Suker, Benzema, and Bale were still undergoing combination training; their general understanding and coordination had been established, but they still couldn't integrate into the overall tactical system.
At most, they were independent entities, unable to advance with the help of the entire team.
However, they weren't in a hurry. Real Madrid was in a delicate period.
It was described as a rectification, but it was more of a transition.
Although it wasn't explicitly stated, the players could already sense signs of Mourinho's impending departure.
The reason was simple: external media had also reported that Mendes, Mourinho's agent, had traveled multiple times between Spain and England. The specific issues they discussed were unknown, but Mendes had made a statement indicating that his cooperation with Real Madrid was extremely pleasant.
At the same time, Real Madrid also reciprocated.
This back-and-forth was somewhat perplexing.
In the past, Real Madrid had received thanks and given back, but this timing was a bit sensitive.
Furthermore, Mendes's connection with Real Madrid was primarily due to Mourinho.
And it was well-known that Real Madrid and Mourinho had some conflicts before.
The wind direction suddenly changed!
From being at loggerheads to shaking hands and making peace, both sides must have reached some kind of agreement.
In this situation, external speculation ran wild.
But Real Madrid did not respond!
Mourinho also ignored these issues.
The media couldn't get the answers they wanted, so they could only speculate.
Of course, Real Madrid, after all, was a huge club, and there were many people who wanted to sell information for money.
Therefore, someone leaked the news that Mourinho might leave.
However, Real Madrid still ignored it.
However, as Real Madrid players, they were most aware of the internal situation, and many had already caught on.
Especially when Casillas returned to the training base.
As soon as he returned, he showed the demeanor of a victor, as if he had won this struggle.
Suker really couldn't bear to look!
Casillas probably also knew some news, but not completely.
After all, during Real Madrid's cleansing process, in addition to Mourinho, Casillas also appeared on the list.
His several actions that damaged the club's image all became the fuse for his departure from Real Madrid.
However, in Casillas's view, he had won!
The board defended him and drove Mourinho away.
Of course, Mourinho no longer bothered with Casillas.
Since deciding to leave, for Mourinho, many things had become meaningless.
He no longer suppressed Spanish local players, nor did he stir up internal dressing room conflicts. He diligently carried out his duties as Head Coach, doing his best in the time remaining.
Watching this scene, Suker couldn't help but sigh.
Time passed bit by bit.
The hot summer ended, and the autumn rain was bleak and incessant.
Throughout October and November, there was a biting chill in the air.
But for players, having endured the hot summer, playing football in autumn was very refreshing.
Especially since winter in Spain wasn't particularly cold.
Therefore, compared to summer, both local Spanish and foreign players preferred winter.
On December 23rd, during the Christmas Eve period, a total of 17 League rounds were played.
Real Madrid's form was still up and down.
When they were fierce, no one could stop Real Madrid.
When they were in a slump, everyone was listless.
Even in the Copa del Rey, Real Madrid almost got knocked out of the Copa del Rey by Alcoyano over two legs.
Fortunately, in the second leg away match, Mourinho directly deployed his full main squad, which turned the tide, and they defeated Alcoyano 3-1 away.
In this match, Suker scored one goal and provided two assists.
Benzema and Kroos both scored.
It was a pity that they couldn't test the forward combination.
Somehow, the news of their extra training had reached Mourinho's ears, and after Mourinho had them practice it, he directly rejected it.
The problem was simple: their combined style of play was contrary to Mourinho's system, which was primarily based on defensive counter-attacks.
Mourinho emphasized speed, simplicity, and penetrative ability.
But Suker and the others' forward combination required them to seek opportunities in the opponent's half, not initiating attacks from the midfield, but through the forward combination itself.
Compared to numerical superiority, it relied more on exquisite individual ability to pry open the opponent's defense.
In this process, the midfield was more in a supporting role and could not actively provide much help.
For this reason, Mourinho believed that this conflicted with his overall tactical theory, and he did not allow them to use it in matches.
Suker and the others understood this point, or rather, the moment Mourinho knew about it, this tactic would not appear on the field.
This was also a very helpless situation.
However, they did not give up; since they couldn't use it in matches, they would practice more!
Anyway, once Mourinho left, they would have plenty of opportunities to try it.
At most, they would conduct more experiments.
In a total of 17 League rounds, Real Madrid is currently in second place in the standings.
Barcelona occupies the first position.
Atletico Madrid is in third.
The point difference between the three teams is negligible.
But unlike before, in the era dominated by Real Madrid and Barcelona, Atletico Madrid's intervention immediately changed the entire La Liga landscape.
For Real Madrid and Barcelona, they must be prepared to face the impact of this new La Liga powerhouse.
While being wary of old rivals, they also could not underestimate the new challenger.
Moreover, Atletico Madrid, with a technical style different from La Liga's tradition, played more like a Premier League team.
In just half a season!
Atletico Madrid conceded only 13 goals.
Real Madrid and Barcelona, on the other hand, both conceded 17 goals.
Atletico Madrid also became the team with the fewest goals conceded in La Liga so far.
Although their goal-scoring still couldn't compare to the two traditional giants, they had already shown a steely defense.
In the Premier League, it was still a competition between Manchester United and Manchester City.
Among them, Arsenal's recent performance was extremely fierce.
They first defeated Manchester City, then Chelsea.
Only when facing Manchester United were they somewhat weak and failed to win.
However, it also caused a big stir.
That was last season's Arsenal captain, Van Persie. After scoring against Arsenal for Manchester United, he made a high-profile celebration.
As a former Gunners player, and even captain, such an act caused a huge uproar in England.
Many people were speculating, did Van Persie have some hidden difficulties when leaving Arsenal?
Otherwise, such a celebration against his old club would really be inexcusable.
After all, generally speaking, out of respect for one's former club, even if a goal is scored, there won't be a celebration.
For example, Suker did the same when he played against AC Milan.
He scored two goals, but didn't celebrate either of them.
Scoring was his duty, but not celebrating was his respect for his old club!
But Van Persie completely disregarded this, and his open celebration led Arsenal fans at the stadium to curse him as a 'traitor'.
As for further juicy details, the British media have not yet revealed them, presumably they are still investigating.
But one thing is for sure, Arsenal has been truly fierce recently!
However, there are also worrying problems, as according to Arsenal's tradition in the League, they are like tigers in the first half of the season, but will soon be bogged down by successive injuries and the long season, with their form plummeting.
A second-half collapse is a common occurrence for Arsenal.
In Serie A, Juventus was still pushing forward.
Since their relegation and return, the Bianconeri had been re-equipping, and after several years of adjustment, they were ready to show their dominance when other Serie A teams were weak.
Serie A was no longer the Serie A of the past.
During the little world cup era, the Serie A seven sisters competed neck and neck, and the intensity of their internal competition was even more fierce than the Champions League at that time.
It even reached a point where the value of the Serie A title surpassed that of the Champions League.
Afterward, Serie A slightly declined, but it was still in its heyday!
Especially in the late period of Serie A's glory, even then, stars like Suker, Kaka, Zlatan Ibrahimović, and Totti shone brightly.
Milan's consecutive Champions League wins also became the glorious song of Serie A.
Today's Serie A, its competitiveness is far from what it once was!
The northern giants, one by one, are all in decline.
Juventus took the opportunity to reach the top and demonstrate its dominance.
It can be said that currently, only Juventus in Serie A still has Champions League competitiveness.
As for AC Milan, although Pato and others are still holding on, their competitiveness is far behind the Milan of Suker and Kaka's era, and cannot be compared.
Many Milan fans also reminisce about past glories, and so far, they find it difficult to find hope for a resurgence.
Most importantly, with the departure of star players and the decline in League competitiveness, once these benefits are divided by other Leagues, it will be extremely difficult to get them back.
Finally, there's the Bundesliga!
The Bundesliga is currently the League receiving the most attention.
Although Bayern Munich showed fluctuating form in the past two years, and was even once suppressed by Borussia Dortmund led by Klopp.
But in the new season, after continuous heavy signings, the team's combat power has visibly increased.
Especially after Guardiola injected a brand new technical foundation into Bayern Munich, Bayern Munich changed its previous rough playing style, perfectly combining its traditional toughness with technical performance.
It can be said that Bayern Munich is the most watched team this season!
As for Borussia Dortmund, as a young team, the Black and Yellows received widespread attention last season.
Players like Götze, Robert Lewandowski, Reus, Hummels, and other talented players in the team have also attracted the attention of major European powerhouses.
This season, thanks to Bayern Munich's financial weakness and inability to poach these players, Borussia Dortmund has unleashed even stronger combat power than in the original timeline.
Especially after six rounds of Champions League, they managed to overpower Manchester City and Ajax in their group, securing the second qualification spot after Real Madrid, successfully entering the knockout stage in the group of death, and further honed by the high-intensity matches in the group of death, growing extremely rapidly.
Especially in the final round of the Champions League group stage, they fought Real Madrid for 90 minutes, ultimately drawing 4-4 with Real Madrid.
This offensive and defensive battle is still talked about even now.
The weather in December had gradually begun to turn cold.
Spain rarely sees snow, but a light snow fell around Christmas.
This made the local people of Spain incredibly excited.
The pristine white snow, though only a thin layer, made it appear even more exquisite.
The only regret was that as the sun rose, these white snowflakes gradually began to melt, quickly combining with the dirt on the ground to become a dark, wet mess.
Swish swish swish!
In the early morning.
Suker, wearing a down vest, held a large broom and swept the ground at the entrance.
He would not leave these simple tasks to the servants.
He swept the accumulated snow to both sides of the road, even clearing the snow outside the gate neatly.
In the courtyard, Sukic and Luna were chasing and playing.
They stepped on the thin layer of snow, throwing snowballs, and having a great time.
Suker had just finished clearing the snow at the entrance when a car abruptly stopped there.
A blue British-made Aston Martin.
Its rounded front face, unlike Ferrari's somewhat gaunt design, had a unique sense of design.
The car door opened, and a pair of long, slender legs stepped out.
Gisele Bündchen was wearing shark-skin leggings, which hugged her straight legs, a black down vest, and a white wool hat.
"Merry Christmas!"
Gisele Bündchen winked at Suker and smiled.
Suker leaned on his broom with both hands and pointed inside: "Sukic is in there!"
Upon hearing this, Gisele Bündchen quickly walked into the courtyard, and soon, the surprised voices of mother and son could be heard.
"Oh~~ my darling!"
"Mommy!!"
After a long separation, Gisele Bündchen practically held Sukic the entire time.
Although Sukic was already a bit heavy to hold, she still managed to hold him up.
"Mommy, I'm not a child anymore, you can put me down," Sukic said, looking at Gisele Bündchen's trembling arms, and somewhat fearfully wrapping his arms around her neck.
"Don't worry! Mommy is strong!" Gisele Bündchen gave Sukic a loud kiss on the cheek.
At this moment, Suker had already brought the food from the kitchen to the dining table.
He also did not ask for help, as Gisele Bündchen had not seen Sukic for a long time and must have missed him greatly.
"So many dishes!"
Gisele Bündchen looked at the more than ten dishes on the dining table and couldn't help but exclaim in surprise.
Suker distributed the forks and chopsticks, and casually said, "It's a holiday after all!"
Then, Suker muttered softly.
"It's a reunion!"
The family ate in silence.
There wasn't much interaction between Suker and Gisele Bündchen; instead, Sukic's eyes on the side kept darting around, looking at Suker for a moment, then at Gisele Bündchen.
"Dad doesn't have a girlfriend, and no other women have appeared at home!"
Sukic suddenly said.
Suker and Gisele Bündchen turned to look.
Suker frowned: "Eat your food!"
Gisele Bündchen on the side showed a slight smile: "Honey, I know."
After speaking, Gisele Bündchen looked at Suker and asked, "Why don't you find a girlfriend?"
Suker: "No time!"
Then, Suker looked at Gisele Bündchen: "What about you?"
"I also don't have time!"
Gisele Bündchen casually brushed it off.
Of course, there was also the issue of time, but more often, it was about not finding anyone suitable!
Ever since she started dating Suker, apart from their differing views, they still got along very well in other aspects.
What's more, Suker was unlike other men who liked to cheat.
Gisele Bündchen knew that Suker had an extraordinary sense of responsibility and identification with his family.
This was also the reason why Suker, after learning of Sukic's existence, dropped everything and rushed to Brazil.
"How is the promotion going?" Suker began to change the subject.
Gisele Bündchen sighed: "It's not going particularly smoothly. I created my own fashion brand, but I can't find a suitable spokesperson."
Then, she looked at Suker: "How about… you consider it?"
"Alright!" Suker looked up: "If you can afford my endorsement fee, we'll cooperate."
Gisele Bündchen shut up.
She couldn't afford it!
Suker's endorsements were calculated based on taxes, damn it!
She could barely afford it before tax, but absolutely not after tax.
"How many days are you planning to stay this time?" Suker asked.
"I will leave after the New Year!" Gisele Bündchen replied, adding, "I've already found…"
Suker directly waved his hand: "Just stay here. I'm not so stingy as to make you go find a hotel by yourself. I imagine you also want to spend more time with Sukic. Of course, if you have other plans, then never mind!"
Gisele Bündchen glanced at Suker: "It seems darling wasn't lying; you really don't have a girlfriend."
Suker rolled his eyes: "If I had a girlfriend, I wouldn't even need this kid; the media in Spain would have already exposed it."
Gisele Bündchen couldn't help but laugh: "Yes! I still remember those two paparazzi in Milan; you bribed them."
"Not bribed, but close enough!"
Gisele Bündchen stood up: "I still have some luggage to bring in!"
Suker tapped the table with his chopsticks: "Eat first. After dinner, I'll help you bring it in!"
Gisele Bündchen raised an eyebrow, tilted her head, looked at Suker, and smiled: "Okay!"
After dinner, Suker put all the dishes and chopsticks into the dishwasher and then went out to move the luggage.
He had Gisele Bündchen stay in the room next to Sukic's, which Gisele Bündchen was also very satisfied with.
"How about we go prepare for Christmas?" Gisele Bündchen suggested.
At this, Sukic stood up in surprise, nodding his head frantically.
Both of them looked at Suker in unison.
Suker, however, looked puzzled and said, "Christmas? Isn't it just about eating chocolates?"
With that, Suker took out two boxes of chocolates from the drawer.
Gisele Bündchen sighed: "You don't have any Christmas experience?"
"Of course I do!" Suker: "I grew up in the welfare home of a religious order. At Christmas, we even had to sing. What? You want to sing too?"
Gisele Bündchen and Sukic both couldn't help but shake their heads.
Gisele Bündchen: "Honey, your father can't help much!"
Sukic: "He just needs to put in the effort!"
With that, the two high-fived in tacit agreement.