I AM the Football Star

Chapter 709 - 180: Europa League Semifinals, Return to Meazza!

"You’re talking about me, a Serie B player not even twenty years old, earning over four million a year. I’m really anxious about it! What did I do to deserve this..."

Lu Yang hadn’t finished speaking when Talista moved to the front row.

"Teacher, I want to change seats, some idiot is trying to mess with my psyche."

After Talista left, Lu Yang’s cheeky expression suddenly turned serious. He said to Morici in front and Kane, Lam, and others at the back, "Talista is an extremely impactful player."

"He also has the habit of dropping back to help defend, so nearly every player might face him. I hope everyone takes him seriously, and when facing him, you must... protect yourself!"

"His playing style is very rough, with big movements, often skirting the line between fouls and severe fouls. We can’t afford to be careless, and we must also pay attention to our safety."

The beast-like style has earned Talista many offensive opportunities and even goals.

But at the same time, this style is disliked by other players.

Even within Inter, many people don’t like Talista.

On one hand, Talista’s arrogance is annoying.

On the other hand, even in intra-squad practice matches, Talista doesn’t tone down his playing style, making it uncomfortable and even easy for those matched against him to get injured.

You could say Talista is very dedicated, but there’s really no need for his rough style during practice.

What’s the point of slide-tackling your own teammates and injuring them?

Moreover, you’re supposedly a forward. Forwards frequently tackling others are often due to personal conflicts.

It’s not others being petty; it’s really that Talista recklessly ignores any rules, going too far.

The internal team dynamics are one of the reasons why Inter has yet to give Talista a salary increase.

Talista’s stats exploded this season, ranking among the top three in goals both in the league and Europa League!

His strength is undoubted.

Such a player asking for a raise after one year isn’t out of the question.

But... with teammates generally dissatisfied with Talista, if the team makes an exception to raise his salary, what about other players? Wouldn’t they also demand raises?

They definitely would!

When Finger got a raise before, everyone was already eager for a raise, but Finger is the ace of the team, so it’s not easy for others to compete directly with him.

If Talista gets a raise now, everyone will definitely have something to say about it.

Kane and others nodded, but whether they can feel Lu Yang’s point once on the field is another matter.

For a player like Talista, you really have to tussle with him to believe how shameless he can be.

He’s really got a way of getting under your skin.

...

"Welcome everyone to today’s match. You are now watching the Europa League semi-final where San Remo challenges Inter Milan away. It’s a classic Italian derby!"

"San Remo has already secured the Serie B championship and will be a Serie A team next season! They’ve achieved an incredible feat with three consecutive promotions in three years."

"In the Italian Cup, San Remo once again advanced to the final. They are the defending champions of this competition, and we’ll see if they can successfully defend their title this year!"

"Inter Milan has had some ups and downs this season, but overall, their performance isn’t bad. They’re currently ranked fifth in the league, just two points behind fourth-place AC Milan."

"In Inter Milan, Finger and Talista are currently in hot form, being the most crucial players for the team in earning points. Especially Talista, his performance has been eye-catching."

"It must be said that Inter fans are being a bit harsh on Talista. His performance this season may not be inferior to Gutierrez’s initial period at Inter, but fans still hope to see more high-profile forward stars join the team."

"Of course, this partly relates to Talista’s previous demands for a high salary. His skills are strong, but he does have some personality issues, and his relationships with teammates, the coaching staff, and the club have always been poorly managed."

"During his last birthday, neither Inter players nor the club celebrated with him. The only industry insider who liked his photo was... Lu Yang!"

"Yes! Exactly, the star player and captain from the opposing San Remo team today, Lu Yang!"

"These two could be said to have only met through rivalry. Back in the Italian D Division, San Remo, led by Lu Yang, made an incredible comeback and snatched the Italian D Division championship from Talista."

"It was precisely that match where Lu Yang was bloodied on the field and got stitches on the sidelines, earning him the title of the toughest man in Italy! In that match, Lu Yang also earned Talista’s respect, and both praised each other’s performance greatly after the match."

"Lu Yang is the only player whose name you can hear Talista mention without any derogatory remarks!"

The commentator, taking the time while both teams’ players came onto the field, introduced the background and some engaging points to the audience.

A professional commentator doesn’t just offer expert analysis during the game; they must also know some ’market circulating news’ that ordinary fans might not be aware of.

This adds multiple layers of excitement to the match.

Otherwise, a game is just a dull game.

And not an enthralling ’story.’

With a whistle, the match began.

San Remo kicked off.

But right from the start, someone on the Inter Milan side appeared exceptionally excited.