Italy, Milan
As a Chinese person, you've surely witnessed the magical sight of Milan's red and black jerseys on every street corner. When Chen Zhong donned the same red and black jersey and looked at the players in this "declining" Milan team, he couldn't help but feel a bit bewildered.
Over there is Filippo Inzaghi, known as the "man walking on the offside line," and referred to by domestic fans as "Nine Lord." The years have left marks on the face of this unruly man, yet it still doesn't stop him from breaking through the opponent's defenses for Milan repeatedly this season.
Next to Inzaghi is Andriy Shevchenko, the handsome man nicknamed "Ukrainian warhead," who, after an unsuccessful stint at Chelsea, joined Milan on loan. Although he hasn't scored for Milan in the league since his return, it hasn't affected his mood. Perhaps deep down, after this cold winter transfer window passes, he can shine again, winning both the trust and love of the fans!
Not far away, Kaka is all smiles while Ronaldinho stands beside him with his hand covering his mouth, the two Brazilians seemingly chatting about something amusing.
Kaka, the 2007 Ballon d'Or winner, holds titles like "Son of God," "Prince of San Siro," and "Child of the Wind." Last season, he scored 15 goals for Milan in Serie A, being the team's leading scorer and absolute star. Many believe this handsome Brazilian will dominate the football world for a long time.
And Ronaldinho needs no further introduction; this "football wizard" once stunned the entire football world. His agility on the field made him the best ambassador of "Samba football," but his lack of discipline led to his fall.
Ronaldinho, who joined Milan, seems to be regaining form, performing delightful "dances" on the field that bring joy to Milan fans.
Other players like Seedorf, Gattuso, Pirlo, Nesta, Maldini, Zambrotta, Beckham, Dida, and others need no mention; they are all world-class players.
In some respect, judging purely by fame, Milan is almost overwhelming Real Madrid.
If one must choose a "Galaxy Battleship" between Milan and Real Madrid, then clearly Milan is more worthy of the name "Galaxy Battleship" than Real Madrid's lineup.
On the training ground of Milan, Chen Zhong almost seemed like an insignificant stranger.
In the end, it was Beckham, also recently loaned to Milan, who came over to communicate with Chen Zhong. It's not that Milan Club belittled Chen Zhong; it's due to the internal rules of the football dressing room.
You either come from the same country, the same culture, or have played somewhere before.
As for Chen Zhong, who hails from China, it's akin to a prodigy from a "small cult" being accepted by the "Holy Land" as the Holy Son. Naturally, in the Holy Land, everyone reveres him, but leaving the Holy Land to places requiring networks, he somewhat lacks the foundation.
Beckham came over because he had some connection with Chen Zhong, and he could speak a bit of Spanish.
However, Beckham's Spanish proficiency wasn't high.
He started learning Spanish after joining Real Madrid, but Beckham did not have a flair for languages; learning Spanish was an incredibly challenging task for him.
He couldn't even learn as fast as his son.
While playing for Real Madrid, Beckham caused quite a bit of trouble with Spanish, such as swearing in Spanish on the pitch (seemingly, everywhere, learning swear words comes first.), mixing up Spanish words in an interview, turning them into curse words, or naming his third son Cruz and being ridiculed, as Cruz is a female name in Spain.
It's kind of like naming a son Cuilan!
In 2005, Beckham had already been with Real Madrid for two seasons since the summer of 2003, yet his Spanish was still at a theoretical stage.
This led to dissatisfaction among the Real Madrid upper management at the time, and the then sporting director Sacchi also severely criticized Beckham.
Sporting director Sacchi stated, "Beckham has been here two years now and his Spanish isn't good. He should strive to learn Spanish well as a mark of respect towards the club, his fans who love him, and his teammates. If he can speak Spanish well, it will significantly benefit his standing in the team and his interaction with teammates. Unfortunately, he hasn't achieved that."
In Spain, many also seized the opportunity to mock Beckham's choice of name for his third son, as Cruz is a female name in Spanish.
When Beckham came over to greet Chen Zhong in Spanish, he was careful to observe Chen Zhong's expression, showing that he was quite concerned about his Spanish proficiency. But Chen Zhong managed his expressions exceptionally well; though it was indeed amusing, he typically wouldn't laugh unless he couldn't hold it back.
"Pfft..."
"What's wrong?" Beckham looked at Chen Zhong, his handsome face showing some confusion. After years of hard work on his Spanish, he could finally showcase his Spanish skills freely in front of people.
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