It's either a Bundesliga relegated team or a western big city team, the stadium facilities are naturally much better than Chemnitz, even the locker room is more spacious than Chemnitz, and there is even a separate shower area.
This is a match between the top and bottom teams in the 2nd Bundesliga, attracting many fans to enter the stadium. It is said that nearly 30,000 people came to watch the game on site. Only Chemnitz did not have any fans following them to the away game, perhaps they thought Chemnitz would lose this match anyway.
As the relegated team of last season's Bundesliga, Bochum's main players are still there, and this season they have performed strongly in the 2. Bundesliga, except for a slightly turbulent start, they have shown more strength than other teams in the league, and recently they have won 8 games and drawn 2 in their last 10 league matches, remaining undefeated, with both draws being away from home.
Facing such a strong team, plus the fans in the stands outside the stadium who were shouting loudly, Chemnitz's morale was somewhat low, and even Yang Cheng's use of the Morale Scroll had no effect.
After warming up, the players returned to the locker room. Yang Cheng immediately reinforced the tactical concept in the players' minds. After all, these players were executing his tactics for the first time. Although he had already said and done everything that needed to be said and done in the few days leading up to the game, at least he wanted to solidify it once more.
Made targeted tactical arrangements for each player, Yang Cheng looked at the time and still had 5 minutes left. He deliberately left these 5 minutes to give players some space to think carefully about how to play next.
The dressing room was quiet, with no one speaking, because Yang Cheng had established a rule before the game that noise was not allowed in the dressing room.
The momentum of the fans outside immediately surged in like a tidal wave, sweeping everyone in the locker room into the vortex. Everyone seemed to be involuntarily drawn in, drifting with the tide, and some even showed an expression of fear.
Yang Chen stood silently inside the locker room door, leaning against it with a thick tactical diagram in his hand. On either side of him were Tim Hanks and Paul Beyer, whose emotions at this moment must have been just as tense as Yang's.
"Say something, Yang Cheng, final mobilization!" Paul Bayer reminded.
Yang Cheng was taken aback, he rarely did this, but seeing the players in the locker room looking over, especially Barak and others, Yang Cheng knew that at this time they all chose to trust their own head coach, so he had to stand up, show his determination and fighting spirit, only then could he give them courage.
"What do you think of the atmosphere here?" Yang Cheng asked aloud.
The players were all somewhat surprised and didn't know why Yang Cheng wanted to use this as an opening remark. Didn't he think it would be better to give more encouragement, which was more suitable for the current atmosphere?
"I think this place is like a hell, a man-eating hell. To be honest, I'm a bit intimidated," Yang Cheng said, intentionally making a timid expression and whispering, "When I walked in, I really wanted to escape."
Many players burst out laughing at once.
Yang Cheng used the tactical diagram in his hand to tap his own head rhythmically, "I believe some of you must have had the same idea as me, but why didn't we all go down that path in the end?"
"Professional ethics!" Yang Cheng said very affirmatively, "Yes, professional ethics. Soldiers have the professional ethics of soldiers, so once they receive an order, even if it means dying on the battlefield, they will not retreat half a step; athletes also have the professional ethics of athletes, even if we are facing strong opponents, we must still charge forward bravely."
"So I believe that everyone who can walk in here is a very professional player, otherwise no one would have the courage to step into this purgatory. But at this moment, standing here, pressing my own chest, I ask myself again, is this hell really scary? Will it really devour people?"
The players all showed focused expressions as they listened intently.
Yang Cheng shook his head, "No, I don't think it's that scary, nor do I think it will eat people, because I have you guys!"
"Many people are worried about how to get out of here? There is only one way, shoulder to shoulder, fight and defeat the opponent!"
"Pausing for a moment, 'There are more than 2 minutes left before the game starts, this is absolutely the most important game in my coaching career so far, because it's the first professional league match I've coached. I don't know what you guys think, but as for me, I don't want to lose this crucial match. I hate any loss, and I hate being a loser even more!'"
"I'm not denying that our opponents are stronger than us, but what's the big deal? We have 11 players and they also have only 11 players. Why should we necessarily play the role of losers? What makes them necessarily win? Is it just because they used to be in the Bundesliga? Or is it because they're currently ranked first in the league standings?"
"I don't believe that all this can change the game on the pitch, because I always believed that a football match is 11 against 11. As long as we unite and work together, as long as every player has the determination to fight to the end, as long as we have the courage to win, we will never lose!"
Yang Chen's expression became more and more agitated, his words heavier and heavier, his voice louder and louder, even covering the sound of the Bayern fans coming from outside in the locker room.
"A football match is both difficult and simple. It's just 11 players on the field, supporting each other, helping each other, and lifting each other up, like soldiers fighting side by side on a battlefield. When one teammate falls down, another immediately fills in, and when that one falls, another one comes to fill in again, one after another, connected and continuous, never stopping, never giving up!"
"Because we know that as long as one person falls, and the people behind him don't fill in the gap, then the enemy will pour in through this opening endlessly. At that time, it won't just be the person who fell, but also you, me, and all of us, who will be slaughtered, with no chance to survive!"
"But as long as we hold on, as long as we muster the courage to fill in for our teammates and plug up the gaps in our defense, our opponents will be kept at bay forever. Our defense will be as solid as gold, and we'll have a chance to survive. Because we can trust that if one of us falls, our teammates will come to our rescue, just like we would do for them."
"This is a war, comrades, this is a war without gunpowder but even more brutal. We cannot be timid, we cannot escape, because timidity and escape will only give the enemy an opportunity to slaughter us. We can only stand up strongly, hand in hand, shoulder to shoulder, unite as one, and fight together, then we have a chance to survive!"
"I have always believed that football, this great sport, is loved by fans all over the world not just because of its goals or publicity, but because it has a unique charm that belongs to it, and that's what makes it so fascinating."
"That's it, the 11 people on the field, you believe me, I believe you, everyone puts their own responsibility, their own life, in the hands of their teammates, believing that they are also willing to work hard for this game, to fight for the victory of this game!"
"Perhaps, many years later, when thinking about football, many people will not remember how many goals they scored or how many teams they played for, nor will they remember how many championships they won. What they will cherish is the memory of their teammates on the field at that time, whose names they can still recall, who were willing to entrust their responsibilities and lives to each other, that trust, that persistence, that perseverance - this is what is most precious and worth cherishing for all of us!"
