Chapter 89

Originally, countless media reporters had their eyes fixed on Wenger, but when Jowan Xian appeared, Wenger immediately fell out of favor. Countless microphones and cameras turned in his direction, focusing on Jowan Xian. This match saw many controversial moments, especially the two red cards, which were bound to be topics of discussion after the game. Given Jowan Xian's notorious style of stirring up trouble, it would be strange if he didn't take a shot at the FA!

However, to everyone's surprise, Wenger took the initiative to show goodwill, and a smile appeared on Jowan Xian's face!

What... What's going on here?

The press officer arranged for the two managers to sit down. Wenger was the first to comment on the match, saying that Arsenal played well, but Chelsea clearly deserved the victory more. Their players worked harder, and the team was united, making their win well-deserved. He then spent five minutes highly praising Jowan Xian's on-field command and tactical execution, calling him a young and talented coach in world football.

Jowan Xian, now famous, no longer needed to rely on criticizing Eriksson to hype himself up. Hearing Wenger's praise, he felt a bit elated. Getting recognition from a renowned coach was definitely a matter of pride.

Jowan Xian succinctly said, "We won the game, and Arsenal also won respect. It was a closely contested match."

Jowan Xian's words clearly did not satisfy the media. Someone immediately fanned the flames, "Mr. Jowan Xian, what do you think about Chelsea's two red cards?"

Jowan Xian propped his chin with one hand and tapped the table with the other, saying lightly, "Jeff Winter? I think he must be very dissatisfied with the result of this match! He clearly didn't understand who the core of Chelsea is. If he had sent me off in the early stages, perhaps our 16-game winning streak would have ended. Unfortunately, his first target was Cech."

The reporters were invigorated! This Jowan Xian, he really dared to attack the referee so openly, even Ferguson wouldn't dare to say such things!

When asked about the red cards, Wenger's response was more diplomatic. He said he didn't want to comment too much on the referee's decisions, as there must be reasons for his calls.

With Wenger's response, the reporters immediately lost interest in him and turned to Jowan Xian.

"Mr. Jowan Xian, do you think the red card you received was justified? Why did you kick the ball towards the fourth official? Was it because you were embarrassed and angry after failing to control the ball?"

As soon as the question was asked, the room fell silent.

No need to guess, this must be a question from a reporter from the Sun or the Guardian, asking with a hidden agenda! Jowan Xian's face turned serious, and he sternly replied, "Of course not!"

Under the watchful eyes of the cameras and the audience, Jowan Xian, without blushing or hesitating, boldly said, "At that moment, young Fabregas was beside me. I saw he was a bit nervous, so I wanted to demonstrate some footwork to help him relax. I hit the ball accurately, and he lived up to expectations, assisting Bergkamp before halftime..."

"Was the ball you kicked towards the fourth official not a mistake, but intentional?"

For the sake of his reputation, Jowan Xian, with a stiff upper lip, said, "Yes!"

...

He had his face, but the punishment also came. That afternoon, the FA issued an announcement: Chelsea's manager Jowan Xian was fined £20,000 and banned for three matches for maliciously attacking the fourth official and defaming the referee off the field!

Chelsea's next three matches were against Norwich at home, Aston Villa at home, and Portsmouth away. Apart from Aston Villa, who could pose some challenge, the other two teams were there to give Chelsea points and goals. Jowan Xian didn't even bother to pay attention to this punishment.

After the match between Chelsea and Arsenal, the entire English media was flooded with descriptions of the game. There was pity for Wenger's 56-game unbeaten run and admiration for Jowan Xian's 17-game winning streak. Especially now, with Chelsea's 25-game winning streak across all competitions, Jowan Xian became the brightest star in the Premier League this season.

Ferguson, Benitez, Wenger, Keegan, Mark Hughes... all the renowned coaches had fallen at Jowan Xian's feet. Even the mighty Arsenal, unbeaten for 56 games, was cut down like a melon, even though they had a numerical advantage for 85 minutes!

This yellow-skinned man was definitely a unique figure in European football. Fans and journalists were already fantasizing about when this young manager's first defeat would come.

The role of a manager had always belonged to white people, but this yellow-skinned Jowan Xian changed the landscape of European football, even... becoming the pinnacle of European football!

"He's not called Jowan Cannon, he's called Jowan Nuclear Bomb!"

The Times used this article to detail Jowan Xian's journey at Chelsea over the past four months, from predicting the England-France match, hiring Boas, pursuing the talented Rooney, securing Owen, sweeping Manchester United, and thrashing Birmingham... Each astonishing feat presented a completely different Jowan Xian to English fans.

He was young and handsome, yet talented; he spoke without restraint, yet kept his promises; he was high-profile and powerful, yet meticulous and cautious; he was two years younger than the average age of Chelsea's first team, yet was affectionately called "boss"...

However, while all the English media were vying to report the details of the Arsenal vs. Chelsea match, the Daily Star published a small article in a corner: "Legendary Captain Quietly Leaves, Roy Keane Frees Himself from Contract." Indeed, Ferguson no longer wanted to endure the strange atmosphere in the dressing room caused by Keane. Using the opportunity to sign Gremio, he reached a mutual agreement with Roy Keane to terminate the contract. The legendary captain finally left the team!

The article briefly mentioned Keane's evaluation of Ferguson: hatred, enmity, defamation, and insults. The nearly 20-year master-disciple relationship had come to an end, with no trace of affection left!

...

"What? You want me to command the game?" Boas was stunned, and the other Chelsea players looked at Jowan Xian in shock. Was the boss feeling disheartened because of the three-match ban? Was he so fragile?

Jowan Xian raised an eyebrow, "What, you don't have confidence?" Then he cleared his throat and loudly said, "During my ban, you all must follow Boas's commands. His words are my words, and opposing him is opposing me! He usually leads your training, and although his abilities are far from mine, they are enough to crush the next few weak teams!"

Jowan Xian's words left Boas unsure whether to be happy or worried, so he kept quiet.

Terry cautiously asked, "Boss, where are you going during this time? You're not... not going to abandon us and spend Christmas with two beauties, are you?"

Jowan Xian, feeling guilty, glared at Terry and sternly said, "Nonsense! As a captain, you dare to openly defame the coach? Run ten laps after this!"

Ramos, Rooney, Johnson, and others tried to suppress their laughter, shaking their shoulders. Terry, with a mournful face, said, "Boss, you can't be serious, I can't even ask?"

"You're judging a gentleman by a villain's standards!" Jowan Xian looked into the distance and sighed, "Ah! We can still enjoy the joy of football here, but Owen can only be lonely and injured in America. As a coach, how could I bear it?"

Hearing this, everyone was deeply moved. Terry, touched, said, "Boss, so... you're planning to visit Owen!"

"Of course, there's also a more important matter..." Jowan Xian almost blurted it out but quickly shut his mouth. December 20th was Lucy's birthday, and he naturally wanted to take her out for a day, and also spend Christmas with his two girlfriends, relaxing for a few days.

"More important matter? What is it?" Terry, already sentenced to run laps, decided to go all out and kept pressing Jowan Xian, noticing his evasive eyes.

"Um..." Jowan Xian was at a loss for words.

"Still a captain, and you don't even know this information!" The chubby Rooney pushed Terry, proudly saying, "Didn't you see in the newspaper? Our boss is going to sign Manchester United's captain, Roy Keane! Now that Keane has been released by Manchester United, he's going to Manchester to personally invite Keane to join the team!"

"Ah! That's right!" Terry, suddenly enlightened, nodded in agreement, "Boss, you're amazing! Roy Keane is the greatest midfielder I've ever seen. If you can bring him to Chelsea, I... I'll love you to death!"

"Get lost!" Jowan Xian flicked Terry's nose and then, moved to tears, patted Rooney's shoulder, praising, "Young man, you have potential, good skills, and a sharp mind. Not bad, not bad!"

For a moment, Jowan Xian and his players were on good terms again.

However, Makelele felt a bitter taste in his heart. He had been worried that the team's tactics were not suitable for his development, and the French national team coach, Domenech, had sown seeds of doubt, making him consider leaving. But in recent matches, especially against Porto and Arsenal, he felt an unprecedented sense of belonging and importance. He became an indispensable part of the team's midfield!

Makelele suddenly realized that staying on the team... was also good. But hearing that Roy Keane was joining, he understood that the boss was already preparing for his departure. He had heard that... more midfielders would join the team this winter?

He sighed inwardly, regretting having listened to Domenech's advice. But what good would it do now? A man in his thirties, going to beg a young man in his twenties to change his mind?

Makelele shook his head.