"In short, this Lu is too arrogant. They’ve been lucky so far and haven’t encountered a Serie A team yet. He’s practically lost his mind!"
"But isn’t Chievo considered a Serie A-level team?"
"Sorry, Chievo is indeed not a Serie A team. Even if some say the level is similar, I must say that there is a difference between Serie A and Serie B!"
"So, what Italian Third Division top striker Talista came to Serie A, and if he scores ten goals in a season, he’s not overhyped. If he scores fifteen, he’s considered outstanding!"
"Yeah, this Lu Yang, if he really faces a Serie A team, I want to see how many goals he can score! Does he really think he can still slice through the defense like in the Italian Third Division?"
Most Serie A fans hold a hostile attitude towards this Lu Yang.
This is actually easy to understand.
Looking back at numerous historical player acquisitions, any player who was hyped up outside of the league they were brought into, will inevitably be belittled by the new league as soon as they arrive.
This originates from the superiority of one’s own league.
So, Serie A always says that those coming from La Liga are amateurs, La Liga says those from the Bundesliga are trash, Bundesliga says the ones from Ligue 1 are useless, Ligue 1 says Premier League players are rough, and the Premier League says Serie A arrivals are all overrated.
Unless a league in the future achieves a dominant position, like the future Premier League.
Then, the players they transfer out will have a public opinion advantage wherever they go.
This is the absurd yet intricate hierarchy of disdain even among the Five Major Leagues.
Let alone the Italian Third Division, which sits below the bottom of Serie A.
People instinctively resist and oppose an Italian Third Division team trying to challenge Serie A teams.
Because if the Italian Third Division is so amazing, then why are we watching Serie A?
If more exciting matches are in the Italian Third Division, where does the charm of the top-tier league lie?
...
Lu Yang’s comments sparked not only conflicts among fans but also statements between clubs.
According to Maniero, in a high-level meeting of the Italian Football Association, Martivini also made significant adjustments to this year’s Italian Cup based on Lu Yang’s remarks.
First, the prize money was increased!
Most prize tiers saw a slight increase, not much change, but the champions’ prize soared from two million to five million!
Regarding this, there wasn’t much disagreement.
Because the Italian Cup’s popularity this year far exceeded previous years, current sponsors are very willing to continue investing, and even new sponsors are constantly negotiating collaborations.
It is conservatively estimated that the overall value of this year’s Italian Cup has increased by about fifteen percent!
Considering that strong teams still treat the Italian Cup as a training ground for young and substitute players, it becomes quite clear who brought about this fifteen percent growth.
San Remo’s advance to the quarterfinals and the value boost they brought to the Italian Cup proved Martivini’s strategy was correct.
The Italian Cup is becoming more important.
You must first consider yourself important before others might also deem you important.
Self-esteem and self-respect are the primary prerequisites for receiving respect and admiration.
Italian Football is reclaiming its self-respect.
Secondly, Martivini notified the seven Serie A giants still in the Italian Cup to carefully consider their squad arrangements for the cup games.
This notification didn’t have much impact as clubs that chose not to listen would still not listen.
But saying it is better than not saying it.
At least the Italian Football Association has shown an attitude.
There will always be some who are willing to listen to the Association, otherwise... next year they might just mess with your schedule, direct any chance for a title? Try it!
Only those who have truly played in the league know the impact a grueling schedule can have on a team.
The night before an important event, even a dog’s bark can affect a student’s state and performance, so a series of key matches and a tight schedule arrangement can really determine a team’s title chances without any need to influence the referees.
These aren’t called fixed matches.
They are called technical adjustments, a part of competition that one must accept in various competitive sports.
Third, and Martivini’s most emphasized point.
No matter how those Serie A teams adjust, as long as the team’s big names are in normal physical condition, they must appear in matches and play for a certain amount of time!
This point faced opposition from many club representatives.
"Izalelt can’t play in all the matches; we need to prepare for the Champions League. Our goal this year is the Champions League title!" AC Milan’s sporting director spoke confidently.
"Perrotta has been injured all the time; forget the Italian Cup, he won’t be involved much in the upcoming league games." Rome’s sporting director spoke the truth.
"This is very difficult to achieve. Carrel and Florence’s dream is to win a league title. That’s our biggest goal this season, and we will selectively give up in the next round!" Florence’s sporting director was almost tearful.
Carrel doesn’t have it easy.
After a major injury last season, Carrel’s performance hasn’t declined this season, leading Florence to second place in the standings, which no one expected!
"Same here, we are determined to defend the league title honorably. We can’t abandon the league for the Italian Cup." Juventus’ sporting director also shook his head firmly.
They’ve been fiercely competing with Florence this season, and the points gap isn’t large.
"We can’t; we..." Inter Milan’s sporting director hesitated.
Currently, their performance this season still holds steady at the top four, and like AC Milan, they have also made it to the quarterfinals in the Champions League.