Fun Stories of the European Championship

The 2012 European Championship began on June 8th and ended on July 2nd. Soon, Wang Feng had his debut as a commentator, covering the Italy vs. Spain match in Group C.

The match took place at the Gdansk Stadium in Poland, the third-largest stadium in Poland, only surpassed by the Warsaw National Stadium and the Silesian Stadium, with a capacity of about 43,000 people.

Sitting in the commentary area on the stands, enjoying the match while providing commentary was a different feeling for Wang Feng compared to other times. His partner in commentary was the professional commentator Zhang Lu.

"I used to watch you commanding the field, never thought that one day you would sit beside me to provide commentary for the audience and friends," Zhang Lu said somewhat excitedly. As someone working in Chinese football, there wasn't anyone who didn't admire the Chinese superstar.

"Haha, I find commentary very interesting. Being able to bring excitement to the fans like players on the field do, maybe I'll try it out more in the future," Wang Feng replied.

"That's great to hear. Speaking of the game itself, Wang Feng, you should be particularly familiar with Spain, right? How do you predict the outcome of the match between the two sides?" Zhang Lu asked.

"I can say I'm quite familiar. It's basically a new lineup formed by Spanish players who used to play for Real Madrid and Barcelona. Each player's characteristics are etched in my mind," Wang Feng replied.

"As for who will win or lose, it's hard to predict. I think Spain will have a slight advantage," Wang Feng added.

"Okay, we can see that today Spain's coach, Del Bosque, has set up a 4-3-3 formation, but the frontline is composed of Silva, Fabregas, and Iniesta, three midfielders. What do you think about this?" Zhang Lu inquired.

"Rather than calling it a 4-3-3, it's more like a 4-6-0," Wang Feng chuckled and continued, "He's placed forwards Torres and Villa on the bench, with midfielders operating in the forward area to create threats."

"This approach is bold yet full of delicate thinking because the foundation of the Matadors is possession and short passing penetration. They focus more on positional play and mutual support, rarely needing traditional forwards to stay up front," Wang Feng explained.

Zhang Lu nodded, "But the team not having a recognized forward is quite subversive to people's understanding of football. It's unprecedented that Del Bosque would directly use this in a major tournament."

"In fact, he's borrowing from Barcelona's possession experience. Fabregas and Iniesta often ventured into the forward area to play when they were at the club. As for the effectiveness, we'll have to see how the situation develops in this match," Wang Feng concluded.

The match itself was relatively dull, ending 0-0 in the first half. In the second half, Di Natale broke the deadlock with an assist from Pirlo, but less than five minutes later, Fabregas scored an equalizer with a long shot.

A dramatic scene occurred in the 53rd minute. Italy pressed high in the opponent's half, and Balotelli intercepted Ramos, dribbled into the penalty area, but just as he was about to shoot, he suddenly slowed down, as if entering a frozen state, allowing Spanish defenders to clear the ball.

"What's this kid doing, contemplating life?" Zhang Lu couldn't help but laugh, "While players from both sides are giving their all, he's taking a leisurely stroll at the doorstep. I really don't understand."

Wang Feng sighed helplessly, "Who knows, honestly Balotelli's talent is really good, but his football IQ seems unstable." As he spoke, he seemed to see that awkward young man at the Pinetina base, looking up to him with admiration. "What a pity."

During his time at Inter Milan, Ribery and his agent Balmond tried to change him, but all attempts ended in failure. Perhaps God gave him ample football talent but closed the window on his football intelligence.

The "Special One" Mourinho, who once coached Inter Milan, also couldn't handle Balotelli. "The story between me and Balotelli could fill 200 pages of a book. It won't be a novel, but a comedy, because this kid is too much trouble!"

He specifically mentioned the "red card incident," a Champions League match where Inter Milan's attacking options were depleted, and Mourinho could only rely on Balotelli. However, he received a second yellow card shortly after the second half began, intentionally stamping on Novoa.

"My heart was breaking. Perhaps those instructions, once they reached his ears, changed? Denials turned into affirmations? I don't know, this little rascal."

And after this group stage match, another legend was added to Balotelli's story. What was he thinking when he entered the Spanish penalty area, causing him to stop and not shoot?

"Perhaps he was contemplating advanced philosophical questions like 'Who am I, where do I come from, and where am I going?'" someone joked.

Wang Feng's commentary unexpectedly received a lot of praise from fans. He analyzed the game from a professional perspective while maintaining an entertaining style, and many hoped he would commentate on more matches.

So, the Chinese superstar went on to commentate on the quarter-finals between Germany and Greece and England and Italy. After that, he called it quits, taking a stroll around Poland with Lu Yao before returning to Madrid to start pre-season training.

During this time, many amusing incidents occurred, such as before the final match of Group A between Russia and Greece, unexpected scenes were captured on the big screen.

Sitting on the bench, Arshavin was actually enjoying reading a book, Haruki Murakami's "War Chronicles of the Wind-Up Bird," a book about urban life and psychology.

No one expected the dominant Russian "Tsar" on the field to be reading such a book, all while seated in the midst of the roaring crowds of the European Championship. His reputation as a "literary youth" spread far and wide.

Not just Arshavin, but Balotelli also worked overtime to finish reading the seventh installment of "Harry Potter" during the European Championship. Iniesta also bought a copy of "Parenting Guide" in Poland, adding a touch of "scholarly atmosphere" to the intense matches.

The incident of the German team "catching spies" also caused quite a stir, as head coach Löw discovered that his starting lineup had appeared in the German media several hours before the match.

"I don't know how the starting lineup leaked to the media. Perhaps some players knew and leaked it to the media, and then the whole world knew!" Löw said.

"This kind of pre-match leak seriously affects the team's stability and unity. Whoever it is, I must find them out!" For a while, there was a tense atmosphere within the German team, reminiscent of a spy thriller.

Portugal's leader, Cristiano Ronaldo, was undoubtedly one of the biggest stars of this European Championship. He was also the darling of the media and cameras. During the life-and-death battle with the Netherlands, sharp-eyed reporters were surprised to find that Ronaldo's hair was tousled in the first half, resembling David Beckham's "mohawk" hairstyle that once captivated the audience.

But when he returned for the second half, Ronaldo had changed to another hairstyle. He neatly combed the hair on his forehead back, instantly transforming into a literary youth with striking hair gel.

With just fifteen minutes of rest, the Portuguese not only had to listen to the coach's tactical arrangements but also arranged a full hairdressing service for himself, really going all out for his image.