Malicious foul

As the referee's whistle sounded, the game officially began. Both teams, having gone through the holiday period, were somewhat out of form, resulting in a rather dull atmosphere on the field.

However, Wang Feng's performance stood out. Whether it was his one-on-one breakthroughs, penetration of the defense, or his offensive organization, he performed admirably.

Unfortunately, his teammates failed to capitalize on opportunities, as the defensive duo of Nesta and Favalli from Lazio firmly controlled the safety of the penalty area.

In the 69th minute, Inter Milan organized an attack in the frontcourt. Dibaggio sent a straight pass from the edge of the penalty area, and Wang Feng quickly initiated a run, successfully beating the offside trap. At this moment, the defender attempting to cover slid to kick the ball out of the danger zone.

The goalkeeper also rushed out to intercept the ball. Seeing this, Wang Feng swiftly stopped the ball with his right foot, then performed a Marseille turn, evading the sliding tackle from the defender and the goalkeeper's outstretched arms before slotting the ball into the empty net.

1-0! Inter Milan scored a valuable goal!

With the deadlock broken, the players from both sides gradually entered competitive mode, sparking intense competition. Inter Milan coach Cooper made consecutive substitutions. He first replaced Recoba, bringing on a center-back to strengthen the defense.

In the 75th minute, he substituted Vieiri with Ronaldo. Ronnie returned to the field after a two-month absence!

Ronaldo, who had just entered the field, played very conservatively, even more so than when he first returned. He avoided making big moves, quickly passing the ball when faced with tight defense, reluctant to engage in physical confrontations, clearly cautious about avoiding further injuries.

In the 87th minute, Wang Feng made a one-on-one breakthrough on the right side, evading Negrini's tackle. However, the thirty-year-old Lazio veteran, feeling embarrassed, recklessly tackled Wang Feng from behind.

Wang Feng felt a sharp pain in his shin as he fell to the ground, clutching his leg in agony.

The referee immediately blew the whistle, stopping the game. He quickly ran to the confrontation between the players and separated them, then pulled out a red card and gave it to Negrini.

Negrini regretted his actions deeply. He pulled away his teammates who were trying to defend him, then walked away towards the player tunnel, occasionally looking back at Wang Feng's condition.

Warmth enveloped Wang Feng's shin. He realized he had suffered another major injury, his body automatically recovering. He couldn't continue the game, and coach Cooper used the last substitution to replace him.

Wang Feng was soon taken to Milan's best hospital for examination. Technical director Horacio Bom personally tracked the situation. He silently prayed that Wang Feng wouldn't suffer a devastating injury like Ronaldo did. Inter Milan couldn't afford such a blow now!

The doctor's report came out quickly. Wang Feng had only suffered a simple sprain and would need to rest for two to three weeks. Upon hearing this news, Bom's tense heart finally relaxed.

He quickly called Inter Milan president Moratti to report. Moratti, who was anxious, answered the phone and directly asked about the situation. After learning the results, he breathed a sigh of relief and said with remorse, "We must hold someone accountable. Negrini must pay for this malicious foul!"

At the post-match press conference, Cooper praised Wang Feng's performance as usual, saying, "In the first game of the second half of the season, he was the only one in the whole team in good form. He's a player with extreme self-discipline, and every coach would love such a player."

"Regarding the malicious foul against Wang Feng," Cooper's tone changed, anger evident. "We will protest to the Italian Football Federation and hope to impose additional punishment on the offending player."

"The cameras captured it clearly; that was not an action that should happen on a football field."

Negrini later accepted interviews from reporters, expressing his apologies to Wang Feng. "I'm really sorry. I acted impulsively at that moment, and I regret it. I'm very concerned about Wang's condition, regardless of whether the Football Federation imposes additional punishment, I will accept it."

The next day, the media extensively reported on the match and Wang Feng's injury. The headline of "Ronaldo Returns, Wang Feng Injured" in Milan Sports Daily pointed out that Ronaldo's status after his return was still a mystery, and Wang Feng suffered an injury due to a malicious foul, which was definitely not good news for Inter Milan.

The Rome Sports Daily analyzed with malicious intent, "When Ronaldo was injured, Wang Feng stepped up to help Inter Milan stay close in the title race. Now it's Ronaldo's turn to lead Inter Milan forward."

The Italian Football Federation eventually issued a heavy penalty to Negrini, suspending him for seven matches and fining him €10,000. Such malicious fouls are not allowed at any time.

But this penalty was a thunderbolt for Lazio, who were striving for a Champions League spot. They would have a major problem in their left flank defense, and the club was actively seeking a replacement for Negrini.

To be cautious, Wang Feng was still required to stay in the hospital for a few more days for further observation. The Inter Milan players visited him at the hospital the next day.

Ronaldo stood by Wang Feng's bedside, expressing his relief, "Wang, fortunately, you didn't suffer a major injury. Professional players fear such sudden accidents the most."

Then he added with envy, "Your physique and luck are really good. If such a foul were on me, I would probably have to rest for several months." His fragile knees probably couldn't withstand such a strong impact anymore.

Matrazi expressed his indignation, "That guy Negrini, his defense was already dirty when he debuted in Bologna. After being noticed by Lazio, he toned it down a lot. I didn't expect him to suddenly resort to such a dirty trick."

After chatting for a while, they bid farewell, letting Wang Feng rest well, and entrusted the team's performance to him.

In the following two days, Wang Feng felt that he had recovered almost completely. However, the doctors still refused his request to be discharged, asking him to observe for a few more days. Even Bom and Cooper took turns to persuade him, so he could only stay bored in the hospital.

After enduring until all the checks were completed, the doctor recommended that Wang Feng rest for three weeks. Therefore, to ensure he could compete for the league title and the Europa League in a good condition, the club decided to let him miss the next three rounds of matches and the midweek Italian Cup matches.

Back home, Wang Feng's training plan was also strictly limited. He could only exercise for an hour a day, with an hour of ball training, supervised jointly by Abel Le Goff and Inter Milan's team doctor Alexander Glover.

Wang Feng was quite helpless about this. He had been supervised during training, but he had never been forbidden to train. In his boredom, he could only call his old friend, Carl Bess, hoping he could arrange something interesting for him.

Bess did not disappoint Wang Feng. He sent him the newly released Nintendo NGC game console, including its launch games "Luigi's Mansion" and "Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles."

"It hasn't even been officially released in Europe yet. I specially brought it back from the United States," Bess bragged over the phone.

Although Wang Feng didn't understand much about these things, it didn't prevent him from immersing himself in gaming to pass the time.