Sporting de Gijón defeated Parma cleanly with a score of 3-0 in the away game and took the lead in the two-legged knockout stage.
At the post-match press conference, Parma's manager, Camigliani, bitterly admitted defeat, but refused to raise his hands in surrender. He said that they would see a different Parma when they visited the El Molinon Stadium in the second leg.
The team won relatively easily. Li Ang was in a good mood and did not start to ridicule. He talked about Parma's past glory, expressed that he liked Parma very much, and sent his blessings to Parma. This also won the favor of the Parma people, so much so that the local Parma reporters were surprised. What a good and humble person. Why were some of their Spanish counterparts speaking ill of this person?!
However, a favorable impression did not mean that they were not angry. Parma's fans and media were quite disappointed and dissatisfied with the home game's 3-0 loss. The Italian media also could not bear to see Parma in such a situation.
After the game, the Italian side was also full of grief. As the glorious symbol of Italy's mini World Cup, Parma, one of the seven sisters of Serie A, was easily beaten by a dark horse team in La Liga. The Italians were naturally very sad and dissatisfied.
However, the general view of the stubborn Italian media was that the 3-0 loss was not a reflection of the true strength of the two teams. Parma's true strength was not weaker than their opponents. Some Italians even insisted that Parma's strength was actually stronger than Sporting de Gijón. The reason why they lost and lost so miserably was related to Parma's current poor financial situation and the uncertainty of their future. If Parma could have a local tycoon to take over, the players would unite and Parma would still be the Parma that many teams feared!
Some Italian media even took the initiative to look for an "owner" for Parma. For example, Corriere dello Sport made a constructive suggestion, suggesting that Michele Ferrero, the head of Italy's richest man and the head of the Ferrero family, take over Parma and save the cow army from the fire and water. This also aroused the excitement and longing of the Parma fans.
*****
However, Milan Gazzetta dello Sport had a more objective and fair analysis of the match. They were full of praise for Li Ang and Sporting de Gijón.
Di Gennaro, the famous columnist of Milan Gazzetta dello Sport, had analyzed the game in detail. In his column, he highly praised Li Ang. "This China coach has led his team to set off a storm in the Iberian Peninsula … Coach Li Ang's insistence on taking the initiative and building a team with young players has paid off. The players of Sporting de Gijón, with their outstanding athletic ability and strong physical fitness, have injected new blood into La Liga with their diligent running, powerful attacks, and crazy oppression. Their tactical play has left the Italian club (Parma) at a loss. In comparison, the former European Cup Winners' Cup champion, Parma, did not have an obvious advantage in terms of technique. Under the pressure of Sporting de Gijón, they often made mistakes in their passes. Moreover, the isolated frontline and the lack of interception in the midfield were also magnified by Camigiani's arrangement of the players. Parma, led by the new manager of Parma, was like an antique classic car. It was messed up by Sporting de Gijón's fierce little sports car. "
Di Gennaro's article also caused some dissatisfaction in the Italian media. They thought that the famous Italian football media man was "praising others while diminishing his own prestige." They thought that he was praising Li Ang and Sporting de Gijón too much. They were a little unhappy.
What was less known was that Di Gennaro's column appeared on the desk of Massimo Moratti in Pinenati the next day. Di Gennaro was a famous fan of Inter Milan in Italy. His column was valued and appreciated by Moratti.
*****
Li Ang did not pay attention to the follow-up story on Parma's side. The day after the end of the game, the Sporting de Gijón team returned to Spain.
They were warmly welcomed by the Sporting de Gijón fans at the airport. The team had won a big away game against Parma and had one foot in the UEFA Europa League semi-finals. This made the Sporting de Gijón fans very proud.
Not only were the Sporting de Gijón fans cheering, but the local media in Gijón also sang praises for Sporting de Gijón. The major media in Spain also, for the first time, uniformly waved flags and cheered for Sporting de Gijón and praised them endlessly.
This was because, in the other UEFA Europa League quarter-finals that were held at the same time, Villarreal lost to AZ Alkmaar in the Eredivisie at home with a score of 1-2. Their chances of advancement were not optimistic.
In the UEFA Champions League, in the previous round of 16, Real Madrid was eliminated by Juventus and Barcelona was eliminated by Chelsea. There were no Spanish clubs in the Champions League. In the UEFA Europa League, Villarreal was now likely to be eliminated. Only Sporting de Gijón had a good chance of advancing to the UEFA Europa League semi-finals. Under these circumstances, Sporting de Gijón was likely to be the only La Liga team in the European competition. Therefore, even the media, who did not like Sporting de Gijón and Li Ang, had to cheer for Li Ang and Sporting de Gijón at this time.
Once Villarreal was finally eliminated by AZ Alkmaar, Sporting de Gijón would become the last fig leaf for the La Liga team in the European competition this season.
"Guys, now, the whole of Spain has to rely on us to fight for face." Li Ang said to his players in a half-joking tone during a break in the training session the next day.
His players were proud when they heard this.
Every step they took in the UEFA Europa League was not only a huge breakthrough for Sporting de Gijón in the European competition, but also the face of the La Liga team in the European competition.
*****
Li Ang was in a good mood after the away win against Parma, which meant that they would be more relaxed in the second leg of the game.
This was extremely important for Sporting de Gijón, who was currently fighting in three fronts in the Copa del Rey, La Liga, and the UEFA Europa League. They could get a rare chance to breathe.
From the beginning of April until the end of the league on May 29th, these two months were the most crucial period of the season for Li Ang and Sporting de Gijón. Whether their efforts in the season would pay off or not depended on these two months.
They had reached the semifinals of the Copa del Rey against Atlético Madrid. In the UEFA Europa League, they also had a great chance of reaching the semifinals. In the La Liga, they were only one point behind the leader, Barcelona, with eight matches left in the league. Moreover, the two teams still had a direct contest.
For a dark horse like Sporting de Gijón, although it sounded crazy and unbelievable, they could really achieve the great glory of the "Treble"!
Would they achieve the glorious "Treble"? Or would Sporting de Gijón, who had a weak lineup, collapse under heavy pressure and come out empty-handed?
The next two months would be a huge test and pressure for Li Ang.
These were also the busiest days of the season for a manager. It was the time when the pressure was the greatest, and it was also the time when he was the most tired.
Because of this, every time Li Ang returned to his apartment, exhausted, and looked at the empty house, he inevitably felt even more tired and lonely.
Therefore, when he got home from work at the Marlio training base, he was surprised to see that the lights in his room were on. His heart skipped a beat, and he could not wait to open the door. He could vaguely see Alice, who was wearing an apron, busying herself in the kitchen. He threw himself on the sofa and lay down. Through the glass window, he watched the beautiful figure bustling around like a butterfly. He felt that he had embraced the happiness of the whole world.
PS: Second update. The highway was blocked today. I'm so tired.
Calling for a monthly ticket. I'm so tired. I'm physically and mentally exhausted today. Happy May Day.
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