barcelona win a Champions League title, Gao Xiaodong is very good, but he can't compare with Messi, Ronaldo and other world-class superstars for the time being, the future? The future can only be known by God." ā
The reporter asked Messi again: "You are now 2 goals behind Gao Xiaodong in the scorer list, do you think you still have any hope of surpassing him?"
Messi avoided the topic and said: "I don't think it matters if you win the top scorer or not, as long as the team can win the Champions League, I didn't play in the last final due to injury, this time I will definitely give it my all." ā
The reporter continued: "Last season you were second in both the Ballon d'Or and the World Footballer of the Year, behind Cristiano Ronaldo, are you confident of surpassing him this season and getting your first Ballon d'Or?"
Messi said modestly: "Anyone who likes football will look up to a player like Cristiano Ronaldo, I don't think much about the Ballon d'Or, I just want to win the game." ā
The reporter asked: "Gao Xiaodong of Porto has also won the league and cup double this season, and they may also achieve the treble, do you think Gao Xiaodong will be an obstacle for you to compete for the Ballon d'Or?"
Messi pondered for a moment and said, "Let the judges think about this question." ā
Another reporter asked: "If you were asked to choose one of Gao Xiaodong and Ronaldo as a teammate, who would you choose?"
Messi said: "I won't choose anyone, they are not suitable for Barcelona, my current partner is the best and most suitable." ā
ā¦ā¦
At this press conference, Guardiola answered 49 questions in 6 languages, and Messi also answered 18 questions, and the whole process lasted more than 80 minutes!
Gao Xiaodong sighed: "Nima, this is just in time for a football game. ā
The 60-year-old coach Ferreira, who has a lot of experience, saw that he could have been as patient as he could have been with press conferences in the past, and he sneered: "Don't be fooled by his apparent confidence, in fact, he is hiding the nervousness of his first Champions League final." ā
Gao Xiaodong said: "These two people, one is nervous and the other is pretending. ā
Fernando is Brazilian, and he is very uninterested in Messi, an Argentine genius, and he said to Gao Xiaodong: "Gao team, Messi is saying that you and Ronaldo's skills are not worthy of Barcelona." ā
Hulk said: "That's kind of interesting. ā
Guarin said: "It's too hypocritical, not a refreshing man, look at what Ronaldo said last time, no matter if Manchester United loses to Porto or not, I'm the number one in the world anyway." ā
Gao Xiaodong said unhappily: "Don't think so much, just give them a little color to see when they play tomorrow." ā
Hulk rubbed his fists and said: "That's it, what kind of bull is Barcelona, I will show that the 35-year-old Silvinho can stop me." ā
Fernando said: "Isn't Barcelona the same as Arsenal? ā
Coach Ferreira said solemnly: "Fernando, less nonsense, can Barcelona be the same as Arsenal? Xiaodong, you go change your clothes and follow me to the press conference. ā
The Champions League final, hundreds of millions of people around the world are watching, and being able to show his face with the head coach at this time has greatly improved his fame, and everyone looks at Gao Xiaodong with envy.
"Okay. ā
Gao Xiaodong hurriedly went back to the room to change into a suit and followed Ferreira to the studio hall.
Porto's press conference had a third fewer reporters than Barcelona, but the reporters were just as enthusiastic and asked a lot of questions to Ferreira and Gao Xiaodong.
Telling Pep Guardiola that Porto will not defend and will attack, the old coach Ferreira responded: "We will not play against Barcelona, the lessons of Real Madrid and Bayern are vivid, but we will not defend either, as for what will happen in the game, you will wait and see." ā
Asked by reporters how to defend Messi, Ferreira said: "Messi is unstoppable, when he breaks through with the ball, the whole world can't do anything, but we will not use the tactics of turning fouls to limit Messi, we will use the strength of the team to limit him." ā
On Porto's chances of winning the title, Ferreira said: "If it weren't for the two games between Chelsea and Barcelona, I probably don't think we would have had a chance to win at all, but Chelsea have shown us how to deal with Barcelona and if we can take advantage of them, victory is not impossible. ā
Gao Xiaodong also accepted the reporter's question, in the face of the dispute between Messi and Gao Xiaodong raised by the reporter, Gao Xiaodong said: "Messi is the second place in the Golden Ball Award, I haven't been in the 50-man squad, don't scold me, there is no dispute between Gao Xiaodong and Messi, only the dispute between Porto and Barcelona." ā
Regarding the battle between Messi and Gao Xiaodong for the top scorer, Gao Xiaodong said with a smile that this can be had, but if he can win the Champions League by giving up the top scorer, he will definitely choose to give up the top scorer without hesitation.
If he could, of course Gao Xiaodong would give up, how many points is the Champions League champion, how many points is the top scorer, and the championship is still a necessary condition for becoming a superstar, how many times can a player win the Champions League in his life?
Regarding his position in this game, Gao Xiaodong did not say it directly, but said that Barcelona has a strong attacking power, and there is no team in Europe that can compare with them, and he may be more involved in defense.
In the end, Gao Xiaodong said very cunningly that Barcelona's players are very skilled and beautiful, but they are also very good at performing, and Porto must play carefully and not give the referee a chance to play cards.