Chapter 417: Cruyff's Recognition: This Kid Will Be the Next Football King!

Chapter 417: Cruyff's Recognition: This Kid Will Be the Next Football King!

Johan Cruyff was very pleased when he met Lin Quan, holding his hand and chatting for quite a while.

"I've heard Pep Guardiola talk about you. He said he intended to groom you as Barcelona's future number four, but it didn't work out."

As he said this, Cruyff glanced at Xavi, who had already left the team, and couldn't help but sigh.

The number four position at Barcelona is no small role. It requires extremely high demands on a player—not only strong personal skills but also versatility, linking the front and back, with both strong offensive and defensive abilities.

When Guardiola was at Barcelona, he wore the number four jersey and performed such duties. However, Guardiola's personal abilities were limited and fell short of Cruyff's ideal number four.

As for Xavi, his offensive abilities were strong enough to meet Cruyff's expectations. However, defensively, he still fell short of what Cruyff envisioned. Therefore, Cruyff placed his hopes on the next generation of players.

When Lin Quan donned the number four jersey at La Masia, Cruyff had already started to pay attention to him. He hadn't expected that Lin Quan would end up moving from a defensive midfielder to a forward and become the most powerful attacking player on the planet.

Seeing Lin Quan thriving in the forward position, it's clear that returning to play as a defensive midfielder would be a waste of his talent. And with no suitable candidates emerging from La Masia, Barcelona's current number four is Rakitic, a player bought from Sevilla.

Rakitic's abilities are not on par with Xavi's, but he is young, energetic, and very determined. Combined with Barcelona's formidable MSN forward trio, they reached the Champions League final last year. Unfortunately, they ran into the defending champions led by Lin Quan. Otherwise, Barcelona might have won the Champions League last year.

"But seeing your outstanding performance up front, I'm glad you didn't accept Guardiola's arrangement. Otherwise, your talent might have been wasted!"

Lin Quan's current performance as a forward is world-class. If he had played as a defensive midfielder as initially planned, he might not have achieved such high success. This would have been a significant loss for football.

No matter the position—whether a defensive midfielder or a forward—La Masia nurtured Lin Quan, and Cruyff felt proud of his protégé's success.

Seeing Cruyff and Lin Quan engaged in a lively conversation, Laporta felt hopeful, thinking things might work out. He signaled to Cruyff to persuade Lin Quan to return to Barcelona.

Before this event, Laporta had visited Cruyff. However, Cruyff ignored Laporta's signals and didn't try to persuade Lin Quan.

When Rosell orchestrated the great purge, Lin Quan wasn't the only one targeted—Cruyff was also affected. His honorary president title was unceremoniously stripped away by Rosell. This infuriated Cruyff, who left Barcelona and returned to his home in the Netherlands.

For the past three years, Cruyff had hardly been back to Barcelona, and his relationship with the club had reached an all-time low. If it weren't for Laporta's sincere invitation and his desire to meet Lin Quan, he wouldn't have returned.

Even so, he only attended the La Masia event, avoiding any involvement with the Barcelona club. Because of this, no matter how much Laporta hinted, Cruyff wouldn't persuade Lin Quan to return to Barcelona. The old man was genuinely hurt by Barcelona's actions.

With Cruyff silent, Lin Quan felt relieved. It would have been troublesome to refuse if Cruyff had spoken.

After finishing his conversation with Cruyff, Lin Quan took the opportunity to chat with several of his club teammates. Most of those attending the event were Barcelona players, and they looked at Lin Quan with mixed emotions.

"Lin, this year, you won't block us in the Champions League again, right?"

Barcelona had been eliminated by Manchester City for two consecutive years, causing a psychological shadow for the Barcelona players.

"Probably not."

Meeting three times in a row is statistically unlikely. In the past, only Arsenal had such bad luck, repeatedly encountering Barcelona and Bayern Munich in knockout stages, earning them the infamous "Bayern for five years, Barca for three years" reputation.

Honestly, with Messi in the team, Barcelona is strong. Moreover, Iniesta is still around, and Neymar hasn't left. Their MSN trio remains formidable. Such a top-tier team is not one City wants to face early on.

But as long as they don't stumble, there's still a high chance of meeting in the finals, just like last year.

"But if we do meet, it's fine. We'll avenge our past two years' eliminations!"

The Barcelona players were determined to seek revenge. Messi's eyes also sparked with fighting spirit. Losing to Lin Quan over the past two years cost him three crucial titles and two Ballon d'Or awards. This year, barring any surprises, the Ballon d'Or would likely go to Lin Quan again.

In years without major international tournaments, league and Champions League performances weigh heavily in Ballon d'Or decisions. Lin Quan's performance over the past year has been universally recognized, even by Messi.

"If I had a vote, I would unhesitatingly vote for Lin Quan."

But next year, things would be different. Messi wouldn't let him continue unchallenged.

"So, you hope to meet us in the Champions League, huh?" Lin Quan teased.

"No, no, no! I think it's best if we don't meet!"

"Lin, don't. I admit my tone was a bit loud!"

As the group bantered, Fabregas sighed:

"You guys can still think about the Champions League. My team doesn't even have a head coach right now!"

Chelsea, after sacking Mourinho, had tarnished their reputation in the coaching circle. They had fired too many coaches over the years, making everyone hesitant to accept their job offers, fearing they would soon be the next to be dismissed.

Due to Chelsea's notorious habit of sacking managers under Abramovich, the club was struggling to find a new head coach. No reputable manager wanted to risk their career by joining Chelsea, knowing they would likely be fired if they failed to meet Abramovich's high standards.

In their desperate search, Chelsea first approached Jürgen Klopp, who politely declined and chose to sign with Liverpool instead. After being turned down, they contacted Italy's renowned coach, Antonio Conte. Conte, citing his contract with the Italian national team, also declined Chelsea's offer.

Unable to secure their preferred candidates, Chelsea then reached out to former Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti, hoping to bring him back to Stamford Bridge. However, Ancelotti, not wanting to face potential humiliation again, decisively refused.

Desperate, Chelsea extended their offers to multiple managers, including Claudio Ranieri, Guus Hiddink, and Luiz Felipe Scolari. Ranieri, wary after a previous stint with Chelsea, accepted an offer from Leicester City instead. Hiddink, citing his age and intention to retire, also turned down the offer.

This left only Scolari, the former Brazil national team coach. However, Scolari was also being courted by Guangzhou Evergrande, a Chinese club offering a competitive salary.

The group could only sympathize with Fabregas' situation, as he had to endure the uncertainty under Abramovich, who, despite his genuine affection for Chelsea, lacked patience and had a penchant for firing managers.

Cruyff's health had visibly deteriorated, and after giving a brief speech at the event, he turned pale and began coughing, alarming Lin Quan. Worried, Lin Quan urged Cruyff's son to take him to a hospital for a thorough examination.

Taking Lin Quan's advice seriously, Cruyff's son promptly took him to a hospital in Barcelona, where doctors diagnosed him with early-stage lung cancer. Thanks to the early detection, there was hope for effective surgical treatment.

Given Cruyff's prominence and influence in Barcelona, the club arranged for the best specialists to handle his surgery and treatment. However, due to his preexisting heart condition and previous bypass surgery, the situation was complicated. Generally, patients with heart conditions are not ideal candidates for surgery, but without it, the cancer would be hard to control, posing a significant risk if left untreated.

The news of Cruyff's hospitalization caused a stir in the football world. Despite his retirement, Cruyff remained one of the most respected figures in European football, often overshadowing even his contemporary, Franz Beckenbauer. Many believed that had the Netherlands not been defeated by West Germany in the 1974 World Cup, Cruyff could have been crowned the second football king after Pelé.

Due to Cruyff's immense influence, many players and fans sent their well-wishes, hoping for his swift recovery.

Upon learning of Cruyff's condition, Pep Guardiola hurried back to see him.

"How is he?" Guardiola asked urgently.

Lin Quan reassured him, "When I visited a few days ago, he was still complaining about not being allowed to smoke in the hospital."

Hearing this, Guardiola felt relieved. As long as Cruyff was still thinking about smoking, his condition couldn't be too dire. However, given his heart issues, it was concerning that he still wanted to smoke.

Guardiola, unwilling to leave his mentor's side, and Lin Quan visited Cruyff together at the hospital. Seeing Guardiola, Cruyff was overjoyed. He had been following Guardiola's tactical developments from the Netherlands, feeling proud of how Guardiola had transformed Manchester City, continuing the legacy of his football philosophy.

While Cruyff's health issues weighed on his mind, seeing Guardiola's success brought him immense pride. Unlike Beckenbauer's outdated libero system, Cruyff's tactical ideas had stood the test of time.

During their conversation, the topic inevitably turned to Lin Quan.

"Your boy is extraordinary, but he's still young. Make sure to guide him properly and keep him on the right path until he achieves greatness," Cruyff advised Guardiola.

Guardiola was taken aback. While there was widespread speculation that Lin Quan would eventually become the third football king after Pelé and Maradona, hearing this endorsement from a football legend like Cruyff carried significant weight.

Could it be that Lin Quan truly had the potential to become the next football king?

(End of the chapter)

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