When Conte pulled him like that, Zhao Zhao didn't react for a moment and was a bit stunned.
Hmm, why does this scene feel somewhat familiar?
He quickly remembered.
That was in his previous life, in 2022, during a highly anticipated Premier League match where Chelsea hosted Tottenham, with Tuchel and Conte serving as the respective Coaches of the two teams.
The match was full of twists and turns, very exciting, and ultimately ended in a 2-2 draw.
What was even more exciting than the match was the conflict between the two Coaches.
Chelsea Coach Tuchel and Tottenham's Conte clashed twice, both of them very agitated and speaking heatedly.
Especially after the match, Tuchel went to shake Conte's hand. Conte extended his hand in response, but the Italian's eyes were not on Tuchel, which made the latter feel disrespected.
So, after the handshake, Tuchel deliberately didn't let go, which angered Conte, and the two continued to go head-to-head, really getting into it.
This is considered one of the famous scenes in Premier League history.
And this time today...
How did it turn into Conte feeling that Zhao Zhao wasn't looking at him, disrespecting him???
However, Zhao Zhao quickly understood.
There's a reason why Chinese fans call Conte "Kong Er Leng Zi."
He has a rather bad temper, his ideas can sometimes be stubborn, he's impatient, and he can't hide what's on his mind.
Today's match, although Chelsea easily won and got three points, in Conte's eyes, perhaps Sunderland sending such a "second-string lineup" to play at Stamford Bridge was truly a sign of disrespect.
Since this is allowed by the rules, Conte was unhappy but could do nothing about it, so he took the opportunity during the handshake to vent.
Whether his eyes were on him or not was just an excuse.
Sure enough, Conte then expressed his thoughts:
"What do you mean by playing us with such a lineup? I've heard that you, kid, disrespect many Coaches, and now it seems that's true! You need to remember, you're still a rookie, you must learn..."
Zhao Zhao, however, started to laugh.
Perhaps others could say that about him, but you, Kong Er Leng Zi?
Just this season, Conte's Chelsea had a resounding 4-0 victory over Mourinho's Manchester United, and after the match, Conte celebrated wildly in front of Mourinho.
After the match, Mourinho also said that the other party had humiliated him.
Why didn't you understand respect for Mourinho back then?
So, Zhao Zhao was no longer polite.
He exerted force with his right hand, instead gripping Conte's palm tightly, causing Conte a sudden sharp pain, and he instinctively flinched back.
But Zhao Zhao didn't let go; instead, he gripped tighter and kept talking: "You won, and you're still acting smug after getting the advantage? Remember, losing to you today doesn't mean I'm afraid of you. Wait until I upgrade my lineup, and see how I deal with you next season!"
Conte never expected Zhao Zhao to be so tough, both with his physical attack on his hand and his verbal 'magic attack,' and his eyes immediately blazed with anger.
But at the same time, the pain from his palm made him grimace, making him look rather fierce.
This scene immediately caught the attention of the broadcast cameras.
"To all our viewers, it seems the Coaches of both teams are clashing on the sidelines!"
"It appears there was an argument during the handshake, and now both of them are holding onto each other's hands, looking like they're having a strength contest."
"Although Conte was once a player for the Italy national team, he's nearly 50 this year, and in this contest with the young Zhao Zhao, he seems to be at a disadvantage!"
Amidst James Jun's commentary, domestic fans watching on PPTV also happily turned into onlookers.
Mainly because today's match was simply too boring!
Since the interview segment of "Ground Football" with Zhao Zhao had already leaked online, domestic fans, while understanding Zhao Zhao's approach, acknowledged that it did affect the excitement of this match.
Although there were five goals, due to Sunderland conceding early, the match had effectively entered garbage time early on.
What they didn't expect was that at the end of the match, when fans were all drowsily about to turn off their phones and computers to go to sleep, the real "match" began!
"First time seeing Coaches brawling online, hahaha, how exciting! This is truly a once-in-a-lifetime sight! I'm really dying of laughter!"
"What, the Coach is warming up?"
"Warming up for what, they've already started! Haha, the coaching bench is more exciting than the field."
"I knew it, the Premier League's greatest success is its fierce competition and exciting matches, and the strong clashes between Coaches are also a major highlight."
"True showdown."
"I wonder who didn't let go and kept holding on. It seems Zhao Zhao and Kong Er Leng Zi have formed a grudge, haha."
"Will Conte find his watch missing when he gets back to the locker room...?"
"Such Premier League, how can you not love it! Hahaha, Kong Er Leng Zi meeting an impassioned one, it's a perfect match."
"Our Coach Zhao is truly extraordinary; he's only played a few matches in the Premier League and has already provoked several famous Coaches!"
"I suspect only a few Coaches like Guardiola and Ancelotti won't get into an argument with Zhao Zhao..."
"The entertainment value is off the charts! Manchester United can't always hog the headlines!"
"Will Mourinho hesitate after watching this: They're all enemies, who should I help?"
"Zhao Zhao looks so handsome even when arguing... Sisters, I truly like this one."
...
At this moment on the sidelines, Zhao Zhao had already let go.
Mainly because he suspected that if he squeezed any harder, Conte's old bones would fall apart!
It was enough to confront the other party; if he had just laid on the ground and faked an injury, getting punished by the Football Association in the end would have been too unfortunate.
It was also good that both sides had separated by then.
Because the Coaches and players from both sides had noticed the abnormality and had already rushed over to provide support!
Especially on Sunderland's side, they were all young and hot-headed, unhappy after conceding so many goals, and had long wanted an excuse to vent!
Seeing their leader being "bullied," of course, they wanted to step up, and this was also an opportunity to make a good impression on the Coach.
However, Zhao Zhao immediately waved his hand: "Stop messing around, go back to the locker room obediently!"
If a mass brawl actually occurred, it wouldn't be as simple as just punishing him...
Widespread team suspensions, club penalties, and even point deductions were all possible!
So Zhao Zhao quickly stopped his subordinates.
Anyway, he didn't suffer any loss!
And Conte, who had suffered a silent loss on the other side, was unhappy but could do nothing about it.
He, of course, also knew that escalating the situation would benefit no one, so he decided to stop before the referee came over to issue cards!
So he motioned for his players and Coaches not to come forward either, and this conflict was resolved in its infancy.
But clearly, the grudge between these two teams had been formed.
In the away team's locker room, Zhao Zhao also told everyone:
"Everyone, today we lost to them by five goals with this lineup, and there's nothing shameful about it. They fielded a Hazard, who alone is worth more than all our players combined!"
"Even so, I still want to tell you, the next time we meet them, I want revenge!"
"And the prerequisite for achieving that is for us to successfully avoid relegation. If we get relegated this season, we won't even have a chance to seek revenge next season, and that would be truly shameful!"
"So, immediately put this match behind you and channel your fighting spirit into the opponent of the next match."
"Target: Swansea!"