All these things continued until the new segment of CCTV Sports Channel, "Super Football," aired its first episode, and finally, a conclusion was reached.
"Hello everyone, I’m Tang Yuqin, welcome to the first episode of Super Football, the Light of Asia, a New Star is Born!"
"Recently, the hottest buzzword in the country is probably the name Lu Yang. So who exactly is Lu Yang, and how many Lu Yangs are there? This episode will give you the answer!"
The camera cuts to Tang Yuqin arriving in San Remo, Italy.
"This is a small city in Northwest Italy called San Remo. You might know it as the team that defeated AC Milan, and it is the destination of our trip."
Quickly, beside Tang Yuqin, appeared a scruffy bearded man.
But the football fans watching the show were shocked.
Because this man was none other than the Italian football superstar, former AC Milan stalwart, the butcher Sotu!
"Hello everyone, I’m Sotu. Friends who like watching football might know me. Beside me is Mr. Russell, the chairman of San Remo Club. We know why you’re here, and we are honored to share Lu Yang’s growth journey with you." Sotu began.
Next, came the descriptions and evaluations of Lu Yang by various players, fans, and management from San Remo, creating a scene reminiscent of a personal documentary.
It fully introduced the rise of the player Lu Yang, and San Remo even provided "Super Football" with some precious footage.
For instance, footage of Lu Yang getting stitched up at the sidelines after being kicked by Talista, footage of Lu Yang angrily pushing Becher to pass the damn ball to him, footage of Lu Yang inspiring everyone in the locker room, and footage of Lu Yang helplessly lying on the pitch and angrily pounding the grass during the match against AC Milan.
This material enriched Lu Yang’s image, allowing him to be systematically and formally recognized by domestic fans as more than just a name.
This episode was extremely effective in attracting fans.
At the end of the program, Tang Yuqin also visited the seaside villa of Lu Yang and Sofia.
After knocking on the door, Sofia personally opened it.
With Sotu’s introduction, the show’s camera crew entered Sofia’s home and interviewed Lu Yang in the living room.
The entire time, Lu Yang spoke Mandarin, surprising Tang Yuqin with his language proficiency; he was almost like a native Chinese.
Sofia also greeted everyone and officially clarified that there was only one Lu Yang, the one they saw before them.
Finally, Sofia personally cooked, and Tang Yuqin, Sotu, and others had a meal at Sofia’s home.
Looking at a table full of Sichuan dishes, Tang Yuqin had reason to believe that Lu Yang was definitely not an ABC. Moreover, he even turned Sofia into a Chinese wife!
This episode emerged dramatically, moving from the football circle to the entertainment circle.
It delivered a fatal blow to all the previous rumors.
There was no Lu Yang in movies or music, only the Lu Yang in football!
For a time, domestic fans were in an uproar.
The real versus fake Lu Yang controversy finally came to an end.
Domestic fans could confidently and boldly announce that they are fans of Lu Yang.
And "Super Football," thanks to this breakthrough episode, achieved the highest viewership rating for a non-live broadcast program on the CCTV Sports Channel.
Host Tang Yuqin and program planner Luo Cheng both rose to fame.
"Super Football" jumped to become an even more popular phenomenon-level football show than "World Football News."
How many people in the country watch football?
But how many people watch movies and listen to music?
Lu Yang became the first footballer in the country to break through his circle and attract fans from other circles; this is quite rare.
His Chinese identity attracted a lot of attention.
With "Super Football" achieving such brilliant success, "World Football News" choosing to hype up the English players seemed somewhat... profit-driven.
Why don’t you report on a well-established Chinese star and instead go record a documentary with the England Youth Team? What are you really made of?
In response, Chen Jun, the editor-in-chief of "World Football News," privately complained: "Have all these fans gone mad? There are so many football stars in Italy and England, yet they insist on promoting a cripple?"
"Yes, it is indeed hard to find a Chinese star, and it’s understandable that everyone is happy when one finally emerges. But what if he falls? What about the positivity of domestic fans, which we managed to galvanize with great difficulty?"
"Luo Cheng only knows how to exploit the Chinese hype but hasn’t considered that the Chinese identity might backfire on the domestic fans, or that Lu Yang, or whatever he’s called, could suffer backlash. The simplest point is, when Lu Yang plays for the Italy National Team, are we supposed to cheer for Italy?"
This private complaint was posted online by someone at the same table, once again sparking controversy.
In response, Luo Cheng publicly countered: "There’s not a single Chinese player in the England Youth Team, yet you are still cheering for them and even want to make a documentary about them, what logic is that?"
"Indeed, Chinese players don’t have as close an identity as our compatriots, but since we share the same lineage, isn’t it closer than a completely foreigner? Isn’t it right to pay more attention to the development of Chinese players?"
"You didn’t choose Lu Yang, not because of whether he is Chinese or not, but because you believe his injuries will make him a flash in the pan. That’s your own judgment, and you should be accountable for that judgment, rather than shifting the focus to whether he’s Chinese or not."