If you are a brother, come and play football

Chapter 258 The White Wizard and the Little Airplane (Please Subscribe)
In this Champions League match, Lu Deyan contributed three goals and three assists, leading his team to a 3-1 victory over Porto.

Unexpectedly, in the second round of the league against his former team, he was drawn against Deco again.

This was the first time he had drawn the same card in two consecutive matches.

Deco is indeed quite strong.

When he played in Portugal, the Portuguese media described him as having a face like that of a simple farmer from the outskirts of Lisbon.

He does look very honest, but he's a notorious womanizer.

After moving to London to play football, he simply spent all his time hanging out with his teammates.

So there's definitely some truth to the saying "you can't judge a book by its cover."

Considering he was originally Brazilian, it makes a lot more sense.

Brazilian-born players who were naturalized in Portugal all share similar characteristics.

They are more Europeanized than typical Brazilian players, and these players lack some flair, making them the type that Brazilian fans tend to favor.

Neither Deco nor Diego Costa were initially highly regarded by the Brazilian national team; Deco's naturalization didn't even cause much of a stir. Costa, however, at a time when the Brazilian team was short of strikers, finally garnered some attention.

Brazil has too many talented players and doesn't care at all.

Their bloodlines are mixed, and the naturalized players are all over the world.

Altafini, the Milan legend who was ousted by Pelé in his early years, is a prime example.

Later, some national teams got smarter. Regardless of whether you could develop your potential, as long as you had multiple nationalities, they would find opportunities to call you up to play in international friendlies. After just one match, you were no longer considered a member of the national team.

This tactic is quite deceptive, especially for players who are not very skilled.

If I chose you out of multiple choices, it must be because I have feelings for you. If I never get another call after that, I'll say goodbye to the competition.

So players are becoming more and more realistic, and it's a two-way street.

The reason why multinational players are becoming more cautious about choosing their national teams is precisely because they are afraid that the national team's youth training is too strong and they will not have a place in the team, thus bidding farewell to major competitions.

[Deco] Playing on the wing is not a problem.

Cruyff's assessment of Deco was that he could do anything, which is roughly the idea.

He can do everything Xavi and Iniesta can do, and he's also very aggressive defensively.

While he may not be as good as Xavi and Iniesta in individual aspects, he is more well-rounded than both of them overall. As a midfielder, Deco has no major weaknesses except for his physique.

If you use Deco on the wing, then he will definitely play as a winger/attacking midfielder.

This is a good opportunity to try out the difference between using Deco in midfield and playing him.

Lu Deyang followed his teammates out of the tunnel to warm up.

The Ferraris Stadium immediately erupted in thunderous cheers.

"Deyang!"

"Deyang!"

"Deyang!"

Lu Deyang smiled and waved to the stands on all sides; there was no conflict between him and the fans of his former team.

Mainly Mantovani.

It seems that fans still miss Lu Qiuwang (the King of Lu) very much.

On the coaching bench, Lu Deyang saw Eriksson.

He was also the only foreign coach in Serie A at the time.

Lu Deyang doesn't have much of an impression of his coaching ability. What he mainly remembers is the incident where a reporter from World Sports Daily pretended to be wearing a white headscarf to cover him up, which caused quite a stir at the time.

It also showed the world that Fleet Street has no bottom line.

They even prepared offices, hotels, and luxury cars for the news.

"After Mancini transferred away from Sampdoria, Montella secured a starting position at Sampdoria. This young striker is quite capable."

"Today, Dejan is facing his former team again. I wonder what kind of performance he will deliver."

During warm-up, Lu Deyang only saw one of his old teammates, Mannini.

That Sampdoria team is now in ruins.

Belon kept looking this way, and Lu Deyang smiled at him.

These skilled players all want to make their presence felt by Lu Qiuwang. Is Lu Qiuwang so easy to bully?
"Let's go back and prepare for our performance."

Baresi shouted.

Lu Deyang followed them back to the passage.

"The match is finally about to begin, and it's going to be a highly anticipated battle."

"Sampdoria's performance has fluctuated since Dejan left, but they have remained among the top teams in the league, so their strength should not be underestimated."

"However, Sampdoria probably don't have much of a chance against the former King of Genoa. Let's take a look at the starting lineups for both sides."

Sampdoria's 4-3-3 formation with a single defensive midfielder:
Goalkeeper: Ferron
Defenders: Alberigo Evani, Omar Dean, Mannini, David Baleri

Midfielders: Veron, Karembeu, Pierre Leger
Forwards: Zanetti, Montella, Icopino.

AC Milan's 4-4-2 formation with two defensive midfielders:
Goalkeeper: Rossi
Defenders: Maldini, Baresi, Filippo Galli, Panucci

Midfielders: Redondo, Totti, Ambrosini

Forwards: Lu Deyang, Van Basten, Baggio.

"Sacchi used a 4-3-3 formation, which is unusual for him, but I think it's a pretty good formation. It can maximize the attacking ability of Milan's players. Except for Baggio, the other players are all in their preferred positions, and there's no need to worry about Baggio having any conflicts with Dejan on the right wing."

"Evani is facing his former club again today. The left-back, who played for AC Milan for 13 seasons, must be feeling very complicated right now."

Although Sampdoria's lineup has undergone a major change.

However, many of the players are familiar faces.

With the foreign player quota limited, Italian players mostly circulate domestically, so this is quite normal. Sampdoria's defense, apart from Mannini, consists of opponents of Lu Guowang when he was in Serie A. The midfield and attacking lines, however, have more new faces.

Because Zanetti's name sounds similar to Zanetti's, he used to confuse them when he watched football, but one is Italian and the other is Argentinian.

The referee was no stranger to the job either.

At 7:30 p.m., referee Florenzo Treosi blew the whistle to start the match.

Van Basten kicked off and passed the ball across to Lu Deyang, who then turned and passed it back to Redondo.

Totti returned to the number 10 position today, but it remains to be seen whether he can adapt.

Redondo doesn't really like passing the ball to this position.

Van Basten is an easy case; he's getting old and isn't particularly fond of holding the ball for long distances.

However, the three players behind Van Basten all needed possession of the ball.

Lu Deyang even felt it was a bit of a waste that he, Totti, and Baggio were standing together.

Eriksson's team doesn't press very aggressively.

Redondo had an easy time getting the ball.

Ambrosini was somewhat at a loss and could only try to make use of the width of the space by distancing himself from him.

Montella was very fast; he and his teammates rushed forward to press, and Redondo only managed a cross to the right wing.

Ambrosini didn't dare to hold the ball for long and quickly passed it to Panucci, who was making a forward run.

Panucci didn't even hesitate, sending a lobbed pass with his right foot.

The ball was passed to Baggio.

Evani and Baggio both rushed towards the landing point at the same time.

There wasn't a significant difference in speed, but Baggio had clearly planned how to handle the ball in advance.

He ran up and, with a high kick, knocked the ball behind him.

Evani was a step too slow in turning around, and by the time he did, Baggio had already turned again and cut inside from the byline.

Dean didn't dare to let Baggio go; as a tough and strong man, his first instinct was to fight him physically.

However, Baggio was very careful in this regard. He took a step forward with his left foot and immediately executed a croquet-style shot, creating a small angle before striking the near post. Unfortunately, the ball was blocked by Ferron, who brought his legs together and pinned it under his body.

"Milan started the game very actively today, and Baggio played well on the right wing."

Boos erupted from the Ferraris Stadium.

Fans didn't expect their opponents to threaten Sampdoria's goal right from the start.

Mannini looked at Lu Deyang.

Although Baggio is a threat, as his old teammate, he felt that Baggio's threat was only one-tenth of Lu Deyang's.

If Lu Deyang had been the one to shoot, that ball would have been in goal, and it definitely wouldn't have gone into the goalkeeper's arms at the near post.

Lu Deyang's ability to make choices and his shooting accuracy in a short period of time are almost unmatched.

Lu Deyang would definitely chip the ball into the far corner, the ball going just wide of the right side of the net.

He had seen similar goals many times, which is why he was so confident.

The real test will come when Lu Deyang gets the ball.

"Roberto doesn't pass the ball, Dejan will remember to pass it later."

Van Basten said as he walked back.

"I didn't have the chance then."

Baggio explained.

"I know."

"I'll say it with a smile," Basten said.

Baggio's serious demeanor is quite amusing.

Lu Deyang didn't say anything, but he would definitely pass it on if he had the chance.

Ferron didn't waste much time and decisively launched a long ball out.

Karembeu and Redondo rushed towards the landing point. Their timing for jumping was similar, but unfortunately, there was still a difference in their strength.

Under the influence of the opponent, Redondo once again headed the ball towards the right wing.

This time Baggio was a step too slow, and Veron received the ball near the sideline.

Ambrosini and Panucci rushed forward almost immediately, and Veron, a master of long passes, didn't hesitate much, flicking the ball with his right foot to send out a wide-ranging pass.

The ball headed straight for Ickpino.

The young winger was still retreating to adjust his position when Maldini rushed up and headed the ball away.

Maldini's tackle success rate was ridiculously high against these young players.

Maldini, carrying the ball, charged forward at a rapid pace, and Milan launched another attack.

The Ferraris Stadium is in a state of high alert.

Unexpectedly, the opponent launched another attack right after the kickoff.

Totti's forward run was decisive; he was ready to engage in a fierce battle with his opponent and relieve pressure on Van Basten.

Lu Deyang decisively ran towards the middle.

Redondo, who had been making forward runs alongside Maldini, saw this and chose to move in that direction.

Maldini dribbled diagonally past the center circle and then made a diagonal pass to the left wing, before rushing from midfield to the byline to receive the pass.

Italian veterans rarely spare their energy.

David Baleri and Mannini moved to the wing together. Redondo's dribbling rhythm was characteristic of South American players, and his medium-length hair flowing in the wind made him look very dashing.

He feigned a forward step and flicked his left foot, causing Valeri to react incorrectly and run towards the byline to defend Maldini, leaving Redondo to Mannini.

Redondo flicked the ball to his right with his left foot and sprinted sideways.

Dean opted to press forward, but Redondo got there first and poked the ball away.

The ball rolled all the way to the center behind the arc, where Lu Deyang, who was waiting there, swiftly struck out with his right foot.

boom--

Swords flashed and shadows danced, the enemy army panicked and knew not how to retreat.

Leger, returning to his side, was a step too late in blocking the shot. Lu Deyang's long-range shot was perfectly planned, bypassing the defenders and heading straight for the goal. The shot was powerful; Ferron, shifting his weight as he prepared to jump, saw the ball slip past him and into the left side of the goal. The goalkeeper instinctively turned around, making him the backdrop for the shot.

Boom— "Deyang!!!!!"

"Dejan Goal!!!"

"GoalGoalGoal!"

"Dejan helped Milan take the lead in just 6 minutes. His long shot was of very high quality and didn't even give the Sampdoria goalkeeper a chance to save it. That's Dejan's shot. That's how terrible it is."

"Although most of Sampdoria's players today have never played with Dejan, Mannini will definitely remember this shot. The Sampdoria fans in the stadium should also be familiar with it, because they have seen Dejan score against other teams in the same way many times, including Milan."

"Now that their status has changed, Sampdoria fans must have very mixed feelings."

The teammates rushed up quickly.

Lu Deyang, however, did not celebrate.

This is basic respect for one's former employer.

He maintained a good relationship with both Sampdoria fans and former president Mantovani.

However, he doesn't have a good relationship with the current president of Sampdoria, Mantovani Jr.

That spendthrift son will ruin Sampdoria sooner or later.

However, he made a lot of money in business, so even if Sampdoria lost money, he could make up for it from other sources.

This is the type of owner that fans hate the most.

They own the team but don't care, and might even make player trades for off-field reasons.

Just like Manchester United buying Mount, Lu Deyang has always felt that it has nothing to do with the sport. Mount's decline is obvious to the naked eye, and he is also injured. It is hard to believe that you can buy him at a high price and pay him a high salary.

The Sampdoria fans in the stands had very mixed feelings.

Just like Lu Deyang chose not to celebrate.

Sampdoria fans are very grateful to Lu Deyang for bringing so many championships to the team. Lu Deyang's departure was not his own idea, nor was it something they wanted.

This incident itself made them very angry.

Even if Lu Deyang were to return to Sampdoria now, they wouldn't have much faith in the team.

Mantovani Jr.'s ability is undeniable; managing to transform a newly established European powerhouse into what it is in just a few years is something few can achieve.

Many Sampdoria fans could only watch the game with complicated expressions.

Some fans stared blankly, reminiscing about past glories.

once having seen the best, the rest is not worthwhile looking.

Having experienced the best of times, it's hard to find anything else that excites one.

Only the cheers of the away fans remained at Ferraris Stadium.

Sacchi clenched his fist and swung it hard on the sidelines.

Damn, sometimes having a superstar on your team is an advantage.

……

Mannini stands with his hands on his hips.

He knew this would happen.

As the team captain, he shouldn't have this kind of mentality.

However, it is also an objective fact that they were unable to beat the team led by Lu Deyang.

"Watch out, guys!"

Mannini clapped and shouted.

Today, let alone escaping unscathed, it's even difficult to avoid being bloodied.

Belon stood still, staring at Lu Deyang.

He had already heard of Lu Deyang's legend in Argentina.

Veron made his debut for the Argentine national team at the beginning of the month.

Argentina's eldest brother is naturally Maradona.

According to Maradona, Lu Deyang's strength was exaggerated.

However, upon seeing the scene firsthand, Veron realized that Maradona's assessment was somewhat conservative.

As a player who uses his brain, he was observing Lu Deyang while he was tracking back on defense.

Lu Deyang's positioning wasn't anything new, but his timing was impeccable.

It always puts the defending player in a difficult position.

Once you're being targeted, immediately try to minimize your presence and then move forward again when your teammates make a move to retreat.

This calm decision-making made Perón feel very troubled.

Veron was also excited, having come to Italy to compete against such top players.

哔，
After Montella passed the ball back, Zanetti flicked it with his left foot and dribbled to the wing.

Baggio immediately pressed forward.

He's not special in Sacchi's tactics.

Baggio's pressing ability was indeed average, but his head-on pressing could still delay the opponent's passing time, which was also very important.

Therefore, even symbolic pressing by the attacking players can be effective.

Zanetti dribbled past Baggio, and Baggio immediately turned around and went after him again.

This made Zanetti hesitant to continue holding the ball, so he quickly passed it back.

After receiving the ball, Evani dribbled for two steps before passing it to Karembeu.

Karembeu, with his dreadlocks, ran with a rhythmic sway of his hair. Totti stepped up and attempted to use his body to block him, but Karembeu forced a pass forward, which hit Totti's foot and bounced back into the Sampdoria penalty area.

Totti was pulled from behind as he tried to get the ball.

Mannini quickly intercepted the pass and passed it to Baleri on the right wing.

At that moment, the referee blew his whistle.

Enraged by the pulling, Totti shoved Karembeu, and the referee showed the young prince a yellow card.

"Damn it, he pulled my shorts first!"

Totti shouted at the referee.

"Relax, or I'll give you another yellow card," the referee said, sounding somewhat annoyed.

"Oh shit……"

Before Totti could even utter a curse, Lu Deyang covered his mouth and advised, "Forget it, Francisco. If you get Sacchi sent off, he definitely won't let you off the hook."

At this point, Totti finally calmed down a bit.

He glared at the referee, spat on the grass, and turned to walk back.

"Francisco Totti has a bad temper. He reminds me of Nesta from Lazio. Both are young talents with equally bad tempers. It seems that the Italian national team will have no shortage of red cards in the future."

"Krudelli said with a chuckle."

He was still quite tolerant of Milan's young talents.

Totti's talent has been recognized for a long time; many people in Italy believed he was the future core of the national team when he was in the youth team.

Position and playing style determine this.

Most fans are willing to be more forgiving of players like this.

Mannini took a free kick from the backfield. After receiving the ball, Baleri looked up to observe the situation on the field, looking for the landing point of a long pass.

As a seasoned veteran of Serie A.

He also discovered that the team's midfield battles couldn't get past Redondo.

Therefore, the best approach is to make long passes to the attacking third and try to get Veron to organize the attack.

This is how it is with the attacking playmaker: when they are being suppressed, it is even difficult for them to connect with the backcourt. The deep positioning of the playmaker is an inevitable result.

The angry little prince charged forward like a bull.

Baleri tried to pass the ball sideways, but Van Basten decisively stood by Mannini's side.

Mannini might not be a match for him in terms of physical strength, so Valeri had no choice but to abandon the idea. At this point, Totti had already pushed him to the wing.

The two players struggled for a long time, but Baleri still couldn't pass the ball out.

He admitted that he had underestimated this notorious illiterate man.

This kid's body is unusually tough.

Baleri tried to dribble past Totti again, but was pinned down at the corner flag. With a determined look, Baleri turned and kicked Totti in the shin, sending the ball out of bounds and earning a goal kick.

"Be careful, try not to have the ball in the backfield for extended periods."

Eriksson shouted to the field.

Ferron kicked the ball out long towards the attacking third; the wind was blowing, and the ball flew quite far.

Both midfielders misjudged the ball's trajectory. Montella started his run and easily received the ball in front of the penalty area, but before he could dribble, Baresi poked the ball behind him.

Montella turned around very quickly.

Unfortunately, he was facing Maldini, who had long partnered with Baresi.

Maldini was prepared, taking the initiative to block the ball and then passing it to Redondo.

Veron and Leger pressed Redondo together.

They were afraid that Redondo's direct pass would pose a threat.

Faced with this situation, Redondo remained calm and took the initiative to approach Veron and pull the ball to the side.

His half-turn wasn't particularly graceful, but it firmly pinned his newly promoted national teammate to the side, giving Veron no chance to make a move.

Maldini makes a run forward to ask for the ball.

Snapped,
Redondo passed the ball to the left wing, but it ended up in front of Maldini.

Seeing Lu Deyang receive the ball, Maldini chose to continue his forward run.

The two people's positions caused some confusion.

Neither David Baleri nor Mannini wanted to defend Ludjohnsen, so they both followed Maldini down the wing.

This scene almost infuriated Eriksson.

He never saw two players guarding a player without the ball together.

Damn it, if it weren't for his last shred of rationality telling him it was wrong, he would have even considered replacing both of them.

Dean wasn't afraid at all. He tried to intercept Lu Deyang, who was dribbling laterally, but after taking two steps, Lu Deyang decisively turned to face the goal and flicked the ball out with the instep of his right foot.

boom--

This shot wasn't as powerful as the previous long-range effort, but the angle was incredibly tricky. Ferron, who was well-prepared, got off the ground very quickly, judging both the height and direction correctly, but he could only watch as the ball slipped between his hand and the post.

That's too tricky.

The ball went into the goal almost touching the right post.

There was nothing he could do in this situation.

Lu Deyang, who scored the goal, still did not choose to celebrate, but the excited Milan players instantly overwhelmed him.

The little prince, in particular, came up and put his arm around Lu Deyang's shoulder, then punched Karembeu in a show of defiance, as if he had scored the goal himself.

Maldini was also excited about this attack, from the interception to the 90-meter run.

He consistently pushed himself to the limit throughout the day, and the results were gratifying; his hard work was not wasted.

Sometimes he's not afraid of wasting his energy.

The worst thing is when you keep trying to create a good environment for the team, but your teammates still don't score.

Fortunately, Lu Deyang's counter-attack efficiency is amazing, so this situation does not exist.

Maldini grinned so wide you could see his back teeth.

The Sampdoria fans in the stands fell silent once again. Was their farewell only meant with tears in their eyes...?

(End of this chapter)