Chapter 35 34. Rebranding (Urban Heroes)

One night in mid-July 1997, the Mediterranean monsoon gently blew the streets and alleys of Milan. Countless fans in red and black sword-striped shirts flocked to Milan Cathedral. AC Milan held a grand ceremony in front of the famous Milan Cathedral. At the ceremony, the new lineup of AC Milan for the 1997-1998 season was introduced. Amidst the cheers of nearly ten thousand people, the soldiers of the new AC Milan made their debut one by one.Obviously, there is no place for Baggio in AC Milan's new lineup.For the Milanese, this is a happy moment, but for Roberto Baggio, it is a sad moment. When the Milanese ushered in their new idol, their past idol Baggio Bid farewell to the city of Milan on such a night, bid farewell to this sad land...

The next day, Baggio packed up his luggage, put on sunglasses, and drove to the office of Milan city government official Victoria Bertrelle to go through some formalities, marking the final end to his two years in Milan.Baggio's car drove away slowly from the city of Milan. Everything that was once familiar on both sides of the street seemed to have become very strange all of a sudden. What I experienced was more frustrated troubles than happy laughter.The past is like a cloud, and the years are like a stream. Baggio realized that he had come to a new crossroads in his life. Thinking of this, he stepped on the gas pedal, and the car rushed out like an arrow. The ponytail behind his head fluttered in the wind. A smile appeared on his face. Is this a bitter smile of regret, or a relaxed smile of relief?Only Baggio himself knows this.It is not too far from Milan to Bologna. A few hours later, Baggio's eyes appeared in front of Bologna's urban architecture full of ancient Roman cultural characteristics.The first person he saw when he arrived in Bologna was his old friend Gabriel Oriali, who had worked together at Fiorentina many years ago, and Oriali had had a bad time at Inter Milan. Oriali has just been appointed as the competition manager of the Bologna club. He is happy to welcome his old The arrival of friends.Under the twin towers that symbolize the city of Bologna, the president of the club, Garzzoni Frascara, waited for Baggio's arrival like a long-lost friend. He hugged Baggio tightly and said to Baggio very excitedly : "The ancient Bologna welcomes your arrival. I think your arrival will cause a huge shock in this ancient city. I believe that my vision is not wrong. I firmly believe that your arrival will give us this city, and at the same time It will bring vigor and vitality to our Bologna team, and my investment will also get a good return, and the number of people watching the stadium will definitely increase greatly.” Garzoni hopes in his heart that with the help of Baggio’s attraction, he can make his own football The team's season package broke through 27,000, the best order in history.In fact, when Baggio came to Bologna for only three days, the number of Bologna season ticket bookings increased by 4,000.From an abandoned player to a new idol in another city, Baggio only traveled more than 200 kilometers. Sometimes life's encounters are so wonderful, and the environment and timing often determine a person's future.

What made Garzzoni ecstatic was that Baggio's arrival really mobilized the enthusiasm of Bologna fans. In a short period of time, Bologna's 1997-1998 season ticket bookings exceeded 30,000, which greatly exceeded the original 2 10,000 and 7,000 expectations, thus creating a new record for Bologna's home stadium Dole Alla.Garzzoni said proudly: "Baggio is not an ordinary player. He represents Italy, the best player who is full of inspiration and creativity. Such a player, he brought glory to our city and our city. The team, we are very proud of. For the Bologna team, which is currently only a second-tier team, we have not been able to produce a great player like Baggio... But times are different, and we have a superstar today Baggio has brought his fame and talent to our advancing Bologna team, which will surely present itself in the Italian league with a new look and bring honor to the Bolognas."