Some say that Italians and people from Ethan's background are very similar, both full of wisdom and creativity.
Think of the Renaissance, and then think of his own culture's long history. Both proved the intelligence of these two peoples.
But sometimes, being clever meant overstepping boundaries!
Let's use the football Ethan was most familiar with as an example.
The match-fixing culture back home was well known. One could even say that players there who did not participate in gambling were as rare as phoenix feathers. But what about Italy? They even arranged referees directly over the phone, telling them exactly how to officiate!
Others said that people back home loved to pin their hopes on the next generation. Ethan did not know if Italy had a similar saying, but in reality, Alberto was exactly that kind of person.
He had subjected Daniele to rigorous football training from a young age, hoping to cultivate him into an outstanding forward. Even after being rejected by the Roma youth academy multiple times, he stubbornly believed his son had inherited his excellent football genes and would surely become a brilliant footballer.
He believed that if it were not for Ethan's appearance, he would have continued in his stubborn ways.
Regarding Daniele, Alberto rarely gave him any encouragement. Usually, what he said most were the mistakes he made on the pitch. He would even criticize him without hesitation at the dinner table.
For many years, the only connection between father and son seemed to be the blood flowing in their veins and the football they both loved.
Seeing Ethan's encouragement of Almunia last night, Alberto initially felt quite displeased. However, he also had to admit that when they left, even a blind man could see Almunia was glowing with spirit, not at all like the lifeless state he was in when they first met.
Anyone could tell it was Ethan's words taking effect.
Both were young men, and Daniele was even younger than Almunia, but the setbacks he had experienced were no fewer than Almunia's. Did this mean he needed encouragement even more than Almunia?
This was the first time Alberto reflected on himself.
Of course, this reflection was only internal. Proud as he was, he would not tell anyone about the issues between him and his son, not even his wife, whom he held in awe.
"Alberto, your dark circles are so heavy. Are you sick?" During breakfast, Cassel asked with concern upon seeing the listless Alberto.
"No, just a bit fatigued!" Alberto replied casually, sat down, and waved over a waiter to order breakfast.
"Physically fatigued? No wonder I didn't hear any movement from your room last night. Did you go to those red-light places around the corner for some entertainment?" Cassel joked.
Alberto just gave a faint smile upon hearing this but did not speak.
Ethan, eating breakfast nearby, suddenly asked, "Is this your first time leaving Italy?"
"How did you know?" Alberto was startled.
Ethan and Cassel looked at each other and shook their heads with a laugh. A man in his thirties or forties actually getting homesick, it was really...
"Maybe you should head back first. We still have to make a round elsewhere!" Ethan suggested with concern.
"Where are you going?"
"First to Africa, then to Brazil, and then back to Manchester!" Cassel replied.
"Yeah, almost a trip around the globe. How about you go back to Italy first and prepare? I'll have the club people arrange it for you. You can head over anytime," Ethan said considerately.
Alberto was clearly tempted, but he immediately changed his mind and shook his head in refusal. "No need, I believe I can overcome it!"
Obviously, if it really was homesickness, even if he returned to Italy now, what about later? How could he live in Manchester long-term?
Ethan nodded, not forcing the issue, while Cassel comfortingly offered Alberto a few suggestions, though it was hard to say if they were good or bad ideas.
The three finished breakfast, and the taxi the hotel helped call arrived.
After a transfer in Spain, they appeared in Accra, the coastal capital of Ghana, in the afternoon.
As soon as they exited the gate, they saw someone holding up a sign with the words "Liberty Professionals" written in large English letters. Clearly, it was a representative from the Liberty Professionals club there to welcome Ethan and his party.
This African youth wearing glasses looked quite refined, dressed in a sharp suit. He was not tall, but he gave off a very solid impression, which was a common intuitive perception of Africans.
"Hello, are you Mr. Yu from England's New Manchester United club?" Before Ethan and the others even approached, the youth had already identified them.
Ethan nodded with a smile. "Yes!"
"I am the representative of Liberty Professionals. My name is Melo."
Ethan was stunned for a moment, immediately thinking of the Brazilian player Melo from his past life who had intentionally sought a red card in the 2010 South Africa World Cup, performing as both angel and demon in one body.
The pronunciations of the two names were nearly identical, but the letter combinations were completely different.
Having confirmed each other's identities, Ethan and the other two followed Melo out of the airport with peace of mind.
Although Africa was said to be chaotic, Accra was, after all, the capital of Ghana. With many travelers coming and going every year, the public security could not be that bad.
"Have you been waiting at the airport for a long time?" Ethan asked casually while sitting in the car.
"Your club's staff already called us ahead of time and told us your flight and arrival time, so I only just arrived a short while ago," Melo answered while driving.
The road from the airport into the city was not smooth, forcing Ethan and the others in the car to endure a bumpy ride.
At first, they did not mind, looking out the window with great interest. They passed through residential areas, which allowed them to directly see what the lives of ordinary Ghanaian residents were like.
"People here live in poverty, so many of them try desperately to send their children to play football. And the children who want to play are very hardworking. They all want to leave this place and go to the heaven that is Europe!"
Melo clearly felt sympathy for these ordinary Ghanaians.
"So the children here are like those in Brazil, starting to play football in the streets?" Cassel curiously pointed to a group of Ghanaian teenagers chasing a football by the roadside.
"Of course. Ghana doesn't have facilities as good as Europe's. And you should know, in terms of physique and stamina, African teenagers are much, much stronger than Brazilian teenagers. In a place like this, playing football in the streets has become the cheapest form of entertainment."
"Then how is the general operating condition of clubs here in Africa?" This time the question came from Ethan.
Melo sighed. "Terrible, worse than you can imagine. You can imagine how difficult and uneasy it is for a football club to survive in such a poor environment lacking a market."
After hearing this, an understanding formed in Ethan's mind.
African football now was a bit like Brazil in the early days, similarly backward and chaotic, yet similarly prolific in producing stars. The only difference was that Brazil was the Kingdom of Football, while African football was currently only on the path of rising.
If he had not experienced Africa firsthand, it would be truly hard to imagine how profound the significance of the 2010 South Africa World Cup was for African football.
Accra's city center was not crowded. Even cars were rare. Combined with Melo being a local driver, they reached the Liberty Professionals club office without any obstacles along the way.
Calling it an office was an overstatement. It was actually just a few rooms under the stadium stands. The stadium's capacity was not large either. According to Melo, it could only hold a maximum of ten thousand fans.
Despite having its own stadium and being located in the capital of Ghana, the situation of Liberty Professionals was actually far inferior to that of New Manchester United, a team in the English fifth tier.
Therefore, when Liberty Professionals received the call from New Manchester United's staff, they immediately paid great attention to Ethan and his party's visit.
This was not a simple visit, but one to negotiate the intention of cooperation between the two clubs for the next few years.
When Ethan got out of the car, he immediately saw a short, stout African middle-aged man rushing out of the office, shouting in broken English. He was clearly greeting Ethan, but it was mixed with too much local dialect, making it somewhat unclear to Ethan.
"This is our club chairman, Mr. Magbu!" Melo introduced, pointing to the African middle-aged man.
Ethan immediately shook hands and greeted him.
"Welcome, guests from England!" This time, Magbu's English was much clearer.
After a brief exchange of pleasantries at the entrance, Magbu and Melo invited Ethan's trio into the office. Passing by the stadium entrance, they found that Liberty Professionals' players were actually training on the pitch. Looking at the grass, it was no better than Butcher's Arms Ground.
This was the home ground of a team in the Ghanaian top flight?
Ethan felt he should re-evaluate his understanding of Ghana and even African football. After all, in the coming years, this backward and poor land would become another major exporter of players after South America.
Liberty Professionals were not considered a big-name club in Ghana. They were always mid-table, had no notable achievements, and had not produced any famous stars. So a club like this, even located in the capital, did not have many people inquiring about it.
The main reason Ethan was sitting in this office, which had clearly undergone some careful renovation, was that he wanted to plant a flag in Africa before African football became widely known. Secondly, there were several stars he was familiar with in the Liberty Professionals club.
Coincidentally, these stars were still very young now, but they had limitless futures.
"Mr. Magbu, I believe our club staff has already discussed the purpose of our visit with you in detail over the phone, so I won't beat around the bush. I wonder what your club's thoughts are on the proposal to become a satellite club for New Manchester United in Africa?" Ethan said, getting straight to the point.
(To be continued.)
◇ You can read the ahead chapter on Pat if you're interested: p-atreon.c-om/Blownleaves (Just remove the hyphen to access normally.)