Manchester United's heir apparent, but can't play football.

Chapter 115 What?! We were forced to perform a spatial rehearsal again!
The European matchdays are about to begin.

The Wolfsburg team arrived in Italy ahead of schedule to familiarize themselves with the pitch.

"Napoli's style of play is very effective against us."

"Don't be afraid, we have Li."

Maranda comforted Arnold.

Li Luo looked out the car window at the scenery: "Maradona elements" were everywhere.

A large graffiti on a wall. Maradona is wearing Napoli's iconic blue jersey, with his arms outstretched as if to embrace the whole city. The number 10 on the back of the jersey is painted particularly thickly, with fresh paint still stuck to the edges, indicating that it is regularly maintained.

Unlike the Eternal City, Rome is graffitied during the day, while Lazio has it wiped clean at night.

Almost without exception, the craft shops along the street reserved the most prominent spots for Maradona, with glass cases displaying 1:6 scale replicas of dolls. Some were dressed in the jersey from his 1987 Serie A title win, with plastic grass clippings still stuck to their shoes; others depicted him lifting the UEFA Cup.

The assistant coach couldn't help but explain: "For the previous generation of Napoli fans, Maradona was their football faith."

"In 1987, he led the team to win the club's first Serie A title, breaking the monopoly of the northern giants."

"In 1989, they won the UEFA Cup, which was Napoli's first European title."

"In 1990, they once again defended their Serie A title, becoming the only southern team in Serie A at the time that could compete with the northern giants."

"Napoli fans of that era had an almost worshipful attitude towards Maradona."

Who wouldn't want to be a hero like that?

This is very unusual.

The teaching assistant didn't raise his arm to shout slogans today.

Instead, he was cursing and swearing at Italy during World War II. His expression looked like someone who had lost a video game and was blaming their teammates for being incompetent.

Everyone laughed.

De Bruyne fell into thought, a smile playing on his lips: 'Li is a hero of Chinese football; similarly, he will become a hero who builds a dynasty at his club.'

Li Luo glanced at his phone screen.

A little annoying.

All the messages were from girls.

[Airi-chan: Li-san, the news recently said Wolfsburg's schedule is very tight, and that you're very disciplined. I don't want to bother you too much, but we haven't seen each other for a long time, and you've been really cold to me lately.]

[Beya: Li, poor little virgin, don't you really like it? [Napoli jersey sexy outfit, milky white snowflake.jpg]]

[Lei: Li, I'm really tired. Don't you like girls?]

Lauren: The temperature in Naples has been fluctuating a lot lately, and it's also drier. Take care of yourself.

Lauren is still the best; even though we're not dating right now, she still cares about me as always.

As for the other girls?
Li Luo hasn't had the time or inclination to deal with this lately.

Even as his physical development, training volume, and high-intensity competitions lead to exceptionally high demands, he still strives to be a person of principle.

He will be returning to Manchester United in two or three months.

You can't just meet girls casually.

Love yourself.

Night falls.

St. Paul's Stadium.

Tens of thousands of Napoli fans were ecstatic.

“Forza Napoli Sempre!!!”

The overwhelming shouts, combined with the vibrant blue and white lights, created a terrifying atmosphere.

"Zhuangdianertai! Zhuangdianertai! Good evening, viewers!"

"We are now broadcasting live the 2014/15 UEFA Europa League quarter-finals."

"Napoli will host Wolfsburg."

"The Lightning Legion has encountered a pack of wolves!"

"The camera pans to the stands. Sofia Loren, an Italian national treasure! This lady, a native of Naples, has supported her hometown team for decades. In her autobiography, she wrote: 'Maradona made the whole city believe in miracles, and the passion for football in Naples is in my blood.' During important matches, her VIP box is lit up with blue and white lights, echoing the cheers of the fans."

"Gennaro Monturi, a representative figure of the extreme fan culture of the last century, is now over seventy years old and is still the leader of the extreme fans."

"Hehehe, gang elder."

Zhan Jun began to recount the historical anecdotes of Naples as if he knew them by heart.

Coach Zhang would occasionally chime in with a few words of his own.

Studio.
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[I saw a video blogger say that Maradona was a Serie A star created through marketing and packaging; his actual ability was mediocre. His miracle run leading Napoli to avoid relegation was just luck. The Maradona elements we see on TV are created by millions of temporary workers around the world every week. It's ridiculous; I can't even laugh at myself.]
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Hey bro, leave your contact information, I'll recommend some health supplements to you later.
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Maradona's football career was so full of destiny; the significance behind that match against England goes without saying; in the 90 World Cup in Italy, he led Argentina against Italy in this very stadium in Naples!
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[A world-famous painting, and the banner in the stands back then: "Maradona, the people of Naples love you, but our homeland is Italy."]
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[Let me tell you about that specific historical context and local culture; that would take over two thousand words.]
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If Li Luo leads Manchester United to create an even more glorious dynasty, wouldn't he become a star of the century?

Pre-match press conference.

Napoli manager Rafael Benítez spoke calmly.

"I don't care about star players or anything like that."

"I did fifty pages of data analysis on Wolfsburg, and the match won't be too difficult for Napoli."

“Lee? He’s a super genius. I hate Ferguson. I really hate him.”

"However, I don't need to show too much hostility towards an 18-year-old Manchester United heir. He's been great on the pitch and I've heard he has a good personality, so I don't think Lee was developed by Ferguson."

The reporters burst into laughter.

During this period, due to his good results with both Valencia and Liverpool, he was already recognized by the media as a star coach, and there were even rumors that he might coach Real Madrid next season.

The most well-known example is the Miracle of Istanbul, and this guy is the manager of Liverpool.

Suddenly, a reporter asked, "If Wolfsburg parks its buses, does Napoli have a solution?"

"Yes! Wait a minute! Let me draw a diagram first, and then I'll explain the movement of the three lines to you."

"."

There's an old joke: Imagine you put a busty, big-breasted bikini-clad woman alone in a room with Rafael Benítez. 24 hours later, when you open the door, you'll find nothing happened, and the busty bikini-clad woman has learned a lot about football.

of course.

Many players dislike this type of coach.

When Alonso was playing for Liverpool, he missed a game because his wife was giving birth, which angered Benitez.

Unfortunately.

Benitez himself missed his father's funeral because of a match.

Some media outlets have analyzed:
Why are some head coaches so "harsh" on their players, while others are very kind to them?

You can refer to the experiences of these head coaches when they were young.

Benitez joined the Royal Youth Academy at the age of 13 and won all the honors in youth competitions. Later, due to injuries, he was unable to realize his potential and could not enter Real Madrid's reserve team, Castilla. His family has always been in financial straits. The economic pressure of his childhood cultivated his self-discipline and sense of crisis. The setbacks he experienced in his youth also made him have an almost obsessive pursuit of "efficiency" and "order".

Interestingly, after leaving Liverpool, money seems to have become the key to changing a person.

Time passes.

After he took over Napoli, his personality improved, he became more humane, and he learned to care about the players.

During this phase, Benitez no longer stubbornly adhered to a particular football philosophy, but instead became more flexible.
Making money is the most important thing.

Player tunnel.

De Bruyne suddenly said, "I think the fan atmosphere in this city is pretty good."

Bendtner pinched his nose and lowered his voice: "What's so good about it? Didn't you smell anything bad the whole way here? The residents here are unhygienic, they're everywhere... and there are a lot of thieves too!"

The voice grew louder and louder.

Wolfsburg captain Benaglio probably wanted to cover the mouth of the Arsenal emperor.

The atmosphere was somewhat tense.

At the very front of the queue.

Li Luo and Higuain didn't exchange any words.

The latter was diagnosed with a mental illness because he was called a "national traitor" on the front page of Argentina's Olé newspaper during last year's World Cup final.

Li Luo wasn't worried at all about experiencing this situation.

After the Asian Cup.

He is a role model for Chinese football; which media outlet would dare to write nonsense about this?
"Now we will introduce the starting lineups of both sides."

"Napoli's formation is 4-1-4-1!"

Goalkeeper: Andújar.

"Defenders: Ghoulam, Britos, Koulibaly, Maggio."

"Single defensive midfielder: Inler."

"Central midfielders: Mertens, Hamsik, Insigne, Callejon."

Forward: Higuain

Studio.
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Wow! Napoli's attacking prowess has probably reached the 90 mark by now, right?
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[Ranked fifth in Europe.]
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Don't panic, it's a counter-offensive!
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[Master Benitez has recently been less inclined to use man-to-man marking and more focused on zonal marking. I don't think the opposing team will have a player constantly marking Li Luo, so this game will likely be high-scoring.]

"On the other side, Wolfsburg's formation is 4-2-3-1!"

Goalkeeper:

"No changes, full starting lineup."

Beep!
Accompanied by the referee's whistle.

The game officially begins.

Wolfsburg has possession of the ball.

Bendtner kicked off and passed the ball back to his own half.

Napoli, having switched to a 2-1-4-3 formation, took advantage of their home advantage to launch a massive high press.

"The pressure is much stronger than expected!"

"Benitez said in the pre-match press conference that he would play a counter-attacking style, but now it seems that was just a smokescreen! He's a cunning old fox!"

The football rolled quickly along the grass and came to the feet of Wolfsburg's center-back Knoch.

Higuain approached fiercely like a Collie, leaning slightly forward, trying to block Knoch's passing lane. He didn't rush to intercept, but instead used anticipation to disrupt Wolfsburg's passing rhythm.

Snapped.

Knoch's cross was deflected by Higuain's outstretched foot, changing both the force and direction of the pass.

Fortunately, former Bayern Munich player Gustavo dropped back to the defensive line in advance, strode to catch up with the ball, and passed it back to Wolfsburg goalkeeper Benaglio in time.

Boos from the Napoli fans rang out from the stands behind the goal, interspersed with sporadic applause, cheering for Higuain's aggressive pressing.

"Higuain was very smart this time. He didn't make a blind tackle, but used his body and anticipation to disrupt the game. This is completely different from his usual killer image in the penalty area."

"Back when I was at Real Madrid, Mourinho forced me to train like this."

"It wasn't just him; Napoli's pressing network was very tight, and the other players' movements were very agile."

"On the other hand, Wolfsburg's defense was a bit disorganized at the start; Knoch's passing choices were too conservative."

Studio.
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What's going on? How can Napoli treat Wolfsburg like a Serie A team? They should have parked the bus!
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Whoever is on defense is a coward.
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To be honest, Napoli's midfield and attack have a really strong execution.

God's perspective.

Li Luo noticed that Napoli's high-pressure tactics were different from those of the other Bundesliga teams.

The core of the latter is: high-intensity pressure keeps the opponent on the defensive throughout the game, allowing for a transition.

The core of the former is to lure the opponent to take a predetermined passing route by using local blocking, and then rely on the coordination between the midfield and the full-backs to intercept the ball in the trap area and play a transition.

There are significant differences, but neither is superior to the other.

One is a German girl who will take you to a hotel as soon as you meet her.

One is an Italian girl who invites you to a movie, a candlelight dinner, a walk along the river, and a chat about life and ideals, before finally saying she's tired and pointing to a hotel to get a room and rest.

The pace is not slow.

Wolfsburg goalkeeper Benaglio passed the ball to Li Luo, who had dropped back to receive it, while Napoli's Insigne was already rushing in from the rear!
"Watch out! Insigne's about to shovel!"

Zhan Jun's hoarse voice suddenly let out a gasp of surprise.

Insigne bent over, his right leg seemingly gathering strength, clearly intending to take advantage of Li Luo's pause when receiving the ball to use a tackle to disrupt possession and throw Wolfsburg's attacking rhythm.

Charge at the ball, not the player.

There is no intention to cut down trees.

Snapped.

Li Luo, however, had already sensed it.

Half a second before touching the ball, he had already sensed Insigne's running trajectory and gently flicked the ball.

He leaped up lightly.

84 points of ball control, Maradona's ball control.

He gracefully and calmly dodged Insigne's flying tackle.

"What a brilliant anticipation! Sharp spatial awareness, leaping to dodge the sliding tackle! I wonder if it will remind the Napoli fans in the stadium of Maradona."

"Hey hey hey."

Coach Zhang smiled and agreed.

He couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief, but was secretly alarmed: Insigne was too hasty, making such a fierce tackle just a few minutes into the game. Did Benitez specifically instruct him to mark Li Luo closely before the match?
The words were not finished.

next moment.

Li Luo took a step and started.

He dribbled forward through the middle. Deviating from Benitez's planned route, he easily dismantled Napoli's trap zone.

Wolfsburg's attacking group used this momentum to push past the center circle, with De Bruyne, Bendtner, and Ricardo spreading out in a fan-shaped formation, which loosened Napoli's defense.

Insigne was slightly surprised.

Hamsik yelled at Insigne from midfield: "Don't just stand there! Get back on defense! Get the tempo back!"

Li Luo and his Wolfsburg teammates have already gelled well.

He moved diagonally across the midfield, each touch lasting no more than two seconds, his passing like a net, dismantling Napoli's midfield barrier into pieces.

Benitez frowned on the sidelines. Before the match, he had specifically emphasized to his players that they should cut off the connection between Li Luo and De Bruyne.

pity.

In retrospect, Wolfsburg's two-man passing game was incredibly fluid.

Blackgold glanced at the Napoli coach and frowned as well, putting on a great coaching air.

The Napoli players are very smart.

Defensive midfielder - Inler.

He did not choose to go after either Li Luo or De Bruyne.

Instead.

Go get Maranda!
A famous coach's quote: If you can't beat the strongest player on the opposing team, then find the weakest player and beat him.

"A clean and efficient interception!"

"The football is out of control."

"Li Luo's timely support protected possession of the ball."

"Napoli got a chance to catch their breath and instead of continuing to press forward, they quickly built a low defensive line!"

Li Luo was slightly surprised.

Napoli timed it so perfectly, seizing the opportunity when Maranda received the ball.

Maranda showed no negative emotions, got up with a憨憨 (simple and honest) attitude, and continued to engage in the battle.

The football was passed quickly among the white jerseys.

"De Bruyne looks chubby, with a big waist and a big butt, but his control, dribbling, and shooting are all excellent! Not to mention his passing."

“那不勒斯已经完成了收缩，因勒回撤到中卫之间，4-1-4-1直接变5-4-1，调整的速度很快！”

"De Bruyne didn't force a cross, but instead passed the ball back to Li Luo."

"We still need to reorganize the two core players. Hecking's tactics are to give possession of the ball to the two players who are best at creating opportunities."

Li Luo before receiving the ball.

Napoli center-back Koulibaly has already sensed the approaching charge.

The opponent's defensive system is very unconventional.

Koulibaly, a center-back, will be released to sweep around like a defensive midfielder.

Koulibaly is also a product of Metz's youth academy; he was a contemporary of Pjanic and Mane.

Very calm.

They didn't make any easy tackles in their own half.

Instead, he would use his running to get close to Li Luo, intending to subtly push his waist or grapple him hard with his elbow when they made physical contact—taking advantage of the referee's obstructed view, to cause trouble for Li Luo, affect the power generation of various parts of his body, disrupt Wolfsburg's attacking rhythm, and then seize the opportunity to kick him.

but.

Li Luo was prepared.

I haven't even played games lately; I've been staying home all day researching your Naples.

The moment of receiving the ball.

He gently pulled his right foot to the side and back, his body turning half a circle, and in an instant, he continued with a terrifying pace.

The audience couldn't see anything clearly. It felt like Li Luo turned around, and then he and the ball seemed to "jump" again, forcibly shifting his position and creating distance between himself and Koulibaly, which also caused the opponent's outstretched arm to miss.

"That turn was so agile!"

Coach Zhang couldn't help but cheer: "When Li Luo received the ball, he didn't fall for these little tricks at all, and instead made Ghulam almost lose his balance!"

"Pass the ball! Find De Bruyne!"

Li Luo's pass was precisely timed to exploit the gap left by Koulibaly's challenge, and De Bruyne calmly received it on the wing. Many fans may not know that this Belgian midfield prodigy has played as a winger for many years.

He played several league matches after joining Werder Bremen before being converted into a midfielder.

at the same time.

Koulibaly realized he was too far from Napoli's defense, so he decisively abandoned Lillard and went back to reinforce the low block.

Time seemed to slow down countless times.

God's perspective.

Napoli's defensive line
This left Li Luo's mind a little blank.

Before passing the ball, he planned to accelerate forward, slip through the gap between Inler and Hamsik like an eel, and reach the far post of Napoli's penalty area.

Thrust it in hard!
but.

The opposing coach had clearly made targeted arrangements in this regard: the full-back on that side would drop back to block the passing lanes, the center-back would cover laterally, and the midfielders would drop back to provide defensive support, with the three working together to cut off the space for him to make runs into the far post of the penalty area.

Can't get in!
An Italian girl who invites you to a movie, a candlelight dinner, a walk along the river, a chat about life and dreams, and then awkwardly says she's tired and needs to get a hotel room to rest, finally tells you, "Li, I'm on my period."

A gentle breeze along the Sano River lifted the white hem of her dress and her black hair.

The noise around me receded like the tide, and the world suddenly fell into silence.

Li Luo remained calm.

Unexpectedly, tonight's evenly matched situation forced Benitez's tactical deployment to force him to use the spatial rehearsal power of the controller.

From God's perspective, the red threads symbolizing the direction of the situation trembled violently, constantly tightening under invisible tension, until they snapped with a loud crack, unable to bear the burden any longer.

next second.

Countless possibilities unfolded in his mind, and he began to analyze them in all aspects.

"."

Open your eyes again.

Everything is under control.

The noise around me surged back like a tide.

'The answer was so simple.'

The spatial simulation took a long time, but in reality, only two seconds passed.

in a blink.

Li Luo began to move.

"De Bruyne dribble past Maggio!"

"His footwork is superb."

"Brittos tried to cut inside, but quickly covered, not wanting to give De Bruyne a shooting opportunity!"

"De Bruyne's pass was very subtle and imaginative."

"Ricardo!"

Ricardo controlled the ball, made a quick touch, and went down the wing! He then dribbled along the edge of the penalty area with silky footwork, dodging Callejon's sliding tackle, before suddenly delivering a cutback cross. Maranda was already in position at the edge of the penalty area.

But there was absolutely no shooting angle.

Little Black Egg's fighting spirit is well-known to countless fans.

It will definitely be passed on to Li Luo!
A soft sound of a ball being struck could be heard from the close-up sound recording equipment.

at the same time.

The Napoli defense, which had been trying to defend against Ricardo's cross, quickly pushed forward.

"Strike horizontally."

"Li Luo! It seems he walked over."

original.

The Chinese prodigy passed the ball to De Bruyne.

They slowly 'walked' to the left side of the penalty area's arc.

Facing the rolling football, Li Luo didn't make any big or unnecessary adjustments. He turned his body to the side and swung his leg, the movement was small, and he touched the ball gently.

Shot: 83! Curve: 86!

Snapped!
The football was lightly lifted, tracing a spoon-like parabola in mid-air.

The angle is ridiculously tricky.

Even the air seemed to be cut in two by this arc.

Napoli goalkeeper Andújar reacted quickly enough, taking a few steps back and leaping high into the air, desperately trying to touch the falling football with his purple gloves.

Unfortunately.

The football fell into the net.

0: 1!

At the São Paulo stadium, the blue and white waves froze instantly, and the next second, sighs rose and fell.

"Pretty!"

"Goal!"

"Was that ball...caught off guard?"

"A perfect parabola!"

"nice!"

"The kick he took just in time to push the Napoli defense forward a little bit."

"That was a great shot."

"This is Li Luo! The King of Chinese Football!"

"Let's look at the slow-motion replay. It's so easy. Li Luo walks over, and the ball is passed across to him. One shot, and it's fatal!"

Zhan Jun praised him lavishly.

Coach Zhang added, "The finishing chain of Black Gold's dual-core system is to have De Bruyne draw the defense, while Li Luo finds openings. The two of them screen for each other. The thinking is very clear, the passing level is high, and they both have the ability to get rid of defenders. It's too difficult to defend against."

"Looking back at the previous organizational phase, it was Li Luo who orchestrated the operation from behind, while De Bruyne provided the support points in front."

"His positioning before the final goal was a bit hard to understand."

Studio.

The barrage of comments filled the screen.
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That chip shot was so cool!
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[I'm awesome!]
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[Huh? He moved slowly, eventually reaching the edge of the penalty area. I can do that too.]
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[The author is about to write a lengthy post of over 10,000 words, providing an in-depth analysis of when Li Luo walked over, why he walked over, what happened during his walk, and what central message Li Luo conveyed.]
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[De Bruyne really wanted to pass the ball directly to Li Luo, but he kept holding back and observing Napoli's defense. He just didn't get a perfect opportunity; Napoli's defense is quite strong.]
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[Maranda: Feeding the ball? Isn't that easy? Just pass it to Li Luo.]
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[Haha, this goal will probably be used by football bloggers to analyze Bendtner's off-the-ball pivot role again.]

Courtside.

Benitez adjusted his glasses and glanced at Black Gold, who was celebrating wildly.

His eyes were filled with shock:

"Is this silly guy really better than me?"

"That's not right. How did he guess my last-minute pre-match strategy? How did he get Li to make that kind of decision so quickly?"

"I wanted to limit Lee's rotation between midfield and shadow striker roles. How could he have figured it out so quickly?"

"Could it be Li?"

Li Luo was already surrounded by his Wolfsburg teammates. A group of people gathered in the corner flag area, raising their fists and jumping around.

He gently patted his forehead.

My mental energy was drained by more than half.

but it does not matter.

He already knew Benitez's tactical intentions for this match.

"Next is..."

"Li, what are you saying?"

"nothing."

Li Luo patted Maranda on the shoulder and encouraged her, "Well done!"

Little Black Egg nodded seriously: "As soon as you came over, the entire Napoli defense line lost focus."

De Bruyne lowered his arms and thought to himself: Lee makes what was originally a difficult game easier. He encourages everyone, never complains, always takes responsibility, and seriously solves problems. It's really great to be teammates with him.

Some people are happy that someone is worried.

Higuain has been under a lot of pressure lately and is prone to losing control of his emotions. He can't help but complain about his teammates: "I don't understand why you guys let Lee shoot so easily?"

"He walked over slowly," Koulibaly explained.

Is there a difference between running over and walking over? There really is a difference! Sorry! Sorry.

Higuain quickly calmed down.

This superb marksman instantly understood the significance of Li Luo's approach.

It must have been good luck.

If it was part of the plan, that's terrifying. Who could predict how many individual variations there would be on both sides in a positional battle a few seconds later? And that Maranda, instead of shooting himself, insisted on passing the ball to Lee.
(End of this chapter)