"How could this happen."
Moratti stood before the floor-to-ceiling window, hands on his head, muttering in disbelief.
’How long has it been since we scored? And now the game is tied?’
’The key was that they were supposed to throw the game, so what’s the deal with Bohusky? If I remember correctly, that Czech has been incredibly active in the midfield since the match started.’
"Cooper, that bastard."
Moratti angrily slapped a hand on the glass.
He doted on his players like a loving father, but cursing out the coach was his signature move.
Inter’s record this season wasn’t bad, but Moratti was still deeply resentful of Cooper.
The guy had no idea how to use his midfield. They dominated weaker teams, but against strong opponents, it was always a loss or a draw. It felt like they never had a tactical advantage, and even when they won, it was purely thanks to the individual skill of Ronaldo or Vieri.
"Massimo, the game just started. There’s still plenty of time," Chen Yu said comfortingly.
Moratti gave a bitter smile and sat back down.
On the field, the Inter players clearly hadn’t expected the score to be tied. ’Weren’t they supposed to throw the game?’
The goal threw Inter’s backfield into chaos.
And just four minutes later, another fatal error occurred in Inter’s defense.
Grisko, who had been moved up from left-back to left-midfielder for this game, made a mistake with a headed back-pass. And once again, it was Bohusky—the dribbling master who had once torn a peak-form Maldini to shreds in the 1996 UEFA European Championship.
He found another opening, instantly surged forward, and hit a volley.
It went in again!
In just four short minutes, the Czech had scored two goals, turning the tables on Inter.
On the field, Bohusky celebrated with a wild, unrestrained sprint.
Strangely, even his teammates didn’t rush over to celebrate immediately. Instead, they looked around at each other, as if asking, ’Are we really supposed to be playing like this?’
’We were supposed to throw the game.’
’We can’t actually let Rome win the title, can we?’
In the stands, the Inter fans who had just fallen from heaven to earth were now plunged straight into hell.
Many held their heads in their hands, their faces contorted in pain. If their team lost the lead and the league title, it would be a disaster of historic proportions.
In the private box, Moratti’s face instantly turned ashen.
Being ahead 1-0 and being behind 1-2 were two completely different realities.
Inter now needed to score two more goals to have any hope of winning the title.
A draw wouldn’t be enough.
He started cursing again.
First, he cursed Bohusky, swearing that his fellow Czechs must have called him.
Then he cursed Cragnotti and Zaccheroni, ranting that it was all a conspiracy. Before the match, they must have deliberately spread the news that they would throw the game just to lull Inter into a false sense of security.
Besides, before this match, if Lazio won, they would still have a chance to compete for a spot in the Alliance Cup. Now that Juventus was in the lead, Rome couldn’t win the title anyway. In that case, actually winning, knocking Inter out, and securing an Alliance Cup spot would be a good outcome for them.
Chen Yu watched Moratti awkwardly, not knowing how to console him.
He glanced back at the field. The Inter players were clearly in a daze.
Ronaldo stood in the midfield, hands on his hips. He was far away, but Chen Yu could sense his bewilderment.
’He invited me to Italy to witness him win the title. Is this going to end with me witnessing his team blowing the lead instead?’
’That would be a tragedy.’
Though it felt like a nightmare, the match had to go on.
With more than half the game left, Inter still had hope.
On the sidelines, Cooper seemed to wake from a dream. After a long moment of thought, he made a substitution. Grisko was better on offense but weaker on defense.
Bohusky had already scored twice; how could Cooper not counter him?
He subbed in Guli to strengthen the left-flank defense.
But this substitution drew a chorus of boos from the Inter fans.
’We’re fucking losing, and instead of strengthening the attack, you’re strengthening the defense? Are you an idiot?’
In the private box, Moratti also complained endlessly about the substitution.
Chen Yu shook his head to himself. ’When it came to coaches, Moratti never had any patience.’
’But Inter really is underperforming. The other team benched two of their main strikers, and Inter still can’t manage to dominate.’
’It’s like the Phoenix Suns playing the Kings, and the Kings bench Weber and Bibi, but the Suns are still losing.’
’It just doesn’t make any sense.’
Time ticked by, second by second. Ronaldo kept pressing forward, looking for opportunities, but even Chen Yu could see that Inter was playing without any real strategy. Ronaldo and Vieri weren’t linking up well at all.
And maybe it was just an illusion, but Chen Yu felt that Ronaldo seemed to be having trouble with his legs. He wasn’t running as fiercely, as if he was holding back.
’Is there something physically wrong with him?’
’I was so focused on his knees earlier, I didn’t check anywhere else.’
Forty-five minutes were up. Four minutes of stoppage time were added.
Lazio tightened their defense, planning to hold on to their lead.
In the stands, the heartbroken Inter fans, led by who knows who at who knows what moment, began to sing loudly.
"In this world, there are indeed things more important than playing soccer and singing."
Chen Yu looked toward the stands. Tens of thousands of people were singing in unison, their voices carrying into the private box.
It seemed to be Inter’s team anthem.
Beside him, Moratti stood up involuntarily, fists clenched, and began to sing along.
"To achieve victory, we have suffered greatly, but our faith remains unshaken. To me, Inter is one of a kind."
A somber, heroic atmosphere filled the stands.
Many fans waved their arms, singing at the top of their lungs. Countless others placed their hands on their chests, praying silently, as if praying for a hero to appear.
In this moment, Inter needed a hero!
But by the end of the first half, no hero had appeared.
Moratti slumped back into his seat, dejected.
Chen Yu hesitated for a moment, then stood up.
"I’m going to check on the locker room." Chen Yu nodded to his assistant, who was looking at him, and turned to leave the box.
When he arrived at the locker room, the door had just been closed.
However, the staff member guarding the door recognized Chen Yu and opened it for him.
Entering the locker room was like walking into a funeral service.
Traces of the champagne sprayed before the match still stained the floor.
From the coach to the players and the staff, everyone was silent.
Cooper and a few assistant coaches were huddled together, tensely discussing their strategy for the second half. He saw Chen Yu come in but only managed to force a smile, nod in acknowledgment, and immediately turned back to his discussion.
The team’s medical staff was also busy treating the players.
Soccer teams are large, so the medical team was even larger. Moreover, Moratti had learned a lot from Chen Yu and placed more emphasis on building up the medical team, inviting only renowned doctors.
But most of the players just sat silently in their spots.
Chen Yu walked through the crowd and approached Ronaldo.
His head was hanging low like a child who had done something wrong, all his pre-match liveliness gone.
When he looked up and saw Chen Yu, he managed to force a small smile.
"It’s okay, there’s still the second half." Chen Yu patted his shoulder, silently activating a Bronze Level Psychological Treatment Effect.
’With the effect, these words of comfort should be more potent.’
Zanetti, who was next to him, made room, and Chen Yu sat down beside Ronaldo.
"By the way, Ronnie, are you feeling unwell anywhere?" Chen Yu asked in a low voice.
Ronaldo paused for a moment, then said, "Does a bit of swelling in my right groin count?"
Chen Yu immediately used the Eye of All-Seeing to look.
Sure enough, there was some inflammation in his right groin.
’Looks like my guess was right. His body really is having some problems.’
’The cause? Most likely from playing too many games and overexertion.’
’Fighting on three fronts, plus the National Team, and playing as a starter in all of them... it’s normal to develop problems from exhaustion.’
’Groin issues are usually caused by strain.’
"Come with me," Chen Yu said with a sigh.
’Seriously... I was supposed to be here to watch you win the title without a care, and now I have to get involved.’
’Good thing I still have a spare treatment effect, or else I wouldn’t be able to help even if I wanted to.’
"For what?" Ronaldo asked, stunned.
"What do you think?" Chen Yu pulled Ronaldo up and had him lie down on a massage table in the corner.
He then greeted Volpi, the head of Inter’s medical team. He was a famous trauma specialist in Italy who had worked for Inter for many years, and Chen Yu had met him before.
"Chen, what are you doing?" Volpi asked with a frown.
Chen Yu pointed at Ronaldo and explained, "Ronnie just told me his groin feels a bit swollen. He asked if I could help massage it to loosen it up. How about it, no problem, right?"
After all, this was their turf, so Chen Yu put the onus on Ronaldo.
Volpi paused, then gave a slight shake of his head.
He knew Chen Yu had a huge reputation, and since both Ronaldo and Moratti trusted him completely, how could he dare to say no?
Besides, this groin issue... Volpi frowned and called over Combi from the other side, asking if he had noticed the problem.
Combi was a famous Italian sports expert, similar to Nelson, responsible for the team’s daily training.
Combi was taken aback, then said, "He did mention it, but I checked it, and the problem wasn’t that serious. Ronnie, has your groin problem gotten worse? Why didn’t you tell us sooner?"
Lying on the table, Ronaldo explained with an embarrassed look, "It actually felt fine before, so I didn’t say anything."
Chen Yu didn’t say much more and got to work.
He started with a Gold Level Recovery Effect.
If it weren’t for their relationship, Chen Yu would have been reluctant to use it.
With the skill bonus, it was comparable to a Diamond Effect, so the result was astonishing.
Even if it couldn’t achieve an instantaneous cure, it should have no problem alleviating the pain and discomfort for now.
"Ronnie, after the season ends, you should come with me to the United States," Chen Yu took the opportunity to say. "The World Cup is coming up soon, and there’s still some time. You can get some maintenance treatment at my place to prevent any physical problems from cropping up."
Ronaldo paused, asking in a low voice, "Right away?"
He had already planned to take his wife and son on a relaxing vacation during that time.
"Yes, right away," Chen Yu’s tone became more serious.
"Alright then."
Ronaldo scratched his head and agreed.
Nearby, Volpi and Combi exchanged a look, their eyes filled with disbelief.
’Since when was Ronaldo so agreeable?’
This season, Ronaldo and Cooper had clashed several times over training, and no one could persuade him. To think that Ronaldo would listen after just a few words from Chen Yu.
Using his technique, he massaged the muscles that had developed adhesions due to the inflammation. Ten minutes later, Chen Yu stopped.
"Go get ’em. You know the Phoenix Suns are still in the playoffs. I left my team and flew all the way to Italy, and it wasn’t to watch you lose the lead. You’re the one who said you were going to win the title," Chen Yu said.
I didn’t fly all this way to watch you get beaten in a comeback.
Ronaldo was stunned.
"Oh, and I’ll allow you to wear that damned undershirt later. In the second half, I expect to see it at least twice."
Chen Yu waved his hand and walked out of the locker room.

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