Assistant coach Herrera spoke with conviction, spittle flying.
Clearly, he had studied Tang Long's comprehensive evaluation report in detail before submitting it to Mancini.
Mancini didn't respond.
After carefully reading the more-than-twenty-page report, he gave no indication of what he thought.
He flipped through a few pages from beginning to end, apparently distracted.
Finally, he tossed the report onto the desk, leaned back in his chair, and settled into its broad leather cushions.
As Herrera watched Mancini rock back and forth in his chair, he assumed his boss was deeply disappointed by the ability Tang Long had shown in the report!
"Boss, it's really no big deal. He's just a kid on a salary of four hundred thousand euros a year. Even if we accidentally signed a dud, it wouldn't cost the club much. It's fine."
Mancini took out a cigar and put it between his lips.
He clasped his hands behind his head and looked at his assistant with interest.
"I was the one who pushed to give Tang Long a professional contract with the first team. Aren't you worried that sports director Ausilio will come after me?"
By procedure, Tang Long's report had to be submitted to Inter Milan sports director Ausilio.
The purpose was to keep management informed about the young players in the club.
Above all, it was meant to prevent youth-team promotions based on connections!
Italy was a society built on personal connections, and nowhere in Europe valued them more.
Plenty of children with little talent but wealthy families dreamed of becoming professional footballers, and their parents would pull strings in every possible way to make it happen.
Since Indonesian businessman Thohir had taken charge of Inter Milan, he had reformed the club and strictly controlled all unnecessary spending.
In particular, he had demanded an end to promotions based on connections.
So when assistant coach Herrera heard Mancini mention Ausilio, his imagination immediately ran wild!
"So that really is what's going on..." Herrera kept his expression neutral, but his heart gave a little jolt.
In truth, when Mancini had given Tang Long a first-team contract,
Herrera had been completely baffled!
From a technical standpoint, Tang Long simply wasn't good enough to play for the first team.
And Herrera's own limited coaching experience—he had never been the head coach of a team and had always been an assistant—made it even harder for him to understand that Mancini had brought Tang Long into the first team to undermine Guarin and every other player who opposed him, thereby establishing his authority in the dressing room.
The Italian, a little old man, had simply assumed, based on his own upbringing in a small Italian town, that Tang Long must have connections!
If Tang Long didn't have connections, why would Mancini have promoted him from the youth team and given him a professional contract as soon as he arrived at Inter Milan?
That was the limitation of being an assistant coach.
Although Herrera was three years older than Mancini and had played in Serie A, he was nowhere near his boss when it came to managing a dressing room or spotting a player's potential!
He couldn't see the role Tang Long played in the dressing room, or recognize the intent behind the many "Divine Moves" Tang Long had pulled off in matches.
"Boss, I understand. But it's fine. Ausilio's just a slacker. He's always flying all over the world. He says he's scouting new signings, but everyone knows he's just taking trips on the club's dime. He'll turn a blind eye to this. He won't care!"
Mancini gave a cold laugh and looked at him with contempt.
Herrera thought he'd said the wrong thing and hurriedly added,
"If it comes to it, we can redo the report and send it back for the coaching staff and medical team to rewrite!"
Seeing how nervous Herrera looked, Mancini couldn't help bursting out laughing.
"Haha, cut the crap! Herrera, you've been with me for four years. How have you not improved at all?"
"Send the report to Ausilio exactly as it is."
At the end of the report, Mancini wrote a long note in a flurry of strokes.
Chivu had been in a foul mood lately.
In a recent Italian U19 league match,
Inter Milan had lost 4–1 away to their archrivals, Juventus!
What bothered Chivu even more than the loss was the argument he'd had with head coach Laino during the match.
In the 74th minute of the second half, Inter Milan were already trailing 3–1.
After discussing it, Laino and Chivu had both agreed that unless they stepped up their attack and pulled one back, the match would turn into a dead rubber.
They agreed on increasing the pressure, but disagreed over who to bring on!
Laino: "I'm bringing on the striker, Chris. We'll play with three forwards and step up the attack!"
Chivu: "Chris has no pace. I think we should bring on midfielder Morey and free up Ledesma by pushing him out to the wing!"
Laino: "Free up Ledesma? He's been invisible all match, and you still expect something from him?"
Chivu: "That's exactly why I want to free him up. Laino, when you're behind, bringing on a forward isn't always the answer. First, we need to get the midfield going. Morey! Go warm up. You're on in a minute!"
Laino: "Wait! Morey, sit back down. Chris, get out there! Who's the head coach here? Chivu, know your place!"
The two argued furiously on the bench.
The players on the pitch were bewildered. If the people on the bench hadn't pulled them apart in time, Chivu and Laino might have come to blows!
In the end, of course, U19 head coach Laino won the argument.
But just as Chivu had predicted, the substitution didn't make much difference!
Chris had no impact after coming on.
Juventus U19 scored again in the 82nd minute, and the match was well and truly over.
On the high-speed train from Turin back to Milan,
Chivu sat beside Laino, but neither of them said a word.
At last, the final straw had arrived!
Their argument over an in-game substitution had been just the spark, but it had driven a complete wedge between them!
Laino had always resented assistant coach Chivu using his status as an Inter Milan legend to challenge the head coach's authority.
Chivu had gone behind his back to renew Tang Long's youth-team contract, which had especially enraged and humiliated him!
As for Chivu, he looked down on Laino's outdated, 1990s-style tactics.
In short, the two couldn't stand each other!
As soon as he got back to Milan at ten that night, Chivu wanted to resign.
He had endured more than enough!
But instead of calling sports director Ausilio, Chivu dialed Mancini.
The moment the call connected, before Mancini could say a word, Chivu launched into a furious tirade!
"Mr. Mancini, I have a decision to tell you about. I'm going to hand in my resignation tomorrow! I can't go on working with the youth team. I can't work with that old fossil Laino. Our footballing philosophies are worlds apart!"
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