If you are a brother, come and play football

Chapter 261 The Legitimacy of Rome in Milan (Please Subscribe)
Back in the locker room, the teammates were excitedly discussing the upcoming game.

Those hooligans in Rome never give up, which is why Milan is willing to play against them.

Even if it's just a job, football encompasses so much more.

Players with even a modicum of sense of honor are too lazy to play against teams that are just going through the motions.

Even if we have to use buses, it's all for the sake of victory.

But it's pointless to just give up.

Competitive sports and games lose much of their appeal without the competition.

Besides, these old guys are all people with a strong sense of honor, and they like opponents who are hard to kill.

"Francisco, were you really groomed to be the captain when you were in Rome?"

"I asked Costacurta."

In football, captaincy is generally based on seniority. Even if there are exceptions, Totti is too young.

"Why would I lie to you? When I was first promoted to the first team, both the new owner and the coach told me that I would be the future captain. Giannini also told me that."

Totti said with a proud look on his face.

Buffon, who had finally made it into the squad, curled his lip in disapproval.

He was actually a little jealous of Totti.

To be fair, he comes from a family of athletes, while Totti's family are just ordinary people.

Both were not good students, yet Totti was seen as the future of Rome and Italy.

Even in Milan, these old Italians treated Totti differently.

They're all about the same age, but Totti is the starter and he's the third-choice goalkeeper. It's impossible to say there's no difference in their performance.

"Looking at it this way, Milan is still better. Perhaps this is the Milan dream."

Maldini said with a smile.

"Bullshit, I would never have come if it weren't for Deyan."

Totti muttered something under his breath, but it still made Maldini look embarrassed.

As a native of the capital, Totti also has his own pride; looking at Milan is no different from looking at nouveau riche.

Milan is richer than Rome in the central region.

We loathe each other.

This is no different from the transfer of the former Beijing Guoan youth academy graduate to Shanghai Shenhua.

Sacchi, who had been waiting on the sidelines for a while, said, "As you all know, Dejan won't be starting today, so I hope you can score more goals when Dejan isn't on the field."

The response from the locker room was lukewarm.

Sacchi didn't say much.

His return to Milan was not very well received.

Not to mention the carefree young people, even Baresi is getting a bit tired of it.

Over the years, Sacchi, Sacchi's assistant coach, and Capello have truly treated them like soldiers.

Baresi even doubted whether Italian soldiers faced such harsh conditions as they did.

After warming up, Lu Deyang sat on the bench, a move that drew sighs from the away fans in the stands.

With Van Basten injured and Lu Deyang on the bench, the team's star power was significantly reduced today.

However, both teams have a lot of star players. Apart from these top players in the football world, even Roma's starting lineup has a group of first-class players, not just a few.

Lu Deyang was most familiar with Mayor Tomasi.

Players who manage to get on the first team always leave a lasting impression.

However, because of the transfer of the little prince, Rome also gained a president.

It's not fair to say this deal was a loss.

"The Roma fans booed Totti loudly, calling him a traitor. It's hard to understand what the Roma fans were thinking. Totti had said since he was very young that he wanted to play with Dejan. Did he not even have the freedom to play when he joined Roma's youth team? When he left, he left Roma with a transfer fee almost as high as Ronaldo's, and when Roma got him, they didn't even pay a signing bonus."

"Today's match is destined to be intense. Let's take a look at the starting lineups first. If Dejan doesn't start, I don't think we'll play very smoothly."

Rome 442:

Goalkeeper: Sterschke
Defenders: Marco Lanna, Aldair, Trotta, Anoni

Midfielders: Capilio, Bernardini, Di Baggio, Tommasi

Forwards: Balbo, George Weah.

Milan 442:

Goalkeeper: Rossi
Defenders: Maldini, Baresi, Costacurta, Panucci

Midfielders: Davids, Redondo, Albertini, Emilio
Forwards: Baggio, Totti.

"This match is another 4-4-2 battle between the two sides, but the 4-4-2 formation may not be as effective as they think."

"Sacchi's insistence on the 4-4-2 formation is hard to understand, but after the game we can see the specifics, and perhaps his thinking is more correct?"

The match began amidst the jeers and shouts of the Roma fans.

Italians use the same three insults: traitor, snake, and insulting the other person's female relatives.

Totti's presence has objectively given Italians another way to hurl insults—educational discrimination.

"Is he going to be okay?"

Buffon asked worriedly.

"Don't worry, he's Francisco."

Lu Deyang said with a smile.

Successful people are usually very resilient.

Totti and Beckham, former and current teammates of the two "King of the Road," have both suffered national and even international condemnation in the national team for red cards and other incidents.

But they all pulled through.

This little incident is nothing to Totti.

Beckham also has a very resilient character, but he is so famous that others tend to overlook these aspects. Many of the later British stars had some psychological issues. If they had learned from their predecessors, they wouldn't have fallen so quickly.

"I'm worried that idiot will get a red card."

Buffon said, feigning disdain.

"That's possible."

Lu Deyang nodded and said, "The little prince is not a good-tempered person."

After saying that, he turned to Maldini nearby and shouted, "Tell the forwards to keep an eye on Francesco, don't let that kid get a red card."

Maldini chuckled and turned to say, "You're really good to him. If it weren't for the age discrepancy, I would have thought he was your illegitimate son."

"If you like, you can call him Father."

Lu Deyang said irritably.

Maldini immediately shut up and ran forward, pretending nothing had happened.

Buffon then said, "Maldini is really good-natured in front of you."

"It's alright. You'll have that kind of status in the future. Status is earned through ability."

Lu Deyang said with a smile.

Buffon thought for two minutes before finally smiling.

It turns out that Lu Deyang thought he would become a great star in the future.

Let's set a small goal first: to become the new Yashin.

While they were talking, Balbo suddenly dribbled past his opponent and passed the ball to the wing, where Lanna, making a run forward, fired a long-range shot that broke through Milan's goal.

Surrounded by his teammates, Lanna immediately looked at Lu Deyang.

Lu Deyang nodded from afar.

It's not a good time to give your opponent a thumbs up.

Lanna has grown a lot in recent years, but it's not easy for him to secure a starting position as Roma's full-back on the pitch.

Roma has spent just as much money as the big clubs over the years, especially after the Sensi family acquired the club.

Even more surprisingly, Balbo scored a goal himself not long after.

Milan were eager to equalize after conceding a goal, which Roma capitalized on.

Balbo is quite fast, and his rival in the national team is the "Son of the Wind," Caniggia, which is the most unfortunate thing.

Just like how Higuain couldn't be selected for the national team.

Even if Balbo doesn't start, he's good enough to be a substitute or a surprise weapon, even for the Argentine national team.

However, Basile doesn't seem to like him much; a striker with 20 goals and assists in Serie A is quite unfortunate.

Similar to Miku and Zidane.

Balbo's opponents are even more formidable, not only in terms of skill but also in terms of connections. Whoever is the Argentine coach will want Maradona to have a good time, making Caniggia's position unshakeable.

Judging from today's performance, he's in better shape than the drug-addicted Wind Child.

These two goals made Roma fans even more excited.

They brazenly insulted the Little Prince from the stands.

"Totti is a gorilla in the zoo..."

"Totti has no brains!"

Go play with your ass!

The last sentence is fine in meaning when translated literally, but it's an Italian swear word.

The little prince was indeed furious. If Baggio hadn't been holding him from behind, he might have kicked the Roma fan.

Lu Deyang covered his face; he knew this would happen.

Roma fans are known for causing trouble.

The little prince has a bad temper.

It's no wonder that such a situation could lead to anything good.

The first half ended with a score of 2-0.

Sacchi stormed into the locker room, looking around and glaring at every player.

“I have no problem with the first goal, but what were you doing the second one?” Sacchi asked, slapping the tactical board. “If this is all the players you are, I have nothing to say. You lose your minds as soon as you lose the ball. No wonder the Roma fans are mocking you.”

rub--

Totti suddenly jumped up.

He was the one being mocked by Rome.

Lu Deyang stood up and pulled Totti back, saying, "Something on the bench just pricked him. Coach, please continue."

Totti looked at Lu Deyang, who patted his arm, signaling him to listen quietly.

As a player, you can't exactly punch Sacchi, can you?

Even if you beat them up, what happens afterward?
Cassano is such a scoundrel, yet he didn't lift a finger even after his relationship with Capello broke down.

Sacchi waited half a minute before continuing, "I only have one request, and that is to win the game. You guys figure it out."

After saying that, Sacchi left the locker room.

"Don't be so impulsive. Even if you're going to hit someone, hit a Roma fan. If Roma fans insult you, and you hit the Milan coach, Roma fans will probably laugh themselves to death."

Lu Deyang advised.

It's wrong to take your anger out on others.

However, Sacchi also doesn't consider the players at all when he speaks.

If it were Ferguson, he would definitely comfort Totti.

Ferguson was very patient with young talents.

Sacchi believes that people of all ages should be mature and obedient, which explains why he retired early.

Most players can't handle this kind of approach.

"Dejan is right, scoring a goal is the best response," Maldini said with a smile.

Baresi nodded in agreement.

Totti wasn't ungrateful; he sat there quietly, lost in thought. The fifteen-minute break passed in the blink of an eye.

The players from both sides walked out of the locker room.

"Marco!"

"Deyang!"

Lanna walked up excitedly and said, "I didn't expect you to actually come back to Serie A."

"How have you been lately? I heard you found a girlfriend?"

Lu Deyang asked.

Lanna said somewhat awkwardly, "We met at the fried chicken shop."

"You play football in Rome and also work part-time in Milan?"

Lu Deyang asked in surprise.

Totti, standing nearby, explained, "He often works part-time at Monica Hamburger in Rome, but the newspapers don't bother to report on it."

Lu Deyang smiled and shook his head.

Lanna is a pretty loyal guy.

Let's give him a big gift when he gets married.

Time was short, and after a brief chat, they all went on the field. Lu Deyang returned to the bench.

“Milan played very hard today. Davies was constantly battling with the opponent, and Totti was also quite aggressive. Sacchi didn’t seem to want Dejan to play. Perhaps our coach is trying to prove his point.”

“I admit that Sacchi is a good coach, but he needs to face the fact that Dejan has never lost, but he has lost many times. He wants to use his tactics to win every game, but it would be more reliable to let Dejan play 45 minutes every game.”

During the live broadcast, Krudelli mocked, "Milan shouldn't have invited him to continue coaching. We all know Sacchi isn't very popular with the players. With Dejan and the current squad, it would be better to find a coach who can keep the players entertained. Times have changed, and the team's 20-plus star players don't want to continue being Sacchi's soldiers."

As someone with inside information, he was well aware of the players' feelings towards Sacchi.

This is no secret.

Not everyone can control their emotions.

To reiterate, even Baresi doesn't want to be constantly on edge while working.

As the match progressed, Lu Deyang also noticed some problems.

Milan's main problem is the lack of understanding in midfield. Baggio and Totti are not fast, making it difficult for them to break through Lana and Aldair on the counter-attack.

Trota also played very steadily today.

Italian defenders all share this characteristic.

Sixty minutes had passed, so Lu Deyang simply chose to participate in the lottery.

[Your good friend Steve Bruce has always been a grateful player. Even when the coach is a bit harsh on him, he rarely gets angry. So, select a player with a bad temper who has fallen out with his mentor. Ding! You have obtained a single-match trial card for the 15th round of the 2002-2003 Serie A season, Roma vs. Lazio. Anthony Cassano]

What the hell!

Cassano.

A stunning debut, but a waste of talent.

Even as his career declined, his talent for playing football was still evident.

His indulgence in wine and women transformed him from a golden boy into someone who only occasionally had flashes of brilliance.

But with a natural feel for the ball, you can't lose it.

Many times, when he receives long passes, it's as if his feet have shock absorption; he still dribbles past opponents with ease.

This is a player whose passing is somewhat regrettable.

He amazed the world when he debuted, and both Italian commentators and Chinese commentators broadcasting Serie A were astonished by his talent.

If he had been a little more normal in temperament and a little more self-disciplined, he could have become one of the best players in Italian history. Compared to Baggio, Cassano only started to suffer from injuries towards the end of his career.

Considering his situation, this should be related to his lifestyle habits.

He was almost injury-free in the early stages, and with his talent, this was the same start as Ronaldo and Messi, except that he failed to make the most of his perfect start.

Using Cassano against Roma would be the perfect match.

Lu Deyang waited on the bench for Sacchi to make a substitution.

Tardelli couldn't hold back any longer and stepped forward to ask, "Arigo, aren't we going to trade Dejan?"

"hold on."

Saki said directly.

He really didn't want to substitute Lu Deyang if the team could score.

Otherwise, those reporters would become even more arrogant.

Arrigo Sacchi rose from a shoemaker's apprentice to his current position entirely through his own talent and hard work.

Since becoming a championship coach, Sacchi has vowed in his heart that he will not let anyone underestimate him.

Tardelli looked at the field with some concern.

Roma are faster than Milan; their players are very fast.

Milan's constant search for goals has given Roma numerous opportunities; had it not been for their excellent defense, the score would have continued to widen.

If he were in charge, he would immediately bring on Lu Deyang; even if Lu Deyang couldn't score directly, he could still stabilize the players' morale.

Such a hasty attack is really worrying.

On the field, Di Baggio passed the ball to Tommasi.

Tomasi quickly passed the ball across, and together with his teammate, they used a one-two to outmaneuver Davis.

Milan's defensive attention inevitably shifted to this side, but Tommasi calmly turned and passed the ball to Balbo. Balbo didn't take the ball, but instead made a through pass into the penalty area without stopping it.

This time, fearing interference from the defender, Rossi and Weah arrived near the ball almost simultaneously. Rossi could have used his hands to hold the ball down, but Weah couldn't stop and swung his foot forward.

"Rossi may get injured, which is a real blow to AC Milan."

"Sacchi finally got the players up to warm up. It was Gianluigi Buffon, whom we all know almost became an Albanian international. His grandfather's brother was AC Milan legend Lorenzo Buffon."

"Is Dejan about to play? He's talking to Sacchi, Dejan has taken off his training jacket, Dejan is about to play!!!"

Krudelli leaned against you, cheering excitedly.

The same applies to the away fans' stands.

At this point, only Lu Deyang could lead them to victory against their opponents.

"I never expected to come on as a substitute alongside you, Dejan."

Buffon said somewhat nervously.

"You'll get used to it eventually, but you'll soon become a key player, playing more minutes than I have," Lu Deyang said with a smile.

Young man.

This is no ordinary person.

Not only did they outlive three generations of goalkeepers, but they also maintained a world-class level of play for many years.

Regardless of who is the best goalkeeper, it is difficult for the young player to fall out of the top three, and he will at least be in the top five.

This level of performance is quite reassuring.

The most important thing for a goalkeeper is to be steady.

Keeping players with the same high-energy mentality as De Gea is not advisable. No matter how many brilliant saves you make before, a low-level mistake at the end will throw away all the points.

As the old saying goes, a skilled warrior achieves victory without making a great show of it.

A well-positioned goalkeeper can often thwart an opponent's attack without needing to make a spectacular save.

If you keep relying on saves, then your positioning is definitely the problem.

"Deyang!"

"Deyang!"

"Deyang!"

The away fans cheered continuously from the stands.

Lu Deyang and Buffon walked to the sidelines together; Rossi's injury didn't give them much time to warm up.

Rossi was carried off the field on a stretcher, and the fourth official raised the substitution sign.

Buffon replaced Rossi, and Lu Deyang replaced Edgar Davies.

The two jogged into the field together, then immediately separated, one in front of the other.

Just then, the referee awarded a free kick to the backfield, and Buffon simply went up and stood in the penalty area to prepare for the kickoff.

Upon receiving the referee's signal, he immediately and gently kicked the ball out with the inside of his foot.

It's obvious that they haven't built up confidence yet and are afraid of making mistakes.

After passing the ball to Redondo, Maldini turned around and gave Buffon a thumbs-up.

Buffon immediately smiled.

Redondo had just received the ball when Tommasi rushed up to him.

Roma really want to win at home today.

The team, which was originally known for its fighting spirit, has become like a mad dog.

The referee's lenient officiating emboldened the Roma players' actions, which were far from minor fouls.

Both teams made better use of their opponents.

Fearing he wouldn't be able to steal the ball, Tomasi reached out and grabbed Redondo's arm.

Redondo wasn't going to tolerate his bad behavior. He swung his shoulder and arm, and if Tomasi didn't let go, Redondo's arm would hit Tomasi's face.

This versatile individual ultimately chose to let go.

Redondo then turned and passed the ball to Albertini.

Albertini was also in no hurry, waiting for the Roma players to press him before passing the ball to the advancing Panucci.

Panucci passed it back to Costacurta, who then passed it to Maldini.

Maldini received the ball and attempted to start his run, but was immediately pressed by Tommasi. Even under these circumstances, he still chose to pass the ball back.

Baresi tried to find Baggio, who had dropped back, with a through pass, but the opponent saw through his plan and Di Baggio rushed in and tackled the ball away first.

Redondo launched a long ball, but this time he lost control of the direction, and the ball went straight into the attacking third.

With Baggio absent, Lu Deyang and Totti made forward runs together.

The little prince was really going all out today, showing no mercy to his former teammates.

As he jumped up to aim for the landing point and took off with Aldair, he spread his arms wide, and his elbows hit Aldair directly in the chest.

However, this action was mainly for venting frustration, and the ball was headed away by the opponent.

*Beep*—At that moment, the referee blew his whistle.

"Totti, you were too impulsive. You got a yellow card while challenging for a header. Although it didn't have a big impact, the yellow card was completely unnecessary."

"In comparison," Krudelli remarked, "Dejan played in Serie A at a similar age and hasn't even received a single card yet. While we don't expect Totti to be like Dejan, it would be beneficial for him to control his emotions a little."

Totti walked back with his neck stiffened, like a general who had won a great victory.

Lu Deyang smiled and shook his head.

This guy.

Roma's backfield kickoff was purely a time-wasting tactic, forcing Baggio and Ludjohn to press and prevent them from passing the ball further from their own half.

Redondo also noticed this, and pushed forward very far, charging directly at Bernardini.

Bernardini tried to pass to Tomasi, but Maldini, who came up on the field, blocked it with his foot.

He deliberately ran to the right wing, and after receiving the ball, Maldini quickly passed it to the left wing.

Even though the defenders were all there, he was confident that Lu Deyang could score.

With almost no impact, Lu Deyang easily stopped the hasty long pass at his feet.

He then started his run in front of Anoni, followed by a dribble and cut inside into the penalty area, shaking off Trotta and turning to unleash a shot.

boom--

He took a shot directly from the top corner of the penalty area, and the ball rolled all the way into the far right corner of the goal.

His first shot after coming on as an outside player changed the score.

Cheers finally erupted from the away fans' stands.

(End of this chapter)