Football: My AI System Provides Max-Level Predictions-Chapter 679 - 473: Wenger Officially Announces Resignation! Tang Long: Blame Me? I Was Just Celebrating My 20th Birthday!
Chapter 679: Chapter 473: Wenger Officially Announces Resignation! Tang Long: Blame Me? I Was Just Celebrating My 20th Birthday!
The young Welbeck had told Tang Long before the match that he wanted to swap jerseys with him.
But after such a heavy defeat, how could he still dare to ask Tang Long for his jersey? The fans and media would roast him to death after the match.
goals, a full 8 goals!
This is definitely the most painful defeat in Arsenal players’ professional careers.
Moreover, this was not some warm-up or amateur match, but a proper Premier League match!
Guardiola bit the bullet and walked towards Wenger to shake hands with him.
In the previous round against Bournemouth, because they scored 6 goals against their opponent, they directly got the opposing manager, Eddie, sacked.
Thinking about the promise he made to their manager Eddie before the game, Guardiola felt a bit guilty. As soon as the game ended, he turned and headed straight for the players’ tunnel, which evoked some sarcastic comments from the British media:
"Guardiola has no spine, takes advantage of the victory but doesn’t dare to shake hands with the opposing manager, that’s cowardly behavior!"
So this time, Guardiola didn’t choose to avoid it.
But when he held Wenger’s large hand, he felt a bone-chilling coldness that made his heart shudder.
London’s September weather is pleasant, 26 degrees, neither hot nor cold.
Yet Wenger’s palm was as cold as ice at that moment.
Guardiola wanted to comfort Wenger with a few words, but Wenger merely nodded at him without saying a word, patted Guardiola on the back, and turned away.
...
"What a thrill, just such a thrill to watch, indeed the world’s best league to watch must be the Premier League!"
In the stands of the Emirates Stadium.
Among a group of blond people, a middle-aged man with black hair was full of emotion.
Wang Wen, formerly the director of CCTV Channel 5, now promoted to the director of CCTV’s Sports and Youth Program Center.
His promotion was quite dramatic.
Remember, when Tang Long began to shine at Inter in Serie A, playing one spectacular match after another, soaring to fame and stunning the football world!
A deputy director in charge of event broadcasts at the central station ordered Wang Wen, then the director of Channel 5, to go to Sky Sports in Italy and negotiate with the broadcaster to bring the Coppa Italia final’s broadcast rights (Inter vs Juventus) to CCTV, thus boosting CCTV’s influence in China and preventing other online platforms from getting a share.
This was definitely a historic decision.
Because although CCTV began broadcasting Serie A in the 1990s, it had never broadcast the Coppa Italia!
The reason for being so eager for a cup match was none other than Tang Long’s explosive popularity in China.
At first, Director Wang was confident, thinking the station was too conservative. An 8 million RMB budget for one Coppa Italia final, why so much money? Our Chinese Super League’s three-year broadcast isn’t even that much, not necessary;
Our Channel 5, as the largest sports event broadcaster in Asia, is highly reputable, and Sky Sports would surely be willing to cooperate with us.
But who would have thought, Sky Sports opened its mouth like a lion facing Channel 5, asking for 8 million, not RMB, but euros!
Wang Wen was startled by this number, 8 million euros, over 60 million RMB...
"Damn it! Our total broadcast fee for the 2014 Chinese Super League season was only 50 million RMB, and they want 60 million for one match, this is daylight robbery of our money!"
When the central station leadership heard this news, they cursed in anger.
"Is this little Coppa Italia gold-plated? 60 million for one match, this is outrageous, even if Messi and C Luo play in this Coppa Italia, it’s not worth that price!"
Initially, it seemed like there was no room for negotiation.
Unexpectedly, in Tang Long’s following match against Udinese, he scored a long-range lob field goal from the center circle!
The next day, just as Wang Wen was packing up to head back home, the station’s leader called him, asking him to hold steady.
"Wang, yesterday was yesterday, today is today, circumstances change unexpectedly, you know?"
"You might not know since you’re not in the country, but let me tell you this, from last night until this morning, coverage of Tang Long has been everywhere!"
"The top five trending topics on microblog are all about him!"
"Countless fans have gone completely mad over his lob shot! No, no, no, this kid has even crossed over; non-football watching young girls and old ladies are all talking about him!"
"Huh? Really?" Wang Wen was taken aback.
"Of course it’s true! We’ve also received a large number of complaints from fans asking why we’re broadcasting Serie A and the Champions League but not the Coppa Italia? They are strongly demanding that the Coppa Italia final be included in Channel 5’s broadcast range!"
There was a bitter laugh on the other end of the line.
"In fact, this morning quite a few fans even showed up at our station with banners, saying if they can’t see the Coppa Italia final, they’ll block our office entrance and prevent us from working!"
After a tough round of negotiations, Director Wang lived up to expectations and accomplished the task.
The final negotiated fee was 7 million euros, just for that one match!
When Wang Wen returned to China, he thought having signed such a subservient contract, he would be scolded to death, and went to work all sheepish, not daring to walk through the main entrance, sneaking in through the back door and hiding in his office, not daring to make a sound.
Unexpectedly, once the Coppa Italia final commenced and Channel 5 became the only Chinese broadcaster involved, the effect was astonishing!
5.02!
Such ratings are truly jaw-dropping, setting a decade-long viewership record for CCTV Channel Five!
Even higher by 0.1 percentage points than the 2014 World Cup final!
After this match, advertisers on CCTV Five will have to pay three times more for ad placements!
With soaring revenues, it became the most profitable channel among the dozen CCTV channels!
The entire annual performance of the channel was rated excellent, evaluated as an outstanding department, and bonuses for all staff were significantly increased!
Wang Wen himself became famous overnight, and the following year, he was promoted from CCTV Five Director to Director of the CCTV Sports and Youth Program Center.
CCTV has multiple centers responsible for producing and managing different types of programs and business operations.
Being promoted from channel director to director of another center means overseeing more comprehensive and broad program content and business work, requiring a more complete ability to control the production and distribution of different types of programs.
Wang Wen’s ability to be promoted, though primarily due to his strong business capabilities, was also related to Tang Long’s passionate victory in the Coppa Italia final, where he won his first career championship, creating significant influence.
After tasting success, Director Wang, now Director Wang, was not satisfied and set his sights on the position of Deputy Head.
"To advance further and become deputy head, I must deliver more achievements. As the Director of the Sports and Youth Program Center, I shoulder the responsibility for planning, producing, and broadcasting major sporting events, which aligns perfectly with my responsibilities. I must seize my proximity advantage and make a big move!"
This time, Director Wang led a group of six or seven people, grandly setting off for London to visit the Sky Sports headquarters.
The goal was to acquire the broadcasting rights for this season’s Premier League.
This season’s Premier League broadcasting rights in China were solely authorized by Sky Sports to LeSports.
Seeing the latter’s dominance, leveraging Tang Long’s influence domestically, and making a fortune from various ad placements, Director Wang was itching to make his move.
Watching the Manchester City vs. Arsenal match, Wang Wen was deeply shocked by Tang Long’s record-breaking fastest hat-trick, and his eagerness intensified; he couldn’t wait to have Tang Long’s image appear on CCTV Five’s broadcast.
"Tang Long is the only star from our village; his commercial value must not be taken by other platforms!"
He rushed directly to London to discuss the matter.
...
In the post-match press conference.
Guardiola brought Tang Long along.
A er from the local London media "The Times" asked Guardiola:
"Mr. Guardiola! Do you know what beating Arsenal 8-1 means for Professor Wenger?"
Guardiola looked at the heated er from The Times, sensing hostility.
He coughed twice and tried to reply in as gentle and apologetic a tone as possible:
"I apologized to Mr. Wenger after the match. I am sorry. I know that, for every coach, this is an unforgettable memory. Coaching is difficult, faced with all sorts of pressure. Although this match was a painful defeat, Mr. Wenger’s contributions to Arsenal are indelible. He is forever one of the best coaches in the Premier League League, I..."
The er interrupted Guardiola, raised his voice, and said:
"No, you don’t know! Let me tell you, Mr. Wenger’s biggest defeat in his coaching career at Arsenal was losing 2-8 to Manchester United. And you? You gave them a 1-8. You’ve given Mr. Wenger the biggest margin of loss. Congratulations, Pep!"
Listening to the er’s sarcastic intonation, Guardiola was taken aback.
His coaching career primarily spent in Spain and Germany, although before coming to the Premier League League, he researched the league thoroughly, as well as the playing styles of various big clubs, he didn’t know the most painful defeat during Wenger’s tenure.
In the third round of the 2011/2012 Premier League League season, Arsenal suffered a 2 - 8 loss to Manchester United.
Rooney had a hat trick, Ashley Young scored twice from long-range, and Welbeck, Nani, and Park Ji-sung also scored, while Walcott and Van Persie scored consolatory goals for Arsenal.
This was the first time Arsenal conceded 8 goals in a single match since losing 0 - 8 to Love Castle in the English Second Division in 1896. It was the biggest defeat Wenger suffered while coaching Arsenal!
But today, the record has been rewritten!
Manchester City 8:1 Arsenal!
This will forever be the pain in the hearts of all Arsenal fans.
In Guardiola’s mind, Wenger is a highly respected gentleman, older than him by over 20 years.
It could be said that when Wenger succeeded in securing the Premier League League title for Arsenal, Guardiola was still playing football.
So even though the er spoke sarcastically, prompting Guardiola to think, "In football, anything can happen. We didn’t break any rules, why should it affect me?" he still responded calmly:
"I’m sorry, but I need to repeat that I respect Wenger and his football philosophy. Again, he is one of the best coaches in the world."
Guardiola’s response was naturally meticulous, diligently dealing with the media;
but when it came to Tang Long’s turn to answer, he wasn’t so polite, and spoke directly.
"You’re asking me why I scored two more goals after 4-1?"
"Because I wanted to complete a hat trick!"
"...What, was I wrong? The hat trick is not that important?"
"I should respect Arsenal and Wenger?"
Facing the aggressive Times er, Tang Long, who had long been irritated by his tone, smiled faintly:
"Sorry, I don’t care about any biggest defeat margin, I just want to tell you, today is my 20th birthday, to celebrate my birthday, I scored a hat trick, is that wrong too?"
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