Soccer: I have the attributes of Messi in his Prime

Chapter 520: Will Lin Quan Miss the Euro Cup? Explosive News Fuels Ambitions of Other Nations

On May 31st, Spain announced their 23-man squad for the Euro Cup. The next day, on June 1st, the Spanish team began their training camp. However, outside the national team's training base, the large number of journalists gathered there did not see Spain's star player, Lin Quan. This absence seemed to confirm the rumors swirling around.

"Spanish Superstar Might Miss the Euro Cup!"

"Lin Quan Absent from Spain's Training Camp!"

"Team's Star Player Missing, Bullfighters Suffer a Huge Blow!"

In no time, media reports flooded in, causing widespread concern among Spaniards. Even on social media, Spanish fans were discussing the issue.

"Didn't Manchester City say Lin's injury wasn't serious? So why isn't he at Spain's training camp?"

"Maybe he's joining later because he just played in the Champions League final?"

"That can't be right—David Silva from Manchester City is already here!"

"One thing is certain: Lin is indeed injured, but maybe not as seriously as people think. Otherwise, Del Bosque wouldn't have included him in the Euro Cup squad."

"True, if Del Bosque picked him, it means he's hoping Lin can still play. The big question now is whether Lin will return to the team before the tournament starts."

With just 10 days left until the Euro Cup kicks off, Spain's group isn't looking easy. They are drawn alongside Croatia, Turkey, and the Czech Republic. While none of these teams are considered top-tier, they aren't pushovers either; in fact, their strength might exceed their fame.

Especially Croatia, led by Luka Modric. While not as famous as traditional powerhouses like Germany, the Netherlands, or Italy, they are certainly not any weaker than these teams. If Lin were in the lineup, these teams might not pose much of a threat to Spain. But with Lin Quan missing, and Spain lacking their core leader, it's unclear if they can overcome these opponents and make it out of the group stage.

"If he doesn't make it back in time, the group stage could be dangerous for Spain!"

Fans from other countries were eagerly hoping for Spain to stumble in the group stage. Just imagining the double European and World Cup champions being knocked out in the first round was a tantalizing thought for many. For fans of other national teams, nothing could make them happier than seeing Spain falter.

"I can't wait to watch Spain struggle in the group stage!"

With fans always eager for drama, many were hoping to see Spain fall flat. After all, in the Euro Cup, most fans support their own national teams and wouldn't mind seeing Spain get eliminated early, increasing the chances of their country achieving a surprise victory like Greece's fairytale win in 2004.

...

The other three teams in Spain's group were also keeping a close eye on Spain's preparations.

At the Croatian training camp, head coach Niko Kovac couldn't help but smile when he heard the latest news:

"Is the information reliable? Lin really isn't at Spain's training?"

"It's absolutely true, Coach! Spanish media have been camped outside their training base all day, and Lin hasn't shown up once!"

Kovac nodded but decided to get further confirmation. After all, Spain with Lin Quan and Spain without him are two entirely different teams!

"Get Modric in here. Actually, never mind, I'll go talk to him myself."

If Lin Quan was Spain's star player, Luka Modric was undoubtedly Croatia's. Having just faced Lin in the Champions League final, Modric would surely have a clearer sense of Lin's injury than anyone else.

Kovac wanted to confirm the news with him personally. If true, he might have to adjust his strategy for the group stage match against Spain.

Modric wasn't in a great mood. Although he wasn't as obsessed with winning as Cristiano Ronaldo, losing a long-coveted Champions League title would leave anyone feeling down.

"Coach, you wanted to see me?"

Modric was polite to Kovac, but there was a hint of distance in his tone. In the club, Modric would typically refer to his coach as "boss" or "gaffer," showing more familiarity.

"Yes, I need to ask you something."

Kovac explained his question, and after hearing the coach's concerns, Modric took a moment to think back.

When Marcelo fouled Lin Quan during the final, Modric had already tracked back to around the edge of the penalty box, less than 15 meters away from where it happened, so he had a pretty clear view.

"Marcelo's tackle was heavy. Most players wouldn't be able to handle it."

Modric truthfully shared what he saw. He believed Lin was injured, and likely seriously, since Lin had missed both the team's victory celebrations and the championship parade.

"I see. Thank you. Let's work hard in training—this time, we're aiming to go further!"

Kovac took over as coach in 2013 and led Croatia to the World Cup in Brazil. However, they were placed in the "Group of Death" and, after losses to the host nation Brazil and strong Mexico, were knocked out in the group stage.

This failure cost Kovac the support of Croatian Football Federation President Davor Šuker. This year was the final year of his contract with the national team, and after this Euro Cup, he was set to step down.

But if Croatia could achieve something significant in this tournament, the outcome might change.

This Croatian team was brimming with talent. They had long-established stars like Modric, Mandzukic, and Rakitic playing for top European clubs, alongside promising younger players like Kovacic and Pjaca. Even their lesser-known players had solid abilities and were playing in Europe's top leagues.

This Croatian team had a high floor and a high ceiling, with distinctive strengths: they were physically strong, played with great cohesion, and had excellent stamina.

Kovac had crafted a tactical system perfectly suited to them—defensive counterattacks with high pressing. It might sound contradictory, but it was a system used successfully by Atletico Madrid in Spain's La Liga.

With this setup, Kovac believed they had a real chance of challenging Spain—especially without Lin Quan.

Croatia's best result in the Euro Cup had been reaching the quarterfinals. If they could break or even match that record, Kovac might earn himself a new contract and the chance to lead this talented Croatian squad into the World Cup in Russia two years later.

He was determined to redeem himself for the failure he suffered two years ago.

Aside from Croatia, the other teams in the group—Czech Republic and Turkey—were also making plans upon hearing this news.

Everyone agreed that Spain was a powerful team, even if they weren't as invincible as two years ago. Still, Spain remained world number one until someone knocked them off the throne.

However, Spain's strength was largely tied to Lin Quan. Like Messi at Barcelona, if you took him out of the Spanish team, just how strong would they really be? Many were curious to find out.

Now seemed like the perfect opportunity to test this Spain team's true mettle.

...

Time passed quickly, and soon it was June 11th.

The long-awaited Euro Cup was finally about to begin!

Modern football's roots are in Europe, and as a result, European football has long been the best in the world. Years ago, South American football could still compete with Europe, but as more and more South American stars moved to Europe to play in the top leagues, South American football began to lose its distinct style, increasingly resembling European football.

Having lost their unique identity, South American teams had fallen behind, with the last three World Cups being won by European teams. In fact, the past three World Cup finals had been all-European affairs.

From 2010 to 2016, European football had reached its peak in terms of global dominance and prestige.

As a result, this year's Euro Cup attracted immense attention worldwide. Countless fans and journalists flooded into France to cover the highly anticipated event.

On the night of June 11th, at 8 p.m., the opening match kicked off at the Stade de France between the host nation, France, and Romania.

Determined to avoid a home-ground embarrassment, France fielded their strongest lineup, fully prepared to crush Romania.

But things didn't go as smoothly as they had expected. Romania showed great resilience, refusing to back down even in the face of France's home advantage.

On paper, the gap between the two teams was significant, with an even larger gap in FIFA rankings. Yet, in the opening minutes of the match, Romania launched wave after wave of attacks, putting France on the back foot.

This scene made French President François Hollande, who was attending the opening ceremony, visibly uncomfortable:

"What's going on here? Weren't we supposed to easily handle them? Why are we playing like this?"

Fortunately, after withstanding Romania's opening onslaught, France gradually settled into the game. With tireless protection from midfield dynamo N'Golo Kanté, France began to take control and launched their counterattacks.

In the 10th minute, France combined well in the final third, and Griezmann received a pass from a teammate and unleashed a powerful left-footed shot from distance. The shot was dangerous, but unfortunately, it was blocked by a defender and went out for a corner.

Just a minute later, France came back with another attack. Payet dribbled past defenders on the left and curled a cross into the box, but Giroud's header narrowly missed the target.

This close call gave Romania quite a scare, and even the Romanian Prime Minister, sitting next to Hollande, seemed uneasy, shifting in his seat.

In the 14th minute, France created yet another chance. Kanté intercepted the ball and passed to Pogba, who slotted a diagonal pass to Sagna. Sagna crossed into the box, and Griezmann attempted a volley but missed, following up with a header that was denied by the crossbar.

As the ball smashed against the bar with a loud "clang," the tens of thousands of French fans in the stadium let out a collective groan of disappointment.

It was a close call—the Romanian goalkeeper had already given up, but the woodwork denied the goal. What terrible luck!

Still, once France gained control of the midfield, more chances kept coming.

In the 25th minute, Koscielny launched a long ball from the back, and Giroud was ecstatic—if he could get to the ball, it would be a clear one-on-one with the keeper.

However, Giroud's acceleration was a bit slow, and the Romanian defender got there first, sliding in to clear the danger and once again denying France a golden opportunity.

After this missed chance, the French players began to look impatient. Pogba, in particular, started trying to do it all on his own. In the 28th minute, Pogba unleashed a powerful long-range shot from 25 meters out, but it sailed over the bar.

From then on, Romania's defense solidified, and France didn't create many more chances for the rest of the first half.

During halftime, fans on social media and in the commentary booths were all sharing their thoughts on France's performance.

Most people had the same reaction:

"That's it? This is the so-called favorite to win it all, France? Doesn't seem all that impressive."

"Maybe we've just been spoiled by watching Spain steamroll everyone in international tournaments for the past few years. Now, watching France just feels underwhelming."

"This French team, for a supposed favorite, doesn't seem to live up to the hype."

"I don't understand why France didn't call up Benzema. The combination of Benzema and Giroud would have been the perfect pairing. If Benzema were on the field, I bet the score wouldn't still be 0-0!"

Due to his involvement in the blackmail scandal, Karim Benzema had been removed from the French national team and left out of the Euro Cup squad.

This decision had already sparked controversy, and now, with France struggling to break down Romania's defense, the calls for Benzema's inclusion grew even louder.

After all, Benzema was France's best striker. Ignoring the top choice seemed like a foolish decision.

Besides, the details of the blackmail scandal weren't even fully known. Who's to say it wasn't a misunderstanding?

...

After the break, both teams switched sides. Just like in the first half, Romania once again took advantage of France's sluggish start, creating a dangerous chance in the opening minutes of the second half.

In the 48th minute, Stanciu (yes, the one who plays for Wuhan Three Towns) delivered a brilliant pass from the edge of the box. France's defense failed to execute the offside trap properly, allowing Stancu to run through and strike a volley that skimmed past the post after bouncing off the ground. France narrowly escaped disaster!

This close call gave the French team a real scare—what was supposed to be a smooth victory was dangerously close to becoming an embarrassing defeat.

(End of Chapter)

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