I AM the Football Star

Lu Yang: Vincent is not an excellent head coach. If he can’t perceive what’s happening on the field, I don’t mind spending time and effort to tell him so that he can have enough information to make the right decisions.

Journalist: What do you think about Candreva’s situation?

Lu Yang: Candreva is an outstanding player, and he shouldn’t be the target of attacks. If you put Audi as a central forward, it wouldn’t work well either, but that doesn’t mean Audi isn’t Italy’s number one gate god, right?

Journalist: Is Candreva really injured?

Lu Yang: Many people told me I should say he is injured to make things more harmonious. But I don’t want to cover up Candreva’s tremendous contribution because of this. He wasn’t injured; he knew he couldn’t contribute more to Italy at that moment, so he chose such a fierce way to ask to be taken off the field.

There is a saying, the true warrior dares to face a bleak life and to confront the gory reality!

In my heart, Candreva is a true warrior. I want to say something people might not like to hear, and that is all Italians who have criticized Candreva in the last two games owe him an apology!

Journalist: First, say sorry to Candreva. Finally, when you were taking that free kick, did you think of the consequences of missing it?

Lu Yang: I did, it would be terrible, even catastrophic. But we had no way back. At that moment, there was no concept of playoffs in my mind, the European Cup was irrelevant to me, and all I had in mind was to kick that damn ball! I just purely... wanted to win!

Applause!

The audience erupted in applause.

Because of purity, miracles happen!

Behind any seemingly elusive and strange success, there is an adherence that ordinary people cannot comprehend.

Journalist: Sorry, really the last question. After this match, why didn’t you raise that special red flag from the European Youth Championship?

This refers to the flag that has one side as the red flag and the other as the Italian flag.

This matter has been repeatedly discussed until today.

So, did Lu Yang lose his nerve?

Will he no longer do these slightly awkward and embarrassing things for Italian fans?

Lu Yang: I’m sorry my actions made some Italian fans uncomfortable. But I’m a normal person; I can’t suppress my normal and intense emotions just because I’m playing for Italy.

I would hug my teammates to celebrate after winning, I would spin around with Sofia in my arms after a victory, and I would miss my hometown after a win!

This match was a life-and-death battle for Italy, and I don’t want to complicate Italian fans’ joy at such a time.

But if we have the chance to taste the joy and glory of a championship, I hope to share half of this joy and glory with my hometown fans.

I implore Italian fans to allow me, that when the team lifts the championship trophy, you may not cheer for me, but please allow me to send my emotional regards to my hometown fans!

Football is just football, and yet it is more than football!

After Lu Yang finished speaking, there was silence for more than ten seconds.

No one applauded, because no journalist could promise on behalf of all Italian fans.

Lu Yang made it very clear that he would not raise his hometown’s flag casually unless the team won the championship!

It could be some insignificant national team friendly championship, or it could be a heavyweight championship.

Because Chinese fans will never have such a moment of celebration.

At least not these generations of Chinese fans!

On the one hand, the gold content, excitement, and recognition of the Asian Cup are far from comparable to the European Cup.

On the other hand, the national team is unlikely to make it to the World Cup finals.

In the end, it’s hard for Chinese players to appear on the European competition stage, let alone lead a team to qualify, advance, or even lift a trophy.

These most important football events and honors are forever absent for Chinese fans and cannot be remedied.

What Lu Yang has done, can’t really make up for the regrets in everyone’s heart either.

But... it’s better than nothing!

Better than nothing!

Finally, sitting at the head coach’s position, Maniero spoke: ”Risking offending half of Italy’s fans to fight for a ’better than nothing’ distant homeland, I cannot speak for others, but I want to say that at that moment, I was willing to cheer for Lu Yang, willing to applaud for that red flag!”

”I am willing too!” Audi sat beside Lu Yang, patting him on the shoulder, ”Taxes, goals, victories! Lu Yang has brought so much to Italy! I am also willing to applaud his hometown! I am willing to share the glory with Lu Yang and his family!”

”I’m willing!”

”I’m willing too!”

”I represent our newspaper and I’m willing!”

”I represent my family and I’m willing!”

More and more people spoke up.

The scene was a chorus of ’I’m willing,’ lively as a collective wedding.

And Lu Yang bowed deeply to the cameras.

Even without joining the national team, he retained a glory for Chinese football in his own way!

Maniero’s words diverted the journalists’ attention.

Because... why is it not Vincent sitting here?

Could it be...

”I believe everyone is curious why I’m the one in the Italy head coach seat,” Maniero began, looking at the assembled media, ”Because from now on, I will be taking over as the head coach of the Italy National Team.”