In the next round of the league, Fiorentina won two consecutive victories, but Zhang Jun did not score, although he had an assist.

Not to mention Sabato, even Zhang Jun felt very awkward. He wore the captain's armband and always thought about responsibility, but he didn't dare to do his best. He tried hard to be a qualified captain. As Li Yan said, he found that the captain was really not something that ordinary people could do casually.

Anyway, he felt that he was not suitable to be a captain now.

※※※

He took the car around and sent Kru and Xiang Tao home separately, and then he returned to his home exhausted. He used to hate the media and was anxious even if he became the captain. They always had many strange problems.

This is how it is done every day, and Zhang Jun feels exhausted both physically and mentally.

When she got home, Sophie was already waiting for him. Sophie is now a reporter based in Florence, and she actually has very little to do. Even Li Yan said to her: "You are guarding a Florence captain, where else do you need to interview?" Sophie just needs to hand in some photos about Zhang Jun from time to time.

To be precise, Sophie has already prepared dinner and waited for him. Sophie is no longer the girl who can't cook.

As soon as Zhang Jun entered the room, he threw himself on the sofa and didn't want to move. Sophie went over and sat next to him: "It's time to eat."

Zhang Jun waved his hand, "I don't want to eat now."

Sophie grabbed his hand: "What's wrong?"

Zhang Jun stared at the ceiling: "Tired, tired."

Sophie didn't speak, just looked at him.

Zhang Jun stood up and hugged Sophie, leaned his head against her face, and said softly: "I still don't understand why Dilivio gave me the captain's armband. I have no prestige at all, can't suppress people, and I have to worry about this and that every day... I'm really tired."

"What should I worry about?" Sophie asked.

Zhang Jun let go of Sophie, then drew a big circle in the air with both hands: "Too many! The relationship between players and players, I'm afraid there will be conflicts between them. The relationship between players and coaches, you also know what our head coach has, and no one can guarantee that the person he scolds will not get angry. He also needs to deal with those media, and they are pulled to ask this and that every day. Cru couldn't get into the team for a long time. He doesn't speak Italian, and his personality is not as outgoing as Xiang Tao. I'm really worried about what he will do if he loses me..."

Sophie burst out laughing: "Look at what you said... it seems like you are his father!"

Zhang Jun was stunned for a moment, then scratched his head awkwardly: "He is younger than me, and I persuaded him to come to the Chinese national team. Now that he is coming to Florence again, he will have a better relationship with me. I always have to be responsible for him, right? If he is not his father, he can be his brother."

Sophie smiled and looked at Zhang Jun: "It's still very useful to be the captain for more than a month, Zhang Jun."

Zhang Jun was stunned and didn't understand what Sophie said.

"You have also learned to take care of others, think about others, and take this for granted. Isn't this the change after you became the captain? You used to worry about us, but now you are starting to worry about others."

Zhang Jun was very discouraged: "I was really that inferior before?"

Sophie didn't answer, just covered her mouth and laughed.

"Okay, okay. Even if I am more responsible as a captain, it has also affected my performance on the court. I think I have performed poorly recently..."

"Four rounds of league, two Italian Cups, you scored four goals, assisted twice, shot for 40 in total, twenty-eight shots, fouls eleven, and were violated twenty-one. Currently, you rank second in the Serie A scorer list, only one goal less than Adriano, who played a hat trick in the last round." Sophie "carried" these, stared at Zhang Jun and blinked her beautiful eyes, "Zhang Jun, do you think this statistics are very poor?"

"I am really a reporter..." Zhang Jun rolled his eyes weakly, "...That number cannot represent my personal feeling. I feel like I am under a lot of pressure on me to play football."

Sophie corrected her sitting position, looked at Zhang Jun, and then said to him seriously: "Zhang Jun, have you always thought you were just playing football for the past?"

"ah?"

"You are in the Netherlands, in Italy, but you are not in China and don't understand the situation in China. I have been in China for so many years, and I know very well. Since you started to score goals in the Netherlands, people have regarded you as the hope of Chinese football, and some people even think you are the savior. Countless people worship you crazy. When I was in school, I often heard girls talking about you, and boys playing football regarded you and Yang Pan as imitative idols. Even the college football league has regarded you as a propaganda slogan. The news media reported your movements every day... I feel that some readers seem to be more familiar with you than me..."

Zhang Jun tsk: "So exaggerated?"

"It's not an exaggeration at all. Everyone thinks you play well, you are not ugly, and you are very sunny, so they all like you. It can be said that you have been under tremendous pressure since you played football in the Netherlands. When you perform well, everyone cheers, when you perform poorly, you sigh, and when you look forward to you cheering up as soon as possible, the media just embodies this pressure from everyone. You hate what the media does, but to put it bluntly, it is precisely what so many people in China impose on you. If you are not famous and if you play poorly, who will care about you?

"Think about it, which of the well-known stars in the world is not the one who is watching the crowd and playing with heavy pressure on the back? Zhang Jun, you are already a star now. Whether you want to or not, you have to bear this pressure. I think being a captain is a very good training opportunity, because it forces you to mature. It's not me, Zhang Jun, you are too lazy and you are not proactive enough. After becoming a captain, there are many people staring at you from behind. You can't take the initiative. If you think so, you don't think that pressure is a burden, and pressure is not without benefits. At least it can make people grow.

"In addition, you don't have to be so disgusted by the news media. Isn't your relationship with Li Yan very good? It actually depends on your attitude. Although the media sometimes hate it, if you smile at them, they can't blame you too hard. Being a reporter is not easy. If you cooperate a little and make their lives easier, they will not be as difficult to treat you as they are now. Moreover, you can completely imagine reporters like me, hehe!" Sophie made a face.

After Sophie said so much, Zhang Jun didn't even interrupt her. He kept listening quietly until he saw the grimace of Sophie.

"What you said... seems to make some sense. Li Yan is the person I trust the most, but he is a reporter. You are my wife, but he is also a reporter... Actually, I had a good relationship with the media at the beginning, and I even said hello after training... When did it become like this now?"

"Okay, okay. Don't think about this kind of thing. Let's have a meal. I've used it for more than half an hour to talk to you, and the dishes were cold." Sophie got up, but was pulled by Zhang Jun.

"You have a rest, I'll go and heat up."

Sophie gently shook Zhang Jun's hand: "No, the microwave is very convenient, you'd better go take a shower first."

Zhang Jun suddenly felt that having one more person at home seemed to have changed a world. When he got home, some people waited, some people were hot when the food was cold, and some people were washed when the clothes were dirty... That felt great.

He got up to change his clothes, walked to the stairs, and suddenly remembered something. He asked Sophie in the kitchen loudly: "Sophie, you said you often hear girls talking about me when you were in school. Are you jealous at that time?"

Sophie's voice came from the kitchen: "Idiot! Which girl doesn't want her boyfriend to be the best? The most popular? Do you still want them to hate you? What jealous am I?"

"No way? You are not jealous? Oh, don't you love me anymore? Do you really don't love me anymore?" Zhang Jun complained loudly in Zhao Benshan's tone.

"Go to death! Wash the dishes for me after dinner!"

Sure enough, I was still jealous...

※※※

Dilivio just came to Sabato in the morning: "I thought about it all night yesterday. Maybe I should have had a good talk with Zhang Jun and listen to his opinions. I admit that I was a little wishful thinking at the beginning and did not consider Zhang Jun's feelings at all."

Sabato looked at him: "I want to talk to him too, but obviously you are more suitable than me. If the captain's problem is not solved, we will not go far. The cohesion in the team is because you are there, but I hope that the cohesion of the team in the future will be born from their captains, not from us as coaches."

※※※

Zhang Jun changed his clothes in the locker room and prepared to go out with Cru and Xiang Tao, but he found that Donadal was still slowing down and the people were gone, but he had not packed up yet.

Xiang Tao jumped to see if the shoelaces were tied tightly, and then said to Zhang Jun: "Let's go."

Zhang Jun looked at Donadale, who was a little abnormal, and then said to Xiang Tao: "You and Krue go first, I haven't done it yet."

Xiang Tao looked at Zhang Jun and had changed all over his body. What else was there to be without preparation? Cru grabbed Xiang Tao's clothes and said, "Go." Then he dragged Xiang Tao out.

After Krue put the door on from outside, Zhang Jun sat next to Donadal: "Marco, are you doing something?"

"Uh, nothing... no, no, actually I really have something to look for you. That... there are three rounds, so we should go to AC Milan away. I want to ask you, um, do you have any ideas?"

"Idea? Yes, although it's away, we can't lose to them. When Fiorentina faces AC Milan, how much win or less win or lose."

"Is that true..." Donadale murmured.

"What's wrong with you, Marco? You look abnormal." Zhang Jun asked with concern.

"Well... I grew up in Milan since I was a child, and it's quite awkward to go back this time."

"What are you thinking? Didn't you go back as an opponent last season?" Zhang Jun understood the reason why Donadale's abnormal performance.

"But I was on loan last season, but this season is different, I transferred here. Do you know what this means? AC Milan abandoned me!" Donadal's voice raised a bit.

※※※

Xiang Tao shook Kru's hand away: "Don't drag me, I'm not a small car in the supermarket. Look at how Zhang Jun looks like he wasn't ready? This excuse is too clumsy. It's obviously a date with that kid Donadal... Oh, I'm all goosebumps!"

But Kru scolded him, "Idiot, what do you know?"

"What? Do you dare to call me an idiot? It's counter-attack! I'm going to duel with you! Duel one-on-one! Tackle your legs and make you miss the whole season... Hello, let me go, I'm not a trailer!"

Kru didn't care about that much, he pulled Xiang Tao's clothes and walked out.

※※※

Zhang Jun looked at Donadale who was still complaining in front of him, and what he said was almost the truth.

He is an excellent product of AC Milan youth training system. He is the captain of AC Milan youth team and is considered promising midfielder. With Baresi, Maldini, and Costakuta as role models, he also hopes to be promoted from the youth team to the first team and then play for Milan until retirement. This is also the dream of many youth team members.

He retired wearing a red and black jersey and was called a "loyal minister". This is indeed very tempting.

But reality is cruel.

AC Milan has a large number of stars in his year of playing and has no room for him to grow. So Donadal was loaned everywhere and wandered around, spending one season here and half a season there. He has played Lecce, Parma, Sampdoria, Class A and Class B.

He thought that the team was training themselves, so he tried his best to prove himself and improve himself. He performed extremely well in Lecce and was the hero of the team's promotion. He thought he could go back to Milan, but Parma was waiting for him. He won trust in Parma and became the main midfielder. Unfortunately, after the end of the season, he was loaned to Sampdoria and then Fiorentina. But this time it was slightly different, with one more item on the loan agreement: Fiorentina has his priority.

AC Milan finally lost patience after lending their youth captain to many places. This summer, the midfielder who played for AC Milan for only a few minutes a few years ago was permanently transferred.

"...Sampdoria was promoted. In order to show their relationship with Sampdoria, the club loaned me over to help the team gain a foothold in Class A. Later, Fiorentina came and the club loaned me here to show support for the old team. It was all the friendship between the club, but what are our players? For the purpose and interests of the club, like a homeless man, from one place to another, I went to so many cities and played for so many teams, but none of them developed feelings. I was with me, Bundale, Aliyu, Obama Young, Clayton... I was a good player in the youth team back then! Now? Only Bundale and I were in Class A,

Others, either hang out in the low-level league or have completely given up football. I know that we are not big-name stars, not attracting attention. People only talk about Pirlo, Shepchenko and Kaka, but no one talks about us. Our interests are never within the scope of the club's consideration... But we have not given us a suitable space and a chance to play. How can we become the people we need? Lend us everywhere, how can we make progress? Who doesn't want to be a star, but have they given us such opportunities? We try our best to prove ourselves in small clubs, and the club officials only turn their attention to the big-name stars of other teams..."

Not only their youth team, but actually the same age as them, all joined the Reds and Blacks in the form of glory, but they could only leave sadly in the end. Bolino, who had competed for the substitute position with Zhang Jun, was also loaned to Sampdoria by AC Milan on the grounds of "building good relations". You should know that in the summer of 2002, he was a popular rookie like Martins. In the Italian youth team, he was also the pillar of goals in every game, and a player at the same level as Gilardino. But now, Gilardino has firmly played in AC Milan's main striker. Where is Bolino? How many people still remember him?

There is also Donati, who debuted in Atlanta, the Italian youth team's midfielder core. After joining AC Milan for a high price of 10 million euros, he was loaned everywhere because he could not get the opportunity to play, and he gradually lost his spirituality and sharpness.

But this is not AC Milan's fault. Many youth teams in big-name clubs have this phenomenon. There are too many first-team big-name stars, and the talents of the youth team cannot get room for development. In addition to AC Milan, Manchester United and Real Madrid are also very serious. The five tigers of the Manchester United youth team were talked about at that time, but now I have never heard of any amazing talented players coming out of Manchester United's youth training system. I often hear Ferguson take a look and buy many young people who are not worthy of their name. And Real Madrid, Pavin's incompetence is equivalent to proving that the "Zidane + Pavin policy" failed in youth training.

Donadale said a lot of money and remembered that they still need training, and quickly apologized to Zhang Jun: "I'm sorry, I complained to you, I just thought that you are from Milan like me, and you are the captain, I hope you won't think I'm verbose."

Zhang Jun was moved when he heard Donadale say "and he is the captain again." Donadale is also a taciturn person in the team. Perhaps it was because of the factors he just mentioned, that he had been holding it in for a long time. Zhang Jun always felt that his captain was given to him by Dilivio, and he did not get everyone's recognition, no prestige, no trust, and failed. However, he did not expect that someone still had so many words to him because he was the captain.

He suddenly felt a sense of accomplishment.

Some people still regard him as the captain. Perhaps what he did was not as failed as he thought.

"How come you think you are verbose? I am the captain, this is what I should do. Let's go, we should go out. I guess the coach is impatient, ha!" Zhang Jun smiled and stood up to walk towards the door, while Donadale lowered his head and quickly changed his clothes.

When he walked to the door, Zhang Jun suddenly stopped, then turned to Donadale and said: "I know you are dissatisfied with AC Milan Club, but don't bring this emotion to the game, don't play with a revenge mentality. It's just a very ordinary game, don't think too much."

Donadale looked at Zhang Jun with some confusion.

"Do you know? In the last game of last season, when I played, I didn't care who the opponent was, whether it was AC Milan or Inter. We played football for ourselves, and it has nothing to do with who the opponent is. In addition, don't be stuck in your heart if you have any problems in the future. I think you are not in a high mood recently. If you hold it in, you will get moldy. If no one listens, just tell me."

Donadale smiled on his face: "Thank you, Captain."

※※※
To be continued...