Real Madrid, currently mired in a slump, had nothing to do with Real Oviedo. At most, those with deep feelings for Real Madrid, like Hierro, might feel a bit sentimental upon hearing about their current situation, but that was about it.
As for André, it had even less to do with him.
In the city of Oviedo, more and more people were starting to like this lad, whom they considered a bit of a character. The fans already knew that André didn't like the nickname "King Kong," but thinking back to his celebration after scoring in the last match, they couldn't help but find it hilarious.
The day after the match against Osasuna ended, a local media outlet in Oviedo even conducted a street survey. The content was simple: Do you think the name "King Kong" suits André Cristiano? Nearly 12,000 local Oviedo fans participated, and the final results were both laughable and irritating: 97.8% chose "suitable," while only 2.2% chose "unsuitable."
"André, take a look at this." Early in the morning, as soon as André walked into the dressing room, Saúl handed him a newspaper.
"What is it? Don't tell me you were caught at a nightclub again. Saúl, you'd better be careful, or the head coach will kill you."
"It's not news about me. It's about you."
"What's it got to do with me? I didn't go to a nightclub."
"André, you couldn't go even if you wanted to. You're still a kid."
Saúl's words immediately sparked a burst of laughter in the dressing room. In Spain, you have to be over 18 to drink, so even if André went, he could only drink fruit juice. The image of drinking fruit juice in a nightclub was just too much.
André opened the newspaper Saúl gave him and quickly found what Saúl wanted him to see, instantly feeling a wave of pure malice.
Just how bored do you have to be to conduct a street survey like this?
"Is this newspaper's circulation doing poorly?"
"Who said that? This is one of the only two newspapers in Oviedo, and its sales have always been good," Saúl said.
"Saúl, are you doing this on purpose? Are you making fun of me?"
"No, no, no, André, I'm not!" Seeing the dangerous look in André's eyes, Saúl quickly waved his hands in denial.
"Alright, stop messing around. It's almost time," Captain Colares reminded them.
However, as they were leaving the dressing room, Colares added, "André, actually, I think the name 'King Kong' really suits you."
"Huh? Captain, you... how can you be like this too?"
Hearing even the team captain say that, André realized he would never be able to fully shake off this annoying nickname.
This dressing room interlude fully illustrated how relaxed the atmosphere within the Oviedo squad was. The four-game winning streak had caused the external doubts about Hierro to vanish, and subsequently, Hierro's authority within the team grew higher and higher.
For a club to maintain strong combat effectiveness throughout a long season, the atmosphere within the squad is crucial. Relations between players, and between players and the coach, all have a significant impact.
While everyone was joking around in the dressing room, Hierro was on the training ground chatting with Sánchez about some recent interesting news in Spanish football.
"Fernando, have you heard about the situation at Real Madrid? Julen isn't far from being sacked. The next match against Barcelona will likely decide whether he stays or goes."
"Yeah, he shouldn't have gone to the Bernabéu in the first place. One can only say that getting to this point is his own problem."
"What about you? Have you never thought about going back?"
"Miguel, how is that possible? I expect they'll eventually have Zidane go back. He's the most suitable one right now."
"Alright."
"Anyway, Miguel, I'm very happy staying at Oviedo, and we have a great chance to be promoted to La Liga this year. Real Madrid is too complicated. I was willing to stay there as a player, but I might not necessarily like it as a head coach."
"True. The squad atmosphere is great, and everyone is working toward the same goal. But the biggest credit goes to what André has brought. This kid is truly a monster. I just don't know how long we can keep him. If it hadn't been for your persistence last time, Banches would've let him go."
"Miguel, that's professional football. It's normal."
With no more worries about the Copa del Rey, Real Oviedo could focus all its energy on the league, and playing one match a week was perfect for the squad.
In the next round of the Segunda División, Real Oviedo would play away against Gimnàstic de Tarragona.
This season, Tarragona was much weaker than Oviedo, both in terms of strength and their current position in the league standings. After ten rounds, Tarragona had only earned 6 points and was at the bottom of the table. Many believed that Tarragona had almost guaranteed themselves a relegation spot.
Yet in a match where the difference in strength was so clear, Real Oviedo encountered significant trouble.
Less than 20 minutes into the match, Oviedo's starting goalkeeper Juan Carlos was shown a straight red card by the referee for knocking down the opposing forward in the penalty area, and a penalty was also awarded to the opposition.
Leading 1-0 and having a numerical advantage, Tarragona's morale soared. For a while, Real Oviedo, being a man down, was completely suppressed.
The Oviedo fans who'd traveled to the away match were now worried about the result, feeling that their team's winning streak was very likely to come to an end.
In the 68th minute of the second half, Hierro once again chose to trust André, and ultimately, Hierro's trust was rewarded. André, coming on as a substitute, helped Oviedo equalize the score less than ten minutes after entering the pitch.
In the 76th minute, center-back Cortuno intercepted an opponent's pass and sent a long ball toward the front. André, near the center circle, held his position and controlled the ball. He then easily bypassed his defender and charged straight into the opponent's territory. Since Tarragona had been on the offensive, once André broke past their center-back, only the opposing goalkeeper remained in front of him.
Finally, charging into the penalty area with the ball, André scored with a low shot to help Oviedo level the score.
1-1.
Ultimately, the match ended in a draw.
After the match, what excited the Oviedo fans was that although the team's winning streak had ended, this round of the Segunda División was full of upsets, with several clubs at the top of the standings suffering unexpected defeats.
Real Oviedo, despite only drawing, remained in fourth place.
The promotion dream was still very much alive.
And André Cristiano? Three goals in three matches as a starter.
King Kong was becoming a legend.
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