There is a belief called football

Chapter 624 Departure to St. Petersburg

"Mom, you are here," Qi Bing shouted excitedly.

"Come on, let mom see",
Qi Bing's mother touched Qi Bing's face, just like when she was a child.

"Mom, my teammates are watching, you're undermining my dignity",
"Fuck you, stinky boy, the wings are hard, and my mother doesn't want to touch them anymore. Is it only your girlfriend who can touch them now?",
"mom"! !

The teammates turned away one by one, but they were all happy, "this pair of mother and son"!
After entering the knockout round, the Chinese Football Association secretly arranged for the players' families to be picked up to give the players a surprise.

Of course it was on a voluntary basis. For example, Li Qiao's father didn't want to come because he was too nervous and afraid of affecting Li Qiao.

But here comes Diana.

In the hotel lobby, Li Qiao met Diana.

"Why did you come here?"Li Qiao asked with a smile.

"The Chinese Football Association said it was only at this time."
Li Qiao whispered: "Why do you listen to them, you are not in their control."

"I'm also afraid of affecting you. When the time comes, the Chinese people will call me a troublesome beauty."

"Damn it, this Chinese is getting better and better," Li Qiao thought.

Li Qiao pointed outside, "Follow me."

The two came to the back of the hotel, and the sea breeze from the Black Sea felt very refreshing. Li Qiao took Diana's hand and walked in the forest.

Suddenly, Li Qiao said: "Diana, if I propose to you, will it scare you"?
"Right here"?
Li Qiao said with a smirk: "If so."

"Then you kneel down",
Li Qiao's forehead was sweating, and he thought: "Why do I kneel down"! !

"No, I don't mean to scare you",
Diana is very smart. She probably understood what Li Qiao meant. Li Qiao probably wanted to propose at the World Cup, so she had to give Diana a hint first. Otherwise, when the world broadcast live, Diana said NO, which would be embarrassing to death.

Diana had a smile on her face, "Joe, whenever you propose, I will say YES."

Li Qiao felt happy, and hugged Diana tighter and tighter, "Then I feel relieved."

*****
After the group stage and before the knockout stage, the World Cup ushered in a brief lull, but it was only on the pitch.

Off the court, the war of words in the major media became even more lively. The British "Daily Football" column selected the five best players in the group stage.

They are Messi from Argentina, Li Qiao from China, Sane from Germany, De Bruyne from Belgium, and Modric from Croatia.

The British media predicted that the best player in this World Cup is likely to be produced between Li Qiao and Messi. Of course, the premise is that the Chinese team can go farther and at least enter the top 8.

The German "Bild" is also very optimistic about Li Qiao, thinking that 24 years old is the golden age of a player. This cup is definitely not Li Qiao's last World Cup, but it must be Li Qiao's best World Cup.

The French media is optimistic about the French team as always, and believes that the French team is the favorite to win the World Cup.

The Chinese media is more cautious at this time. The top 8 is a hurdle for the Chinese team. In the last World Cup, the Chinese team lost to Ukraine in the quarter-finals.

Coincidentally, the football styles of Ukraine and Russia are very similar. Both are representatives of Eastern European football.

On the other hand, the Chinese team is more afraid of powerful European teams, which is also what the Chinese media is worried about.

In the latest issue of "The Feast of a Rich Family", the host and the guest "Yang Chen" quarreled over this issue.

Yang Chen has played in the Bundesliga. He knows that Europeans are very strong in confrontation, and Asian players have no advantage over European players.

The host said that Li Qiao and Shinji Kagawa did not use their bodies to conquer the Bundesliga in the Bundesliga. Is it true that the gap between Asian players and European players is not that big.

Yang Chen said: "Of course, Li Qiao is a special case, he is a genius, but other players of the Chinese team, such as Liao Lisheng and Zhang Yuning, imagine what it would be like to put Zhang Yuning and Russia's Djuba together."

"This picture is so beautiful, I can't even imagine it," said the host simply.

"The two games we lost in the last World Cup - against Belgium and Ukraine, were both powerful European teams, so although I am optimistic about the Chinese team, this is likely to be the most difficult game for the Chinese team since the start of the tournament."

"Tougher than Brazil"?
Yang Chen nodded.

"But our Chinese team is fast, our wing is very sharp",
Yang Chen said: "You are right, this may be a breakthrough point for us, but the characteristic of Eastern European football is that they are actually very fast and attach great importance to the sideways."

"Then I hope Stan is also watching this episode, so that he can think about what to do."

*****
The time for a truce always passed quickly. Before you knew it, it was already the day before the game, and Chinese fans poured into St. Petersburg one after another.

If you feel carefully, the air in St. Petersburg has the smell of gunpowder these days. Local overseas Chinese said that St. Petersburg has never been so tense.

This is the city of heroes in Russia. Of course it would be great to win tomorrow's game, but if you lose, then... the consequences will be unimaginable. The entire Russian nation will be sad for a long time like a broken love.

In stark contrast to the expectations, hesitation and tension of the Russians is the happiness of the Chinese fans.

The Chinese team has tied the best record in the history of the World Cup. For most Chinese fans, coming to St. Petersburg is a tourist trip. Many landmarks in Russia have been read in textbooks by the Chinese, but they have never been seen in the field.

Thanks to the Chinese team, this time many Chinese fans can take a good look at the Russian city of heroes - St. Petersburg.

The day before the match, Russia's head coach "Slutsky" attended a press conference.

"How is the player's condition now? In the last game against Poland, the player seemed to be exhausted."

"The players are in good condition and there are no injuries. I can guarantee that we will play with the best lineup tomorrow."

"Did you watch the match between China and Portugal?"
"Watched, live broadcast once, and watched the video three times."

"What do you think?"
"The rise of the Chinese team is too fast, just like their economy, which shocked me, and of course it is worth learning from us."

"But if you ask me my experience, then I can tell you that the confrontation of the Chinese team is weak, especially the white-haired one who plays for Juventus. His skills are very good, but forgive me, he gives people the feeling that he will fall when the wind blows."

After talking about the whole press conference, there was a burst of laughter, because most of them were Russian reporters and Russian staff.

"As for Li Qiao, I like him very much. He is the best offensive player in the world today, but it is a pity that the Chinese team is not Bayern Munich. Without Lewandowski, Müller, and Vidal, Li Qiao's ability is also limited."

"In addition, don't underestimate the fighting power of the Russian nation, we are a fighting nation."

"fighting tribe"?
Thirty minutes later, Stan laughed disdainfully after hearing what "Slutsky" said just now.

"Let me tell you this. When I was young, my father went out to pick up a discarded cannonball. That was my toy. Has Slutsky experienced war? No, I have experienced it. The gunshots on the streets of Belgrade at night are my lullaby."

"So don't talk about fighting nations or physical confrontation in front of me. Football is not a fight, and even if it is a fight, I am not afraid."

"Russian players play against me, one of them can play two, believe it or not"?
After these words, the scene was shocked, even the Russians who are known as the fighting nation were stunned. This is the football head coach, or a hooligan!
Everyone falls silent, and Stan says, "Now you can ask questions".

The Russian reporters at the scene originally wanted to give Stan a bad start, but after what he said just now, everyone thought, forget it, the bad guys are afraid of bullying, and Stan is the bullying.

"The effect of Li Qiao playing the midfielder in the last game was very good, so will Li Qiao continue to play the midfielder in this game?"
Stan shook his head, "It depends on the situation, but the only thing I can tell you is that Li Qiao will not play goalkeeper, I can guarantee this."

Many people at the scene burst into laughter. They didn't know that Stan was actually serious and he wasn't joking.

Stan is also puzzled, hypocritical, I will answer your questions carefully, why are you laughing.

"I heard that the English support the Chinese team in this match, what do you think?"
Stan shrugged, "Never mind."

"Excuse me, do you know anything about Russia? Have you ever read Russian literature?" asked a Russian reporter.

"I have read Dostoevsky's "Crime and Punishment", but I don't know much about others."

According to the usual practice, the last question should have been asked by a Chinese reporter, but today, for some unknown reason, the last question fell on a BBC reporter.

"Your contract with the Chinese team will end after this World Cup. Where will you go after the World Cup?"
"Have you considered the Premier League",
"I will definitely tell you this question after the World Cup, and you may have to wait for a while."

Damn, does this mean that Stan has decided on Russia?
The BBC reporter is very cooperative, so I will definitely not ask any more questions after tomorrow's game.

The Russian journalists at the scene gritted their teeth with hatred.

"Damn British guy, you don't have to be crazy, Stan. When you cry, who wouldn't be open-minded before the game."

*****
"Wife, grandson, sit down, St. Petersburg is coming soon, the city of heroes, which my grandfather often read in textbooks when he was a child."

The grandson said aggrievedly: "Grandpa, can you drive next time you go out for a long time, your little three-wheeler broke the bones of my grandma and me."

Grandpa chuckled, "This is not a tricycle, it's Ural, remember, Ural."

(End of this chapter)