After receiving 20 free attribute points, Theodore immediately opened his system panel to check his current status.
After thinking for a moment, he decided to add 10 points to his Health attribute first.
Previously, his Health attribute had been 78. After adding 10 points, it rose to 88.
Theodore chose to improve Health because he had clearly felt how important he was to Real Madrid.
Taking tonight's match as an example, during the final stages of the Copa del Rey final, Barcelona's players had repeatedly flown into tackles and tried to injure him.
If Theodore were unable to play in the upcoming Champions League final because of an injury, Real Madrid might very well be beaten by Manchester City.
If he wanted to play more matches and have a longer career, improving his Health attribute was absolutely necessary.
A strong and durable body was the foundation of long-term success.
If Theodore wanted to create his own era, he needed a body that could survive high-intensity matches, rough tackles, and the pressure of competing for every major trophy.
After that, Theodore added the remaining 10 attribute points to Finishing in the Box.
Finishing in the Box: 73 → 83
After these two upgrades, Theodore's overall rating successfully reached 95.
At the same time, his grade rose from A-Level to S-Level.
After Theodore finished adding his attribute points, Real Madrid head coach Zidane and club president Florentino Pérez entered the dressing room together.
"Lads, your performance was fantastic," Florentino said, looking around at the players with a satisfied expression. "You have already won three trophies, but please don't stop here. June 6 will be the biggest test. As long as you can win the Champions League, I will prepare a generous reward for all of you."
After Florentino finished speaking, Zidane immediately added, "Tomorrow, you will have one day off. Adjust yourselves properly. Starting the day after tomorrow, we will begin intense preparations. I hope every one of you can get yourselves into the best possible condition."
After Florentino and Zidane finished speaking, Madrid's players boarded a flight back to Madrid.
...
The next day, Theodore did not properly enjoy his one-day holiday.
Instead, he slept at home for almost the entire day and only slowly woke up a little after five in the afternoon.
But just as Theodore woke up, he received a phone call.
It was from Norway national team head coach Lars Lagerbäck.
"Theodore, what were you doing?" Lagerbäck asked as soon as the call connected. "I called you so many times before you finally picked up!"
"I was sleeping just now," Theodore replied. "I didn't hear it."
Lagerbäck went straight to the point. "You've been selected for Norway's European Championship squad. You need to report to the national team on June 7. Our time is very tight, so this may interfere with your title celebration."
"We don't even know whether we can beat Manchester City in the Champions League final yet," Theodore said calmly. "And even if we win the Champions League, I personally probably won't take part in too much celebration. Don't worry, Coach. I'll report to the national team on June 7."
After hearing that answer, Lagerbäck was very satisfied.
Before hanging up, Lagerbäck casually added, "Theodore, the Champions League final is only ten days before our first group-stage match, so I need you to try your best not to get injured in the final."
As Norway's national team head coach, Lagerbäck had built his entire tactical system around Theodore.
If Theodore were injured, Norway's strength would drop dramatically, and they would basically have no chance of getting out of the group.
After all, Norway had been drawn into the group of death at this European Championship.
In Group F, aside from Norway, there were France, Germany, and Portugal.
Even with Theodore, it would be extremely difficult for Norway to qualify from this group.
If Theodore could not play, Norway's chances would become almost nonexistent.
"I know what to do. Don't worry, Coach," Theodore said calmly.
"Good. Get some rest, Theodore. I wish you luck in winning the Champions League. Goodbye."
After hanging up, Theodore put down his phone.
He definitely would not hold back in the Champions League final.
After all, he had just raised his Health attribute to 88, and he believed his body could handle the pressure.
Both the Champions League and the Euros were equally important to Theodore.
He wanted to win both tournaments.
However, in terms of difficulty, the Euros were clearly the tougher challenge.
Norway's overall national team strength could only be considered second-tier in Europe, and their current world ranking was only 56th.
Aside from Theodore, Haaland, and Ødegaard, the rest of Norway's players could not even consistently start for teams in Europe's top five leagues.
In the pre-tournament predictions for the Euros, most professional media outlets believed Norway would not be able to get out of the group.
Only a small number of outlets believed Norway might rely on Theodore's overwhelming individual ability to finish third in the group and qualify as one of the best third-placed teams.
Theodore himself did not care about those pre-tournament reports.
On the contrary, he was full of confidence in the Norway national team.
When he had previously accepted Ma Fanshu's interview, Theodore had directly stated his goal of leading Norway to the European Championship title.
📱 @NorwayFootballWatch ✔
Norway drawn with France, Germany, and Portugal. That is brutal, but with Theodore, Haaland, and Ødegaard, they at least have a fighting chance.
| ↳ 📱 @TheodoreEra
| Reply: If Theodore can drag Aston Villa to a Premier League title and Madrid to this kind of season, Norway shouldn't be written off too early.
📱 @EuroWatchCentral ✔
Group F is the true group of death: France, Germany, Portugal, and Norway. Theodore Bjorn's first major international tournament could not have started with a harder test.
| ↳ 📱 @NeutralFootballFan
| Reply: Theodore, Haaland, and Ødegaard against Europe's elite teams is going to be must-watch football.
📱 @MadridistaHQ ✔
The Champions League final comes first. Norway can wait. Theodore needs to finish the job with Madrid.
...
June 3.
Real Madrid's training ground.
Head coach Zidane's training content was basically focused on defense.
Before training began, Zidane spoke solemnly to all the first-team players.
"There are only three days left," Zidane said. "In three days, we will head to the Champions League final venue, Porto's Estádio do Dragão, to face Manchester City."
The Madrid players listened seriously.
"I think you all understand Manchester City very well. Last season, we met them in the Round of 16, and across the two legs, we lost both matches."
Zidane's tone remained calm, but the meaning behind his words was clear.
"Now, the moment for revenge has arrived."
He turned toward the tactics board.
"Guardiola's team are extremely good at controlling possession. Their ability to keep the ball can almost be compared to peak Barcelona. So if we want to beat Manchester City, we must rely on defensive counterattacks."
Zidane pointed toward several zones on the board.
"In these final three days, your task is to maintain good competitive condition and drill our defensive shape. We must stay compact, we must be patient, and once we win the ball, we must attack quickly and decisively."
Finally, Zidane looked around at every player.
"I know that the Euros and Copa América are about to begin. Most of you are members of your national teams, and deep down, you definitely hope to bring glory to your countries in those tournaments. But please don't forget that before returning to your national teams, you are still Real Madrid players."
His voice became firmer.
"I hope you return to your national teams as Champions League winners."
The meaning behind Zidane's final words was obvious.
He wanted Madrid's players to give everything in the Champions League final.
The national team squads for the Euros and Copa América had already been announced, and the players selected for their countries naturally did not want to get injured in the Champions League final and miss their national team tournaments.
There might even be some players who would unconsciously hold back in the final, and that was absolutely not the situation Zidane wanted to see.
Of course, Manchester City also had many players selected for their national teams, so this problem could exist for both teams.
But Zidane did not care about City's situation.
He only cared about Real Madrid.
He needed every Madrid player to put the Champions League final first.
"The Champions League final is close now," Rob Palmer said during the training-ground coverage. "Real Madrid have already won the Spanish Super Cup, La Liga, and the Copa del Rey, but the biggest prize is still waiting in Porto."
"And there is history between these two teams," Terry Gibson added. "Manchester City knocked Real Madrid out last season, so Zidane will not need to search too hard for motivation. This is a final, but for Madrid, it also carries the feeling of revenge."
For Theodore, the situation was simple.
The Euros could wait.
Norway could wait.
Before thinking about France, Germany, Portugal, Haaland, Ødegaard, or the group of death, he first had to lead Real Madrid through the final match of the club season.
The Champions League trophy was waiting.
And Theodore Bjorn was ready!