"Quiet! Everyone, quiet!"
"Those in the front rows who are eating—don't pass food to the back, and absolutely do not throw potato chips at classmates who are sleeping!"
September 9. Leo Lin should have been feeling nostalgic about distant friends, but instead he was sitting in a youth academy classroom, listening to an English lesson.
"The student up front," the blonde, blue-eyed English teacher said as she walked over to Leo Lin.
"How do you say pasión in English?"
Leo Lin answered calmly, "Passion."
The teacher frowned.
"Why does that sound so passionless?"
"Aren't you a player?"
"Players should sound like players!"
Leo Lin cleared his throat.
"Passion!!!"
The teacher nodded in satisfaction and immediately noted down his performance. That alone would be worth bonus points in Leo Lin's future exams.
After the short spoken-English class, Leo Lin returned to Liverpool and threw himself back into training.
There were two days left until the next match, and Liverpool were about to kick off their Champions League group-stage campaign.
The new Champions League season was officially underway. After a grueling playoff, Liverpool had finally made it into the group stage.
For Liverpool, the Champions League was a competition where they had to aim higher. Going deeper meant more revenue.
And revenue meant transfer funds. With transfer funds, the club could keep strengthening the squad—signing star players, or even buying yachts.
That afternoon, after dinner, Klopp tapped his wine glass with a spoon. The crisp sound drew everyone's attention.
"In a moment, we'll head to the meeting room to watch this season's Champions League group-stage draw together."
"Good luck to everyone."
The draw would decide Liverpool's group-stage opponents. Finishing first in the group would almost certainly lead to a more favorable knockout-stage bracket.
Anticipation filled the room. Leo Lin sat in the front row, squeezed in beside Firmino, Mané, and the others.
The draw ceremony was broadcast live, with fans watching closely and Liverpool supporters anxiously awaiting the outcome.
Kaka, invited as a special guest for the draw, began selecting teams from each pot according to the group order.
Klopp clasped his hands together, muttering quietly to himself.
"Anyone is fine—just not too many strong teams."
Brimming with confidence, Leo Lin put an arm around Klopp's shoulder and gave it a pat.
"Relax. Since Kaka's doing the draw, he'll definitely help us break through."
Three minutes later.
"Group G, first team: Liverpool!"
...
Moments later.
"Group G, second team: Monaco."
The moment Monaco was announced, everyone's nerves snapped.
"Monaco???"
"What is Group G doing—have they gone mad?"
On the live broadcast, Jon Champion sounded just as surprised. Judging by the teams drawn so far, it was genuinely hard to predict who would advance.
"Monaco come from Ligue 1 and were last season's French champions."
"That said, their strength has dipped this season. After winning the title, key players were sold—Kylian Mbappé has already moved to Paris Saint-Germain."
"Still, they're an opponent that can't be ignored."
Live chat immediately lit up.
"Honestly, Monaco aren't that scary."
"Good thing Mbappé has already gone to PSG—this Monaco side doesn't have that much firepower."
"Hopefully the next opponent is a bit weaker."
Firmino continued praying silently.
Kaka moved on to the third draw.
"Group G, third team: Sevilla!"
Firmino sucked in a sharp breath.
"Who? Sevilla?"
"The Europa League kings?!"
When Sevilla were drawn into Group G, Jon Champion laughed.
"Well then—Liverpool have drawn the kings of the Europa League."
"Sevilla, from La Liga, have long dominated the Europa League. Even though they're in the Champions League this season, their strength is still not to be underestimated."
Live chat again exploded.
"They're not that scary, are they?"
"You're underestimating Sevilla? Group G is a real group of death."
Firmino prayed even harder, hoping Kaka would somehow pull out a weaker fourth team.
Then came the final draw.
"Shakhtar Donetsk."
The Liverpool meeting room fell completely silent. No one spoke. Even Klopp, seated in the front row, looked slightly stiff.
Leo Lin reached over and grabbed Firmino by the neck, half-joking, half-threatening.
"Explain yourself!"
"Did you do something to your senior, Kaka?!"
Mané shook his head helplessly, and even Salah couldn't help but laugh.
The final group list appeared on the live broadcast, and before long, Group G shot straight to the top of trending topics.
Klopp turned off the broadcast and faced the players.
"Any thoughts on this draw?"
The joking stopped, and the room grew serious again.
Leo Lin didn't think much of it—every group had strong teams.
Klopp looked at Salah.
"Salah, what do you think of this group?"
Salah smiled.
"A perfectly normal draw. I can't wait for the first group match."
One by one, the players spoke up, their fighting spirit rising. The three opponents in the group had fully ignited Liverpool's competitive drive.
Klopp then turned to the youngest player in the squad, Leo Lin. He wanted to hear what the youngster had to say.
Leo Lin showed no sign of nervousness. His face was full of excitement, his eyes burning with desire.
"Guys, I don't care if they're strong opponents, devilish home grounds, Europa League kings, or whatever fancy titles they have."
"I've only got one thing to say."
"Take them down!!!"
...
Sky Sports headlines quickly followed:
"Group Stage Draw Confirmed: Liverpool to Battle Three Strong Opponents for Qualification!"
"Klopp: There Are No Weak Teams in the Champions League—The Draw Won't Affect Liverpool."
"Champions League Returns: Liverpool Face Sevilla in Group Stage Opener—Who Takes the First Three Points?"
Once the group opponents were confirmed, Klopp immediately began preparations, diving deep into tactical planning for the upcoming Champions League matches.
High pressing had always been the core of Klopp's style, but he was now considering something new.
He wanted to further intensify the traditional high press—an upgraded version he dubbed ultra-high pressing.
Though still only at the theoretical stage, both Klopp and Krawietz believed it was highly feasible, and the two worked relentlessly, refining it day and night.
September 11. Anfield awaited.
The first round of the Champions League group stage was about to kick off, with Liverpool hosting Sevilla at home.
The long-awaited Champions League campaign had finally begun.