On the last day of May, the weather was already very hot, and the scorching sun had a burning smell on my bare arms. A few eager cicadas in the woods of Milanello also started singing the loudest and last song in their lives.
The famous round table conference room on the second floor of the sports center building was full of people at the moment. The large room could hardly hold all these people sitting together. There had never been so many people here at once, but the main thing in the room was
The badge on the wall is familiar to everyone who comes here today.
The Champions League final settled three days ago, marking the end of the 2008-09 season across Europe. The vigorous float parade the day before yesterday also brought an end to AC Milan's glorious campaign throughout the year. Milanello has been on holiday since yesterday
, everyone scattered all over the country, some went to the national team, some started a long vacation, and some reluctantly said goodbye to football and retired to the world.
Today, the knights of the Round Table gathered together in this room that gave them a sense of sacred belonging. It has been more than 20 years since the establishment of the Knights of the Round Table, and the knights gather together in this room.
364 times, today is the 365th time, just like a complete year.
But this gathering was completely different from the previous 364 times, because today all the knights in the history of the Holy Knights of the Round Table were gathered together, and none of the twenty-seven were absent.
Baresi, Maldini, Tassotti, Costacurta;
Ancelotti, Albertini, Donadoni, Lentini;
Sebastian Rossi, Filippo Galli, Evani Eranio;
Massaro, Marco Simeone, Denapoli, Stefano Nava;
Giovanni Stropa, Francesco Coco, Valerio Fiori, Massimo Odo;
Gattuso, Inzaghi, Pirlo, Ambrosini;
Nesta, Favalli, Brocchi.
These 27 people were all knights of the Round Table. Some of them retired, some transferred, and some due to other reasons. Some of them left the Round Table and no longer gathered in this house. To this day,
There are only the last seven Milan players currently active at the round table.
But today, all 27 knights gathered together. There is a huge difference in football seniority between them. The youngest Pirlo and the eldest Ancelotti are 20 years apart. In the football world, this is four generations.
gap.
These 27 people have a common identity - Knights of the Round Table, and a common blood - red and black. Each of them can make waves in Apennines, they stamp their feet, and the entire Italian football world will tremble.
The gathering of all the knights together is an unprecedented event in the Round Table's twenty-year history. Today is also a landmark meeting for the Round Table.
There are twenty-seven knights, but there are twenty-eight people in the round table room today.
——Zhuo Yang!
.
After some lively greetings, 28 people took their seats one after another. Although it was a little crowded, they were still able to sit down. Everyone was sitting shoulder to shoulder. It lost the relaxed and comfortable atmosphere before, but it seemed more intimate.
"Franco, you should be the host today," Maldini said to Baresi.
Baresi was impacted by his deep-rooted round table philosophy, which caused him to fall into a strong conflict. He quit the round table in August last year and closed himself off for more than half a year. Today he returned here and once again chaired the meeting as the leader of the round table.
"Okay." Baresi nodded. "Everyone, welcome back to the round table. Let's move on to the first topic of this meeting. Please express your opinions."
"It was proposed by myself and Paolo Maldini to invite Zhuoyang to the round table and invite Zhuoyang to become the 28th knight of the Round Table Paladins. According to the Knights' Charter, if you have different opinions or opponents, please put forward your opinions now
."
No one objects!
The Knights' Charter stipulates that the qualifications of new knights adopt a one-vote veto system. As long as an old knight objects, without any reason, the new knight will not be able to enter the round table and the invitation will be aborted.
In actual operation, this vote is actually just a formality. Since we can get it to the round table to discuss matters, it means that we have communicated with everyone in advance and no one will object at the table. Therefore, the round table has rejected many entrants.
But there was never a veto at the round table.
But this time, the meaning is completely different from before, because Zhuoyang needs to be recognized by all knights in history, rather than by the current knights. It is so extraordinary because he is not Italian.
The origins and composition of the Round Table will not be elaborated here, as they have already been explained in the previous article.
The idea of ​​inviting Zhuo Yang, a non-Italian, to join the round table and become a knight came from Maldini in August last year.
Zhuoyang refused to return to China for the Italian national team, Odo, the knight of the round table, insisted on a transfer and left AC Milan, and Milan star Gilardino fled angrily. These three things made Baresi, the leader of the round table, lose his faith and also doubted himself for half his life.
The glory of perseverance is in doubt. With my old brother
During Maldini's conversation, the distracted Baresi suggested that the newly joined Zambrotta, the returning Abbiati and Borriello, as well as Bonera and Antonini all enter the round table to expand the number of people.
to maintain the influence of the round table, but his proposal was vetoed by Maldini.
Maldini believes that this will inevitably cause divisions in Milanello. Italian players and international players will be artificially divided into two groups, which is very unfavorable to the unprecedented atmosphere of unity that he and Zhuoyang have carefully created. This kind of let
The extreme approach of all Italian players in the first team becoming knights of the round table will even make Zhuoyang and Kaká lose confidence in Milan and force them to start a new clique.
The Cavaliers believe that this is reversing the course of history and is an extremely wrong approach. The Roundtable should keep pace with the times and re-examine its historical mission. It is impossible for Milan to regain its former glory by relying solely on Italian players. Zhuoyang has become a fact of Milan.
flag bearer.
On that day, Maldini not only vetoed the five people's sudden entry into the Round Table, but also suggested that Zhuoyang become a knight.
But such an unprecedented idea that went against the glorious history was really unacceptable to Baresi at the time, and the subversive changes made him even more shocked. That day, Baresi and Maldini had a fierce quarrel, and neither one was willing to give in.
After the quarrel, Baresi withdrew from the Round Table and retreated at home. Maldini, who had sole power at the Round Table, announced that all new members would be suspended and the Round Table would maintain the status quo.
Maldini was waiting, while Baresi was observing with cold eyes. Over the course of a season, the two had many in-depth exchanges, and Baresi also reflected.
Chapter completed!