Green Field Eunuch

Chapter 442 Corinthians' Pillar: Paulinho

Of course, this introduction will have to wait until after the finals.

At least for now, I don't have the time or energy for that.

Zabaleta decided to send her family to Manchester for Christmas, and then Shan Yongzhuo, who was alone, would naturally come to their house to spend Christmas together, and that would be the time for them to officially meet.

Okay, even though Christmas is still a month away.

However, Shan Yongzhuo is now more motivated to train.

Over the next two days, he became the hardest-working player in the team's training, which surprised all his teammates.

Shan Yongzhuo was certainly aware of his own situation, but since the other party was a very traditional girl, she probably wouldn't be as impatient as other women, which would give him a lot of buffer time.

His stamina has now recovered to 60 points. He only needs another 40 points to fully recover.

40 points and 200 goals should be achievable within one or two seasons if I work hard.

After all, there's still the final round of the Asian World Cup qualifiers to play, which is the best stage for him to rack up goals.

Moreover, I realize that I haven't worked hard enough in most competitions. I believe that with more effort, I can reach my goal faster.

As a result, Shan Yongzhuo's training attitude amazed all his teammates, including Guardiola.

"What's wrong with Dan?"

Guardiola asked his assistant coach with a puzzled look. After being at Manchester City for so long, in Guardiola's eyes, Shan Yongzhuo really treated training very casually and was not serious at all. He always just went through the motions.

If someone stays behind for extra practice after training, like this, it must be a fake Dan Yongzhuo.

Guardiola couldn't understand it, and of course, no one told him that Zabaleta had betrayed his sister to Shan Yongzhuo.

But Guardiola sees this as a good thing.

After all, shouldn't the hardworking Shan Yongzhuo be even more amazing?

Probably so.

Guardiola's focus has now shifted to their final opponent, Corinthians.

Last season, under the leadership of their legendary manager Tite, Corinthians won their first-ever Copa Libertadores title, making Tite the most successful manager in Corinthians' history.

Tite holds absolute authority within Corinthians, and their strength should not be underestimated.

The Copa Libertadores is arguably the most prestigious club competition in the world besides the Champions League, and its level may even surpass that of the Europa League.

The powerhouse teams of South America: São Paulo, Santos, Grêmio, Boca Juniors, River Plate, Independiente, Estudiantes de La Plata...

These teams are definitely no weaker than the teams in the smaller European leagues that participate in the Europa League.

Corinthians, as a strong Brazilian team and the newly crowned champions of the Copa Libertadores, are definitely much stronger than Monterrey. If Manchester City is careless, they could easily slip up.

Although Manchester City's players didn't take Corinthians very seriously, Guardiola still gave his opponents enough respect.

But in the end, Guardiola realized that the key to Manchester City's victory lay with Shan Yongzhuo.

This left Guardiola somewhat helpless.

Soon, it was the afternoon of December 16th.

When he arrived, Yokohama International Stadium was once again packed to capacity.

A large number of Japanese fans once again came to the stadium as supporters of Shan Yongzhuo, giving their favorite star their greatest support.

Of course, in their view, this match was still a foregone conclusion. With Shan Yongzhuo in the squad, despite Corinthians being the Copa Libertadores champions, they were still no match for Manchester City, the Champions League winners. Relatively speaking, although Corinthians is a Brazilian powerhouse, their influence in Asia is nowhere near that of Manchester City.

The number of Brazilian fans present was very limited, making it seem as if Corinthians were playing at Manchester City's intimidating home ground.

Manchester City fielded their strongest starting lineup.

Guardiola fielded a traditional 4-4-2 formation.

Zabaleta, Kompany, Nastasic, and Clichy anchored the defense.

The midfield consisted of Nasri, Yaya Toure, Rodwell, and Silva lined up in a row.

Shan Yongzhuo and Aguero partnered up front.

This lineup would be considered a top-tier, luxurious squad even in Europe, and for these Japanese fans, it's an even bigger star-studded affair.

Although Shan Yongzhuo stole the limelight, Aguero, Silva, Yaya Toure, and others also had considerable fame.

On the other hand, Corinthians' lineup is not well-known worldwide, and even looks somewhat pitiful.

However, there was one general in Corinthians' ranks who caught Shan Yongzhuo's attention; he really didn't expect to encounter this guy.

Paulinho, number 8, is Corinthians' midfield maestro.

As a key figure in Guangzhou Evergrande's rise, Paulinho has achieved great success in China, despite his less-than-successful journey in Europe. He enjoys immense popularity in China.

However, Paulinho is still very young, and thanks to his outstanding performance in the Brazilian Serie B, he was loaned to Corinthians in 2010.

In 2011, Paulinho quickly secured a starting position at Corinthians, playing alongside two legendary Brazilian stars, Ronaldo and Roberto Carlos.

The rapidly developing Paulinho is now the midfield core and star player of Corinthians. In Tite's favorite 4231 formation, Paulinho and Ralf partner in the defensive midfield, forming the most important barrier for Corinthians' defense.

His outstanding performance earned him a place in the Brazilian national team in 2011, making him a Brazilian international.

Shan Yongzhuo has a good impression of Paulinho, even though his European journey can hardly be considered successful, including his later stint at Barcelona, ​​which can only be described as a failure. However, this does not affect Shan Yongzhuo's affirmation of his ability.

This guy is energetic and runs around a lot. Although his technique is a bit rough, he is definitely a very good defensive midfielder, and he also has a decent long-range shot.

"I wonder how much it would cost to get him to Granada..."

During warm-up, Shan Yongzhuo would keep glancing at Paulinho, wondering whether he should bring Paulinho to Granada.

Meanwhile, Paulinho also noticed that Shan Yongzhuo seemed to be observing him all along.

"Why is he staring at me? I'm not the one who's supposed to be guarding against him..."

Paulinho was puzzled by Shan Yongzhuo's emphasis on him. Normally, as a defensive midfielder, he would have opportunities to help defend against Shan Yongzhuo, but he would not be the one primarily responsible for defending against Shan Yongzhuo.

That's exactly what the coach arranged.

but……

Increasingly confused, Paulinho began to fill in the blanks with his own imagination, and then his thoughts gradually became confused.

"Does he admire me?"

"How can this be?"

"Shan Yongzhuo admires me? Why?"

"Wow, I'm that strong? Even Shan Yongzhuo values ​​and appreciates me?"

(End of this chapter)