Chapter 221: Heated Battle and the Round of 8 Preview! Consecutive Shots! Another Controversy! Two Optimistic Madmen!
June 17th, this year's European Cup officially entered a heated battle.
The third round of the group stage has begun, and this will be the moment that determines the fate of many teams.
Except for the German Team and the French Team, the remaining teams have not yet secured early qualification, and very few teams have lost hope of qualifying in advance.
From June 17th to June 20th, the matches of Groups A-D will be played one after another, and the final list of 8 teams entering the knockout stage will be officially determined! At 5:30 PM this day, the matches between the Greek Team against the Russian Team and the Czech Team against the Polish Team in Group A kicked off simultaneously. Whoever wins among them will directly enter the Round of 8.
"The Russian Team had a very smooth start, but was later blocked by the Polish Team. If they lose to Greece, the situation for qualifying will become tense."
"Arshavin is working very hard to fight for the ball, he is the star player of this team! A shot! Didn't score!"
"The fourth official raised the sign for injury time, 1 minute of added time in the first half."
"The Greek Team's counterattack is coming, Alexei intercepted the football! But it was intercepted again! Beautiful counter-attack! Karagounis broke into the penalty area! A shot to the far corner!"
"Goal! The Greek Team took a miraculous lead! They surpassed the score before the end of the first half! One to zero!!"
...
"The first half is over, the Czech and Polish Teams have not achieved anything, which is a bit surprising. Before the game, people thought it would be a goal fest."
"The Polish Team, as the host, drew with the Greek Team in the first round and with Russia in the second round. It can be said that their performance is stable but mediocre. Today is their last chance."
"Polanski received a yellow card! Baroš quickly takes the free kick, a good opportunity for the Czech Team! Iráček entered the penalty area, he is under great physical pressure, oh oh! A prone shot before falling, the ball went in! One to zero! The Czech Team took the lead! The host was instantly thrown into hell. In the final moments, they must score 2 goals to reverse the score in order to qualify!"
...
"The game is over!! No added time! The referee didn't give any added time! The Greek Team advanced to the Round of 8 of the European Cup! They have created another miracle! Successfully qualified by defeating a strong team with a weak one!! Their fans are waving their national flags, raising their shields, and declaring war on the remaining 7 teams entering the Round of 8 in advance!!"
"The goddess Athena is guarding them in the Parthenon! The sun god Apollo is lighting up their bright future! Now, this Greek Team is going to create their own new myth!"
"Arshavin is squatting on the ground crying. He didn't expect that the Russian Team, which won four to one in the first round, would eventually miss the group stage."
"They are leaving, they failed to take away glory and honor from this arena, but only left their bones, so that the figure of the successful person who finally stepped on them looks even more majestic!"
...
"One to zero! The Czech Team finally defeated the host Polish Team with a score of one to zero! They advanced to the Round of 8 of the European Cup as the first in the group! A great one to zero! Under the leadership of Arsenal star Rosický, this team with a land area of only 78,866 square kilometers has entered the most central stage of European football! At the same time, we have to say goodbye to the Polish Team! Goodbye to Lewandowski! They can only end this European Cup at their doorstep as the bottom of the group!"
"I believe regret and pain fill their hearts, but there is no way, this is Football, victory will not be as easy to get as dandelions on the hillside!"
"You must give everything and do everything well to have a chance to succeed in this arena!!"
...
After the game, Rosický was named the best player of the game. He led the Czech Team members, who didn't speak Spanish, to the camera and shouted in unison: "Vamos!!"
The other Czech Team members didn't understand why Rosický spoke Spanish after staying at Arsenal for a few years, they just felt that this sentence was very smooth, so they followed along and shouted this refreshing sentence.
On June 18th, the 2 matches of Group B also kicked off simultaneously at 5:30 PM, the Portuguese Team against the Netherlands, and Germany against Denmark.
"Robben! Cut Inside no, he deceived the world! This time it's the bottom line! A triangular pass back! Van der Vaart followed up and shot, the ball went in! The Netherlands took the lead!"
"This is João Pereira! Passing the ball to Ronaldo! Bicycle Kick. Dribbling! Shot! Beautiful! The Portuguese superstar scored the first goal of the tournament!"
"Nani. Cross! Ronaldo header! Powerful!! Beautiful!"
"Two to one! Ronaldo used a Brace to help the Portuguese Team reverse the score! The Portuguese superstar has finally regained his form!"
"The game is over! The Portuguese Team defeated the Netherlands two to one! And advanced to the Round of 8!!"
"Cristiano Ronaldo, the boy who cried in the European Cup final 8 years ago, has now grown into the captain and soul of this team! He led the team to go against the current when the start was unfavorable!"
"Maybe this time looking at the young people around him, he will recall that midsummer of 2004."
"At that time, he had Figo by his side, Zidane was still the core of the French Team, Beckham was still the right-wing god of the England Team, and Van Nistelrooy was still attacking the city for the Netherlands!" But now everything is different, Maël has become the new king of the French Team, former partner Rooney has become the pillar of the England Team, and Van Persie, the green-faced boy who just came to England, has replaced Van Nistelrooy!"
"The European Cup and the World Cup, held every 4 years, engrave their footsteps, tell the stories of the superstars who are in charge or sad, and also tell the evolution of our own lives! This time, can this superstar, who is loved by fans all over the world along with Messi, lead Portugal to win the European Cup in this competition of superstars?!" We also have to say goodbye to Van Persie, this star who achieved great success with Maël at Arsenal, is one of the best forwards in European football this year, but his European Cup story is over."
"His eyes are full of unwillingness. With Rosický and Maël leading their teams to qualify one after another, his Netherlands team suffered 3 losses in 3 games and was shamefully eliminated!"
"He and Robben, Sneijder, Huntelaar and other stars have also become the bones of this competition, reflecting the strength of the Round of 8 teams!"
...
"Two to one! Germany defeated Denmark without mercy, with 3 wins in 3 group matches and 9 points! They are the first team to achieve this feat in this tournament so far!
"Thomas Müller, the highly anticipated Bayern youngster, led the German Team to a strong record in his first European Cup!" "He is surrounded by a host of talented teammates such as Kroos, Khedira, Mario Gomez, Hummels, and Schweinsteiger. Hopefully, they can continue their excellent performance in the knockout stage!"
"After the matches in Groups A and B, we also know the matchups for two of the quarter-final matches!"
"The Portuguese Team will face the Czech Team in a battle for the top 4! The Iron Chariot, the German Team, will face the Greek Team, who are eager to create a new myth!"
"The European Cup matches are becoming more and more exciting. This is not only the youth of a generation of players but also the youth of a generation of fans! Let us enjoy it to the fullest!"
On the third day of fierce competition, the last two rounds of Group C also kicked off as scheduled. This group seems to have little suspense, being a standard two-strong and two-weak setup.
"One to zero! Thanks to Torres' goal! The Spanish Team defeated their last opponent in the group stage, the Croatian Team, securing the top spot in the group!"
"The Bullfighter Dynasty continues! Will they break the curse of major tournament champions and achieve good results again in this European Cup?"
"We see the core members of the team celebrating together, hand in hand and shoulder to shoulder! Just looking at the names on the back of their jerseys, you know what kind of team this is!" "Busquets kissed Fabregas on the cheek! He plays an important role for the Spanish Team in this tournament and has scored many key goals!" "Xiaofa is coming to the camera, what is he going to do?"
"Oh? A 'shut up' celebration?! Is this a response to the turmoil on social media these past few days?"
"We all know that after Maël's transfer fee exceeded 100 million, his past conflicts with Xiaofa were dug up by fans, and Xiaofa was also ridiculed and scolded by some Arsenal fans."
"He used his own way to fight back against all of this, and also issued a challenge to the French Team led by Maël!"
"If there are disputes, then let's meet on the field! With Spain locking in first place in Group C and the French Team locking in first place in Group B, they won't meet in the short term!"
"The top teams from two consecutive groups can only meet in the final of this European Cup. This is an excellent opportunity and a huge challenge for both of them!"
"..."
"Balotelli! A shot!! Well done! He helped Italy kill the suspense of the game in the final moments! "Two to zero! They are about to defeat the Irish Team and secure the 7th quarter-final spot!"
"Ouch! We see that Manchester City star Balotelli seems to have had some conflict with the Irish fans. He is very emotional, and Bonucci came up to quickly cover his mouth!"
"It should be another incident of racism. Balotelli has encountered this kind of thing more than once. I hope the relevant personnel can receive a FIFA ban for anti-racism!" "This is a lovely player who has given everything to Football except for abstract things and should not be treated like this!"
"Okay, the matches in Groups A, B, and C have all ended, and the matches in Group D will kick off tomorrow. The 1/4 finals will be held from June 22nd to June 25th at a rate of one game per day!"
"Italy's opponent has been determined, it is the French Team! As for the Spanish Team's opponent, we have to look at the next round of matches!"
On June 20th, the last round of Group D matches kicked off simultaneously, with the French Team playing against Sweden in Poland and the England Team playing against the Ukrainian Team in Ukraine.
"Friends, the great battle between France and Sweden has begun!" "In this match, the French Team will definitely play more easily. It is also very possible that Deschamps will give some opportunities to the substitutes who have not yet played in the second half."
"But judging from the pre-match public opinion, fans are looking forward to the team ending the group stage with a big victory."
"They feel that if the French Team can win 3 out of 3 matches like the German Team, then the players will have stronger confidence and belief in overcoming obstacles in the knockout stage! Thus completing the revival in one fell swoop!" "Leave it to Maël! The Arsenal striker has already scored 4 goals in this tournament, firmly occupying the top spot in the scorer list!" "As for the Swedish Team, presumably their players' mood is very complicated."
"They must beat the French Team today and pray that the England Team in the same group either wins or draws, then they may have a chance to qualify."
"But I don't think they will give up the game. The European Cup is the highest Football stage that many players can reach in their lives. They must go forward without hesitation and never give up!"
"..."
"Judging from the opening period, the Swedish Team is fighting very hard. It is obvious that they are treating this game as the last one of the tournament!" "Under the leadership of Ibrahimovic, their attacking threat is on par with the French Team!" "Ah! According to the latest news, the England Team on the other side is leading. Gerrard assisted Rooney to score!"
"Swedish Team coach Hamrén roared on the sidelines, conveying this news to the players. They have completely entered an excited mode, the French Team is in trouble!"
"..."
"Svensson advances with the ball, Nasri defends him, but he obviously can't keep up! Passes the ball to Sebastian! Wants to find Ibrahimovic!"
"Koscielny used a fierce sliding tackle to block this attack, the French Team's counterattack is coming!"
"..."
"Boom!"
In the Poznań Stadium, French Team midfielder M'Vila, after receiving the ball, passed it to Nasri, who quickly turned and accelerated, completing the transition from tracking back to a quick attack.
Nasri dribbled forward while paying attention to the situation on the left and right sides. Seeing that Maël had no angle to receive the ball, he passed the ball to Ben Arfa on the other side.
This is also a member of the French Four Little Swans. After he came on the field today, the French Four Little Swans have all completed their appearances in the European Cup.
"Boom!"
After receiving the ball, Ben Arfa did not choose his best Dribbling, but found the right time to pass the ball to center Benzema.
At this time, Benzema, who was still a scapegoat, had accumulated rich experience as a supporting player during his time at Real Madrid. Before receiving the ball, he observed Maël's direction and made eye contact with the most threatening player in the team.
He turned his body to make it look like he was about to stop the ball and turn inward, deceiving the Swedish Team's defender.
"Bang!"
Just as he was about to turn, he suddenly stepped forward, slamming the ball to the outside, feigning a right-footed shot towards the bottom right corner of the goal.
A feint! The Swedish defenders quickly moved to block, many diving in with sliding tackles, needing to expand their defensive coverage.
"Boom."
But they didn't expect another feint. Before shooting, Benzema tapped the ball behind him with his right heel.
Setting up a cannon! This instantly tore open a gap in front of the penalty area, giving Maël, cutting inside from the wing, a chance to shoot directly.
It could be said that this was the best shooting opportunity the French Team players had created for Maël since the start of the tournament. They used their individual abilities to create space! Maël's expression turned excited as he approached, seeing two wide-open shooting lanes, both the far and near corners were options.
He swung his right arm, his right leg folding back to its limit, then his core exploded, driving from his shoulder to his waist, from his waist to his hips, and from his hips to his right leg, finally concentrating the power in his right foot as he unleashed it.
The Cannon Shot is coming!
"Boom!!"
Accompanied by a thunderous shot, the football visibly sped towards the goal with a different velocity than other shots, most people only seeing a blur.
At the crucial moment, Olsson, the Swedish defender who had just slid in to block Benzema, lying half on the ground, exploded with power, leaping back slightly, trying his best to block Maël's shot.
"Thwack!" The football hit his shoulder, flying back towards the outside of the penalty area.
Blocked! But because the ball was traveling so fast, the blocked ball also moved quickly, most French Team and Swedish Team players not immediately reacting, unsure where the football had gone.
"Boom!!"
Turning to look, they only saw Maël meeting the incoming ball, his left foot unleashing an even more violent shot towards the goal, the football sweeping in with seemingly earth-shattering power, flying into the penalty area again.
Another shot! Olsson couldn't do anything this time, his reaction far slower than Maël's, still sitting dumbly on the ground.
He couldn't do anything, nor could the team's goalkeeper Isaksson. The ball was not only extremely fast, making it difficult to track with the naked eye, but its trajectory before entering the net also became erratic, as if tracing an S-shape.
He knew that was the irregular path a football took when the force behind it was too terrifying!
"Swish!!" The football smashed into the net, pulling every strand of the mesh to its limit as it bulged backward, creating a grating tearing sound.
"It's in!! Can you imagine?! For the third consecutive game, Maël has used a long-range Cannon Shot to help the French Team open the scoring! He's simply a Tomahawk Cannon. a God of Tomahawk Cannons at the edge of the penalty arc!"
"Two Cannon Shots! A Volley! He's really firing every game! Who can withstand this?! "One-nil! The French Team takes the lead! Three wins out of three seems to be just ahead!"
"."
"Aaaaahhhhh!!"
Amid the roaring cheers of the French Team fans in Poznań Stadium, Swedish goalkeeper Isaksson helplessly spread his hands towards his teammates, then retrieved the ball from the goal, preparing to quickly restart the game.
On the way, he habitually squeezed the football with both hands, only to find it rapidly deflating.
His eyes widened in shock, looking down to see that one part of the football had given way under the pressure, developing a crack.
Blown apart?! He glanced at Maël's celebrating figure with a trembling gaze, then, remembering something, rushed towards the referee, "Hey! Hey! The football is not right! The final trajectory of that ball was clearly off! "This goal shouldn't count! I don't accept it! Look, there's a crack here!"
This behavior was indeed unethical, but for the sake of the Swedish Team, he was willing to bear the criticism.
The referee glanced at the football, not believing his nonsense. If it had lost air that early, wouldn't the players from both teams have noticed during all those passes? Moreover, the sound of the shot and the sound of the passes were both very crisp. These seasoned veterans could certainly tell whether there was air in it or not.
"Beep!" He blew his whistle, pointing to the center circle, indicating that the goal was valid, but as he ran towards the center circle, he glanced at Maël with a look of astonishment.
What Godly Strength!
"Folala!"
On the sideline, Maël shouted the celebratory phrase that the French Team players often used as he ran over. He spread his arms, imitating his good brother Van Persie's signature celebration, lamenting his early departure.
He came to the camera, hugging it and shouting, "Don't be discouraged, Robin! Wait for me to come back!"
He knew that the feeling of leaving this arena with three losses out of three was unpleasant, hoping to encourage Van Persie in this way, and also hoping that it wouldn't affect his form next season.
After all, in the club, they still had many unfinished dreams, and they still had to partner up to score hundreds more goals!
After doing this, he focused all his attention on himself, enjoying this moment of scoring.
His 5th European Cup goal! The French Team's 12th goal! He had achieved amazing results on the two data charts of the new battlefront, clearly smoother than his start at Sheffield United and Arsenal!
This was very difficult, the European Cup matches were definitely much harder to play than the Premier League and EFL Championship.
It seems that desperately grinding out the first lv5 skill before the start of the competition has had a greater boost to his performance than he imagined!
He couldn't help but imagine what kind of outstanding performance he would have with three lv5 skills, now that the Curved Shot and Cross skills he had added to his training were also at lv5.
Maël leaped over the advertising boards and waved his right hand at the French Team fans cheering for him on that side, "Yeah!"
After this game, they would enter a completely new stage! The knockout stage, a battlefield full of unexpected temptations and unexpected crises, a place where heaven and hell are separated by a single thought, is simply fascinating! It's possible that they will smoothly advance from the round of 16 to the quarterfinals, from the quarterfinals to the semifinals, and enter the final!
It is also possible that they will fall by the wayside due to a small mistake, becoming the backdrop to highlight the majestic figure of the ultimate champion.
At Warsaw International Airport, Van Persie, who was carrying his bag and holding his phone as he walked towards the boarding gate, suddenly stopped.
"What's wrong?" his agent asked with a puzzled expression.
Van Persie turned around, facing the opposite direction, and said, "I don't want to leave. I want to stay here and watch the rest of the European Cup."
"Watch it?" The agent looked surprised. "Are you sure? Why the sudden change of heart? Robin, your mental state is already very unstable. You need to go home and rest with your family.
"The new season is just around the corner. This failure is nothing. You still have a chance to achieve greater success at Arsenal.
"If you really fall into a slump, that would be the biggest loss."
"No, I'm fine."
Van Persie's expression was firm as he stepped forward, tearing his ticket to shreds to show his determination. "Although the Netherlands Team lost, my good friends haven't lost, right? Maël, Rosický, Sagna, Koscielny, Chamberlain, Walcott, and Gilbert are all still in it. I want to accompany them on this journey. Let's go back."
His agent opened his mouth to say something, but in the end, he followed him.
Van Persie first called Arshavin to ask if he had left, and after finding out that he hadn't, he invited him to watch the game together.
After hanging up, he contacted Wenger with a smile, seeking organizational acceptance.
"Shila!"
At Poznań Stadium, Swedish defender Olsson made a fierce sliding tackle, his cleats slamming into the front of Maël's shin bone.
"Ah!"
Maël fell to the ground clutching his legs, and the French Team players immediately surrounded the referee and Olsson. "Hey!"
This was their captain, the team's sharpest siege weapon! If he was injured, how would they play the next game? "Savage! Savage!" Deschamps waved his hands furiously on the sidelines, and immediately ordered the team doctor to come on the field to check on Maël's condition.
This time, the referee didn't hesitate much and gave Olsson a yellow card, but this obviously didn't satisfy the French Team players. They wanted a red card for the ultra-dangerous move.
The Swedish Team players panicked a bit. Ibrahimovic led a group of people over to push and shove the French Team players, and the two teams formed a huddle in front of the penalty area.
"Do you feel anything here?"
The team doctor squatted beside Maël, checking his injury amidst the chaos. "How about here? Does it hurt? Why don't you take off your sock?"
Maël nodded and took off his sock, and immediately saw his shattered shin guard.
One could imagine that if he hadn't had the shin guard, his leg bone might have looked like this. He glared back at the offending defender, but unfortunately, this wasn't a boxing ring, it was a football field.
"It should be fine," the team doctor said after feeling around a few times. "It's a contusion. I'll cool it down and relieve the pain for you."
"Chichi...!" He took out a compound chloroethane spray and sprayed it on Maël's calf, spraying a large amount of dry ice-like mist for more than ten seconds.
Maël pulled his head back. After the treatment, he followed the team doctor off the field, waiting for instructions to return to the game.
"Beep! Beep—!"
Unexpectedly, after the two teams' conflict ended and play resumed, the referee blew the whistle for the end of the first half, allowing the players from both sides to return to the locker room to cool down. There was very little time left anyway.
Maël simply turned around and walked towards the locker room, his emotions clearly unhappy.
Deschamps stopped the team doctor halfway and asked about the specific situation. "How is it? Is the impact big?"
"Contusion." The team doctor shook his head, hesitated, and added, "But we've already qualified as the top of the group. I suggest resting and recuperating, and not taking the risk of the Swedish Team's desperate moves.
"We're still leading. Focus on defense in the second half, and we'll get three wins in three games."
Deschamps nodded slightly, somewhat regretting sending out the full starting lineup in this game. It was completely unnecessary.
Fortunately, Maël wasn't injured. If he had been, the loss would have been huge.
He called Mene and Matuidi over, preparing to replace Maël and Nasri, leaving only one substitution spot to prevent injuries to others.
"Beep!"
After the second half began, Maël sat on the bench with some frustration, watching his teammates continue the game.
Having reached this point in the European Cup, he knew he could only bury this anger and unleash it in future matches.
Football almost exclusively bestows its glory upon the forward players, but it also secretly marks those gifts with a price.
They are very vulnerable when facing malicious fouls from defenders, especially in important matches where the desire to win is strongest. Because in such games, you can't retaliate impulsively.
Compared to missing the game and waiting another 4 years, especially in the most foolish way, you must choose to remain rational.
Even if you want to retaliate with goals and assists, the opportunity doesn't always present itself.
Heaven knows whether a goal or an accident will come first. The critical period is truly unforgiving, especially when you understand that you are an important part of the team, and the team can't go far without you.
Look ahead, lead this team to continue winning, and keep moving forward!
The joy of victory and progress will dilute everything. The moment he truly reaches the end, he can stand at the highest point and release everything with a roar, experiencing unprecedented exhilaration.
At that time, these small storms will only be a few spices to add to his joy.
"The Swedish Team has launched a fierce attack during this period, seemingly knowing that with Maël and Nasri out, the French Team's attacking threat has dropped several levels!"
"Indeed, we see Benzema looking bitter more than once. He's not getting the support he had in the first half, and he doesn't see any hope of scoring again! Ibrahimovic's side volley! Oh, so close! They seem close to breaking the deadlock!"
"..."
"The game time slowly passes 60 minutes, and the French Team's situation is getting more and more difficult. The Swedish Team has a kind of momentum to strike while the iron is hot! Once a team loses momentum, it is indeed difficult to regain it, especially in a arena like the European Cup!"
"Sebastian with a Cross! Ibrahimovic shoots!! World Wave!! The Swedish Team scores! One to one! They see the hope of qualifying. On the other side, the England Team is still leading Ukraine one to zero!"
"..."
"In the 84th minute, the Swedish Team makes substitutions. All the forwards have been sent up. They are going for broke!"
"..."
"Sebastian crosses again! Central position! A melee... Ah! Goal! The Swedish Team scores a Game-winning goal at the last moment, preserving the hope of qualifying!
"The camera focuses on Mexès. Could this goal be an own goal by the French defender?! It should be! Replays show that the outside of his foot touched the ball into the near corner! What an unlucky own goal!"
"..."
On the field, the Swedish Team players, led by Sebastian, immediately rushed to the sidelines to celebrate, but during the celebration, they were anxiously stopped by coach Hamrén.
"Not enough!"
Hamrén roared with a livid face, waving his hands anxiously and said, "Quickly get the ball back! It's not enough! Still one goal short!"
The Swedish Team players were stunned. No one had told them the new score just now. The England Team was still one to zero, so the two teams had the same head-to-head record and goal difference.
Why is it not enough? Could it be the 4th tie-breaker, fewer fair play points than the England Team?
More red and yellow cards? Many people immediately reacted and ran to the goal to get the ball, but were blocked by goalkeeper Lloris. Ibrahimovic pushed Lloris in the process, causing another round of conflict between the two sides.
Maël frowned as he watched the situation on the field. He suddenly saw Benzema spreading his hands and walking towards Mexès, seemingly blaming him.
Mexès already had a look of frustration, and at this time he sat on the ground and lowered his head, about to cry.
"Hey! Hey!"
He became even more anxious and couldn't help shouting angrily: "Benzema? What are you doing?! The external troubles haven't been resolved yet, and you're already preparing for infighting? Anyone can make mistakes, an own goal is nothing!"
Everything was fine in the first two games, qualifying early as the top of the group, and drinking celebration wine harmoniously, calling each other brothers.
Why did they suddenly become like this when they encountered failure? Is this the old tradition of internal strife?
As the captain, Maël couldn't let his team become like this, and of course he would stop this behavior.
Benzema is a Real Madrid superstar to others, but to him now, he's really not a big deal.
He couldn't tolerate the other party bullying his teammates and throwing a tantrum at his own people at this time of need! Deschamps also noticed this and glared at Benzema, "Get down here! Instead of helping your teammates, you're fighting among yourselves! Get down here now!"
When Benzema heard the two voices and looked back, he suddenly felt ashamed. Coupled with the frustration of the team being Game-winning goaled, and the chaotic situation on the field, he suddenly became irritable.
"Tch!"
He suddenly kicked up a piece of turf, and then took off the captain's armband that Maël had worn on his arm when he left the field, and slammed it heavily on the ground.
As the captain's armband fell to the ground, everyone, including Maël and Deschamps, was stunned. They didn't expect Benzema to do this in front of fans all over the world.
The impact of it being thrown after the match, in the locker room, or anywhere else, or even being thrown by Maël, would likely not compare to the impact of this scene.
A stand-in captain actually committed an act that trampled on the team's dignity at this moment! Not to mention the French Team players, even the Swedish Team players who were in conflict with them were stunned.
These people suddenly felt that their little issues were nothing, and they gradually calmed down their anger, took the ball, and went back.
Deschamps immediately felt his brain congested with blood. He turned around and walked straight towards the locker room. Before entering the player tunnel, he turned back and pointed at Benzema, "Think hard about whether there's something wrong with your brain! Idiot!"
Maël didn't stand there dumbfounded for a few seconds. He looked at an assistant coach who was still in a daze, "Substitute! Hurry!! Get that madman off the field!"
He could feel his heart rate instantly surge to 160, otherwise he wouldn't be roaring at the assistant coach at this moment.
After saying this, he regretted it a bit, but he certainly couldn't bother to apologize to him now, and could only wait until later.
He walked into the player tunnel in quick strides, preparing to discuss with Deschamps how to handle this matter.
Deschamps was also walking back. Seeing him, he touched his chest to calm his anger and said, "I was just about to call you to ask for your opinion."
Maël held Deschamps' shoulder and didn't speak for the moment. He pulled him to a place where no one was around and said, "I originally had no opinion or prejudice against Benzema. Our relationship was originally improving.
"But today's kind of thing is absolutely intolerable. Just like you said before, you can't expect someone who doesn't take the team seriously to help the team win the game."
He paused for a moment as he said this, feeling a bit dazed about how chaotic things were today, but he quickly recovered and continued, "I know that if we kick him off the team at this moment, we will bear a lot of pressure.
"But if we let him stay on the team, we will not only have to endure the pressure and the fans' contempt, but also have a time bomb buried next to us at any time."
After Maël finished speaking, he felt his breathing become rapid, probably because his emotions were fluctuating too violently, and he forgot to breathe.
Deschamps stood in place, looked at Maël for a while, and admiration appeared in his eyes. Even his tone of voice was much better, "I must say, your thoughts are very close to mine. Being able to make decisions in such a short period of time, you are born to be a captain.
"After this matter is dealt with, I will tell Wenger about it and recommend you to be the Arsenal captain."
Maël smiled and shook his head, meaning that this was not the time to talk about those things.
"Come with me to the press conference later, to face those reporters. Since you can make decisions, then you can face them, it's also a kind of training."
"Okay."
After the two finished speaking, they sat in the locker room, and then heard a burst of chaotic sounds outside.
It seemed that the game was over. The French Team lost to the Swedish Team one to two. Although the Swedish Team won, they didn't qualify. The fans of both teams didn't get the results they wanted and were venting their anger outside.
"Haha..."
Deschamps suddenly chuckled. He then raised his eyebrows and looked at Maël, "There are sudden situations on and off the field, and there are sudden situations inside and outside the team. Everything is unpredictable.
"Do you like this kind of European Cup? Or rather, what do you feel?"
Maël leaned against the wall, looked up and thought for a while, thinking that people should look for optimism in pessimistic things, and smiled, "Exciting, it's really damn exciting, I'm increasingly looking forward to the knockout stage."
"Hahaha!" Two crazy people laughed in the locker room. On this crazy day, this day of failure, they laughed heartily with open minds.
*"Pa!"*
Then their hands clapped together, as if forging some special relationship and deep affection on this crazy day.
It seems that Football brings them more than just joy and glory... Sometimes, they can also experience alternative passionate years and 'good times' in these generally failed days.
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