That year, Messi's performances drew comparisons to Maradona.
In the match against Getafe, he replicated Maradona's legendary goal—dribbling past five defenders before scoring.
666!
So what if... in the Champions League final against Barcelona, Su Hang let Messi witness what he'd become a year later?
But… wouldn't that be a bit cruel?
Messi: Damn it!
Messi: Bro, have some mercy!
"Ding!"
Su Hang froze.
Seriously? There's more?
"As Real Madrid's captain, in your very first year, you led the team to a double crown and the Champions League final. Many teammates deeply admire your leadership."
"Beckham believes you're the most remarkable captain he's ever worked with in his career. He's convinced you'll become the greatest captain in the world."
"Sure, you have your flaws—but Beckham is willing to do everything he can to help you. If he had to explain why, perhaps it's because he sees a reflection of himself in you."
"Even when he gave one thousand percent of himself, he could never be the best in the world. In you, he sees his own clumsiness and persistence—but he hopes you'll achieve the miracle he never could."
"You've received Beckham's gift—'The Beckham Curve.'"
Su Hang's eyes misted up.
Beckham…
Was this because of the Champions League?
Did this year remind him of 1999—of the most glorious days of his career?
"Beckham Curve: Legendary Skill. He was a darling and an exile, adored and discarded. He regained respect while falling from grace—and through that respect, earned even more. He will leave, yet never truly be gone. His name is David Beckham." (Excerpted from World Soccer)
"Your long passes, curve, set pieces, and foot power have all improved."
"Your right-foot ability has been significantly enhanced."
"When executing a long pass, there's a high chance of triggering the 'Long Pass Guidance' effect, greatly improving accuracy. There's also a smaller chance of activating the 'Header Lock' effect, boosting a teammate's chance of scoring with a header."
"During a match, on your third free-kick attempt, you'll automatically trigger the 'Banana Free Kick' effect, dramatically increasing your chances of scoring directly."
!!!
GOAT!
Beckham's generosity was unbelievable.
He'd given Su Hang his ultimate weapon!
This was a friend worth having.
When people talked about Beckham's transfer to Real Madrid, most saw it as a commercial triumph.
But in footballing terms, his individual spotlight faded.
He was, to some extent, overshadowed by the Galácticos.
If that first Galácticos era had achieved more, would people have viewed Beckham's move differently—beyond just its commercial success?
Stat increases:
Long Pass: 81 +1
Curve: 72 +3
Set Pieces: 85 +3
Foot Power: 78 +2
Right Foot: 5 +3
Now that's what you call an epic upgrade.
Beckham had given Su Hang an epic power-up.
The numbers themselves weren't the key—the real impact was in the massive boost to his right foot.
It went from a 5 to an 8!
A dominant right foot rated 5?
Among professionals, that's just average.
Not just among forwards—average even when you include midfielders and defenders.
Which means… for a forward, that's below par.
Shooting, passing, dribbling—all these depend on your dominant foot.
Two players with identical stats but different strong feet will perform very differently.
Many players who occasionally score wonder goals but often trip over themselves belong to that group: "great stats, weak dominant foot."
But a dominant foot rated 8? That's excellent even among top forwards.
That single upgrade alone was enough to raise Su Hang's entire game by a tier.
Just like ball sense, it boosted every aspect of his play.
And don't forget—Su Hang already had Rivaldo's "Left-Footed Prodigy."
His left foot equaled 70% of his right foot's strength.
So after Beckham's boost, his left foot reached level 6!
Just his left foot was now stronger than his old right!
And when both feet are strong, one plus one is definitely greater than two.
Su Hang had just ascended to another level!
...
On May 15th, the Italian Olympic Committee appointed Rossi as interim administrator of the Football Association.
Soon after, Juventus stock plummeted 10% on the Milan Stock Exchange before trading was halted.
The head of the FIGC's Investigative Office, Papa, and his assistant both resigned.
Rossi then nominated former Milan prosecutor Borrelli as the new head of the investigative office.
The Calciopoli scandal continued to spiral, dragging in more and more participants.
Across Europe, clubs large and small were holding meetings—
some to discuss how to respond to the scandal, others to plan how to profit from Serie A's collapse.
Meanwhile, at Real Madrid, the focus was clear: the Champions League final—just two days away.
"We've already analyzed Ronaldinho, Eto'o, Deco, and the others. Given how Barcelona structures their attack, I have to say—our current backline can't stop them."
Simon led the tactical meeting.
The mood was grim.
The truth was hard to deny—
Ronaldinho was a bug in human form.
Unstoppable.
"Su Hang, what do you think?" Simon asked.
"Huh? Me? I…" Su Hang looked caught off guard.
Simon sighed.
Didn't you ask me to call on you?
Now you're pretending to be surprised?
"Alright then. Since the coach asked, I'll just share a few thoughts."
He walked up to the podium and clicked the remote.
More than forty slides filled the screen.
Zidane rolled his eyes.
You call this "a few thoughts"?
That presentation must've taken weeks!
In truth, everyone already knew Su Hang's influence on the team's tactics.
But no one talked about it openly.
If word got out, people would gossip.
After all, tactics were supposed to be the coach's domain—not the players', especially not the captain's.
Su Hang already held enough authority; he couldn't be seen as running everything himself.
He was still young—and if he became a one-man show, where would that leave the veterans?
Soon, Su Hang began breaking down Barcelona's tactics piece by piece.
At first, the team only half-listened.
But as he went on, everyone grew increasingly stunned.
Tiki-taka!
Su Hang named Barcelona's style "tiki-taka."
And his breakdown was incredibly systematic—this wasn't just talk.
"Ball control, rapid short passing, coordinated movement, triangular passing… these are all core elements of Barcelona's play that we can't disrupt," Su Hang said, flipping to the next slide. "But the key weapon that makes their dominance possible—high pressing. Frontline pressure."
"That's what we have to break."
"And we can break it. Because we have what was once the greatest brain in world football! As long as he helps with distribution from deep, and the others stay active in support, Barcelona's high press will achieve nothing but burning energy."
As he finished, Su Hang dragged a player icon into the defensive midfield position.
Everyone's eyes immediately turned toward the bald man on the screen.
No way.
That's insane!
He wanted a technical midfielder to play as a holding midfielder?
And not just that—a lone holding midfielder?
Even if that idea made tactical sense, that player would never agree to it.
After all… it was Zinedine Zidane.
After a brief silence, Zidane finally spoke.
"I have no objections."