Chapter 243: Chapter 243
Tonight, the Berlin Olympic Stadium is resplendent with light!
This stadium was built in 1936.
In April 1945, the Soviet Red Army launched the Battle of Berlin and attacked Germany.
The Soviet army set fire to the archives of the Third Reich stored in the Olympic Bell Tower, and the bell tower was severely damaged by the fire. The Berlin Olympic Stadium only suffered minor damage from machine guns and was one of the few buildings to remain intact during World War II.
Today, this old stadium has been renovated many times and looks brand new! It can accommodate 75,000 spectators to watch the game live.
Outside the stadium, cameras and reporters can be seen everywhere reporting the live situation of the match. Among them, the luxurious reporter group from CCTV is particularly eye-catching.
They are all dressed in Chinese red, cheering for Tang Long on the spot.
"Dear viewers, this is a live broadcast from outside the Berlin Olympic Stadium in Germany!"
"It is now May 28, 2015, 7 o’clock local time in the evening. In half an hour, the UEFA Europa League final between Inter Milan and Sevilla will kick off!"
"The players have completed their warm-up and are in the locker room making the final preparations before the match."
"I believe that at this moment, whether it’s Inter or Sevilla, the players are ready to step onto the field with the determination for a decisive battle!"
"The spectators are all seated, and it is reported that all 75,000 tickets for this game were sold out instantly!"
"Fans from Spain’s Sevilla and Italy’s Inter Milan even had an intense showdown on the streets of Berlin this morning."
"It is reported that the security level in Berlin has been raised to an unprecedented height."
"Everywhere you look, there are police officers and security personnel, as well as many high-riding patrol staff."
"The match is about to begin, let’s hand over the time to the studio, to the host!"
In the CCTV studio, He Wei and Zhang Lu are also excited!
This season, CCTV broadcast every game of Inter Milan live, witnessing Inter Milan’s rise and Tang Long’s growth along with audiences across the country.
Two-thirds of the games started at 2:45 a.m. China time!
This truly made it hard for domestic audiences.
They cursed the late-night Serie A schedule while honestly getting up during the night, with red eyes to watch Inter’s games.
As long as Inter won, even if they didn’t sleep well, the fans who stayed up would quickly wash their faces and happily go to work or school the next day.
Now, the 38 rounds of Serie A this season have all concluded.
But Inter Milan’s journey is not over yet; Tang Long’s battle for European glory is taking place!
"He Wei, I commentated on 30 of Tang Long’s games with you in this studio."
"What gratifies me is not Tang Long’s wonderful goals and assists but the visibly growing abilities he demonstrates in each match!" Zhang Lu commented with emotion.
"That’s right, Coach Zhang, you’re correct. Tang Long is only 18 years old; he has immense potential and room for growth, and his future is boundless!"
"Okay, now both teams’ players are in the players’ tunnel."
"Let me briefly introduce the starting lineup for both sides."
"Sevilla is playing in a 4231 formation, with Baka as the lone striker!"
"Behind him is the attacking midfielder Banega; on the left is Binotto, and on the right is Reyes."
"The two defensive midfielders are Kreke and Mbia."
"The center-backs are Ichaq and Caliso."
"The left-back is Trei, and the right-back is Alex."
"The goalkeeper is the 1.96-meter-tall Rico, the tallest on the field!"
He Wei looked at the starting line-ups of the two teams and turned a page.
When he saw the Inter Milan emblem, he couldn’t help but clear his throat.
"Alright, let me introduce Inter Milan’s starting lineup!"
"They also started with the same 4231 formation as Sevilla."
"The lone striker is Bonazzoli."
"The attacking midfielder is Tang Long!"
"Shaqiri is on the left, and Podolski on the right."
"The two defensive midfielders are Gualin and Medel."
"Left-back is Di Marco, center-backs are Ranocchia and Juan, and right-back is Yuto Nagatomo."
"Goalkeeper, Handanovic!"
Seeing this starting lineup, Coach Zhang in the studio was also intrigued.
As he looked at Inter’s two starting full-backs, he contemplated:
"It seems that Inter’s coach Mancini has studied Sevilla well. In this match, Inter’s left-back is Di Marco, and the right-back is Yuto Nagatomo. Both full-backs are just over 1.70 meters tall."
"If this were in Serie A, Mancini would never line up this way as it would lower the average height of the defensive line."
He Wei also nodded thoughtfully and responded:
"Sevilla is a typical La Liga possession team, and the average stature of the players is not tall. According to the data I got, Sevilla’s average height is 1.79 meters, while Inter’s starting lineup is 1.80 meters."
"But Sevilla’s players are very skillful on the ball and very fast, such as Baka, Reyes, and Bito, who all have great footwork. The right-back Alex is also a small, quick, and agile player."
"Therefore, Mancini also fielded Di Marco and Yuto Nagatomo to respond accordingly."
"It seems that this game both sides will focus on ground play, coming for a technical flow offensive duel!"
Serie A teams competing with La Liga teams in technical play also filled the audience with anticipation.
It is well-known that La Liga emphasizes possession and speed, while Serie A teams emphasize overall team operation, offense, and defense integration.
But tonight, Mancini is going against the grain, challenging Sevilla in speed and technique in Berlin!
Sevilla coach Emery also just received the starting lineup.
As he stood on the bench watching the Inter players emerge one by one from the players’ tunnel, he did not see Santon and Dambrosio, two of Inter’s main full-backs.
Emery was delighted! He couldn’t help but clench his fists, cheering in his heart.
Sevilla’s players were already shorter than Inter Milan on average; their strength is in technique, their weakness is in physique, scared of being bullied by opponents using physical strength.
Now, Inter Milan replaced two tall players in the full-back positions with two small, quick, and agile players, isn’t this just to his liking?
Play chain defense, play physical combat, my Sevilla may not compete with Inter Milan;
But on the ground, playing with technique, playing possession, ha-ha — sorry, even if the Serie A giants Juventus come, you have to respect Sevilla three points!
The players on both sides are in position.
Tang Long stood in the center circle, deliberately calling Di Marco over.
Di Marco, Bonazzoli, and Tang Long whispered together.
The striker Baka on the opposite side looked at the three with disdain.
Still covering their mouths, who can hear what you’re saying?
Just putting on a show!
Di Marco and Bonazzoli listened carefully to Tang Long’s instructions, nodding continuously.
With the referee’s whistle, Bonazzoli gently tapped the ball, and Tang Long passed it back to Gualin!
75,000 fans at the Berlin Olympic Stadium erupted in thunderous cheers.
The UEFA Europa League final is officially underway!
A bald man wearing sunglasses chewed gum.
His calm demeanor stood in stark contrast to the excited fans around him.
He was the then-Bayern coach Guardiola.
Although the Bundesliga was over, with the entire team on holiday.
But Guardiola didn’t want to miss this UEFA Europa League final.
Especially since Bayern’s summer focus, Tang Long, was starting.
Guardiola watched everything happening on the field...