Text/Leng Xuepiao

What I wrote before

Today I want to tell you a story, the story of a legendary hero.

I use "legend" to describe the protagonist of our story, which will definitely arouse the dissatisfaction of Juventus Hierro and Mirandini - as we all know, the "legendary hero" in the eyes of the saint refers to the penalty kick The "Zebra Prince" who has unique experience but didn't bother to score a single goal in the final, and the "Red and Black Knight" who can still be the World Footballer at the age of 34, just don't meet the Koreans - so, I have to say, I What I want to talk about is the legend of the Nerazzurri.

The Holy Man will also think that the story I told is not history at all. As we all know, in Mirandini’s view, the Three Musketeers and 58 unbeaten games are history, and AC Milan lost 1 to 2 in Serie B. The loss to the Cavesi team is not history; in Juventus Hierro's view, the glittering trophies are history, and Ferrara's fishing for the ball inside and outside the goal and the injection given by the team doctor before the game are not history—— So, I have to say that what I am going to say is not history at all.

What I want to tell is just a story, nothing more.

Preface

In distant Italy, there is a small town called Padua; there is an old man named Miguel in the town.

People like to call him the "King of Kids". He is the best coach in the most famous youth football school in Padua. People can always see him appearing on the beautiful green field with a group of children who are as bright as the spring sunshine. The children are playing football on the field. He yells sternly from the sidelines, no matter how loud the children's voices are, His roar was always a little louder.

He is a stern, rigorous, and unsmiling person. People even doubt whether he has ever smiled. It is said that when his team won the championship of the most authoritative junior league in southern Italy, he still angrily scolded his children after the game; it is said that on his sixtieth birthday, when his sons and grandchildren gave him gifts one after another, He still kept his face like a piece of iron.

People say that no one can make him laugh, absolutely no one.

In distant Italy, there is a small town called Verona; there is a girl in the small town named Manuela Puzha.

People say that she is the most beautiful girl in Verona. As long as she appears in a place, no matter how calm, gentlemanly, or indifferent the man opposite her is, he will cast his fiery eyes on her out of admiration; and no matter how the woman walking beside her dresses, applies powder, or displays flowers, , will suddenly lose color due to contrast.

She is an indifferent, aloof, and cold woman like ice. People think that this ice will never melt. It is said that the youngest and most promising entrepreneur in Verona waited for a whole day downstairs with hundreds of flowers, and she did not come downstairs; it is said that the wisest writer in Italy pursued her infatuatedly for three years. Years ago, she was not moved by this.

People say that there is no man she can fall in love with, absolutely not.

There is a newspaper called "Italian Sport", and the photojournalist of this newspaper is named Simone.

People say that he is the photojournalist with the most sensitive sense of smell in the world. No matter where he appears, even if the classic moment only appears for a fraction of a second, he will press the shutter at the right time; even if the historic picture disappears in a flash, he will use his camera to turn this moment into a eternal.

People say that in the field of sports, no meaningful picture can escape his sense of smell. He will never regret missing a classic in his life.

Absolutely not.

There is a country called Croatia, and the best forward in this country is called Davor Suker.

People say that he is the best forward in the world, and he can play the violin with his left foot. When he appears in front of the opponent's defense, it is a nightmare for the players and coaches of that team; he His whole life is to conquer one opponent after another and create one nightmare after another.

People say that he is the kind of person who is born to kill the suspense of the game. He will never admit defeat in front of any opponent in his life.

Absolutely not.

But one day, Miguel smiled, he smiled for someone; Manuela fell in love, she fell in love with someone; Simone regretted, he regretted missing it for someone Classic; Su Ke gave up, he actually gave up in front of an opponent!

Who is this person?

If you want to know, please continue to listen to my story.

One Miguel’s Smile

The Italian city of Padua was quiet and peaceful that day, the spring breeze was as gentle as a lover’s hand, and the sun sang brilliantly among the leaves and flowers. , the whole town is quiet and peaceful.

The green grass of the open-air stadium shone golden in the sun, and a group of children ran around the football, shouting and screaming. There were not many spectators, and people after get off work occasionally stopped to watch the football. The children, still childish but blushing and thick-necked, then continued on their way with smiles.

That was the youth football team of Padua City playing in a regional youth competition - there are hundreds of such competitions every week in the Apennine Peninsula, and the prize money is US$50 for the whole team. The winning children can each have an ice cream or a hamburger.

That was an ordinary day that could not be more ordinary, and it was a game that could not be more ordinary.

The goalkeeper suddenly sprained his foot, and the game was only halfway through, and there was no substitute goalkeeper.

The burly coach with a big beard - he was Miguel - called one of the kids on his team by name and asked him to put on his gloves and stand in front of the door.

"Can I do it?" The child asked in a low voice while putting on his gloves - this child started practicing football at the age of 6 and has been playing right back.

Many years later, Miguel, who had turned gray, said of that day, "At that moment I had no choice but to pick the tallest person from the team to guard the goal. It was a simple and helpless decision. But I never dreamed that my decision would shock the world 16 years later."

"I patted the child on the shoulder and said, you can do it. It was comfort and encouragement, but to be honest, I didn't know if he could do it. After 10 minutes, I just called him a goalkeeper. It's a crime for a child to stand in front of the goal and play as a defender!"

"That kid just stood in front of the goal with his eyes closed when the opponent came. His legs were shaking when he was in front of him. A few minutes later, he started yelling at his teammates, and then he saved more than a dozen shots from his opponents. After the game, I asked him if he had the confidence to be a good goalkeeper. . At that time, I had a premonition that he would definitely become a professional goalkeeper."

Miguel suddenly laughed: "But I never thought that more than ten years later, people would call him that. "For Santo Toldo."

Miguel smiled, his smile as bright as the spring sun.

That was 1984. Our hero, Francisco Toldo, was 13 years old that year. Since then, he has found his lifelong goal - to be an excellent goalkeeper!

2 Simeone’s Regret

It was outside a stadium called Meazza in Milan, which is known as the La Scala Theater in football.

On that day, Simeone ran around every corner of the stadium with a camera as usual. In that game, Inter Milan’s goalkeeper Walter Zenga made a high dive and blocked the ball. Defeating the opponent three times will result in a goal.

Simone wanted to take a recent photo of Zenga, who was the best player in the game. But Simeone didn't do what he wanted. He saw a young man running quickly towards Zenga. That man was a staff member of the Meazza Stadium.

Simone heard the young man say to Zenga: "You know, you are my idol. I hope that one day I can be as good as you."

Hearing this, Simeone decided to wait until the young man left before taking this photo - Zenga was the best goalkeeper on the Riapennine Peninsula in that era, and there were tens of thousands of young people in Milan who took Zenga. As an idol, Simone saw no need to include the young man in this precious photo.

Many years later, Simeone mentioned that scene: "I am very familiar with that young man. He is a staff member of the Meazza Stadium. He will appear there every game day to work part-time. At the time, I just thought he was an ordinary kid asking for autographs or hoping to take photos with the stars, but I didn’t know that he was the substitute goalkeeper of AC Milan’s youth team, and I didn’t even know that a few years later. , he also became Inter Milan’s great goalkeeper!”

“What did I miss! I was standing so close, but I didn’t take pictures of the two greatest goalkeepers of Inter Milan in decades. A meeting!"

Simone's eyes were dazzling, but at that moment, his eyes became languid because of regret, just like summer flowers.

Zeng Jia also mentioned that scene many years later: He told me at that time that he wanted to become an excellent goalkeeper. I told him that he must play the game. Two years later, he told me that he was leaving the AC Milan youth team and going to play for the Trento team in the second level of Serie C. That was his first professional contract. He doesn't like AC Milan, which only recognizes seniority, not level. I was shocked at the time. How much courage it took to move from a wealthy youth team to a semi-amateur league! But he did it, and I still remember him telling me that one day he would be where I was and be even better than I was!

That was 1988, when our hero, Francisco Toldo, was 17 years old. He resolutely left the AC Milan youth team and chose Trendo in the B level of the Italian Serie C as the starting point of his career. On the day he left the city of Milan, Fiori, the main force of the AC Milan youth team and who had always occupied the main position that should have belonged to Toldo, laughed at his substitute and said to him: "I can already enter the great team." AC Milan serves as the third goalkeeper for the first team, but you are only qualified to play in the third division.

"Our hero said angrily: The heights I can reach will be beyond your reach!

10 years later, Fiori was still a substitute. He was called by the media the only player in the AC Milan team who had never played in his life. A professional player in several games, and our hero Toldo made all Italy tremble for him

The love of San Manuela

It was a man called Verona.

It was an ordinary day, but for the beautiful and charming girl Manuela Puzha, it was a fateful day. < /p>

That day, she lost a bet.

It was because of a chat: Manuela asked the big man next to her: Francisco, what are your dreams and goals? The big man said, I want to enter the Italian national team. Manuela smiled: You are a player in the C-level B team, how can you enter the national team? But the big man said seriously: If I can do it, Can you marry me?

Manuela told a reporter from Sky TV: I agreed without any hesitation at the time. I thought it was impossible, but I could only dream of it! Unexpectedly, four years later, Francesco became the goalkeeper of the Serie A team, and another year later, he became a member of the national team. Five years later, all Italians are proud of him. I always think that. It was an illusion. Until he put the wedding ring on me, I was still asking myself, is it real?

Manuela held her and Toldo's five-year-old child, He told reporters: But I want to say that I married him not because of a vow, but because of love. Francisco is a magical person. He can do many things that ordinary people can’t even imagine. I love him, he. He is my hero.

Manuela’s face was filled with a happy smile, and her eyes were filled with satisfaction. That day she told the world that I loved him. That day, she looked gentle. Autumn sunshine.

That happened in Verona in 1990. Our hero Francisco Toldo was 19 years old and spent three years in Verona. , Trendo, Vicenza, and came to the Fiorentina team that was unfortunately relegated to Serie B. A year later, he and Batistuta led this troubled giant back to Serie A from Serie B; a few years later, Viola City has become one of the vigorous "Seven Heroes of the Warring States Period" in Serie A; even now, there are old people in the taverns of Viola City telling their children: That man, in four years, rose from the third-level Trent to the third level. Duo, coming to a wealthy team in the A-level team is not something that humans can do, it is God's handiwork.