A Historic Day! The Whole Country Erupts in Celebration as Chinese Football Makes History!

Tang Long lifted the UEFA Europa League. On the night of his victory at the Olympiastadion Berlin, it was already 5:30 a. m. local time in China, with the first rays of dawn breaking.

Normally, most people would still be sound asleep.

But tonight in China, no one is sleeping!

Never before has social media been so lively at 5:30 a. m.

Countless celebrities from the football world sent their sincerest blessings to Tang Long.

He Wei, who had just finished the match, was not sleepy at all and wrote on social media:

"I've been commentating on football for almost 20 years, but never has a match made me so excited and thrilled!"

"I'm sure many viewers watching the live stream heard a loud thud, haha, that was the sound of my fist slamming on the table after the referee blew the final whistle!"

"Many viewers are waiting for me to use beautiful language to describe the scene after Tang Long won the championship."

"But at that moment, to be honest, even though the manuscript was already on the table, I couldn't read a single word."

"I don't know why, but I always felt that at that moment, all words seemed so pale and powerless in the face of Tang Long's great achievements. This also proves the saying: 'Silence speaks louder than words!'"

He was once a symbol of China football in the Premier League.

Former Manchester City player Sun Jihai uploaded a picture of Tang Long holding up the UEFA Europa League, along with three thumbs-up emojis.

"It's really hard to describe how I feel right now!"

"I remember saying before that we China are not suited for football."

"But at this moment, I want to apologize to fans across the country for what I said, and I want to bow deeply."

"Tang Long's anticipation, overall vision, and passing skills on the field have reached a world-class level. I stand by what I've said."

"Back when I played in the Premier League was the Manchester United. I've played against Manchester United, and from my own experience, Tang Long was a regular starter for Manchester United at that time. In some aspects, midfielders like Carrick and Scholes weren't necessarily better than Tang Long!"

"His success shows that what foreign players can do, China players can do just as well, and even do better!"

Shao Jiayi.

Another example of this China player's successful overseas career in the Bundesliga is a photo he posted of himself wearing Inter Milan's number 99 Tang Long jersey.

The years have taken their toll on Shao Jiayi in the picture.

The hair at his temples was slightly gray.

The deep wrinkles around his eyes betrayed the hardships he had endured.

"Congratulations to Tang Long on winning the Coppa Italia and the UEFA Europa League this season! It's been a perfect season!"

"I am a loyal fan of Tang Long!"

"Since Tang Long joined Inter Milan last November, I have watched almost every single one of Inter Milan's matches."

"Before Tang Long came to Inter Milan, I mostly watched the Bundesliga and the Premier League, and rarely paid attention to Serie A, this long-established league."

"But over the past seven months, I have not only witnessed Tang Long's growth, but also carefully examined the ingenuity of Serie A tactics."

"I read Ji Hai's comment, he said Tang Long could have been a starter for Manchester United in his era. I'd also like to add that I've played against Bayern several times at Energie Cottbus, and I feel that Tang Long could have been a starter for that Bundesliga powerhouse as well!"

"My only regret is not being able to watch one of Tang Long's games live."

"Next season, no matter how busy I am, I must personally go to the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza to cheer for Tang Long!"

Fans flocked to comment, share, and repost these posts from China football legends.

Both Sun Jihai and Shao Jiayi left a wonderful impression on China fans.

Once considered flag bearers for China football in the Premier League and Bundesliga, the two captivated countless fans on weekend nights with the allure of the sport.

Ma Mingyu, this China football star once played in Serie A, but he never made a single appearance.

Now, Tang Long has finally filled the void left by China players in Serie A, and has also raised the level of China players in Europe competitions to an unprecedented height!

Besides Sun Jihai and Shao Jiayi, other China football stars also sent their blessings to Tang Long.

However, one star player's blessing was met with ridicule and mockery from fans.

That person was Dong Fangzhuo.

Dong Fangzhuo posted a photo of himself holding his 2007-08 UEFA Champions League medal, and tagged Tang Long:

"Congratulations Tang Long! Seven years ago, I won the UEFA Champions League trophy with Manchester United, and seven years later, Tang Long has won the UEFA Europa League with Inter Milan!"

"Now, as China people, we can finally proudly say that the UEFA Champions League and the Europa League, two major European competition trophies, have been won by China!"

Dong Fangzhuo is good at riding the wave of trending topics.

Although his Manchester United career is well-known, and he has now fallen to the second division of China, Dong Fangzhuo is good at marketing, will not miss any opportunity to embellish his image.

During his appearances at various meetings and programs, he would often talk at length about his experiences at Manchester United, mentioning who he knew and how good his relationship was with Sir Alex Ferguson, and so on.

However, Dong Fangzhuo is in big trouble this time!

"Oh dear, Brother Dong, please don't embarrass yourself in public, okay?"

"You've only played four games for Manchester United, less than 90 minutes in total, and haven't scored a single goal. What makes you think you can compare to Tang Long?"

"Do you think we don't know how you won the UEFA Champions League?"

"It's undeniable that you were one of the best players in the country back then, and you even won the Golden Boot in the Belgian Second Division. These are all symbols of your ability."

"However, tonight is Tang Long's championship night, and you're here trying to ride on his coattails. How boring!"

"If you have nothing to do, I suggest you watch Tang Long's match highlights; it might be helpful."

"666, I'm dying of laughter! You still have the nerve to show off your UEFA Champions League medal?"

"Dong Fangzhuo hasn't retired yet, has he? Look how fat he's gotten. As a professional player, such a lack of self-discipline... sigh, isn't he a case of 'a wasted talent'?"

"There's absolutely no comparison! Tang Long was a key player for Inter Milan, winning the UEFA Europa League with Inter Milan. What role did Dong Fangzhuo play at Manchester United? Everyone knows without me saying."

"Neither Sun Jihai nor Shao Jiayi mentioned their experience in the Premier League and Bundesliga, but Dong Fangzhuo kept talking about Manchester United. The difference between them is obvious!"

Aside from people in the football circle, people from other sports circles also sent their blessings to Tang Long.

Liu Xiang shared a picture of himself watching a football match with friends in his living room:

"Congratulations to China player Tang Long for reaching the pinnacle of Europe Inter Milan! Whether in track and field or in football, we Asians can be number one in the world!"

Two-time Grand Slam singles champion and tennis player Li Na also spoke out on social media:

"I don't understand football, and I've almost never watched it. Today, the UEFA Europa League final between Inter Milan and Sevilla was the first football match I ever watched, and I witnessed China player Tang Long win the championship. Congratulations to Tang Long!"

Track and field, tennis, shooting, diving, table tennis, rhythmic gymnastics...

The entire China sports community is happy and excited for Tang Long!

Many of them are China athletes who have won gold medals at the Olympics.

They all offered their sincere congratulations to Tang Long on representing Inter Milan at the top of Europe football.

But.

At that moment, Tang Long, far away in Berlin, had just boarded a flight back to Milan.

On the plane, he didn't have time to see the praise he received back home.

His mind was already on the upcoming UEFA Champions League final.

Juventus vs. Barca!

Winning the UEFA Europa League with Inter Milan naturally made Tang Long feel incredibly proud.

However, as a professional player, Tang Long understands that the UEFA Champions League is the highest honor a Europe club can achieve.

Tang Long had already asked his agent, Ronaldo, to buy a ticket to the UEFA Champions League final.

He definitely wants to be there in person to see what a clash between Europe's top clubs is like.

Regarding one's career.

Tang Long has even greater ambitions...