After reaching the semi-finals at Nottingham Forest, Chen Jian received a ticket to the final. On the eve of the final, he received a return ticket, and Nottingham Forest arranged everything so that the players who came to watch the final not only did not have to worry about the return cost, but also did not have to worry about room and board. The club took care of everything for them.

After arriving in Madrid from all over the world, they will check in, then watch the game together, and finally choose whether to return or not, where and when to return, depending on their personal circumstances.

Chen Jian's agent, Mr. Xia, booked his room in the hotel where Chen Jian stayed, which was more convenient. After arriving in Madrid, the capital of Spain, the two of them took a taxi to the hotel where they were staying. After the salute, Mr. Xia chatted in Chen Jian's room. Of course, in addition to the European Champions Cup final, the conversation is more about Chen Jian's future.

"I inquired, Xiao Chen. They don't want to think about renewing their contracts right now, and everything has to wait until the final is over. Even Tony. Don't sign a contract extension yet......" As soon as he talked about this kind of thing, Mr. Xia frowned, and his face was miserable.

Chen Jian didn't say anything, he was a little silent. As for the future, the topic is a bit heavy. He didn't want to say anything rashly.

"Forget it, there's still a year to ...... anyway" Mr. Xia sighed, he didn't know what to do. Now we can only wait for the Champions Cup final to be over. "Anyway, if they want to loan you to Warrendam next season, you remember to turn it down. Warrendam has been relegated back to the second division, and you won't learn much or gain much experience when you go there. ”

"Where to go?" Chen Jian asked.

"Let's go to Spain." Mr. Xia thought for a while, "Go to the team in La Liga." In fact, if possible, it is best to play in the English league...... Pity. ”

Yes, if you want to develop more at Forest, then playing in the English league is the best. On the one hand, it allows the Forest's coaching staff to observe Chen Jian up close, and on the other hand, it allows Chen Jian to adapt to the style of English football.

However, Chen Jian could not get a labor certificate......

Since he was loaned to Warrendam, Chen Jian has been intensively hyped by the media for a period of time, during that time he was still very famous in China, and Chinese fans who care about Chinese football and Chinese overseas players know that there is such a young Chinese player in Warendamm in the Netherlands, and he may become the hope of the future of Chinese football, or he may gradually lose his voice and become obscure.

Although Chen Jian played at Warrendam, and despite the fact that Chen Jian came from the European champions Nottingham Forest, he ...... But he was not favored by the Chinese national team. For more than two seasons, he has played countless games for the national team and has not been called up once. There are no shady stories, in fact, the national team thinks that Chen Jianli is not enough, the standard is not good, and he cannot reach the level of playing for the country.

Counting it up, there are actually a lot of foreign players who go out to play in China, but most of them play in the middle and lower reaches of the lower leagues, with little attention, and the level of the team and the league is not high. The national team would rather want those players who play in China than risk recruiting foreign players, because at least they are familiar with domestic players, and they can get together to train together several times a year, and tacit understanding is not a problem. As for the foreign players...... Unless a stable genius is really born, it is possible to consider it.

When Dong Fangzhuo was at Manchester United, in order to make up enough to apply for a labor certificate, the national team gave some care. Chen Jian also went to play in the Forest team, but he did not have Dong Fangzhuo's treatment. Because he is not like Dong Fangzhuo, he has enough contacts and relationships in the domestic football circle to help him get through the upper and lower joints.

He is just an ordinary person selected by a commercial draft, he has not received training from any club echelon in China before going to the Forest team, and he does not know this person or that person in the domestic football circle. Naturally, no one will run up and down the country in order to get him a labor certificate. Mr. Xia is not a very energetic agent, otherwise he would not have come to be Chen Jian's agent.

Unable to be selected for the national team, unable to participate in international A-level competitions, naturally unable to apply for a labor certificate, unable to play at Nottingham Forest, which is why Mr. Xia had to let Chen Jian have a showdown with the club and leave on a free transfer. He doesn't care where Chen Jian wants to play, he only cares that Chen Jian must play at a higher level and increase his popularity, so that he can make more money.

Labor certification, labor certification...... It's damn Premier League rules. The English FA is really full of support, and the Chinese Football Association has a virtue!

Mr. Xia cursed viciously in his heart.

At the thought of labor certification, Chen Jian was even more silent. Of course, he knew that if he didn't play for the national team, he wouldn't have a chance to apply for a labor certification. But the national team doesn't look down on him, what can be done? He can't run to beg someone to call him into the national team, right?

He had now suddenly pinned all his hopes on Tony. Coach Done, he felt that this all-powerful man must have a way to get him a labor certification. As soon as he thought of the letter that Mr. Donn had written to him, he had a vague feeling that this strange-tempered gentleman was very special to him......

※※※

Chen Jian didn't expect that he would meet Tang En so soon.

That night, when he and Mr. Xia had dinner and came back from shopping, they found that the floor where they were staying was very lively. The players who lived in the adjoining rooms who belonged to the Forest team but were all on loan were gathered in the hallway, and they were surrounded by a man who must have been familiar to Chen Jian, because it was Tony. Dawn.

"Why is he here?" Mr. Xia next to him obviously didn't expect to see Tang En here.

Donn had just finished chatting with a couple of other players. He was smiling and looked like an old friend who could be approached at will. He can name every player here and know where they are and how they have been on loan this season. It made the players happy. Donn has captured the hearts of some people again, and if one or two of them can make it to the first team of Forest, then they will definitely be Tony. Donn's most loyal advocate.

Chen Jian didn't come up, but stood in the distance and watched quietly.

When Tang En finished talking to those people, he turned his head to see Chen Jian standing in the distance.

"I went looking for you first, but you weren't there." Tang En walked up and communicated with Chen Jian in Chinese, but the people next to him couldn't understand it, so they had to go back to the room.

"I had dinner with Mr. Xia and went shopping...... Chen Jian introduced his agent to Tang En.

Mr. Xia held Don's hand and had something to say, but Don En gagged his mouth first. He looked at Chen Jian and continued, "I want to hear your thoughts, Chen Jian. Do you want to stay with the Forest team, or go somewhere else? ”

Mr. Xia glanced at Chen Jian vigorously beside him, hoping that Chen Jian would choose to "go to other places".

Chen Jian said: "Of course I want to stay in the Forest team to play, but I can't get a labor certification......

Don nodded. This kid is telling the truth. He didn't expect that the vision of the Chinese national team was quite high, but they couldn't look down on Chen Jian, more than two seasons, almost three years have passed, Chen Jian has not even played a national team game, and he has not even participated in the national youth team game. The list was not made.

"Well, do you want to think about the change of nationality that I said?" Tang En stared at Chen Jian with a smile.

Chen Jian shook his head like a rattle.

"Then I'm going to play somewhere else, Mr. Donn. Anyway, the contract is over in one year, and the club won't offer me a new contract, right? ”

Such an answer is what Mr. Xia wants. He now looked at Tang En with anticipation, hoping that Chen Jian's non-negotiable words would successfully provoke Tang En, and then Tang En, who was furious, decided to let Chen Jian leave freely after the contract expired.

But he was disappointed.

The smile on Donn's face was even worse, and he seemed to be particularly fond of teasing this young man, just because this kid was so stubborn.

"Well, actually, Chen Jian. I'm here to offer you a new contract...... A new four-year contract. ”

Without waiting for Chen Jian to say anything, Mr. Xia couldn't wait to stand up: "I'm sorry, Mr. Tang En." Can you excuse me? You offer Chen Jian a new contract, but how will his labor certification be resolved? ”

"Loan to the Netherlands or Belgium......"

Hearing Tang En say this, Mr. Xia glanced back at Chen Jian, the kid had no expression on his face, and he himself was very disappointed.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Donn. I don't think my player can continue to drift like this, he's twenty-three years old. If he can't get a first-team place in your team, then we'd rather find a new team for him that can give him that place, even if it's in the second division of Europe. ”

Tang En glanced at Chen Jian and found that his expression had not changed, and it seemed that this agent was the one who made the idea.

So he faced the agent and raised his finger: "I offer Chen Jian several options: first, continue to play football in the Netherlands, reach the residence period of Dutch citizenship, become an EU citizen, and automatically obtain a labor certificate; Second, marry a British wife, change your nationality, obtain British nationality, and even save your labor certificate; 3. Represent the Chinese national team to play football to meet the standards for applying for labor certification and obtain labor certification; Fourth, appeal through the special genius clause and obtain a labor certification. ”

Tang En raised four fingers and showed them to Mr. Xia one by one: "These four choices, one is more difficult than the other." Chen Jian has been living in the Netherlands for three years, and in two more years, he can apply for Dutch citizenship. At that time, he will be considered a citizen of the European Union, and he will not need any labor certification to participate in the Premier League, and Nottingham Forest can naturally call him back to play. At that time, he was only twenty-five years old, which was the golden age. ”

"Marrying an English wife, this kind of thing is very personal, I can't give Chen Jian any advice."

"Thirdly, the call of the national team...... You haven't played a minute for China yet, have you? Chen Jian. ”

Chen Jian nodded: "No." ”

"Maybe you can in the future, but it's absolutely impossible to apply for a labor certification for you now." Don En made a straight face and told this reality very vividly.

"Fourth, the special genius clause...... To be honest, Chen Jian, you completely do not meet the requirements of this clause. You haven't played in the national team, you haven't been selected for the national youth team, you don't have any genius in your upbringing, and I can't find any famous football players to testify to you...... Your submission is not convincing, and the final result is only rejected by the FA. ”

What Don said was the truth, but it didn't sound like a taste to Mr. Xia's ears......

"Since Chen Jian has no potential in your eyes, why did you tell him to abandon everything and come to the UK in the first place?"

Tang En hated this agent a little, so his tone of voice was not so friendly: "I made it clear to Chen Jian at the beginning, and coming to the UK does not mean that you will definitely succeed." I'm just giving him a chance, but I can't help him at all if he can achieve his dream. ”

Mr. Xia was speechless.

"The master leads the door, and the cultivation is in the individual." Don said a Chinese proverb. "I gave Chen Jian a chance, Chen Jian, you also successfully played professional football, but you are not satisfied, you still want to have a bigger pursuit. As for how far you can go...... The decision is yours, Jian Chen. I don't have a problem with whether you decide to leave Nottingham Forest to play for another team, or if you agree to renew your contract and wait for your chance. That's your path, and you have to choose to walk on your own. ”

Tang En looked at Chen Jian and said.

"You can call me when you're ready." Tang En stuffed a business card into Chen Jian's hand, and then walked to the elevator alone.

Tang En disappeared behind the elevator door, and Chen Jian was still stunned with his business card in his hand.

Mr. Xia frowned beside him and said, "Did you see it, Xiao Chen?" They don't take you seriously at all. I said don't wait here stupidly, waste your youth. What's the point of renewing a four-year contract or going out on loan? You'll always be a marginal person, waiting for you to get through it...... Can you make it to the end? What if I get a labor certification? Okay, even if your performance in the next two years suddenly opened the eyes of the group of people in the Chinese Football Association, they recruited you to join the team, play the main team, make up enough games, and then get a labor certificate, how old will you be in two years? Twenty-five. You've also just just gotten your labor certification, and you feel like you're really capable of working with George. Wood, Gago, they are going to compete for the main position? Do you think the big clubs have a squad that has been playing for 10 years? Won't they go for younger and more talented players to develop than you? When will such a thing be the head? ”

The more Mr. Xia spoke, the more excited he became, if Chen was determined to stay in the forest team, his financial path would basically come to an end.

"Don't be stupid, Jian Chen. The British's lies just sound beautiful, and everyone will say the truth, you know what he thinks in his heart? He lied to you for four years, and he wants to lie to you for another four years! It is already very difficult for Chinese players to land in England, let alone a championship team? Listen to me, honest and down-to-earth...... Shall we play football somewhere else? ”

Mr. Xia looked at Chen Jian very sincerely.

Chen Jian's brows furrowed, he felt a headache, he was instilled with so many things at once, it would hurt anyone's brain.

"I'm sorry, Uncle Xia. I have a headache...... Let me rest and think about it, okay? Chen Jian rubbed his temples with a pained expression.

Mr. Xia sighed: "Okay. I won't bother you, you can rest early. Let's watch tomorrow's game. ”

※※※

Chen Jian was lying on the bed alone, tossing and turning and unable to sleep. He thinks what Mr. Don and Mr. Xia said are very reasonable, but who should he listen to? His parents didn't know anything about professional football and couldn't help themselves with that, and he didn't have to ask for their opinions.

It's up to you to make your choices.

He wanted to succeed in the Forest team, but Mr. Xia's words seemed to pour cold water on him - even if he got his labor certification, he could finally play for the Forest team. Did Forest still need him to play at that time? New talents are popping up every day in world football, and how many years will Donn wait for him alone? It's impossible, and I'm not the protagonist in it.

So where do we go from here?

He really didn't know.

The seventeen-year-old who originally wanted to play professional football would never have such a problem in his mind. People are growing, and their ideals are also growing. Now he is no longer satisfied with the simple dream of just playing in the professional league, he also wants to play in a higher league, he wants to become a star, not a shooting star.

Putting aside the background of Nottingham Forest, can you play for a few years in the Eredivisie or the Belgian League? Isn't it possible to sink completely, slowly getting worse and worse, and finally simply go to a lower-level league, and then no one remembers themselves? Later, he simply ran back to China and went to the Chinese First and Second Divisions to eat. I don't know how to feel when I think about that brief time at Nottingham Forest a few years ago. Is it numbness, or unwillingness, wondering if it is regret?

※※※

In order to ensure that his brain is awake tomorrow, Don went to bed very early. Until he fell asleep, he didn't receive a call from Chen Jian. He didn't take it to heart either, because it wasn't something he should be bothered about. What happens to a young Chinese player in the future has little to do with him.

All he has on his mind is tomorrow's final.

It was the most important day of his life.

(To be continued)