I Am Scouted by Real Madrid

”Our goal shouldn’t be solely focused on the championship.”

”I think defeating Barcelona is more important.”

”Listen to what he’s saying!” Pellegrini returned to his room, expressing his discontent to Francisco.

Real Madrid didn’t show an impressive performance in the friendly matches.

There were no big victories, nor were there heavy losses; most of them ended in draws.

Although the season hadn’t officially started, many media outlets had already begun to comment on the 300 million euro transfer fee in the summer window, the two Ballon d’Or winners, and Chen Zhong.

At this time, Pellegrini thought of Chen Zhong and invited him over to discuss tactical issues, hoping Chen Zhong could calm the players’ emotions.

During the discussion, Chen Zhong said something that Pellegrini couldn’t comprehend.

Chen Zhong said that while the championship is certainly important, for Real Madrid, being able to defeat Barcelona is more crucial than anything else.

Barcelona currently stands as a powerful force in the football world, and for Real Madrid, having spent 300 million euros, the team’s goal is naturally the championship.

But if they can’t win the championship yet defeat Barcelona in their encounter.

Then, everything is still negotiable.

Francisco, looking at the excited Pellegrini, didn’t know what to say. He actually believed that Chen Zhong’s views on tactics and priorities for the new season were quite accurate.

If an important Champions League quarterfinal match is upcoming, and if they can win it, they’ll enter the semifinals, but if the previous match is against Barcelona.

Then Real Madrid will definitely field the strongest players, even at the risk of being eliminated, just to deal with Barcelona first.

At this moment, Francisco started reminiscing about Schuster, and even Juan de Ramos.

They both valued matches against Barcelona and understood this Real Madrid team.

But Pellegrini doesn’t have such profound feelings.

He believes winning the league championship and advancing further in the Champions League are his priorities, and winning the Spanish King’s Cup would be the icing on the cake.

But in reality, he showed a lack of perspective.

The eager higher-ups, if they had to choose, would opt to thrash Barcelona in every competition because for Real Madrid.

The championship is their pursuit.

But as a club, to suppress Barcelona, occasionally giving up the pursuit that floods their trophy room isn’t detrimental.

And tactically, Pellegrini’s desire to use the 4222 formation doesn’t align with Real Madrid’s mainstream.

One must know that Real Madrid used to be a ”Ball Control” team, and many Real Madrid fans are also Spanish fans.

Although they still have a ”rivalry” with Barcelona, they unavoidably admire Barcelona’s tactics, believing such a Ball Control system should be reflected more in Real Madrid.

They must understand they have Chen!

Since the emergence of Tiki-Taka last season, Real Madrid fans and Barcelona fans have been debating.

If we talk about origin, it could be considered to originate from Cruyff’s tenure coaching the Barcelona team from 1988 to 1996, then developed by Dutch coaches Louis van Gaal and Rijkaard and used by other La Liga teams.

However, before Guardiola’s Tiki-Taka emerged, this tactic was just a notion or a form, only a concept.

Even the name was formally coined by Andres Montes, a Spanish television broadcaster, who shouted ”Tiki-Taka” during the 2006 World Cup.

At that time, Tiki-Taka wasn’t a complete tactical system but an onomatopoeia, signifying rapid passing on the pitch by players.

It’s like underlying basic code, a foundational idea of football.

Every coach has their own ”Tiki-Taka.”

Guardiola’s leadership in the Dream Team era organized and categorized ”Tiki-Taka” into a system, with his football philosophy being short passes, short passes, short passes, maintaining ball control with triangular short passes.

When Guardiola’s tactics emerged, some felt they had seen it before.

And when Guardiola led Barcelona to an unprecedented ”Triple Crown,” as everyone focused on Barcelona.

Barcelona’s midfielder Sergio Busquets, in a recent interview, revealed something that confirmed the fans’ speculation.

He faced the camera with a wry smile and said, ”He is a very strict person who hopes we obey his instructions on the field.”

”He is extremely obsessed with tactics.”

”I know what we’ve done this season is remarkable; we’ve achieved an incredible Triple Crown, but he always says I’m still not good enough.”

”Yes, that’s what he says.”

”And I’ve also seen his standard, he is a kid under 18.”

”He is Chen; the coach always asks me to watch his videos. He is strong, and his positioning is precise. I’ve always thought I wasn’t so bad, but upon seeing his progress in Milan, I realized that if he reaches my age, maybe I really won’t measure up to him.”