The evening of August 14, at Amsterdam's Cruyff Stadium in the Netherlands.
The second leg of the third round of the Champions League qualifying playoffs: Ajax hosted Standard Liège.
When Standard Liège head coach Prudhomme walked into Cruyff Stadium, more than fifty thousand fans unleashed a furious chorus of boos at him. It moved him somewhat, because he had rarely faced such a scene in Belgium.
But he soon understood why.
He could only smile bitterly. Reporting Yang Yang and Ajax to UEFA had not been his decision.
But it no longer mattered. He was Standard Liège's head coach, and it was perfectly normal for him to take the blame for the club management's decision.
Still, the boos from the Ajax fans made Prudhomme's already heavy mood even more oppressive.
Was Ajax a strong team?
That depended on one's perspective.
Setting Yang Yang aside, Ajax actually was not that strong. The team had been falling before the Champions League group stage for several consecutive years, and had been finishing as runners-up in the Eredivisie year after year. A team like that could not be considered particularly strong.
Especially over the past few years, one core player after another had left. The squad that had finished second in the Europa League two years ago had basically been gutted.
That was why so many people questioned Yang Yang's decision. Some even felt he was throwing his career away.
Prudhomme had originally thought the same, but after the first leg between the two sides, he completely overturned his old prejudices.
Ajax—or rather, Ajax under Yang Yang—was genuinely very strong.
He could not describe the feeling precisely, nor could he fully explain exactly where the team's strength lay. But Ajax truly felt powerful. Their attack was strong, their midfield control was strong, and their