Coaching legend - Chapter 555 Retirement
No one expected it.
On April 17, in the 35th round of the Premier League, such a thing would happen.
In the 35th round of the Premier League, Burnley faced the powerful Liverpool at home.
Although Liverpool’s performance this season is not good. So far, it is only ranked seventh in the Premier League, which is the worst result since Benítez took over Liverpool. Benítez’s position as coach is already shaky.
But in front of Burnley, it is still a strong team.
It’s just that Burnley now is completely killing gods and Buddhas.
Don’t underestimate the morale of small teams. Burnley is a mid-to-lower-level team in the Premier League. But it is precisely because Burnley’s players are all young guys. As long as they are excited, no one is afraid.
This is a young player.
Facing Liverpool, Burnley players are full of confidence. There is no tension or fear at all. Manchester United, Chelsea, and Arsenal have all played, so are they still afraid of Liverpool?
What about Liverpool?
Looking at the players’ attitude, George was very pleased.
That’s it. As long as Burnley players maintain their current fearless mentality, their future is promising. Really promising.
Even if Burnley cannot become a strong team in the Premier League, it will not be a problem to stabilize its position in the middle of the Premier League.
For the second time in Burnley, George thought he did not make any changes. There is no qualitative change in Burnley’s current style of play, but only some minor changes. In just half a year, George will not improve the players’ technical and tactical abilities.
But George’s arrival at Burnley has only one biggest change for Burnley.
It is to give those young players endless confidence.
If the skills are not good, you can practice. If the tactics are not good, you can learn. Only this confidence is not so easy to develop. George believes that this will be one of the most precious assets in their careers.
George, who was in a good mood, was even more excited when he came to Turf Moor Stadium.
There were fans everywhere holding up signs saying “George, don’t go!”
Although compared with 30,000 fans, there were not many signs. But they can be seen everywhere. This time, it was not just one or two teenage fans holding these banners. Instead, more fans joined the ranks spontaneously.
There was even a huge banner in the middle.
“George, stay!”
George sighed.
How many years have passed. In his lifetime, he could still see Burnley fans supporting him with banners.
Twelve years ago, leaving Burnley made George the biggest traitor in Burnley’s history. The fans at that time were gnashing their teeth at George.
In the past twelve years, except for leading the team in a game, George has never returned to Burnley. He has returned to the city where he grew up.
To be honest, George was a little scared.
Fans are irrational when they go crazy. Football is a passionate sport. If you are too passionate, you will lose your mind. George at that time did not have the courage to step into Burnley again.
It would be a lie to say that there was no loss in his heart.
After all, Burnley is where he grew up.
Even if he worked hard to pull Burnley up from the relegation zone step by step. Burnley fans are still lukewarm about George.
This is the first time that so many people have expressed their support for George in this way.
How can George not be happy.
“The 09-10 season is about to end. Under George’s leadership, Burnley has completely jumped out of the relegation circle. There is a reason why Burnley fans want George to stay.”
Mortensen looked at so many retention banners and explained with a smile.
“The feelings of Burnley fans are understandable. But it would be really difficult to keep George.”
Mortensen would never believe that George would stay in Burnley because of the fans’ retention.
George is indecisive.
But he is definitely not the kind of person who is blinded by emotions. It is not easy to come here to be a fire-fighting coach this time. Mortensen doesn’t believe that such a world-class coach will continue to stay in Burnley.
If the fans are really that powerful, George would not have risked entering Blackburn.
I don’t know if it was because of this episode that Burnley played very actively in the game.
They were not at all inferior to the powerful Liverpool.
They even forced Liverpool to be a little flustered. Liverpool is now in an important moment to compete for the qualification for the League Cup, and they are also anxious. However, Liverpool’s organization this season was chaotic, and the game was even more chaotic. If it weren’t for the super strength of some Liverpool players, Liverpool would not be ranked seventh in the Premier League.
Both sides played very actively.
But the game was very boring. Both sides played badly, and there were no goals.
The game ended in this rigid process.
The two sides played 0-0.
Burnley was very satisfied. Although it was at home, they were very happy to be able to tie Liverpool. But the Liverpool players were very sad. Because Liverpool lost two points again.
Not to mention the Champions League, even the qualification for the League Cup has basically flown away.
George was very happy after the game.
He stood up and prepared to say hello to Benítez. But he found that Benítez had already left his position.
George shook his head.
Benítez was really impatient and lacked self-restraint.
If others knew what George was thinking, they would definitely despise him. In the Premier League, once a game is lost, George is the most ungraceful.
George ignored Benítez. Instead, he stood in front of the court and praised his players one by one.
This is a habit George has developed since he came to Burnley.
Whether the game is won, tied or lost, George will greet the players on the court. Because most of the players are young people, George needs this. This is to encourage them.
“George, don’t go!”
Just when the game was over and Benítez had disappeared, no one knew who shouted first on the court.
Soon, many fans echoed.
Of course, it has not reached the point where George responded to the call at Turf Moor Stadium twelve years ago. There were only a few thousand people shouting in the entire stadium. But it was shocking and delightful enough.
At the beginning, the voice was still relatively low.
But people are like this, and fans are even more so. As long as one person starts, someone will respond immediately.
This time is the same.
First there were a few people, then dozens, then hundreds, and then thousands. Even after thousands, there were nearly 10,000 fans shouting “George, stay!”.
George looked up at the fans, without any expression.
“Listen to this voice. There are 10,000 people. 10,000 people, are Burnley fans really starting to forgive George?”
Yes, Burnley fans are starting to forgive George?
Maybe, maybe not.
But the cheers of tens of thousands of people touched George a lot.
“Coach Levy, what do you think of the Burnley fans’ call for you to stay?”
“Coach Levy, what do you plan to do at the end of the season?”
At the press conference after the game, all the reporters were facing George.
Of course, they would never think that George would really stay in Burnley if the fans shouted a few words. The Burnley temple is too small. Burnley really can’t afford George, this big Buddha.
The reporter just wanted to hear George’s next plan.
There are still many positions waiting for George.
It is a foregone conclusion that Pellegrini of Real Madrid will leave Real Madrid. Real Madrid is still interested in George, and maybe George will join Real Madrid.
Anyway, as the season is about to end, there are many different opinions about George’s next club.
Taking this opportunity, everyone wants to ask clearly.
“First of all, I thank the fans for their support.” George said this, and the reporters were all focused. And when they heard the first half of George’s sentence, the reporters knew that George was being polite. He will definitely not stay in Burnley.
Everyone was waiting for George to say “but, but” in their hearts.
It’s the same as everyone thought.
“But, I won’t stay in Burnley. My contract with Burnley will automatically end after the season ends. I have no plans to renew it.”
No one disturbed George at the scene.
What they want to know now is not whether he will continue to coach Burnley, but where he will go next season.
“Not only Burnley, I will not accept any invitation from any club in the summer. From now on, I have decided not to serve as the head coach of any club.”
As soon as George finished speaking, the reporters were shocked.
“Coach Levy, do you mean you are going to retire?”
A reporter asked George in surprise.
“Yes.”
The reporters were dumbfounded. Really dumbfounded.
In the world of football, those famous coaches always take a break when they are tired. George has been on the front line for fifteen years since 1995. It is understandable that he wants to take a break for one or two years.
But retirement?
This is too funny.
George is not in his seventies or eighties now. He is just over forty years old. He is still a young coach in the coaching industry. Even if he is fifty years old, it is outrageous to say that he wants to retire.
Don’t you see that old coaches such as Capello, Lippi, and Ferguson are still alive and kicking on the front line.
George, a coach who just turned forty, actually said he would retire.
No way.
For a moment, everyone looked at George straight.
Finally, a reporter broke the weird scene. “Coach Levy, are you sure you are not joking now?”
George smiled.
“Today is not April Fool’s Day.”
The reporter continued to ask questions.
“Coach Levi, can I ask why you want to retire? You are only 42 years old now.”
George shook his head.
“Personal reasons, I can’t tell you.” George paused, then continued: “You can tell others that they don’t have to look at my annoying face anymore. Because I’m leaving.”
