Disaster Comes from the Mouth! Conflict Erupts in the Locker Room!

At first, Tang Long did not harbor any expectations of coming off the bench in this Serie A match.

Whether it was the advice Chivu gave him back at the youth training base.

Or the teasing from the third-choice goalkeeper Berni on the team bus.

Or Tang Long's own assessment of his abilities—the system had rated him at merely a Serie C level.

Tang Long had come to the first team purely with the mindset of watching a match for free at the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza from up close.

"The primary task today is to get a feel for the rhythm of a Serie A match. This is Serie A, after all; the pace is completely different from our youth team. Of course, it would be best to hover around the first-team manager Mancini and get him familiar with my face."

With this mindset, Tang Long sat on the bench, feeling relaxed.

"Hello, dear viewers!"

We are broadcasting the 2014-2015 Serie A season, Round 11, Inter Milan versus Genoa at home.

Now, let me briefly introduce the starting lineups for both sides.

Oh?

Inter Milan has changed their formation; they have only fielded one striker, Palacio!

The flow of the match was indeed exactly as the third-choice goalkeeper Berni had predicted.

Mancini had learned his lesson from the 0-3 away defeat to Sampdoria in the previous round.

At home, he was playing a conservative defensive counter-attack.

Star striker Icardi was sitting on the bench due to injury.

Only the 33-year-old, thin and aging Palacio was leading the line up front.

The midfield and defense were packed with defensive workhorses and enforcers.

Mancini's plan was direct and pragmatic.

That was to ensure a solid defense, steal a goal from Genoa, and then hold on until the final whistle.

He was aiming for a 1-0 scoreline!

However, Mancini's well-laid plans did not seem to be working out!

Since Inter Milan refused to attack proactively, Genoa took control of possession.

In the 15th minute of the first half, the visiting Genoa took the initiative and launched a highly threatening attack.

Facing a high ball cleared by Inter, Genoa midfielder Kucka, tall and sturdy, leaped high and headed it back.

"Mine!"

Former AC Milan player Gilardino outmuscled Juan Jesus and flicked the ball to the flank.

Santana took possession!

"This winger named Santana is a speedster!"

"Don't let the name Santana fool you; when he gets going, he's as fast as a Lamborghini!"

"Santana accelerates, a violent touch past his marker!"

"He's gotten past Inter's left-back Jonathan!"

"Santana crosses from the flank—"

Inside the penalty area, a red figure ghosted into space.

It was Gilardino!

He judged the landing spot perfectly, finding the two-meter gap between the two Inter center-backs, and powered a header into the net!

"Haha, I love this feeling!"

Gilardino stuck out his tongue and celebrated wildly with his teammates.

At this moment, he felt as if he were still wearing the red and black stripes, playing in a Milan derby!

On the sidelines, the Inter Milan bench was stunned.

Only 15 minutes in, at home, and they had already conceded?

"It's over, it's over, it's over. A miscalculation, the boss miscalculated..."

Berni covered his mouth with a towel, turned his head, and whispered to Tang Long beside him, "See that? We didn't hold on, and now, even if we wanted to hold on, we can't. We have to push out and attack."

Amidst the deafening boos echoing throughout the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza.

Mancini, dressed in a suit and tie, was suddenly covered in sweat!

The broadcast camera gave him a meaningful close-up.

The bulging veins on Mancini's forehead were visible to everyone.

He felt as though countless eyes were watching him with hostility.

"Get your heads in the game! There's still plenty of time, this is our home turf. Show some spirit and be bolder with your actions!" Mancini clapped his hands vigorously, attempting to ignite the morale of his players on the pitch.

However, the players on the pitch were a bit confused.

Wasn't it you who told us to play conservatively?

If we play conservatively, how are we supposed to build any momentum?

Playing at home and trailing by a goal, Inter Milan had no choice but to push forward.

Their formation for this match was 3-6-1.

The two wing-backs, Jonathan and Nagatomo Yuto, began to push their positions further up!

They attempted to use the width of the pitch to circulate the ball and stretch the opposition.

However, Genoa, having stolen an early goal from Inter Milan, was being extremely pragmatic.

"You want to play an open game with me? Heh, sorry, I'm not playing!"

Manager Gasperini waved his hand, and the entire team retreated!

In an instant.

The two teams had swapped their attacking and defensive roles.

Inter Milan attacked, and Genoa defended!

The unexpected goal at the start had caught Inter Milan off guard, and the players appeared quite impatient.

It was difficult for them to penetrate the opponent's penalty area through short passing.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Guarin in midfield could only keep firing long-range shots!

The lone striker, Palacio, was so anxious he was jumping up and down!

"What are you all rushing for? Look at my runs, stop shooting blindly!"

The siege yielded no results, and the first half ended.

Inter Milan trailed Genoa 0-1 at home.

In the home team's dressing room.

Bang!

Mancini kicked the door open and walked in.

He slammed his suit jacket onto the floor.

"What kind of dogshit are you playing? With this group of people, if this were seven years ago when I first coached Inter Milan, I would have sold every single one of you and made Moratti get me a whole new squad! Dogshit, you're all playing like dogshit!"

Mancini kicked a water bottle, and the splashing water landed right on the face of Tang Long, who was sitting in the back.

Berni quietly handed a towel to Tang Long.

The dressing room was deathly silent, with only Mancini's roaring echoing through the room.

"Is Mancini always this hot-tempered?" Tang Long asked in a low voice.

"Heh, don't let his gentlemanly image in front of the media fool you. Everyone in the dressing room knows about his explosive temper. Just like Ferguson, Mancini has his own hairdryer treatment!"

As soon as Berni finished speaking, they heard Mancini switch to a sorrowful tone, as if he were singing an Italian opera.

"My God, that goal—they tore through our defense in two or three moves. Even if I had put our third-choice goalkeeper in, he wouldn't have let Kucka get such an easy header. He was completely unmarked!"

Pfft!

Berni couldn't help but laugh out loud!

Mancini paused and cast his gaze toward the corner of the dressing room.

"Who is laughing? Who?" Mancini tilted his head to look at Tang Long. "Was it you?"

Tang Long quickly waved his hands. "It wasn't me!"

Mancini glared at Tang Long, then turned his "hairdryer" directly toward the midfielder, Guarin.

"Guarin!"

Guarin, who was drinking water, jumped in shock and choked.

"Yes!"

Mancini: "Why are you shooting blindly? You're playing football, not basketball! You keep shooting from outside the box—do you think you're shooting three-pointers?"

Guarin: "Huh? I just felt there were no opportunities to pass, since the opponent has retreated so deep and the box is packed with people."

Mancini: "Be patient, be more patient! Especially since you have the ball so often, distribute it to the flanks more, find our two wing-backs, and stop with the long-range shots!"

Guarin was Colombian, and he had quite a temper himself.

Especially when he heard Mancini compare his long-range shots to shooting three-pointers on a basketball court.

The lad was feeling very defiant!

"Whatever," he muttered under his breath. "Mazzarri always encouraged me to shoot from distance. I scored nine goals last season, after all."

"What did you say?!!!"

Mancini froze.

His entire body was trembling!

It was a face twisted in fury!

Even the other teammates in the locker room stared at Guarin with wide eyes.

Everyone knew.

Guarin had said the wrong thing!