Soccer: I became Bruno Fernandes.

Chapter 329: Using All Means

In the second half, Wales indeed launched a fierce offensive against Portugal's penalty area right from the start, taking advantage of their kickoff. The newly substituted David Vaughan passed the ball to the left wing, where the left midfielder Andy King received it and then passed to the forward Gareth Bale. The Real Madrid forward took the ball and burst into the penalty area. Portuguese center-back Bruno Alves quickly closed in on him. Seeing the defender approaching, Bale hastily shot the ball, but his powerful left-footed shot went high under the pressure.

Although they didn't score, this attack excited the Welsh fans in the stands, who collectively cheered for their team.

Wales, having reached the European Championship finals for the first time and topping their group ahead of England, had already eliminated Northern Ireland and the dark horse Iceland to make it to the semi-finals. This success had made the Welsh fans extremely confident, believing their team could defeat any opponent.

Despite being two goals down at halftime, the fans and team discussed during the break and believed equalizing wasn't an issue; the real question was whether they could turn the game around.

Now, seeing their team adopt an aggressive stance right from the start of the second half, their confidence soared, and they sang the Welsh national anthem "Land of My Fathers" in unison to cheer on their players.

...

The Welsh fans were among the most passionate in this European Championship. For every match, many fans came dressed in red T-shirts representing Wales to support their team. In interviews, Bale had called them the "Red Wall," crediting their support for the team's strength and breakthroughs.

Now, these die-hard fans were singing loudly at the Lyon Stadium, trying to boost their team's morale.

But to the disappointment of the Welsh fans, their team couldn't score a goal.

Similarly, Portugal didn't score in the second half either, and the match ended with the score remaining 2-0.

With Ronaldo's two goals in the first half, Portugal defeated Wales 2-0, advancing to the European Championship final for the second time in history.

The following day, France defeated Germany 2-0 at the Stade Vélodrome in Marseille, setting up a final against Portugal.

As the biggest favorites to win the tournament, France did not disappoint, reaching the European Championship final for the third time in history, sixteen years after their last appearance. In their previous two finals, France had won the championship both times. Now, playing at home, they were the most favored team.

Despite having two Ballon d'Or winners, Ronaldo and Bruno, Portugal was still not as widely favored as France.

Nonetheless, Portugal's advancement to the final for the first time in twelve years prompted thousands of Portuguese fans to travel to Paris to support their team.

The Portuguese team also headed to Paris the night they defeated Wales to prepare for the upcoming final.

Portugal's semi-final was on the evening of July 6th, and the final was scheduled for the evening of July 10th, leaving only four days in between.

Of course, France had it even worse, with just three days between their semi-final and the final.

...

However, the Portuguese's good mood didn't last long.

The first three days of preparation in Paris went smoothly, but on the eve of the final, they encountered harassment from local fans.

As the players were deep in sleep, loud music and singing suddenly erupted outside the hotel, accompanied by honking car horns and roaring engines.

Some players were jolted awake, jumping out of bed and rushing to the windows, only to see several cars parked on the road outside the hotel. These cars had speakers playing the French national anthem, "La Marseillaise." Clearly, these were French fans, as they were all wearing French jerseys. Additionally, a few motorcycles were weaving in and out, creating the engine noise.

"F**k!" Cursed one of the woken Portuguese players, throwing open the window to shout at the people below.

However, this only made the French fans more enthusiastic. They not only played music and honked but also shouted various insults at Portugal.

Their goal wasn't just to prevent the Portuguese players from resting but also to affect their mood, making them restless and angry. Combined with poor sleep, this would surely impact their performance in the match.

"You nouveau riche! Upstarts!"

"We'll twist your heads off and use them as footballs! Haha!"

"Hillbillies! Don't think that just because you've reached the final, you can act up at the European Championship! You're nothing like us! We've won the championship before! You'll never have it!!"

...

The French fans weren't just using their voices. They were using loudspeakers, making their insults louder and heard by everyone. Some even brought out searchlights, shining the glaring lights at any Portuguese player who appeared at the window.

Clearly, this group was well-organized and meticulously planned, not just a spontaneous group of drunk fans. They must have started planning and organizing this over a week ago. Otherwise, how could they have brought so much professional equipment?

The loud noise, blinding lights, and countless insults made the Portuguese players' heads spin.

With such a disturbance, none of the Portuguese players could sleep.

Even Bruno was woken up. He walked to the window, frowning at the noisy French fans below.

Next to him, Cancelo was furious: "F**k off! These bastards! So despicable!"

In October 2014, Portugal had played a match in France but hadn't received this kind of treatment.

Coach Santos and the rest of the coaching staff were also woken up, and Santos was especially furious upon discovering the French fans' disruption. He called the police.

Generally, after a call, the police should arrive within five to ten minutes. But this time, the French police took a full hour and a half to show up.

By the time they arrived, the disruptive French fans had already disappeared without a trace.

...

The police looked around but found no "perpetrators." Instead, they spent half an hour questioning Santos and the coaching staff about the incident, reducing their rest time by another half hour.

What angered the Portuguese players and staff even more was that, just ten minutes before the police arrived, the French fans were still blasting music and honking horns with no sign of leaving.

It was only five minutes before the police arrived that the fans suddenly packed up and drove away, very quickly, as if they had received some sort of tip-off.

The police also conveniently arrived only after the fans had left.

With the players disturbed for over two hours, how many could truly fall back asleep?

Not everyone can easily fall back asleep after being woken up. Some can sleep instantly, while others struggle, making it hard to rest well. Many players stayed awake until almost dawn.

In the morning, considering the poor rest everyone had, Santos decided not to wake the players for breakfast, allowing them to sleep as long as needed.

Despite this, the street outside became very noisy and chaotic after dawn, preventing most players from getting good rest.

...

Bruno woke up at eight, while Cancelo was still tossing and turning in bed, half asleep.

Seeing Bruno awake, Santos was surprised.

"I didn't say you had to wake up so early today, Bruno. You can continue to rest. I know last night..."

Bruno shook his head. "I can't sleep anymore."

"I understand it's very noisy outside..." Santos said, hearing the street noises.

Bruno quickly clarified, "It's not that. No matter how late I sleep or how long, I always wake up around seven or eight. My body clock is set."

Santos was a bit surprised. "Ah... That's... quite something..."

Other players didn't have Bruno's energy. Many were trying to sleep despite the increasing noise, using pillows to cover their heads, curling up under blankets, or wearing headphones. However, most were in a state of half-sleep, able to hear all the noises outside.

It wasn't until around eleven that players started getting up. But anyone could see they hadn't slept well. Their greetings were weak, and even after freshening up, they still looked tired. Some even stumbled while walking.

Seeing this, Santos frowned deeply.

How could such a team challenge France?

French fans had used every trick to disrupt Portugal's preparations!

(End of Chapter)

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