The All-Around Center Forward

After lunch, Florentino did not keep Suker and the others for long.

Suker was also planning to go home.

But at this moment, Zidane proactively approached him.

"Suker, shall we talk?"

Suker and Zidane were not particularly close, although they had met many times before, they had never been teammates.

They were representative players of Real Madrid from different eras.

Facing Zidane's goodwill, Suker naturally nodded in agreement.

The two found a cafe to talk.

The place Zidane chose was very good; it was a cafe located in the city center, at the top of a high-rise building, with towering structures filling the view, allowing for a panoramic view of the world.

At the same time, one could also see the shimmering Manzanares River, and the scenery was quite beautiful.

As the weather outside was too hot, the two conversed in a private room.

Drinking iced coffee, Suker looked at Zidane and said, "When did you come to Madrid?"

"It's been a while," Zidane responded casually.

Suker nodded, which meant Florentino had started making arrangements much earlier.

"I want to understand the team's situation from you," Zidane looked at Suker and smiled, "I'll be taking over after the winter transfer window, and to better perform my job, I need to be prepared."

"Of course, no problem!" Suker nodded, "What do you want to know?"

Zidane pondered for a moment, "What is the players' attitude towards the current tactics?"

Suker was stunned for a moment, but he quickly understood.

Mourinho's defensive counter-attack tactics were criticized by the outside world, but they always led to victories.

Therefore, Zidane wanted to know whether the players were content with the current situation or dissatisfied with these tactics.

This would determine the tactical reforms he and Leidepu would implement in the second half of the season.

If it were other small clubs, Zidane would just change it, and the players would have no say.

But at Real Madrid, it was different; as a former Real Madrid player, Zidane knew very well how difficult these big shots were to please.

"The players aren't particularly dissatisfied, but they also hope to get more opportunities to perform," Suker hinted subtly.

Zidane immediately understood.

"What is their attitude towards Iker?" Zidane continued to ask.

Suker: "Iker still has a lot of influence in the locker room."

Zidane continued to nod, then asked, "After Kaka's injury, who do you think can fill the central midfielder position?"

Suker: "I'm not sure. Kroos is good, but he hasn't fully integrated into Real Madrid's rhythm. And last season we played to Alonso's rhythm, at the beginning of this season to Kaka's rhythm, and then suddenly back to Alonso's rhythm. I'm afraid the players will get even more confused as they play."

"That is indeed a problem!" Zidane nodded, frowning.

Frequent changes in the midfield can lead to a breakdown in the command system.

Although Real Madrid currently doesn't show this phenomenon, a crisis already exists.

"What if… I mean, what if, in situations where midfield organization is insufficient, we let the full-backs share the organizational duties? I remember Srna is a very good organizer?"

Zidane looked at Suker and said.

Hearing this, Suker was momentarily stunned.

Full-back organization, this must be an inspiration that came after playing against Borussia Dortmund, right?

Although Borussia Dortmund didn't explicitly do this, their two full-backs constantly tucked inside, and their overlapping runs indeed attracted a lot of attention, which could be considered a prototype.

"I don't think it's easy," Suker shook his head, "On one hand, Real Madrid has never played like this, and on the other hand, it would be disruptive to the midfield!"

Real Madrid doesn't have that many destructive midfielders.

Casemiro is one.

But you can't make Kroos, Di Maria, Khedira, and these guys do the dirty work and grunt work!

Suker knew Zidane had ambitions; since retiring, he had been developing within the coaching system and, relying on the Real Madrid platform, had begun to display his coaching abilities.

In the original timeline, Zidane served as the Head Coach of Real Madrid and delivered outstanding performances, leading to many new terms like 'Metaphysical Tactics' and 'XJBT Tactics', etc.

But no matter what, he just wins!

Winning is a good tactic!

The two talked for over an hour; Zidane had many questions, but it was enough to show his attitude.

He genuinely wanted to do well.

Although he didn't expect to reach the top in one go, he could lay a foundation with this experience.

Finally, Suker bid farewell to Zidane and returned to his villa.

He had arrived at noon, but by the time he returned to the villa, it was already sunset.

"Srna brought your luggage over,"

Zorancic said, pointing to the luggage.

Suker nodded, "Did Srna say anything?"

Zorancic: "No! But his expression wasn't good. Did something happen?"

Suker briefly explained.

Upon hearing this, Zorancic sighed, "A peaceful breakup! It must be that Mourinho touched the fundamental interests of Real Madrid or Mr. Perez, and was ultimately expelled!"

"Srna has a very good relationship with Mourinho, so he should be going to find Mourinho now, right?"

Srna did go to find Mourinho, but at this time, Mourinho was still working in his office.

Mourinho was engrossed in work, still organizing the upcoming matches and tactical arrangements.

Although it had been stated that his cooperation with Real Madrid would end after the winter break.

This meant that after Christmas, he would leave Real Madrid, but he was still Real Madrid's Head Coach, and for every upcoming match, he still needed to follow up and arrange.

He was very professional about his work; he needed to be responsible for it until the contract was fulfilled.

After a while of working, Mourinho finally got up and walked to sit opposite Srna.

"You heard?"

Mourinho asked directly.

Srna nodded, "This is unfair to you!"

Mourinho: "There's no such thing as fair or unfair. What I wanted, they weren't willing to give, and I didn't want to keep dragging it out. It's that simple!"

Mourinho's coaching of Real Madrid, from beginning to end, was aimed at transfer rights; he was going for the Managerial role!

However, Real Madrid would never have a 'Sir Alex Ferguson'.

Mourinho also underestimated Real Madrid and Florentino's reaction to this matter, ultimately ending on bad terms.

As for achievements, there were some!

He was at Inter Milan!

He dominated Europe at Real Madrid!

The results during this period were an excellent resume.

It can be said that for these three years, Mourinho was the best Head Coach in the world!

"Leaving Real Madrid, where will you go?" Srna suddenly asked.

Mourinho: "We're still in talks, but I might return to Chelsea."

"Back to Chelsea?" Srna was a bit surprised.

He remembered that there were many conflicts between Mourinho and Chelsea, especially with their Russian chairman, whose relationship was very bad.

"We talked, by phone of course, and finally reached an agreement. Of course, the coaching issues are still being discussed in depth, perhaps next season!"

At this point, Mourinho smiled and said, "I can also take this time to get some good rest."

Since stepping into Europe, Mourinho had hardly rested, working at high intensity constantly.

"Srna!" Mourinho suddenly said, "Have you ever thought about leaving Real Madrid?"

Upon hearing this, Srna pursed his lips and remained silent.

He had indeed considered this question, but Mourinho's intention was clearly to take him to Chelsea.

Seeing Srna's hesitation, Mourinho waved his hand and smiled, "Don't be so conflicted, I respect your decision!"

Srna frowned, "If you need me, I can transfer!"

Upon hearing this, Mourinho showed a relieved smile and sighed, "If only I could take Suker with me."

He had never seen a striker so perfectly suited to his taste!

If Suker was willing to come to Chelsea, then they would surely dominate Europe again.

However, that was too difficult!

Whether Suker was willing to leave was one thing!

Whether Real Madrid was willing to let him go was another!

Even with a forced transfer, the exaggerated buyout clause was a headache.

Russians were already unpopular in European football, but if Abramovich dared to pay five hundred million, UEFA would dare to intervene and thoroughly investigate Chelsea.

Even with the Financial Fair Play regulations, almost none of those wealthy powerhouses were clean!

One investigation, one certainty!

"Don't think about these things. Just play the upcoming matches well. If I need you, I'll call you." Mourinho waved his hand, "Don't post on social media again. It's useless. Learn from Suker and protect yourself!"

Mourinho saw Srna off.

He turned and walked to the French window, looking at the scenery outside.

Of course, he felt a hint of unwillingness, but Mourinho also knew that he wasn't fully prepared.

However, he still didn't want to give up his transfer power. Even if it wasn't Real Madrid, he wanted to be in complete control at other clubs!

Real Madrid did not announce the news of a peaceful separation with Mourinho, apparently not wanting to cause unnecessary trouble.

Even if it were announced, it would be around Christmas, so as not to affect the overall situation of Real Madrid.

Of course, some people in the club were aware.

For example, Suker and Ramos were among the few who knew.

Surprisingly, Casillas did not know.

Perhaps it was because his big-mouthed girlfriend's two consecutive revelations had caused Real Madrid trouble.

Or perhaps Real Madrid had completely given up on Casillas.

But no matter what, Casillas was facing big trouble in the Real Madrid locker room.

Mourinho did not change his attitude just because he was about to leave.

He was still suppressing Casillas.

He had no intention of mending his relationship with Casillas, nor would he give him any favorable treatment.

Of course, Mourinho did not further attack Casillas because of this.

Mourinho still took training and matches very seriously, remaining diligent, as if there had been no peaceful separation.

In this regard, Suker admired Mourinho's professionalism.

He couldn't do it; if someone annoyed him, he would make sure they were annoyed too, at least taking a bite out of them!

La Liga Round 7 was approaching.

In this seventh-round match, Real Madrid would face Barcelona away in an El Clásico.

This season, both teams had experienced some fluctuations in their overall form.

Barcelona, due to Guardiola's departure, had a touch of instability in their entire squad. The new Head Coach couldn't fully control the locker room, and their overall form was gradually declining.

Real Madrid, on the other hand, was suffering from internal strife, and their results were not ideal.

This allowed Atletico Madrid to currently lead the League table by a narrow margin.

In the top scorers' list, Messi was at the top with 10 goals.

Suker's goal count was slightly lower this season, currently with six goals.

In the Champions League, Cristiano Ronaldo scored five goals in two Champions League rounds, advancing rapidly.

Due to the team's issues, Suker had eased up a bit, and these two guys suddenly started to stand out.

Suker was also feeling weary!

They just couldn't be suppressed!

No matter how much pressure he applied, these two guys continued to challenge him.

One was causing trouble in the League!

The other was causing trouble in the Champions League!

As Suker was feeling down, Kroos walked over.

"Suker, can we practice our positioning?"

Kroos said these words with courage.

Currently, Real Madrid was in turmoil, and the midfield had become chaotic due to Kaka's injury.

But for any ambitious player, this was a good opportunity to rise.

Kroos was no exception!

He wanted to rise, he wanted to get more tactical resources, and play a more important role.

Previously, he had been constantly observing and studying Suker.

He knew very well that making Suker comfortable and fully showcasing Suker's abilities was Real Madrid's top priority.

For any midfielder, how to fully utilize the forward's abilities is key, more so than their own performance.

Therefore, Kroos mustered up the courage to find Suker for practice.

After all, at Real Madrid, few dared to approach Suker for practice.

Starters didn't need to!

As for substitutes, Suker might not pay attention!

But Kroos felt that Suker would agree to him.

Indeed, Suker got up, supporting his knees: "What do you have in mind?"

Kroos immediately stated his idea.

"I've observed many matches. Opponents pay great attention to limiting you, some even to an extreme degree. If you rely on individual ability to break through every time, the pressure on you is too great, and you can't completely shake off the defense effectively. So, I can set up a passing hub for you!"

Suker raised an eyebrow slightly; Kroos had really put in the effort.

"How so?" Suker continued to ask.

Seeing Suker interested, Kroos became even more excited.

"You can treat me as a wall. I can cooperate from any position you need, just like your link-up play with Rakitić in the World Cup qualifiers against Belgium!"

Kroos said.

Suker was surprised: "You watched that match?"

Kroos nodded: "I've watched every one of your matches!"

Suker nodded, walked towards the field and said: "Let's try it, talking is useless!"

Faria brought over several mannequins to act as defenders.

Suker stood in the middle of three mannequins, while Kroos stood behind him.

Suker actively dropped back, and Kroos passed the ball.

After a one-touch pass, Suker immediately turned and sprinted, breaking out of the defensive circle.

Kroos then took the opportunity to chip the ball over the obstacles, landing it in front of Suker.

"How was it?" Kroos asked.

Suker stepped on the ball, thought for a moment: "It's a bit too simple! The opponent will be moving, so a single pass and receive might not be enough to break free. You need to follow up, and you also need cooperation from others!"

Upon hearing this, Kroos showed a hint of difficulty.

As a newcomer, how could he ask others to join him?

It was already very difficult for Suker to help him.

He couldn't ask Suker to bring in others for him.

"Let's have a French meal." Suker smiled and patted Kroos's shoulder; "You pay!"

With that, Suker turned and walked to the sideline, directly calling over Benzema, Bale, Casemiro, Marcelo, Di Maria, and others.

"I'll come too!" Ramos walked over, smiling; "There should be a share for me in the French meal, right?"

Suker shrugged: "Of course!"

A French meal could get the whole team to practice together; this deal was definitely a huge profit no matter how you looked at it.

Kroos was somewhat astonished, and even more grateful.

Although it was called a French meal, everyone else was doing it for Suker's sake.

If it were just him, inviting them ten times might not get them to help!

After all, besides being teammates, they were also in competition.

The players started extra training, which made many staff members stop and watch.

Their eyes held a hint of hope. They didn't know when, but Real Madrid's training ground had become quiet and opportunistic, rarely seeing such vibrant extra training scenes.

Although extra training didn't represent everything, at least it indicated that the team's atmosphere was developing in a positive direction.

"Left!"

"Too slow!"

"Their follow-up speed is too fast, need to speed up!"

"Don't pass blindly, create a sprinting space for me through your passes!" Suker demanded of Kroos.

During his time at AC Milan, Pirlo not only possessed excellent passing skills but also used passes to create an attacking channel for himself.

And now, Suker was demanding even stricter conditions from Kroos.

Kroos had talent, had ability!

Just apply more pressure to him, and this guy would grow rapidly!

"Again!"

Suker roared, and the Real Madrid players sweated under the setting sun, training.

The setting sun shone diagonally on the field, accompanied by sweat and shouts, making the entire training ground incredibly lively.

Inside the Head Coach's office, Mourinho looked down at the training pitch.

His eyes held a hint of regret, but more so, determination!

He failed to succeed at Real Madrid, which was due to a lack of experience, picking the most difficult target to handle.

Now, he had thought it through. With this experience, he could do better next time.

He was not content with just being a Head Coach!

He wanted to be like Sir Alex Ferguson, an absolute power-holder of a club, and write his own legendary story!