Starting as a Defensive Midfielder at Real Madrid

Bielsa stared, wide-eyed, at Leon for the final two or three minutes of the match. He stood frozen, simply watching.

Only when the referee blew the final whistle did he finally come to his senses—just as Mourinho strode up to him.

"Marcelo…"

"José, you've found an outstanding young man. Truly outstanding."

Bielsa shook Mourinho's extended hand and praised Leon, using "outstanding" twice with heartfelt sincerity.

Athletic Club hadn't necessarily lost the game because of Leon in those final moments, but it was absolutely true that if Leon hadn't pushed forward with such fierce determination, Madrid would never have had the chance to snatch victory at the death.

What struck Bielsa even more was Leon's unrelenting spirit—a refusal to give up until the very last second. That stubbornness, that grit.

He loved players like that. Loved them deeply.

But it was unfortunate that, as tactics in modern football evolved, fewer and fewer young players exhibited this kind of quality.

"You're going to have a fruitful season, José. Enjoy it. But don't expect my congratulations just yet—after the second leg of the Copa del Rey, we'll have a proper drink together."

Mourinho laughed and agreed readily.

Back on the pitch, Leon had just finished celebrating with his teammates when Javi Martínez came over.

"Can we swap shirts?"

Martínez pointed to Leon's jersey, no longer a rival in that moment—just another admirer, warm and friendly.

Leon, without hesitation, pulled his shirt off and embraced Martínez as they exchanged kits.

"You played great, Leon. See you next game—I'll be waiting for you at San Mamés."

"See you next game."

They shook hands and parted.

Leon's eyes sparkled with the joy of victory and confidence for the rematch. Martínez's gaze, however, held a trace of regret.

He knew that after Bilbao's refusal to negotiate with Madrid, his chance to join them had likely slipped away for good.

Before facing Leon, he hadn't thought much about it.

Even if he couldn't join the Spanish giants, he still had options in other top European leagues.

But after witnessing Leon's clutch assist up close, regret gnawed at him.

What would it have been like to play alongside Alonso and Leon in midfield?

Could their partnership have become one of the greatest defensive duos in La Liga history?

Right now, Martínez certainly had the talent to dream such dreams.

But he might never know the answer.

Perhaps, for the rest of his career, that door would remain closed.

※※※

Another morning dominated by Real Madrid headlines.

January 23. Newspapers across Spain featured front-page stories about Madrid's 2-1 last-minute win over Athletic.

The thrilling ending had sparked another media frenzy, with Marca and AS leading the charge in praising Madrid's resilience.

Leon, of course, was once again the central figure.

But this time, it wasn't his good looks or bright personality drawing the attention.

It was his pure, undeniable brilliance on the pitch.

Pictures of him, grimy and drenched, teeth gritted as he powered forward, captured fans' hearts.

To Madridistas, Leon wasn't just a player—he was the player.

But while he was the darling of the media, Leon wasn't exactly enjoying the moment.

He was back at the training center, groaning his way through a recovery massage.

Several other Madrid stars were there with him.

Mourinho and Karanka had just received the team's latest medical reports—and their faces showed it.

Most players were fine. Thanks to careful rotation, everyone should be ready for the second leg of the Copa del Rey.

Everyone except Leon.

They never expected he would be flagged by the medical team as the player most at risk of injury.

Seeing the bright red warning label under Leon's stamina report, Mourinho made the call—Leon would not be starting the next Copa match.

Leon was helpless to argue.

This brutal post-winter fixture schedule had hit him hard.

The team's stamina potions took ten days to recharge, and Leon had played continuously on both fronts.

In the last game alone, he had to battle Martínez to support Ronaldo, then race back to break Bilbao's counters.

Not to mention the all-out sprint in the final 20 minutes.

Even with elite stamina, he couldn't keep going like this.

Technically, his next potion would be ready in two days. He could be match-fit in time.

But with the medical team already raising red flags, he didn't want to risk drawing attention by recovering "suspiciously" quickly.

And it was only a Copa match. Madrid had a 3-0 first-leg lead. As long as they didn't completely collapse, they'd go through.

So this time, Leon would rest.

"I've been a workhorse for half the season already," he thought. "It's time to enjoy the break a little."

On January 24, during the pre-match press conference, Madrid released the squad list—and Mourinho announced that Leon would be resting.

Reporters immediately bombarded him with questions, almost eager to confirm that Leon was injured.

Madrid fans panicked too.

They flooded the club's website with messages, demanding clarity.

In response, Madrid's PR team quickly issued a statement denying any injury.

Shortly after, Leon got a call from Mendes.

He filmed a video with Nacho and others doing light recovery work at the base and posted it on social media.

Only then did the fans breathe easy.

The next evening, at 9 PM sharp, Madrid faced Bilbao again—this time at San Mamés.

The game wasn't nearly as intense as the league match.

Both sides were worn out.

Bielsa tried. He switched to a three-forward formation after halftime and nearly took the lead again.

But Mourinho countered with a substitution—Essien came on for Khedira in the 62nd minute, and Madrid steadied.

Neither team had much left in the tank.

Mourinho subbed off Ronaldo and Benzema, reinforced the defense, and played out the draw.

0-0.

Madrid advanced to the semifinals with a 3-0 aggregate.

Three of the four Copa semifinalists were now confirmed:

Madrid, Espanyol (from their half of the bracket), and Barcelona (from the other).

Barça's opponent would be decided between Valencia and Levante.

The Copa semifinals were set for January 31 and February 1.

The schedule? Brutal.

Leon still didn't understand it.

Why rush to play the semis in early February when the final wouldn't be held until April or May?

On its own, the La Liga schedule wasn't so bad.

But add the Copa into the mix, and teams without squad depth were toast.

Madrid, with the deepest bench in Spain, responded immediately by rotating the lineup.

Leon, now rested and fully recovered without using his potion, joined the "B Team" for their league campaign.

January 28: Madrid hosted Zaragoza in Matchday 21.

Facing a relegation-threatened side, the backups were eager to impress.

Madrid dominated the first half. Morata lacked finishing touch, but Callejón did not.

In the 36th minute, Callejón latched onto a through ball from Khedira and fired a pinpoint shot into the far corner.

Khedira was average against elite teams—but deadly against bottom-feeders.

With the lead secured, Madrid tightened up to end the half.

Then, early in the second, they lured Zaragoza forward—then hit them again on the break.

Leon, having carried the ball up, fed Morata a perfectly timed through pass.

This time, Morata didn't miss.

2-0, game over.

The rested starters packed up and headed for the road.

Next up: the Copa del Rey semifinal against Espanyol.

But the media? They barely noticed.

Everyone already knew—Madrid and Barcelona would meet in the final.

So with the Copa semis practically written off, the Spanish press turned their eyes to Europe.

Madrid's road to continental glory was about to begin—deep in the frozen heart of Moscow.

But with the medical team having already issued a red alert on his fitness, Leon wasn't about to risk suspiciously fast recovery just two days later. He didn't want to attract any unnecessary attention.

After all, it was just a Copa del Rey match. Without him, Real Madrid already held a massive advantage from the first leg. As long as they didn't suffer a total collapse in the return leg, qualification was guaranteed.

So this time, he'd rest properly.

Leon figured, after playing the workhorse role for half a season, it was finally time to enjoy a bit of recovery.

On January 24, during the pre-match press conference, Real Madrid released their squad list for the Copa del Rey match.

Mourinho also publicly confirmed that Leon would be rested.

This announcement immediately stirred curiosity among the attending journalists.

From their tone, it almost seemed like they were hoping Mourinho would confirm Leon was injured.

Madrid fans, reading the subsequent reports, panicked too. Many feared Leon had picked up a serious knock.

In fact, so many supporters rushed to leave comments and inquiries on the club's website that Real Madrid had to issue a quick statement to deny any injury.

Shortly afterward, Leon received a call from Mendes, asking him to cooperate with the club's PR efforts. He filmed a short video at the training ground with Nacho and others doing light recovery work.

Once he posted the video on his personal social media, Madrid fans were finally able to breathe easy.

The next evening at 9 PM, Real Madrid kicked off the second leg of their Copa del Rey tie against Athletic Bilbao.

But this match lacked the fire of their recent league encounter.

Both sides were worn down. Madrid's squad was depleted after recent high-intensity matches, and Bilbao's players were no better off.

Fitness levels were average across the board, which made for a slower-paced game.

Bielsa had done all he could with his tactical setup.

In the second half, he switched to a three-forward formation to try and catch Madrid early—and for a brief moment, it looked like it might work.

But Mourinho reacted quickly. In the 62nd minute, he brought on Essien to replace Khedira, instantly stabilizing the midfield.

Neither team had much left in the tank over the final twenty minutes.

Mourinho, seeing this, decided to rest Ronaldo and Benzema, substituting them out while adding more defensive stability.

In the end, the match ended 0–0 at San Mamés.

Thanks to their dominant 3–0 first-leg win, Real Madrid advanced smoothly into the Copa del Rey semifinals.

At this point, three of the final four teams were already decided.

Real Madrid, Espanyol (from Madrid's side of the bracket), and Barcelona (from the opposite half).

Barcelona's semifinal opponent would be either Valencia or Levante.

The two Copa del Rey semifinals were scheduled for January 31 and February 1.

A brutal calendar.

Leon never understood it.

If the final was going to be played in April or May, why rush to complete the semifinals so early in February?

La Liga's standalone schedule during this stretch wasn't too bad. But with the Copa mixed in, any team without strong squad depth was going to be crushed.

Fortunately, Real Madrid had the deepest bench in Spain.

Mourinho responded quickly, rotating the squad before the semifinals.

Leon, after a few days of rest—and without even needing a stamina recovery item—returned to league duty with the "B Team."

On the night of January 28, Madrid hosted Zaragoza for Round 21 of La Liga.

Facing a relegation-threatened opponent, Madrid's rotation players were chomping at the bit to prove themselves.

From the opening whistle, Madrid dominated, laying siege to Zaragoza's goal.

Morata was a bit inefficient up front, but Callejón was ruthless.

In the 36th minute, Callejón latched onto a perfectly timed through ball from Khedira, darted into Zaragoza's penalty area, and slotted the ball into the far corner with clinical precision.

Khedira might struggle against elite teams, but against sides fighting relegation, his forward runs were always dangerous.

With that goal, Madrid gained full control.

They closed out the first half calmly, then in the second half, drew Zaragoza's midfield out of position before unleashing a devastating counterattack down the wings.

Leon, having carried the ball forward, delivered a pinpoint through pass into Morata's path.

This time, the young striker made no mistake—smashing home a goal that was practically served on a silver platter.

After the 2–0 win, the fully rested first-teamers boarded the team plane and headed out for their next challenge: the Copa del Rey semifinal first leg against Espanyol.

But truthfully, the media wasn't that interested in the match.

Everyone already knew—Real Madrid and Barcelona were destined to meet in the final.

Compared to these semifinals, which were widely seen as formalities, the Spanish press had already turned their attention to the real battlefield:

The Champions League.

Real Madrid's journey to conquer Europe was about to begin—in the frozen snows of Moscow.

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