Chapter 261: Happiness comes first
On January 8, 2006, Serie A reignited as Inter Milan challenged Siena away in the 18th round.
Both teams' players, having just experienced the holiday break, were not in top form. Even by halftime, they hadn't fully gotten into the game, and the score remained 0-0.
The situation improved in the second half. In the 57th minute, Ribery dribbled down the right side, assessing the situation around him. Suddenly, he sent a diagonal pass into the penalty area.
Wang Feng quickly made a run to the right side of the penalty spot, lifting his left arm to fend off Siena defender Potanova. He then shot directly into the net with his side foot after receiving the ball, making it 1-0! Inter Milan finally broke the deadlock.
Potanova, feeling helpless, rubbed his ribs. He had tried hard to push forward, but Wang Feng's body position was too stable, and with his arm blocking, Potanova's chest was pressed against his arm, causing him pain.
After this goal, Inter Milan quickly gained momentum. Ribery and Adriano contributed several brilliant attacks. In the 78th minute, Adriano scored with a header to help the team secure another goal.
2-0, Inter Milan won the game.
Midweek, in the second round of the Coppa Italia round of 16, Inter Milan hosted Parma at home. Despite being in a disadvantaged position, the away team burst with energy. In the first half, Rossina scored a goal, temporarily taking the lead.
But in the second half, when Wang Feng received the ball on the left side of the penalty area, he suddenly cut inside while dribbling. With his explosive power, he quickly shook off defender Bonera in front of him and unleashed a world-class shot with his right foot.
The ball flew in a bizarre arc in the air, initially heading towards the left side of the goal, then suddenly veering to the right, entering the net from the upper right corner. Parma's goalkeeper Frey couldn't react in time.
Ultimately, with a 1-1 draw in this match and a first-leg score of 2-1, Inter Milan advanced to the quarter-finals with a total score of 3-2, and their next opponent would be Lazio.
On January 15th, in the 19th round of Serie A, Inter Milan welcomed Cagliari at home. In the 21st minute, Pizarro made a quick run from the left side, receiving a through pass from midfielder Santi in midfield, then crossed to the middle.
Wang Feng followed up and chested the ball in the area at the top of the penalty arc, then volleyed with his left foot as the ball dropped, piercing through Cagliari's defense.
Just 7 minutes later, Wang Feng dribbled through on the right side, then lifted the ball into the penalty area near the goal line. Adriano's header found the net again, further extending the lead.
Establishing dominance in the first half allowed Inter Milan to play more comfortably. In the 73rd minute of the second half, Santi assisted Adriano once again, and the Brazilian scored his second goal of the match, also bringing Inter Milan's lead to two digits.
3-0, Inter Milan secured a comprehensive victory.
On January 19th, in the 20th round of Serie A, Inter Milan challenged Treviso away. This team, currently at the bottom of Serie A, made its first appearance in the top league in its over 100-year history this season, but it seems likely to be relegated after the season ends.
Located in the Veneto region, Treviso is even further north in Italy than Venice, with a population of just over 80,000. Since its football club was founded in 1909, it has long struggled in the lower leagues, rarely even making it to Serie B.
It wasn't until 1993, after capital injection, that they made a three-level jump to enter Serie B. But in 2001, they were relegated back to Serie C. After changing club presidents in 2004, the team made a qualitative leap and returned to Serie B, achieving a commendable 5th place.
Their promotion to Serie A was a major event in the club's history, but it brought along stadium issues. Their home ground did not meet Serie A standards at all. Treviso city officials had to repeatedly write to the Serie A league, explaining their difficulties.
"Our region's population is simply too small. It's difficult to reach the standard of over 10,000 people in attendance, and many Serie A teams also have similar problems, like Siena. We shouldn't be judged solely based on this."
"If possible, we will appropriately renovate our home ground, reducing the seat length from 50mm to 48mm, which would add around 300 new seats." After much discussion, the Serie A league eventually granted them admission.
Returning to the game itself, Treviso's home ground, the Nani Stadium, gave Wang Feng a feeling of traveling back in time. He felt as if he were back at the Ivanhoe Stadium of Serie B's Vicenza. Even Siena, a team that has long hovered between Serie A and Serie B, wouldn't have such a rudimentary home ground.
However, football here was very pure. Local fans would gather in groups of three or five after work to watch the game at the stadium, passionately cheering for the home team. They didn't care so much about winning or losing; they just wanted to enjoy a good game.
Inter Milan didn't disappoint them. After Wang Feng scored a goal, he assisted Recoba and Cruz to score consecutively. In the second half, Emre once again extended the lead.
4-0! The reserve lineup of the Nerazzurri blossomed, securing a big win.
After the game, although Treviso's fans were somewhat disappointed, they still applauded the Inter Milan players. Perhaps this is what football, with its emphasis on joy, is all about.
It's reasonable for fans to watch football matches with a focus on joy, but if players also approach the game with this mentality, it would seem quite bizarre. Balmond feels this way now.
A few years ago, a black youth named Balotelli, recommended by Wang Feng, found him. He hoped to join Balmond's team. Balmond only briefly looked at the information and quickly signed the contract.
For better development, Balmond originally intended to find a youth team in a top club for him to train with. However, an Italian Serie C club, Lumezzane, saw the potential in the Italian's physical attributes and wanted to sign him to strengthen their team. For Balotelli, starting his professional career early meant earning money sooner, so both sides quickly agreed.
At the age of 15, when he officially played for the club, he set the record for the youngest player in the history of Italian professional football league. However, Lumezzane soon realized something was wrong. Balotelli's personality was reclusive, and he would often perform inexplicable antics during matches.
For example, when he relied on his physical abilities to shake off defenders, he would insist on making flashy shots, leading to missed opportunities, or he would suddenly commit fouls during the game, and so on.
Whenever this happened, Balotelli would often smile, as if this was the happy time he enjoyed playing football. The modest Lumezzane couldn't afford such antics from the "big god," so they informed the player and his agent that they would not renew his contract after the season.
Helpless, Balmond could only turn to Inter Milan's youth camp, hoping they would sign this "old" youth player. The relevant officials carefully reviewed the information and felt that Balotelli was indeed worth nurturing, so they decisively signed him to a three-year contract.
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