Football: Three sure-fire weaknesses in every match!

Meanwhile, head coach Giampaolo was alone in his office.

"How am I supposed to arrange them?!"

He spread out his tactics board.

The two forward positions are occupied by the team's core player on the left, 25-year-old Colombian striker Muriel.

He has explosive power, delicate ball control, and is good at one-on-one breakthroughs.

But his performance was inconsistent, sometimes good and sometimes bad, and it felt a bit like he was just playing by chance.

On the right is Quagliarella, a 33-year-old veteran and a regular member of the national team.

He is technically versatile and often scores spectacular long-range goals with his individual skill, making him very influential among fans.

These two are basically slated to be the main force.

On the bench, Giampaolo himself is very optimistic about the team's newly acquired 20-year-old high-potential forward, Schick.

His original plan was to have two veterans mentor one newcomer, starting with Schick as a substitute this season to gradually replace Quagliarella.

"These three were originally quite good: one was mature, one was shrewd, and one had a bright future."

"Sigh! Now you've given me Lin Qi..."

"And they're treating him like the club's crown prince, how am I supposed to allocate playing time to him?!"

"Can an 18-year-old with no youth training background adapt to my training sessions?"

……

on the plane.

Elena was using the limited time she had to give Lin Qi a brief introduction to Sampdoria.

"Your head coach, Marco Giampaolo."

"Academic, tactical perfectionist, detail-oriented."

"His most frequently used formation is 4-3-1-2."

"No wingers, no freedom to play."

"Everyone must be in the position he has designated and do the job he has designated."

"His system has two core elements: first, positioning; second, coordination."

At this point, Elena used her tablet to show Lin Qi a compilation of Giampaolo's coaching highlights, which she had rushed to finish the previous night.

Most of them are matches from his time at Empoli last season.

"The ball must be on the ground; it must be passed to advance the ball."

"If you stop the ball even a second too slowly, you'll lose it."

She swiped her finger, pointing to the edge of the restricted area in the video footage.

"The forward position is the most difficult."

"You not only need to score goals, but also understand what your teammates need to do next."

Lin Qi just listened without saying a word. Elena glanced at him and added:

"Besides, you're certainly not the only striker option."

Then, footage of several forwards playing began to appear on the video.

"Fabio Quagliarella, a veteran, consistent, basically locked in one position."

"Luis Muriel, a gifted player, capable of changing the game single-handedly."

"And Patrick Hick, just like you, is young."

Lin Qi's expression remained calm, but he was starting to panic a little inside. None of these three people were weaklings.

The goal highlights were more and more spectacular, and the pressure suddenly mounted.

Seeing that Lin Qi seemed unfazed, Elena smiled:

"Another problem is that Giampaolo doesn't like newcomers."

Lin Qi frowned.

After a brief silence, Elena smiled slyly:

"Especially the disobedient ones."

Upon hearing this, Lin Qi leaned back in his seat and let out a soft breath.

I turned to look out the window.

Vast expanses of clouds resemble a thick, white ground.

It seems that Serie A is not an easy league to play in.

……

Shortly after, the plane landed slowly at Genoa Airport.

Sampdoria's staff and drivers were already waiting in the arrival hall.

After a brief exchange of pleasantries and confirmation of identities, the group boarded the club's shuttle bus.

We arrived at the club entrance very quickly.

The boss, Ferrero, and his uniformed staff greeted them warmly, holding bouquets of flowers.

He warmly shook hands with Lin Qi one by one and introduced himself.

The flashbulbs kept going off, almost blinding him.

This naturally resulted in Lin Qi not remembering anyone's name except for his boss.

Among the reporters carrying cameras and DSLRs, Lin Qi spotted more than one person with black hair and yellow skin.

I was surprised. How could the Chinese media be so fast?

He was led by the crowd to the center circle of Sampdoria's home stadium, the Luigi Ferraris Stadium.

The stadium was originally built in 1909 for the Genoa team.

It is also the only stadium in Serie A with a history of over 100 years.

It can accommodate more than 30,000 people.

Once the media had set up their cameras and microphones, a ball was tossed to Lin Qi's feet.

He looked up and saw a few local and Chinese fans scattered in the stands.

I don't know if they were hired by the boss or just hired shills.

After putting on the Sampdoria number 9 jersey, Lin Qi started dribbling the ball casually a few times.

Because he was afraid of embarrassing himself, he absolutely refused to juggle the ball.

Finally, he took a powerful shot at the distant goal, and the ball flew steadily into the net.

A burst of enthusiastic cheers erupted from the crowd, and the fans in the stands screamed.

Even the Italian reporter, who had just looked disdainful, clapped his hands in surprise.

Lin Qi also waved to everyone.

After the photo shoot, he arrived at the club's press room, accompanied by the uniformed staff.

The boss, Ferrero, suddenly leaned closer to Lin Qi and lowered his voice:

"When you hold the press conference later, remember to say a few good things about our club!"

"The €5 signing bonus and your first week's salary have been deposited into your account!"

"The signing will just be a formality in front of the media later, young man, don't be nervous!"

Lin Qi nodded upon hearing this.

Making money is too easy. Thinking back to my past life when I worked day and night, staying up all night until I was practically skin and bones, I still couldn't earn even a fraction of what I'm making this time. I couldn't help but sigh with emotion.

To be honest, having so much money all of a sudden takes time to adjust.

Amidst enthusiastic applause, the Chinese geniuses entered the press conference venue.

I sat down on the chair in front of the club with its huge logo.

Then, picking up the prepared pen, he decisively signed the contract.

Then he got up, shook hands with Ferrero, and took a photo together; the flashes from the cameras below never stopped.

"Snap, snap!"

A minute later, after being photographed from every angle countless times, the hall gradually quieted down.

Everyone was eagerly anticipating the next remarks.

Lin Qi picked up the microphone in front of him, his face full of sincerity:

"Thank you to the club owner and all the staff. I am very honored to join such a historic club as Sampdoria."

"Joining the club I've loved since I was a child feels like a dream come true!"

"Before I came here, I watched a lot of Serie A match videos and discovered something."

"The pace of the game here is... how should I put it... not slow, but if you slow down, the ball is gone!"

"For a striker in Serie A, the most important thing isn't scoring goals, but proving you're still alive."

"I'm mentally prepared. If I get snatched up on the first day of training and start questioning my existence, then it means I've come to the right place!"

Some people in the audience started to laugh.

"Speaking of our boss, I have great respect for him. He has made many profound films throughout his life."

"But I think the best one is definitely our Sampdoria club's!"

The flashbulbs went off like crazy, and the atmosphere inside the arena unexpectedly relaxed.

Upon hearing this, Ferrero couldn't help but applaud.

Then, a long and enthusiastic round of applause filled the hall.

……