The All-Around Center Forward

After the second conflict, Mourinho and Casillas both reined themselves in.

Perhaps they truly felt that continuing to fight would disrupt the overall balance, so despite their inner frustrations, they maintained restraint.

There was no overt struggle, but they also ignored each other.

Real Madrid had scheduled a total of three warm-up matches.

After playing the warm-up match against Paris Saint-Germain, they immediately rushed to Germany for their second warm-up match against Bayer Leverkusen.

This warm-up match was relatively more intense; Bayer Leverkusen had performed very well in recent seasons.

Especially with the excellent performance of Schürrle, they were always able to play some exciting matches.

However, the gap in their lineups could not be ignored.

Despite Bayer Leverkusen playing very well, they still lost 2:1 to Real Madrid.

But no one cared about the score, as it was just a warm-up match, and the goal was not victory, but to find and solve problems.

In the second warm-up match, the players' performances were much more stable.

Especially Casemiro and Kroos.

These two played almost the entire warm-up match.

From their performance alone, it couldn't be said to be particularly outstanding.

But the improvement was very obvious.

Especially Kroos, he was more sensitive to tactics, and he was also willing to observe his teammates' runs; although he had not yet fully transitioned from the Bayern Munich system to the Real Madrid system, it was already showing initial results.

Compared to these players, what truly surprised Mourinho was Bale's change.

Bale's attacking power on the right side became even more rapid.

Previously, Bale mostly served as a key player when Suker was restricted, acting as a release valve.

He had a certain tactical position, but it wasn't particularly high!

The right wing was not primarily Bale's main attacking line, but rather a Bale + Srna overlap tactic.

But in this match, Bale on the right wing repeatedly beat the opposing full-back one-on-one, constantly delivering dangerous crosses for Real Madrid.

If not for some imprecision in his crossing technique, Real Madrid's goals would have doubled.

Because of this change, Mourinho allowed Bale to attempt more attacks in the third warm-up match, giving the right wing more attacking opportunities.

And in the third warm-up match against Sporting Portugal, Bale truly showed what it meant to be the 'Great Sage Returns'.

That kind of unreasonable, powerful dribbling down the wing completely overwhelmed Sporting Portugal's full-back.

And with Bale's speed, Real Madrid's counter-attacks also reached a new level.

Bale is very fast!

Benzema couldn't quite keep up.

But Suker could keep up!

That was enough!

Moreover, Bale seemed to have had an epiphany, giving up the shooting he had previously insisted on, constantly trying to pass, through-ball, and assist towards the center or Suker!

Suker became more of a pure striker, solely focused on positioning!

On one hand, he attracted a lot of the opponent's attention, and on the other hand, he only needed to make the final shot.

This made the opponent's defense even harder to maintain.

They had to invest a lot of defensive resources in Suker.

But Suker didn't break through; he was only tying them up.

Meanwhile, on the other side, Bale sprinted wildly.

Bale broke through, nearing the goal; would they defend or not?

They would!

Then, Suker could gain a brief moment of freedom.

And in that brief moment of freedom, Suker was fully capable of completing a shot.

In this match, Suker only had seven touches.

Sporting Portugal indeed limited Suker's possession time.

But with seven touches, Suker had three goals!

This was absolutely insane!

They did limit Suker, but they failed to limit Suker's goals.

The last warm-up match concluded.

Bale propped himself up on his knees and couldn't help but let out a breath.

He could feel the wary glances from the Sporting Portugal players around him.

This was something he had earned in this match through repeated breakthroughs.

For Bale, this was the greatest gain!

"Well played!"

Suker patted Bale's shoulder, giving him a thumbs up.

In this match, Suker played very easily.

There was none of that previous feeling where Suker had to exert himself to create an attack or push forward.

Aside from Suker's left wing, with Bale exerting himself on the right wing, Suker's workload was significantly reduced.

The workload became smaller!

But the goal efficiency remained the same!

This was something to be very happy about!

Bale held up three fingers and smiled, "Three assists for that boiled meat slice!"

"That's called hot pot!"

Suker chuckled wryly.

He felt that Bale had also become more cheerful.

Slap!

Suker patted Bale's shoulder hard: "Let's go! We'll have hot pot when we get back!"

Bale showed a happy smile.

Bale was happy.

But not far away, Benzema's gaze was resentful.

He had no assists, no goals in this match.

But Bale had three assists, and all of them were for Suker.

He wasn't sure why Bale's playing style had suddenly changed.

He no longer insisted on scoring like before, but rather played a style focused on the final pass.

Benzema felt that Real Madrid had another major sycophant!

The three warm-up matches concluded.

Real Madrid was also preparing to return to Spain.

Next, they had to prepare for the Spanish Super Cup a week later.

As usual, they would face last season's Copa del Rey champions, Barcelona, in this cup match!

Guardiola had left, going to coach Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga.

Barcelona's current Head Coach was Guardiola's former assistant, Tito Vilanova.

It wasn't clear what Barcelona was thinking.

But from the trajectory of the original timeline, this Head Coach was just a transitional one, until Enrique took over Barcelona's reins, and Barcelona only then reopened the MSN era!

This current Barcelona team's combat power was bound to be diminished.

Guardiola's departure was like losing their backbone; the mental impact was huge.

At the same time, Barcelona's aging squad also began to gradually emerge.

Most crucially, Xavi's form began to decline!

Xavi was Barcelona's foundation.

Messi was the actor dancing on the stage.

And Xavi provided that stage for Messi!

Thus, one could see Xavi's importance!

And Xavi's decline in form was a huge blow to the entire Barcelona.

Of course, Real Madrid was not in a much better situation.

If Barcelona's decline was a gradual process.

Then Real Madrid, under its current internal conflicts, had an incredibly fragile foundation for its crown.

And once that foundation dissipated, they would plummet.

For this reason, the current Real Madrid was treading on thin ice, like a palace on a mountaintop, swaying left and right in the howling wind, always in danger of collapsing.

The next day, the entire Real Madrid team set off to return to Spain.

The entire warm-up period went very smoothly.

Despite some unexpected incidents during the warm-up matches, they were completed successfully.

As soon as Suker returned, Zorancic told him a not-so-good piece of news.

Sukic's parents had been called!

"The football school hopes you can go there!"

Zorancic sighed.

Suker was puzzled: "Did he cause trouble?"

Suker put down his bag and turned to look; Sukic, the little guy, was about to run upstairs.

"Stop!"

Suker said, and Sukic immediately stopped obediently, lowering his head, as if waiting to be lectured.

Zorancic sighed; "Fighting!"

Suker blinked: "Fighting during a match?"

It's a match!

Conflicts are bound to happen; Suker had experienced these before, so he wouldn't have any harsh thoughts.

This is a very natural occurrence; both sides want to win, so actions become a bit bigger, and annoyance sets in – that's very normal.

Zorancic shook his head.

Suker frowned; "Bullying someone?"

With that, Suker turned to look.

"I didn't!" Sukic said loudly; "I won't bully the weak!"

Suker raised an eyebrow: "So?"

Sukic mumbled softly; "I just had a fight!"

Suker walked over and pressed Sukic's shoulder; the latter immediately shrank his head, thinking Suker was going to hit him.

But Suker didn't hit him; instead, he took off Sukic's shirt and carefully inspected him.

There were no bruises, no injuries whatsoever.

None on his face, none on his body.

Suker was puzzled.

"Are you guys famous for fighting like this? Do you fight with your mouths?"

Zorancic, who was standing nearby, didn't know whether to laugh or cry: "What do you mean 'fighting'! They beat someone up!"

"Beat someone up? They?" Suker was even more puzzled.

Just then, there was a knock at the door.

Zorancic opened the door to see Kaka and Marcelo walk in, one after another.

They were both holding their sons' hands.

The three little guys stood in a row, not daring to lift their heads.

After Kaka and Marcelo explained, Suker finally understood.

This was not a fight at all!

It was a one-sided beating!

The three little guys together beat up a 7-year-old child.

Marcelo's eldest son, Enzo, was clearly being scolded and was crying.

Kaka's son, Luca, on the other hand, appeared calmer.

He whispered to Sukic, "You said it's fine!"

Sukic turned his head and whispered, "It's fine! At worst, we'll get a beating!"

With that, the little guy spoke again, "But do you regret beating that jerk?"

Luca shook his head, "No regrets! I couldn't stand him either!"

"Luca!"

Kaka said sternly.

Luca trembled in fear and dared not speak.

Sukic raised his hand, "I have something to say!"

"Nobody asked you! Keep it to yourself!" Suker said coldly.

Sukic, "Okay!"

Suker and the other two summoned fathers looked at Zorancic again.

Zorancic explained everything in detail.

It turned out that the three little guys got into a fight with a 7-year-old football school student today—or rather, it wasn't even a fight; these three little guys had a clear plan.

From the surveillance footage, it could be seen that the three had already ambushed the spot, waiting for the other party to approach, then they rushed over, knocked him down, and then kicked him relentlessly.

Zorancic said helplessly, "Actually, it's not entirely their fault. I also investigated that student; he used his height advantage over his peers to bully other students at the football school."

Suker nodded and asked, "What is the other party's background?"

Zorancic, "Just an ordinary student, but this incident was too unexpected for the football school!"

Three little devils, barely four years old, actually understood how to ambush and sneak attack.

Most importantly, they not only planned it but also executed it very well.

This made the administrators of the football school feel their scalps tingle.

Moreover, the identities of these three were special, so they couldn't directly scold or punish them; they could only seek communication with the parents.

"Let's go tomorrow. If they broke something, we'll pay for it." Suker turned his head, "You three go apologize to him!"

The three little ones immediately nodded.

Sukic was particularly enthusiastic.

Luca, on the other hand, looked aggrieved and said, "Do we still have to apologize~~"

"Idiot!" Sukic whispered, "An apology is already good, and haven't you noticed?"

"What?" Luca turned his head.

Sukic blinked, "Dad didn't say we did anything wrong!"

Upon hearing this, Luca was surprised.

That's right!

It seemed his father hadn't said they did anything wrong either.

If someone got hurt, an apology and compensation were appropriate.

But that didn't mean he was wrong!

If that jerk acted up again, they'd beat him again next time!

Suker waved his hand, signaling the three to go out and play.

After the three little guys left, Suker couldn't help but burst out laughing.

Kaka and Marcelo, who were beside him, had also been holding it in for a while and finally couldn't anymore.

Kaka said with a smile, "This reminds me of the past!"

Marcelo turned his head, "You got beaten too?"

Kaka was surprised, "I was the one doing the beating!"

None of them thought it was a big deal.

In groups like football schools and youth academies, which are full of intense physical confrontation, fighting is as common as eating and drinking.

It's impossible to expect these kids, who spend all day soaked in sweat, to be obedient.

In normal schools, fighting is also very common, let alone in youth training.

If these three little devils had used their identities to actively bully or oppress others, they would have been disciplined severely.

But if it wasn't like that, then there was no problem.

At the very least, Suker and the others believed that the starting point was correct!

Especially Suker; he wasn't the type to avoid trouble.

That kid was bullying others, so Sukic and the others beating him was just his bad luck.

As for ambushing and sneak attacking, Suker didn't think much of it either.

After all, when he was five, he already led his buddies from the orphanage to fight with the kids from the neighboring refugee camp.

Compared to Suker's experiences, these were minor.

Secondly, they did indeed hurt the other party, so Suker would apologize and have Sukic apologize.

But it was only for the act of hitting.

As for the overall incident, as Sukic stated, Suker and the others didn't feel they were wrong at all, so they didn't specifically discipline them.

The next day, Suker and the others brought their children to the football school.

The football school is not far from the Real Madrid training base. Its overall scale is not large, and it's where children receive basic training before entering the youth teams.

It's considered an introductory education.

The Spanish football system is still very complete.

Especially for a giant club like Real Madrid, the promotion channels from football school to youth academy to the B team and then the first team are open and transparent.

When Suker and the others arrived, they completed a series of compensation and apology procedures under the guidance of the football school's supervisor.

The entire process was very quick; they also knew that Suker and the others' time was precious, especially with the Spanish Super Cup coming up soon.

However, after these procedures were completed, the supervisor still led Suker, Kaka, and Marcelo to the office.

The football school supervisor said bitterly, "The main reason for calling the three of you here this time is for other matters."

Suker and the others were stunned.

There are other matters?

"Fighting is very common in football schools and youth academies; we wouldn't call the three of you here for such a minor issue!"

At this point, the supervisor sighed, "Actually, this incident is not as simple as the three of you understand!"

Under the bewildered gazes of the three, the supervisor explained in detail.

Real Madrid's football school is divided into four stages.

A, B, C, D different groups correspond to different age groups, and some exceptionally talented children can also enter the next youth team early.

And all of these are evaluated and judged by the coaches.

Sukic and the others are currently in the D youth team, which is the youngest age group.

The problem arose here.

"The coaches of the D youth team reported that all promotions in the past year have occurred within Sukic's group, and others who were excluded found it difficult to get promotion opportunities."

"Sukic's group?" Suker asked, puzzled, "What group does he have?"

The supervisor looked at Suker. He felt that Suker didn't seem to know his son very well.

"Since Sukic entered the football school, he has shown excellent passing and receiving talent and a great sense of the game, quickly becoming the starting midfielder for the D youth team. Luca, Enzo, and others also have great talent, and they quickly gained control of the ball on the field."

The supervisor sighed, "But the problem lies here: they control the passing, and they are the most outstanding young players in the D youth team. They are very willing to pass or assist to players they have a good relationship with, but if they don't have a good relationship, they won't pass the ball!"

"That seven-year-old child is named Les, and he has a six-year-old brother named Pereira, who is still playing in the D youth team this year!"

Kaka, "Not playing well?"

"It's not that he's not playing well," the supervisor sighed. "He can still meet the requirements for the C youth team, and he's old enough, but… he doesn't have a good relationship with Sukic and them, so…"

Suker immediately understood.

"Nobody passes him the ball!"

The supervisor nodded, looking at Suker with a helpless expression.

Suker also sighed slightly.

Isn't this just forming cliques!

If the relationship is good, they pass; if it's not, they don't!

The key is that Sukic and the others' identities are too special; the coaches want to discipline them, but they also need to consider the feelings of Suker and the others.

Plus, these three little devils seem completely unyielding; they get disciplined once, then forget it the next day and go back to their old ways!

They also didn't dare to do anything to Sukic and the others!

Could they kick them out or something?

In the end, they could only call the parents.

That meant, we can't handle it, you guys have to!

Suker and the others exchanged glances.

These three rascals are actually pulling this stunt!

Suker was even more infuriated.

Damn it, your old man became a ball bully in his twenties, and this little devil wants to be a ball bully at four?

"What do you think?"

The supervisor looked at Suker.

Suker took a deep breath, immediately stood up, pushed open the office door, and pulled Sukic, who was standing at the entrance, inside.

The little guy was still bewildered.

Suker then pulled down Sukic's pants and laid him across his knee.

Smack!!

A loud slap landed on his bottom.

Ow!!!!!—

Sukic cried out in pain.

But Suker didn't stop, continuously swinging his palm.

Kaka and the others, seeing this scene, followed suit and pulled their own sons in to give them a beating.

For a moment, wails filled the office.

The supervisor, on the other hand, stood up, distressed, and kept trying to persuade them.

Don't break them!

Although they were somewhat disobedient, their talent was undeniable!

They still had to rely on these three little guys for the match against Barcelona's football school in a week.