Chapter 371: Getting the National Team's Number 10 Jersey and Being Promoted to Vice Captain

Chapter 371: Getting the National Team's Number 10 Jersey and Being Promoted to Vice Captain

After the round of 16 in the Champions League, the quarterfinalists for this season were revealed. La Liga emerged as the biggest winner, with three teams advancing: Real Madrid, Barcelona, and Atletico Madrid. The Premier League, slightly less successful than last year, saw only Manchester City reach the quarterfinals among the three teams that had made it to the round of 16. In Ligue 1, Paris Saint-Germain was the lone survivor after eliminating Chelsea. Serie A had Juventus advancing with a dominant 5-1 victory over Borussia Dortmund. With Borussia Dortmund's decline following Bayern Munich's poaching, the Bundesliga had only Bayern Munich advancing. Along with FC Porto from the Portuguese league, this year's Champions League landscape featured the four major leagues against La Liga.

It's undeniable that La Liga has been incredibly dominant in recent seasons. If not for Manchester City eliminating Barcelona, Real Madrid, and Atletico Madrid last year, the Champions League final might have been an all-La Liga affair.

According to the Champions League draw rules, there are no restrictions for the quarterfinals, meaning teams from the same league or even those who were in the same group could face each other. Atletico Madrid was unlucky, drawing their city rivals Real Madrid. Both coaches, Ancelotti of Real Madrid and Simeone of Atletico Madrid, looked tense at the outcome. The two teams knew each other well from frequent league encounters and understood how tough the match would be. They would have preferred different opponents.

The draw started with a bang, and the audience was excited, hoping for more thrilling matchups. Soon, Barcelona was drawn. This made the remaining five coaches anxious, knowing the strength of this year's Barcelona. Neymar, in his second year with the team, had fully integrated and was performing exceptionally well. Suarez, after returning from suspension, had become the team's sharpest weapon. The MSN trio (Messi, Suarez, Neymar) was unstoppable in both La Liga and the Champions League. Facing this Barcelona team was a daunting prospect.

The camera panned across the coaches, finally focusing on Guardiola of Manchester City. Before the draw, Barcelona fans had expressed a desire to draw Manchester City, seeking revenge for last year's defeat. If Manchester City drew Barcelona, it would mark Guardiola's return to Camp Nou, but this time as an opponent. However, the draw surprised everyone. Manchester City was not drawn against Barcelona but against another team owned by Middle Eastern billionaires, Paris Saint-Germain.

Barcelona's coach Enrique smiled at the draw, while PSG's coach Blanc looked disheartened. He had hoped to avoid Barcelona. With PSG paired with Barcelona, Manchester City was drawn next. With only three teams left, including Bayern Munich, many speculated that UEFA would arrange a narrative-driven matchup between Manchester City and Bayern Munich, considering the previous statements by Bayern's Heynckes and the criticism from Bayern fans towards Guardiola. However, UEFA surprised everyone again. Manchester City's opponent was not Bayern but Juventus.

This draw left Juventus and Porto's coaches with grim expressions: "Why not arrange a big showdown between the top contenders? Why make us the likely cannon fodder?"

The final matchups were:

Manchester City vs. JuventusReal Madrid vs. Atletico MadridBarcelona vs. Paris Saint-GermainBayern Munich vs. Porto

The anticipated high-profile clashes did not materialize, meaning the top contenders had a high probability of advancing to the semifinals. While the quarterfinals might not be the most thrilling, the semifinals promised to be incredibly exciting.

According to the schedule, the Champions League quarterfinals would begin on April 14, giving teams about half a month to prepare.

"Darn, where are the blockbuster matchups?" "Yeah, Manchester City vs. Real Madrid, Manchester City vs. Barcelona, Manchester City vs. Bayern - any of these would have been a huge draw! UEFA really missed the mark!"

Fans were disappointed by the draw, feeling it lacked excitement.

"Maybe UEFA avoided controversy this year after being criticized for manipulating draws in the past?" "Ha, UEFA caring about criticism? You think too highly of them!"

Despite some fans trying to defend UEFA, the general sentiment was one of skepticism.

"But this way, the later rounds will be even more exciting!" "True, I'm already looking forward to a potential Real Madrid vs. Barcelona, Manchester City vs. Bayern Munich semifinal!" "Ha, you're really underestimating Juventus, Atletico Madrid, and PSG. What if they cause an upset?" "Italy's Serie A has declined, and Juventus' squad doesn't seem very strong. Against Manchester City, I'd say it's 70-30 in City's favor." "Agreed, maybe even 80-20!" "Real Madrid vs. Atletico is harder to call; it could go either way. But with the schedule, Real Madrid has an advantage. I'd say it's 60-40 for Real Madrid." "What about PSG vs. Barcelona?" "Also 60-40. PSG's lineup looks strong, but their performance on the field is uncertain." "PSG's defense is worth over a billion; maybe they can shut down MSN!" "As for Bayern vs. Porto, I don't think there's any need to guess. It's 10-0 for Bayern. If Porto doesn't concede ten goals over two legs, it's a victory for them!"

"Is Bayern's attack that strong, stronger than Manchester City's?" "Watch a few Bundesliga matches, and you'll see!" "Heynckes' Bayern is terrifying!" "Just look at Bayern's 12-0 aggregate win over Shakhtar Donetsk in the last round!"

Indeed, someone did, and they were shocked. Bayern had demolished Shakhtar Donetsk, winning 7-0 at home and 5-0 away.

"Our draw was pretty good!" Manchester City players, watching the draw, felt confident. Juventus was strong but not an elite team, and playing the second leg at home was advantageous. The team was optimistic about reaching the semifinals.

"Let's not get complacent. Juventus has a deep history. They recovered from the Calciopoli scandal and have dominated Serie A, winning three consecutive titles."

In recent seasons, Juventus had regained their dominance in Serie A and started performing better in the Champions League, evidenced by their quarterfinal appearance.

In this context, the Manchester City players knew they had to stay focused and not underestimate their opponents.

Facing a team on the rise like Juventus, even with Manchester City's superior on-paper strength, they couldn't afford to be complacent. An upset would be disastrous!

Unlike last year, when City dominated the league with a substantial lead allowing them to focus on the Champions League, this season they were still trailing in the league standings. This meant that their attention would be divided between the league and the Champions League.

On the other hand, their rivals were in more advantageous positions: Juventus had a comfortable lead in Serie A, and Chelsea, already eliminated from Europe, could fully concentrate on the league title. The situation for Manchester City was not as optimistic as it seemed.

Guardiola was fully aware of this predicament. Therefore, he had devised a stable point-accumulation strategy for the league. With nine rounds remaining, City was only one point behind Chelsea. As long as Chelsea slipped up, City would have their chance. But this relied on City not making any mistakes themselves. One more loss could mean bidding farewell to the championship.

In the 30th round of the Premier League, City hosted West Bromwich Albion. The match's outcome was decided just two minutes in when an opposing defender fouled Lin Quan in the penalty area, resulting in a red card and a penalty. Lin Quan coolly converted the spot-kick.

Down to ten men, West Bromwich Albion struggled throughout the match. Under City's relentless attacks, they couldn't hold out and conceded goals to David Silva, De Bruyne, and Fernandinho. By halftime, the score was already 4-0. In the second half, with the result beyond doubt, Guardiola substituted his key players, including Lin Quan, preparing for the Champions League and upcoming league fixtures.

After securing an easy three points, City temporarily topped the league. If Chelsea failed to win their upcoming match, the top spot would change hands. Under immense pressure, Chelsea's players were visibly tense. Despite taking an early lead two minutes into their game, they allowed the opposition to score twice in the 26th and 28th minutes, almost causing heart attacks among their fans.

In a crucial moment, Diego Costa scored in first-half stoppage time, stabilizing the team. In the second half, Chelsea besieged their opponents, finally overturning the score in the 77th minute to secure a hard-fought victory.

City's players watched Chelsea's game closely. Seeing Chelsea's eventual victory, they couldn't help but feel disappointed.

"Chelsea's luck is so strong!" "They've got some good fortune!" "But their luck can't last forever!" "Exactly, we just need to focus on our own games and wait for them to slip up!"

With the 30th round over, there was a break for FIFA's international matches before the next league round. On March 28th, Spain would host Ukraine in a European Championship qualifier. Facing a strong opponent and a key rival in the group, Spain's coach Del Bosque called up all the main players, including Lin Quan, to ensure they secured the top spot in the group.

Compared to the previous World Cup squad, there were some changes. Xabi Alonso, Xavi, and Javi Martinez were not included in the national team. Instead, Marc Bartra, Sergio Asenjo, Kepa Arrizabalaga, Juanmi, and Vitolo received their first call-ups. Returning players like Morata and Isco were also included. It was clear Del Bosque was scouting for the next generation of the Spanish team.

Despite being a veteran in terms of experience, Lin Quan, at just 19, was still one of the youngest in the squad.

"Boss, you finally made it! I thought you weren't coming!" As Lin Quan arrived at the training base, he was immediately greeted by the tall figure of Morata. Recognizing the voice without seeing the face, he knew it was Morata, who had a group of young players with him.

"Everyone, come over and greet the boss. This is our leader!" "Boss!" Led by Isco, the new recruits all shouted in unison, causing a stir among the players already training on the field.

"Hehe, boss, isn't our team looking good?" Morata, oblivious to Lin Quan's embarrassment, proudly put his arm around Lin Quan's shoulder, showing off. The newcomers, like little brothers, followed them towards the training ground.

Feeling the curious glances from the veteran players, Lin Quan's face burned with embarrassment. He wished he could find a hole to hide in. Morata, you're in for it! When we meet in the Champions League next month, I'll make sure you regret this!

As Lin Quan felt the height of awkwardness, Del Bosque appeared.

"Lin, from now on, you're the vice-captain of the team. Also, your jersey number is now 10. Don't forget to wear the right one!"

What? Lin Quan was stunned. Wasn't the number 10 jersey Cesc Fabregas's?

Turning to look at Fabregas, Lin Quan saw him smiling and giving a thumbs-up. It was clear Fabregas had willingly given up the number 10 jersey. With Del Bosque promoting Lin Quan to vice-captain, he was now established as a key figure in the Spanish team. As Del Bosque intended to build the next generation of the Spanish team around him, the symbolic number 10 jersey naturally had to go to him.