Chapter 176: King Tang Changes His Number, The Round of 16 of the Copa del Rey Approaches

LaLiga Official: The registration of player Tang Ye, wearing number 99 for Villarreal, may constitute a violation; they must either cancel his youth team registration before the winter window closes or ensure the player competes in a required number of youth matches in compliance with regulations.

Front-page headline of "Diario Sport"—If Tang does not play at least three matches in the Segunda División B before the January winter window closes, as required at the time of registration, Villarreal CF could face a fine of no less than 150,000 euros.

On January 2, having finished the Christmas holiday, Tang Ye rode his bicycle to the training base parking lot.

"Roar—!!"

"Roar roar—!!"

Soon, the roar of V6 engines echoed outside the base as Musacchio and Bruno arrived simultaneously.

The driver's side window rolled down, and Bruno pointed to the sole bicycle in the empty parking lot: "Tom, bicycles don't need to be parked in parking spots, do they?"

Musacchio followed the direction of Bruno's finger; Tang Ye's bicycle was parked right in the center spot, and Tang Ye had been extremely meticulous, positioning his bike precisely in the middle of the space.

It was evident that, in Tang Ye's eyes, the bicycle was his commuter car.

Just as Tang Ye was about to speak, Bruno stepped on the accelerator, reversed into the spot directly in front of Tang Ye's bicycle: "Tom, Matteo and I will surround your bicycle with our cars to protect it, so your bike won't get stolen!"

Bruno and Musacchio used their two cars to sandwich Tang Ye's bicycle from front and back; after getting out, the former Villarreal captain clapped his hands: "When Sebastian arrives, have him park on your left, and Ferran can park on your right; if anyone tries to steal your bicycle, the four cars outside will trigger the alarm!"

"..."

Tang Ye was somewhat speechless, but it didn't matter much; he skillfully walked to the passenger seat of Bruno's car and retrieved the training jersey he had left behind last time.

The three of them walked together toward the base cafeteria, while other Villarreal players, having finished their Christmas break, were also on their way to the base.

Training began quickly; since it was the first day of recovery training, Martí only arranged basic skill drills for the players, ranging from short passes to long passes and then to one-two combinations.

Just as the afternoon training session began, Tang Ye's system stirred.

【Ball Control: 79→80】

It's here!

In a moment of excitement during the rondo, Tang Ye accidentally kicked the ball passed by Rodri straight out of bounds.

"Tom!"

"My fault, my fault!"

Tang Ye raised his hand to signal; this mistake turned him from a passer into a chaser, and he ran back and forth inside the circle alongside Aleix.

It was exhausting, but compared to the joy Tang Ye had just felt, it was negligible.

Finally, he had pushed his Ball Control attribute above 80!

How much effort Tang Ye had expended to increase his Ball Control attribute, and how many hamburgers he had bought, only he himself knew.

Fortunately, the bitterness had finally given way to sweetness!

Perhaps in the upcoming matches, he could seize more opportunities to control the ball?

"Tom, come over here!"

Escrivà's voice came from afar; standing beside Escrivà was the club's Executive Director, Torán-Emery.

"Mr. Ferran, Mr. Torán!"

Tang Ye quickly ran over, nodded to Escrivà in acknowledgment, and then extended his right hand to Emery: "Hello, Mr. Torán."

"Haha, Tom!"

Emery placed his hand on Tang Ye's shoulder and gently squeezed it a few times, his face beaming with smiles.

"Ahem! Ahem!"

Escrivà cleared his throat twice to remind them, then told Tang Ye the reason he had been summoned.

Previously, due to complaints from other LaLiga clubs, the matter of Tang Ye's jersey number had once topped the trending searches.

Tang Ye suddenly became nervous: "Mr. Ferran, I looked for you when I saw the news, and you said it was fine."

"It is like this."

Escrivà began to explain to Tang Ye.

The Royal Spanish Football Federation had now provided a solution to the problem.

Tang Ye could retain his status as a youth-trained player, but the Federation's requirement was that he must play at least three matches in the Segunda División B in January, before the winter transfer window closes, to prove his status as a youth-trained player.

"This..."

Upon hearing the news, Tang Ye immediately furrowed his brow.

"Mr. Ferran, don't we have six matches in January?"

Tang Ye pointed out the crux of the issue.

Villarreal had six league and Copa del Rey matches to play in January.

Sending Tang Ye to play in the Segunda División B was not a problem, but doing so would mean he would have to play nine matches within a single month!

"That is correct."

Emery, standing nearby, took a half-step forward: "Other clubs noticed this issue long ago, but they deliberately filed complaints at the end of December because European leagues settle accounts halfway through the season."

Originally, Tang Ye only needed to play three lower-division matches in the Segunda División B between the start of the LaLiga season in late August and the end of the winter window in late January to prove his youth-trained status to the Federation.

But Villarreal was too greedy; to ensure their performance in the league and the Europa League, they did not let Tang Ye do so, resulting in the current situation where Tang Ye must play three lower-division matches consecutively within one month.

Tang Ye listened intently with perked ears as Escrivà and Emery finished their explanation.

"So what should I do now? Temporarily give up my spot in the first team?"

"No!"

Escrivà answered quickly, and his voice was very loud.

"Oh, sorry, sorry."

Adjusting his anxious mindset, Escrivà continued: "Our idea is for you to switch to a normal jersey number and cancel your registration with the B team during the winter window."

He pointed to the number "99" pinned on the chest of Tang Ye's training kit: "Meaning you stop using this number and switch to a normal first-team player's number, something within the range of 1 to 25."

The reason Escrivà had previously told Tang Ye that this matter was no big deal was that the worst-case scenario was simply Villarreal having to relinquish one of their extra first-team player slots.

Originally, Villarreal had 26 first-team players, but now they would need one player to give up his position so that Tang Ye could wear his number.

"This... wouldn't this be a bit improper..."

Hearing this, Tang Ye hesitated again.

Someone was going to be forced out of the first team because of him?

"It's no big deal; we happen to have a player transferring away during the winter window, so his number will become available."

"However, there is bad news: you can only take the number of the departing player, and you cannot swap numbers with anyone else, as this is a regulation from the Football Association."

Tang Ye breathed a sigh of relief: "That's fine; I don't have any special requirements regarding numbers."

Reaching into his trouser pocket, Tang Ye pulled out a stick of chewing gum and put it in his mouth.

Then he remembered something.

"By the way, what number will I be wearing next?"

Escrivá and Emery exchanged a glance, then both looked at Tang Ye.

"A somewhat special number..."

"What is it?"

"Number 10."

Huh?

Check Dongqiu Di pinned post: Villarreal announces player transfer plans for January.

Upon seeing this news, Chinese fans immediately clicked through to read it.

Villarreal's winter window plans!

Although Tang Ye's loan contract had not yet expired, these incoming and outgoing transfers had little to do with him.

But the Yellow Submarine was Tang Ye's team.

Fans hoped to see the club sign powerful players.

Although King Ball Tang's personal ability already surpassed the combined strength of Messi and Ronaldo, having a few more powerful teammates would certainly not be excessive.

【Outgoing: 1 player】

Pato: Villarreal → Tianjin Tianjin Quanjian, 18 million euros.

Damn!

Is King Ball Tang's friend coming to play in the Chinese Super League?

This...

It was a bit surprising, but rumors linking Pato with Tianjin Tianjin Quanjian had already circulated at the end of last year.

Although this transfer was somewhat surprising, it was also within expectations.

Transfer income of 18 million euros!

That's no small fortune!

Let's see who the Yellow Submarine has bought?

【Incoming: 1 player】

They only bought one person?

It seems this person must be quite crucial; I just wonder who it is?

Will he bring a qualitative improvement to the team's tactics?

Tang Ye: Villarreal B → Villarreal, free transfer.

"..."

Well then.

Can a new player bring a qualitative improvement to the Yellow Submarine's tactics?

Incorrect!

The new player can cause the Yellow Submarine's tactics to mutate directly.

Correct!

【Brothers, what should I say right now?】

【OK, the La Liga assist king comes from Villarreal B; do I need to explain further who the strongest team in La Liga is?】

【What a fine 'free transfer'...】

【As expected, just as I predicted; Villarreal's January schedule is very tight, so it's impossible for them to let King Ball Tang play in the Segunda División B.】

【What a pity; King Ball Tang won't have the chance to bully weak teams anymore.】

【Wait, isn't it normal for a 17-year-old to play in the Segunda División B? Why wouldn't they let Tang Ye play?】

【Brothers, Barcelona Atlètic and Villarreal B seem to be fighting for promotion spots in the Segunda División A; Real Madrid Castilla appears to be in the mix as well.】

The youth teams of Barça, Real Madrid, and the Yellow Submarine are all competing in the Segunda División B, and their results this season are similar, all ranking in the top five of the league, along with Real Sociedad's B team.

After seeing this news, some fans had already figured out the inside story of the matter.

So... those clubs that complained about Villarreal actually knew that Villarreal would not let Tang Ye play in the Segunda División B during La Liga's congested schedule.

They merely wanted to cancel Tang Ye's registration in the Segunda División B before the winter window closed, to prevent Villarreal B from suddenly producing a La Liga assist king when fighting for promotion spots at the end of the season.

It sounds somewhat absurd, but such a thing did indeed happen last season with Utrecht II.

Tom, leading his ten good friends from the second team, pinned all eleven players of Ajax II onto the grass and beat them, directly winning the championship of the Dutch FA's U-series competition.

So after all this fuss, it turns out the other clubs were just scared!

Real Madrid was scared!

Barça was scared too!

They were all scared!

They feared Tang Tang Qiuwang; their hands trembled with fear, they were too afraid to eat, and that was why they lodged a complaint against Huang Huang Qian during this special period at the end of December!

Poor Tom lost the chance to win the Segunda División B championship!

……

Villarreal Official: B-team (youth team) player Tang Ye is officially promoted to the first team, wearing the number 10 jersey.

La Liga Official: Villarreal committed registration violations at the start of the season; fined 185,000 euros, they must pay this fine in full within 20 days.

【At 38, you used your seniority to suppress the young players in the team to get the number 10 jersey; the bullied young players could only depart for the Chinese Super League, washing their faces with tears every day】

【Team bullying, Counterattack Points -1】 Fined again...

He felt a little upset, but Tang Ye's attention quickly shifted away from the matter of the fine.

Sitting on the sofa in the cafeteria, Tang Ye gazed at the box marked with the number "10" before him and fell into deep thought.

This box had just been brought in for Tang Ye by the team's logistics staff; inside were Tang Ye's new equipment for the upcoming period.

From the number 10 short-sleeved jersey to the number 10 long down jacket, even the backpack bore the number 10 marking.

Reaching out to take out the number 10 short-sleeved jersey, still unopened in its packaging, Tang Ye, sitting on the sofa, sank into contemplation.

If left to Tang Ye to choose himself, he would absolutely never have selected the number 10.

Because this number represented responsibility; once you wore this number, fans would hold expectations for you.

However, in the middle of the La Liga season, changing numbers was impossible, so Tang Ye could only wear the number 10 vacated after Pato's departure.

Having been at Huang Huang Qian for only half a season, he was already wearing the number 10 jersey!

Tang Ye was now under immense pressure!

"Tom."

!

Ale walked over and sat beside Tang Ye: "You don't look very happy; I think wearing the number 10 jersey should make you cheerful."

Tang Ye said nothing, put the clothes back into the box and closed the lid: "Hmm... I don't know how to put it right now, but I feel the number 99 might suit me better."

"Are you scared?"

Bruno stood behind the sofa, hands propped on the backrest, leaning his head close to Tang Ye.

Bruno was already 33 years old this year; for a young player like Tang Ye, he only needed one glance to understand what was on his mind.

Tom was fearing the number in his hands!

"I, I..."

Tang Ye helplessly spread his hands, leaning against the sofa, unsure how to explain.

"There's no need to be afraid; to be honest, Tom, no one will have any objections to you wearing the number 10 jersey."

Bruno flipped over to the front and crashed onto the sofa with a "Bang."

"Messi also wears number 10, and his assist count isn't even as high as yours."

"... Well, that..."

Returning home alone that night, Tang Ye hung the spare jersey on the wall, then stared for a long time at the home jersey on the wall marked with the number "10," lost in thought.

Pressure certainly existed, but all Tang Ye could do now was deliver a good performance in the upcoming matches.

Although the fans did not oppose Tang Ye wearing the number 10 jersey, he himself had his own thoughts; he wanted to prove something.

Clenching his fists tightly, he needed to show the fans that he was worthy of wearing this jersey!

……

On the afternoon of January 4, Huang Huang Qian's first match after the Christmas holiday arrived.

In the first leg of the Copa del Rey Round of 16, the opponent was Real Sociedad, also from La Liga and performing well in the league!

"Ahem, brothers, the video quality today should be acceptable, right? I started looking for a live stream source for this match the day before yesterday."

With half an hour left before the match began, Wang Chao was already adjusting the livestream room's visuals and camera angles.

"Happy New Year, Happy New Year; I really couldn't broadcast these past few days, so I apologize to you all, brothers. Of course, the main reason I haven't broadcasted lately was specifically for today's match; today promises to be very exciting, Huang Huang Qian versus Real Sociedad!"

Saying this, Wang Chao switched the livestream feed to display the starting lineup just released by the Villarreal Club.

"Number Ten! (No. 10)"

"Tang Ye!"

"Having been at Huang Huang Qian for only half a season, my Tang Tang Qiuwang is already wearing the number 10 jersey!"

【That was fast; he's already switched jerseys.】

【Hmm, the number 10 jersey does look much better; the previous number 99 jersey wasn't even in the same league compared to this.】

【The number 99 is now out of print; I heard that even if you buy it on the official website now, they won't ship it, and the number 10 jersey hasn't been listed yet either.】

【Huang Huang Qian is competing for titles on three fronts this season; the league, the Copa del Rey, and the Europa League are all going strong.】

【Today will be tough; Real Sociedad is ridiculously strong; they beat Atlético Madrid earlier.】

【Streamer, can you hurry it up? I've been waiting ten minutes and the match still hasn't started.】

There were many people in the livestream room.

It was clear that everyone was eagerly anticipating Tang Tang Qiuwang's performance!

……

"Phew..."

Standing in the player tunnel, Tang Ye shook his legs on the spot while breathing heavily through his mouth continuously.

This was his second time playing in a Copa del Rey match, but unlike the last Copa del Rey, Huang Huang Qian's opponent today was extremely formidable.

Moreover!

Most importantly!

Looking down at the white "10" printed on his shorts, Tang Ye's heartbeat suddenly accelerated.

This is his first match since donning the number 10 jersey!

"The match has begun!"

"OK, let me briefly outline the starting lineups for both sides."

"For Real Sociedad, the head coach is... Eusebio! This coach looks very young, but I checked and he's actually over fifty!"

"Is there no pressure in managing? Today, let me, Tang Tang Qiuwang, put some pressure on him!"

Real Sociedad (4-3-3)

Goalkeeper: Rulli

Defenders: Odriozola, Raúl Navas, Martínez, Berchiche

Midfielders: Prieto, Illarramendi, Zurutuza

Forwards: Vela, Hu Hu Anmi, Oyarzabal

Several players in the opposing starting lineup were no strangers to the livestream audience, as He Wei had previously introduced them to viewers during CCTV's broadcast of the La Liga match between Villarreal and Real Sociedad.

In other words, this was the second encounter between Villarreal and Real Sociedad this season.

In their previous meeting, Villarreal had defeated Real Sociedad.

The only question was whether head coach Eusebio had found a way to counter Villarreal's tactics in today's match?

"Come on, over there!"

Tang Ye signaled for Rodri to move to his left side.

Rodri had actually intended to fill Tang Ye's position, but since Tang Ye had a plan, he decided to follow his lead.

It shouldn't be a major problem!

Rodri surged forward from behind, running to Tang Ye's left side.

OK!

Tang Ye turned around, took the ball from Bacambu, and accelerated toward the front-left.

Real Sociedad clearly intended to target Tang Ye; as soon as he made his forward run, Illarramendi immediately tracked him.

Seeing the opposing defender follow him, a smile appeared on Tang Ye's face as he flicked the ball back to Rodri behind him.

Illarramendi froze on the spot, because as soon as Rodri received the ball, he immediately assumed the posture for a long pass!

Rush up and press!

Illarramendi charged toward Rodri's position, preparing to disrupt the Villarreal defensive midfielder and prevent him from completing his long pass.

At that very moment, Rodri played a through ball straight to Tang Ye!

"A one-two!"

"Awesome!"

"A one-two between Tang Ye and Rodri!"

"Brothers, did you see that just now? Tang Ye gave the hand signal for Rodri to come forward. I don't know if you saw it, but I definitely did."

"All of this was within Tang Ye's calculation!"

Wang Chao was extremely, extremely excited.

CCTV had lost the broadcasting rights for La Liga and the Europa League, and whenever Tang Ye appeared in the starting lineup, CCTV would invariably broadcast Villarreal's matches.

Therefore, only during Copa del Rey matches like this one could Wang Chao ride the wave of Tang Ye's popularity.

He must go all out with the commentary, alright!

"Real Sociedad's number 4 is being played like a monkey! Tang Ye, OK, immediately distributes the ball to the left flank!"

"Sansone has possession now, but I can tell Tang Ye already has an idea; he's figuring out how to create an opportunity for the team."

"Fans who are new to football might not fully understand, so let me explain it to everyone here..."

Wang Chao explained slowly: "The attacking midfielder position is absolutely, absolutely the most crucial. Look at Tang Ye; the reason he can play as an attacking midfielder is that he is Villarreal's most capable player. All other players must follow his rhythm."

"Look, did you see that? Just now, Sansone glanced at Tang Ye out of the corner of his eye again."

"This is exactly what I was saying: the team's core. What does 'core' mean? The number 10 is the core."

In the footage, Sansone, controlling the ball, executed a short combination play with Costa near the baseline before suddenly accelerating into the penalty area.

Real Sociedad's defensive line began to contract under pressure at this moment.

Tang Ye was observing, first moving to the position just outside the penalty arc to assess the situation.

The opposing defenders were extremely cautious, utterly unwilling to yield the space outside the arc to Tang Ye.

But that didn't matter; Tang Ye had already spotted a better position.

Moving to the left side of the penalty area, he reached out toward Sansone, who was still dribbling: "Here!"

Sansone glanced at Tang Ye out of the corner of his eye, saw Tang Ye pointing to the space on his own right, and decisively passed the ball to Tang Ye's right side.

Tang Ye turned and ran to the right; just then, Zurutuza rushed over to mark him tightly, but Tang Ye controlled his first touch perfectly and immediately played a through ball into the six-yard box.

The instant the pass was made, Ale ran out.

Tang Ye's pass skimmed the grass, rolling past Ale and reaching him at tremendous speed.

Ale extended his foot to control the ball!

Goalkeeper Rulli had already rushed out!

No hesitation, just slot it home!

"Gggg—ooooo—lllll!!!!"

"Goal!"

"An assist from Tang Ye!"

"What did I just say! Damn!"

"Tang Ye's pass perfectly tore open Real Sociedad's rear defensive line!"

"1:0!"

"Villarreal leads by one goal!"

From the stands, a chorus of boos rose from the home fans as Ale and Tang Ye ran shoulder to shoulder toward the sideline.

Seeing Ale prepare to slide on his knees, Tang Ye quickly shouted, "Don't rush, don't rush!"

"I'll count down three, two, one, and we do it together!"

"Three! Two! One!"

"Wow!"

Boom!

Whoosh—whoosh—whoosh—!!!!

Ale and Tang Ye simultaneously dropped into knee slides; then Ale rose first, let out a roar at the stands, turned around, and embraced Tang Ye, who had just gotten up.

Check Dongqiu Di live match report: In the Copa del Rey, Villarreal leads Real Sociedad 1:0 away from home; Tang Ye provided the assist for Ale's goal.

……

PS: Nearly 19,000 words of updates—close to 18,000!

Only two days left for the double monthly ticket event!

Brothers, give us your monthly tickets—no more holding back your strength!

(End of chapter)