It's hard to give your all when it's not the destination you want, isn't it?
Beside the training ground, a few veterans sat together.
Figo sighed. "Should we go comfort Su? He must be feeling pretty down right now."
Beckham nodded. "Yeah, this is really frustrating."
Pfft!
Zidane couldn't hold back his laughter. "Seriously? You think Su is frustrated? He's the one winning here!"
"If things really went according to Su Hang's plan, are you so sure we'd win the Champions League?"
"It wouldn't be easy, right?"
"And if we failed, Su would pay the biggest price. The fans would tear him apart!"
"Even if we did succeed, Florentino, Luxemburgo, Roberto Carlos, Raúl, you, me—we'd all share the credit."
"Su wouldn't gain nearly as much as everyone thinks."
"But right now… he pays no price, bears no responsibility. And yet, he's already taken control in a team meeting."
"He has exercised the authority of a leader!"
"His influence within the squad has grown massively."
"Next time something similar happens, and he steps up to lead—don't you think most of the players will follow without hesitation?"
Figo and the others froze.
It really did seem… true.
Everyone drew in a sharp breath.
They all turned toward the training ground, where Su Hang was practicing his shooting.
That kid!
The morning sun rose.
Golden light poured over Su Hang.
In that moment, he looked every bit like a king.
Of course, the future king Su Hang had known from the very beginning that the team would never abandon the fight against Barcelona.
He knew his proposal would be rejected.
No matter how many players agreed, Luxemburgo wouldn't.
And even if Luxemburgo did, Florentino wouldn't.
And even if Florentino agreed, the fans and media never would.
After all his maneuvering, Luxemburgo had still walked right into the trap.
The smarter move would have been to simply take the squad's opinion to Florentino—then the blame wouldn't fall on him later.
But to protect his image as a master coach in Florentino's eyes, and to showcase his control over the team, he threw the problem right back.
And now, if Madrid slipped up in the league, the blame would inevitably fall on him.
...
"Breaking News! Luxemburgo's Bold Declaration: Real Madrid Will Not Abandon Either the League or the Champions League!"
"The Confidence of a Top Coach, the Real Madrid Spirit! Facing sharp questions from journalists, Luxemburgo replied, 'Why not go for both?'"
"90% of Real Madrid fans back Luxemburgo's comments! They believe this is the Real Madrid they know!"
"League and Champions League—Madrid going for it all! A final push for the Treble!"
"Champions League semifinals! Second in La Liga! Madrid to launch a double assault in the final month!"
Luxemburgo's confidence once again put Real Madrid on the front pages of every European sports paper.
His stylish photos were everywhere.
Someone even photoshopped him in front of Real Madrid's seven superstars, adding sunglasses and a cigar, with the caption: "The Godfather of Real Madrid!"
Luxemburgo had become a sensation.
Florentino, too, was pleased with his confidence.
This was the Real Madrid he wanted.
Yes, he had heard rumors of dissent within the squad. But players only thought about matches—that was too narrow-minded.
Football is more than just the matches.
Unfortunately, too few players—or even coaches—understood this.
Take Chelsea's manager Mourinho, for example.
If he had known how to compromise for business, he would have been the one coaching Real Madrid.
...
April 23rd, La Liga Round 33.
Real Madrid vs. Barcelona.
El Clásico was about to begin!
The Bernabéu was packed to the brim.
Even outside, countless Real Madrid fans had gathered.
The whole of Madrid had turned into a sea of white.
Earlier, Barcelona released their starting lineup:
Ronaldinho, Eto'o, Messi
Xavi, Márquez, Iniesta
Van Bronckhorst, Puyol, Oleguer, Belletti
Valdés
Because of Saviola's injury, the young Messi was handed a starting role in his very first Clásico.
It was a huge recognition.
But with it came enormous pressure.
After all, the media constantly compared Iniesta and Messi to Real Madrid's Crown Prince, Su Hang.
Before the match, Barcelona's captain Puyol spoke to reporters.
Reporter: "With Su Hang's rise, many say Real Madrid's youth academy is now stronger than Barcelona's. What's your take?"
Puyol: "Su Hang is a player with no technique. At La Masia, he wouldn't even make the youth setup!"
Reporter: "As fellow forwards, who do you think is stronger—Su Hang or Messi?"
Puyol: "Messi, without question! He's one of the most talented forwards in the world. Su Hang, on the other hand, is one of the least talented players out there!"
Reporter: "What's your expectation for tonight's game?"
Puyol: "Simple. We'll shut out Real Madrid again and make them relive the pain of another 3-0 defeat!"
Soon, those words reached Su Hang, who was also being interviewed—this time wearing the captain's armband.
Raúl would start on the bench today.
Asked about Puyol's remarks, Su Hang smiled.
"Barcelona's academy is excellent. They have Xavi, Iniesta, Messi… But tell me, do all of them together equal Su Hang?"
"Or let me put it another way—did they get Barcelona into the Champions League semifinals?"
The Catalan reporter was left speechless.
Everyone knew the combined value of Xavi, Iniesta, and Messi far exceeded Su Hang.
But based on this season's performances, especially in the Champions League…
Su Hang had been more decisive on his own than the entire Barcelona team combined!
He had saved Madrid three times!
Without him, Madrid might have been eliminated in the group stage.
It was outrageous!
Su Hang continued. "As for comparing me and Messi, we're very different types of players, so there's no real point. But I do think Puyol's words were off."
"Messi isn't one of the most talented players in the world."
The reporters frowned.
Was Su Hang about to claim he had more talent than Messi?
To be fair, Messi still hadn't secured a permanent starting spot at Barça. But his ball control, dribbling, and instincts were already universally praised.
In those areas, Su Hang simply couldn't compare.
If he denied such a widely accepted truth, he'd only turn fans against him.
But then—
Su Hang said, "Because to me, Messi is the most talented player in the world. No question."
???
The entire press corps was stunned.
That… was absurd, wasn't it?
Messi might be one of the most talented, but the most?
Where did that leave Ronaldinho, Ronaldo, Zidane?
Reporter: "Su, aren't you just boosting his ego and downplaying yourself? Or is Real Madrid already admitting defeat?"
Su Hang shook his head.
"Talent is talent, ability is ability. Acknowledging Messi's talent doesn't mean I rate his current ability."
"I believe one day he'll become one of the best players in the world. But before then, he'll have to keep improving, step by step, under my shadow."
...
(35 Chapters Ahead)
p@treon com / GhostParser