Chapter 6 Momo's Competitor

Following their recent defeat, Inter Milan found themselves somewhat bewildered.

What a truly "malignant" curse! As malignant as the Chinese national team advancing simply by drawing a match.

Yet who could be blamed for this? Putting the defensive end aside for a moment, Inter Milan’s attacking line was far from poor; after all, the club was capable of scoring over 60 goals in a single season.

They were a match for Juventus in that regard (at least back when Ronaldo was still around), standing as the team with the best away attacking prowess in Serie A.

Number 20, Álvaro Recoba, who joined Inter Milan in 2000, stood 179 centimeters tall and was 26 years old. Capable of playing as either a forward or an attacking midfielder, he had made over ninety appearances for Inter across four seasons, yet had scored fewer than thirty goals.

In truth, Álvaro Recoba did not pose a significant threat to Mo Mo. Recoba’s appearances had become increasingly sparse, and every year people debated whether he would leave Inter Milan. Yet Recoba would only smile and say: Leave? Why would I leave? What if I leave Inter Milan and they go on to win the league title right after?

(Ahem, Zlatan Ibrahimović went to Barcelona, and Inter Milan immediately won the league—how awkward indeed!)

Recoba had even declared that he was willing to take a pay cut to stay at Inter Milan, even though he was no longer the highest-paid player in Serie A.

(In 2002, Álvaro Recoba renewed his contract with Inter Milan with an annual salary as high as 7.8 million US dollars, making him the highest-paid player in the world at the time.)

Whenever Mo Mo looked at Álvaro Recoba and learned of his glorious past, facing a player with the potential of a super-star who was forced to warm the bench in a squad packed with big names, Mo Mo couldn't help but feel a lingering sense of unease.

By 2003, life was getting harder and harder for Álvaro Recoba.

At the 2002 World Cup, Recoba performed below expectations, and the Uruguay national team consequently missed out on the knockout stages.

To put it in one word, Álvaro Recoba’s journey could be described as miserable. When Ronaldo and the others were around, he might only feature once or twice a season, and eventually, he was loaned out. When he finally managed to put in some great performances and Ronaldo left, he was plagued by endless injuries, rendering his form wildly inconsistent, often substituted midway through matches.

Inter Milan's president held Recoba in very high regard, but unfortunately, the club president only had the power to buy and sell players, with no way to interfere with Inter Milan's internal squad hierarchy or tactical arrangements.

It is also worth mentioning that Álvaro Recoba bore the nickname "Chinese Boy." As for why, there is no need to dwell on it, but towards Mo Mo, Recoba's attitude was actually quite amiable.

Number 78, Nicola Ventola, and Number 11, Mohamed Kallon, could both be described as super-substitutes. Among them, it was practically certain that Nicola Ventola would be sold either in the summer transfer window or the upcoming winter window.

Last season, Nicola Ventola made 16 appearances and scored 4 goals—an abysmal efficiency. One must remember that a forward who goes three consecutive matches without scoring cannot be considered an exceptional striker. Up to this point in the season, Nicola Ventola had failed to secure a single playing opportunity.

Mohamed Kallon had made nearly 30 appearances across two combined seasons, yet failed to score a single goal! Keep in mind, he was poached from AC Milan as a major contributor to their past championship glory, yet upon arriving at Inter Milan...

Number 32, Christian Vieri, was currently Inter Milan's attacking spearhead and Mo Mo's fiercest rival. Transferred from Lazio to Inter Milan for 32 million euros, over his past four seasons—specifically averaging nearly a goal per game in the last two—he had scored over sixty goals in more than ninety appearances. However, his recent form had dipped slightly, which was one of the reasons Héctor Cúper brought Mo Mo in during the winter transfer window.

If Thierry Henry was destined to be the undisputed King of Highbury, Christian Vieri was unquestionably the King of Inter Milan after Ronaldo's departure, and Mo Mo's task was to challenge him.

By the way, it is worth mentioning that Mo Mo had another formidable rival within the team. Although most people had not heard his name yet, anyone who played football video games in later years would be somewhat familiar with this wonderkid: Obafemi Martins.

In FIFA Online 3, prime Martins boasted dual pace attributes close to 90 on a single card, which was a truly terrifying figure.

And right now, Martins was one of Mo Mo's teammates, though things seemed rather tough for him. In the current season, Number 30 Martins had made four appearances and scored only a single goal, and now he couldn't even crack the eighteen-man matchday squad.

Martins was around 19 years old, about two years older than Mo Mo, with dark skin and an impressive physique, but he was currently hampered by injuries. Later on, he would even have a brief stint at Arsenal. He might not have been a world-class player in the absolute elite tier, but he was undoubtedly a top-tier talent.

All things considered, Mo Mo felt that his own abilities were roughly on par with Martins', yet Martins was currently pinned firmly to the bench? Oh, he couldn't even make the bench! All because he had chosen the wrong time to join the club.

Inter Milan was currently besieged by injuries. Their top scorer in blistering form, Number 32 Christian Vieri (a goal-scoring machine with 24 goals in 23 matches this season), along with summer signings like Fabio Cannavaro and Francesco Coco, were all sidelined and required to recuperate due to physical ailments.

Fabio Cannavaro, in particular, needed a full 20 months of recovery—roughly two seasons (quite tragic; rumor had it that just as his injury healed and he planned to make a grand comeback and restore his former glory, Inter Milan informed him that he had already been sold...)

However, Mo Mo's attention was currently captured by another matter. The deadline for the winter transfer window had passed, and Rong Guang, Wang Qidong, and Zhang Meng had already been training with the Inter Milan club for some time.

As for Zhang Meng, Mo Mo had already considered sending him back to China, but given the toxic environment within domestic clubs for quite some time to come... this left Mo Mo somewhat hesitant. Perhaps he should discuss it with Mino?

Meanwhile, Rong Guang and Wang Qidong were set to play in a training match tomorrow, featuring Martins and a slew of other bench players. This made Mo Mo mentally vent a little: Fine! Call this a training match? Isn't this just acting as sparring partners for the first team? Or helping those substitutes regain their match fitness?

Mo Mo joined the team alongside Rong Guang and Wang Qidong, adopting a 4-1-2-3 formation with the intention of utilizing a two-wing-flying tactical approach, while Martins' side deployed the versatile 4-4-2 formation. Both sides attached considerable importance to this match.

Rumor had it that this was Héctor Cúper laying the groundwork for the final sprint of the season. Amidst a squad plagued by injuries, Inter Milan—a club never short of superstar names—needed to unearth some temporary starters and super-subs.

After all, for a great team, looking good on paper was not enough; the depth of the bench was equally crucial.