Chapter 198: Chapter 197 Defects of Ripening Products
The most crucial point was that Maxa never interfered with Coach Matrazzi’s tactical arrangements; even when Matrazzi allowed him to speak, he would always say with a smile, "I think your arrangements are already fantastic, and there are even some aspects that I can’t quite understand."
This earned Maxa Matrazzi’s friendship.
Could it be that Maxa, the future star of the Portugal coaching industry who had led the Portugal U15 team to a double championship and was heavily relied upon by the former head coach Augustus, did not understand tactics?
That was absolutely impossible!
But he was content to serve under Matrazzi without the slightest desire to fight for fame or profit.
Not seeking fame or fishing for compliments, that is a true master!
Therefore, Matrazzi would discuss many things with Maxa, and occasionally Maxa would give him a few suggestions.
For instance, Matrazzi really wanted to bring Quaresma on board.
There was no doubt about Quaresma’s individual skills, but his tactical execution was weaker, and he tended to hold onto the ball a bit too much. Moreover, under high pressure from opponents, Quaresma’s performance would plummet dramatically.
This was a flaw in the prematurely developed products of the Portuguese league.
The reason both Augustus and Matrazzi had not-so-great records was significantly because Quaresma severely dragged down the team’s attacking efficiency, and his frequent loss of possession also put the team into defensive crises.
Replacing him with a right winger who wasn’t as good as Quaresma would definitely improve the team’s results.
Matrazzi, who had coached a strong team in the world’s number one league, had long seen through the true worth of Quaresma.
He might really be a genius, but he was too young and had not received enough training.
Under the heavy burden of fame, it was actually hard to live up to expectations.
Matrazzi’s statement that Trigella was very good at developing players, which seemed like praise on the surface, actually implied criticism, suggesting that Quaresma, like Deng Kai and Ronaldo and other Trigella-developed players, was overrated.
But Maxa reminded Matrazzi.
"The team needs Quaresma to have good stats, to make him a superstar," Maxa said.
"But I don’t have to answer for Quaresma’s transfer value, I just need to answer for the team’s performance, otherwise I will be the one getting fired," Matrazzi didn’t understand Maxa’s words.
Maxa laughed and said, "No, Matrazzi, you and Augustus are different."
What Maxa meant was that Matrazzi understood tactics better and could find ways to compensate for Quaresma’s shortcomings with tactics.
Whereas Augustus’s old-fashioned tactics were outdated and even needed Maxa’s tactical cultivation, obviously, they were not the same.
But Matrazzi misunderstood, saying, "You mean, someone like Augustus who lacks resources and is a nobody, of course, can only rely on the team."
"But I’m different, a head coach like me who has good resources, even if I lead a team to win the championship in the Portuguese league, it won’t be recognized by the mainstream clubs."
"Yet if I have a knack for developing and using rising stars, then it’s very likely I could return to a top club. AC Milan’s Shevchenko, Inter Milan’s Ronaldo, Barcelona’s Simon and Xavi, Real Madrid’s Raul and Guti and Casillas, they’re all not that old."
"All the major clubs are looking for a coach who can manage these young superstars!"
"I understand now!"
"Thank you, Maxa! You have shown me the way forward!"
Matrazzi was extremely grateful.
Maxa was completely baffled.
What he meant was, Matrazzi, you have a bigger "Face Value" than Augustus, and since you took over midway, the team surely wouldn’t fire you for a poor half-season record.
When Quaresma leaves in the summer, won’t you be able to properly build the Sporting Lisbon that you want?
How did we get to the point of returning to a top club?
...
February 24th.
In the 19th round of the Portuguese Primeira Liga, Moreirense faced off against Gandoma.
Perhaps some remember this team, Gandoma’s head coach is none other than Augustus, who was dismissed by Sporting Lisbon during the winter break.
Augustus and Trigella had multiple disputes over the position of head coach at Sporting Lisbon, leading to Trigella’s failure in the competition and his relegation to the youth squad.
The media dug up all these stories.
Before the game, Augustus commented, "Ronaldo and Deng Kai were indeed excellent during their youth days, but it’s a bit premature to praise them after they’ve entered the professional field."
"The same goes for Trigella; he’s an excellent youth coach, but not necessarily a top head coach. Apart from Maxa, it’s rare for a youth coach to make this transition because the focal points to consider are completely different."
Augustus voiced his negations, and he was also qualified to make such claims.
But the Record Report unearthed even more explosive information.
It was revealed that their competition involved not just the head coach position, but also the inheritance of the "coaching lineage."
Record Report: "As is widely known, Augustus particularly values his assistant, Maxa, who, as a rising star in the Portuguese coaching community, has gained widespread renown."
"Reportedly, top-tier Portuguese teams have extended invitations to Maxa, all of which he has declined."
"Some believe that Maxa is waiting for the head coach position at Sporting Lisbon, while others think that the head coach roles at Porto and Benfica could also lure Maxa."
"Others speculate that Maxa might want to start his coaching career at the national team level; if Portugal doesn’t get satisfactory results in this European Championship, Maxa might very well take up the national team’s coaching baton and begin the first Chapter of his legendary career!"
"Matrazzi, the head coach of Sporting Lisbon’s first team, also holds Maxa in high regard."
"However, Maxa was in fact first brought into prominence by Trigella; one could say he is Trigella’s acknowledged disciple."
"But Augustus considers himself Maxa’s mentor."
"Maxa is destined to become a famous coach, and to which lineage he ultimately belongs—Augustus’s or Trigella’s—might also be one of the core conflicts between Augustus and Trigella!"
"Now that they have encountered each other in the Primeira Liga, a fierce battle is inevitable!"
Isn’t this a remarkable coincidence?
And similar to Quaresma’s confrontation in the Sporting Lisbon first team, Ronaldo has also gradually felt the pressure of the Primeira Liga lately.
Not just the opposition’s excessively forceful defense, the referee’s subjective tolerance of fouls committed by older players against younger players, and so on.
But also some things about the overall pace and pressure.
Ronaldo has overcome some of these challenges, but others remain for him to conquer.
This match was a prime example.
From the start of the game, Gandoma played fiercely, resulting in an offensive standoff with Moreirense.
However, Trigella and Deng Kai had previously studied Augustus’s tactics.
Influenced by Maxa, Augustus had become an adherent of star-focused football.
The entire strategy of the Gandoma team revolved around their number-nine center forward.
This had led them to a series of victories following the winter break.
In lower-level competitions, a star-focused approach is the most effective tactic.
But the downside to this strategy is also significant.
