French fans crumbled instantly, and most of the media got blown up by Italian fans overnight.
The melancholy blue Italy rose up, something French fans couldn’t withstand.
After all, Serie A is still nominally the world’s top league.
And Ligue 1 can only hover around fifth or even sixth.
Completely not enough to compete!
"You lost a regular national player, but we lost the entire hope of Italian football!"
One sentence from an Italian fan left the French fans speechless.
Does this mean French fans should actually be happy?
After all... It’s the French-hosted European Cup this year, and the France Team is the most hopeful to win the championship.
They are also one of the most favored teams in this European Cup.
Although the Italy National Team has performed poorly in recent years, it’s still a football powerhouse, so even if they drop to the third tier in Europe, it wouldn’t be surprising if they suddenly win a tournament.
Moreover, Lu Yang is truly an X-factor for Italy.
This guy is just damn tricky!
So this time, the French fans, who gained an advantage, calmed down.
Meanwhile, Italian fans started blasting everything around.
On the UEFA side, Jeffery initially planned to impose a penalty on Lu Yang.
But new developments forced him to halt discussions and wait for further developments.
If they prematurely impose a penalty that later turns out to be unfounded, UEFA would be in an embarrassing position.
After all, before the dust settles on an issue, whoever speaks more, has a larger public opinion, appears more reasonable, or seems more pitiable tends to have the upper hand.
During this stage, distorting facts is quite easy.
Those who have experienced the chaotic era of social media should deeply understand this.
Reversals can happen at any moment!
However... when everything about an issue becomes clear, with all causes, processes, and hidden truths released and sorted, a definite evaluation becomes possible.
Who is right, who is wrong, or whether no one is good, becomes less debatable.
The Koschel incident was initially clear-cut.
It might not be Lu Yang’s fault, but those playing the sympathy card would surely exploit Koschel’s situation against Lu Yang.
However, when Lu Yang’s arm fracture emerged, the previously clear narrative changed.
Before clarifying these changes, it’s best not to attack hastily, especially not revealing all cards, or else a comeback would be extremely awkward.
Consequently, the "penalty" Jeffery prepared for Lu Yang and the Italian Football Association had to slow down.
He instructed some "collaborative media" to deliberately spread whispers about "Lu Yang faking an injury".
But the next day, Lu Yang indeed showed up in a cast, with hospital surgical proof, etc., which couldn’t be faked.
Soon, some "observant media" suggested that Lu Yang got injured after the match, implying he was framing Koschel?
However, the field medics at the Sweden Solna Friendship Stadium provided evidence. Their facilities were very advanced, particularly in medical care, which they were proud of. The medical system includes various professional medical equipment, including but not limited to CT machines.
This allows them to assess player injuries for subsequent training and matches to decide on immediate treatment.
During halftime of the Europa League final, Lu Yang used the venue’s CT equipment for a diagnosis.
Both San Remo and the stadium medics had corresponding records and images.
These couldn’t be fabricated.
Reportedly, at the time, the stadium medics advised that Lu Yang’s injury prevented further play, but Lu Yang insisted on playing.
Theoretically, the field medics could prevent Lu Yang from playing by notifying UEFA and obtaining a ban from them.
But that would take a long time, given the known efficiency of these organizations, maybe three days or a week?
Moreover, why should the medics get involved in such matters?
They didn’t endorse it, but they couldn’t deny the profound impact of Lu Yang’s actions.
They witnessed a true warrior.
Many staff members at the Solna stadium were shocked by Lu Yang’s actions, and once rumors about questioning Lu Yang’s injury spread, more than three on-duty medical staff were willing to testify.
Among them, the willingness of the two female staff could be understood, having stars in their eyes.
But a male doctor willing to testify as well was quite astonishing.
"This is just incredible! Breaking an arm in the first minute? My gosh... amazing!"
"Is this a story? Scoring three goals after a fracture? Is it possible?"
"Maybe impossible for others, but for Lu... at least I sort of believe it!"
"It’s hard to believe, but after watching the replay, there are some findings. I wondered during the Europa League final why Lu Yang couldn’t completely take on Olic; he got played by him. Now I understand!"
"Wow! I sensed something off too! Anyone who’s used Lu Yang’s defense knows. While he might not completely shut down Olic, he definitely wouldn’t get out of position easily, especially with interceptions under duress. Lu Yang is extremely strong in that aspect!"
"But in that match, Olic easily broke through Lu Yang repeatedly, putting on a phenomenal display."
"Here, here, and here, Olic’s breakthroughs often involved contact with Lu Yang’s left hand, causing Lu Yang to react poorly, showing signs of pain, and then getting bypassed easily!"