"Robinho should be starting. He deserved Man of the Match more than Guti in the last game... Raúl has contributed so much to Real Madrid, but his individual ability has clearly declined now, both at club and national level..."
In Real Madrid's gym, a TV was broadcasting local news.
Su Hang and Modrić were on the bench press.
Kompany and Sergio Ramos stood beside them—Sergio Ramos counting reps, Kompany ready to grab the bar if Modrić failed, preventing any weight room accidents.
"That's enough. Modrić shouldn't continue. He hasn't put on enough muscle yet, and overtraining will just get him injured."
Following guidance from Su Hang's team, Modrić stopped.
Su Hang, however, kept going, and Kompany soon joined him.
They hadn't even finished warming up.
After a while, everyone headed to the training pitch.
Capello was planning to run a series of passing-and-moving drills today.
But not even thirty minutes in, he exploded.
Robinho kept refusing to release the ball on time, choosing instead to show off a dozen different pieces of fancy footwork.
You had to admit—it was dazzling.
But for a strict pragmatist like Capello, it was torture.
He tore into Robinho on the spot, shouting at one point, "I'd rather chop off your legs than watch you waste time with these useless tricks!"
If he said that today, he'd be attacked by every rights organization in existence—not to mention the public.
Back then, though, it was considered normal.
And it was clearly just an emotional outburst, not a literal threat. Treating it as anything more would be pointless.
When training ended, Robinho was devastated—and a little scared.
Capello had warned him that if he didn't change these habits, he wouldn't use him at all.
Meaning Robinho might struggle just to make the squad list.
As captain, Su Hang naturally had the responsibility to comfort him.
"Robson, your talent is undeniable. But this is Real Madrid."
Su Hang patted his shoulder and sat down beside him.
"Everything you can do, Zidane can do too. But after he came to Real Madrid, he stopped showing off those moves. Even his Marseille turn—he barely uses it anymore."
"This isn't Barcelona. This isn't a place for players to flaunt their skills."
"The Bernabéu has never lacked players with incredible individual ability. But this is one of the biggest red carpets in football. Even the biggest stars only get so much time to shine here."
"Compared to Ronaldinho, Real Madrid needs role players—team players."
"As long as you're willing to give everything for the team, you'll always have a place here."
"But if you want to be the brightest star on this stage, then your competition isn't just the opposition—it's your own teammates: Raúl, Van Nistelrooy, Beckham, Zidane... even me."
Seeing Robinho torn between understanding and frustration, Su Hang raised a fist to encourage him.
"First become an irreplaceable part of Real Madrid. Then you can become the brightest star on this red carpet."
"You're a smart guy. The right path is right in front of you. You have no reason not to choose it, right?"
In truth, Su Hang was speaking from experience.
He had started as a blue-collar worker for the team, became part of Real Madrid's identity, and only then broke out as a superstar.
Robinho nodded repeatedly, accepting Su Hang's words.
From then on, he would focus on efficiency, restrain his urge to show off, sprint more for the team, and deliver more assists.
...
On August 24, the Champions League group draw was announced.
All of Madrid erupted in celebration.
They had been placed in a dream group.
The four teams were: Real Madrid from La Liga, French champions Lyon, Dynamo Kyiv from the Ukrainian Premier League, and Steaua Bucharest from Romania's Liga I.
The gap between the first two and the last two was enormous.
Real Madrid and Lyon were practically guaranteed to advance—Real Madrid almost certain to top the group.
August 25, Stade Louis II, Monaco.
The UEFA Super Cup officially kicked off.
This 20,000-seat stadium had been hosting the Super Cup since 1985.
The participants: last season's Champions League winners, Real Madrid; and the UEFA Cup champions, Sevilla—both La Liga teams.
Real Madrid's starting lineup:
Su Hang, Van Nistelrooy, Raúl
Zidane, Emerson, Beckham
Roberto Carlos, Cannavaro, Sergio Ramos, Cicinho
Casillas
It was essentially the same starting XI they had already settled on, except Emerson was now playing as Defensive Midfielder, taking Diarra's spot.
This was the advantage of big-name, high-value players.
Truthfully, Real Madrid needed a pure Defensive Midfielder like Diarra more. But Emerson had to be given chances—only when he truly failed would Diarra be used.
Fairness had nothing to do with it. There has never been true fairness in this world.
On Sevilla's side, their Right Back Alves—once signed for just €600,000—had grown from a young prospect into a near-star.
Last season, he was named UEFA Cup Player of the Season and attracted interest from numerous giants.
Rumor had it Liverpool were one step away from signing him with an €8 million offer, but Sevilla rejected it.
Their strike partnership consisted of Luis Fabiano and Kanouté—two strikers who would go on to earn widespread recognition later in their careers.
Fabiano had played for Porto the previous season, but after his mother was kidnapped and only rescued two months later, the trauma drove him to leave Portugal.
This match held special meaning for Sergio Ramos.
He had once been a Sevilla player—the prince of the Local group.
The summer he left was filled with tension and friction between him and the club.
Thankfully, Su Hang intervened, helping him navigate the PR crisis and part ways peacefully.
Thanks to that, Ramos's family wasn't targeted by fans, and he avoided a complete fallout with them.
From then on, Sergio Ramos willingly became Baby Ramos at Su Hang's side, following him everywhere.
With the referee's whistle, the match began.
Fourth minute: Roberto Carlos overlapped with Su Hang on the left, then laid it back to Zidane. Zidane struck a left-footed cross.
Van Nistelrooy rose high for the header—
but it drifted just wide.
Eighteenth minute: Zidane threaded a through ball.
Su Hang drifted wide, took on defenders with a string of stepovers, and though he couldn't shake Alves, he found the angle, used his body to shield the defender,
and whipped in a cross.
Van Nistelrooy met it with another header, but Sevilla's keeper saved it.
Helpless, he gave Su Hang a thumbs-up, then rubbed his head in frustration.
Van Nistelrooy's heading ability was elite, but since arriving at Real Madrid, he always seemed to be missing that tiny spark to finish chances.
Just like the purple gourd—the moment the female met the male, it stopped working!
So...
Van Nistelrooy glanced at Su Hang.
Was this fate?
Was the real protagonist of this era not me, Van Nistelrooy, but... Su Hang?
...
(35 Chapters Ahead)
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