The All-Around Center Forward

"The current situation is very complex, and I can't promise you anything, but our stance is consistent with yours!"

Suker couldn't explain the matter too clearly.

The root of the conflict was Mourinho's desire for transfer power!

Stemming from this core conflict, dressing room disputes, internal National Team conflicts, and various other issues arose.

But this was unavoidable.

Mourinho would not give up.

Florentino would certainly not relinquish power!

Therefore, the only solution was to get rid of Mourinho.

In fact, Suker was quite helpless in this matter.

He didn't care about any of these things!

The only things he cared about were results and performance.

But some conflicts were unavoidable, and this season was likely to be very difficult.

Listening to Suker's words, Florentino nodded slightly.

He also felt that he was too impatient; some things were difficult for the players to do.

"Alright, I understand. You guys try to stabilize the dressing room, and I'll think of other ways!"

After Florentino finished speaking, he asked, "Do you want to have dinner?"

Suker immediately shook his head: "No, thanks. I still need to go home and take care of the child!"

Florentino couldn't help but smile: "Have you ever thought about letting Sukic play and grow in Real Madrid's youth academy? If you're willing, we'll sign him immediately!"

Sukic was only three years old, far from the time for signing.

But if Suker was willing, Real Madrid would even create a letter of intent for publicity.

Here, Sukic's value aside for now, but Suker and Sukic, two generations, upholding the Bernabéu, would be akin to the Maldini family at AC Milan.

Suker smiled and said, "That little rascal is still far from it."

Suker politely declined.

The waters of a giant club like Real Madrid were too deep; even Suker needed to be careful, let alone Sukic.

Despite Suker's protection, some things were unpredictable.

After all, in Real Madrid, commercialization had been integrated into every level of the club.

Once interests demanded it, many principles could be overturned.

Suker did not want Sukic to grow up in such an environment.

Soon, Suker bid farewell to Florentino and returned to his villa.

"I'm exhausted!"

Suker returned to the villa and plopped down on the sofa.

Srna, who was beside him, asked, "You guys talked for a long time."

"Yes, no progress whatsoever!" Suker shook his head.

Nothing could come out of discussing such matters.

Of course, there was another possibility, which was for Mourinho to leave voluntarily, but would he give up his vested interests and the substantial rewards he had long planned for?

That was clearly impossible!

For this reason, this matter was so troublesome.

"Let's not think about this anymore." Suker waved his hand and asked, "Have you guys eaten?"

Srna nodded: "I ordered takeout. Sukic and I have already eaten."

Suker looked around but didn't hear Sukic's voice.

"Where's Sukic?"

Srna: "He went to find his little friend!"

"At Luca's place?"

This Luca was Kaka's son!

Srna nodded.

No sooner had he spoken than a knock sounded at the door.

Kaka led his son and Sukic in.

The two little ones ran off to play in the room on the second floor, while Suker and the others continued chatting.

"You guys winning the European Cup consecutively, that's truly enviable!"

Kaka said with a smile.

Srna sighed: "The final was too tough!"

Even now, remembering the situation in the final made him break out in a sweat.

They truly almost lost.

"Suker played very well in the final!"

Kaka praised: "I watched that game; you scored two goals consecutively starting from the 80th minute, and Germany couldn't keep up with your pace in the latter half."

"So, it's still about having good stamina." Suker shrugged; "You can wear the opponent down."

Kaka smiled and said, "Oh, right, a young man from our side will be joining us this season."

Suker: "Neymar?"

Kaka shook his head and sighed: "Neymar probably won't come to Real Madrid."

Suker shook his head and sighed.

Some things couldn't be forced!

Ever since Florentino warned Mourinho, negotiations between Real Madrid and Neymar had been stalled, while Barcelona's progress was rapid.

"So who is it?" Suker asked.

"Carlos Casemiro, 20 years old this year, a young man who plays as a defensive midfielder. I've watched him play; he's very strong physically and very good at tackling!"

"Casemiro?" Suker asked in surprise.

Kaka: "You know him?"

"No!" Suker shook his head directly.

Speaking of Casemiro, in the original timeline, he should have joined Real Madrid in the winter transfer window of 2013, which was still half a year away from now.

And after joining Real Madrid, he would need to train in the B team before he could enter the first team.

At the very least, he would have to wait until next season to see Casemiro enter the first team, but unexpectedly, it was accelerated by one season.

Not just Casemiro, Kroos also arrived at Real Madrid early.

Although the probability of Modrić arriving was very small, Kaka could also fill that position.

Perhaps, this could also form a brand new 'ceremonial' midfield!

Thinking of this, Suker asked, "Didn't Casemiro go to play for the B team?"

This was a Real Madrid tradition; except for a few superstars, almost everyone had to train in the B team.

Neymar's problem was also stuck here.

Real Madrid wanted Neymar to train in the B team.

But Neymar believed those steps were unnecessary.

This became a point of conflict between the two sides, and negotiations made no progress.

Kaka: "He's already played half a season in the B team and performed very well."

Suker said in surprise: "He's already played half a season in the B team, so he joined in the winter transfer window of 2012?"

Suker had never heard of this, of course, the media wouldn't over-report such things.

Perhaps Real Madrid just casually mentioned it on their official website, acknowledging his existence.

But whether he could enter the first team would depend on his ability.

However, being able to climb from the B team to the first team in just half a season showed Casemiro's ability.

"It's not just about his performance." Kaka added; "This is also Mourinho's intention!"

Suker nodded: "Understood!"

Mourinho had always believed that Real Madrid lacked a defensive midfielder.

Previously, Khedira and Alonso, strictly speaking, were players who could both attack and defend, but purely in terms of defensive ability, they weren't that exquisite.

But Mourinho needed a player type with exquisite defensive ability, wide coverage, strong physicality, and an unyielding engine.

Although the current Casemiro had not yet grown to that level, he had already shown his talent.

For Mourinho, he only needed one season to turn Casemiro into the defensive midfielder he wanted.

This might also be the reason for Mourinho's exceptional promotion.

"I asked him to come over; he might be here soon!"

Listening to Kaka's words, Suker asked in surprise: "Why did you bring him over?"

Srna laughed: "What else? To pay respects to the elder!"

There were two major factions in Real Madrid.

One was Casillas, and the other was Suker!

Local players naturally gravitated towards Casillas.

But foreign players were more likely to choose Suker.

The reason was simple: local players would not accept them; it was a matter of nationality.

Although they could join, they could never become core members.

Of course, one could also choose not to get involved with either.

But unless one had exceptional strength, enough to guarantee their status and voice, otherwise they would have a very tough time, even becoming a fringe player.

Kaka knew all this, so he directly brought Casemiro over.

The meaning was clear: I brought the junior to you, will you protect him or not?

Suker grimaced helplessly.

Just then, a knock sounded at the door.

The knock was very light; if one didn't listen carefully, they might not even hear it.

But since the three of them had just quieted down, they heard it.

"I'll get it!"

Kaka turned and walked over.

When he opened the door, a sturdy figure appeared at the entrance.

Kaka wasn't thin, but next to Casemiro, he looked much more slender.

Slightly dark skin, large eyes, a round face—he really gave off a 'Gouda' vibe.

But compared to the anime character Gouda, Casemiro was definitely a good kid.

His big eyes were filled with nervousness and unease, and his hands were somewhat awkwardly gripping his trouser legs.

He sat on the sofa, not daring to make eye contact with Suker, constantly turning his head left and right to alleviate his nervous emotions.

Suker also looked at Casemiro like this.

He had heard that Casemiro's personality was very shy and well-behaved.

But he hadn't expected such a personality beneath that physique.

If Suker had this physique earlier, he wouldn't have bothered forming cliques; he would have single-handedly taken on the entire team.

"Do you speak Spanish?" Suker asked directly.

"Yes, just a little!" Casemiro's Spanish was clearly not that fluent.

"What about English?"

"Also, just a little!" Casemiro became even more nervous; he didn't dare look at Suker.

Even if his eyes met Suker's, he would immediately flinch away as if electrocuted, glancing elsewhere.

"Am I that scary?" Suker asked, pointing to himself.

Kaka and Srna couldn't help but smile. Kaka comforted him in Portuguese, "Relax, you can come to us for anything in the future. Don't worry about not fitting into the team; we'll help you."

Suker: "You've already made the decision for me!"

Kaka turned his head and smiled, "So, you're not accepting?"

Suker rolled his eyes.

While Suker and the others were chatting, Casemiro couldn't get a word in.

Moreover, he didn't understand much of what they were saying.

He could only sit awkwardly on the sofa, his entire body still rigid.

He didn't dare relax!

His nervousness stemmed from Suker.

Casemiro would occasionally sneak glances at Suker, somewhat disbelieving that he was in the same space as Suker.

When he was still a youth player, Suker was already dominating Serie A.

He had even bought Suker's posters and put them up in his room, dreaming that he could also become such a player.

But a few years passed, and he actually became Suker's teammate.

This made him feel both delighted and incredibly nervous.

He wanted to leave a good impression on Suker, but under excessive nervousness, he didn't know what to say.

"This is truly awful!" Casemiro thought to himself, feeling a bit dejected.

Clap! Clap!

A pair of small hands patted his shoulder.

Casemiro turned his head and saw a child.

His face was very similar to Suker's; there was no need to guess that he was Suker's child.

"Hello!" Sukic said in fluent Portuguese.

"Hello." Casemiro's smile was forced.

"Is Daddy very scary?" Sukic smiled and leaned in, his hands on Casemiro's thighs, giving them a squeeze: "Wow, you're so strong!"

Casemiro felt a bit awkward but didn't know what to say, so he just gave a dry laugh.

"I see you're sweating a lot!" Sukic pulled out a tissue from a nearby box and handed it over: "Wipe it off!"

Then, he ran to the refrigerator, stepped on his small stool, and took out a row of Yakult.

He immediately ran to Casemiro and handed him a Yakult.

"There are five Yakults in total; I'm giving you one, and the other four are for me and Luca!"

Casemiro looked at the Yakult with a hint of nostalgia in his eyes, revealing a sincere smile; "Thank you, I really like Yakult."

"I like it too!" Sukic said with a smile; "Once, I drank ten at most, and then Daddy found out, and he wouldn't let me drink too much."

Casemiro couldn't help but laugh, he blinked; "I've drunk 50 at most!"

"Wow~~ You're amazing!"

Sukic waved his hand with a chuckle: "Next time you treat me to Yakult, I'm off for now!"

Watching Sukic run upstairs, Casemiro felt his nervousness instantly dissipate.

What a good kid!

When he turned his head, he noticed the room had already quieted down.

Even more terrifying, the three big shots were all looking at him.

Suker: "You like drinking Yakult?"

Casemiro nodded stiffly.

"Drink less, you drink too much."

Casemiro nodded again.

Suker smiled: "Of course, this is just my suggestion. If you want to maintain your professional career, don't learn those bad things. Striving to stay in shape is what a professional player should do."

Casemiro didn't know how he left Suker's house.

He was too nervous the whole time.

Suker could speak Portuguese, but they wouldn't accommodate him by switching languages.

This meant Casemiro would have to learn Spanish himself.

And that was one of his goals.

"How do you feel?"

As they walked out of Suker's villa, Kaka patted Casemiro's shoulder and asked with a smile.

Facing Kaka, he was slightly more relaxed.

"Too nervous, I don't even know what I said." Casemiro said with some worry; "I didn't say anything wrong, did I?"

Kaka smiled: "No! You left a very good impression on Suker!"

Based on his understanding of Suker, Kaka knew very well that Suker preferred honest and sincere people like Casemiro over glib types like Pato.

Although Casemiro stumbled through the entire conversation and didn't get to the point, Suker remained very patient in speaking with him.

If it had been Pato, Suker would have kicked him out by the backside long ago.

"You've had a good start. Do well in the future. Tomorrow is the first day of training." Kaka smiled; "Good luck!"

Casemiro also nodded vigorously.

Joining Real Madrid was like stepping onto a ladder to heaven.

He knew what kind of effort he had to put in to not disappoint those who had expectations of him.

The next day, Real Madrid's first day of training.

Conflicts began to show from the very first day.

From the moment Casillas entered the training ground, he had zero communication with Mourinho.

Even when Mourinho spoke, Casillas acted as if he didn't hear him.

Alonso's departure had ignited Casillas's 'fighting spirit'.

The conflicts accumulated over two seasons were finally beginning to slowly erupt.

Mourinho also sensed Casillas's attitude, but he wouldn't force the issue. Instead, he approached Ramos, the second captain, to give instructions.

This made things difficult for Ramos, caught in the middle.

Should he follow Casillas's lead and give Mourinho the cold shoulder?

Or maintain normal communication?

Ultimately, it turned into Mourinho giving instructions, Ramos listening, but the latter not saying a single word.

My silence means there's no substantial communication between us.

Srna, Kaka, and others also witnessed this scene.

Or rather, from the very first training session, the atmosphere was somewhat oppressive.

Especially when Casillas and Mourinho were in the same space, it was even more so.

It was fine for the veteran players, but for the newly joined players or substitutes, they felt somewhat suffocated by this atmosphere.

"It feels like the conflict is about to erupt!"

"They've already started ignoring each other; one more incident and it might fully explode!"

Srna and Kaka whispered to each other.

They could feel that both Casillas and Mourinho were trying their best to endure.

But this endurance had reached its limit.

Any point of conflict would inevitably lead to a full-blown confrontation.

"Why are you bothering with this? Train well!" Suker said casually.

He seemed unfazed, or rather, he had already anticipated this scene.

Lack of communication was just the beginning.

Greater problems would erupt in the future.

But Suker was indulging this conflict to fester, as it was the only way to get rid of Mourinho.

"Ugh~~~~~"

The three jumped in surprise, turning their heads in unison to look.

They found Casemiro sprawled by the side of the field, clutching a bucket, vomiting frantically.

Seeing the oxygen-limiting mask on him, they knew what had happened.

Pintus had made his move.

Although Casemiro's physical fitness was excellent, the first time facing an oxygen-limiting mask always resulted in this situation.

"Ugh~~~~~"

Another one!

The three immediately distanced themselves.

Toni Kroos scrambled over, grabbing a bucket, and vomited alongside Casemiro.

"As expected of the 'Ceremony Midfielder,' even his vomiting is in sync!" Suker said, amused.

At this moment, Pintus walked over. Don't let the old man's short stature fool you; his aura was two meters tall.

He stood with his hands on his hips, his expression stern.

"Kroos, your extreme exercise performance is too poor, and your stamina isn't enough. How do you usually train your fitness? This is far from meeting our standards."

After speaking, he turned to look at Casemiro.

"And you, you're too fat. Your goal for the next week, in addition to endurance training, is weight loss. If you don't reach the target weight, I will request individual extra training for you."

At this point, Pintus's eyes lit up as he looked at Casemiro.

Having finally caught a promising defensive core, he was in high spirits.

"You can look forward to it!"