Chapter 502: Worry
In the new season, Real Madrid consecutively won two cup championships, and their performance in the league and Champions League seemed smooth. It appeared to be flourishing, but in reality, there were unstable undercurrents.
First and foremost was the contract renewal issue with Sneijder and Robben. Both of them, now 26 years old, had been with Real Madrid for three years and were seeking a substantial contract extension for security.
However, Florentino had different calculations. Robben's injury last season made the higher-ups uneasy, and the salary demands they put forward were too high, resulting in a deadlock in negotiations.
The stagnation in contract renewal naturally affected the players' morale, and Wang Feng didn't have a good solution to this. He could only comfort them more often, inviting them to dinner and chatting to ease their mood.
Another issue was Wang Feng himself. He always felt awkward in Benitez's tactical system, lacking sufficient space and freedom to play.
From his debut to the present, whether under Genk, Inter Milan, or the Schuster era at Real Madrid, Wang Feng had a unique tactical position, being very flexible and versatile on the field.
However, the Spanish coach was too fixated on tactics themselves, almost completely restricting Wang Feng. His flexible movements and sudden flashes of insight couldn't be utilized effectively.
Last season, the Chinese superstar wanted to have a good chat with Benitez, but he simply didn't understand or listen. Although he admired Wang Feng, he believed that on the field, strategies should be entirely determined by himself.
In the end, Wang Feng felt quite helpless, and for the first time, he harbored dissatisfaction with the head coach. Perhaps Benitez was very capable, but he wasn't suitable for himself nor for Real Madrid at this time.
On September 18th, in the third round of La Liga, the Galacticos challenged Real Sociedad at the Anoeta Stadium.
Due to Iguaín's minor injury sustained in the Ajax match, Benitez chose to let 18-year-old talent Morata replace him.
This Spanish forward was discovered two years ago from the He?rcules youth team and had since represented Real Madrid youth teams and the C team, performing very well.
So this summer, Benitez appointed him to accompany the team to China for training and gave him a chance to play in the friendly matches. Being able to replace Iguaín in the starting lineup proved that the head coach had high hopes for him.
Real Sociedad had experienced three turbulent years in the Segunda División before finally returning to the top flight. However, due to a lack of attacking power, although they won the Segunda División championship last season, they only scored 53 goals in 42 matches.
In the summer, they meticulously brought back experienced strikers Támudo and Loren, who had been in La Liga for many years, in order to improve their attacking capabilities within their limited budget. However, their efforts couldn't crack the Galacticos' defense.
"The attack by Real Sociedad, Sutil passes to Mutuo, he tries to push forward forcefully, oh, it doesn't work, the ball is intercepted by Pepe."
"This method of relying on speed breakthroughs really doesn't suit a 33-year-old veteran. Real Madrid's counterattack, Pepe passes to Di María, the Argentine dribbles through the midfield, passes to Wang Feng!"
"He's speeding up, a beautiful combination of man and ball! The Chinese superstar catches up from being two steps behind in defense and enters the penalty area! He shoots! Goal!"
"In the 27th minute, the Galacticos broke the deadlock on the field. Real Madrid's number 10, Wang Feng, scored with his outstanding performance, showing Real Sociedad what speed attack means."
"To be honest, it's surprising that the home team managed to hold out until now without conceding. Real Madrid's performance in this match is not exciting enough. The situation was evenly matched at one point, and if it weren't for Real Sociedad's attacking issues, perhaps they could have scored first."
After breaking the deadlock, the Galacticos' spirits noticeably rose, and the players became more active in their running and fighting. The situation on the field gradually tilted towards the visiting team.
Seven minutes later, Wang Feng launched a powerful long-range shot from outside the penalty area, forcing Real Sociedad goalkeeper Bravo to fully extend his body, miraculously blocking the ball with his left foot and sending it out for a corner.
Real Madrid then had a corner kick opportunity, which Sneijder lofted into the goal. The Chinese superstar seized the opportunity, rising up to head the ball against the 6'2" Spanish defender Ansotegi, and the ball went into the net.
This time, Bravo couldn't create another miracle, and the ball brushed past him and into the goal.
"Wang! He scored his second goal of the match, a splendid header! It's like he's flying in the air, he's half a body taller than Ansotegi!"
"After breaking the deadlock, Real Madrid's play became smoother. It seems that the match is unfolding as many predicted before. It's no problem for the away team to take all three points."
After scoring, Wang Feng quickly ran to the sidelines to celebrate, with Sneijder following and tackling him: "Wow, you're taking off!"
Morata, Di María, and others also rushed over to celebrate, and even the Real Sociedad fans in the stands had to admit that this goal was very eye-catching. A player nearly two meters tall was easily suppressed like this. Why doesn't the Chinese superstar join the high jump competition?
With a two-goal lead, Real Madrid predictably slowed down their pace. They didn't have any grudges with Real Sociedad, on the contrary, they were quite friendly. They all bore the name of Real Madrid, so they were naturally on the same side.
Moreover, historically, many Real Madrid youth players had been loaned to Real Sociedad for training and improvement, so the relationship became even closer.
Although La Liga didn't have the clear factions like Serie A, both Real Madrid and Barcelona still had their own tendency teams. In the Galacticos' camp, there were He?rcules, Espanyol, Real Sociedad, Real Betis, Ma?laga, Real Valladolid, Granada, and Celta Vigo, among others.
In the Barcelona camp, there were Sevilla, Valencia, Levante, Villarreal, Atle?tico Madrid, Athletic Bilbao, Mallorca, Getafe, and Santander, among others.
It wasn't until the 87th minute that the Galacticos scored their third goal, assisted by Sneijder and scored by Di María, ultimately winning 3-0 against Real Sociedad.
It wasn't surprising that Real Madrid won, but it was shocking that Barcelona encountered a draw against a mid-table team like Zaragoza.
Kaká was substituted due to injury in the 53rd minute, which to some extent affected the team's overall morale.
But after the match, there was a bombshell news from within Barcelona: the Brazilian had actually concealed his injury from the club and forcibly participated in the World Cup in South Africa!
This incident angered all the top management, and some even threatened to ban him and hold him accountable for breach of contract.
Soon, there were rumors that Kaká's groin injury had not healed all along, and his left knee had also developed problems. He concealed this from the club and played in the World Cup without informing the team doctor.
Even if the facts were like this, it was enough to infuriate Barcelona. Knowing that the Brazilian forward was already injured, they still silently continued to send him out to play. After the World Cup, he didn't even contact the club doctor for treatment. How could there be such behavior?
Anyway, Kaká's days at Barcelona in the future might not be easy. Not only would he need to undergo major knee surgery, but he might also lose the trust of the club.
Visit freewe𝑏nove(l).𝐜𝐨𝗺 for the 𝑏est n𝘰vel reading experience