"Perhaps next summer the club will search the transfer market for a new midfield anchor, but what if they still can't find one? Mr. Calderón is eyeing Cristiano Ronaldo, Kaká, and Robben—none of them are the type of midfielder who can run the entire engine room."
"They're all attackers."
"And Beckham… his contract renewal still isn't done. If he leaves next season, I can't afford to invest limited minutes and opportunities in him now."
Capello had bared his heart.
Su Hang nodded, expressing understanding. He didn't continue pressing Beckham's case—doing so would be inappropriate.
From Capello's point of view, he truly had no obligation to use Beckham.
On top of that, the club wanted Capello to leave Beckham on the bench to pressure him into renewing his contract.
With the manager and club aligned, Su Hang—Real Madrid's captain—couldn't challenge it openly. That would only create internal conflict.
This matter would need to be handled gently over time.
...
That night, Su Hang invited Beckham, Zidane, Raúl, Casillas, and a few other key teammates to dinner.
He deliberately asked about Beckham's renewal situation.
Beckham immediately took the bait, asking whether the club had pressured Su Hang to talk him into renewing.
Su Hang denied it while casually relaying parts of his conversation with Capello—just enough for Beckham to understand:
As your captain, I'm on your side. Even if nothing gets resolved, our friendship doesn't change.
Beckham understood. With their bond, he downed his drink in one gulp.
When everyone else had left, Zidane finally asked, "I noticed David kept wanting to say something but didn't. He's certain he's leaving Real Madrid, isn't he?"
Su Hang nodded. "You're retiring. David's heading to the US. Roberto Carlos is likely leaving too. Next summer will be a sad one for Real Madrid."
Zidane frowned. "Carlos too? Wait—how do you know David's going to the US?"
Su Hang smiled. "Because Americans offered David terms he can't refuse. Actually, have you ever thought about buying a football club in the US?"
"If you have, this might be the perfect chance. We teammates could pool our money together and buy one to play around with."
Zidane perked up. "What do you mean? Anyone can buy one? Will it appreciate? I wouldn't mind playing a real-life version of Football Manager."
"After retirement, I won't have anything to do anyway."
Su Hang: "Not just anyone can buy one—but with David, yes. We invest together to reduce his financial pressure, and our commercial value combined… a smart guy like David wouldn't refuse."
"And if one day you want to coach in the US, Americans will welcome you with open arms."
"As for appreciation—don't even think about it. Leave it alone and in ten years it'll become a blue-chip investment in your portfolio."
Zidane's eyes lit up. "Alright then, count me in. Even though football's center is in Europe, the world's center is America. I'll be spending a lot of time there in the future."
...
On September 17th, La Liga Round 3 kicked off.
Real Madrid hosted Real Sociedad.
Their lineup was:
Raúl, Van Nistelrooy, Reyes
Zidane, Diarra, Emerson
Roberto Carlos, Cannavaro, Sergio Ramos, Cicinho
Casillas
=
With Su Hang absent, Raúl shifted to the left, where he was more effective.
The first half ended scoreless.
But Reyes lit up the pitch with several breathtaking moments—giving Real Madrid fans, used to the simplicity of Emerson and Beckham or the overly flashy yet ineffective style of Robinho, a rare taste of artistic football.
Just after the second half began, Roberto Carlos was subbed off due to injury.
The versatile Raúl Bravo came on.
In the 60th minute, Robinho replaced Raúl.
In the 70th minute, Van Nistelrooy earned a well-positioned free kick.
Zidane and Reyes stood over the ball. Ask a hundred people and all hundred would say Zidane would take it.
So when Reyes suddenly sprinted toward the ball, Real Sociedad's wall didn't even jump.
Result?
Reyes curled a perfect free kick into the top corner—goal!
1–0!
Real Madrid took the lead.
At the 74th minute, Beckham replaced Emerson.
At the 90th minute, Zidane chipped a pass from the left side of the box to the far post, where Beckham smashed a right-footed volley into the net.
Real Madrid finally broke the curse—winning 2–0 without Su Hang.
After the match, an emotional Capello said:
"This might look like an ordinary three points, but for this Real Madrid, it was priceless."
"People have been shaking our confidence, cursing us—and we have now shattered that curse."
"The players followed my tactical plan perfectly. They deserve praise."
"Reyes? His performance didn't surprise me. I knew his ability—that's why I started him. He's an excellent player."
Capello made sure the spotlight stayed on him.
This was, after all, the only match he had won without Su Hang since taking over.
If Su Hang didn't get the credit, Capello certainly would.
Zidane: ????
Real Madrid fans, after this hidden gem of a match, regained confidence.
Of course, Su Hang immediately congratulated the team.
A Catalan reporter tried to provoke him:
"Su Hang, the team won without you. Do you feel disappointed?"
Su Hang: "How could I be disappointed? This is exactly what I hoped for! No one rejects a team that wins."
"As the saying goes: One star alone doesn't light the sky; it takes a whole constellation."
"Since my first game with Real Madrid, I've known I'm surrounded by an exceptional team."
"This team made me grow. My outstanding teammates helped me adapt and become better."
"We've only lost one match this season. Our performance has been excellent. But the media loves to create noise."
"Now everyone can see: even without me, Real Madrid remains outstanding. I'm delighted."
"Real Madrid is not just Su Hang—not just Zidane. That is why we win championships!"
After Su Hang finished, those who understood applauded.
Some even felt the urge to click the imaginary paid courses in the corner: Emotional Intelligence, Humility, Big-Picture Vision, The Power of Teamwork, Leadership, Speaking with Grace…
...