Chapter 100

Sure enough, not long after, the national team's official website released new news, re-recruiting the three of them into the national team. This meant that the national team recognized everything said at the Zhongneng press conference.

Since the official recognition was in place, other news was fake, and the 'truth' article was quickly blocked and disappeared. As for how it disappeared, that was unknown, but the journalist subsequently issued an 'apology' announcement...

***

The match between the national team and Iceland was scheduled to be held at the Tianhe Stadium in Guangzhou, which is also the home ground of the Evergrande team.

Among all the home grounds of the Chinese team, the football atmosphere at the Tianhe Stadium is the best. Moreover, Evergrande players already make up half of the national team, so it's not surprising that the Football Association made this arrangement.

Today, a new player joined the national team, and this new player was naturally Liu Hao.

If divided by age, Liu Hao could be placed in the last group. Although he is not the oldest, he is in the same age group as Zheng Zhi. In the team, Zheng Zhi is the oldest, followed by Qu Bo, Sun Xiang, and Du Wei. Then comes Liu Hao...

The newly joined player is indeed the fifth oldest in the team. This stark contrast is a bit hard to get used to.

Of course, the captain of this team is naturally Zheng Zhi, who is not only the oldest but also the most experienced and has won the most honors.

Liu Hao, this 'newcomer,' is quite rare even in the international football scene. There are very few who can join the national team after the age of thirty...

But if you ask who is the hottest person in Chinese football recently, it's definitely Liu Hao.

There are only so many people in the football world, and everyone can clearly see who is doing well and who is not. Some people have struggled for over a decade and still haven't achieved what Liu Hao did in his first year. Is this a bit against the rules of football?

After checking into the hotel, Liu Hao's first action was not to visit the national team coach but to go to the Evergrande training base.

This was something Li Xiaopeng had already instructed, as he knew the national team very well.

In the past, it would have been natural to first build a good relationship with the coach, but the situation is different now. The coaching staff represented by Puel actually has the least power, while Ma Mingyu truly represents the official stance. If Liu Hao directly visited Ma Mingyu, it would be too conspicuous, and everyone would understand the situation just by knowing it.

On the contrary, the national team members are the ones who need to be handled well. Zheng Zhi is the captain of the national team, and Liu Hao went to see the captain as soon as he arrived, showing sufficient respect for Zheng Zhi. The implication was, "You, Zheng Zhi, are the boss, and I will be under your protection. You won't make things difficult for me, right?"

Zheng Zhi is the leader of the Evergrande faction and also the leader of the national team. Although Liu Hao is about the same age as Zheng Zhi, he has many personal thoughts about Liu Hao. However, Liu Hao's attitude gave him enough face, so when Liu Hao joined the team, the atmosphere was very harmonious.

What Liu Hao didn't expect was that behind this harmony, there were many hidden issues, which Mao Jianqing told him about.

The national team is divided into three factions, and even being a veteran doesn't mean they are on the same side.

For example, the Evergrande faction is the largest, naturally led by the captain...

The second faction is formed by players from other regions, naturally opposing the first faction, with Qu Bo as the leader.

The third faction is loyal to the head coach, such as Zhang Xizhe and Lang Zheng.

The reason for this is still about interests, or rather, playing opportunities.

"Which faction do you belong to?" Liu Hao and Mao Jianqing shared a room, making it easier for them to talk. He was very curious about which faction Mao Jianqing chose.

"I have a close relationship with Qu Bo and Du Wei, so I naturally mix with them," Mao Jianqing said without any concealment, revealing his stance. "It's inevitable. The national team is exclusive, and everything has a sequence. If you want to join a faction, they might not even want you."

"Then isn't Ling Zhenbang going to stand with the head coach? Poor kid..." Just playing football, but it's so complicated, it's really tiring! Liu Hao thought of Ling Zhenbang, who had no backing or connections, and felt worried for him.

A guy with nothing can only be loyal to the head coach.

"He? I bet he has already contacted Zheng Zhi privately. New players always secretly give gifts to the captain when they join the team; it's an old rule. Didn't he say he had a chance to join Guangzhou Evergrande recently? He must be clinging to Zheng Zhi, but it's unknown whether he will succeed..." Mao Jianqing said confidently, analyzing the situation thoroughly, as if he were the one who understood everything.

"So, what are you planning to do?" Mao Jianqing smiled slyly.

Mao Jianqing represents the Qingdao and Shanghai factions, which are not much weaker than the Evergrande faction in terms of strength.

Liu Hao did not immediately answer his question, "I'm thinking that Liu Jian is probably also standing with Evergrande, or he should be with you."

True harmony is impossible, and Liu Hao knew this. However, to play for the national team, having to choose a faction is too tiring. Playing football is just playing football; elevating it to this level is unnecessary.

"I'm a substitute, so my faction doesn't matter. Ha ha, I won't take anyone's position. I'll just be a substitute. Who would I offend? You guys need to choose your factions... I'll just get along with everyone!"

"True." Mao Jianqing realized he had overlooked something. Liu Hao was always defined as a substitute and wouldn't cause conflicts over the starting position. If there were any conflicts, it would be more out of jealousy. "But you also overlooked one point. You now represent the side of Coach Ma. Even if you don't choose a faction, someone will choose to stand with you."

Although Head Coach Puel has no real power, it's all about Coach Ma, who is ultimately a member of the coaching staff. He actually represents the coaching staff... After Mao Jianqing's reminder, Liu Hao also understood.

His arrival not only broke the existing balance but also strengthened the third faction, indirectly helping the coaching staff?

"Ah! Really, it's a headache. Can't even play football in peace..." He didn't expect that coming to the national team would mean facing the same kind of intrigue as in the workplace. In China, playing football is not about performance but about connections.

Knock knock! As soon as he finished speaking, someone knocked on the door.

The two exchanged glances, wondering who it could be.

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