Earlier, Aragonés had enforced a strict "no-sex policy."
It had worked well—at first.
But professional footballers have far stronger physiques than average people, and naturally, their hormone levels run higher too.
During major tournaments, it's common for athletes who've never met before to end up having brief flings. This isn't just rumor—it's biology.
Short-term restrictions can boost focus and energy, but if prolonged too long, they backfire.
That's why there must be proper "release channels" at the right time.
Since Spain's next match after the third group game was scheduled eight days later, there was plenty of time for players to recover their energy after some time with their families.
Su Hang even had his medical team produce a professional report supporting this idea as scientifically valid.
Aragonés approved it soon after.
And once the players were finally "released," how could they not be grateful to Su Hang?
Any longer without an outlet, and they might have exploded.
Joaquín: I thought I could handle it... but I really overestimated myself.
Fàbregas: Let's just say abstinence might not be all it's cracked up to be.
Villa: Not gonna lie, my eyes were practically glowing green.
Torres: Damn it, I was drawing tactical maps all night!
In addition, Su Hang supported giving the third-round match to the team's substitutes—to help them find form and identify who could contribute most in the knockout stage.
This idea perfectly aligned with Aragonés's thinking.
However, when Su Hang personally offered to sit out that third group match, Aragonés was taken aback.
If the goal was to give reserves opportunities, then logically, Su Hang should start—after all, he was one of the team's most important rotational players.
If he didn't play when the starters were rested, nor when the substitutes started, then he'd become exactly what people joked about: "left on the shelf."
But Su Hang insisted on giving that chance to Reyes, Joaquín, and Raúl.
It genuinely moved Aragonés.
So when Su Hang later asked to attend other teams' matches—to get a feel for potential future opponents—what was wrong with that?
Aragonés fully supported him.
He even thought it would do Su Hang good to get away from the team atmosphere for a while. If he became too eager to start, it might only lead to frustration.
So when Aragonés faced the media, he declared:
"Su Hang's actions were done with my permission. They serve tactical purposes for Spain, though I can't go into detail."
"Furthermore, the team's atmosphere this year is excellent, and much of that credit goes to our captain, Su Hang. I hope the public will stop speculating about him."
"Especially our Spanish fans—your doubts do nothing but harm the team's morale. Just relax and support us. We'll deliver results you'll be proud of."
"As for outsiders, let them say whatever they want. We don't care."
At that point, many people joked that Aragonés and Su Hang should take a DNA test to see if Su Hang was secretly his son.
Seriously?
How protective could one coach get?
Watching a few football matches suddenly counts as tactical work?
Come on!
Aragonés: Forget son—if I had a father as rich as Su Hang, I'd be fine with that too.
But the media didn't stop there.
Though they failed to stir up drama inside the Spanish camp, they spotted an opening to take a shot at Real Madrid.
Mundo Deportivo: "Real Madrid's transfer target revealed! Su Hang spotted approaching young Croatian international Luka Modrić!"
Sport: "Luka Modrić—the jinx who caused Croatia's collapse against Australia! Real Madrid scouts' judgment is as awful as ever!"
Kicker: "Real Madrid unlikely to sign Modrić—he doesn't meet the club's standards for honor or pedigree! Even if Zidane and Figo leave, a player from a fringe league won't be their replacement."
Sky Sports: "As Real Madrid captain, Su Hang's opinion of Modrić might influence this potential deal."
Marca: "New sporting director denies rumors: 'Never heard of anyone named Modrić. He's not part of our transfer plans.'"
AS: "Real Madrid's scouting department confirms Modrić isn't in their talent database. With plenty of promising academy players, there's no need to go after some shepherd boy."
La Corneta: "Sources reveal Calderón's management is furious over player interference in transfer matters. Su Hang may face disciplinary action next season—and could even lose the captain's armband!"
The headlines just kept coming.
A closer look showed that most of these reports came from outlets fixated on Real Madrid and Su Hang.
Sky Sports loved to stir up gossip.
Kicker followed Su Hang's development closely.
Marca and AS were pro-Madrid, so insider leaks were normal.
Mundo Deportivo and Sport were pro-Barcelona, so them taking shots was expected.
But La Corneta—they usually didn't even cover Su Hang or Real Madrid much.
The last time they mentioned him, it was to claim Messi was more talented and destined to become Barcelona's future captain.
And this time?
Well, it wasn't random.
Both Argentina and Spain had reached the Round of 16—
and they were about to face each other!
...
In Spain's third group match, they beat Saudi Arabia 1–0.
The substitutes performed decently, creating several chances, though they failed to finish them.
Otherwise, the scoreline would have been far more convincing.
France defeated Togo 2–0, finishing with five points—just edging out South Korea's four to advance.
They nearly missed the knockout stage entirely.
With that, the sixteen teams advancing were confirmed:
Germany, Sweden, Argentina, Mexico, England, Ecuador, Portugal, Netherlands, Italy, Australia, Switzerland, Ukraine, Brazil, Ghana, France, and Spain.
Real Madrid had plenty of players still in the competition.
Zidane's France would face Mexico.
Figo's Portugal would face the Netherlands.
Beckham's England would take on Ecuador.
Ronaldo and Robinho's Brazil would face Ghana.
And Su Hang's Spain would clash with Argentina.
Among them, Portugal and Spain were clearly the unlucky ones—both had drawn powerful opponents.
The Netherlands were traditionally strong, producing waves of talent that had formed "Dutch Cliques" across Europe's top clubs.
Argentina was equally formidable, and after their 6–0 group stage rout, their championship odds had skyrocketed into the top three—making them one of the clear favorites to win it all.
So it was no surprise that the Argentine media were downplaying Spain and mocking Real Madrid.
As for Modrić—the supposed center of this transfer storm—
he had barely attracted any attention at all.