Chapter 285: A Legendary End, Spain's 23-Man Roster!
Madrid, Las Rozas Training Base.
When Lin Quan arrived, most of the national team players summoned had already gathered.
Outside the training base, many Spanish fans were cheering for the team.
Since this World Cup is being held in South America, many Spanish fans couldn't travel to support the team in person.
So, they chose to send their blessings before Spain departed!
"Lin, go for it!"
"Bring back the championship trophy!"
"Don't let those guys in South America have the last laugh; Europe is the true home of football!"
Seeing Lin Quan, the fans started shouting his name, cheering him on with various words of encouragement.
In the past, if Lin Quan was in a good mood, he might have taken pictures and signed autographs for the fans.
But after the 'painful' lesson at Manchester Airport, he didn't dare casually sign autographs anymore.
He signed one, then two more would come, then four...
He realized he had underestimated his influence and popularity among fans!
Arriving at the training ground, after greeting a few teammates, Lin Quan quickly changed into his training gear and joined the practice.
He glanced around and noticed some familiar faces were missing, replaced by some new ones.
"Where's the captain?" Lin Quan nudged Fabregas and asked in confusion.
Fabregas clearly knew who Lin Quan was referring to and asked in surprise, "You don't know? The captain announced his retirement yesterday!"
"Uh, didn't he promise to play with us through the World Cup? Why did he retire?"
The captain they were talking about wasn't the on-field captain Casillas, but the former captain Puyol.
During the World Cup qualifiers, Puyol had expressed his desire to push for the Brazil World Cup with his teammates.
Lin Quan had always remembered this, so he was surprised that Puyol announced his retirement early.
"Sigh, the 23-man roster is full. Puyol didn't want to make things difficult for the coach, so he voluntarily left the national team. He was already semi-retired at the club. Since he left the national team, there was nothing much to linger for, so he simply announced his retirement."
Lin Quan recalled that in history, Puyol announced his retirement after the La Liga season ended.
But this time, he didn't retire immediately after the season ended; he waited for a while before announcing it.
Clearly, he had intentions of participating in the World Cup.
Puyol, born in April 1978, is already 36 years old this year.
At this age, it's evident he couldn't be a key player for the team and might not be able to provide substantial help.
With every spot in Spain's 23-man roster being extremely precious, his inclusion could have disrupted Del Bosque's lineup.
Therefore, his decision to retire was clearly a self-sacrifice for the team.
Hearing about Puyol's retirement, Lin Quan felt a bit sad.
He hadn't interacted much with Puyol, but in the limited time they had, this dressing room leader had a significant impact on him.
As the soul of Barcelona, Puyol naturally possessed strong mental attributes and leadership qualities.
Even if he couldn't help on the field due to his age, his presence in the dressing room, calming and encouraging his teammates, was still very important.
With this in mind, Lin Quan had an idea.
He stopped training and went to find Del Bosque to make a suggestion.
"Invite Puyol to temporarily join the coaching staff and go with the team?"
Del Bosque was taken aback by Lin Quan's bold idea. He looked at Lin Quan in confusion and asked, "Lin, didn't you notice the 23-man roster has only 22 players? I left a spot for Puyol, but he refused. Do you think he would agree to join as an assistant coach?"
Del Bosque wasn't someone who forgot old comrades. Puyol had worked with him for six years and was always his most trusted defender.
He also hoped to take Puyol to one more World Cup.
But Puyol himself refused, not wanting to be a burden to the team, and Del Bosque couldn't force him.
Moreover, Puyol's current competitive level had indeed declined, making it hard for him to play.
Taking him just to sit on the bench might hurt his pride.
Just like Manchester United's captain Gary Neville, in his last season, he only played four times, spending most of his time on the bench.
Ferguson valued his influence in the dressing room and hoped he could help the team off the field.
But Gary Neville didn't want to be a mascot, knowing he couldn't contribute on the field.
So, he chose to retire.
Puyol's decision was almost identical to Gary Neville's!
Would Puyol agree to come back as a coach now?
"I think he will. The old captain always wanted to participate in this World Cup with us. Since he can't play as a player, joining as a coach would still fulfill his wish!"
"Besides, the old captain's extensive experience in major tournaments would be beneficial. He can provide substantial help in defensive training and offer valuable match experience to us younger players, which would be good for the team!"
Del Bosque looked at Lin Quan for a long time, thinking that a player as skilled as him needed others to provide experience? Come up with a more believable reason, please, I don't want to expose your fib!
"Alright, the team does lack a defensive coach. If you can convince Carles, then the position is his!"
Unable to resist Lin Quan's persistent persuasion, Del Bosque reluctantly agreed.
With Del Bosque's consent, Lin Quan happily left.
Watching Lin Quan's back, then looking at his assistant, Del Bosque hesitantly asked, "Toni, do you think we're spoiling this kid too much?"
"Spoiling? Who? Lin?"
"Yeah!"
"Hehe, I don't think so!"
Toni rolled his eyes, wanting to tell Del Bosque that there was an interesting saying about Spain.
Basically, it suggested that with Spain's current lineup and setup, even if a dog were tied to the coach's seat, they would still win.
Before Lin Quan joined, Spain was strong but had serious issues in attack.
His addition filled Spain's gap, giving them their own nuclear weapon.
For such a player, spoiling or favoring him was far from excessive.
Just look at Spain's neighbor Portugal. What status does Ronaldo have in their team?
What status does Lin Quan have in Spain's team?
Given his current treatment, Toni felt it wasn't even close to what Del Bosque called 'spoiling'.
In Toni's view, Del Bosque wasn't spoiling Lin Quan enough!
Otherwise, he should at least be given the vice-captain role!
Soon, Xavi and others would retire from the national team, and Spain needed to establish the next generation of core players.
And the only suitable candidate for this role was Lin Quan.
So, even if he wasn't made the national team captain now, the vice-captain role should be considered soon.
But looking at Del Bosque's arrangements, it seemed he had no such plans for the near future, making Toni think he was deliberately holding Lin Quan back, not giving him the treatment he deserved.
The reason for this was probably not wanting to promote him too quickly, which could affect Lin Quan's mindset.
After all, many young players who became famous early often got carried away and ruined themselves.
...
After talking to Del Bosque, Lin Quan immediately called Puyol.
"Lin, what's up?" Puyol was surprised by Lin Quan's sudden call.
"Captain, come back. We need you!"
Lin Quan didn't waste time and directly invited Puyol.
Since the national team still had one spot open in their 23-man roster, there was a chance for Puyol to join at the last minute.
On the other end of the phone, Puyol smiled bitterly at Lin Quan's words:
"I'm too old. I can't contribute to the team anymore. Bringing me along would only make me a burden, and that would be too undignified for someone my age."
Puyol's words were full of sadness, and as Lin Quan listened, the phrase "a hero in twilight" came to mind.
Indeed, Del Bosque had guessed right. A direct invitation wouldn't work. If they brought him but didn't let him play, Puyol might feel even worse.
To protect Puyol's dignity, Lin Quan didn't issue a direct invitation. Instead, he took a different approach:
"Captain, what do you plan to do after retirement?"
Lin Quan's sudden change of topic made Puyol pause. He hadn't really decided what to do next.
When he first decided to leave Barcelona, he thought about playing in lower leagues.
Even though he couldn't keep up in the top five European leagues, he could still play in leagues like the Middle East or the MLS.
With his reputation as a World Cup-winning captain, he could secure a big contract in these leagues, play a few more years, make some money, and keep enjoying the game.
For many players his age, this was very appealing.
But Puyol had only ever played for Barcelona. He didn't want to betray his loyalty to the club.
While playing in a lower league could earn him an extra million or even tens of millions of euros, for Puyol, his loyalty and commitment to Barcelona couldn't be measured in money.
So, after careful consideration, he decided to retire, abandoning the idea of playing in lower leagues.
But what to do after retiring?
For most retired players, continuing in football in some capacity was common.
They might become coaches, TV commentators, or take on administrative roles at their former clubs.
After deciding to retire, considering his contributions to the team, Barcelona planned to offer him a position as assistant sports director, allowing him to continue serving the club.
This job didn't pay much, but it allowed him to stay with Barcelona, which was very attractive to Puyol.
However, the position was susceptible to politics.
The assistant sports director was usually close to the club president, and with each new president, this position often saw changes.
The current sports director, Andoni Zubizarreta, was appointed by President Rosell. As Rosell's confidant, he might not be trusted by a new president and could be replaced.
If Puyol accepted the offer, he would likely have to resign by January.
Barcelona probably knew this but still offered him the position. It was unclear if this was deliberate or an oversight.
Puyol didn't hide this and explained Barcelona's offer to Lin Quan.
Lin Quan thought for a moment and then suggested:
"Captain, have you considered becoming a coach? It allows you to stay in football, and one day, you might return to Camp Nou as a coach, like many legendary players!"
Lin Quan's suggestion tempted Puyol. There was a clear example before him—Guardiola!
Guardiola, who played for Barcelona for many years, returned as a coach and established Barcelona's dream team, winning two Champions League titles and elevating Barcelona to the same level as Real Madrid.
Guardiola's successful transition was a huge motivation and inspiration for many retired players, making them want to emulate him.
Puyol was no exception!
"Alright, I'll consider it!"
"That's the spirit, Captain. Our national team currently lacks an experienced defensive coach. Would you consider it?"
Worried that Puyol might refuse out of modesty, Lin Quan added:
"Didn't you say you wanted to win the World Cup with us? If you can't lift the trophy as a player, why not join as a coach?"
Puyol paused, realizing this might have been Lin Quan's real reason for the call all along.
This guy had gone through all this just to make this suggestion?
Feeling touched, Puyol, sniffing back emotion, didn't hesitate: "No problem, I can report in anytime!"
After Puyol's final refusal, Del Bosque quickly recruited another player.
Thus, the 23-man Spanish squad for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil was finalized.
Goalkeepers: Casillas (Real Madrid), Reina (Napoli), De Gea (Manchester United)
Defenders: Azpilicueta (Chelsea), Alba (Barcelona), Pique (Barcelona), Ramos (Real Madrid), Javi Martinez (Bayern Munich), Albiol (Napoli), Juanfran (Atletico Madrid)
Midfielders: Busquets (Barcelona), Xavi (Barcelona), Iniesta (Barcelona), Fabregas (Barcelona), Alonso (Real Madrid), Koke (Atletico Madrid), David Silva (Manchester City), Mata (Manchester United)
Forwards: Lin Quan (Manchester City), Pedro (Barcelona), David Villa (Atletico Madrid), Diego Costa (Atletico Madrid), Torres (Chelsea)
It's worth mentioning that Atletico Madrid's Diego Costa, who had dual nationality with Brazil and Spain, ultimately chose to join the Spanish national team.
This move sparked huge controversy, with Brazilian fans calling him a traitor for abandoning his homeland to join Spain.
On the other hand, Spanish fans weren't as welcoming as expected, considering they already had Lin Quan.
As a result, Diego Costa found himself stuck between a rock and a hard place, disliked by fans from both sides!
(End of the chapter)
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