Chen Tao was very embarrassed.
When they were training normally on the training ground, they could clearly hear the voices of the fans outside the fence at any time.
"Thomas out!"
"Thomas out!"
"Get out of BVB!"
The fence of the training ground was not sealed very tightly, and at a glance, one could see the agitated fans holding up banners.
The content on them was varied, but the main theme was only one.
"Thomas Doll, step down!"
...
Bang!
In the Borussia Dortmund CEO's office, Hans Watzke, as the CEO, was furious.
He slapped the desk, making coffee foam splash out of the coffee cup.
Watzke didn't even bother to wipe the table.
With his deep-set eyes and hooked nose, he was full of oppressive power when angry.
Thomas Doll and Dick Fuhren were as silent as cicadas in winter, not daring to breathe.
"What's going on? We've dropped to 10th place!"
"The efforts of the previous rounds have been wasted, and if we lose again, we'll have to fight for relegation!"
"I need an explanation."
Head coach Thomas Doll still tried to calmly defend himself:
"Mr. Watzke, give us some time, the team's recent form..."
"Exactly! Anyone with eyes can see the poor form, so why don't you make substitutions? Look at our stock price, what has it fallen to!"
As one of the few listed clubs in the Bundesliga, Borussia Dortmund had recently suffered three consecutive losses, coupled with fan unrest.
Borussia Dortmund's stock price fell by nearly 10% within a week.
No wonder Watzke, who rarely interfered with the team, was angry.
"They can adjust, I have a plan for the team's personnel arrangements."
Thomas Doll's words made Dick Fuhren shake his head.
He was simply being a stubborn ass!
Even though he knew that substitutions might change the team's current situation, he stubbornly stuck to his guns even if it meant losing.
The more the fans protested, the more Thomas Doll wanted to confront them and prove himself right.
"Fuck!! I've had enough!"
Watzke pointed at Thomas Doll's nose, glaring furiously:
"I don't care how you use your players, you must win the next match against those Schalke bastards!"
"Even a draw, pack your bags and get out!"
Borussia Dortmund was playing against their arch-rivals Schalke 04 at home.
Neither Watzke nor the vast majority of fans would accept defeat!
...
Walking out of the CEO's office with a dark face, Thomas Doll hurried away with his head down, and Dick Fuhren quickly caught up.
"Why do you have to be like this? Everything was developing for the better, why are you so stubborn?"
"I am right."
"Forget it, I'm just an assistant coach anyway."
Dick Fuhren saw that he was completely obsessed and didn't bother to persuade him, going directly to the training ground to supervise training.
Thomas Doll, who had been walking furiously with his head down, gradually slowed his pace, his gaze drifting:
"What I did should be right... right?"
...
"Today is definitely out of the question, I don't even bother to look."
Nuri Şahin, who usually actively checked the announcement board for the matchday squad, was disheartened this time.
"What if you get in, then you'll be as excited as a monkey again."
Chen Tao couldn't help but tease him.
"Even if I get in, it's meaningless, I don't care."
Nuri Şahin pouted, his expression indifferent.
Chen Tao was equally not so obsessed with the squad list.
He had come to terms with the team's three consecutive losses; anyway, he would always find an opportunity as long as he trained diligently and improved himself.
He was only 15 years old, and other players of the same age couldn't even touch the threshold of the first team.
Chen Tao had already signed with a professional team as an amateur from a draft, and he would receive a professional contract in June when he turned 16, becoming a true professional player.
He was already standing on the professional football field and was loved by the fans.
He had already faced Bayern Munich, the Bundesliga powerhouse.
There was no reason to rush.
It was Borussia Dortmund who should be anxious.
"The list is out, it's out!"
Hummels shouted excitedly, he saw his name on it.
He was surprisingly listed as a starting center-back!
"Look! Nuri, you're in too!"
"Really!!"
Nuri Şahin, who had just said he didn't care, jumped and bounced to the announcement board, truly like a monkey from Mount Emei.
Chen Tao quickly took out his phone and snapped a photo.
Before he could finish, Nuri Şahin excitedly came over and pulled him.
"Chen! You're in too!"
Being on the squad list didn't mean he would play, Chen Tao wasn't excited at all.
He was already used to sitting on the bench for 90 minutes, shivering in a thick training suit in the dead of winter.
German winters were quite cold.
Thankfully, as February moved into its latter half, the temperature gradually warmed, making sitting on the bench less uncomfortable.
The gloves Anna gave him were really useful, at least his hands weren't cold.
Although among the three good friends, only Hummels was confirmed to start, the other two were likely substitutes.
Nuri Şahin was still very happy.
"Have you seen the news these past two days?"
"What news?"
Nuri Şahin mysteriously leaned his head closer:
"Watzke had a meeting with the coaching staff; the fans have been very rowdy lately, and the stock price has fallen. The coach will definitely put us in."
"Indeed, especially Chen."
Hummels stroked the beard on his chin:
"You are really popular, in the forum polls, you are the most popular player in the entire team."
"Me?"
Chen Tao was stunned.
He was just on loan from Arsenal, could he compare to Borussia Dortmund's own players?
They had been playing for so many years, and he had only been playing for a few months.
"Really! You don't need to play for long, as long as you perform well, everyone will love you."
"Yes, yes! Especially that match against Bayern... tsk tsk tsk, even my cousin is talking about you, asking me about you every day."
Nuri Şahin's eyes held both admiration and jealousy.
Even though he performed equally well, everyone only remembered Chen Tao.
"Do you want me to introduce my cousin to you? She's 19 this year and very pretty."
"Wait, what's going on here?"
Nuri Şahin's rapid topic changes left Chen Tao speechless.
"Introduce her to me! Do you have a picture?"
Hummels' eyes, however, lit up.
"No, she doesn't like rough guys like you, she prefers handsome ones."
"I'm not rough either."
Hummels looked in the mirror, admiring himself.
Listening to Nuri Şahin and Hummels' conversation gradually shift to women, Chen Tao's thoughts drifted away.
Suddenly, he saw head coach Thomas Doll passing the locker room and heading towards the parking lot.
Chen Tao couldn't help but immediately follow him.
"Chen, you tell me, if Mats (Hummels) goes to a nightclub, can he pick up girls?"
"I definitely can, Chen... Huh? Where is he?"
...
Thomas Doll was preoccupied, the recent pressure making him feel suffocated.
After training, he left for the parking lot dejectedly without even saying hello, pulled open the car door, and sat inside.
It was as if only within the confined space of the car could he escape the pressure of being a head coach, the boss's aggressiveness, and the criticism and curses from public opinion and fans.
Tap, tap, tap.
The window was tapped, and it was an unexpected face.
"Chen?"
"Coach, I won't beat around the bush. I just want to understand what went wrong that caused me not to play."
"Oh! For God's sake! Chen, the coaching staff just has its own considerations. You train hard and stay in form, and you will get playing opportunities, understand?"
"No, there must be other reasons."
Chen Tao just didn't understand. Thomas Doll had been normal before, giving him playing opportunities.
It was really strange that he suddenly changed his mind after the winter break!
All of Thomas Doll's recent pressure and dissatisfaction had already formed a powder keg, and Chen Tao lit the fuse.
"Alright! Then you tell me! Is individual player performance more important or is the collective more important?"
"Is the hero of a win one person or the entire team?"
"Why is the credit for scoring 4 goals all yours? But when 3 goals are conceded, I'm the one taking the blame?"
"You're so amazing, why don't you lead the team to beat Schalke next time!"
???
Facing the completely deranged and out-of-control Thomas Doll, Chen Tao was not angry.
The 15-year-old boy was instead extremely calm, observing a 40-something madman going crazy in a car from an outsider's perspective.
Although Chen Tao was young, he understood one truth.
Everyone goes crazy, but the timing and degree of their madness differ.
Most of the time, people who seem normal are just people whose abnormal side you haven't seen.
Perhaps it was Chen Tao's calm gaze that made Thomas Doll gradually realize his impropriety.
He quickly calmed down.
"I'm sorry, as a head coach, I shouldn't have yelled at you. I hope you forget what just happened."
Chen Tao shook his head:
"I just want to say, I'm on the field to win, no matter what, I will get the ball into the opponent's goal."
"Tactics and lineups are indeed your business, and I have no right to interfere."
"But I don't want the team to lose."
"So next time the team needs someone to score, I hope you'll consider me. Put aside age, playing style, nationality, and race... just ask yourself if you want to win?"
"I have that ability."
In Chen Tao's calm expression, the flames of confidence in his eyes pierced directly into Thomas Doll's soul!
...
Ruhr Derby, 2 hours before matchday.
Borussia Dortmund's official website announced the starting lineup for this match.
All the media were stunned, clearly seeing an unusual name!
"24 — Chen Tao"