Super Wingstorm

The evening of January 24, 2004. Amsterdam Arena.

In the 60th minute of the match, with the score still tied at zero, Ronald Koeman made another substitution. Yang Yang, wearing number 99, once again stood on the sideline.

The entire stadium erupted in enthusiastic applause for him.

"We can see Ronald Koeman has finally decided to make a substitution."

"In the other match happening simultaneously, Eindhoven already took a two-nil lead in the first half."

"Yang Yang, in his number 99 jersey, is on the sideline again. It looks like he’s going to replace Victor Skora on the right wing."

"This seventeen-year-old youngster was Ajax’s biggest surprise of the first half of the season. He’s made a surprising impact every time he’s come on as a substitute in the last few games, making him a real fan favorite. I’m sure his appearance today will also make a difference."

"But this time, he’s up against Nijmegen’s left-back, Geoffrey Leiwakabessy, a former starter for the Dutch Youth Team. His performance for Nijmegen over the past two years has really won over the fans. I’m sure we’re in for an exciting duel between the two on the flank."

"And there it is. Number 99, Yang Yang, replaces number 11, Victor Skora. This is Ajax’s first substitution of the match. Let’s see if Koman’s change pays off."

"After the substitution, Ajax’s attacking trident is now Deridder, Wesley Sonck, and Yang Yang. The midfield remains Van der Vaart, Sneijder, and the veteran Galasek. In defense, O’Brien is at left-back, with Escude and Heitinga as the center-backs. De Jong, usually a defensive midfielder, has been shifted to right-back for this match."

"With several key players away on international duty for the African Cup, Ajax has had some issues on their right flank. Furthermore, with Ibrahimovic and Maxwell both injured for this match, Ajax isn’t fielding their strongest lineup, which explains why they’ve been struggling to break down Nijmegen."

"Now let’s see if Yang can make a difference for his team."

...

"Alright, Ajax wins the ball back in their own half! De Jong and Galasek combine to make the tackle."

"They get it to Sneijder, who plays a long ball..."

"Yang Yang is lightning fast! It’s a counter-attack for Ajax!"

"Let’s see what they can do here."

"Yang Yang gets to the ball, but Leiwakabessy gets back very quickly as well. It’s a one-on-one situation on the wing!"

"A sharp stop, a quick change of direction, a drag-back..."

"Beautiful!"

"Yang Yang’s feet are incredibly quick! He hasn’t completely shaken off Leiwakabessy, but he cuts inside with the ball..."

"He passes it square to Van der Vaart..."

"There’s a gap in the Nijmegen defense! Van der Vaart plays a through ball... Wesley Sonck is on to it..."

"IT’S A GOAL!!!!!"

"GOALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!!!"

"The 63rd minute! It’s the 63rd minute!"

"Yang Yang, who just came on as a substitute, orchestrated a brilliant counter-attack down the right wing. He drove into Nijmegen’s final third, cut inside, and laid the ball off to Van der Vaart. The Ajax captain instantly played a piercing through ball that tore open the Nijmegen defense. Wesley Sonck timed his run perfectly to beat the offside trap and finished clinically, sending the ball into the back of the Nijmegen net."

"One-nil! Ajax takes the lead!"

"That’s a goal worth its weight in gold! A beautiful finish from Wesley Sonck, assisted by Van der Vaart. He even threw in a little feint to fool the keeper, which just goes to show the Belgian striker’s composure and predatory instincts in front of goal."

"You have to admit, Yang Yang is truly Ajax’s Lucky Star. He’s Ronald Koeman’s lucky charm."

"His very first touch of the game sparked a hugely threatening counter-attack. The way he used those quick changes of direction and drag-backs to shake off Leiwakabessy and cut inside was simply beautiful."

"This is the fifth consecutive match that Yang Yang has come on as a substitute and changed the course of the game."

"It’s incredible. He’s only just turned seventeen, but his ability to read the game and execute the coach’s tactical instructions is astonishing."

"Perhaps Ronald Koeman really should start considering promoting Yang Yang to a starting position. After all, ever since Van der Meede’s departure, Ajax’s right-wing has been in constant flux, and they’ve yet to find a suitable, consistent starter."

"But now, Yang Yang’s emergence seems to have solved that problem."

"An attacking trident of Wesley Sonck, Ibrahimovic, and Yang Yang, with Van der Vaart and Sneijder behind them in midfield... that’s an offensive lineup for Ajax that is definitely something to get excited about."

...

...

"I’m sorry, but that’s not part of our plan at the moment."

Thanks to Wesley Sonck’s crucial goal, Ajax secured a one-nil victory over the visiting Nijmegen. At the post-match press conference, when a reporter asked if the head coach would make Yang Yang a starter, Ronald Koeman answered without the slightest hesitation.

"I know Yang Yang’s recent performances have been excellent. He has played a key role in several consecutive matches, but I must emphasize that he’s only seventeen. It’s too early for him to be a starter, and it wouldn’t be the right move."

"Everyone—myself, the technical staff, and the player himself—wants him to have a less pressured environment in which to train and grow. Making him a starter too early is clearly not a good decision."

This kind of statement from Ronald Koeman clearly wasn’t enough to satisfy the media’s appetite. They were far more interested in hyping up a new star than in watching Ajax carefully protect Yang Yang.

"Mr. Koman, as we understand it, Yang Yang isn’t satisfied with the current situation. His agent has expressed reservations about his role, and we’ve also received reports that several Eredivisie teams are interested in him. What is your response to that?"

Ronald Koeman had long known that you can’t keep a secret forever; it’s hard to hide anything from the prying eyes of the media.

"I’ve seen the news reports, but I don’t believe they’re accurate. I’ve spoken with Yang Yang. He has complete trust in me and the coaching staff. He believes he’ll have the best opportunity to develop at Ajax, and that’s what we’ve always excelled at, isn’t it?"

"Such as?" another reporter challenged.

"We can help him further strengthen his fundamentals, which will enable him to reach even greater heights in the future."

"But from what we understand, there’s an issue with his contract at Ajax. If he were to leave in the summer, a club would likely only have to pay a very small compensation fee. We’re all sure that, based on his recent performances, plenty of clubs would be happy to pay that fee and offer him a much more lucrative contract."

The reporters had clearly done their homework. Yang Yang’s weekly salary at Ajax was only four hundred Euros. Not only was this the lowest on the first team, it was considered lower-mid-tier even for the reserves. Numerous players, including Maduro and Lindegren, earned more than Yang Yang—their salaries were double his.

After Babel renewed his contract, his salary also increased to more than double what Yang Yang was making.

Of course, the reporters weren’t being altruistic and advocating for Yang Yang’s salary. They were more interested in using this as an opportunity to hype up the possibility of his departure, thereby grabbing the attention of Ajax fans and boosting newspaper sales.

"Thank you for your concern," Koman said, "but what I can tell you is that Yang Yang’s contract renewal is on the club’s agenda. So far, everything is progressing smoothly. I’m confident you’ll have an answer soon. As for anything else, I can’t reveal more at this time."

At this point, Ronald Koeman’s expression turned serious. "But I can take this opportunity to tell all Ajax fans, and everyone who follows the club, that there are no issues with Yang Yang’s renewal. He personally promised me that he will absolutely not leave Ajax, and I believe him."

But as the team’s head coach, Ronald Koeman’s promise was clearly not enough to quell the media speculation.

"As I understand it, Mr. Koman, Yang Yang fired his agent immediately after returning from winter training in Portugal. Doesn’t that indicate a setback in his contract renewal with Ajax?"

"I’m sorry, but that’s a private matter. All I can say is, he will stay at Ajax."

"But there are rumors that he was the one who authorized his agent to contact other Eredivisie teams. What’s your take on that?"

"I won’t answer any hypothetical questions."

...

...

The reporters couldn’t get any useful information out of head coach Ronald Koeman, and they certainly weren’t going to get anything out of Van Gaal either.

When interviewed by the media, the Ajax Technical Director also repeatedly stressed that Yang Yang would not be leaving De Toekomst.

"The contract renewal is on the agenda, and everything is under our control."

But this still wasn’t enough to quell the outside speculation. Many fans even flooded the club with phone calls, demanding they keep Yang Yang no matter what.

A week later, Ajax had an away match against Heerenveen for the 18th round of the Eredivisie.

With the midweek Dutch Cup match in mind, Ronald Koeman once again rotated his starting lineup. Ibrahimovic remained out of the starting eleven, but left-back Maxwell made his return. Anastasios, the tall Greek striker the team had just signed from Roda JC, was given a starting spot, forming a trident with Deridder and Victor Skora.

Unexpectedly, just before the end of the first half, an Ajax error led to them conceding a goal. In the second half, desperate to win, they pushed forward, only to be hit on the counter-attack and concede two more goals shortly after the restart.

By the time Yang Yang came on as a substitute in the 75th minute, the team was already three goals down.

In that situation, no matter how hard Yang Yang tried, it was difficult to lift the team’s shattered morale. In the 83rd minute, they conceded yet another goal.

However, just before the final whistle, Yang Yang made a threatening run down the right wing on a counter-attack. As he sent a low, driven cross into the box, the opposing center-back, Hansen, deflected the ball into his own net for an own goal while attempting a clearance.

In the end, Ajax returned home after a crushing 4-1 away defeat.

Meanwhile, their arch-rivals Eindhoven thrashed Zwolle 5-1 at home, successfully closing the gap in the league standings to just one point.

The Eredivisie, the Dutch Cup, the Champions League—competing on three fronts was making it difficult for Ajax to stay focused and competitive.

The crushing defeat at Heerenveen also put enormous pressure on Ronald Koeman and the entire team.

Because next, they had to face their arch-rivals: Feyenoord.