On September 19, 2004, in the third round of La Liga, Sporting Gijon played an away game against Real Zaragoza.
Estadio La Romeda, home of Zaragoza.
In the home team's locker room.
Li Ang explained his tactical details for the last time, and then he looked at the time on the watch on his wrist.
"Finally, let's talk about something that may have nothing to do with the game." Li Ang looked at his players.
"I believe many people know about those words in the newspapers and some of the things that happened." Li Ang looked gloomy, "I don't want to say too much. I only have one request for this game, win the game!"
"Goal! Score as many goals as possible!"
"Some people may think that it is me, the head coach, who is being humiliated, and it has nothing to do with him. If anyone has such thoughts, please come forward."
Naturally, no fool would stand up. Everyone could see that the head coach was extremely angry.
***********
"The boss is furious," Mata said softly to Carlos.
"Mata, what did you say?" Li Ang immediately noticed Mata.
"Boss, I say, take good care of the Zaragoza people." Mata said quickly.
Li Ang no longer paid attention to Mata, his expression was ferocious, "I believe that some of you here already know what kind of person I am, and some of you don't know yet."
"You are my players. If anyone is bullied, what will I do? I will open my mouth to curse, roll up my sleeves and fight, for no other reason. You are my players and my people! As for what I said
You can find out if this is bragging."
"Boss, we believe you are such a person!" Javier Blanco suddenly stood up. When he was in the B team, Li Ang dared to stand up for the players and face the radical fans, which explained everything.
Li Ang nodded and motioned for Blanco to sit down.
"I say this to make you understand that we are a whole! We all suffer and prosper! You are my players. No matter what happens, I will support you! At the same time, if there is a head coach who provokes you, you should
How to do it?" Li Ang shouted through gritted teeth. In fact, as a head coach, although he has been attacked and humiliated by the opponent's fans, it does not seem appropriate to encourage the whole team to fight like this. However, this is what Li Ang did.
, he felt that he was not wrong. He regarded himself and the players as a whole, and both suffered losses and prospered!
Among the players, those who were promoted with the team last season are also filled with indignation at this time. Li Ang is a coach they respect, especially Carlos, Mata, Marcos, Blanco and other direct descendants brought by Li Ang from the B team.
They share the same hatred!
As for the newly joined players such as Di Natale, Milito and Grosso, Liang is the coach who brought them to La Liga. It can be said that he is a gift. Naturally, they cannot remain indifferent when the head coach is humiliated. Moreover,
, they really think that the people of Zaragoza have gone too far.
***********
Li Ang used such straightforward words and reasoning to call on the whole team to avenge him!
At the same time, he also realized that this time was an opportunity to enhance collectivism education for the whole team and instill the idea of 'one loss, one loss, one glory'. At the same time, the head coach was humiliated and he encouraged the players to fight, which did not hinder his success.
Prestige, on the contrary, will enhance the relationship between the players and the head coach to a certain extent!
The team's captain, Fernando Hierro, and the team's deputy, Demetrio Albertini, two veterans, looked at their teammates who were screaming at the coach's words. They looked at each other and they could feel it.
The coach was really angry.
Regarding the Zaragoza people's provocation and almost racially insulting behavior, the two old football stars also shook their heads and hated this behavior extremely.
Grudges on the football field should be settled on the football field. It is a shame to mix in such messy things!
At this time, assistant coach Scott Terry came over to remind him that it was time to play.
Li Ang punched the table, "Until the whistle blows at the end of the game, the offense will not stop! I need to score goals, I need a big win, more goals!"
"Since they want war, I will give them war!" he roared through gritted teeth.
***********
Players' corridor at La Romareda Stadium.
Players from both sides are divided into two teams, waiting to enter.
Sporting Gijon captain Fernando Hierro stands in front of the queue. To his right is the first person in the queue from Zaragoza, their team captain Savio, and two former Real Madrid stars from the two teams respectively.
The captain on the field is also a highlight of today's game.
"Fernando, how are you in Gijon?" Savio, 30, said hello to Hierro, the 36-year-old veteran captain.
"Not bad." Hierro patted Savio on the shoulder.
Savio glanced at the other Sporting Gijon players and saw that everyone had serious expressions, even angry. He was a little surprised. Logically speaking, it was Zaragoza who was eliminated by Sporting Gijon in the Copa del Rey last season.
It should be Zaragoza that wants anger and revenge. Why are the Gijon people so angry?
"We will go all out for today's game." Hierro suddenly said to Savio with a serious face.
Savio glanced at Hierro, who had lost his smile and had an extremely serious expression, and was shocked.
He was wondering, what on earth motivated these Gijon people?!
Then, when the players from both sides lined up and entered the court, Zaragoza captain Savio understood the reason for all this.
La Romeda Stadium, which can accommodate 34,596 people, was packed with seats and the stands were full of people.
In the center of the stands, a huge cartoon statue is so conspicuous.
This is a huge cartoon, which depicts a sallow-looking Chinese man with long braids from the Qing Dynasty, kneeling in front of a arrogant Westerner!
Considering that the head coach of Sporting Gijon is Chinese, the meaning of this extremely humiliating cartoon is self-evident.
Zaragoza captain Savio had a stern expression and was worried inside. He knew that this was the reason for the anger of the Sporting Gijon people!
In the coaching bench on the sidelines, Li Ang stood there, his eyes fixed on the humiliating cartoon. It was different from the one he saw in the newspaper. Such a huge cartoon was more visually impactful and made him even more angry.
He hates it with all his heart!
"What a bastard! You've pissed me off!"
***********
The camera first showed the huge humiliating cartoon on the stand.
Then, the camera showed a close-up of Li Ang, and the ferocious facial expression of Sporting Gijon's head coach was faithfully presented to all the viewers in front of the TV.
Two shots say it all.
"This is a shame, a shame for Spanish football!" commentator D'Agostino said, "In La Liga, there are fans who use such humiliating and discriminatory behavior to humiliate the opponent's head coach. This is beyond
It’s beyond the realm of football!”
"We saw Coach Li Ang's expression was very ugly. He must be in great pain right now!" Gonzalez said, "Maybe Zaragoza people are still dissatisfied with being eliminated by Sporting Gijon last season, but that's football.
Category, it's something on the football field. They lost to Gijon on the field. If they blame the opponent's head coach for such a failure, and personally attack, discriminate and humiliate the opponent's head coach, then it is simply impossible.
The nightmare and shame of imagination!”
Watching this scene in front of the TV, the Sporting Gijon fans were stunned for a moment, and then became angry.
Li Ang is the hero of the team's promotion and a coach respected and loved by the fans. To be humiliated like this, they feel the same and they cannot accept it!
This scene in the stands is destined to become a controversial topic after the game, but now, after all, it has begun.
***********
Li Ang arranged a 4411 formation today. The goalkeeper is the veteran Valencia, the left back is the Italian Grosso, the center back is Pepe and the veteran Hierro, and the right back is still the main player from last season.
Player Dorado.
In the midfield, Albertini's injury proved to be no big problem, so today he started with Carlos to form a double midfielder, with Ribery appearing at the left midfielder position.
On the front line, Leon used Milito's single arrow, but behind Milito was Di Natale, whose task was to support Milito.
It is worth mentioning that Mata's position today is what Li Ang has been practicing in training. However, today's game is the first time that Mata has assumed such an important position and role.
In Sporting Gijon's midfield, Albertini is the metronome, and his role is to coordinate the game. Therefore, Sporting Gijon's midfielder lacks a real organizer, or it can be understood that it lacks an attacking midfielder.
These players in the Sporting Gijon team do not have a true attacking midfielder, neither Mata nor Modric.
Li Ang has been thinking about how to use the existing player configuration to solve the organizer's problem.
Finally, I thought about how in the original time process, Manchester City's Silva and Chelsea's Mata respectively performed an era change that led the development of Premier League football.
That is the use and promotion of the midfielder technology.
As the name suggests, the wing midfielder combines the playing styles and characteristics of the wing midfielder and the attacking midfielder. It breaks through the limitations of their positions and range of activities on the court and uses their good passing, control and dribbling abilities to roam.
In the frontcourt. This type of player often combines the brains of a field commander and the dribbling skills of a wide attacker. This is also the fundamental reason why the front midfielders can change the game in a smaller range and space.
There is such a group of players: they are short, but they have the ability to dominate the game while talking and laughing; they are thin, but their moves are unique in the world; they are not amazing in appearance, but they are good at waiting for opportunities to deliver fatal blows; they are never the focus of the spotlight, but
It is the real key to victory for your team.
People have always had the illusion that a midfielder with a thin body but outstanding skills is synonymous with flashiness. However, the emergence of the midfielder changed everything.
Of course, so far, discrimination against thin players is also a common view in La Liga. Mata's outstanding performance in Gijon has made this little guy famous, but it has not really caused those wealthy clubs to actively poach.
It's because of worries about Mata's thin body.
At this time, no one has realized the role that Li Ang played in this position today, called the midfielder position, and the profound impact it has had on football.
ps: I have been looking for information about Zaragoza for several hours. Finally, I would like to thank my book friend Reed Ma Jiahuang for his help.
For competitive novels, finding information is the most painful. Looking for information in 2004 was really crazy. Because it took so long, a lot of information that was available online is now gone.
An update today.
There will be a surprise on the 27th, which is Sunday, well, tomorrow. (To be continued.)
