Football: Messi, I am your wallbreaker!

Chapter 28 Here's a cigarette for you!

Simone picked up a printed list.

"Now, I announce the starting lineup for tomorrow."

The tactical room fell silent instantly, and everyone straightened their backs.

"Goalkeeper Thibo."

Courtois lowered his long legs, which were draped over the back of the chair, and nodded.

"The defense consists of Juanfran, Godin, Miranda, and Filipe."

The four defenders responded in unison.

"Midfield"

Simone paused for a moment, his gaze passing over the front row and landing directly on Li Jing.

"Gabi, Li Jing. You two will continue to partner as the two defensive midfielders."

After these words were spoken, a very brief silence fell over the room.

As everyone knows, the club's management is facing immense pressure from sponsors withdrawing their funding due to Li Jing's "medical suspension" incident during a friendly match.

There are overwhelming calls outside for Li Jing to be banned.

But Simeone withstood all the pressure and still included Li Jing in the starting lineup!

Gabi turned his head and grinned at Li Jing.

Simone stared at Li Jing, his voice booming:

"Li! You're starting again tomorrow!"

"Whatever the reporters say about you, whatever pressure the club management puts on you, that's all my business!"

Simone pointed to the tactics board:

"You're on the field, so hold the defense tight! Understand?"

Li Jing put down the electrolyte water bottle in his hand.

"no problem."

Li Jing's voice was calm and composed, without the slightest fluctuation.

However, it must be said that Li Jing knew what this meant.

This was a unique support and trust; Simone helped him withstand the pressure.

Even before today, Li Jing had prepared himself to be a substitute.

It's understandable that he was allowed to play in the second half to avoid public pressure.

But Simeone is still starting him!

"The forward line remains Falcao and Diego."

Simone threw the list on the table.

Diego sat down beside him, his expression softening slightly.

He was benched in the second half of the last friendly match, but this time he has finally returned to the starting lineup.

Simeone picked up his pen and tapped the whiteboard heavily on the left side of the midfield with the tip.

"Borja Valero, Villarreal's midfield maestro."

Simone looked at Gabi:

"This guy really likes to get the ball in the flanks and disrupt ground penetration."

Gabi, your mission is to close out and choke him! Cut off his connection with strikers Nilmar and Rossi!

Gabi patted his chest.

"As soon as he gets the ball, I'll stick to him and not give him any room to turn. If he dares to force a turn, I'll let him taste the Calderon pitch."

Simone nodded in satisfaction and turned to look at Li Jing.

He drew a huge fan-shaped area at the front of the defensive line with a red pen.

"Lee, your task is to cover the area behind Gabi."

Simone emphasized:

"Villarreal's full-backs overlap extremely quickly. Once our flanks are beaten, you have to be there in two seconds to cover the edge of the penalty area!"

Simone drew a heavy cross on the whiteboard.

"Clear the ball out of play! Absolutely no space for them to pass it back in a triangular fashion! Can you do that?"

Li Jing stared directly at Simeone.

"clear."

Li Jing gave a very clear response: "If it's a ground infiltration, I'll directly cut off the route with my body and trap the person outside."

"What if it's a high ball?"

Simone asked.

"I blocked the first landing point."

Li Jing answered without hesitation.

"Leave the second landing point to Godin to clean up."

Godin gave a thumbs up from the side: "No problem, just mess up the first point, and I'll take care of the rest."

Li Jing's heading defense is now at a professional level, but he still has 55000 hours of special training left. Li Jing is confident that even against a team like Villarreal, which is not known for its absolute aerial bombardment, he will be more than capable of controlling the first ball.

Tactical arrangements are complete.

Simone closed the folder.

"Alright, that's the strategy. Go back and get some rest. We'll see what happens tomorrow night."

Gabby closed his notebook and prepared to get up.

Falcao also stood up, dusted off his pants, and prepared to go to the locker room to change into his training clothes.

Just then, Simone suddenly thought of something.

"No one is allowed to leave. Sit down."

Simone suddenly raised his hand and pressed it down.

The few people who had just stood up looked at each other and then obediently sat back down.

Simone reached into the inside pocket of his suit and pulled out a slightly deformed cigarette case.

It was a golden box.

Furongwang!

This was brought to him by a Chinese friend. Simone said it was good stuff the first time he took a puff!

And almost every year, we manage to get several of them through various means!

Simone skillfully knocked out a cigarette and put it in his mouth.

Then, he pulled out a silver metal windproof lighter.

I twirled the Zippo lighter in my hand.

A crisp "click" sounded.

Flames leaped up, illuminating Simone's angular face.

He brought the flame closer and took a deep breath.

Then, Simone slowly exhaled a thick smoke ring.

The bluish-gray smoke swirled and spread within the projector beam, instantly filling the entire tactical room with the smell of tobacco.

"Nothing feels more epic than smoking a cigarette before a big battle."

Simeone, with a cigarette between his fingers, pointed to several players below who were unconsciously swallowing.

Gabi, in particular, was completely mesmerized.

"But you bunch of bastards."

Simeone laughed arrogantly, "I'll have to wait until I retire to try!"

Gabby sighed in disappointment: "Coach, you're committing a crime."

Simone ignored Gabi's complaints.

He held a cigarette between his fingers, his gaze sweeping across the entire room.

"From this moment forward, every match is war!"

Simone roared, "I want each and every one of you to leave behind a pre-battle declaration! Let out all the fire in your hearts!"

He pointed to the first row.

"Gabbie, you go first!"

Gabby was taken aback when he was suddenly called out.

But he quickly realized what was happening and stood up abruptly.

As the captain of Atlético Madrid, he absolutely cannot back down when it comes to stirring up emotions.

Gabi took a deep breath, and the veins on his neck bulged.

"I'd chew up their midfield and spit it onto the grass!"

Gabi roared, his voice echoing through the tactics room.

After yelling, Gabby scratched his head and muttered to himself:

"Damn, this feels a bit awkward."

Even if he's a seasoned anime fan who enjoys watching anime, it still takes a lot of shame to shout out such cringeworthy lines in public.

Simeone doesn't care about awkwardness at all; what he wants is this emotional release.

"Falcao, your turn!"

Simone, with a cigarette between his fingers, pointed at Falcao.

Falcao stood up.

"But I'm not that kind of short-tempered person..."

Falcao's tone was extremely calm, even somewhat scholarly.

But the second half of his sentence revealed a strange sense of contrast.

"But I will punish them in the penalty area."

Miranda, sitting next to her, shivered and quietly moved her chair to the side.

The most terrifying are those who appear gentle and mild-mannered on the court but then become ferocious beasts, capable of knocking defenders flying once on the field.

Simone exhaled a puff of smoke, his gaze sweeping over the crowd and landing on the last row.

"Tibor!"

When the coach called his name, Courtois seemed nonchalant, as if he had been ready all along!

"I'll make their shots look like my grandma's passing the ball!"

Courtois casually remarked.

Gabi turned around without hesitation and kicked Courtois hard in the leg of his chair.

"Big guy!"

Gabby cursed,

"Don't concede a goal during the game. Afterwards, make sure your girls wear Villarreal jerseys and vent their anger on you when they get back to their rooms!"

A burst of laughter erupted in the tactics room.

This playful banter instantly eased the tension caused by the tight schedule.

After one round.

Finally, all eyes in the tactics room turned to Li Jing, who was sitting in the middle and had remained silent.

The air grew quiet.

Everyone is looking forward to it.

What shocking things will this troublemaker, who just ruined the entire Real Madrid team, was criticized by the entire internet, and even had his own fans protesting on forums, say?

Li Jing leaned back in his chair.

He did not stand up immediately.

Li Jing picked up the bottle of electrolyte water on the table and, as if playing with a cigarette, calmly twirled it twice in his hand.

"The media and fans all over Spain are criticizing me now."

Li Jing looked at the whiteboard in front of him, his voice not loud, but it reached everyone's ears with extreme clarity.

"They're all waiting to see me fail in the second half of the season. They're waiting to see Atletico Madrid fail."

Li Jing stood up and walked to the projection screen.

He stretched out his hand and pointed to the densely packed schedule.

His tone suddenly became highly inflammatory.

The ancient Roman tyrant Caligula once said, "Oderint dum metuant."

Li Jing turned his head, his gaze sweeping over Gabi, Falcao, Courtois, and finally looking directly into Simone's eyes.

"It means: Let them hate me, as long as they fear me!"

The tactical room became so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

Li Jing slammed the electrolyte solution in his hand onto the tactical table.

"Since we're already the villains..."

Li Jing's voice had an extremely strong penetrating power:

"Then let's drag all these self-important teams into the mud and drown them."

"Let them shut up in fear."

There was a two-second silence.

Gabby slapped his thigh and couldn't help but swear.

Holy crap!

Gabi stared wide-eyed at Li Jing:

"You're really putting on a show of being cultured!"

An extremely enthusiastic reaction erupted in the tactics room.

But Simone did not laugh.

His eyes were frighteningly bright as he stared intently at Li Jing.

Simone suddenly stepped forward.

He took another Marlboro from his cigarette case.

To everyone's astonishment.

Simone shoved the cigarette directly into Li Jing's mouth.

Then, Simone took the silver Zippo lighter.

A "click" sound.

Flames shot up.

Simone personally lit the cigarette in Li Jing's mouth!

The head coach made an exception and allowed the players to light cigarettes!

This action pushed Li Jing's previous show-off to an absolute climax!

Li Jing subconsciously took a breath.

The pungent smell of inferior tobacco instantly assaults the trachea.

"Cough—cough cough!"

Li Jing choked and coughed violently, tears welling up in her eyes.

The tactics room erupted in chaos.

Gabby jumped up from his chair, yelling, "Holy crap! That's so arrogant! Coach, you're leading the way in breaking team rules!"

Courtois, sitting in the back row, furiously pounded the table, shouting, "Coach, you're being unfair! You clearly said only those who have retired can smoke! Why can he?!"

Miranda and Juanfran also joined in the commotion.

Simone, with a cigarette between his fingers, looked at Li Jing, who was coughing, then threw his head back and burst into laughter.

The entire tactics room was filled with an extremely excited and fanatical fighting spirit.

tomorrow.

Calderón Stadium.

This pack of mad dogs, now completely enraged, will bare their sharpest fangs at the entire La Liga!

……