It’s time for Mancini to show his mettle.
However, achieving the goal requires a scientific approach.
As Chiwo mentioned, a squad rotation method is necessary.
This is a change that Mancini, who prefers a fixed starting lineup, must make.
Otherwise, these main players might not last till the end of the season and end up in the hospital.
After the training session, Mancini called Chiwo to his office for a private discussion.
Inter Milan players noticed that recently Mancini was not quite the same as before!
During the Tuesday morning training, not only did he personally come to the field, but he also partook in the training with the players.
On the pitch, sunlight broke through sparse clouds, shining on the green field.
In the match, Mancini competed alongside Tang Long, Icardi, and other main team players.
One must say, Mancini, the manager who’s over fifty but still charismatic, at this moment seemed to have returned to his glorious playing days.
His sharp breakthroughs, precise passes, and clever dribbling under pressure reminded one of the elegant style of the national team’s number 9 during the era of Baggio.
Mancini moved like a hunter on the brink of a pounce.
With a precise diagonal run, cleverly using slight body pauses, Ranocchia, an elite center-back, was easily bypassed, leaving only a stunned silhouette.
Simultaneously, Tang Long’s eyes, which seemed able to discern every corner of the field, had already locked onto Mancini’s position.
A perfectly precise through pass, like an arrow traversing the battlefield, landed right at Mancini’s right foot.
Without any adjustment, Mancini swung his right foot in a fluid and powerful motion, as if there was an unspeakable harmony between his body and the football, shot!
Handanovic, the experienced goalkeeper, despite a swift reaction, could only watch as the powerful and precisely angled shot slipped underneath him and rolled securely into the back of the net.
At this moment, time seemed to freeze, followed by thunderous cheers and applause!
All the Inter players, from substitutes on the sidelines to teammates on the pitch, widened their eyes in disbelief.
Tang Long’s pass, his graceful footwork, and foresighted awareness seemed to predict the future;
And Mancini’s movement and shot was a perfect blend of strength and art, each detail revealing a master-level elegance.
Inter Milan’s main striker Icardi couldn’t help but loudly applaud:
"Amazing, Mr. Mancini! This is the first time I’ve seen you play in person, truly an eye-opener!"
Meanwhile, Ranocchia sheepishly scratched his head — as a top Serie A center-back, he was cleanly outmaneuvered by the 51-year-old Mancini.
Mancini rubbed his strained back and laughed: "Tang, your pass was exceptional, I almost couldn’t keep up, twisted my old back. Haha, but scoring feels amazing! Back in the national team, I used to do these through-pass plays with Baggio often."
Mancini gathered all the players around him.
He decided to mention Juventus.
"This season we will compete with Juventus for the Coppa Italia, lads, you must not be afraid!"
"Let me tell you, across European football, I’ve faced many teams’ coaches during my playing days."
"You think Juventus is strong? Let me tell you, I played for Samp for 16 years, my favorite opponent was Juventus, and I scored 14 goals against them!"
Mancini’s face showed a proud smile.
"When I won Serie A with Samp, their current coach Allegri was still struggling with a relegation-threatened Cagliari team! You can ask him, I dribbled past him like a wooden post!"
"Every time I was going to get past him, he could only stop me by pulling my shirt and fouling!"
"Allegri during his playing days was defeated by me, understand? He’s not better than me! Do you have the confidence to defeat Juventus, and first win the Coppa Italia championship?"
Everyone was infected with Mancini’s passion and responded one after another.
Tang Long’s spirit was also invigorated.
In football, striving for the championship, that’s when the game is played with passion!
Especially by stepping over Juventus to win the Coppa Italia, it ignites team morale even beyond the trophy itself.
"Boss said it well, let’s take down Juventus!"
"What’s there to fear from a team relegated for match-fixing?"
"Boss, rest assured, this season we are determined to win the Coppa Italia!"
"Next season we’ll overshadow Juventus in the league and regain the Serie A championship!"
"This season is just the beginning of Inter’s resurgence, from next year on, guys, the sky over Italy will belong to our blue and black!"