A Female Reporter Deliberately Tries to Make Things Difficult-Tang Long's Answer Is Quite Interesting!

After every match, there was a brief press conference, usually attended by the head coach and a player chosen before the game.

But Mancini had a habit of not making arrangements in advance. After the match, he would pick the player who had performed best and bring him along as a kind of moral reward.

Icardi, who had scored twice, had originally been chosen.

But, as luck would have it, the Argentine striker was selected for a doping test.

Mancini thought for a few seconds, then simply asked Tang Long to join him.

When they arrived at the press conference, a battery of cameras and microphones was already waiting for them.

When the reporters saw that the person beside Mancini was Tang Long, they were all a little stunned. They turned to look at the eighteen-year-old Chinese boy.

The reporters all knew Mancini's habit, so Tang Long's appearance left them somewhat confused.

They began murmuring among themselves.

"Something's not right. Why isn't Icardi here after scoring twice? That's not like Mancini."

"I heard Icardi had to go for a doping test. He couldn't make it in time."

"But even so, the next best performer should've been Hernanes, with a goal and an assist."

"If not him, then Palacio, who scored the opener!"

"Why is Tang here? Does Mancini think he was Inter's best player?"

"Come on, maybe he just wanted to give the rookie some exposure."

This was Tang Long's first time attending a Serie A press conference. It had all happened so suddenly, and he hadn't had time to prepare. He didn't say much, mostly listening to Mancini.

Inter had thrashed Roma by four goals away from home, so Mancini was naturally in high spirits, beaming from ear to ear.

He was thoroughly at ease at press conferences like this, able to rattle off a polished speech with his eyes closed.

Although Mancini expressed respect for AS Roma,

he showed no mercy when condemning Totti's vicious tackle from behind on Icardi!

"I played for Lazio during my playing days and took part in the Rome derby. I knew Totti even back then.

"I never expected that, twenty years later, Totti would still have such a fiery temper. As Roma's captain, he went too far.

"I condemn any malicious foul on the pitch. I'm sure all of you sitting here feel the same way."

Roma had lost both the match and their dignity on home soil!

The local Roman reporters were rather downcast, with little appetite for asking questions.

By contrast, the reporters from Milan were eager to speak up!

A blonde reporter from La Gazzetta dello Sport had kept her eyes fixed on Tang Long's handsome figure ever since he entered the room, as if drawn to him by a magnet.

When she finally got the chance to ask a question, she immediately directed it at Tang Long.

"Hello, Tang. How does it feel to attend a post-match press conference for the first time as an Inter player? You look a little nervous. There's a bottle of water in front of you. If your palms are getting sweaty, you can take a sip to calm yourself down."

A wave of friendly laughter rose from the audience.

Everyone in the business knew Italian female reporters were like this. They loved teasing young players who were handsome but still green.

Young players were generally inexperienced in front of the media and often made fools of themselves.

If they could make a young man feel awkward and nervous, with sweat beading on his forehead and no idea what to do with his hands, the reporters felt quite accomplished.

It was like the satisfaction of a mature woman teasing a younger guy~

It was a harmless little guilty pleasure in the media world.

Mancini smiled and turned to look at Tang Long.

Tang Long, however, responded with a question of his own.

"Miss, I'd like to ask you something. When was your first assignment as a reporter?"

"About eight years ago, the year I graduated from journalism school."

"Were you nervous back then?"

"A little, but..." The blonde reporter tapped her temple with her pen. "I'd prepared thoroughly, so as soon as I met the person I was interviewing, I got into the swing of things and stopped feeling nervous."

"I'm just like you were back then, miss. I was nervous, but as soon as I saw you, I wasn't anymore."

Another burst of laughter came from the audience.

This time, though, it was mixed with applause!

Mancini's eyes lit up.

Tang Long's ease in front of the media at his first press conference surprised him.

Mancini knew this reporter well. She was Bernardi from La Gazzetta dello Sport.

After his first match back with Inter, a 0–3 away loss to Sampdoria, Bernardi had asked such pointed questions that she'd left him at a loss for words. At one point, he'd even wanted to storm out.

He had privately told Inter's press officer not to give the microphone to that shrewish woman again.

Later, Bernardi had somehow gotten hold of Mancini's phone number and sent him a text, sincerely apologizing. She said that if she didn't ask those questions, her editor-in-chief would dock her performance bonus, and she'd had no choice.

Mancini hadn't known whether to laugh or cry~

Bernardi had meant to tease Tang Long, but he'd turned the tables on her.

She couldn't help laughing herself!

Well, well. This little guy wasn't easy to mess with.

"Tang, if you had to pick one player as man of the match, who would it be?"

Unwilling to give up, Bernardi launched a second attack.

Everyone could tell there was more to her question than met the eye.

According to Mancini's usual practice, the players invited to post-match press conferences were the ones who had performed best.

The best player tonight was undoubtedly Icardi, who had scored twice.

If Icardi couldn't come because of the doping test, it would be Hernanes or Palacio.

Either way, there was no chance it would be Tang Long!

Tang Long didn't try to hide it. He admitted that he hadn't been the best player.

But his next words left the reporters somewhat surprised.

"If I had to name the best player, it would absolutely be our captain, Ranocchia!"

"As a centre-back, he made our defense rock-solid. We kept Roma from scoring, and that was the foundation and key to our victory."

Mancini hesitated for two seconds, then quickly chimed in with a diplomatic remark:

"Ranocchia was very steady tonight. As a tall, homegrown defender, he's someone I can trust."

Bernardi blinked twice.

She had already asked two questions, and the press officer politely asked her to hand back the microphone.

But she held on to it and turned to Mancini again.

"Mr. Mancini, how would you rate Tang's performance tonight?"

Mancini folded his hands on the table, his thumbs slowly circling over each other.

"A lot of reporters have asked me why Tang was signed to the first team. Tonight, he gave them the best answer.

"He provided two assists in ten minutes. I'm very satisfied with that kind of efficiency.

"As an attacking player, Tang's passing ability has visibly improved. I have high hopes for his future. Inter needs young players like Tang."

He was about to say more, but Bernardi cut him off.

"I'd like to ask specifically: which two assists?"

Mancini found the question baffling.

"The first was the cross that won us a penalty. The second was his assist to Icardi in the final moments. Is there a problem with that?"

"I have to correct you, Mr. Mancini. According to the latest statistics released after the match by the official Serie A league, Tang has only one assist—the one you mentioned that won the penalty."

"But wasn't Tang the one who passed the ball for Icardi's goal?" Mancini said, taken aback.

Bernardi smiled triumphantly.

She picked up her phone from the table, pulled up the replay of the move in the dying seconds when Hernanes passed to Tang Long, then stepped forward and held it in front of Mancini.

"Coach, perhaps you haven't had a chance to watch the replay. Hernanes made the assist on that last goal. Tang never touched the ball."

Mancini lowered his eyes to the phone.

The slow-motion replay, which he hadn't seen before, showed that just as Hernanes's pass was about to reach Tang Long, Tang suddenly spread his legs slightly and let the ball roll right through!

That dummy had fooled every Roma defender.

In an instant, it tore Roma's defense apart.

Even Mancini had been fooled by Tang Long.

He had always thought Tang had nudged the ball through.

"Oh, so that's what happened..."

Mancini scratched his half-white hair, his gaze slightly unfocused.