The Aragonés + Simón duo—a perfect blend of experience and results!
Reaching the quarterfinals or even the semifinals wouldn't be out of reach.
But Spain's overall ranking isn't high this year because it's one of those rare tournaments where every powerhouse has made it through.
Every World Cup usually sees some big names fail to qualify, leaving fans filled with regret.
Yet the 2006 World Cup, dubbed the "Twilight of the Gods," earned that title not only because many legendary players were past their prime, but also because it was one of the few tournaments where so many elite teams gathered together—a true clash of giants.
It would go down as one of the most spectacular editions in World Cup history.
Through this move, Simón's position might have taken a step down,
but his reputation has skyrocketed in return.
When he eventually leaves the Spanish national team and returns to club management, even more teams will come knocking.
And don't forget—the Spanish national team's future achievements are nothing short of legendary.
For Simón, joining now is practically gilding his résumé.
In the future, many young coaches will dream of coaching Spain, but few will ever get the chance.
Simón truly landed a huge win this time.
However, Su Hang's crisis remains unresolved.
Real Madrid's attitude toward him is still uncertain.
Under Calderón's leadership, the club's management has yet to begin renewal talks with Su Hang regarding his professional contract.
That's right—
Su Hang's contract has only two years left!
If it isn't renewed this year, next year he enters the final year of his deal.
It may sound absurd, but if you were part of Real Madrid's management, you'd likely do the same.
When Su Hang first joined Real Madrid, he didn't even have a professional contract.
Youth contracts don't hold much weight.
And he was already considered an "older" youth player.
In March 2004, Su Hang was barely six months away from turning eighteen.
Originally, that summer was supposed to mark the end of his football dream—he was set to join the family business and become an ordinary executive.
But then came his first life-defining bet with his father.
He asked his father to give him one chance to step onto the professional stage. If he failed, he'd return home and take over the family business.
His father, moved to the verge of tears, thought the boy had finally given up on football.
He immediately contacted Florentino Pérez, agreeing to any conditions necessary.
At that time, Florentino's political ally Aznar had just stepped down and was in desperate need of financial support—so their interests aligned perfectly.
To secure more funds, Florentino included Su Hang in the 18-man squad for the Copa del Rey final.
After all, he wasn't expected to play. The higher the competition level, the more sponsorship money Su's father would pay.
But fate had other plans—Su Hang actually got on the field and stunned everyone.
In a performance that left his father in tears, Su Hang scored a hat trick at the Bernabéu, earning himself a spot for the following season.
Real Madrid wasted no time signing him to a formal contract.
At that point, Su Hang's weaknesses were glaring—his basic technique was poor, and many doubted his long-term potential or ability to integrate into the team.
But his strengths? Enormous popularity, big-match heroics, and a wealthy background.
So Real Madrid offered him a modest contract—€1 million a year.
That was low by first-team standards, but massive for an 18-year-old rookie.
Even Messi's first senior-year salary was just €1 million.
It was a standard five-year youth deal—nothing special.
But Su Hang's second season changed everything.
Despite playing fewer than fifteen matches, he scored eighteen goals.
In the final round, wearing the captain's armband, he led Real Madrid to a stunning victory over Barcelona, sealing the La Liga title.
That summer, Real Madrid immediately renewed his contract.
Taking into account his reputation, popularity, and commercial value, they offered him a staggering €3.5 million salary!
To put that in perspective—Roberto Carlos earned about the same.
Makélélé left for Chelsea because he couldn't secure that kind of deal.
Even Cristiano Ronaldo at Manchester United, despite being a global sensation, was only making €2.5 million.
Real Madrid's top earners—Figo, Zidane, Ronaldo, Beckham—were pulling in just over €6 million.
For regular players, €3 million was the ceiling.
Su Hang had effectively rocketed straight to the top.
But Florentino was a savvy businessman.
Rumors about Su Hang's supposed "glass body" due to "racial physical limitations" made many fear he'd burn out quickly.
If he did, Real Madrid would lose nearly €4 million a year—an enormous risk.
And most people believed that would happen.
Florentino always planned for both outcomes.
He gave Su Hang the captain's armband but also handed Luxemburgo control over transfers, balancing their influence.
So while offering Su Hang a high salary, he deliberately shortened the contract to three years.
That way, if Su Hang underperformed, the club could save close to €10 million.
It also limited Su Hang's authority—without a long-term deal, he couldn't secure absolute power.
And if he continued to excel, they could always renew his contract again with a pay raise.
Was Real Madrid ever afraid of players leaving?
Hardly. For decades, players have dreamed of joining Real Madrid—few ever reject them, and almost no one leaves voluntarily.
The only exception in history would come later—Cristiano Ronaldo.
So by the end of this season, Su Hang's contract would have just two years left.
Given his explosive performances, Real Madrid needed to handle his contract this summer.
A pay raise was mandatory.
That's always been Real Madrid's practice.
Only a miserly owner like Tottenham's Daniel Levy would refuse to reward a top performer.
And spare us the nonsense about players "voluntarily" signing youth contracts—owners gamble on your future, so they think they can exploit you endlessly.
People who say that are just apologists for capital.
In truth, capital has countless ways to make you "voluntarily" sell your labor for free.
But is that really voluntary?
Without labor protection laws, capital would work people to death.
The imbalance of power couldn't be clearer.
The result?
Once players gain leverage, they won't hesitate to walk away.
And when they can negotiate, they'll demand sky-high salaries to reclaim everything they once lost.
It becomes a vicious cycle.
But top clubs operate more fairly. They're not short on cash, and they don't skimp on base pay—they just find other ways to profit, creating a win-win situation.
Take Ronaldo at Manchester United—his salary keeps rising.
Messi, after an outstanding season, is set to earn €5 million next year—world-class money.
Only a fool would stay at €1 million for an entire contract.
Right, Levy?
Still, Calderón's dilemma is real:
If he gives Su Hang another raise and extends his deal, what if the kid flames out?
After all, Su Hang isn't even twenty yet—young players burn out all the time.
His weak fundamentals and inconsistent stats contrast sharply with his explosive scoring.
The former makes his long-term potential hard to imagine, while the latter makes his brilliance impossible to ignore.
It's a lose-lose situation either way.
And if they give him superstar wages now—what's left to offer later?
Transfer rights?