Baptista still remembered when the South American clique gathered in Brazil and Roberto Carlos warned everyone not to provoke Su Hang directly.
Players like Cicinho, Diogo, and García were puzzled at the time.
But Baptista understood.
On-field performance, fan support, off-field influence, family wealth, team status... Su Hang had it all.
Even Luxemburgo would have to wait for the right moment to move against him.
The South American clique's immediate goal was to secure starting spots in other positions and establish themselves.
Only then could they even think about challenging Su Hang directly.
On August 8th, Real Madrid held an internal training match.
Scrimmages like this showed a player's form and ability far better than drills ever could.
Take Su Hang, for instance—though he sometimes underperformed in structured drills, his presence on the pitch was impossible to ignore.
His physicality was overwhelming; anyone who challenged him quickly learned the hard way.
Fullbacks Cicinho and Diogo initially tried to muscle him off the ball, but after being knocked aside several times, they quickly gave up.
Even García couldn't get the better of him.
Baptista also looked formidable—almost like an attack-oriented version of Su Hang.
But he lacked a certain spark.
He often seemed out of sync with Real Madrid's superstars.
It was like when someone says, "Meet me on the field after school." Some kids bolt home the moment class ends, while others actually wait.
Baptista was the type who would wait.
Under the pressure of these two beasts, however, Real Madrid's new signing, Sevilla center-back Sergio Ramos, stood out.
He was strong in duels, fiercely aggressive defensively, and, most importantly, fast—quick laterally, sharp in turning, and excellent in recovery runs.
And he wasn't afraid to tackle—hard, clean, and precise.
He quickly established himself as a starter.
Meanwhile, Cicinho showed his quality as well.
He had blistering pace, overlapping with ease and delivering sharp crosses.
Real Madrid's long-time right-back, Salgado, had struggled to regain form after his injury last season.
Raúl Bravo even filled in at right-back for a spell.
But it was clear Cicinho wouldn't take long to claim the starting spot.
And then there was Robinho.
His dribbling was dazzling, full of flair and artistry.
Even Figo, in his prime, wasn't this flashy.
With Real Madrid lacking true wide attackers, Robinho's role was unique.
From Luxemburgo's approach, it was clear he intended to build part of his attacking system around Robinho.
Of course, subtly.
The core of Real Madrid's attack still revolved around Zidane and Figo.
Ronaldo, as the finisher, could adapt to any system, so he was never a concern.
Overall, Luxemburgo's signings were high-quality additions.
They were smart reinforcements for the Galácticos.
But that was the key—reinforcements!
If Luxemburgo had been aiming for a full rebuild, then the strengths of many of these players wouldn't have been enough.
Baptista lacked creativity; at best, he could be a top-tier star, but reaching the true superstar level was difficult.
Robinho brimmed with talent, but whether he was effective remained to be seen.
His key passing and finishing would only be proven on the pitch.
Successors had to earn their place through performance—not be handpicked by a manager.
Even Cristiano Ronaldo, the Portuguese prodigy admired by Ferguson, only secured Manchester United's iconic number 7 shirt after two or three consistently outstanding seasons.
And Lionel Messi, Barcelona's golden boy from La Masia, spent plenty of time on the bench before occasionally breaking into the starting lineup.
Rumor had it Barcelona had just renewed Messi's contract with a staggering €150 million release clause.
That suggested Messi would likely become a starter for Barça this season.
But only a starter—not the core of the team.
That alone showed how bold Luxemburgo was in trying to make Robinho the centerpiece.
...
August 13th.
Real Madrid opened their new season with the first leg of the Supercopa de España.
Luxemburgo carefully selected his starting lineup, avoiding any surprises.
He was still biding his time.
Ronaldo, Su Hang
Zidane, Figo, Beckham
Gravesen
Roberto Carlos, Woodgate, Ramos, Salgado
Casillas
=
Their opponent was last season's Copa del Rey champions, Real Betis.
The match took place at Betis' home ground, the Benito Villamarín Stadium.
Fifty thousand fans packed the stands.
Betis' biggest star at the time was their right winger, Joaquín Sánchez.
His nickname? The Spanish Figo!
Of course, in the future he would be known as "football's living fossil" and "La Liga's ageless legend," playing in Spain's top flight until the age of forty-one—well into 2023.
But for now, he was just a talented twenty-four-year-old.
Before the match, Luxemburgo said he wanted to start the new season with a big win and urged his players to play aggressively.
The squad understood.
Even Su Hang was eager to test himself in a real match.
So once the whistle blew, Real Madrid went on the attack.
In the 7th minute, Ronaldo struck from distance, the ball skimming just past the post.
In the 13th, Beckham crossed from the wing. Su Hang rose above the opposing center-back and powered a header, but it flew just over the crossbar.
In the 28th, Figo dribbled through midfield and won a free kick.
Beckham's trademark curling strike smacked the crossbar, agonizingly close to a goal.
In the 35th, after swapping positions with Figo, Zidane drew another free kick.
Beckham played it short, but Woodgate's header went wide.
For the first 40 minutes, Real Madrid pressed relentlessly.
The Galácticos' fearsome firepower was on full display.
They controlled 68% of the possession.
But football can be cruel.
Despite their dominance, the ball just refused to find the net.
By now, they should have been at least two goals up.
Then, in the 41st minute, the breakthrough finally came.
Figo surged through the middle before quickly laying the ball wide to Zidane.
Zidane feigned a pass, drove to the byline, pulled two defenders with him, and cut the ball back.
Left unmarked at the edge of the box, Su Hang unleashed a thunderous strike.
Boom!
The ball rocketed into the net.
A sea of white shirts erupted in celebration.
"GOAL!"
"Su Hang! It's Su Hang!"
"Real Madrid's first goal of the new season—scored by captain Su Hang!"
"The nineteen-year-old captain, the youngest ever to wear the armband, has just blasted home a stunning wonder goal!"
"Zidane and Su Hang linking up—clear signs of chemistry between them!"