[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-i-am-the-football-star":3,"chapter-i-am-the-football-star-i-am-the-football-star-chapter-508":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","I AM the Football Star",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},1686403,2153,"Chapter 508 - 139: Serie B Opener (The New Season Bursts with Passion)","i-am-the-football-star-chapter-508",508,"\u003Cp>Reporter: Regarding Lu Yang and Morici’s omission from the recent selection, what are your thoughts?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sotu: They are still young, and indeed, now is not the best time for them to join the Italy National Team.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Reporter: What do you mean by timing? After next year’s European Cup? After Maniero takes over the national team?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sotu: That’s just your speculation; I never said such a thing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>National team match days, a period fans love and hate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Each year, there are several days of concentrated national team matches.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For clubs, players earn salaries from the club and play for the national team for free.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Besides draining players’ energy, if they get injured, the club suffers quite a loss.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And such cases are not uncommon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Some players might rest for a week if punctured by a toothpick at a club, but they’re willing to play through pain injections for the national team, making it difficult for clubs to favor national team matches.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the other hand, national team performances can boost a player’s value and abilities, which is quite real.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Consider James Rodriguez’s stellar World Cup performance, where his value soared by forty million euros, nearly reaching the young player’s ceiling of eighty million euros!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This is also a huge earn for clubs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So, despite disliking national team matches, clubs still hope their players get selected for the national team.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This is extremely favorable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Yang and Morici being omitted was expected.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Among the entire Italy National Youth Team, only Sevajos and Pompey were called up for the national team, and... they’re likely substitutes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They might not even get the chance to play, especially Pompey, as it’s his first time being selected for the national team.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Italy’s striking problem is severe, so it’s no surprise to recruit two wingers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Lu Yang and Morici are midfielders; getting into the national team isn’t easy. Unless Lu Yang returns to the defensive midfield position, he might have some competitiveness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>September 1st, 7 PM.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The first round of the Italian Second Division commences.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>San Remo versus Serie B’s relegation team, Chitadella.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Relegation team means weak.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chitadella is not doing great this year.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As a weak team, they had a salary dispute this summer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Reportedly, the team hadn’t fully settled players’ wages previously.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meanwhile, several of their key players were sold off, including the dressing room leader.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And the newly bought players all want to become future team leaders, causing a weird team atmosphere with cliques everywhere.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What does ’a small temple with fierce winds, shallow pool with many turtles’ mean?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That’s exactly Chitadella nowadays.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The whistle sounds, the match begins.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>San Remo plays at home, with great momentum; players are running tirelessly, igniting continuous applause from the fans.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under Morici’s operation, the first five minutes saw Chitadella barely touching the ball.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the fifth minute, Morici controlled the ball and moved laterally; the opponents didn’t press timely, allowing Morici to find a perfect route.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bam!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Morici made a direct through ball, connecting Sogel.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sogel received the ball; the nearby defenders were almost two meters away and couldn’t affect him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bam!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sogel took a shot.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The ball flew towards the goal but suddenly changed direction airborne and eventually flew past the baseline.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sogel was emotionally charged, raising his right hand high and repeatedly slapping the right elbow with his left hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Handball! He handballed it! It’s a handball!\" Sogel pursued the main referee tirelessly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meanwhile, Chitadella’s players quickly surrounded, telling the referee it wasn’t a handball.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, the sideline referee raised the flag.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This indeed was a blatant handball.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chitadella’s player almost palmed the ball.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The main referee decisively showed the center-back a yellow card and pointed to the penalty spot.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Penalty awarded!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Suddenly, the atmosphere at San Remo’s stadium surged.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Getting a penalty within five minutes of starting is definitely a joyful surprise.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Morici approached the ball and picked it up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Believe it or not, he’s San Remo’s top penalty taker.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even... for free kicks and corner kicks, he’s the primary taker.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Naturally, because Lu Yang often scored impressive penalties and free kicks, without this background knowledge, many might think San Remo’s top penalty and free-kick taker is Lu Yang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Calm down, fellas; we have the whole match ahead.\" Lu Yang saw Chitadella players surrounding the main referee and helped relieve the pressure, as the referee made a fair decision.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet Lu Yang’s actions seemed to anger Chitadella’s players, especially their new captain and goalkeeper.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You, don’t think you’ll win just because you got a penalty. If you’re man enough, take the penalty; I’ll surely save it! You hypocrite! Trash!\" Chitadella’s goalkeeper seemed to snap, targeting Lu Yang aggressively.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Yang was baffled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What’s with the sudden surge of emotions?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>We have no feud, and the handball was plain to everyone just now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Friend, you should clean up your language; I haven’t disrespected you in any way.\" Lu Yang spread his hands, indicating he felt wronged.\u003C\u002Fp>",822,"2026-06-06T13:45:17.999Z",1,"novelbin.me","b61163548c43a243804b8896aa79d17aa7ff5ed180b8623d0eb357e59a97ac62","i-am-the-football-star-chapter-509","i-am-the-football-star-chapter-507",836,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fi-am-the-football-star-cover.jpg"]