Football: Three sure-fire weaknesses in every match!

The office blinds were opened, and the Ligurian coast beach could be vaguely seen in the distance.

Although the summer sun was scorching, it couldn't stop a group of young men and women dressed in light clothing from playing beach volleyball, their laughter echoing through the air.

"Lin Qi, sit down!" Paul James casually grabbed a bottle of electrolyte drink and brought it over.

Lin Qi snapped out of his daze, reached out and took the bottle, sat down, casually unscrewed the cap, and took a sip.

"Thanks, Mr. Giampaolo. Did you need something from me?"

"You're welcome. You performed exceptionally well in training today. Based on the video of your previous matches, I'd like to start you in the first league game."

Upon hearing this, Lin Qi was stunned. The situation was somewhat beyond his expectations. He had thought he would be a substitute and come on in the middle of the second half.

"Although you currently have various problems, um... minor problems, overall, you have reached the level of the Chinese national football team, that's beyond doubt."

"Actually, your country's football level is also developing rapidly. If I were to coach there someday, that's quite possible!"

When he said these words, Giampaolo's expression was very serious, and he didn't look like he was joking at all.

These past few days I've been under a lot of pressure from my boss Ferrero and Raiola, and last night I even received a call from Lippi himself.

The old man's agent had already conveyed the message the day before yesterday, but he still made the call again.

This is enough to show how much he valued Lin Qi, which is why Giampaolo was able to say that Lin Qi's level had reached that of the Chinese national football team.

Because that was a judgment made by Lippi himself.

Since you all think so highly of him, let's just start him in the new season.

He had given Lin Qi a chance; if he didn't play well, it was because Lin Qi hadn't seized the opportunity.

That way, I can explain it to everyone.

If Lin Qi can maintain the level he showed in today's training match, he might actually be able to...

Moreover, even if they lose the first game of the season, the impact will be minimal.

He didn't want to wait until the formation was fully integrated before any unexpected changes occurred.

Seeing that James Paul looked very serious, Lin Qicai was convinced that this was a formal notification.

My physical fitness is a dismal 15, with everything except shooting and strength below 50.

That's it? They think they've reached the level of the Chinese national football team?

Is Chinese football really that bad?!

"By the way, Lin Qi, there's something else I wanted to tell you in advance, so you're probably prepared!"

"Although I'm starting you, I won't be designing tactics around you for the time being."

"I hope you can understand this. It's best... um... not to tell Mr. Lippi about this."

Giampaolo suddenly became hesitant and stammering. He was not afraid of his boss, Ferrero, at all; if they didn't get along, he would simply resign and leave.

But Lippi is different. He is the coach who led Italy to victory in the 2006 World Cup and is a titan in Italian football. He is someone you can't afford to offend.

If he wants to continue in this industry, he still has to give face to someone like Lippi.

These words were very pleasing to Lin Qi's ears, and exactly what he wanted to hear!

That's great! They can design tactics around themselves, and if they don't play well, they'll have tons of haters criticizing them.

If you're just a supporting player in this game, a good performance would be a pleasant surprise, while a bad performance would be normal.

Besides, he's never played a single official professional match before, and now he's suddenly playing in Serie A. Who knows how he'll perform?

What does this have to do with Lippi? Does it mean he knows about it too?!

...

"I can perfectly accept that, Mr. Giampaolo!"

"I'm already very happy to be a starter, thank you for your recognition!"

These words further improved Paul James's impression of Lin Qi.

"Now that you say that, I'm relieved. I thought the boss was trying to portray you as a prince, giving you any guarantees of appearance!"

"Good! Lin Qi, remember this: if you want to achieve higher goals, you must work hard to prove yourself. If you perform exceptionally well, I will definitely make you a core player in the future! You have to earn all of this yourself!"

Asian kids are indeed humble. If this happened anywhere else, they would be incredibly arrogant and wouldn't respect anyone if their boss praised them like this!

Seeing Lin Qiyue's attitude made James Paul feel increasingly guilty.

He's incredibly talented and has such a down-to-earth personality; who knows, he might actually make it big!

Perhaps I really shouldn't view Lin Qi with prejudice just because he's from China?

It seems we need to have a serious meeting with the coaching staff to redesign the tactics.

……

Back in the locker room, Lin Qi noticed that his teammates were even more enthusiastic.

Muriel plopped down next to him.

As someone who won the Serie A Young Player of the Year award with El Shaarawy in 2012, there aren't many strikers he would consider good enough.

But for some reason, Lin Qi really liked his taste.

"Later I'll take you to that bar by the beach called 'Le piccole provocazioni'!"

"Haha, it's okay, it's on me. You have to drink to your heart's content!"

Those unfamiliar with South Americans might think he was trying to get Lin Qi drunk and drain his body so he could gain an advantage in the competition for the same position.

But Muriel just felt that having more people to drink with would make the fun more enjoyable.

Lin Qi recalled Elena's warning look at Turin airport and knew that this was a crucial period in his career, so he quickly shook his head:

"Thank you, but no, I have other things to do tonight!"

Upon hearing this, the others all revealed sly smiles.

They all thought Lin Qi had found a girlfriend in such a short time.

Bruno Fernandes, however, believes that Fernandes probably wants to go back to studying football-related things as soon as possible, because he often does the same thing.

After spending the day with him, he now has a very good impression of Lin Qi.

……

When Lin Qi got home, he smelled a faint aroma of food as soon as he opened the door.

Elena had already set dinner on the table.

The two chatted casually while eating, creating a relaxed atmosphere.

The taste wasn't amazing, and it was even a bit too low in oil and salt.

Elena shrugged and handed him a printed recipe.

"Don't be disgusted, it was given to us by the club's uniform department."

"They say it's a healthy eating plan specifically designed based on your body data."

Lin Qi glanced down at the densely packed ingredients and weights, then picked up another piece of chicken breast from the plate.

I chewed it twice.

He suddenly asked:

"So, you'll be eating this kind of food from now on?"

Elena nodded, very seriously: "At least that's how it is during the training period."

"High protein, low fat, controlled sugar, even the timing of meals has to be precise."

Lin Qi paused for two seconds, then glanced at the plate of chicken breast that was almost completely devoid of oil.

"...What about supper?"

Elena looked up at him, her tone crisp and decisive:

"No late-night snacks."

Lin Qi sighed softly, as if he had made some difficult decision, and picked up another piece of broccoli with his chopsticks.

"Alright!"

Seeing this, Elena smiled.