He knew Lu Yang too well.
Maybe other people knew him too, but they didn’t know just how strong Lu Yang’s influence—hell, control—over this San Remo management really was.
You think the team is playing Sotu’s tactics?
No!
We’re all playing *my* Lu’s tactics!
If I say it out loud I’m afraid I’ll scare you, but I, Lu, am actually the youngest Europa League–winning head coach in history! Right, Kepa?
The exposure of this release clause came out of nowhere, totally illogical.
Because the number of people who know the exact amount is really tiny.
If Lu Yang, Sotu, and Russell don’t take the initiative to talk, where would the Sun Newspaper get the info?
The Sun may be hugely influential, but what they’re really good at is paparazzi stuff.
If they broke news that Lu Yang cheated with some redhead girl, or that Lu Yang and Morici’s little sister Emma were gaming late into the night, that might be possible. But them revealing the release clause amount... no way in hell!
If Hans broke it, that’d be more believable!
But Hans and Lu Yang are way too close; everyone knows Hans is Lu Yang’s personal mouthpiece.
If this info came out through Hans, how could you have this whole fans-begging, teammates-reflecting storyline?
So... could it be that Lu Yang and the San Remo higher-ups set this whole thing up, leaked the release clause, and then used "choosing to stay" to mold the image of players who truly love the club?
While mythologizing certain players, they also get the others who are being tempted from outside to temporarily shelve any thoughts of leaving? Stabilize the team for one more year?
Like Camihong, Bai Zhami, Lam, Areola—when mid-table clubs come for them, they can still be talked into staying.
But what if a giant comes for them?
What if that giant also says, "Our Head Coach rates you very highly," and even promises a certain role and guaranteed appearances?
How are they supposed to not be tempted?
It’s not their fault, it’s that Auntie’s giving too much... ahem, I mean, it’s the big clubs offering too much!
Nobody could resist that.
Morici has even received a covert approach from Tottenham; they’ve promised to build the entire team around him!
Being the core of a second-tier Premier League club—this kind of status is basically a one-step-to-the-sky leap.
Morici hasn’t slept well these past few nights, not just because he has to guard against Lu Yang sneaking over at night to play P... PS with his little sister, but also because this stuff really has been weighing on his mind.
San Remo can indeed force everyone to stay, but a twisted melon is never sweet.
Take someone as strong as Kane—after being forced to stay by his club, ten league rounds in and he only has one goal and one assist.
You can’t say he’s completely phoning it in.
But that fire is gone, the dressing-room vibe is gone, and sometimes a team just doesn’t function anymore.
So San Remo has to keep people, but they can’t crush everyone’s spirit.
The best way is to, under the "lead-by-example" performance of a few people, stir up everyone’s feelings for the club and for the Miracle of San Remo, twist them all into one rope, and put one last stroke on this miracle!
Looked at this way, this whole chain of things can be explained.
From letting Versachi go, to Juventus opening the supermarket and smashing the door, and then to the release clause leak—San Remo’s higher-ups have had enough time to lay out everything with certain people.
Morici looked over at Lu Yang.
Damn it!
If I weren’t smart, wouldn’t I have been kept completely in the dark by you too?
Screwing over even your own people—are you even human?
"I’m not going to Barça or Manchester United." Morici spoke up.
He’d seen through it, but he wouldn’t call it out.
This year he wasn’t planning to leave anyway; otherwise with Tottenham offering conditions that good, what would he be hesitating for?
And by staying this time, he basically becomes a god in San Remo.
In World Football, he can also build a really good reputation.
Once you have a good rep, a player’s value goes up, big time. A player like that can quickly become a "Team Spirit" figure wherever he goes, because people trust you.
Look at Talista—absolutely brilliant; first season in Serie A, twenty-seven league goals, Silver Boot, absolutely dominant!
But now Inter Milan are hawking him everywhere—have you seen anyone who actually wants to buy him?
No one!
So Talista is just a big idiot!
In the dressing room, with both main cores having spoken, a lot of players’ minds loosened up.
It’s not that everyone is desperate to leave.
It’s that up to now Lu Yang and Morici hadn’t said anything, and the media’s predictions were that the two of them were very likely to leave.
Aside from someone like Naji, who was going to stay no matter what, the biggest reason the others didn’t choose to leave in this perfect transfer window was that as long as Lu Yang and Morici were still here, the team still had a sliver of hope to keep creating miracles.
Even if that chance is tiny, as long as there’s a sliver, they’re willing to fight.
Chasing dreams is a young man’s instinct.
Not just for themselves, but for the San Remo fans and these brothers who have been fighting side by side; they’re willing to take part in this gamble that will *most likely* end in total loss!
But if Lu Yang and Morici both leave, even that sliver of hope is gone.
They’re just ordinary players, not someone like Lu Yang who can sit in on top-level decision-making, nor like Morici, who’s got a club big-shot as a buddy; they have no idea what San Remo will look like tomorrow.
So naturally they have to look out for themselves.
But now that Lu Yang and Morici have spoken, everyone has both the confidence and the reason to stay.
"Benevento want me back, to make me the core of the team." Fernandez opened his mouth; he’s from the Benevento academy and came here in that Vedian transfer.
You could say Vedian squeezed him out of his spot; you could also say Benevento made a small investment in San Remo.
Now the investment has paid off, Benevento have hit the jackpot.
But if Fernandez doesn’t go back, then Benevento can only call it a decent profit, not a huge one, and they’ll just have maintained friendly ties with the dark horse San Remo.
"But right now, I want to stay here!" Fernandez said.
"I... Inter actually approached me, but I like San Remo more." Camihong spoke too.
"Manchester United contacted my agent; they have a spot for me." Lam also spoke. "But if we can go for it one more year, I think I’m willing to give it a shot!"
"Premier League Blue Fox Leicester City want to buy me; they said I’m the one piece they’re missing." Kaint spoke up as well. He’d been so quiet that when he did talk, everyone jumped. "But if Lu Yang and Morici aren’t leaving, then I’m not going either."
For a while, teammates voiced their stances one after another.
In the end, everyone put their hands together and shouted in unison: "Let’s go!"
After that, the entire San Remo squad walked out of the dressing room and out toward the stadium exterior.
When the fans outside saw these players, they all froze.
They’re really here?
Did they hear our call?
Facing tens of thousands of fans, Lu Yang took the megaphone from Brownie and shouted loudly: "We’re still here, we’re not leaving! The Miracle of San Remo... is still going!"
In an instant, it was like mountains roaring and seas crashing, tens of thousands bowing in worship!
San Remo is still here!
Serie A, you’d better... tremble!