Chapter 245: Chapter 245
Less than 20 minutes into the start, Seville has already taken the lead, and coach Emery is full of vigor.
"Heh, Serie A teams are just like that, no wonder they only have three Champions League spots."
In his view, for Inter to abandon its defensive foundation of physicality and scrimmage and switch to a passing and control game with Seville is tantamount to self-destruction!
Inter Milan’s players are indeed technically strong, top-tier in Serie A.
But Serie A is not a league rich in a passing and control atmosphere, while Seville, being in La Liga, is uniquely advantaged by constant exposure.
Especially during those years Guardiola was at Barça, all the other 19 teams in La Liga, including Real Madrid, were repeatedly ravaged by Barça’s tiki-taka passing and control.
You learn from experience, imitating what works – after years of learning and practice, the average passing and control level of the entire La Liga alliance has qualitatively improved.
Take that goal just now for example.
Seville’s midfield conducted 12 consecutive passes, and then veteran Reyes suddenly accelerated the pace for a direct pass, coordinating with Baka’s diagonal run, tearing open a big hole in the seemingly impregnable Inter defense!
After that, Banega and Baka — the double B’s — with a simple pass and run pass again run, faced the goalkeeper with opportunities coming one after another.
This tactical drill, they have successfully tested multiple times in training and regular La Liga matches.
A flash of brilliance on the field may become the key to the game’s victory;
But the muscle memory and instinctive reactions honed through years of training and combat are the driving force behind a team’s steady progress.
Now, what’s left for Seville is to proceed systematically and fully implement their tactical thoughts which are as familiar to them as daily life.
As long as we keep playing , we can keep winning in the UEFA Europa League! — that’s what’s in Emery’s mind.
"Boss, Di Marco seems not to be in good form today, do you want to substitute him during halftime?"
In the Inter Milan coaching area, Chiwo anxiously spoke to Mancini.
For this match, the official assistant coach Ehler did not accompany the team to Berlin due to personal matters.
Chiwo naturally stood next to Mancini, temporarily acting as the assistant coach for this match.
This is the position this former Inter treble-winning member has long wanted to stand in, and today his wish finally came true.
Actually, since entering the second half of this season, Chiwo’s importance in the coaching team has far exceeded the old Ehler.
Many times, Mancini would bypass Ehler directly and call Chiwo to his office to discuss the tactical details of the match.
Before this UEFA Europa League final, Chiwo and Mancini held lengthy discussions about the tactics for this match.
The two even argued to the point where their shouting could be heard in the corridor outside the head coach’s office.
"Why Di Marco instead of Santon?"
"Or, the veteran Dambrosio would work too!"
Chiwo believed that starting Di Marco in such an important final of the UEFA Europa League was too risky!
Whether for the team or the player himself, it was no small pressure, but Mancini insisted on his idea.
Mancini’s reason was that Di Marco’s speed and crosses would greatly assist the team’s attack.
Of course, there is another thing Mancini did not say aloud.
At 50, he has an extensive coaching portfolio and is well aware of the cliques in the locker room.
Mancini knows well that within Inter Milan, there’s a small clique of Di Marco, Bonazzoli, and Tang Long.
All three are starting this match, and that’s part of Mancini’s intention.
After losing Icardi, Inter Milan has lost a stable scoring point.
To win the match, they have to rely more on the strength of the team.
"Don’t rush, Christian, let’s watch a bit more," Mancini lightly replied to Chiwo.
Inter Milan moved from ninth in Serie A at the start of the season to climbing to third by the season’s end, securing a Champions League spot and defeating the mighty Juventus to win the Coppa Italia.
The entire season was like a long novel filled with ups and downs, endlessly captivating and stirring!
The players’ hearts surged up and down like a roller coaster.
Playing through such a tumultuous season, wasn’t it a form of spiritual practice?
Every player in Inter Milan has grown significantly in heart and spirit.
They have played matches where they fell behind right from the start.
Captain Ranocchia settled down first, immediately communicating the defensive positions and covering gaps, especially instructing Di Marco’s positioning.
Meanwhile, Tang Long, as the midfield core and tempo setter for Inter, was also actively communicating with South American defensive midfielders Gualin and Medel.
The brief emotions of disappointment flashed through the players’ hearts like a passing moth.
They re-engaged in the game with a reinvigorated spirit.
In other words, even the Serie A Zebra Juventus couldn’t beat us, can you, a second-tier La Liga team, Seville, overturn the world?
At this moment, the Berlin Olympic Stadium resounded with the cheers of Inter fans.
All 75,000 match tickets sold out!
Among them, about 60,000 tickets were allocated by UEFA to fans of both teams.
Out of those 60,000, 40,000 were acquired by Inter Milan fans.