"Did I hear that right?"
Boskov hurried over and asked.
A hundred fans on the pitch—could you even play properly?
Even Pelé wouldn't be able to do that, would he?
"How about adding one more person to work with you? At least then you'd have someone to pass to and catch your breath," Mantovani suggested.
"Why not give both the fans and you guys a goalkeeper? Let your teammates work with you. But a hundred is still too many. How about fifty? Try to pick younger fans and female fans."
Boskov suggested.
He was afraid the male fans might get too excited and injure the players.
Getting one or two injuries before the season had even started would be no good.
"Fine, anything works, Coach."
Dejan Lu nodded.
More than a hundred people really would have left him with too little room to move.
Mantovani immediately went to discuss it with the staff.
Roberto Mancini, Pagliuca, and Nushiali were all called back onto the field.
Nushiali, the backup goalkeeper, was quite an interesting case. He had spent much of his career being named to the squad, yet his appearance rate was less than one-twentieth, setting an extremely awkward record.
After receiving the news, the stadium DJ announced the rules of the game.
Quite a few fans began pitching themselves to the staff on the field, hoping to be picked to go up against the stars.
"You seem to have gone crazy."
Roberto Mancini complained.
He had never imagined that one day he would have to face fifty fans.
Even if they were not professional players, just thinking about their numbers made his scalp tingle.
"Instead of wasting time complaining, why not think about tactics?" Dejan Lu shot back. "I'll be on the ball more anyway. You just need to support me, so keep moving."
"That's true."
Pagliuca nodded.
"Your long passes won't be a problem, right?"
Roberto Mancini asked skeptically.
Pagliuca was an outstanding goalkeeper, but goalkeepers in this era were generally not much good with the ball at their feet.
With fifty people out there, someone would definitely press the goalkeeper. That would be a serious test for Pagliuca.
"Relax. I won't embarrass you guys."
Pagliuca reassured him.
Before long, the fans began filing out of the tunnel.
There were tall and short, fat and thin, men and women, young and old.
For safety reasons, the staff had not selected any elderly fans.
The moment some fans saw the stars, they excitedly crowded around them, chattering away all at once.
Roberto Mancini was quite popular.
But his face was full of helplessness.
He had never been a particularly patient person, but what could he do when facing his supporters?
Dejan Lu pulled Pagliuca aside and quietly laughed.
"All right, all right. Let them get familiar with the ball, then we'll start."
Boskov took the initiative to rescue his beloved player.
Nushiali was sent to guard the fans' goal. He shot Pagliuca a vicious look, intending to teach Dejan Lu and the other two a lesson.
Luigi Ferraris Stadium could barely wait any longer.
Today's unveiling ceremony had been far too entertaining.
A movie-like entrance, handsome men and beautiful women singing passionately together, and now a thrilling three-versus-fifty-one showdown.
It would have been worth buying tickets for this alone.
When they got home, they would definitely have to brag to friends and family who had missed it.
At the whistle, Roberto Mancini kicked the ball to Dejan Lu.
Three fans immediately charged at Dejan Lu together.
All three were male fans, and they had clearly discussed their tactics beforehand.
They certainly would not slide in against their own players, but one of them immediately moved to cut off Roberto Mancini, who was waiting for a square pass from Dejan Lu, while the other two remained cautious.
They rushed at Dejan Lu right away, yet did not stick out a foot.
They had clearly decided not to let Dejan Lu build up any speed.
Even without having seen Dejan Lu's pace, they had still chosen the safest approach.
Professional players or not, the space three men could block was considerable.
Boskov stood at the sideline with his arms folded, very curious to see how Dejan Lu would handle it.
Dejan Lu turned around.
"Smart!"
Boskov exclaimed.
Even though the three fans had been prepared, they panicked the moment they saw Dejan Lu seemingly intending to pass back to the goalkeeper.
They all tried to stop Dejan Lu.
Without even looking back, Dejan Lu knew there was now space behind him. Without hesitation, he flicked the ball with his heel, sending it cleanly through one fan's legs.
Dejan Lu turned again and easily collected the ball.
This time, facing several young fans, Dejan Lu was in no hurry.
He dribbled with tiny steps in front of them, feinting and teasing them.
Every now and then, he deliberately rolled the ball toward a young fan. The instant they stretched out a foot, he pulled it back, and the sight of them stumbling to the ground made the nearby stands burst into laughter.
Noticing more people charging over, Dejan Lu nudged the ball outward with his right foot, immediately dragged it back, then swept it onto his left foot and poked it forward first time.
A flip-flap followed by a knock-and-run!
That dazzling dribble instantly drew excited shouts from around the stadium.
Roberto Mancini, who had been drifting along the side, was already staring with his mouth open.
He had always thought his own technique was quite good, but Dejan Lu's dribbling today was on an entirely different level.
Touch!
The gap in their touch was simply enormous.
The flip-flap had been invented by Brazilian players long ago, but few players could use it well.
Dejan Lu not only executed it with effortless flair, but also switched feet to poke the ball onward, combining two dribbling moves into one.
What happened next made Roberto Mancini unable to stop himself from swearing.
Like a fluttering butterfly, Dejan Lu weaved through the beautiful female fans with magical steps. He used the Marseille turn and various little tricks with consummate ease.
Most importantly, was this even football?
It looked like he was flirting with women on the pitch.
Roberto Mancini clearly saw a female fan grab Dejan Lu's butt.
He had a feeling that when the new season began, he, the team's vice-captain, might no longer be the fans' favorite player.
"Pass it, pass it!!!"
Roberto Mancini, who had been foolishly running around after him for ages, waved his arms and shouted.
Dejan Lu merely turned slightly and glanced over. The fans rushing toward him swarmed toward Roberto Mancini instead.
But Dejan Lu did not pass. He knocked the ball forward and accelerated toward the penalty area.
He had fooled those fans with nothing but his eyes, and there were now almost no fans left in front of him.
Sure enough, everyone at amateur matches hated staying in the penalty area.
Nushiali was numb.
Fuck, even fifty pigs would not have been bypassed that quickly.
With the level of technique Dejan Lu had displayed, and without defenders protecting him, Nushiali dared guarantee that as long as Dejan Lu shot, he would let him score.
In Europe's major leagues, the conversion rate for one-on-ones was under forty percent.
But for top strikers, that figure rose above seventy percent, or even higher.
And that was with opposing players constantly chasing back and applying pressure.
The current situation was no different from shooting practice. Nushiali had no confidence at all that he could make the save.
This goalkeeper, rich in experience from the bench, made his choice.
"Come on!!!"
With a strange cry, he charged straight out of the penalty area.
Dejan Lu was very young, and young meant inconsistent.
Nushiali wanted to create pressure this way and make Dejan Lu mess up when dealing with the one-on-one.
A one-on-one tested not only technique, but also mentality.
Goalkeepers were naturally at a disadvantage, so clever ones tried to seize the initiative.
Gaudy kits and bizarre behavior were all meant to affect the opponent's finishing.
"Pass!"
Seeing Roberto Mancini had followed him all the way, Dejan Lu simply played a square ball.
Roberto Mancini received it and immediately swung a foot. Nushiali went down quickly, and the ball struck his chest before bouncing back toward Dejan Lu.
Some fans had already run back to defend, and Dejan Lu knew he could not delay any longer.
He cut the ball back immediately. Nushiali had no time to get up, so he pushed off with his legs while lying on the ground, spreading himself to cover more space.
Then Dejan Lu suddenly stopped and raised his right foot.
A fake shot!
After the feint, the ball was actually closer to Nushiali, close enough that he could touch it with one hand.
Realizing he had been fooled, Nushiali grew irritated and tried to reach out and push the ball away.
But Dejan Lu reacted faster. Without adjusting, he switched to his left foot and smashed the ball first time. In the next second, it was already nestled in the net.
Clap, clap, clap—
Wonderful!
Brazilian fans cheered for spectacular dribbles.
Italian fans loved flashy technique just as much.
Even Boskov could not help applauding. Not even in his homeland of Yugoslavia had he ever seen a player with such outrageous touch.
Leaving aside those times he dribbled past the fans.
His composure in the penalty area, his successive feints and changes of direction, and finally the balance he showed with both feet.
Boskov was certain that the new number seven would become an important member of the team.
Thanks to Better Go Wash Up and Sleep, and I Only Read Zongheng for the rewards.
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