Fox in the Penalty Area

After finishing the warm-up and returning to the locker room, the head coach Tony Clark and the players all changed their clothes. After they had nothing to do, they stood up to do the final "pre-war mobilization" for the team.

"This is the final of the Europa League, our first time, but for us, many things are the first time. So the first time is the first time, I don't have any special feelings anyway."

When Clark said this, everyone remembered the experience of these two seasons. There are indeed too many firsts.

Winning the Premier League for the first time, participating in the Community Shield for the first time, participating in the Champions League for the first time, winning the Champions League for the first time, participating in the Europa League for the first time, winning the Europa League for the first time... just Along the way, it seems logical to participate in the Europa League final for the first time.

The psychological impact on the players is not great.

"We're creating this team, this club's history, so we're going to have a lot of firsts that we haven't experienced before, we don't have that experience, it's normal. After all, the first team on this planet to win The team that won the Europa League has no previous experience in winning the Europa League. So I don't agree with those statements in the media..."

Before the game, the media from all over the world analyzed the game, and they were generally more optimistic about the Sevilla navigator.

Even if you put aside the fact that they are the team that has won the most championships in the history of this competition, and if other teams meet Leeds City in the Europa League, as long as this team has participated in the Europa League final, then they will all win the Europa League. Better to be favored than Leeds City.

Because they are more experienced.

The experience of playing in the Europa League, the experience of playing in the Europa League final.

The Sevilla Voyagers also have the experience of winning the Europa League trophy-the last time the Sevilla Voyagers won the Europa League was in the 2023-2024 season. There are still many players in this team Participated in the final at that time.

So not only have they won the Europa League in the history of the club, but their players have also won the championship trophy with their own hands.

Therefore, it is only natural that the media is more optimistic about the Seville navigator.

But in fact, putting aside these historical and empirical theories, the strength of Leeds City is not much worse than that of the Seville Navigator.

As the champion of the Premier League last season, although he ranked poorly in the Premier League this season, it was also the result of choosing to give up the league due to the constraints of multi-line combat.

In fact, when Leeds City is talking to strong teams, as long as they don't give up voluntarily, they will never fall behind.

Take the semi-final against London Bridge as an example,

He voluntarily gave up in the league, so he faced London Bridge with one win and one draw. After the Europa League, he could double-kill his opponents at home and away.

Can it be said that Leeds City is weaker than London Bridge?

"...the Europa League final is a single game, past experience and history don't help. The most important thing is to play in this game. We are confident that we can play our best in a game ?"

Clark asked.

All his players responded without hesitation: "Of course!"

Clark nodded with satisfaction: "Very good, very good. I also hope that everyone will remember that our Leeds City, from a team that was able to relegation two seasons ago, can reach the final of the Europa League now. It is not luck, but our own strength. So we are qualified to stand here and compete with the overlord of this event! Use our best way to compete with the Seville Navigator, since we If we can win the Premier League, then we can face any team in the world!"

For Leeds City, the Premier League champions are really their eternal source of strength.

The football world believes in actual results, not those reported by analysts.

So as long as you have won the championship, then you are a championship-level team.

Especially if you won this championship recently.

This is the source of confidence and confidence for a team.

Clark mentioned this repeatedly, and hoped that everyone would be aware of this and not be intimidated by the name of the "Seville Navigator Cup".

"From the very beginning of this game, we have to attack, don't think about the mess, some are not. We are good at attacking, we will attack. As for how the opponent responds, that is not in our consideration. Remember, in this game In the game, no matter when, no matter what the situation, stick to our football! Do you hear me?"

Everyone replied in unison: "I heard it!"

Clark raised his voice and asked, "What is our football?!"

"In-attack!" Everyone roared hoarsely.

"very good!"

※※ ※

"Leeds City will definitely attack after the game starts. This is what they are best at and the only thing they will do."

In the dressing room of the Sevilla Navigators, coach Pier Brent is giving his players advice.

"So we don't worry after the start of the game, stabilize first, after the most violent attack of Leeds City, take advantage of the opportunity of their offensive failure and weak follow-up, and then attack quickly! They are on the two sides when they switch from offense to defense. There will be loopholes because Jay Adams, one of their midfielders, will go up to help Pete Williams organize the offense when attacking. There is only the Japanese behind him. He is not enough to cover the entire width of the court. .We're going to use a diagonal long pass to quickly redirect the attack and hit their weak side!"

"Whether it is strength or experience, we are better than them. As long as we can perform normally and make no mistakes, victory will definitely belong to us! You must have such self-awareness and confidence. We come to Paris and only do one thing!"

Brent held up his right index finger.

"Champion! Champion! Fucking...champion!"

※※ ※

The silver Europa League trophy is placed on a delicate special table, just at the exit of the player tunnel. When players from both teams walk out of the tunnel, they will pass the trophy.

And now even if they are in the tunnel and haven't played yet, they can still see the trophies placed outside.

Ten minutes earlier the trophy had been brought onto the table by Juan Ramirez, captain of the previous Europa League winners Madrid Pirates.

This is the real Europa League - every team that wins the Europa League doesn't actually get the silver and brass trophy permanently, they get a replica.

When the Europa League final next season, there will be a handover ceremony, where the previous champion will bring the real trophy to the final and hand it over to the new champion.

Previously, UEFA had stipulated that any team that had won the Europa League three consecutive times, or a total of five Europa League championships, could keep the trophy permanently. But no team has managed to win three consecutive championships, or a total of five championships.

This rule was amended by UEFA two decades ago. The current rule is that no matter how many championships you win, even if you win three consecutive championships, you will not be able to get this trophy permanently, you will only get a special commemorative version-there will be a special mark on the trophy to show that the team has won three consecutive championships , or win the glory of five championships.

And this trophy made in 1972 will always belong to UEFA.

There is a useless Wen knowledge: how to distinguish genuine products from replicas?

The authentic cups are engraved with the names of the previous Europa League champions and the year they won.

The replica only has the name and year of the team that won the championship.

The TV broadcast shot was shot from the front of the trophy. In the player channel behind the trophy, some players from both sides could be seen staring in the direction of the trophy. They should be looking at the trophy.

There was longing in their eyes.

Even the Sevilla Navigators players who do not lack the Europa League champions are no exception.

No one thinks there are too many championship trophies.

※※ ※

"That's the Europa League... Hey, do you think the base is gold?"

"No, it's copper."

"It's not gold? Doesn't it mean that the Europa League has no gold content at all?"

Although everyone is staring at the trophy, the performance of the players of the two teams is still slightly different.

The players of the Sevilla Voyagers just stared at the trophy, while the players of Leeds City were still talking about it besides staring.

This behavior is particularly like a country bumpkin who has never seen the world...

However, it is true that they have never seen the world, which is not ashamed to admit.

After they won the Premier League championship, the media mocked them in a caricatured manner, and only one Premier League championship trophy could be used to highlight their glory in their room of honor...

I don't know if it was inspired by this caricature, or Leeds City Club itself is the idea--

In the honor room of Leeds City, there is a dedicated area that allows every fan who visits the Leeds City Honor Room to take a photo with the Premier League championship trophy.

The trophy is placed on the table without a glass cover, but no one is allowed to touch it. Fans can stand next to the trophy, pose as they want, and then the staff of Leeds City Club will take this scene with the camera.

Finally, fans can get a photo of themselves and the Premier League trophy.

Once this project was launched, it was well received. In the first few days, Leeds City fans lined up and waited for dozens of minutes just to take a photo with this trophy.

Now everyone's novelty has passed, and there are much fewer people. Basically, there is no need to queue up, and you can shoot when you go. In addition to local Leeds fans, even Chinese students from all over the UK came here to take photos with the trophy.

Many of them are not fans of Leeds City, and they all supported their home teams before that. They chose to take a group photo here to express their support and love for Hu Lai. After all, this is the first Premier League trophy won by a Chinese player.

Of all the teams in the Premier League that have won the championship trophy, Leeds City is the only club to do so. Other clubs put their trophies in glass cabinets and quietly displayed them under the bright lights, absolutely not allowing unprotected close contact.

This is also because people have many championship trophies, so there is no need to treat a championship trophy as a treasure.

For example, how does a giant club like Stan Park Rangers, which has won six Premier League titles, get everyone to take a photo with the trophy? Could it be that he took a photo with six Premier League championship trophies from different periods at the same time?

It can't be done at all...

Only Leeds City, the only Premier League champion, has the possibility of doing so.

"Europa League... I really want to touch it..." Lasky looked at the silver trophy and couldn't help muttering.

Jay Adams next to him glanced at him: "I advise you not to, Dominic."

Lasky grinned, "Of course I won't, Jay. I'm just saying that..."

"I'm not superstitious, Dominique. I just don't want you to be psychologically intimidated by that statement," Jay Adams explained.

Laski nodded, thanking Adams for his kindness. But his eyes still stayed on the trophy, as if it had some magical power, and it wouldn't let go of his sight and mind.

There are many weird superstitions in the football world.

Some superstitious behaviors are personal. For example, some players must step their left foot or right foot before going on the court, as if doing so will bring them good luck.

There is also a coach who wears a red tie when he wins, then he will always wear this red tie in the following games, no matter how dirty or smelly, he will not change it, unless... he wears this red tie The tie lost the ball.

And some superstitions belong to the "universal standard" of the football world.

In the early years, the football world rejected women. Women were not allowed to board the team bus before the game, and women were not allowed to enter the team locker room. Because women are widely believed to bring bad luck, if they show up on the bus or in the locker room, the team will lose.

Later, with the promotion of the affirmative action movement, this superstitious behavior about gender has become much less. After all, there are even female referees or linesmen in football games these days. But it's just a decrease in the public level. Who knows what everyone thinks about this matter in private?

Touching the championship trophy before the game belongs to another "universal superstition"-the party that touches the trophy before the game will eventually lose the trophy.

And because this universal superstition does not involve gender, it has not been eliminated, but still exists tenaciously.

At the beginning, it was hard to say whether the players believed in this "curse", but after being hyped over and over again by the boring media, the players couldn't help but not believe it.

Superstition is actually a large-scale blind obedience. When everyone believes in it, you'd better believe it, otherwise it will bring you huge psychological pressure. How many people dare to confront the whole world? Woolen cloth?

But in fact, there have been examples in history that after touching the trophy in advance, they still won the championship trophy. It's just that these things are slightly less than the examples of losing the championship. The media will not hype and publicize it, and naturally fewer people know about it.

And those players who touched the trophy in advance and lost the championship have become the "cursed victims" that people talk about.

Of course, even if this curse spreads so widely and there are many lessons learned from the past, it still can't stand it. There are always players who don't believe in evil and can't help but touch the championship trophy before the game.

After all, "head iron" is also one of human nature.

Hu Lai, who just used the system to give his teammates [Spirit Card] one by one, heard the system's emotionless voice:

"Mission: Get rid of superstition. Touch the trophy when you play, and then win the Europa League. Mission rewards: Points × 500,000, [World Wave Experience Card] × 1, [Shoes that don't fit well] × 1."

Hu Lai was stunned.