The next day, the match between Germany and the Netherlands commenced first.
The German team’s main lineup is essentially constructed from Bayern, with seven Bayern players in the starting lineup, plus a goalkeeper who just transferred to Bayern and hasn’t played a match yet—eight people in total!
Consequently, the German team benefitted from their familiarity and ultimately defeated the Netherlands 4-3, advancing to the semifinals.
This German team showcased diverse talents, with five players scoring two goals!
Among them, their single arrowhead, the central forward Oliver Stiepelman, performed outstandingly, with a balanced statistic of three goals and three assists. The towering 1.91-meter central forward scored all three goals with headers.
He previously played for AC Milan but is currently serving Paris Saint-Germain, showcasing formidable strength.
Another noteworthy player is Tony Collette, the young midfielder from the French team, who so far has completed three assists, impressing everyone with his precise passing skills.
He is a Bayern player, who a month ago experienced the tragic reversal in the Champions League with Bayern.
He got the opportunity to play both in Bayern and the German National Team due to Bass Tiger’s injury in the same position.
It seemed to be a reluctant choice initially, but unexpectedly, he managed to shine.
However, the public opinion surrounding him is currently unfavorable.
This is because a certain Bayern key player privately expressed dissatisfaction with Collette, stating that Bayern’s reversal by AC Milan had a lot to do with Collette saying demoralizing things.
The specifics of what was said are elusive, but it involves something related to Lu Yang.
German netizens, digging through Collette’s past social media, found his great admiration for the miracle of San Remo.
Last year, Liverpool made a comeback against AC Milan because of the miracle of San Remo and Lu Yang’s spirit.
This year, AC Milan similarly overturned Bayern Munich because of Lu Yang’s spirit.
Collette is likely the "key" factor in Bayern’s second-half setback.
"He got intimidated! He was frightened by that player named Lu Yang! He spread rumors in the locker room, reminding players of last year’s AC Milan midfield champagne curse!"
I don’t know where the media got these claims, but they’re very specific and don’t seem fabricated.
As a result, despite contributing three assists to the German team, Collette is not being praised but rather blamed for the Champions League loss!
Bayern’s official response hasn’t come to Collette’s defense, further intensifying German fans’ suspicion and dislike towards Collette.
After all, winning the Champions League means Germany wins it too, and it’s something everyone would take pride in.
A star on the rise suddenly becomes a national enemy.
This is the biggest trouble Collette has encountered in his life so far!
These rumors even make Lu Yang, who is about to compete against England, restless.
How can he allow his fan to be trapped?
He wanted to speak up for Collette!
So, as Italy’s team bus drove into the stadium and the players entered the dressing room passage, Lu Yang accepted an interview from the media on the sidelines.
The media on the sideline were thrilled.
They were just there to gather some footage; anyone who has watched the game knows they’re simply capturing the players’ state before heading into the dressing room.
Usually, no one would conduct interviews at this time with less than two hours before the match starts.
Reporter: "Lu Yang, are you confident about today’s match?"
Lu Yang: "Absolutely, but I’m not here to express my determination; I want to voice support for Collette’s situation in the German team right now."
Reporter: "German team? Haven’t they already reached the semifinals?"
Lu Yang: "Yes, they’ve reached the semifinals! But I believe a team that doesn’t know how to protect its players will never end as champions! Whether it’s the German National Team or Bayern Munich!"
The reporter was stunned; what... what’s happening?
A major revelation?
Lu Yang actually fired shots at Germany? Along with Bayern?
What’s the meaning behind it?
Reporter: "Are you talking about... Collette?"
This reporter certainly kept up with the news and understood Lu Yang’s point.
Lu Yang: "Exactly! Look at Collette, three assists in the European Cup, with one even directly altering the victory score for the German team! Such excellence, isn’t it?"
"I’m perplexed why rumors about a match from over a month ago would arise now. Any mindful German team should promptly refute such claims!"
"As the main affected team, Bayern Munich should be the first to come forward and clarify for Collette!"
"Who leaked the locker room information? Does Bayern allow such occurrences? Even we at San Remo don’t allow it; does Bayern lack even this basic rule?"
"The person who leaked information should apologize to Bayern and Collette!"
"Similarly! Who is responsible for those baseless, irresponsible statements later on? They sound so detailed, can’t just be random speculation."
"From my perspective, I believe certain individuals are looking for a scapegoat for the defeat. They didn’t release these claims right after losing because they were crafty and patient."
"Now scapegoating, just one Collette could suffice to quell public anger. But back then scapegoating, one Collette wouldn’t be enough; wouldn’t it require adding Robben or someone else, right?"
"This indicates the person clearly wasn’t confident in swaying fans to choose him over the team’s famous stars! So, is it from Bayern’s coaching staff pointing fingers at Collette, or someone from Bayern’s sports department; this is the real concern for German fans, Bayern fans."