I will be twenty-six years old soon.

Lars Ricken, wearing Dortmund's No. 18 jersey, reminded himself again in his heart.

Born in Dortmund, he received professional football training in this heavy industrial city since he was a child, but he is completely different from the style of this city. He has delicate foot skills, excellent organizational skills, good personality, good academic performance, and a typical German. The all-round development of intellectual, physical, art, and labor is the best student in everyone's eyes.

Since childhood, he has been the future standard bearer of Dortmund's high hopes.

Entering the first team at the age of seventeen, head coach Heathfield gave him a chance to make his Bundesliga debut.

Three days after his debut, he qualified for the start and scored his first Bundesliga goal. In the UEFA Cup match against Inter Milan six days later, he staged his European debut and scored the first European goal. .

Since then, Ricken's development in Dortmund has soared like a rocket.

He can play the front midfielder, he can play the shadow front, he can play the right...

The then head coach Heathfield gave him enough space to grow, to gallop, and to bloom his talents.

As a result, he became a genius in everyone's eyes.

He once shot and killed Ferguson's Manchester United at a crucial moment in the second leg of the Champions League semi-final at Old Trafford.

He once played as a substitute in the Munich Olympic Stadium, the Champions League final, with an amazing lob shot, played with the Italian goalkeeper Peruzi, and buried the strongest Juventus in Europe at the time.

At that time, he was only twenty years old.

At that time, everyone felt that he would become the best genius of German football in the next ten years.

Entering the national team, the media is frantically hyped, fans are coming from all directions... everything has become a matter of course.

But the plot seems to be gradually deviating.

A serious injury caused him to bid farewell to the game for two months, and it also left a psychological shadow on him.

After returning to the game, he was somewhat resistant to physical contact, which made his playing style less and less threatening.

But everyone still has confidence in him, believing that all this will get better.

But no one thought that the team suffered turbulence and frequently changed coaches, which made Ricken, who was originally lacking in self-confidence, became more and more timid after his return from injury.

What makes him even more frightened is that, whether in the club or in the national team, newcomers are gradually emerging, are constantly challenging, and have even invaded those positions that originally belonged to him.

With his outstanding performance in the club, Ballack has gradually occupied the core position of the national team midfield. Even Deisler, who is four years younger than him, has become the main force of the national team on the right side. .

No one discusses him anymore, no one cares about whether Ricken can still get back to the state of the year.

What made him even more threatened was that the team introduced from Sparta Prague, Rosicky, who shined in the European Cup. This Czech midfielder, nicknamed Mozart Jr., provoked the team's midfielder and won Beloved by more and more fans, it has become the core of the team's midfield.

what about me?

What's wrong with me?

Ricken has been asking himself again and again, but on the court, he can only continue to play the role of support.

The stability of Summer after taking over the team has made the management ambitious and want to do a big job. During the two transfer periods, they spent 100 million marks in transfer fees to create Jan Kohler, Everton and Amoruso's golden trident.

Coupled with the addition of strong international players such as Rosicky, Kyle and Metzelder, the team's strength has been greatly increased.

Ricken can clearly feel the improvement of the team's strength, and he can also feel the eager hope of everyone on the team.

But he also knows very well that he needs to do better to be able to prove his value in the team and get a ticket to the national team for the World Cup in Korea and Japan.

At the Calderon Stadium, when Atletico Madrid gradually recovered its form and stabilized its rhythm, Dortmund played more and more difficult.

Playing the ball, playing pass and cut, that is the Spanish team's expertise, Dortmund can not play.

Allowing Atletico Madrid to continue to control the situation is tantamount to chronic suicide.

Jan Kohler, who is up to two meters and two meters tall, is under the defense of the same tall central defender Pablo Ibáñez, and his tactical effect is greatly reduced. Amoruso and Everton are also closely guarded.

Rosicki is under the close defense of Marcos Senna, except for the shot, there is no bright spot.

At this time, there must be a person to stand up, break through the copper wall of the sheet army, and find ways to send the ball behind the goal guarded by the Czech goalkeeper.

This person can only be him!

He needs to turn the tide at critical moments like shooting Manchester United and Juventus.

He is a bumblebee, all his life.

He must do it both in public and private.

Therefore, when he saw Rosicki taking the ball, he was marked by Marcos Senna, trying to find the ball, he immediately ran over and raised his hand for the ball.

Rosicky accurately passed the ball to Ricken's feet and stopped very comfortably, making Ricken's mind immediately flashed an idea, kill it!

Just like when it was against Manchester United and Juventus!

Thinking of doing it, Ricken immediately took the ball forward.

Harvey Alonso was a little surprised, and stepped back for the first time, but Deco, who was next to him, quickly posted it.

In the dense defensive area, Ricken's dribbling speed could not get up fast, and Deco was immediately brought close.

At the moment Deco bullied him, Riken suddenly flashed a picture in his mind.

Four years ago at the Alm Stadium in Bielefeld, in the ninth round of the Bundesliga match, he first blocked Bielefeld’s Greek defender Stratos’s shot into his own goal, staged an own goal and helped Bielefeld open the record. .

Later, in the 80th minute of the game, he was injured in a fight with the opponent.

That game was not only a nightmare for his career, but also a nightmare for Dortmund.

This defeat caused Dortmund to suffer a three-game losing streak, five games without a win. The first nine rounds only got two wins, three draws and four losses, and only scored nine points. As the defending champion, they fell into the relegation zone of the standings.

Since then, Dortmund has opened a turbulent prelude!

What happened four years ago, at the moment Deco was close, came to Riken’s mind, making his dribbling step slow. As soon as possible, he quickly woke up, but he was all over. Startled in a cold sweat.

Great trip!

Deco is very shrewd and hasn't made any moves from close, but when the Brazilian midfielder saw Riken was getting bigger, he did not hesitate to make a kick.

The ball is broken!

The whole Calderon Stadium suddenly burst into cheers.

After stealing the ball, Deco couldn't care about Riken anymore and caught up with the ball for the first time and brought it forward.

After Ricken stabilized his figure, fear instantly filled his body.

He clearly realizes what it means if Deco takes the ball to his backcourt.

"Return to defense, return to defense!" Riken exclaimed in exclamation.

But Deco seemed to have eyes behind his back. Before he could catch up, he kicked the ball to the left.

Yankulovsky quickly jumped forward and continued to move forward after receiving the ball.

This damned Czech is even faster than Rosicky!

Riken was already ignoring Deco, and quickly passed by the Brazilian midfielder, continuing to chase back.

He has only one thought right now, absolutely can't let Atletico Madrid score a goal, absolutely not!

In any case, the nightmare of four years ago cannot be allowed to reappear.

Kakala came over to the left, and Jankulovsky passed the ball accurately to Kaka's feet.

After seeing the Brazilian stop the ball skillfully, he turned around dexterously and left Kyle behind.

Danger! ! ! !

The audience exclaimed!

Everyone knows that Kaka has a right foot. Once he gets rid of Kyle, he can directly kick the door.

Ricken knew it too, and he could clearly see that after Kaka turned around, he just lifted his right foot to hit the door!

At this moment, Ricken could no longer take care of the others, and went straight to the ground with a sliding shovel.

There was another exclamation!

But Ricken couldn't hear it anymore, he just vaguely remembered that he seemed to have shoveled something...

Is it a ball?

seems not!

Immediately afterwards, a clear whistle sounded from far to near, reaching his ears.

When he turned his head, he saw the referee with a silver whistle in his mouth rushing over quickly, and his right hand was poking into his left breast pocket, as if he had conjured a red card!

Ricken was dumbfounded right now.

When he turned his head back, he saw Kaka lying on the ground, holding his right calf, and the blood stains from the shoe spikes were clearly seen on it.

That's it!

It's all over!

He heard the whole Calderon Stadium boos all over, as if it was a scourge, about to swallow itself in the stadium.

Remorse, fear, panic...

He desperately tried to hold it back, but his tears still went out unsuspectingly.

Red card!

He clearly saw that the coach on the sidelines, Summerer, covered his mouth tightly, with an unbelievable look.

He also clearly saw that every teammate showed incredible expressions.

The reality is so ironic.

He aspired to be a hero, but turned out to be a sinner.

He stood up like a walking dead, accepted the comfort of his teammates, and left the court mechanically.

He felt the body temperature hugged by coach Samuel, but he was still chilling.

The moment he entered the player channel, he saw Kaka being carried off the field. Atletico Madrid's team doctor was dealing with him urgently, and it seemed that there was nothing serious about him.

He also saw that on the court, the right back of the Sheets Corps was standing in the position of a free kick, waiting to take a free kick in this excellent position.

He can't imagine, if this goal is scored...

When he walked to the visiting team's locker room ~lightnovelpub.net~ deafening cheers came from the stadium.

He heard the commentator chanting Dario Srner's name in the stadium broadcast.

There is no doubt that the Croatian right-back seized the opportunity and calmly penalized the ball into Lehmann's goal.

That's it!

It's all over!

Ricken faintly pushed open the heavy locker room door, moved heavy steps, and walked to the seat in front of the closet.

He buried his head deeply between his legs like an ostrich, and blocked his ears on both sides of his thighs, so that he could not hear the whistling and tsunami from the fans of the Sheet Legion outside celebrating.

But he couldn't help sobbing, and finally howled.

The super genius who drew the attention of the whole Europe back then is dead!

He is already twenty-six years old! (To be continued.)