Chapter Seventy-Four: An Awkward End

23 May 1994, Coppa Italia final '93/'94, Lange & Söhne. Bisenchio Stadium. Pen | fun | pavilion www. biquge。 info

After a temporary renovation at the beginning of the season, the Bisenchio Stadium, which has been renovated with temporary stands, has 9,088 seats this season, including 1,750 standing seats, but the south stand, where the standing seats are concentrated, has poured into nearly 3,000 spectators today. However, Chen Lin looked at the old stands of the Bisenzio Stadium crowded with fans one after another, and his heart was still shocked, if the stands could not bear it and collapsed, it would definitely cause a tragedy like the Heysel tragedy. At this time, he gritted his teeth and said that no matter what means he used next season, he must ask the Prato Municipality to get him a bigger and newer stadium.

The Coppa Italia final became a festival in the city of Prato, and never before in the centuries-old history of this small town has it caught the attention of the whole country and the world. On this day, the city of Prato, with a population of nearly 200,000, was almost empty, and many public officials took leave early on this day to cheer for the home team at the Bisencio Stadium. Hospitals, shopping malls, and everywhere there are TV screens, they are crowded with people, and even in the police station, several police officers on duty have quietly hid in front of the only TV set where they can watch outside programs.

In order to witness the glory of Prato and expand the influence of Prato, Chen Lin also specially invited the mayor of Prato, the Chinese ambassador to Italy, the president of the local Chinese Chamber of Commerce in Prato and a number of celebrities to watch the game.

Before the game, unlike the Prato players' elated and cheered warm-ups, the entire AC Milan squad seemed quiet, from goalkeeper Rossi to striker Massaro, from rookie Albertini to veteran Baresi, everyone walked out of the tunnel in silence with their faces bowed and bowed, and no one talked to each other during the whole warm-up process, and an extremely depressed atmosphere was growing among the players of the Rossoneri. Just yesterday, Italy's Supreme Court ruled in the second instance that AC Milan were exempt from relegation, but were deprived of all the accolades they had won this season, including their Serie A title this season. Similarly, even if AC Milan can come back from behind and win against Prato, they will not be able to claim the Coppa Italia this season.

Therefore, under Chen Lin's painstaking efforts, Prato almost won the championship before the game.

Chen Lin sat on the viewing platform, chatting cordially with the surrounding gentry and celebrities, while smiling as the referee blew the whistle of the game.

In the 9th minute after the opening, AC Milan won a corner kick, which was taken by Albertini, and the 34-year-old Baresi forced the ball into the door of Prato on the head of the 24-year-old Fan Zhiyi, and Chen Lin's smile suddenly froze on his face;

In the 33rd minute, Boban, who was actively running in the front court, stole Ma Minyu's dribbling, and after running 20 meters, he hit a high-quality volley near the upper left corner of the penalty area, and the ball hung directly in the upper left corner of the gate into the net.

In the second half, after Spalletti's adjustment, the morale of the Prato team was slightly boosted, but the world-class backline composed of goalkeeper Rossi, right-back Tassotti, central defender Baresi, Costa Curta, left-back Maldini, defender Desailly, and Albertini made the young and immature Prato players completely helpless, and Vieri became a complete rough brother in front of the experienced Baresi, like wielding a sledgehammer but completely unable to use his strength; Inzaghi was completely undisguised from Costacuta's world-class man-marking skills, and the whole audience felt like walking and sleepwalking; Ma Minyu almost didn't dare to dribble the ball in the left midfield after being broken three times by Tasottti, Doni seemed to be walking around Maldini throughout the game, and Veron also saw the world-class beast Desailly's defensive skills, which greatly reduced the frequency of forward insertion. In doing so, Prato lost almost all of his offensive weapons.

In the 61st minute, Savicevic took the ball on the right side to connect Zanetti and Ayala two Prato players, and then assisted Massaro to score a goal.

In the 78th minute, the AC Milan player scored the last goal of the game, Veron defended Donadoni at the edge of the penalty area, and Albertini took the free-kick himself. Despite Toldo's careful command of the Prato players to clear the wall of seven, it was not enough to keep out Albertini's brilliant shot from the ground. Seeing this ball, Chen Lin stood up directly from his seat, regardless of the embarrassed expressions around him, and walked into the exit passage without looking back.

When the final whistle blew, the score was fixed at 4:0, and the more than 10,000 people poured into the Bisenchio Stadium were silent, and even the winning AC Milan and the visiting fans did not cheer and celebrate. The Coppa Italia also became the only tournament in history without a trophy for victory. Looking at the AC Milan players who just silently walked into the players' tunnel, they seemed to be telling everyone with their actions that although they were deprived of the right to win the trophy, no one wanted to take the trophy except them.

A week later, at the Olympic Stadium in Athens, Greece, at the European Champions Cup final, AC Milan defeated Barcelona's "Dream Team" 4-0 after being deprived of the right to win the championship by UEFA, achieving an embarrassing uncrowned treble.

It also marked the end of a tumultuous 93/94 season, with Prato having won a Prima C Cup and a Coppa Italia runners-up this season, despite an embarrassing defeat at the end, adding two more books to the team's empty book of honours. And being able to enter the second division next season is enough to make many fans feel gratified, and for the Italian football with many teams, the second division team is already an influential senior team. Even more excitingly, with AC Milan disqualified from winning the Coppa Italia, Prato will be replaced by Prato in the European Cup Winners' Cup, which was supposed to be played by the Rossoneri, for the first time in the team's 85-year history, in all three major European cups. It is foreseeable that Prato fans will be able to watch more exciting high-level matches at the team's home stadium next season, which is undoubtedly the happiest thing for them.