WebNovels

Chapter 1089 - Chapter 1088: Begins

It was a bright morning, and Neymar opened his eyes from the large bed in his villa.

A ray of sunlight streamed through the thin curtains, gently swaying with a light breeze, making him feel incredibly lighthearted.

Unbeknownst to him, he had already been in Spain for half a year.

From his initial discomfort upon arriving in Spain, he had gradually gained recognition and received more tactical resources through his efforts and performance.

Of course, the most crucial change was in his life!

Everything changed after he came here.

He earned a high salary, enjoyed media praise, and was approached by beautiful women whenever he went to nightclubs or bars.

He walked on soft beaches, watched the waves roll, and lay on a deck chair, enjoying the leisure of sunbathing.

This was the life Neymar had always dreamed of, and now he had finally achieved it.

Of course, he knew very well that all of this stemmed from his performance in matches.

Everything he had was given to him by football, so he understood that he needed to continue this performance to do even better.

Neymar did not have such great ambitions yet.

The novelty had not worn off yet.

He felt that things were truly good now, and sometimes he even thought that continuing like this would be a very good choice.

Perhaps one day, he would also have completely new goals and ambitions.

But not now!

"Good morning!"

Neymar walked downstairs in his training uniform, where the house staff were cleaning the rooms and the chef had prepared breakfast.

After enjoying a delicious breakfast, Neymar checked the time, found it was still early, and sat on the sofa to turn on the TV.

He immediately tuned into the sports news channel; he loved the Spanish media praising him.

However, the usual scenes of him being praised were gone; the TV was filled with news about Real Madrid's arrival in Barcelona, and there was a sense of urgency about the impending major battle.

Host, clearly from the Catalonia region, reported with a serious expression.

The screen showed the hotel where Real Madrid was staying, and more importantly, various data and news about Suker.

Neymar propped his chin and looked at the TV.

Just as Messi was the boss of Barcelona!

Suker was the boss of Real Madrid!

Neymar didn't know what it felt like to be the 'boss,' especially in a giant club, where top stars all submitted to him; that feeling must be great.

However, Neymar did not have such ambitions yet, or rather, he rarely thought about such questions.

He enjoyed his current life and matches.

"Next up is news about the Ballon d'Or. According to some sources, Cristiano Ronaldo and Suker have become the most competitive players in the Ballon d'Or voting."

"Their vote counts are unknown, but it must be a very fierce competition."

"Last season, Ronaldo and Bayern Munich achieved everything; they won the Bundesliga, the German Cup, and the Champions League, securing the treble."

"At the same time, for Ronaldo himself, he also won the Golden Boot in both the Bundesliga and the Champions League!"

"It can be said that last season was Cristiano Ronaldo's year, and his performance and achievements are enough to contend for this year's Ballon d'Or, but his opponent is equally strong."

"Suker has won five Ballon d'Or awards in the past decade. In the realm of football, he is definitely a phenomenon-level active player and the most influential player."

"Moreover, last season, Real Madrid was deeply mired in various internal conflicts, and their performance was inevitably affected. Many media outlets stated that if Real Madrid could have been slightly more stable, Suker would still have been able to contend for his sixth Ballon d'Or."

"It is also based on these reasons that there has been fierce competition in the voting process. So for you, is it Ronaldo or Suker?"

The final TV screen showed a golden football trophy.

This was the pinnacle of individual honors, the Ballon d'Or!

Neymar couldn't help but sigh.

Messi only had one Ballon d'Or, but Suker had a full five.

How did he do it?

Or rather, how did he transform himself into a champion player?

After all, before Suker's arrival, Real Madrid was still stuck with the embarrassing identity of the 'Champions League Round of Sixteen.'

Until Suker's arrival!

Real Madrid began to turn things around in the League and Champions League, and after AC Milan, they once again achieved a Champions League repeat.

Speaking of which, Suker had already repeated as Champions League winner twice, and in two different football clubs.

"What a crazy guy!"

Neymar couldn't help but exclaim.

He slowly looked up and saw that it was almost time.

He immediately got up, picked up the package by the door, and walked out of the villa.

A commercial van was parked by the roadside at the entrance; this was the club car provided to him by Barcelona. Although he had money to buy a vehicle, he had not yet obtained a Spanish driver's license, so he could not drive.

He also didn't have time to get a license and had kept putting it off.

Around 9 o'clock, he arrived at the Barcelona club.

As he entered the locker room, the Barcelona players also arrived one after another.

"Good morning!"

Neymar greeted his teammates; he had good connections, and of course, much of it was due to his strength.

As another key attacking figure besides Messi, Neymar had already been recognized and accepted by the Barcelona players.

By the time Neymar put on his training uniform, Messi also arrived belatedly.

Messi's expression was calm; he silently walked to his locker, changed his clothes, and then walked out.

He didn't say a word the whole time.

The teammates around him didn't disturb him; they knew that Messi and Enrique had talked yesterday, but they didn't know what exactly was discussed, and the situation didn't seem very optimistic.

The training camp had not yet begun, but Enrique was already eager to speak to the players.

"I think you should know what day it is today!"

Upon hearing this, the Barcelona players' expressions became solemn.

With Real Madrid attacking, they naturally dared not be careless.

Since 2009, they had been suppressed by Real Madrid, and there was still no sign of them rising up.

Such a long period would only make them more depressed.

At the very least, they needed to win a small match to ignite their fighting spirit.

Looking at the players' eyes, Enrique nodded with satisfaction:

"Today's tactics..."

Enrique explained the tactical characteristics again. As the players listened, they suddenly turned to look at Messi.

To put it bluntly, this set of tactics had some 'swing' attributes.

Previously, Messi was an attacking player, and his vertical breakthroughs and dribbling were Barcelona's sharp weapons.

But now, Enrique had assigned more of this work to Neymar.

Messi, on the other hand, had increased some organizational work, even playing a swing role.

Of course, when Messi created a certain amount of space or ran into an open area, he would still be the core attacking player; this would not change.

It was simply to let Neymar share the attacking burden for Messi.

"Rio, you must calm down in this match, observe carefully, and when we need you, you must conquer Real Madrid's goal with one strike!"

Listening to Enrique's words, Messi nodded: "I understand!"

The surrounding Barcelona players also looked at each other; had these two reconciled?

"They reconciled?" Iniesta couldn't help but ask in a low voice.

The conflict between Enrique and Messi was no secret to the outside world, let alone internally.

In response, Xavi gently shook his head; "It's a temporary reconciliation due to shared interests."

Xavi believed that once this match was over, they would go back to their disagreements!

There was no way around it; the core conflict hadn't been resolved, so this matter wasn't over.

Just like how Real Madrid eventually sent Mourinho away, Barcelona might also resort to such an operation if forced.

"Alright, everyone go warm up and try to loosen up!" Enrique clapped his hands forcefully; "Get excited!"

The hotel where Real Madrid was staying.

The morning training session ended, and the Real Madrid players also returned to the hotel.

There was still a pitch inspection activity in the afternoon, and then it was time to wait for the match.

The lunch provided was quite substantial, as the Champions League match was played at night, so there would be no dinner before the match, but lunch could still ensure fullness.

Suker didn't eat much; his appetite wasn't as big as before.

Especially after reducing strength training, his body didn't need as much nutrient intake.

"Be careful of Neymar in tonight's match."

Suker said casually.

Neymar played on the left side, which corresponded to Srna's side.

Srna was bound to start this match, after all, it was against Barcelona, and even if Ancelotti intended to develop players like Carvajal and Arbeloa, he would still choose the more stable Srna in El Clásico.

"I know!" Srna was still full of confidence.

Suker looked up and glanced, "Don't get blown past!"

After Srna's physical agility declined, he might have some defensive anxiety, so he was very susceptible to the opponent's feints.

Coincidentally, Neymar was also a player with first-class footwork, realistic feints, and quick acceleration.

Once he created space, he would drive straight in.

"Don't worry, I'll defend together with Casemiro," Srna said with a smile.

He was a very cautious player; although he spoke with full confidence, he would not neglect any preparation.

Suker nodded, "Foul if necessary!"

Srna nodded, "I've studied his playing style, and it really gives me a headache; this guy is too agile."

Suker: "Study him well; you might run into him in the World Cup. You'll still have to mark him then, and beat Brazil in their home country!"

"Hey!" Kaka called out unhappily.

What kind of talk was that!

Suker and Srna both couldn't help but laugh.

Kaka shook his head, "I really don't want to meet you guys early."

Although they were the hosts, the powerful five-star Brazil.

But facing the current Croatia, they were also a bit intimidated.

The squad was too complete, and their form was also very good!

Every position was very strong; if they met early, it would definitely be a life-and-death battle.

Just then, Ancelotti walked into the dining room and looked at the players, saying loudly, "After dinner, rest in your rooms. We'll leave for Camp Nou at 2 PM for a pitch inspection!"

The Real Madrid players nodded, indicating they understood.

Lunchtime was not long; they returned to their rooms for a short rest, which was considered recuperation.

During the afternoon pitch inspection, they also had a warm-up and various tactical runs, which further familiarized them with the tactics.

By the time they returned to the hotel, the sun had already begun to set, and night had fallen.

Accompanied by neon lights and moonlight, the entire city of Barcelona was immersed in an exciting atmosphere.

Looking down from above, the entire city presented a series of connected 'mouth' shapes, which was a characteristic of Barcelona's urban design and the reason it was hailed as the city of art.

Following the street lights, they moved towards the brightest and most glittering direction.

Thousands of fans gathered, songs surged, and flags fluttered.

Accompanied by bright lights, it was illuminated as if it were daytime.

This was the famous Camp Nou stadium!

El Clásico had always been intense and full of gunpowder.

The departures of Mourinho and Guardiola had reduced a bit of the gunpowder in the Derby, but not by much.

The confrontation between the fans was still so fierce, and the police and security were all dispatched to maintain order on site.

"They're here!"

Someone shouted, and the fans who were just insulting each other a second ago split into two waves and headed in different directions.

At both ends of the stadium, the Barcelona and Real Madrid team buses arrived almost simultaneously.

Messi!!!!!—

Messi!!!!!—

Messi!!!!!—

Suker!!!!—

Suker!!!!—

Suker!!!!—

The entire stadium area was reverberating with the names of two players: one was Messi, and the other was Suker.

These two were representative players of their respective teams, and also among the most famous players in football today, naturally becoming the key figures embraced by their fans.

They even competed to see who could shout louder.

However, since it was their home, the cheers from Barcelona fans were louder.

Neymar was also moved by this atmosphere.

This was his second El Clásico.

In the Spanish Super Cup before the League started, he also played against Real Madrid, but that match was a decisive defeat.

After the match, Neymar also summarized his own problems: insufficient integration, unfamiliarity with tactics. Although he wanted to perform, he didn't have much room to play.

Unlike now, he was fully prepared!

However, listening to the deafening cheers around him.

Looking at those excited faces and passionate eyes, their gaze towards Messi seemed to be filled with a certain firm belief.

Similarly, on the other side of the field, Real Madrid fans must have looked at Suker with the same kind of eyes, right?

Neymar felt a hint of curiosity for the first time: what would that feeling be like?

"Let's go!"

Neymar's back was patted, and he turned to see it was Rakitić.

Rakitić grinned at Neymar, "Your task today is very heavy. Playing on the same flank as that guy, the pressure is not just ordinary big!"

After a pause, Rakitić suddenly said, "Let me give you a heads-up: watch out for Suker suddenly running from behind to steal the ball!"

Neymar was stunned: "Suker also tracks back to defend?"

Rakitić: "Why do you think he's called an all-rounder?"

"This guy has strong attacking abilities, good defense, and interception is his specialty."

He secretly pointed in Busquets' direction.

Neymar turned to look, and he noticed that the usually calm Busquets had an expression of unprecedented solemnity.

He was even clenching and unclenching his fists, either clenching or forcefully spreading his palms, as if he was very anxious.

"This is the consequence of being targeted by Suker!" Rakitić shook his head.

Neymar looked at Busquets curiously.

He had heard some things about Suker and Busquets.

For example, statements like Suker being Busquets' nightmare.

But Neymar was also very puzzled.

In regular training, Busquets performed very well, and when facing other teams, even strong ones, he also performed exceptionally.

Busquets was not a flexible player; his movements were slow, but his football IQ was extremely high.

He could always retrieve the ball from the backfield with very simple movements, and his passes were flat and stable, easy to receive.

Most importantly, Busquets was always able to perceive the key moments of the game. He was a player whose calmness was astonishing, as if he always made the right choices.

Yet, such a Busquets was repeatedly targeted and dominated by Suker!

Neymar had also tried it in training, but it was not an easy task.

Both teams' players entered the locker room to make their final preparations.

Ramos took the captain's armband from the equipment rack and handed it directly to Suker.

"Good luck!"

Suker patted Ramos's shoulder. This guy suddenly had a recurrence of an old injury yesterday and needed to rest for a while.

And the captain's armband, naturally, was taken over by Suker, who was the second captain.

"It's over! The pressure monster is here!"

Marcelo couldn't help but grin.

When Suker was captain, his catchphrase was always 'Run! Run like your life depends on it!'

Every time Suker was captain, he felt like he was going to vomit from running.

Suker not only ran himself but also motivated his teammates to run.

Ramos would turn a blind eye to some minor acts of laziness, but Suker had very high demands on himself and his teammates.

He couldn't tolerate a single speck of dust!

It was fine when he wasn't captain, but once he was captain, it was like a marathon.

Moreover, this was El Clásico, and they would undoubtedly have to run with all their might.

"Let's get this straight."

Suker clutched the captain's armband and said in a deep voice to the players, "You can be lazy, but don't let me catch you!"

The players all grinned.

How could they dare!

Ancelotti chuckled as he watched this scene, somehow reminded of his time at Milan.

The little guy who used to follow Maldini around, calling him 'boss' excitedly, was now the boss of a giant club.

The Real Madrid players had already changed their jerseys. They gathered at the locker room door but did not go out, as if waiting for a signal.

Their gazes lingered in the direction of the lockers until Suker put on his jersey and walked towards the door, one by one naturally following him.

Suker walked out of the locker room, clenched his fists, and shouted loudly:

"Prepare for battle!"

The players shouted in unison:

"Vamos!—"

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