LRAB Chapter 6 The Storm of Public Opinion
Chapter 6 The Storm of Public Opinion
However, the calm only existed temporarily within the training base.
An even bigger storm is already brewing outside.
Helidon, who was kicked out of the training field, did not reflect on his actions.
The more he thought about it, the angrier and more upset he became, so he privately contacted a CCTV sports reporter he knew.
Although Milutinovic had always explicitly forbidden players from giving interviews without permission, Hlidon no longer cared about such rules at this point.
In a private room at a restaurant, Helidon sat down with a gloomy face and an aura of resentment.
The moment the camera focused on him, he truly revealed his "big mouth" nature, launching into a tirade with a face full of indignation, every word barbed:
"The national team is in complete chaos now."
"A translator with no professional background controlled the team's training with just a tactics board, and everyone had to revolve around his tactics."
"What's the point of playing in the World Cup? They might as well just disband and go home."
"I, Helidon, have fought for the national team for so many years, and just because a translator said something about tactical compatibility, I was removed from the starting lineup."
"What is this if not child's play? I think old man Milutinovic is getting senile."
"I was even kicked off the training field! And all because I didn't listen to an amateur's instructions!"
「还踢什幺5-4-1，放弃我们最熟悉的4-4-2……」
This interview was broadcast that evening during prime time on CCTV's sports channel.
This instantly ignited the entire domestic football scene!
In 2002, although it wasn't as developed as social media is today, there were already various communities, forums, and campus BBS.
Within half an hour of the program airing, posts on major sports forums were flooded with them, with "internal strife in the Chinese national football team" and "translator directing the national team" becoming the hottest topics online.
A barrage of questions immediately rained down on Ye Xian.
"What does a translator know about football? Does he really think he's a tactical genius? An amateur directing professionals is utterly ridiculous!"
"Heldon is the most reliable striker for the national team, and he was just dropped like that? Who is this guy surnamed Ye, and does he have such great power? I suggest a thorough investigation!"
"Why not play a perfectly good 4-4-2 formation? Why switch to a five-defender, bus-parking formation? They're scared before the game even starts, thinking about losing before the match even begins. They have no shame!"
"Is Milutinovic really getting old? He actually trusted a translator instead of his long-time teammates. His chances in this World Cup are completely gone!"
The ridicule, insults, and doubts came like a tidal wave, dragging Milutinovic and the entire coaching staff into the eye of the storm.
Of course, there are also a few rational voices among them.
"Is it possible that Ye Xian's tactics actually make sense? The opposing team is Brazil, full of world-class superstars. Are they going to just attack without parking the bus?"
They believe that Helidon has always been arrogant and considers himself the boss in the team, and that what he says is not necessarily true.
Moreover, it was evident during the match against Costa Rica that Helidon no longer possessed the speed and dribbling ability he once had, so taking him down might not be such a bad thing.
But these people were quickly attacked and criticized by Helidon's supporters, with dozens of posts criticizing them online.
"So what if we attack? Even if we lose, we should lose with dignity! Parking the bus and cowering in the penalty area—where is the backbone of the Chinese people?"
"How many goals has Helidon scored for the national team? A mere translator says they can just take him down like that? That's outrageous!"
"I heard that Ye Xian had a conflict with Hlidon before the match against Costa Rica. I think he deliberately targeted Hlidon by using a single striker formation."
"Damn it, what kind of spell did Ye Xian cast on that old man Milu? Why do we trust him so much?"
"Is it possible that Ye Xian is quite handsome, and Milu just likes this type...?"
Fans from both sides have completely broken up online, with profanity, sarcasm, and labeling flying everywhere, and forum administrators can't keep up with deleting all the posts.
Domestic print media also followed suit, with their front pages filled with news of infighting within the national football team.
It's fair to say that public opinion in China has completely spiraled out of control, with almost everyone watching the national football team make a fool of itself!
at the same time.
At the national football team's training camp in Seogwipo City, Jeju Island, Milutinovic had already watched the entire interview on television.
His face was as cold as ice.
Revealing internal team conflicts to the media in private is something he absolutely avoids.
Managing a team is like managing an army. If you can freely spread negative emotions to the outside world and undermine morale, then there's no point in fighting the battle.
Herlidon's actions can be described as blatant betrayal!
This is not only questioning Ye Xian, but also slapping him in the face as the head coach and undermining the entire national team!
Milu slammed the remote control on the table, his usually gentle eyes now filled with fury.
soon.
He also held a formal press conference!
The press conference was very brief; Milutinovic only said one sentence:
"Heldon has seriously violated team rules, spread false information, and undermined team unity. Effective immediately, he is permanently expelled from the national team!"
This simple sentence directly ignited the already boiling domestic public opinion into a thunderclap.
With the second group stage match of the World Cup about to begin, dismissing the team's biggest star striker is seen by many as tantamount to cutting off their own arm!
Fans who supported Helidon were completely outraged, and their criticism became even fiercer, accusing Milutinovic of nepotism and being misled by Ye Xian, thus ruining the Chinese national team's hard-won World Cup journey.
"He's gone mad! Milutinovic has completely lost his mind! He's firing a veteran player for a translator; they're just waiting to go home with three defeats in the World Cup!"
"Is the whole world laughing at the Chinese team?"
"Sigh, after losing to Costa Rica, the Chinese team has become a joke."
"But at least it's not as hopeless as it is now. It's normal to lose to Brazil, but if there's infighting before the match, the defeat could be even more crushing."
"Germany beat Saudi Arabia 8-0, I don't think Brazil will score less than that."
Congratulations to the Chinese team for securing 32nd place in the 2002 World Cup ahead of schedule!
"If that's really the case, then this translator named Ye Xian is definitely the number one culprit."
"Yes, if it weren't for Ye Xian, this mess wouldn't have happened..."
Domestic and international media outlets also followed up with reports.
The basic tone is that "the Chinese men's football team is embroiled in infighting before the match, key players have been dismissed, and pre-match preparations are in complete chaos."
Everyone is waiting to see if the Chinese team, which is embroiled in a media storm, will completely collapse and suffer a crushing defeat against the Brazilian team.
However, what they didn't expect was that the current situation of the national football team was actually the complete opposite of what they had anticipated.
The coaching staff and players chose to completely ignore the uproar from the outside world.
Milutinovic directly ordered the confiscation of the players' internet access and the collection of their mobile phones during training to eliminate all external interference.
The training ground gates were tightly closed, and inside there were only the sounds of whistles, passing the ball, and shouts of positioning; there wasn't a single word of discussion about public opinion.
After the previous conflict and Milutinovic's iron-fisted dismissal of Hlidon, there was no longer a single voice of doubt within the team.
Fan Zhiyi, Sun Jihai, and even captain Ma Mingyu all firmly supported Milutinovic, which allowed Ye Xian's tactics to be executed without any compromise.
All team members were focused and diligently practiced this new tactic on the training field.
They all know that nothing they say is as effective as responding to all doubts with their performance on the field.
The pressure of the loss to Costa Rica is gradually turning into motivation for the players on the training field!
No one wants their World Cup journey to end in regret!
Ye Xian was the same.
He also did his best to instill the advanced tactical concepts he had learned in later generations into this group of national football players.
Time flew by amidst such rigorous training.
The day when war breaks out between China and Pakistan is drawing ever closer.
Given the star-studded Brazilian team, many foreign media outlets were already paying attention to this match.
Adding to the previous internal strife within the Chinese national football team, the whole world is now waiting to witness a one-sided massacre...