Founded in 1927, Dynamo Kyiv is a young and underqualified club compared to many century-old clubs in England, but in the former Soviet Union and Ukraine, the team is a superpowerhouse with 13 Ukrainian league titles, 9 cup titles, 2 European Cup Winners' Cups, and 1 UEFA Super Cup.

In the Champions League, this team can be regarded as an old face.

Don't look at Dynamo Kyiv far from the center of European football, but they have produced 3 Ballon d'Or winners, Orelo. Blokhin (1975), Ihor. Belanov (1986), Andrey. Shevchenko (2004), plus Rebrov, **v and others, this team is also considered the number one team in Europe.

But it's the Dynamo Kyiv that they're most talked about on their icy home turf.

At the Nobanovsky Stadium, the average annual temperature is below 0 degrees Celsius, and every year in October and November is full of frost, countless European giants come here because they are not used to the cold weather, and they are shrunk.

It's fair to say that apart from Turkey's crazy stadiums, Dynamo Kyiv is one of the last opponents that European powers want to face in the winter.

But luckily, Arsenal have seen the power of the devil's home stadium this season, starting their first Champions League group stage game here in mid-September, when Ukraine was hopelessly cold, and Arsenal relied on goals from Bendtner and Theo Walcott to win the home side 2-0.

Unfortunately, when the two teams meet again, Arsenal lose their playmaker and first captain, and they will certainly face a tough battle.

Dynamo Kyiv is not completely goalless in this game, they are currently two points behind Arsenal in the third place in the group, and their opponent in the final round is the underdog Fenerbahce, who are already ironclad, so as long as they do not lose this game, the hope of qualifying will be greatly increased, at least the last game Arsenal need to travel to Porto, they can sit back and watch the tiger.

Dynamo Kyiv's manager this season is Semin, who has just stepped down from Lokomotiv Moscow to replace the previous manager of Kiev who underperformed last season.

Kiev have been in excellent form under him this season, and they are currently 12 points clear of old rivals Shakhtar Donetsk in the league, and this season's league title is almost in control.

A big lead in the league has freed up Kyiv to deal with the European stage, and this season when they know they will face Arsenal, Porto and Fenerbahce in the group stage, they will aim to reach the last 16 of the Champions League, in their opinion, Arsenal are the strongest opponents in this group, but it is Porto and Fenerbahce who are really competing for a place in the group.

Who expected that after four rounds of group stage matches, Porto would be at the top of the group with nine points, and they only need one more win in the next two games to qualify, but Arsenal, who were originally expected to secure a place in advance, have now become their main rivals.

A stronger opponent has not been able to stop the determination of the Kyiv soldiers to keep going, and they believe that if Porto can upset Arsenal in London, they will have the same confidence and strength.

What's more, Arsenal are currently facing the most difficult moment for the team, they have lost the core of the past three seasons to rely on Cesc Fabregas, and their strength is estimated to be only 70%.

At least one game average, in the eyes of the players in Kiev, should be up for grabs.

Sure enough, good news soon came from England, Arsenal did their best to eliminate Wigan Athletic 3-0 in the League Cup after a difficult victory over Manchester United, but unfortunately their good fortune ended here, on November 15 in the Premier League, Arsenal was beaten 0:2 by Aston Villa, and on November 22, they were beaten 3:0 by Manchester City, and the poor form was unobstructed.

It was Arsenal's first consecutive defeat in the last five seasons, with their previous two consecutive defeats in the Premier League dating back to 2001-2002, when veterans such as Dixon retired and Arsenal's defence was in disarray.

In fact, these two games are the same, Arsenal's main problem still appears in the backline, the loss of Cesc Fabregas, Arsenal has a huge problem in the connection between the front and back courts, whether it is Diaby or De Nielsen is not enough to share the heavy responsibility of Fabregas, without the threat of the front, the opponent can naturally make trouble in the hinterland of Arsenal, the already weak back line can not withstand the opponent's toss in such a situation, two games conceded 5 goals but did not score a goal, The impact of Cesc Fabregas's absence is evident.

It was only at this time that Descartes finally understood the gap between himself and Xiaofa, although the two of them will always compete for the ball in the offensive frontcourt, but when it comes to backcourt delivery and organization of the whole team's offense and defense, he has indeed not become the core ability.

At best, he can only be regarded as the offensive core of the team, and the real organizational core and soul of the team is still Xiaofa.

This discovery made Descartes a little depressed, so his performance in these two games was also a little sluggish, and it seemed to be quite depressed.

All this was watched by two people.

One is the team's manager, Arsene Wenger, and the other is Cesc Fabregas, who is still in the hospital bed.

Arsene Wenger called Descartes into his office for a long talk, to the effect that the team is in a very difficult situation right now, that Descartes needs to pick himself up and lead the team forward in Fabregas's absence, and that he needs to lead by example for his championship declaration.

But Wenger didn't notice that Descartes is now in a more chaotic stage, Fabregas is not there, it stands to reason that it is a good opportunity for him to take over the team and establish his own commanding position, but unfortunately Descartes found in the game that Arsenal is not Pavia, and his opponent is no longer those weak teams or junior teams in Group B of Serie C, he is now facing an organized and disciplined Premier League player, he can lead the team in Pavia to suppress the opponent through attack, but in the Premier League, it is not enough to rely on attacking force aloneMany times, his teammates can't even get past the midfield.

The quality of the Premier League opponents is not comparable to the weaker teams in Group B of Serie C, and they can take advantage of your every hole and blow you to the core.

The game against Manchester City was like this, Descartes did his best on the field, but Arsenal was pressed at his back most of the time, and he didn't touch the ball more than 30 times in the whole game, what is the use of him no matter how good he is?

So at this time, Descartes's thinking was in a hindrance, he was thinking about whether he needed to transform into a playmaker, the feeling of not getting the ball made him uncomfortable, and more importantly, he found that a striker's influence on the pitch is indeed not as good as that of a playmaker, if he is not influential enough on the game, how can he expect to be the leader of the team?

With this doubt in mind, Descartes received an unexpected invitation.

"Francisco, how are you feeling, are you feeling better?" Looking at Fabregas lying on the hospital bed with a smile on his face, Descartes's heart was full of doubts, but he still politely greeted first.

Fabregas smiled and motioned for him to sit down first, and then laughed self-deprecatingly: "Fortunately, the doctor said that it was only torn and not broken yet, otherwise it would have to lie down for half a year." ”

Seeing Descartes sitting down, with some questions on his face, Xiaofa quickly prepared to solve his puzzles: "Are you very strange why I called you to invite you over?" ”

Descartes nodded, a look of listening on his face.

The smile on Fabregas's face disappeared, and his expression began to become serious: "Descartes, remember what you said to us at the meeting? ”

Descartes rolled his eyes, still nodding.

"That's good." Cesc Fabregas exhaled: "I said that I support your quest for the title, in fact, it is also my pursuit and that of all my teammates, but we are not as bold as you to say it openly. You know, Deska, sometimes I really envy you, you have the drive, you have the guts, you dare to say anything, you don't have any scruples......"

"You can too." Descartes interrupted Fabregas: "If you have anything to say, just tell me." ”

Fabregas was stunned for a moment, his eyes flickering with a flickering light, and it was a long time before he whispered, "I'm afraid I'm leaving." ”

"What?" Descartes didn't hear it clearly at first, and when he reacted, he was taken aback, what does this mean?

'Yesterday Steven Gerrard [Pique] called me again and he told me that no matter how bad my injury is, the door to Barcelona is always open for me. Fabregas's words were full of emotion and loneliness, on the one hand, gratitude to Barcelona, and on the other hand, reluctance to leave Arsenal.

Now Descartes finally understood that it looked like Fabregas had made up his mind to leave.

Fabregas has been oscillating between Arsenal and Barcelona for more than two years since he was in contact with him privately, with Barcelona being his love, but Arsenal have nurtured him into a talent, and no one can easily choose between the two.

It wasn't until Descartes' gradual rise in the last two seasons that the media wrote an article declaring that the two of them could not coexist peacefully at Arsenal that Fabregas was determined to leave, not because he felt that he and Descartes really couldn't get along, but because he thought Arsenal had found another player who could replace him, and he could leave without any worries.

Fabregas's eyes were gloomy and determined, and Descartes's words were so pale: "Why are you leaving, is it because of what the media say?" ”

"Nope." Fabregas shook his head and said to Descartes with a sincere look in his eyes: "It's because I can't refuse." You know, I've been living in La Masia since I was 6 years old, there are my companions, there are my memories, there are all the traces of my football career, and the thought of being able to go back there makes me feel so excited, it's like a child is about to return to his home, this desire is irresistible to me, and if you have this day, you will understand how I feel. ”

Fabregas's words reminded Descartes of the Pavia Junior Training Ground, and a hint of melancholy crept into his heart.

'The only thing I can't let go of is the impact I've had on Arsenal since I'm gone. Cesc Fabregas's eyes drifted out of the window, as if he was saying to himself: "Anyway, Mr. Arsene Wenger gave me a second life in football, gave me the opportunity to be one of the best players in the world, I owe him a lot, I owe a lot to Arsenal, Mr. Laporta once encouraged me to go through a boycott and a showdown with the club, but I refused, I don't want to have a conflict with the club and Mr. Wenger, I want to leave here peacefully and return to the place where I dreamed of playing as a child." ”

"I've been waiting for this opportunity for a long time. Arsene Wenger sold Patrick for me and I'm grateful to him, but it still didn't make me fall in love with Arsenal, my heart will always belong to Camp Nou, where I feel like I'm always a passerby. Until you, Deska, until you came to Arsenal, I quickly knew that I had found someone to trust, your football talent is beyond doubt, and the most important thing is that I see ambition in your eyes, the desire for control of the team, and this is the most important reason why I am determined to hand over the team to you, you have the ability and the will to take over this team, if so, I can leave without guilt. ”

Fabregas's words made Descartes look a little embarrassed, was his heart so easily seen through? Why does he see only eye droppings in his own eyes, while Cesc Fabregas can see ambition?

Seeing Descartes' slightly embarrassed expression, Fabregas couldn't help laughing, and then he comforted Descartes instead: "You don't have to be embarrassed, Descartes, Napoleon once said that a soldier who doesn't want to be a general is not a good soldier, and it's normal for you to want to be the leader of this team, even Galla has the same idea as you." But don't you think he's optimistic, do you know why? He's ambitious, but he's not capable, his mouth is too big and smelly, he's offended a lot of people, and if he is made the leader of the dressing room, the team will be in chaos. And only you, as I said, I envy you, not only because you are bold enough, but also because you have a natural affinity, Van Persie, Rosicky they are all veterans, it stands to reason that they are much older than you, sometimes they don't even listen to me, but they get along well with you, no matter what you say, they are willing to support, this is something I can't learn, and it's impossible for Gala to have, so you're born a leader, and I think it's the best choice to put the team in your hands. Would you like to take it, Descartes? ”

"I ......" Descartes hesitated, gritted his teeth, and asked, "Can't you just not go?" ”

Cesc Fabregas's eyes turned into a distraction, and it took him a long time to come to his senses, shook his head slightly, and said with difficulty: "Mr. Josep (Guardiola) has given Mr. Laporta an ultimatum, if I don't transfer this season, he will bring in other players to replace me, this is my last chance, Deska, I don't want to lose the opportunity to return to Camp Nou, I will leave next summer at the latest." ”

The atmosphere in the hospital room fell silent for a moment, and it was not until much later that Descartes whispered, "I know that it is so." ”

Although his voice was soft, it fell into Fabregas's ears, but it startled him, and he asked in surprise: "What did you say?" Did you know I was leaving? ”

Descartes looked at him for a while, sighed and said: "Actually, I knew last year that Barcelona was contacting you privately, you know, the reason why I want to be the leader of the team is because I am afraid that the team will fall into chaos after you leave, I don't want to take your power, but I have to be ready for the future of the team." ”

"I see, I see." Cesc Fabregas lay back on the cushion and muttered for a long time before he said gratefully: "Thank you Descartes, you didn't tell the coach about this, I will remember you for this favor." As for the leadership of the team, to be honest, I never took it to heart, I'm not a very good talker, and I saw that day, you are more convincing than me in words, and even if you do take the power of the team away from me, I will not have any opinion. ”

After a pause, he asked curiously: "But Descartes, I noticed that there seems to be some problems with your recent state, can you tell me, what problems are you experiencing?" ”

Descartes raised his eyebrows, thought for a moment, and decided to tell his confusion to Cesc Fabregas, who was a world-class midfielder who might be able to get some useful hints from him.

After listening to his analysis, Fabregas laughed dumbly, as if Descartes had asked a very childish question, which made Descartes slightly angry, but what Fabregas said afterwards swept away the confusion in his heart.

"You know, Deska, when Mr. Arsene Wenger promoted me to be the heart of this team, I was confused and held back, because I took over from Patrick, one of Arsenal's best captains, who had just won the Premier League title unbeaten and was a legend that cannot be surpassed."

"And for me, Mr. Arsene Wenger sold Patrick to Italy, and put me at the heart of the team as a 17-year-old, just like you do now, I don't know what I have to do, my mind is in a mess, and I want to be like Patrick to not only organise the team's attack, but also be an iron gate at the back."

'Unfortunately after a season of hard work, we fell short and Chelsea took the title. And then I finally understood that I was different from Patrick, he was good at defense and good offensively, but my strength was in the organization, not in defense, if I had barely made myself the second in Patrick, then the coach would not have had to put me in the position at all, it was better to keep Patrick and let Arsenal continue to maintain a complete squad. ”

'It was at that time that I finally realised that the reason why the coach made me the heart of the team was to make a change, that the Premier League is one of the most competitive leagues in the world and that if you change from time to time, you will be beaten by the enemy sooner or later. My strength is to organise and play the attack, and that's what the coach values and that's my talent in that, I don't need to be the second to the other, I just play to my strengths, that's what the coach wants to see, and you're the same, Deska. Your strength lies in your ability to handle the ball in front of the penalty area, and even if I have to bow down, in my position, even if you make ten good passes, you don't necessarily threaten the goal, but in your position, you can create the biggest threat with just one successful penetration, and that's the difference between the two of us. You don't have to think about changing yourself because what you're doing is the best you can do, I think you're doing too much right now, Deska, if you don't play that way, you can easily play 90 minutes a game. I know your condition, but after so many years of training, I think you've got what it takes to hold up a team, and all you lack is a little bit of experience. ”

Cesc Fabregas's compliment made Descartes a little embarrassed, but he was more persistent about his way of playing, because he knew that his physical fitness was worse than many players, and if he didn't work hard, he would never be as high as he is today.

So he thinks Fabregas's experience makes sense, but Xiaofa advises him to stay on the pitch and not work too hard, but he retains his opinion.

In Descartes' view, it would be much better to give his or her all to help his team win in 45 minutes than to sit on the pitch for 90 minutes and only show once in a while.

Cristiano. When Ronaldo first came to Manchester United, he was only 1.81 meters tall, weighed 60.5kg, and had a fat content of 7%, which can be regarded as a thin type, but when he broke out last season, his height reached 1.85 meters, his weight was 80kg, and his fat content was reduced to 5%, which is simply a standard athlete template figure.

In comparison, Descartes was 1.73 meters tall when he entered Arsenal, and his weight was only about 60 kilograms, until now his height is only 1.75 meters, and his weight is still about 60 kilograms.

In terms of physical fitness, Ronaldo can almost finish the Cartesian street, but the performance of the two on the court is indistinguishable, why is this? Isn't it because Descartes fights more fiercely than Ronaldo!

Ronaldo often shows his wind-like dribbling speed and fancy way of passing on the field, which makes fans feel that he seems to be everywhere on the field, but in fact, Ronaldo is really an invisible man in defense, he almost never wants to participate in the team's defense, and later he fell out with Mourinho at Real Madrid, one of the most important reasons is because Mourinho canceled his "defensive immunity" and required him to concentrate on defense as well.

For Cristiano Ronaldo, who is the pride of the sky, defense is dirty work, a blue-collar job, and his energy should be all invested in how to break through the opponent's goal and let a superstar like him defend it, what is it?

So Ronaldo will never become the world's No. 1, because the world's No. 1 Messi will participate in the team's defense and will press in a high position with his teammates, but Ronaldo can't, Real Madrid has no tradition of pressing in a high position, and he has no awareness of counter-robbery, his performance can only be seen when attacking, and when the team turns to defense, people can only see him accusing his teammates who make defensive mistakes, but they have never seen him lead by example and participate in the team's defense.

With such a player, who would choose him to be the number one player in the world?

Cesc Fabregas said that Descartes would not stay strong, that is, he thought that he put too much energy on the court on the counter-attacking and wasted his physical strength, but Descartes understood that he had brought many opportunities for himself and the team with this kind of active counter-tackle, and there were many balls, which were often scored in such counter-tackles, and if he lost this habit, his performance may not be able to reach the current height.

Cesc Fabregas's words made Descartes realize that he was not the right choice to try to change the style of play he had played, but then he had to face a new question: "But if I don't transform, who will organize the team's attack?" ”

Cesc Fabregas burst out laughing, and it took a long time for him to raise a finger and say, "That's what a coach should be thinking about, Deska, you're not the coach of the team yet!" (To be continued.) )