"Old man, how did they arrange it? How can a champion coach like me go with a coach like you who is the runner-up in the league?"
Lee George walked on the red carpet at the Grimaldi Forum in Monte-Carlo, Monaco. Next to him was Manchester United head coach Sir Alex Ferguson.
"Aren't you also the coach of the runner-up? You just got it yesterday and you haven't covered it up yet?" Ferguson was not a good critic, and directly talked about Leeds United's reverse loss to the European Super Cup by AC Milan yesterday.
"Then we can't win the Europa League every time, otherwise who will play in the Champions League?"
"As long as you can, if you have the ability, you can also win the Champions League and let me see."
"Tch, just take it." George Li said lightly, as if winning the Champions League was easy in his eyes.
Although the two of them were bickering as they walked, at least the fake smiles on their faces never stopped. They were greeting fans and waving to media reporters along the way.
"How is the heart problem of the midfield boy you bought from the French?"
Ferguson asked his disciples and paid attention to the players of the other team.
Because of heart problems, it has been an important topic surrounding the entire European football community recently.
Because in the Champions League play-off match between Sevilla and AEK Athens, Sevilla's player Puerta suddenly fell to the ground during the game due to a heart problem. He was later sent to the hospital for treatment in time to save his life.
At that time, Puerta fell to the ground unconscious and was promptly treated by his teammate Dragutinovic. When he regained consciousness, he fell unconscious again. Fortunately, he was rescued by doctors when he was sent to the hospital.
The game was also canceled as a result, which is why this year's Champions League draw ceremony will be a little later than before. Because the game between Sevilla and AEK Athens has not ended yet, the result of which of the two teams will finally advance to the Champions League group stage is still unknown. The two sides will resume the second round in the next day or two.
In the first round, Sevilla was already leading 2-0, so UEFA also defaulted to the Spanish team's advancement and designated the last undecided spot as the second-tier team.
Since Cameroonian player Marc-Vivian Fo died of a heart attack on the field in 2003, players' heart health has been a topic of greater concern in football. This time, European football once again reported players fainting during the game. , Leeds United’s young player Muamba’s condition has also attracted the attention of the British media.
That's why Ferguson asked Muamba too.
"If it is discovered early and treated early, it can be recovered." Li George informed Ferguson of his players' situation.
"Can you really recover?" Ferguson was a little confused. "Can I still play by then?"
"No problem, after all, I don't want the 2 million to go to waste. Even if he can't play, I still feel that spending 2 million has done a good deed. In order to prevent things like Sevilla from happening again, we are training and During the game, the team doctors are equipped with the latest cardiac emergency equipment, after all, human life is not a joke, right old man."
Ferguson did not answer directly, but stopped and thought for a moment, and the kind smile on his face disappeared.
After thinking for a while, he began to consult George Li.
"Is that equipment reliable? Get two of them for my medical team. If possible, I will work with you to suggest to the FA that this equipment should be widely used to avoid..."
"You didn't keep it for yourself, did you?" George Li interrupted Ferguson and said something that was enough to give Ferguson a heart attack. Fortunately, Ferguson transferred a pacemaker, otherwise the device George Li just mentioned might be used now.
"You bastard!"
After entering the conference center and leaving the flashbulbs of the media, Ferguson finally couldn't help but kick his good disciple.
George Li quickly dodged the kick and stepped forward quickly.
Because he discovered that an unexpected person also attended the lottery ceremony.
"Hey, Jose." George Li stepped forward and shook hands with Mourinho, "You really went to Spain..."
Ferguson, who was lagging behind, also accelerated his pace. After all, Mourinho has left the Premier League now. It would be good to exchange feelings. At least to save face or something, in case he retires and find this Portuguese "madman" to replace him as coach. Manchester United is also good.
Who makes it impossible for his most admired disciple to return to Manchester United?
^^^
Cech, who was the best goalkeeper in Europe last season, and Lenat Dasayev, the legendary goalkeeper of the former Soviet Union, together drew the seventh note of the first team in the Champions League group stage after Inter Milan showed it to everyone.
Leeds United were confirmed to be placed in the last group, Group H.
The other three Premier League teams Liverpool, Chelsea, and Manchester United are divided into Groups A, B, and F respectively. The four teams are all first-tier teams, and the Premier League has shown a trend of getting rid of La Liga and Serie A to become the first league in Europe.
Then, Maldini, who did not play yesterday due to injury, as the best defender in Europe last season, and Dasayev began to draw the second team of each group.
Six teams, Porto, Valencia, Bremen, Benfica, Lyon, and Roma, were drawn out in turn, but the names of three teams were written on the remaining two small balls.
Maldini finally took out one of the last two balls and handed it to Dasayev.
"Eindhoven!"
After reading it, Dasayev showed the note in his hand to everyone present and all the fans in front of the TV.
That means that the second team in Group H where Leeds United is located will be the winner of Sevilla and AEK Athens, which everyone is paying close attention to now.
There is a high probability that it will be Leeds United's old rival in the European competition for the past two seasons, Sevilla.
If Sevilla is a weaker team in the second pot, then the third pot team drawn by Seedorf and Dasayev has everyone's attention. On George Li’s body.
CSKA Moscow was drawn in the seventh place. After Leeds United avoided the dilemma of entering Russia in the cold winter, it also avoided strong teams such as Marseille, Lazio, Celtic, and Sporting Lisbon.
Steaua Bucharest, Leeds United's UEFA Europa League semi-final opponent in the 2005/06 season, was assigned to Group H of Leeds United this year.
Two old rivals in a row were assigned to their own group. Last season, three of the top four teams in the Europa League met again in the Champions League. I really have to admire the arrangement of fate.
George Li, who was sitting off the court, smiled and began to look at the fourth team, looking to see if any opponents with the same faces would be grouped with him.
This search actually led him to find one.
Ukraine's Shakhtar Donetsk team was in the same group as Leeds United in the Champions League last season, ranking third or fourth. I don't know if they will meet again this season.
Ferguson on the side kicked George Li because he already felt that his disciple's smile was a little unnatural, almost too much, and asked him to restrain it appropriately.
"Old man, why did you kick me?"
"You should restrain yourself. People all over the world are watching."
"Are you jealous that I did well in drawing lots?"
Ferguson was not used to George Lee and mocked him directly: "You bully your defeated generals all day long. If you have the ability, you can kick some powerful ones."
"You are awesome. Are you planning to beat Roma 7-1 again?"
Li George mentioned that Manchester United's first two opponents were Roma and Sporting Lisbon. In the Champions League knockout round last season, Manchester United slaughtered Roma 7-1 in one round.
I have to say that UEFA will cause trouble.
The opponent Li George wanted, the Miners, was still destined not to be assigned to the same group as him. In Group D, Kaka drew the Miners to a group of his own team AC Milan. Also in the same group were Benfica and Kyle. Special person.
It's just that Kaká, who just helped the team defeat Leeds United yesterday, can be regarded as a small compensation for Leeds United. On the 7th goal, he took out Fenerbahce from the only two-goal team. , sending the relatively weak Slavia Prague to Group H.
I have to say that AC Milan is a reasonable team. Yesterday they just took away the European Super Cup from Leeds United. Today, they backhand Maldini, Seedorf and Kaká to draw three good draws for Leeds United. .
Seville/AEK Athens, Steaua Bucharest, Slavia Prague.
To put it bluntly, these three teams are basically Europa League-level teams. This time they were lucky enough to reach the Champions League, but they met the two-time Europa League champion, Leeds United.
I don’t know if they are lucky or bad.
Anyway, George Li felt that he was lucky. At least the displeasure after losing to AC Milan yesterday disappeared after the Champions League draw.
^^^
The next day, major British media reported the Champions League draw results.
All media are unanimously optimistic that Leeds United will emerge from the Champions League group stage this year and enter the knockout rounds.
Among them, Yorkshire's local newspapers "Yorkshire Post" and "Leeds Courier" are the most direct.
"This time, I don't want to win the UEFA Cup."
This is the biggest headline in the sports section of The Yorkshire Post.
What's even more exaggerated is that the "Leeds Courier" put the Champions League draw results on the front page.
"Everyone, we are going to the top 16."
