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Chapter 11 - Chapter 11: The Conflict Escalates

Unfortunately, the dribbling attribute wasn't unlocked.

Looks like even Zidane's Marseille turn doesn't work!

Zidane: ???

Zidane: Maybe your fundamentals are just too poor to make it work?

...

"HRR!"

"HHR!"

"High-spec Morientes!"

"Air Beast!"

"Siu!"

Su Hang arrived at the training ground.

A crowd of Real Madrid fans had gathered at the entrance, welcoming him with overwhelming enthusiasm.

Some even held up Su Hang's number 24 jersey, asking him for an autograph.

Naturally, Su Hang was delighted.

"Don't worry, everyone will get my autograph."

With that, he kicked off a spontaneous signing session.

Esteban Cambiasso, a Real Madrid first-team substitute, passed by and checked the time.

He walked over to remind Su Hang, "Su, it's almost time for training."

Su Hang smiled at Cambiasso. "Thanks."

Then he went right back to signing for the fans.

Cambiasso didn't dare linger and quickly rushed into the training ground.

Soon, the training session began.

But Su Hang still hadn't shown up!

Nearly half an hour later, Su Hang finally arrived, rubbing his right hand. Real Madrid fans really were too passionate!

The other players trained while sneaking glances his way.

Everyone already knew about the autograph session.

It was obvious Su Hang had done it on purpose.

"Stop right there! You're late!" Queiroz barked, his face dark. He could feel everyone watching. If he didn't handle this properly, his authority would be gone.

"Yes, sorry, it's just that outside—" Su Hang started to explain.

"Shut up! I didn't give you permission to speak!" Queiroz pointed to the field. "Go run five kilometers! You're not doing anything else until you finish..."

Su Hang didn't wait for him to finish—he just turned and started running.

He didn't mind the training.

Running was a key part of any footballer's routine.

"Stop! Come back here!" Queiroz shouted, clearly irritated by Su Hang's indifferent attitude.

This wasn't what he wanted.

He didn't want to see Su Hang running.

He wanted Su Hang to come back, apologize, admit fault, and beg for forgiveness!

"So arrogant! I've never seen a player this conceited!" Queiroz yelled, pointing at Su Hang. "No one in this team behaves like you!"

"Look at Zidane, Figo, Beckham, Raúl, Carlos... they're all on time!"

"Even Ronaldo showed up! It's his first day back from injury, and he was still punctual! That's the kind of professionalism Real Madrid players should have."

"Do you think you're better than Ronaldo?"

Several players stopped training to watch the confrontation.

As for Ronaldo, who had been mentioned, he remained calm and continued his shooting practice with Casillas.

"Hey, Ronaldo!" Su Hang walked over to him.

Raúl frowned.

Su Hang was still too young.

Just a few words from Queiroz had pushed him into a confrontation with Ronaldo.

But in this team—or rather, in world football—no one could afford to challenge Ronaldo.

Just look at what happened to Morientes.

Even Zidane, who once contended with Ronaldo for the title of world's best, was now careful to avoid clashing with him.

Such was the influence of Ronaldo, the alien of his generation.

"Hey, Ronaldo, you can't do that!" Su Hang said, walking up to him.

Ronaldo turned, confused.

"You just recovered. Your muscles, your tendons—they've only just reconnected," Su Hang said, pulling Ronaldo aside.

"But they're still weak. That's just superficial healing, not true recovery."

"You can do some light jogging, low-impact resistance work, recovery training—but you can't be doing intense shooting drills."

"That'll just get you injured again before you're fully healed. I've studied your injury history. It's not just about how you play—it's about how you recover."

Ronaldo's expression shifted—from confusion to quiet attention.

It was interesting.

Europe prided itself on being advanced, but back then, sports medicine still wasn't taken seriously.

Most players didn't understand its importance.

Back then, playing through injuries was the norm.

There was this false idea that taking the field injured and making a quick return made you a hero.

To Su Hang, Ronaldo's return right now was unnecessary.

Queiroz watched as Ronaldo became more and more engaged in the conversation. He realized his plan to pit the two against each other had backfired.

He cut in, annoyed.

"Don't go around spreading your weird ideas. You're messing with team morale."

"Ronaldo knows his condition. I know it too. We know it better than you do. He's in top shape, and next match he'll beat the keeper with a pendulum dribble and score!"

"That's how he'll announce he's back! And you... you're just a substitute!"

Hearing how Queiroz viewed him, Su Hang almost laughed out loud.

So that's how it is.

He shrugged.

"No, you don't know. Maybe Ronaldo does—but even he doesn't know like I do. Honestly, I want Ronaldo to stay healthy more than anyone."

"I've got no problem sitting on the bench. If the team's doing well, I'll stay a sub."

"But the issue is, the way you're using him is going to ruin him."

"You mentioned the pendulum dribble—and that's exactly what I mean when I say his style isn't sustainable."

"It's almost unstoppable. Those high-speed directional changes? Goalkeepers can't keep up—but neither can his knees."

"Every time he pulls off a pendulum dribble, he's not just breaking through defenses—he's breaking down his knees."

"Do you know how much stress each change of direction puts on his joints?"

"Do you know that every pendulum dribble causes permanent damage to his knees?"

"And his ankles too... Add in constant acceleration, deceleration, explosive shots—his legs won't last much longer."

"And when that happens, you'll have no choice but to start me. Got it?"

"And it's not just Ronaldo. Once players pass 28, they need to focus on physical maintenance. Training intensity should be adjusted accordingly."

"Over 30? Or with a serious injury history? Then it's even more important."

"That's how some of us can still compete at a high level at 35.

Not like now, where so many players fall off right after hitting 30."

Su Hang grew more passionate as he spoke.

More and more teammates gathered around.

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