Even if… this might offend some people.
"Uh, I think we could try bringing on Guti for Bravo," Su Hang spoke up.
His voice was loud and firm, cutting off Luxemburgo's endless rambling.
Everyone turned to Su Hang in shock.
Su Hang gestured toward Bravo in apology. "Of course, it's not that Bravo has played badly. But right now, we need to attack."
"Bravo is a central defender. He can handle defensive duties as a right-back, but he can't really contribute going forward."
"Normally, we might not need him to push up. But in this situation, we need more players who can join the attack."
"Only then can we create more, better, and more direct chances."
"Guti is versatile. He can help the team in any position."
By the time Su Hang finished, Luxemburgo's face had turned livid with rage.
Who do you think you are?
Are you the coach?
You're just a rotation player who can't even secure a starting spot!
What gives you the right to point fingers at the team's tactics and substitutions?
Just as Luxemburgo was about to erupt, Zidane suddenly raised his hand.
"I support Su Hang's proposal."
Zidane looked around the room. "Su Hang is our captain out there. He has every right to share what he sees on the pitch."
"And I believe his suggestion is correct—or at the very least, worth trying."
"Since Chelsea scored, Gudjohnsen has completely shifted from striker to midfielder. We need to commit more attacking players up front."
"Everyone here knows how valuable Guti can be in attack!"
Luxemburgo's face turned pale with anger.
Zidane, so you've finally stepped out!
So you really want to tear off the mask, huh?
Good!
I've been waiting for this moment!
Next season I can openly find someone to replace you!
"I support Su Hang as well," Figo spoke up.
That made quite a few players stiffen.
The so-called group of international superstars wasn't truly united—it was just a loose collection of individuals.
They had no cohesion, so they couldn't form a true power bloc. But each of them carried weight.
Zidane didn't even need mentioning. He was the accepted leader of the superstar group, and in this loose circle, he had tremendous influence.
Figo had once held a lofty status, but with Zidane and Ronaldo's arrival, his standing had fallen sharply. Real Madrid had even considered not renewing his contract.
But in the second half of this season, his form suddenly soared, making him one of Madrid's most crucial attackers again.
The club was already in talks with Figo's camp over a renewal. His influence had grown with it.
At this point, anyone who upset him and risked those talks would be blamed.
And note this carefully: Figo didn't say he supported Su Hang's idea.
He said he supported Su Hang himself.
That's a fundamental difference.
"Mm, we can't just sit and wait," Beckham nodded.
Three starting international superstars had now openly backed Su Hang.
Luxemburgo's pupils shrank—he realized just how serious this had become.
He turned to Bravo, hoping the Spanish local could at least speak up for himself.
"Su Hang's opinion is my opinion," Raúl said quietly from the side.
The leader of the Spanish clique had spoken.
Which meant Helguera, Casillas, Guti, and the rest would all fall in line behind Su Hang—including Bravo himself.
Luxemburgo was no fool. He knew the control of this match had completely slipped from his hands.
So he nodded. "Alright then, we'll do as Su Hang says."
Guti quickly left the locker room to warm up.
For a moment, standing in the dressing room, Su Hang felt like the true leader of this team.
...
When halftime ended, Madrid's players filed out.
Luxemburgo's assistant fumed, "This is outrageous! They're completely out of control! Su Hang has no respect for you, he—"
Luxemburgo cut him off calmly. "Interesting… They say two tigers cannot share one mountain. Raúl and Zidane are just using Su Hang to hit back at me."
"But have they thought about what happens when Su Hang really becomes the leader? How will they deal with it then?"
"Zidane's fine. He's old—he doesn't have many years left."
"But Raúl?"
"A kingdom cannot serve two kings! A ruling monarch and a crown prince destined for power can never coexist in peace!"
"If ceding control of this match plants the seed of conflict within the Spanish clique, I'll happily step aside and let it happen."
"I don't believe Raúl will tolerate being replaced."
"And I don't believe Su Hang, once he grows in power, won't want to replace Raúl."
"People are greedy. No one is an exception."
...
The second half began.
Both sides made adjustments, surprising many fans.
The commentator exclaimed, "Unbelievable! Chelsea, despite leading, have already made a change!"
"They've subbed off Gudjohnsen for right-back Geremi!"
"That's a clear signal they're going all in on defense."
"With this switch, Chelsea are now lining up with five at the back. Their defense just got even stronger!"
"Madrid fans know Geremi well—he used to play here. But he couldn't secure a spot ahead of Salgado, so he had to move to Chelsea."
"If Chelsea's adjustment was already surprising, then Madrid's change looks downright reckless."
"They're a goal down, yet they've taken off Bravo, a right-back, for Guti, a midfielder."
"It seems Madrid want to strengthen their attack. But aren't they worried about Chelsea's counterattacks?"
"They could barely handle them before, and now they've weakened their defense even more. Chelsea might score again!"
Of course, people also understood Madrid's desperation.
They were trailing 1–3 on aggregate. They had to try something.
Even if it was the wrong path, at least they were fighting back.
The whistle blew, and the second half was underway.
In the 47th minute, Guti picked up the ball from the right-back position.
The team was switching play to the opposite flank.
In Madrid's usual rhythm, Guti would have played it into Gravesen, who'd then look for Figo, Zidane, or Beckham dropping deep.
But this was Guti.
El Maestro.
Bang!
Guti unleashed his weapon—a lofted through ball, straight to the far right.
Ronaldo sprinted wide at full speed, bursting onto it.
Before the ball could cross the byline, he whipped in a cross—then tumbled out of bounds himself.
...
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