I'm about to be twenty-six years old.

Lars Ricken, wearing Dortmund's No. 18 jersey, once again reminded himself in his heart.

Born in Dortmund, he received professional football training in this heavy industrial city since he was a child, but his style is completely different from that city. He has delicate foot skills, excellent organizational skills, good personality, good academic performance, typical comprehensive development of morality, intelligence, physical fitness, aesthetics and labor, and is the three good students in everyone's eyes.

Since childhood, he has been the future flag bearer with high expectations from Dortmund.

When he entered the first team at the age of seventeen, head coach Heathfield gave him a chance to make his debut in the Bundesliga.

Three days after his debut, he qualified for the starter and scored his Bundesliga debut. He made his European debut against Inter Milan six days later, scoring his first European goal.

Since then, Ricken's development in Dortmund has soared into the sky like a rocket.

He can play the front midfielder, the shadow striker, and the right side...

The then head coach Heathfield gave him enough space to grow, gallop, and bloom his talents.

So he became a genius in everyone's eyes.

He once shot and killed Ferguson's Manchester United at the critical moment of the second leg of the Champions League semi-finals at Old Trafford Stadium.

He once came on the bench at the Munich Olympic Stadium and in the Champions League final. He used an amazing shot to play with Italian goalkeeper Peruzi and buried Juventus, the strongest in Europe at that time.

At that time, he was only twenty years old.

At that time, everyone felt that he would become the best genius in German football in the next ten years.

Entering the national team, the media hyped wildly, and fans came from all directions... Everything became a matter of course.

But the plot seems to be gradually going astray.

A serious injury caused him to bid farewell to the arena for two months, leaving him with a psychological shadow.

After returning to the field, he was somewhat resistant to physical contact, which made his playing style less and less threatening.

But everyone is still full of confidence in him, believing that all this will gradually improve.

But no one expected that the team would encounter turmoil and frequently change coaches, which made Ricken, who had already lacked confidence, become more and more timid after returning from injury.

What made him even more frightened was that new players gradually emerged in the club and the national team, and were constantly challenging and even occupying the positions that originally belonged to him.

Barack, who is the same age, has gradually occupied the core position of the national team's midfield with his outstanding performance in the club. Even Deisler, who is four years younger than him, has become the main force of the national team's right.

No one discussed him anymore, and no one cared about whether Li Ken could still get back to his former state.

What made him feel even more threatened was that the team introduced Rosici, who shined in the European Cup from Sparta Prague. This Czech midfielder nicknamed Mozart Jr., took on the team's midfielder, won the love of more and more fans, and became the core of the team's midfielder.

What about me?

What am I doing?

Ricken once asked about himself again and again, but on the court, he could only continue to play the role of an auxiliary.

Summer's stability after taking over the team made the management ambitious to do a big fight. During the two transfer periods, he used 100 million marks of transfer fees to create the golden trident of Jan Kohler, Eveton and Amoruso.

In addition, the joining of powerful international players such as Rosici, Kyle, and Metzeld has greatly increased the team's strength.

Ricken could clearly feel the improvement of the team's strength, and he could also feel the eager hopes of everyone in the team.

But he is also very clear that he needs to do better in order to prove his value in the team and get a ticket to the national team for the Korean and Japanese World Cup.

At Calderon Stadium, when Atletico Madrid gradually regained its form and stabilized its rhythm, Dortmund played more and more difficult.

Playing ball control and passing and cutting is the best game for Spanish teams, and Dortmund can't play it.

But letting Atletico Madrid continue to control the situation is equivalent to chronic suicide.

Jan Kohler, who is 2.02 meters tall, has greatly reduced his tactical role under the defense of the same tall central defender Pablo Ibanes, and Amoruso and Eveton are also closely guarded.

Rosici was even more intimate than that shot under Marcos Senna's close defense.

At this time, someone must stand up, break through the iron wall of the bed sheet army, and try every means to send the ball behind the goal guarded by the Czech goalkeeper.

This person can only be him!

He needs to turn the tide at a critical moment like he did when he shot Manchester United and Juventus.

He is a bumblebee, and he has been for the rest of his life.

He must do this both public and private.

So, when he saw Rosici take the ball, he was guarded by Marcos Senna and tried to find the ball point, he immediately ran over and raised his hand to ask for the ball.

Rosicky accurately passed the ball to Ricken's feet, and stopped very comfortably, which immediately made a thought flash through Ricken's mind and kill him!

Just like when it was against Manchester United and Juventus!

Thinking of doing it, Ricken immediately dribbled the ball forward.

Harvey Alonso was a little surprised and stepped back immediately, but Deco next to him quickly posted it.

In the dense defensive area, Ricken's dribbling speed was not fast enough, and he was immediately approached by Deco.

Just as Deco was approaching, a picture suddenly flashed through Ricken's mind.

Four years ago at Alm Stadium in Bielfield, in the ninth round of the Bundesliga, he first blocked Bielfield's Greek defender Stratos' shot into his own goal and scored an own goal, helping Bielfield open the first record.

Then, when the game was in the 80th minute, he was injured in a fight with the opponent.

That game was not only a nightmare for his career, but also a nightmare for Dortmund.

This defeat caused Dortmund to suffer three consecutive losses and five games. He only won two wins, three draws and four losses in the first nine rounds, and only got nine points. As the defending champion, he fell into the relegation zone of the standings.

Since then, Dortmund has begun the turmoil!

Everything that happened four years ago appeared in Ricken's mind at the moment when Deco approached, causing his pace of dribbling the ball to stagnate. As soon as possible, he quickly woke up, but was shocked and sweated coldly.

It's a big deal!

Deco was very smart and had no movements close to him, but when the Brazilian midfielder saw that Ricken had become big, he made a move without hesitation.

The ball was broken!

The entire Calderon Stadium instantly heard overwhelming cheers.

After intercepting the ball, Deco no longer cared about Ricken and immediately caught up with the ball and led forward.

After Ricken stabilized his body, fear instantly filled his whole body.

He clearly realized that if Deco dribbled the ball to his backcourt, it would mean something.

"Return to defense, return to defense!" Ricken exclaimed in a flash, and he didn't care about anything else and quickly chased back.

But Deco seemed to have eyes behind him. Before he could catch up, he kicked the ball to the left.

Yankulovsky quickly stepped forward and continued to move forward after receiving the ball.

This damn Czech is actually faster than Rossici!

Ricken no longer cared about Deco and quickly passed by the Brazilian midfielder and continued to chase back.

He only has one idea now, and he must not let Atletico Madrid score a goal, absolutely not!

In any case, the nightmare that four years ago cannot be reappeared again.

Kaka pulled to the left to pick him up, and Yankulovsky passed the ball accurately to Kaka's feet.

I saw the Brazilian stop the ball skillfully, and turned around skillfully and left Kyle behind.

Danger!!!!

The audience exclaimed!

Everyone knows that Kaka has his right foot. Once he gets rid of Kyle, he can directly hit the ball.

Ricken also knew, and he clearly saw that Kaka turned around and swung his right foot to hit the door!

At this moment, Ricken no longer cared about anything else and directly slid the ball on the ground.

Another burst of exclamation came!

But Ricken could no longer hear clearly. He just vaguely remembered that he seemed to have shoveled something...

Is it a ball?

It seems not!

Immediately afterwards, a crisp whistle came from far to near, and reached his ears.

When he turned his head, he saw the referee holding a silver whistle in his mouth running quickly, and his right hand was stumbled into his left chest pocket, as if he was making a trick, and he created a red card!

Ricken was stunned at the moment.

When he turned around, he saw Kaka lying on the ground, holding his right calf, and clearly saw the blood marks of the nails rubbed on it.

It's over!

Everything is over!

He heard the entire Calderon Stadium booing, as if it was a beast trying to swallow himself in the stadium.

Regret, fear, panic...

He tried his best to hold back, but tears still burst out in a bad mood.
To be continued...