Real Madrid's 6-0 away victory over Ajax became the biggest talking point in Europe.
Ajax achieved their goal of attracting attention, but the result was not too favorable for them.
Throughout the match, the Ajax players performed sluggishly, and their key players like Eriksen and De Jong failed to deliver a good performance, at least not enough to earn bonus points in the Champions League.
This will inevitably become a key factor for the opposing team to drive down the price!
It can be said that in this match, Ajax tried to outsmart others but ended up suffering losses, essentially shooting themselves in the foot.
Moreover, Ajax can no longer keep players like Eriksen.
After club reforms, Ajax slowly transformed from a traditional powerhouse into an export-oriented club.
Their biggest income comes from frequently selling players.
The Netherlands' youth training bases are world-renowned, and this is inextricably linked to Ajax.
Although Portugal and Croatia are currently considered the two major 'black shops' for youth training in Europe.
But to be honest, their quality cannot be guaranteed.
Ajax has utilized long-term planning to form a youth training construction chain, with a perfect production line.
Not only is the quality of the players produced guaranteed, but they are also considered good value for money.
Except for a few core players, the market value of the other players is not high.
This is fundamentally different from Portugal and Croatia, which frequently create new young player market value records.
At the very least, Ajax's youth training is guaranteed and yields results!
There are even some after-sales services in the contract; if you don't use them well, you can even return them.
But Portugal and Croatia are one-time deals; once bought, they're bought, and they won't provide you with any after-sales service.
But Portugal produced Cristiano Ronaldo!
Croatia produced Suker!
They use this as a gimmick for sales; simply put, European clubs have an element of gambling.
They gamble that your young players can become the next Suker or Cristiano Ronaldo, but this is almost impossible.
Kovacic, who was heavily hyped a while ago, is now playing for Juventus; although his performance is also good, it is far from Suker's stunning performance back then.
Furthermore, Ajax cannot keep Eriksen for a very simple reason!
They have a complete industrial chain!
Their youth academy and reserve team have a large number of players eagerly waiting!
They are just waiting for players like Eriksen to leave, to make room for them to rise, continue to showcase themselves, and form the next output chain.
But the problem is, Ajax cannot sell for a good price now!
The other party is offering a low price, and they are unwilling!
But the problem is that the other party's enthusiasm is not high either, which is why they wanted to use this match to create a buzz, but unexpectedly, they completely messed it up.
In the current situation, it is highly likely that they will have to sell at a low price.
There's no other way!
As mentioned before, the youth training structure is like this; at least after this season ends, they must be offloaded, otherwise the players accumulated in the youth academy and reserve team will be dragged down.
Once they get older, it's harder to sell them for money!
Besides this news, the biggest topic of discussion in Europe is undoubtedly the upcoming Ballon d'Or.
This is the second award since the merger of the Ballon d'Or and the FIFA World Player of the Year, and it will be presented next January at FIFA headquarters in Switzerland.
So far, Suker's support rate and vote count are the highest.
With the Champions League, the European Cup, and the top scorer awards in La Liga, the Champions League, and the European Cup, Suker's support rate couldn't be anything but high.
It can be said that this award is Suker's most secure one to date!
He has won almost all the titles he could, and his form and performance are undeniable.
Judging solely from his performance, the 2011/2012 season was definitely Suker's most incredible season.
Of course, Suker also has competitors!
But it's not Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo!
This is very surprising.
But Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo did not have any outstanding awards last season.
Cristiano Ronaldo at least had a Premier League title.
But Messi only had a Copa del Rey title, completely unable to compete on equal terms with Suker.
Suker's biggest competitor comes from within his team!
It's his club teammate, National Team captain, and good brother of many years, Dario Srna.
Srna's performance last season was beyond doubt.
He is also the first player in the entire football world to win the Champions League three times in a row.
In the 2009/2010 season, Srna lifted the Champions League with Inter Milan.
In the 2010/2011 season, Srna transferred to Real Madrid and lifted the Champions League again.
In the 2011/2012 season, Srna won the Champions League with Real Madrid again!
He not only experienced Inter Milan's treble but also initiated Real Madrid's glorious sextuple.
And he was diligent and capable in both attack and defense at the full-back position.
With such honors, he can be called the world's best full-back.
'Who is the world's best left or right full-back? It depends on which side Srna plays!'
For three consecutive seasons, Srna conquered fans with his excellent performance and also put himself in the running for the 2012 Ballon d'Or.
The only pity is that his opponent is Suker.
If the Ballon d'Or and the FIFA World Player of the Year were still separate awards.
Perhaps, Srna and Suker would have split these two awards, just like Suker and Modrić once did.
But in the current situation, forwards inherently have an advantage over defenders, and furthermore, Suker, with his three top scorer awards, has more support and a greater chance of winning.
Srna used to dream of being able to make a living as a professional player and was content with just making his life a little better.
But in Dinamo Zagreb, after those spirited young men navigated the qualifiers, broke out of the group stage, and entered the knockout rounds, too many people's fates were changed.
Environment can shape a person!
Srna is a typical example!
In the original timeline, he was an unknown player who only stayed in the second League.
Now, he has won countless championships, learned from many famous coaches, and even played for two major powerhouses; his destiny has been changed.
"This shiny Ballon d'Or... it looks good in the room!"
Srna looked at the Ballon d'Or in Suker's trophy cabinet, his eyes a little dazed.
He hadn't thought of winning this award before, but now that there's hope, a ripple inevitably rose in his heart.
"Snatch a Ballon d'Or from him!" Marcelo chimed in from the side; "He already has four, it's not too much for you to take one!"
Suker rolled his eyes in annoyance.
Srna smiled and said, "If it's mine, it will be mine; if it's not mine, forcing it won't make it happen."
Srna was also very clear that his chances of winning were not high.
On the one hand, Suker's influence far exceeded his own.
On the other hand, in terms of honors, Suker was not inferior to him either.
Moreover, FIFA clearly intended to promote Suker and build him into the image of a modern football spokesperson; in such a situation, they would inevitably promote Suker to the extreme.
Of course, if he unexpectedly won the award, Srna would gladly accept it.
It was almost one o'clock, and Marcelo stood up and said, "Let's go, it's almost time!"
Today, Marcelo was taking Enzo, Sukic, and Luca to watch a bullfighting show.
Ever since Kaka was injured, Luca had been staying at Suker's house, under Suker's care.
As for Kaka's wife, she hasn't appeared yet.
Normally, if Kaka were injured and the child was alone, she would at least come to look after him.
But nothing of the sort happened.
Combining this with the timeline of the original world, it's possible that Kaka and his wife's relationship was already somewhat broken.
However, Suker was not privy to the details.
Since Kaka entrusted him, Suker took them in.
Anyway, taking one is taking one, taking two is also taking two.
Moreover, Sukic and Luca were living together, and the two boys were having a blast, extremely happy.
This made Marcelo's son, Enzo, envious, even asking Marcelo when he would get injured, which almost made Marcelo resort to corporal punishment out of anger.
Marcelo led the three children to watch the bullfighting show.
Srna, having nothing else to do, also prepared to watch the show, but Suker said he wanted to train at home and would not participate in the activity.
They were prepared for this.
After all, Suker's training had become increasingly rigorous recently.
After seeing the others off, Suker took out an oxygen-limiting mask from his training bag and put it on properly according to the steps.
Then he changed into a set of quick-drying clothes, and only then did he take his training equipment and the ball to his small pitch.
Suker inserted the obstacle poles into the ground one by one, and at the same time placed discs and small goals and other training equipment on the other side.
Only when all the equipment was neatly arranged did Suker stand on the field and take a deep breath.
Due to the oxygen-restricting mask, the oxygen supply was very low, which made Suker frown.
He tried to take a few more breaths, and only then did his body gradually adapt.
Suker's expression was a bit grim.
Suker was already 26 years old and approaching 27.
This should have been his peak state, but there was a clear decline in some individual attributes.
For example, agility!
Although it used to decline, it was never like now, where it had dropped a full 2 points since the beginning of the season.
This was even after Suker's continuous training with an oxygen-restricting mask to slow down the decline.
With the help of the panel, Suker understood the subtle changes in his body better than anyone else.
His double speed remained unchanged, always at 98.
This indicated that Suker had not experienced any decline in his physical functions from his peak.
However, to prolong his peak, Suker also trained very hard, which inevitably led to muscle growth.
When muscles grow, the body stiffens, and agility decreases.
In fact, this decrease in agility was even more exaggerated than before.
If left unchecked, and if it continued to develop in this direction, Suker's body would quickly become stiff, and his previous dribbling moves would be impossible to perform.
This was similar to Cristiano Ronaldo in his later stages.
Due to increased muscle mass, he could never recover the agility he had during his prime.
But Suker was unwilling to give these up, so he could only train more.
Soon, a bald man in a tracksuit, pulling a trolley packed with various instruments, walked into Suker's villa.
"I remember today is your day off, right?" Perotti said with a headache, "Sometimes you should rest; a balance between work and rest is key for longevity."
Looking at Suker's futuristic warrior attire, Perotti really couldn't bear to look.
He used to work at the Milan Physical Examination Center, then succumbed to Suker's high salary offer, becoming Suker's personal trainer and leader of his health team.
His salary increased several times, and so did his workload.
When your boss is a training fanatic, you can only work yourself to death!
Perotti deeply understood this!
At this moment, he couldn't help but miss working in Milan, sitting at his desk, enjoying the air conditioning, and slacking off, how pleasant it was.
But thinking of his six children at home, he could only get up and work.
"I feel my body is a bit stiff," Suker didn't waste any words and went straight to the point.
Perotti: "Let's check your muscles first; excessive muscle strain can also cause a false impression of stiffness."
With that, he went into the house with Suker and had the latter lie down on the therapy bed.
Perotti put on his rubber gloves and pointed at Suker, saying, "Take off your oxygen-restricting mask!"
Suker refused; "Just leave it, I feel better this way."
Perotti sighed; "If there isn't enough oxygen permeating the muscles, I won't be able to make an accurate judgment!"
Given this explanation, Suker could only remove the oxygen-restricting mask.
Perotti conducted a detailed examination, in addition to manual palpation, he also used instruments.
The final data showed a tiny muscle deviation.
"You can feel that?" Perotti was stunned.
Most people wouldn't even notice such a small change, right?
Overall, there was no impact, and no significant physical sensation deviation.
Only a high-precision instrument could detect the result.
"I'm very sensitive to changes in my body," Suker could only explain.
Perotti believed him.
He continued; "This is not a sign of decline; your muscles haven't atrophied, but have become stronger!"
"Do you understand what I mean? This is like you've fully developed, and your muscles have reached a saturated state, unable to become stronger through exercise; it's a physiological limit."
"So the state that manifests is a certain stiffness!"
Suker frowned; "Is this also why I've become clumsy?"
"You could say that. The increase in muscle mass will inevitably lead to body stiffness. I regret to inform you that if you continue to train like this, you will likely lose your past dribbling performance. An overly stiff body will worsen your turning ability and the fluidity of your movements!"
Perotti continued; "Of course, this is also a problem that most players face. You've just reached this period earlier due to years of training!"
"For example…"
Suker waved his hand; "No need for examples."
Perotti was a bit long-winded.
Suker asked directly; "How to solve it?"
Perotti shook his head: "A professional athlete's body is an irreversible progression forward. It's almost impossible for you to recover your past athletic performance. You can still hold on now, but problems will soon arise."
"And in this situation, we usually give the same advice!"
Suker pursed his lips: "Transformation?"
Perotti nodded; "Exactly, transformation in two directions."
"First, continue to increase muscle mass, making your body your strongest weapon, and transform into a pure striker. The advantage is that it's simpler and can guarantee your peak athletic state, and your stamina can also be maintained. The disadvantage is that you will lose an agile body, and your dribbling performance will be much worse than before."
"Second, slow down muscle training and increase flexibility training, supplemented by core training. I feel this is a more suitable transformation for you. This way, you can retain your dribbling performance, keeping you in an all-around state. The disadvantage is that your physical confrontation ability will slightly decrease, and your stamina will also deplete a bit faster. However, this will at least be a 2-3 year process. As long as the training is reasonable and strictly follows my training plan, it might even last longer."
At this point, Perotti asked: "How do you choose?"
Suker didn't answer directly, but instead asked: "Are others like me?"
"Most are," Perotti said. "At your age, muscle mass will saturate, and all but a few exceptionally talented players will face this problem."
Suker nodded slightly.
Perotti was right. Not to mention most others, Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo began their transformations at this critical juncture.
The two transformed in different directions.
Cristiano Ronaldo transformed into a pure striker, while Messi transformed into a midfielder.
Suker would not abandon his dribbling ability, or rather, his agility. Therefore, his transformation would also be more akin to Messi's.
On one hand, compared to pure strikers, football appreciates all-around players more.
Dribbling performance is also an important bonus point.
On the other hand, given Suker's current state, the State Recovery Card alone would make his transformation lean more towards the latter.
Of course, Suker would not make such a change immediately.
This was a gradual process; at the very least, Suker's current physical condition was not so bad that he had to transform immediately.
However, he also needed to prepare!
This was also a means to extend his peak period!
Of course, he could also forcibly add attribute points to agility, but then another problem arose: given the current rate of agility decline, the attribute points he had accumulated were simply not enough.
They could barely last for a bit more than a season and would quickly be used up.
At that time, his body would be irreversibly stiff, and he would not have a trump card sufficient to reverse the situation.
Furthermore, Suker's attribute points were all reserved for after he turned 32, when muscle atrophy and a significant decline in physical condition were expected.
Spending them all now would be a net loss!
However, with Perotti's help, Suker could still rely on physical training adjustments and other methods to delay the problem of muscle stiffness.
"I choose the second one!"
Suker made his decision!
Perotti smiled: "The correct choice. Alright, now take off the oxygen-restricting mask. You likely won't need these anymore. I will arrange a flexibility coach for you, and she will formulate a comprehensive training plan for you."
Suker raised an eyebrow; "If I'm not mistaken, this flexibility coach is Maria, right?"
Perotti nodded and smiled; "I guarantee, she is an excellent yoga instructor!"
Maria, that was Perotti's wife!