Napoli Erupts in Riots and Looting! "We Need a Tang Long of Our Own!"
The entire Stadio Giuseppe Meazza erupted in frenzy.
Many fans, with tears in their eyes, applauded and cheered with deep emotion for the heroes who paid tribute on the field.
It's worth noting that last November, they were only ranked ninth in Serie A.
At the time, many media outlets used a mocking tone to describe Inter Milan's goal of qualifying for the UEFA Champions League set at the beginning of the season.
"Inter Milan's season is already over after only 10 rounds!"
"Since the UEFA Champions League was restructured, no Serie A team has ever finished 9th in the league after the first 10 rounds and then managed to finish in the top four at the end of the season—especially considering that Serie A only has three UEFA Champions League spots this season."
"Inter Milan will have to pay the price for their mediocre squad and failed tactics!"
"Nerazzurri's season is over! The players can go on vacation early!"
Subsequently, amidst a chorus of criticism, Mazzarri, bearing the "reputation" of being a "freeloader," resigned in disgrace.
Mancini's return from Britain was a turning point for Inter Milan this season.
After a 0-3 away defeat to Sampdoria in their opening match, a stressed-out Mancini began to reflect on his mistakes, abandoning the beautiful attacking style of football he had implemented at Manchester City and instead adopting a more pragmatic Serie A conservative approach in Serie A.
According to foreign media, Tang Long's promotion was orchestrated by Mancini, marking another instance of Mancini promoting a rising star within Inter Milan, following Balotelli.
The media praised Mancini for promoting new talent, as Tang Long's emergence completely reversed Inter Milan's unfavorable attacking situation.
The outstanding performances of Long and Icardi helped Inter Milan overcome all obstacles and advance triumphantly in the league.
The Northern Expedition in the standings!
They didn't win every game.
They lost to Juventus and Lazio, and also drew with Napoli.
However, they won most of the games they were supposed to win, and even the games they couldn't win had some pleasant surprises.
In the end, Inter Milan defeated their city rivals 2-0 in the Derby della Madonnina in the final round of Serie A, achieving their second consecutive league derby victory and humiliating their opponents. They also squeezed into the top three of the league in the final round, directly qualifying for the UEFA Champions League group stage next season!
"This is a wonderful moment, unbelievable! I thought we had already failed at the beginning of the season..."
Inter Milan captain Ranocchia hugged Tang Long tightly, his tears still flowing, soaking the back of Tang Long's jersey.
"As long as our whole team unites, there is no opponent we cannot defeat, Captain!"
Tang Long and Ranocchia stood facing each other, embracing tightly, unwilling to let go for a long time.
A dozen or so photographers had already rushed onto the field, surrounding the two and snapping photos incessantly.
This scene has become one of the most classic moments of Inter Milan's season.
Some are happy, some are sad!
At the same time.
Napoli, located 600 kilometers south of Milan.
The 70,000 spectators inside the Stadio San Paolo were completely silent.
Napoli fans couldn't believe that their victory had slipped away in the final round!
Napoli suffered a surprising defeat against Udinese, who had already secured their place in the league.
They were ahead of Inter Milan for almost the entire season!
However, in this long marathon of 38 rounds, Inter Milan overtook them by half a step in the final stretch.
Faced with this cruel reality, the Napoli players were deeply saddened, and many shed tears of sorrow.
Argentina Higuain, the team's top scorer with 18 league goals, stood on the field with a blank expression, looking around aimlessly.
He was breathing heavily, somewhat dazed.
Even when sweat dripped from his forehead into his eyes, he didn't blink once.
Is this the end of the season?
After a year of hard work, they didn't even qualify for the UEFA Champions League.
Inside the VIP box in the stands of the Stadio San Paolo.
The president of Napoli and Italy film industry tycoon De Laurentiis was furious.
He smashed the expensive bottle of red wine he was holding on the ground, shattering it into pieces.
"This match is a disgrace to southern Italy football!"
De Laurentiis roared like a mad lion, completely disregarding the fact that Napoli's most distinguished guest was sitting next to him—the football legend Maradona.
Maradona was silently puffing on his cigar.
He knew that the Napoli of today was no longer the invincible team he led in the 1990s, which had dominated Serie A and Europe competitions.
"Mr. Chairman, I have a way to guarantee Napoli's qualification for the UEFA Champions League next season," Maradona said.
De Laurentiis was taken aback, then plopped down in a seat. "What do you mean?"
"Buy Tang and take him to Napoli." A hint of mockery flashed in Maradona's eyes.
De Laurentiis also understood Maradona's unspoken message.
Bringing Tang Long to Napoli is absolutely impossible.
Let's not even talk about how many wealthy families in the world are eyeing this 18-year-old rising star.
Real Madrid, Barca, Manchester City, Chelsea, Bayern, Liverpool, Paris Saint-Germain...
Who can Napoli compete with?
Simply put, given Napoli's status, trying to poach Inter Milan's key players—the world hasn't gotten to that point yet, has it?
Maradona's unspoken message was, "Mr. Chairman, if you want to win the UEFA Champions League, or even Serie A, you'll have to spend money on players!"
As night fell, a sense of unease crept into Napoli.
The gates of the Stadio San Paolo burst open with a roar, as if releasing a long-suppressed storm, and 70,000 excited spectators surged out like a tidal wave!
Disappointment and anger were intertwined on their faces, like a group of out-of-control thugs who were turning their emotions into destructive force and scattering them wantonly on the streets.
This ancient city in southern Italy, known for its complex history and unruly character, now carries an added layer of sin.
Flames shot into the sky!
Fireworks, like angry dragons, crackled and exploded in the night sky, dazzling yet dangerous.
Light and smoke mingled, shrouding the entire city in chaos, as if in protest against the disastrous 2014-2015 season!
The jewelry store window shattered under the impact, scattering brilliant light along with shards of glass.
The storefront of the retail supermarket was violently kicked open, and bread, lettuce, and cheese were scattered all over the floor, trampled on by people.
The computer mall's screens were smashed in the chaos, and the flickering electronic lights gradually went out;
Even the ATMs at the 24-hour bank were teetering on the verge of collapse amidst the roaring noise!
The dilapidated red-brick residential buildings were not spared either; windows shattered amidst deafening noise, revealing the terrified eyes of the women and children inside.
Looting, vandalism, and rioting!
(Free shopping on the streets of Napoli)
The sound of shattering glass was crisp and piercing, like a desperate cry, intertwining with the urgent and continuous wailing of the alarm, creating a symphony of chaos and unease.
It permeated every street, every corner, shaking the very heart of the city—this storm sparked by football.
"We Napoli will never bow down to the northerners!"
"Napoli didn't lose to Inter Milan, we just lost to that China guy!"
"Napoli needs its own Tang Long!"
"De Laurentiis! Where is the hero of Napoli?"
"Maradona, please make a comeback!"
The fans chanted, roared, and marched through the streets, holding up banners.
Many people watched the replay of the Derby della Madonnina between Inter Milan and AC Milan immediately after the match.
Although it was Italy youngster Bonazzoli who scored twice and accounted for both goals in the match.
However, it's clear to anyone in Napoli that Tang Long was the mastermind behind this Derby della Madonnina victory!
His mesmerizing through balls have repeatedly torn AC Milan's defense to shreds.
Like a sharp blade slicing through an opponent's seemingly armored flesh, revealing the bones beneath.
Napoli fans simply couldn't understand it.
Why did Tang Long specifically come from Inter Milan's youth academy?
Why is Mancini always able to have such a keen eye and discover these strange little monsters?
Anger of defeat permeated this southern city on the Apennine Peninsula...
Altafini, a key striker for Napoli and a member of the 1958 World Cup-winning team, said the following in a post-match interview with Sky Sport:
"Look at Inter Milan's attacking line, Icardi has scored 40 league goals, and Bonazzoli has scored 11."
"And look at our Napoli's star striker, Higuain, he's only scored 18 goals."
"Higuain was once a key striker for Real Madrid, how could his ability be inferior to Icardi's?"
"Obviously not. The key reason why their goal tallies differ by more than double is that Inter Milan has a great player like Dom!"
"Standing behind Icardi and Bonazzoli is Don, while standing behind Higuain are Hamsik and Mertens."
"How can a Napoli team like this compete with Inter Milan? It's simply impossible!"
"The only way, as the fans say, is to bring Maradona back!"