Chapter 8

The next day, the front pages of major sports newspapers across Europe were not about France's comeback against England, but rather about the miraculous prediction made by Chelsea's new coach, Giovani.

The Times wrote: "Mr. Giovani interpreted the thrilling Euro Cup group match with his incredibly advanced football mindset. Perhaps his statement that Eriksson cannot lead England to the championship is premature, but it is undeniable that his understanding of football is commendable. Zidane's two goals in three minutes seemed to be pre-arranged with Giovani."

The Daily Mail was concise and to the point: "Chelsea's new manager is shocking and has slapped some football experts in the face!"

Even The Sun, which had always looked down on Giovani, suddenly changed its tone: "Perhaps Mr. Abramovich and Mr. Kenyon have indeed found a good manager in Giovani, who is not without merit. However, his true capabilities will be seen in the new season's league."

At this moment, Giovani was fully focused on Wayne Rooney. The offer to Everton last night had not yet received a response, so he came to the club early in the morning to further discuss the transfer.

However, the club entrance was already surrounded by a circle of reporters. Upon seeing Giovani, they all became excited and swarmed forward, asking questions in a cacophony of voices.

Giovani quickly shouted, "I will not comment on yesterday's match!"

The scene instantly became quiet. Suddenly, a sly-looking reporter pushed forward, handed him a microphone, and asked with a smile, "Mr. Giovani, I heard you have made a £15 million offer to Everton for Rooney. Is this true?"

A normal manager would definitely remain silent on such a question, but Giovani did the opposite, openly stating, "Yes, Wayne Rooney is a talented player. Goodison Park will only limit his development; Stamford Bridge is his future hope!"

This was a major scoop. The reporters, who had just been subdued, immediately became excited again, all straining to catch every word.

"A poor performance by Rooney in the first Euro Cup match against France. How do you think he is a talented player?"

Giovani sneered, "I've already said it, Mr. Eriksson is not suitable for the England team, and his use of Rooney is a significant mistake. Yes, Rooney might score in the next match against Switzerland, but I can predict that if Eriksson continues to exploit Rooney in this way, he will definitely not complete all of England's matches in the Euro Cup!"

The reporters were ecstatic, as Giovani's bold statements were even more shocking than his criticism of England's coach Eriksson the previous day. For them, such news was far more important than the Euro Cup matches.

"Mr. Giovani, from what you're saying, you mean... Rooney is likely to get injured under Eriksson's tactics?"

Giovani put on a compassionate look and sighed, "Yes! Alas, young players are in their development phase, with their bodies and skills growing rapidly. If they get injured during this stage, it will be a fatal blow to their careers."

Giovani was truly making bold statements. Rooney was currently performing well for England, like a small bulldozer, and he dared to assert that Rooney would get injured?

At this point, many reporters had already drafted their next news article: "Giovani's Bold Statements: Will Little Rooney Get Injured?"

Giovani wanted to use the media to convey to Everton and Rooney that Chelsea was very interested in him and would spare no effort to sign him.

However, he did not know that this interview would give him a nickname—Giovani the Cannon.

Meanwhile, Everton was also studying Chelsea's offer. Given Rooney's current performance, £15 million was not a small amount. However, the club's manager, Moyes, repeatedly emphasized that Rooney could not be sold!

Premier League managers have significant authority, so Chelsea's £15 million offer was rejected.

Rooney's agent, Strideford, was greedy and wanted a large signing fee and commission from Rooney's transfer. Upon hearing this, Strideford was furious and confronted Everton's chairman, Kenwright, demanding an explanation. He said Rooney was a talented player, and staying at Everton would limit his development; he needed to transfer to a bigger club to showcase his talent.

This put immense pressure on Everton. With pressure from both Chelsea and Strideford, everyone knew that if Rooney was determined to leave, the club could not stop him.

Just as Giovani was feeling smug, thinking Rooney's transfer would soon be successful, an interview from Portugal poured cold water on his head.

In the interview, Rooney thanked Chelsea's coach Giovani for his attention over the past two days but said he did not plan to discuss a transfer at the moment. His main focus was to perform well for England. Regarding Giovani's comments on Eriksson's use of him, Rooney remained silent, saying everything would be clear after the Euro Cup.

Yes, you Giovani like to make bold statements, don't you? Well, let's see if Eriksson's tactics are as bad as you say.

The transfer being put on hold made Giovani very unhappy. Once the Euro Cup ended, Manchester United's manager, Ferguson, would likely get involved in Rooney's transfer. Would Rooney still want to play under me then? Giovani had a big question mark in his mind.

On June 17, 2004, in the second round of the Euro Cup group stage, England defeated Switzerland 3-0, with Rooney scoring twice, shining on the European stage. Compared to Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo and Holland's Robben, Rooney's star was even brighter.

On June 21, 2004, in the third round of the Euro Cup group stage, England defeated Croatia 4-2, but Rooney did not score.

With this, England advanced to the quarterfinals as the second-place team in their group, facing the strong host nation, Portugal!

This Portuguese team, led by Figo and Rui Costa, was considered the golden generation of Portuguese football, aiming to win the championship.

In the match between England and Portugal, Owen scored first for England, but shortly after, Rooney, as Giovani had predicted, was injured and had to leave the field.

Without Rooney, England, despite a favorable situation, was equalized by Rui Costa with two goals, and the final score was 2-2.

In the penalty shootout, England lost 5-6 and was eliminated from the Euro Cup!

When England returned home, the entire nation of English fans was in deep sorrow. The media began to publish articles analyzing the reasons for England's failure in the Euro Cup.

The front page of The Times' football section featured a photo of Giovani wearing sunglasses, looking young and handsome, with the caption: "Everything was as expected!"

The article was explosive, revealing many insider details about Giovani and Rooney.

It first used Giovani's words to criticize England's coach Eriksson's conservatism and his serious misuse of Rooney.

It then mentioned that Chelsea had made a new offer to Everton, around £20 million, and included a bold statement from Giovani: "The match against Portugal will keep Rooney out for three months. I don't want a talent to fall. Come to Chelsea; only my tactics can make you perform perfectly!"

Finally, it published a quote from Rooney, who was recovering in the United States: "I will never wear an Everton jersey at Goodison Park again!"

The Times is not a specialized football newspaper, but the article caused a huge stir in the English football world.

Criticism was widespread: "Only you can use Rooney well? Arrogant!"

"Rooney is England's future; I don't want his talent to be wasted under a yellow-skinned man!"

"Rooney needs a bigger stage, but he must not choose Chelsea!"

Some media were even more critical: "In front of Eriksson, you are just a pile of shit!"

Of course, some media praised Giovani after seeing his miraculous prediction: "Although Giovani the Cannon is bold and unrestrained, it is undeniable that he has a deep understanding of English football and Rooney."

On June 28, 2004, Rooney's agent, Strideford, came to Everton with a beaming face and issued an ultimatum to the club chairman, Kenwright, and the manager, Moyes: "Rooney said he wants to join Chelsea!"

Kenwright and Moyes had deeply realized that Everton might not be able to keep Rooney, this future star. Giovani's miraculous prediction and media influence had clearly touched the young Rooney's heart.

Moyes sighed and turned to Kenwright, shaking his head, "Mr. Chairman, what was Chelsea's latest offer for Rooney?"

Kenwright's face was dark, and he was in a bad mood, saying gloomily, "£20 million."

Moyes took a deep breath and said firmly, "Let Chelsea pay £25 million to take Rooney!" After saying this, Moyes sighed and left the office.

Strideford, eager to start negotiations with Chelsea, was overjoyed upon hearing Moyes finally give in, his eyes shining, "Great! Mr. Kenwright, Mr. Moyes, I represent Rooney and all English fans in thanking you!"

After the Euro Cup, Ferguson had developed a deep interest in Rooney and had already sent his brother to Everton to gather information about Rooney.

However, unexpectedly, on July 1, 2004, the first day of the transfer window, both Chelsea and Everton's official websites simultaneously released a message that shocked the old manager, who almost fell off his chair, muttering, "Giovani the Cannon, I won't let you off!"

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