Chapter 615: The Best Choice Is to Rent and Leave

UEFA, 2019-20 Champions League Best XI (First Team):

Goalkeeper: Manuel Neuer (Bayern)

Defenders: Kimmich (Bayern), Marquinhos (PSG), Kimpembe (Bayern), Bernat (PSG)

Midfielders: Frenkie de Jong (Man Utd), Tang Ye (Man Utd), Rodri (Man Utd)

Forwards: Dembele (Man Utd), Lewandowski (Bayern), Neymar (PSG)

Head Coach: Erik ten Hag (Man Utd)

The Best XI announced by UEFA matched fan speculation almost exactly; interestingly, after the announcement, a cartoon from a Norwegian artist caught the fans' attention.

In the cartoon, Ten Hag lies on a luxurious hotel bed, the duvet bearing a "COVID-19" symbol, indicating he is infected with the coronavirus.

Rodri and De Jong stand together, their four arms lifting the bed high into the air.

Do not ask why Rodri and De Jong possess such great strength, for that is simply how the cartoon is drawn.

Bailly, De Ligt, Ashley Young, and Mata are also on the large bed; wearing special Champions League final kits, they are in reality caring for the sick Ten Hag.

Then there is Tang Ye in the foreground, tethered like an ox; in the cartoon, Tang Ye's muscles bulge as he drags the bed behind him, straining to move forward.

Rashford, Haller, and Wan-Bissaka shout encouragement from behind, but judging by their expressions, pushing this bed from the rear does not seem to require much effort.

The popularity of this cartoon far exceeded that of UEFA's official Best XI list.

Cartoon Title: "Lying Down to Win the Champions League"

【Holy crap, "Lying Down to Win the Champions League"—which genius came up with that name?】

【Ten Hag: The Champions League isn't difficult at all; I'm not lying to you, it's truly not difficult.】

【Rodri and De Jong carrying the bed from below is pretty good, though to be honest, without Rodri and De Jong, Man Utd would have conceded at least six goals to Bayern.】

【Isn't my King Tang a pig? How did he become an ox?】

【Anyway, just say whether it's easy or not; I think it's quite easy, provided you let me lie on the bed.】

【Stop talking; wait until Cavani joins Man Utd next season, and we'll show you what a top-tier forward line really looks like.】

Right after the Champions League final concluded, rumors linked Cavani with Man Utd, and since then, an increasing number of reporters have covered the story.

More and more journalists report that Cavani is negotiating the final contract details with Man Utd; looking at it this way, the matter is indeed true.

Signing Cavani on a free transfer, although he is older, means acquiring a Uruguayan striker whose ability is unquestionable, absolutely several levels stronger than Man Utd's original center-forward.

Besides Cavani, the Manchester Evening News also reported that Ten Hag is interested in the Dutch midfielder Fan De Beek.

Since he is also Dutch, it is hard not to suspect Ten Hag of having personal biases.

But when fans think about it carefully.

If Ten Hag has led the team to win the Champions League, then his recruitment strategy must be sound.

Is Ten Hag at fault?

No, Ten Hag is not at fault.

The ones at fault are the Man Utd fans!

Man Utd fans thought Ten Hag would sign anyone from the "Teng Armor Army" or any Dutch player he saw.

Actually, that is not the case; Ten Hag focuses on other aspects, and it just so happens that they are members of the "Teng Armor Army" and Dutch.

The reason fans are merely fans is precisely because they cannot see what the coach sees, isn't it?

Time moved to September; at this point, less than 20 days remained before the start of the new season for the top five European leagues.

The off-season was shortened to 10 days, but the players had no complaints.

Because they could not go anywhere anyway, staying home alone was simply boring to death.

Fans focused all their attention on the transfer window.

"Messi Renews Contract with Barcelona for One Year"

"Fernandes and Tottenham Fail to Reach Agreement on Salary Issues"

"Dortmund Interested in Birmingham's Genius Midfielder Bellingham"

"Barcelona Submits Another Offer for Tang Ye: New Bid of 220 Million Euros, But with Installment Payments"

The pandemic dealt a blow to every elite club; even traditionally wealthy teams like Man Utd, Real Madrid, and Barcelona found it difficult to produce large sums of money at once, meaning this summer window was destined to lack any blockbuster signings.

September 3rd.

The Sun front-page headline: The player who submitted the TUE application form to the FA at the end of August is confirmed to be TY; he is currently awaiting the TUE result.

The Sun's TUE column.

1. Based on past experience, the medication TY uses to treat ADHD should be methylphenidate, a central nervous system stimulant.

2. The player himself has informed both the club and the FA of the situation; according to the club's assessment, the player must undergo pharmaceutical treatment.

3. Tang Ye's medical team and agency hope he can take the medication promptly, but Tang Ye himself is still waiting for the result.

He must take the medication as soon as possible, yet Tang Ye simply refuses to eat it.

Because as early as during communications with the club, the club had told Tang Ye that methylphenidate is a substance carrying very severe penalties; if taken without obtaining a TUE and resulting in a positive blood test, it would lead to a suspension.

There was no other way; it was just a matter of waiting a few days anyway, so Tang Ye was not that anxious.

The Sun's TUE column, front-page headline with bolded text: The FA has rejected the TUE application, stating that the player failed to prove that the medication he intends to use is the sole treatment for the condition.

Whenever such news appears, The Sun can be said to be the only channel through which fans can obtain accurate information.

According to the column's description, there are many medications for treating ADHD, such as methylphenidate, dexmethylphenidate, amphetamine, and atomoxetine.

Among these medications, atomoxetine is not a stimulant, but it can also treat ADHD.

In this case, to apply for a TUE exemption, one must prove the uniqueness of the medication or demonstrate that it is the optimal choice.

"According to data collected by the newspaper, TY should have already been confirmed to use methylphenidate for treatment during his youth, and this medication is the optimal drug for treating the disease. The FA states that the player failed to prove methylphenidate is the only medication, but the reason for this inability to prove it remains unclear."

One issue of The Sun is quite thick, and this edition directly devoted half its content to reporting on Tang Ye's TUE application; The Sun even cited numerous cases of methylphenidate TUEs among players from the top five leagues and the Olympics.

But the problem now is that, judging from the procedure and documentation, everything appears correct, so why did the FA reject Tang Ye's TUE?

【???】

【This is what capitalist countries are like; traps set by capital are everywhere.】

【What's there to panic about? It will definitely be approved in the end. Do you really think Manchester United is good for nothing?】

【There's no way to prove exclusivity. Didn't he have records from childhood? Which hospital did Tang Ye visit as a child? The doctor, step forward!】

【It seems to be a case of missing documents; just have Tang Zhengxiong go back to Guangdong once to bring the hospital records over.】

……

The Times: The FA did not reject TY's TUE application; the player's TUE was rejected after review by UKAD (the UK Anti-Doping agency).

"On the contrary, the FA even provided support for TY's TUE application, but failed to achieve results."

Matters grew increasingly strange until September 8, just as registration for the new Premier League season was about to begin, when The Sun provided the answer.

The organization that rejected the TUE application was indeed the UK Anti-Doping agency, not the FA; this organization is completely independent and has virtually no relation to the FA.

And their reason for rejecting Tang Ye's TUE was very simple: the materials Tang Ye used to prove the exclusivity of methylphenidate dated back more than a decade, meaning the documentation lacked the timeliness required for a TUE application.

The Sun offered a solution.

That was for Tang Ye to first take atomoxetine (a non-stimulant) for three months, obtain hospital certification, and then switch to taking methylphenidate.

Doing so seemed to be the only path to obtaining TUE approval, yet according to the reporter's description, this path also carried risks.

ADHD is a chronic condition, and based on experience, the success rate for TUE applications regarding chronic conditions mid-season is extremely low; moreover, even if the application succeeds, Tang Ye would still need to serve a six-month suspension before being eligible to compete.

Furthermore, the body responsible for approval is the domestic UK anti-doping agency, an organization that would not concern itself with fan sentiments the way the FA does.

……

"How about I just stop taking the medication altogether, wait until next season's summer window to apply for a TUE, and simply wait another year?"

In the Carrington office, club staff, Ten Hag, Tang Ye, and his doctor sat together, discussing the matter of the methylphenidate TUE.

Also attending this impromptu meeting was the club director, John Murtough.

"Actually, after your examination at the Mayo Clinic last year, you should have told us about this."

Murtough sighed.

Tang Ye did not know that if this matter had been disclosed a year earlier, it would have been easily resolved: take atomoxetine during the 2019-20 season to prove it was ineffective, then apply for a methylphenidate TUE.

But Tang Ye only knew he needed to prove exclusivity; he was unaware that a TUE application also required valid documentation from within the past three years.

"Just stop taking it..."

Recalling Tang Ye's suggestion just moments ago, Ten Hag looked toward the neurologist Tang Ye had found, ultimately receiving a negative response.

According to the latest test results, Tang Ye's condition had already become somewhat complicated; if he stopped taking the medication, he might encounter problems during matches.

"Let's proceed with the interim application then; you take atomoxetine for three months first to obtain hospital certification."

"That means a six-month suspension..."

Murtough sighed; a six-month suspension for an interim TUE application...

Calculating the timeline: three months of atomoxetine in September, October, and November, followed by a six-month suspension spanning December, January, February, March, April, and May.

"Fuck."

Murtough suddenly lifted his head, locking eyes with Ten Hag.

The timing was perfect; it would effectively wipe out the entire season.

When the FA formulated the rules, they seemed to have specifically researched the matter of drug exclusivity; now, the rules they established had turned around and slapped both Manchester United and the Premier League in the face.