Football: Starting from the 05 World Youth Championship

As time went by, more and more players arrived at the training base.

The third player to arrive at the stadium was Polish goalkeeper Jürgen Dudek, who joined Real Madrid on a free transfer from Liverpool this summer.

Dudek seemed to be a lone wolf. After arriving at the training base, he did not greet the two of them, but ignored them and went about his own business.

Lin Feng wasn't familiar with him. After all, the player he had hurt in the Champions League final was Kaká from the other side, not Inter Milan. So, after seeing the other's reaction, he gave up the idea of ​​taking the initiative to greet him.

Shortly after Dudek arrived, several Brazilian players, including Pepe, Marcelo, and Baptista, walked into the training base chatting and laughing.

When the group saw Lin Feng and Cannavaro, they all came over to greet them.

Pepe was the most enthusiastic among them, and Lin Feng guessed that this was probably because Mendes had instructed Pepe beforehand.

Both players joined Real Madrid this summer and share the same agent, so they are naturally closer.

Therefore, Lin Feng responded very enthusiastically to Pei Pei's overtures.

Although Pepe's reputation in the football world is not very good, he plays like he's in a fight, and malicious fouls often occur on him, so he is nicknamed "Martial Monk Pepe" by fans.

There are tons of GIFs online of him committing malicious fouls!

For an opponent, encountering such a thug is truly disgusting.

After all, you never know when he might suddenly lose his temper and give you a hard time.

But as a teammate, it's actually quite comfortable to team up with such a thug.

He's truly committed to his teammates when they're in trouble, even at the risk of a red card or additional suspension, he'll stand up for them.

So, people like this are either very fond of them or extremely disliked.

As his teammate, Lin Feng naturally wouldn't dislike him, after all, this was a teammate who would be fighting alongside him in the future.

There is another Brazilian player in Real Madrid's squad, Robinho, but Lin Feng did not see him.

"Him? He's probably drunk at some nightclub again, we don't even know if he's sober or not!"

"Just wait, this guy is definitely going to be late today!"

Although they are compatriots, Marcelo and others spoke of Robinho with a tone full of teasing.

There's nothing we can do; this fellow countryman is just too extraordinary.

Brazilian players are indeed not disciplined enough, but Robinho is just too undisciplined!

He wanted to spend all his time in nightclubs. Not only did he often miss training, but he would also party outside until three or four in the morning the night before a competition. It felt like he was going to die on a woman's belly sooner or later!

……

After the Brazilian contingent, the Dutch contingent took the stage.

Robben, Van Nistelrooy, Sneijder, Drenthe, and Metzelder followed by them—their presence was clearly much larger than that of the Brazilian contingent.

Although Metzelder is German, he is close to several Dutch players.

The Dutch players were lukewarm towards Lin Feng. Van Nistelrooy greeted him first, while Robben and Sneijder ignored him.

Lin Feng sensed some hostility from the two men, and he could understand that Sneijder was hostile towards him.

Because the two are direct competitors for positions, and only one is destined to start, the other will inevitably become a substitute.

Real Madrid spent a record 1 million euros to buy Lin Feng, so naturally they wouldn't let him sit on the bench forever. Therefore, the only one who could become a substitute was Sneijder, whose transfer fee was even lower.

But Robben's hostility left Lin Feng somewhat bewildered.

Thinking back carefully, the two had only met once before, in a friendly match between the national Olympic team and Chelsea. Could the other's hostility have come from that match?

Before he could think it through, Argentine players such as Higuain, Gago, Heinze, and Saviola also arrived at the training base.

Of these four, Higuain and Saviola are both forwards, Heinze is a defender, and only Gago plays in midfield, which slightly overlaps with his position.

However, all four Argentine players, including Gago, were very friendly towards Lin Feng and showed no hostility.

"Haha, everyone said a handsome guy had joined the team. I didn't believe it at first, but now that I've seen him, I know they weren't just bragging. There really is a handsome guy!"

The little smoker laughed and joked, and Saviola chimed in:
"I thought Fernando (Gago) was handsome enough, but I didn't expect there to be someone even more handsome than him!"

Gago quickly waved his hand: "I have an ordinary appearance, nothing to mention, nothing to mention!"

"Come on, if you're considered average-looking, then what are we?"

"Isn't it said that if God looks at a door, He will open a window for someone? But why do looks and talent have nothing to do with me?!"

Saraovi's words amused everyone. Lin Feng had thought that Brazilian players were all optimists, but now it seemed that Argentine players were quite optimistic as well.

After all the Argentine players arrived, the last to take the stage was the Spanish contingent, which had the largest number of players.

Raúl, Casillas, Guti, Ramos, Salgado, Balboa, Soldado, Miguel Torres...

The Spanish group is quite large, much larger than the Dutch, Argentinian, and Brazilian groups.

These people were clearly led by Raul, after all, he was the most senior player in Real Madrid. From joining the first team in 94 to now, Raul has served Real Madrid for fourteen years.

In a team with such frequent personnel changes, Raul has become, to some extent, a symbol of Real Madrid.

Upon seeing Lin Feng on the training field, Raul left the main group and headed straight for the stadium.

When people around saw his actions, they all stopped and focused their attention on the two of them.

"What is Raul trying to do?"

"Heh, what else can we do but give the newbie a hard time?"

"The club has invested so much in Lin Feng, it might threaten his position in the team. He's asserting his dominance over Lin Feng!"

"Isn't he afraid of angering the club's management by doing this?"

"Heh, what are you afraid of? Manager Valdano is on his side. Have you forgotten who promoted Raul to the first team in the first place?"

The crowd began to chatter amongst themselves.

Raul ignored the noise and walked straight up to Lin Feng, looking him up and down.

Lin Feng stopped what he was doing and looked back without any hesitation, showing no less imposing manner.

"Haha, welcome to Real Madrid! I hope the club didn't waste the money they spent on you!"

Raul withdrew his scrutinizing gaze and spoke with a forced smile.

His attitude was not friendly; his words were barbed and clearly hostile.

Lin Feng responded without backing down:
"I will prove with my actions that the club's money was well spent, but I hope you, captain, can also prepare in advance!"

What preparations should I make?

Raul looked at Lin Feng with some confusion.

"Be prepared not to waste my assist!" These words were spoken with such conviction that Raul and the surrounding crowd were somewhat confused.

No one knew whether Lin Feng's words were a show of defiance or a gesture of goodwill!
Providing Raul with an assist was clearly a gesture of goodwill.

But to ask Raul not to waste his assists is to make things difficult for the opponent.

Who knows if your pass was well-placed or if the timing was right?

Besides, even if the angle is perfect and the timing is right, players are human, not machines, and it's impossible for them to maintain peak performance all the time.

Even top shooters make basic mistakes, and it's not uncommon for them to miss open goals.

Raul raised an eyebrow, feeling as if the other party was issuing a challenge to him.

"Hehe, I believe in my shooting skills, but I hope your passing is as amazing as you boast!"

After saying that, Raul turned and left.

Among the players watching from the sidelines, many who were just enjoying the spectacle showed expressions of disappointment.

That's it?

Is this over?

They were even hoping the two would fight, but nothing happened.

Mourinho had somehow left his office and arrived at the sidelines of the pitch.

He witnessed the entire scene that just happened on the field.

"Shouldn't we do something?"

Assistant coach Villas-Boas asked with some confusion.

He knew that Mourinho greatly admired Lin Feng, so when he saw Raul and Lin Feng clash, he thought Mourinho would intervene.

But the other party did not do that, which puzzled him greatly.

"Boas, remember this: a lion that is protected can never become a lion king!"

After saying that, Mourinho walked onto the pitch.

Seeing the head coach leave the field, the players stopped what they were doing and gathered around him, ready to listen to his first lesson.

Most of the people present were somewhat curious about Mourinho.

Everyone present had heard of this young marshal.

In his early career, he led Porto to victory against all odds, winning both the Europa League and the Champions League titles.

After joining Chelsea, he led the team to a strong resurgence in just two years, breaking the monopoly of Manchester United and Arsenal in the Premier League and achieving two consecutive Premier League titles.

Although Chelsea failed to defend their title last year, his record of two titles and one runner-up finish in three years of management is enough to prove his excellence.

When Real Madrid players learned that the club had hired such a legendary young coach, they had some expectations.

Hopefully, Mourinho can lead them out of this slump and restore Real Madrid's glory.

But at the same time, they also harbored some doubts about Mourinho.

Real Madrid has no shortage of famous coaches. There are countless famous coaches who have managed Real Madrid in history. Each one of them is a big name.
But it was no use; no amount of prestige could help Real Madrid.

If you lead your team to poor results and fail to achieve the honors that Real Madrid and its fans desire, no matter how impressive your previous resume is, you will inevitably end up packing your bags and leaving.

Hopefully, Mourinho won't become one of those coaches who rose to prominence and then quickly faded away, like a fleeting visitor to the top!

The players were sizing up Mourinho, and the Special One was sizing up the players.

"Real Madrid is a great team!"

"She has a glorious history and a long tradition; she is the best team on the planet!"

Mourinho's opening remarks immediately drew everyone's attention.

As he recounted Real Madrid's glorious past, everyone unconsciously straightened their chests, feeling proud and honored for their team, as if he were praising them.

Mourinho glanced at everyone, taking in their reactions, then abruptly changed his tone and spoke:
"But you don't deserve these jerseys!"

As soon as this statement came out, the scene was in an uproar.

Mourinho's words stirred up a hornet's nest, and someone immediately jumped out to refute them:
"What makes you think we don't deserve to wear these jerseys?"

"Exactly, I've contributed to the team, I've shed blood for the team, so why are you criticizing us?"

"Mr. Mourinho, I have helped the team win nine titles, including two Champions League titles. Don't I deserve to wear this jersey?"

Salgado, the second most senior player on the team, questioned loudly.

Mourinho glanced at him, ignored his questioning, and continued:
"Some people think that I can rest on my laurels and sleep soundly after winning some championships for the team. If that's what you think, then please tell me immediately. My team doesn't welcome people who have no desire or pursuit of honor!"

After speaking, Mourinho's sharp gaze swept back and forth between Raul, Guti, Casillas, and Salgado, who had just loudly questioned him:

"Raul, are you such a person without any ambition?"

Raul, who was singled out, felt bitter. As a self-proclaimed leader of the team, he certainly couldn't admit that he had no ambitions in this situation.

Moreover, the coach has just made a harsh statement, saying that anyone without ambition or drive will be purged.

Although Raul felt that given his qualifications, the other party might not dare to do so, he didn't dare to take the gamble.

So he had no choice but to bite the bullet and answer, "No, I want to help the team win more championships!"

After speaking, Raul glanced apologetically at Salgado, whose face was ashen.

The latter felt betrayed and completely ignored his apologetic look.

"Hmm, very good. And what about you guys?"

Mourinho then looked at Guti and Casillas. Neither of them had the seniority of Raul. Even Raul didn't dare to go against Mourinho, so they certainly wouldn't.

Mourinho, satisfied with his outcome, nodded and, ignoring the awkward Salgado standing to the side, continued:
"In the past five years, we have only won three trophies, and we have regressed significantly in the Champions League, being eliminated in the round of 16 for two consecutive years."

This record is not only worse than our arch-rivals Barcelona, ​​but even worse than an ordinary team like Sevilla. It's utterly unworthy of our status as the world's top club! This is a disgrace, a tremendous disgrace. Do you expect me to be proud of your performance?

Mourinho roared angrily.

The players who were just moments ago indignant and furious now lowered their heads in shame. Even Salgado couldn't help but ponder: Is it really because we've become too complacent and lost our ambition and pursuit of honor that the team's performance has declined?

"I came here with only one purpose: to lead the team to victory, to reclaim everything we have lost, and to put Real Madrid back on the throne that rightfully belongs to them!"

This was originally a bold declaration, but the serious atmosphere was ruined by Robinho's sudden intrusion.

"Sorry, Coach, I'm late..."

Robinho saw Mourinho's murderous glare and instinctively shrank back, not even finishing his sentence. (End of Chapter)