Chapter 12

Under immense pressure, Qiao Wanxian thought the first half would end with a 2-0 scoreline. However, at the 43rd minute, a disheartening scene unfolded once again.

Lampard committed a foul in front of the penalty area, giving AC Milan a direct free-kick from a position 25 meters away from the goal, on the left side of the penalty arc.

Seeing Pirlo, full of confidence, standing in front of the ball, Qiao Wanxian couldn't bear to watch and turned away, muttering to himself, "An Fatzi, don't push me too far! It's just a friendly match, don't force me to use my ultimate move!"

Then he heard the stadium erupt in enthusiastic applause. Qiao Wanxian was overjoyed. What happened? Did Cudini make an incredible save that excited the fans so much?

Qiao Wanxian smiled, but when he turned around, his face immediately froze. The AC Milan players had faint smiles on their faces but didn't celebrate much, as if they were facing a weak team and didn't even bother to celebrate after scoring.

Qiao Wanxian clenched his fists tightly and cursed in his heart, "Anchelotti, An Fatzi, we'll see about this! If we meet in Europe, I'll show you the power of my Shengyuan No. 1!"

During the halftime break, Qiao Wanxian appeared calm and composed in front of the players, with a smile on his face, encouraging them, "It's just a friendly match, everyone. Don't worry about it. Losing by three goals is nothing. In the second half, play freely. As long as we lose by less than ten goals, everyone's performance is worth praising!"

The players, seasoned veterans, were stunned by Qiao Wanxian's words. "What does this mean? This young coach is too unconventional, isn't he? Even in a friendly match, this is our home ground. If we lose by a large margin, won't the fans tear your house down?"

Qiao Wanxian was actually more anxious than the players, but as the team's head coach, he didn't want to lose face. He smiled and said, "My philosophy is to be low-key! Losing a few more in a friendly match is fine; it helps us identify problems. In official matches, we'll show them the true strength of Chelsea! In the second half, play freely and enjoy the game!"

The starting eleven all smiled bitterly. They were already three goals behind, and he was telling them to enjoy the game?

After the 15-minute halftime break, Qiao Wanxian didn't make any substitutions. Chelsea continued to press aggressively, even more so than in the first half. Even the center-backs, Terry and Gallas, occasionally joined the attack to harass the opposing defense.

The commentator from London TV was so impressed by Qiao Wanxian that he almost knelt down, crying out, "Mr. Qiao, you've already conceded three goals in the first half, and you're still playing like this in the second half?"

The Italians are known for their defense, especially the iron wall-like defense of Ancelotti's team. Despite Chelsea's possession, it was difficult to break through.

Surprisingly, Qiao Wanxian's halftime pep talk, which seemed nonsensical, actually motivated the Chelsea players.

"Encouraging us to lose by less than ten goals? Humph, we'll score a few goals and see!" Before the match, captain Terry and vice-captain Lampard had secretly set a target for the team.

At the start of the second half, the Chelsea players were exceptionally active, especially the striker Crespo and the defensive midfielder Makelele, who seemed to have taken a performance-enhancing drug, full of energy.

Finally, under the increasing boos from the Chelsea fans, Qiao Wanxian's first goal as a coach came late.

At the 61st minute, Johnson quickly threw the ball in from the sideline. Duff capitalized on the large space left by the opposing right-back's assist, receiving the ball and passing it from the right side of the field. The ball landed accurately at the feet of the left winger, Joe Cole.

Joe Cole feinted to bypass the right center-back, Kaladze, and then passed a low ball with his left foot. Chelsea's striker, Crespo, used his mountain-like body to shield the opposing center-back, Nesta, and flicked the ball with his toe, as if controlled by Crespo's magic, it jumped behind him.

Crespo turned and shot, and the ball slipped past the goalkeeper, Dida, and drilled into the bottom left corner of the goal, a smooth and elegant move, reminiscent of the Ice Prince, Bergkamp!

"Joe Cole controls the ball... low pass... Crespo... Crespo makes a beautiful move, turns, and shoots!... Goal... Goal! Crespo! Crespo scores for Chelsea, reducing the score to 3-1!"

Crespo's goal finally ignited the passion at Stamford Bridge, with the crowd erupting in thunderous cheers. Qiao Wanxian, who was on the sidelines, was almost startled by the noise but coolly adjusted his sunglasses, his face expressionless.

The camera deliberately focused on Qiao Wanxian, and to everyone's surprise, the young coach under "great pressure" showed no reaction, not even a hint of joy.

"It seems our Mr. Qiao is so happy he's in a daze... Considering the immense pressure, even the Special One, Mourinho, might have developed depression." The commentator from London Radio expertly analyzed Qiao Wanxian's state of mind, expressing sympathy.

In fact, the commentator was right. Although Qiao Wanxian appeared calm, he was in a state of unparalleled awe, not because of the insignificant goal, but because of the volcanic eruption of passion at Stamford Bridge!

This is football! This is real professional football!

Qiao Wanxian's face remained calm, but he closed his eyes and silently shouted in his heart, "This is life, this is the life I truly want! Let the pharmacist go to hell, I am a proud football coach!"

Indeed, who hasn't been young and reckless, dreaming of standing out and ruling the world? Who doesn't want to be the one special person among millions?

After Chelsea scored first in the second half, Ancelotti made adjustments, replacing Rui Costa with the player Qiao Wanxian had been dreaming of, the best attacking midfielder for Chelsea—Brazilian Kaka!

Wearing the number 22 jersey, Kaka had a handsome appearance and perfect professionalism! Although he looked young, Qiao Wanxian knew that in the normal course of history, from 2004, Kaka had become an indispensable mainstay for AC Milan.

Qiao Wanxian quickly called Terry over and whispered to him, "No matter what, defend against Kaka. We can lose the game, but we can't let him perform well!"

Terry hesitated, then nodded solemnly and whispered to Makelele, Gallas, and others. Their looks at Kaka became less friendly.

The game continued, and indeed, whenever Kaka got the ball, two or three players would aggressively press him, making it difficult for him to perform. Qiao Wanxian smiled, feeling his plan was working.

At the 78th minute, the score changed again!

Duff broke through on the wing and crossed the ball, which was headed out of the penalty area by an AC Milan defender. Lampard, lurking outside the penalty area, controlled the ball and made a clever through pass. Crespo, who was still in the penalty area, understood and pushed the ball with his instep, and it slipped through Dida's armpit and into the goal...

Crespo scored his second goal!

"GOOOOOOOAL, Crespo scores again, a brace! A brilliant performance, we see the Argentine killer dominating Serie A once more..."

The fans' cheers erupted again.

In the remaining time, both teams made significant adjustments, and the score remained 3-2. The visiting AC Milan was satisfied with the result, and the Chelsea fans, who had been booing in the first half, were now content with the two goals in the second half.

After the match, Chelsea captain Terry revealed to the media that the coach, Qiao Wanxian, had said something in the locker room at halftime that greatly boosted the team's morale: "As long as we don't lose by ten goals, our performance is worthy of praise..."

Naturally, this statement was widely reported, and the media and fans appreciated Terry's dry humor, but no one believed Qiao Wanxian would say such demoralizing words.

The next day, assistant coach Mourinho provided a detailed five-page report on the match, but Qiao Wanxian, sitting in the coach's office, didn't bother to read it. "My secret weapon hasn't been used yet, so all the data is just an illusion!"

After Mourinho left, the club's CEO, Kenyon, knocked on the coach's office door, looking somewhat troubled.

"Poor Mr. Kenyon, did you overindulge last night? Why do you look so haggard?" Qiao Wanxian opened his arms, showing a sympathetic expression.

Kenyon's face turned red, and he sighed, "Mr. Wanxian, we have received a result regarding the recent transfer negotiations."

"Oh?" Qiao Wanxian was delighted. "Tell me quickly!"

Kenyon shook his head. "Inter Milan has agreed to your request and accepted our offer to trade Veron for Cannavaro."

Qiao Wanxian clapped his hands. "Great!"

Kenyon continued, "The club has also reached an agreement with Ligue 1's Rennes to sign the young goalkeeper Petr Cech for 13 million euros."

"Great! Absolutely fantastic!" Qiao Wanxian was overjoyed, jumping around like a child.

Then Kenyon's voice turned serious. "The club's negotiations with PSV Eindhoven have also progressed. They have agreed to our 18 million euro offer for Robben, but..."

"Hmm?" Qiao Wanxian was taken aback.

Kenyon shook his head. "But Robben himself has stated that he is unwilling to play under you and prefers to join a more experienced coach."

Qiao Wanxian was speechless. He knew Kenyon was being extremely diplomatic. Robben's words... could be quite sarcastic!

Qiao Wanxian was a bit annoyed. This little Robben, how dare he defy me? I'll make you regret it for the rest of your life!