Chapter 309 - 302: Double Champion

In the 86th minute of the match, when Head Coach Ronald Koman substituted Demuer for Yang Yang, the entire Amsterdam Arena, with its more than 50,000 fans, rose to their feet in a thunderous ovation, chanting Yang Yang’s name.

Yang Yang walked slowly off the pitch. Along the way, players from both Ajax and Groningen came up to him for high-fives, handshakes, and hugs. Everyone congratulated him, and Yang Yang thanked each and every one of them in return.

Even though the Groningen players had done everything in their power to stop him today, Yang Yang still wanted to thank them.

Demuer, standing on the sideline, wore an expression of envy and admiration.

He still clearly remembered that summer two years ago when Yang Yang had just arrived at the Ajax Youth Team from Almere. Back then, Demuer had been the team’s starting right winger, the starter trusted by Van Basten.

In just two short years, Yang Yang had gone from a substitute to a starter in the second team, then moved up to the first team, progressing from substitute to starter, and now to a core player.

Demuer knew better than anyone just how difficult that path was.

Even though he felt he had worked very hard, he had still only managed to climb to a substitute’s position on the first team.

For Yang Yang to have come this far, aside from a certain amount of opportunity, what mattered more was his hard work and his skill.

After encouraging Demuer to do well as he went on as a substitute, Yang Yang stood on the sideline and bowed to the fans in all four stands, expressing his gratitude.

This earned him even more fervent applause and cheers.

"Your performance tonight was absolutely fantastic! We’re all so proud of you!" Ronald Koman came over, pulling Yang Yang into a tight hug and shouting into his ear.

"Thanks, Boss," Yang Yang replied, full of gratitude.

Everyone said that Ajax wasn’t lavish with praise, so for every person who played for the club, praise from the coaching staff and management felt especially precious. That was exactly how Yang Yang felt now.

After letting go of Ronald Koman, Yang Yang went over and hugged Luther Carroll.

For over a year, Luther Carroll had been responsible for Yang Yang’s one-on-one special training. Although his workload had lightened later when Yang Yang had teammates to train with, Carroll had always remained deeply invested in Yang Yang’s growth and progress.

Two years ago, it was he, youth academy assistant Patrick Radru, and scout Fred Arroyo who had brought Yang Yang from Almere to Ajax. And over these past two years, Luther Carroll had witnessed Yang Yang’s development every step of the way.

In a way, Yang Yang’s bond with Luther Carroll was even deeper than his bond with Ronald Koman.

"Keep it up! Tonight is just the first stop. You still have a long way to go," Luther Carroll encouraged.

"Thank you, Luther."

Yang Yang then shook hands and shared hugs with the rest of the coaching staff before finally heading to the bench.

His teammates, like Niklas Bendtner and Filipe Luís, greeted Yang Yang as if he were a triumphant hero returning home.

There was hardly anyone at Ajax, from top to bottom, who wasn’t in awe of what Yang Yang had achieved this season.

This wasn’t just because of the skill Yang Yang displayed on the pitch, but also because he was genuinely good with people. He was friendly to everyone in his daily life, diligent in his work, and never had conflicts with anyone.

A player like that would be welcomed at any club he went to.

And everyone on the bench was already poised, ready to celebrate.

In the stands, the Ajax fans could no longer hold back and had already begun celebrating early.

Following last season’s treble, Ajax had once again secured a double this season.

True, winning only the UEFA Cup this season was a bit of a step down compared to last season’s Champions League, but Yang Yang’s meteoric rise, his successive breaking of Ronaldo’s legendary records, and a European Golden Boot Award that had eluded them for over a decade—all of this undoubtedly brought immense comfort and pride to everyone at Ajax.

When the referee blew the final whistle, the staff from the coach’s box and the players from the bench all swarmed onto the pitch.

The more than fifty thousand fans in the stands roared with frenzied cheers.

Champions!

Ajax were the champions of the Eredivisie once again!

Having just been substituted off, Yang Yang didn’t rush onto the field like his other teammates. Instead, he celebrated on the sideline with Head Coach Ronald Koman, Luther Carroll, and the others, before being surrounded by teammates who had rushed over from the pitch.

Then, Ronald Koman was once again tossed into the air by the players.

"Let’s congratulate Ajax! Congratulations to Ronald Koman! Congratulations to Yang Yang!"

"This has been an outstanding, even dream-like, season!"

"After a less-than-ideal first half of the season, where they even dropped to twelfth place in the league at one point, Ajax relentlessly clawed their way back to a stunning comeback victory. It’s a truly admirable achievement."

"Even before the match, Eindhoven’s Head Coach Hiddink stated that regardless of the final result, Ajax’s performance was completely convincing. We believe that after this season’s outstanding display, Ronald Koman’s team will become even more mature and will demonstrate even more stunning strength next season."

"Especially the eighteen-year-old Yang Yang, who has become a bona fide top player in the Eredivisie. We look forward to him continuing to lead Ajax to glory next season and making his mark in the UEFA Champions League."

When Ajax’s captain, Galasek, lifted the Eredivisie championship trophy high, the entire Amsterdam Arena seemed to explode as all the fans cheered wildly.

The moment was captured by live broadcast cameras and all the media reporters on site.

Although he had been the undisputed protagonist on the pitch, Yang Yang took a backseat during the celebration. He was more low-key, letting his teammates have the spotlight while he stood quietly on the sideline, watching.

Only at this moment did he finally have time to properly think about the path that lay ahead.

’Without a doubt, I long to play in the Champions League. I want to make a name for myself in the Champions League through my own ability. But right now, I don’t know what my next step should be. I need to have a serious talk with my agent, Raiola.’

’That fat Italian has been following Ajax’s matches recently, all the way from Portugal to Amsterdam.’

’But he didn’t want to distract me before the game, so he’s kept a low profile.’

’Even now, I have no idea where in the stadium he’s sitting.’

’To go or to stay... I really need to think about it carefully.’

Yang Yang himself didn’t have an overwhelmingly strong feeling either way; staying and leaving were both possibilities.

’If I leave, I have to consider the risks.’

’It sounds simple, moving from one team to another, like an office worker changing jobs.’

’But in reality, it’s a very difficult step to take.’

’For a professional player, there’s no going back on many things.’

’Just look at Van der Vaart and Escude. They went to Real Madrid, a huge step up. Last summer, they were the envy of most players in the world, but after one season, they’re probably kicking themselves.’

’Want to come back to Ajax?’

’It’s difficult. Even if Ajax and Real Madrid reach an agreement, they’d have to take a pay cut, a big one. Would they be willing to do that?’

’But if they stay at Real Madrid, what then?’

’I’m eighteen. If I go to a team in a Champions League spot, will they give me a starting position?’

’Even if they do, I’d still have to consider if the team has enough ambition and strength, if their tactical style suits me, and if the team’s environment is right for my continued growth and improvement.’

’Sometimes, one wrong step can ruin your whole career.’

’Staying is undoubtedly the safest option, but it’s also more conservative.’

’Will Ajax have a massive sell-off like they did last summer?’

’Does the club have enough ambition to make a mark in the Champions League next season?’

All of these were things Yang Yang needed to consider and weigh.

"How does it feel?"

As Yang Yang stood on the sideline, finally getting a moment to think about his own affairs, Luther Carroll quietly approached.

"Amazing. Absolutely thrilling," Yang Yang replied with a smile.

Luther Carroll nodded, looked deeply at Yang Yang again, but then let out an unexpected sigh.

"What’s wrong?" Yang Yang asked, a little puzzled.

Luther Carroll frowned, shaking his head with a wry smile. "It’s nothing. I just suddenly feel that European football changes so fast. So many things aren’t what we imagined. We’ve all become old-timers who are out of the mainstream."

Yang Yang understood Luther Carroll’s sentiment.

Last summer, Carroll had watched five outstanding core teammates leave at once. How could he not feel emotional about it?

And at this very moment, Luther Carroll was surely thinking the same thing as him: ’Of this group of players celebrating wildly on the pitch, how many will show up for the training camp in early July?’

’How many will be on the roster for the new season?’

Forget about the others, even Yang Yang himself couldn’t guarantee it.

Who knew, maybe tomorrow some rich club would throw down a sky-high price of forty or fifty million euros and just snatch Yang Yang away.

Just as John Reep had said, from the moment he signed that professional contract with Ajax, Yang Yang no longer belonged to himself.

"It’s alright, Luther. No matter where I go, or how far I go, I’ll always, always remember you," Yang Yang said with a laugh.

Luther Carroll glanced at Yang Yang and shook his head, starting to laugh. "It’d be hard for you to forget me. In the future, I’ll write a book specifically about how I gave Yang Yang his one-on-one special training. Then I’ll write an autobiography titled ’The Man Behind Yang Yang’s Rise to Fame’..."

"Er..." Yang Yang was speechless.

He never expected the normally stern and serious Luther Carroll to have this side to him.

In truth, he could really understand Luther Carroll’s feelings at this moment—a mix of joy and anxiety.

The joy came from seeing this group of players he had watched grow up finally stand on their own two feet; the anxiety came from worrying about when these players would all leave him.

Professional football is a business, but it’s also more than just a business.