Chapter 328: Chapter 327: The Twilight of Serie A
However, under everyone’s anticipation, Deng Kai staggered... using both hands and feet to maintain his balance.
At this moment, Zidane, who had accepted the invitation from the club’s sports director, Moggi, to watch the game and discuss the renewal contract in the office, became distracted.
Moggi had to call him several times before he came back to his senses.
Due to the broadcast delay, he had just seen the scene of Deng Kai being tripped up and nearly falling again.
"Oh! Dammit! Just fall already!" Moggi said with some frustration, slapping his thigh, "If he had gone down it would have been a penalty kick! Is this kid stupid or what? Idiot!"
Zidane’s pupils shrank.
Because in the footage, Deng Kai had used all his strength to prevent himself from falling, and just as the Kaiserslautern goalkeeper lunged out, he poked the ball for a shot and then rolled to the ground.
And the football, it went through the goalkeeper’s legs and rolled smoothly into the net.
For almost ten seconds, there was no sound on the TV.
Fans, players, commentators... everyone was stunned.
"One two three..." the commentator started counting.
"Four five six..." Zidane had already figured it out, "He got past six people, and then he nutmegged the goalkeeper with a shot. This is definitely the most talented goal of the year, without a doubt!"
"Inter Milan’s fans say Deng Kai lacks talent, that he plays with a pass-first approach, not as dazzling as Viana. But now it seems, Deng Kai’s play is not just as dazzling as Viana, but he’s like Ronaldinho plus Maradona!"
Moggi was somewhat surprised. Was Zidane sure he hadn’t used the wrong comparison?
Everyone knew about Maradona.
Pushed by South American football and politics, he was even called the second Football King after Pele.
That ball sense, those dribbles, were exceptional.
During his seven years in Naples, he even made the city’s fans cheer for him when the Italian national team faced Argentina during the World Cup.
Ronaldinho, though many football fans around the world might still be unfamiliar with him.
But how could Moggi, someone like him, not recognize Ronaldinho?
In 1997, during the FIFA U-17 World Championship in Egypt, Ronaldinho lead his team to the Championship Trophy and was honored with the awards for both top scorer and best player with seven goals.
In 1998, at the age of eighteen, Ronaldinho was called up to the Brazil national team, becoming a Brazilian international.
In 1999, Ronaldinho scored six goals to help Brazil win the Copa America and struck six more in the FIFA Confederations Cup, becoming the tournament’s top scorer.
Compared to the achievements Ronaldinho has made so far, his talent is even more astonishing.
Nobody in the world of football plays with more flair than Ronaldinho.
Just a few days ago, Paris Saint-Germain in Ligue 1 signed Ronaldinho from Gremio for 4.5 million euros. But there were said to be major problems with the deal, as the ownership of South American players is always very complex, compounded by Gremio’s equivocation, Ronaldinho had yet to set foot in France.
This deal once sparked discussion in the French football world.
Zidane had spoken out about the transaction, so he was particularly clear about it.
"This kid is really lucky. But he let the opponent off with just a red card!" Moggi watched as the TV showed the main referee giving a yellow card to the center-back who had tackled Deng Kai last, clearly not approving of Deng Kai’s handling.
"After all, the success rate of a penalty kick is only seventy percent, a real goal is definitely more reliable than a penalty," Zidane agreed with Deng Kai’s decision, "A player, no matter when, no matter how the main referee calls the game, should always prioritize the football at his feet with his greatest effort. Such a player cannot be bad."
Moggi laughed heartily: "This team’s popularity in Europe is soaring, and many people are talking about Sporting Lisbon. They have quite a few talented players in their team. I’m very interested in the player named Ibrahimovic, what do you think?"
"If we’re going to take some players from this team, who do you think would be suitable to buy?"
Pointing to Deng Kai on the screen, who was being surrounded by his teammates, Zidane expressed his surprise, "Need it be said? Deng Kai should be the first target for any team."
"His performance just now outshone everyone, showing how brilliant he can be in action. And normally, he is still the midfield core of this team, the brain of Sporting Lisbon. Buying him would be like buying the cornerstone of the team’s prosperity!"
Zidane held Deng Kai in extremely high regard.
"Hehe... Deng Kai, huh... We aren’t interested in other midfielders right now, he’s too young," Moggi casually brushed off the comments, clearly not approving of Zidane’s assessment of Deng Kai.
Zidane sensed something from Moggi’s evasive words.
When the conversation doesn’t flow, it’s time to say more with less. Zidane found an excuse and left Moggi’s office.
He dialed his agent’s number and, in a low voice, informed the person on the other end, "I’ve made up my mind, agree to Real Madrid!"
Yes!
Zidane had decided to transfer from Juventus to Real Madrid.
On one hand, Real Madrid’s influence in terms of awards was greater, and they held a lot of respect for Zidane.
On the other, there were issues between Juventus and the Italian league, and Zidane did not want his honor to be tainted.
Moreover, Moggi’s words just now had been quite revealing.
"Deng Kai is too young, we’re not interested in other midfielders right now."
Those who aren’t clever might have thought Moggi meant, "Having Zidane is enough for us."
But what Zidane discerned was, "We’ve already found Zidane’s successor."
This was where Zidane’s intelligence lay.
He said he saw potential in Deng Kai, partly because he truly saw it.
On the other hand, given Deng Kai’s age, he would be the perfect candidate to take over from Zidane.
Zidane, at twenty-nine this year, would certainly be signing a five-year top salary mega-contract if he renewed with Juventus.
That was precisely Juventus’s hesitation.
And after five years... let’s not even talk about five years, in three years, when they bring Deng Kai over, wouldn’t Deng Kai, at eighteen or nineteen, be the rising star of the team?
After being mentored by Zidane for a couple of years, if he could be groomed successfully, wouldn’t he be ready to take the reins at twenty-one or twenty-two?
Many top stars began to shine and hold their own at exactly that age.
That would be most suitable.
But Moggi did not favor Deng Kai, mainly due to his age.
That indicates they’re not looking for an orderly succession but to replace one peak player with another.
They would at most give Zidane two more years.
After two years, they would find a star in his prime to replace Zidane.
Under these circumstances, they would not possibly offer Zidane the five-year top salary contract.
With this play, all the pieces were clear.
Considering Moggi’s praise for Nedved earlier this month after Juventus’s loss to Lazio.
It was now self-evident who Zidane’s successor would be.
If Zidane wanted to leave, hadn’t Moggi already made early preparations?
If Zidane left this year, Juventus would secure Nedved this year.
If Zidane left in two years, Juventus would probably look for another midfielder at his peak.
In any case, they wouldn’t become a retirement home for Zidane.
After ending the call, Zidane lifted his gaze to the sky above Turin.
This place was once the gathering spot of stars, the center of the football world.
But they were about to lose one of the best midfielders in the world.
And they had just passed on the opportunity to welcome a future world-class midfielder.
The sky above Serie A... twilight was upon it!
