This was a new theory for the Real Madrid players.
Most of them believed injuries were caused by external forces.
They valued personal breakthroughs but rarely acknowledged their own limits.
They didn't want to admit that "pushing beyond your limits" was, in fact, a form of self-harm.
To them, turning thirty was a professional athlete's "tribulation." Before that age, they pushed themselves recklessly, never considering that this hardship could be postponed through proper care.
"I think Su is right."
Every era has its wise men, and Zidane was one of them.
"We need a truly healthy Ronaldo."
"One who can play a full season."
"Otherwise, it'll be hard for us to get the results we want."
"And heavy training does put a strain on injured and aging players."
Seeing the look in the players' eyes, Queiroz knew Su Hang's argument had worked.
He didn't believe in things like recovery or maintenance.
What he believed in was hard work—grueling, relentless training.
Anyone unwilling to train was just lazy!
Zidane only supported Su Hang because he was already 32, already a legend.
He just didn't want to train that hard anymore.
That had to be it.
Queiroz was convinced he had seen through Zidane's little scheme—but he couldn't call it out.
After all, Zidane's influence in the team was on a completely different level from Su Hang's.
"Hmph!"
Queiroz stormed off.
...
For the next few days of training, Queiroz acted as if Su Hang didn't exist.
Su Hang was more than happy with that.
It was exactly what he wanted.
Without the team's mandatory drills, he could focus all his energy on shooting, heading, strength, and jumping.
At this point, training anything else was pointless.
Only these four attributes could be improved quickly.
And sure enough, thanks to his targeted training, others started noticing his strengths.
"Hey, Su Hang's shooting's actually not bad."
"Yeah, he's hit the level expected of a forward."
"He didn't take a single shot in the last match. I thought he didn't know how to shoot!"
"His headers are really good!"
"He's only 1.8 meters tall, but he jumps incredibly high!"
"Honestly, it feels like he jumps even higher during actual matches!"
"Yeah, I thought the same. In yesterday's scrimmage, it was like he was taking off!"
"This guy's physical game isn't bad either. I think he's sturdier than Raúl."
"Ahem, no need to compare—I'm not the physical type anyway," Raúl defended himself.
The atmosphere in the Real Madrid squad remained quite positive...
Until the day before the next game.
Because that day, Queiroz was going to announce the squad for the upcoming match—
Including the starting lineup.
Real Madrid's first team had 30 players.
But the matchday squad only included 18.
And only 11 would start.
The competition was brutal.
Especially for the forward position.
Real Madrid only had one striker spot—and Ronaldo was back.
Before the announcement, Su Hang took the initiative.
"I don't need to be in the squad. I think a lot of the other forwards are better than me."
He wasn't being humble.
In training, though he had a few strengths, almost every player was stronger than him overall.
This was Real Madrid, after all.
Even the backup strikers, like Portillo, who barely saw any game time, were far superior to him.
More importantly, being named to the squad meant traveling with the team—losing valuable training time.
Su Hang had just gained another point in strength the day before.
He was addicted to the slow but steady feeling of growth and didn't want it interrupted.
On the side, Queiroz was fuming.
Su Hang was doing this on purpose!
You just won Man of the Match last game, and now you don't even make the squad?
That's basically accusing me, the head coach, of being petty—putting personal feelings above the team's best interests.
Despicable!
Now that you've said that, your teammates think you're humble.
And I'm forced to include you in the squad.
So annoying!
In the end, with a tone that could kill, Queiroz announced Su Hang's inclusion in the 18-man roster.
But to Su Hang's relief, he was on the bench—not starting.
Most likely, he wouldn't have to play at all.
Not with Ronaldo around.
As expected, once the list was out, the public was on board with the decision.
Even Su Hang's most die-hard fans didn't think he deserved to start over a returning Ronaldo.
One Man of the Match?
Even if you were Player of the Season, most people would still choose Ronaldo.
...
April 4th, Round 31 of La Liga.
Real Madrid played away at Albacete.
With a brace from Ronaldo, they won 2–1—back-to-back victories.
By the 70th minute, Queiroz could've subbed off Ronaldo, who had already scored twice.
Let him rest.
Give younger players like Su Hang some game time.
But he didn't.
He knew that if Ronaldo came off, the fans would expect Su Hang to come on.
So he just... didn't make the sub.
As a result, Ronaldo finished the match—but felt some discomfort in his ankle afterward.
...
April 11th, Round 32 of La Liga.
Real Madrid hosted Osasuna.
60,000 fans packed the stadium.
And Real Madrid... suffered a humiliating 0–3 defeat.
After the match, criticism poured in from every direction.
Many media outlets pointed fingers at Queiroz's poor game management.
**Marca**: "It's unbelievable—Su Hang wasn't even subbed in! With Ronaldo clearly off form, wouldn't it have been worth giving this Real Madrid rising star a chance?"
**AS**: "Even if Ronaldo stays on, couldn't Su Hang have come in to switch to a two- or three-striker setup? The HRR trident is absolutely worth trying!"
**Sport**: "After signing so many superstars, it's ironic that the biggest debate is why Su Hang didn't play!"
**El Mundo Deportivo**: "If Ronaldo couldn't do it, Su Hang definitely couldn't either. Queiroz was right not to use him—especially since Su Hang hasn't even apologized for his argument with the coach during the match!"
**Marca's Clara Column** even published several of Su Hang's training photos:
"Su Hang might be the hardest-working player on the entire team."
"After every training session, he hits the gym for strength work. His physique has clearly improved in a short time—lean in clothes, built underneath…"
"And yet Queiroz won't give him a single chance. His pettiness is terrifying! He's sacrificing team performance just to get back at Su Hang!"
Honestly, all this "justice for Su Hang" talk ended up being more of a headache than help.
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