Once a giant club's locker room spirals out of control, it's not something you can fix by scratching lottery tickets or grooming one or two youngsters.
Either the damage lingers for years, or you tear everything down and start over.
Real Madrid once came frighteningly close to that situation.
Luxemburgo's "Americanization" plan, the disintegration of the Galácticos, Calderón's reconstruction project… If not for Su Hang, Real Madrid would have gone through three rebuilds in just five years.
So while everyone praises Su Hang and sings his praises for what he's done for Real Madrid,
only Su Hang himself knows that all that admiration doesn't even amount to one-tenth of his true contribution to this Galácticos squad.
His impact on Real Madrid goes far beyond what anyone imagines.
Though Capello was unwilling, with Su Hang stepping in, he had no choice but to substitute Raúl for Reyes after the team finished celebrating.
Seven minutes later, he replaced Zidane with Beckham.
See that?
Tell me—isn't Capello clever?
Emerson absolutely had to stay on the pitch.
Not a core player, yet they insist on forcing you into the role of a midfield core.
Ask him why, and the answer is always the same:
"It's preparation for next season."
As if he's even sure he'll still have a next season.
In the 81st minute, Su Hang received the ball on the left flank. He feinted a breakthrough, shook off his marker, and then sent a long diagonal pass.
On the right, Beckham controlled it beautifully and immediately delivered a guided long cross.
Raúl attacked the near post and headed the ball.
The ball skimmed the edge of the post and flew straight into the net.
Two substitutes combined to score Real Madrid's fourth goal.
It was also the final goal of the match.
Four–nil!
Real Madrid secured their first back-to-back wins of the season!
They climbed further up the table to fourth place.
Yes, you read that right.
The Real Madrid that once looked invincible and unstoppable had played eight matches across the league, the Champions League, and two Super Cups.
They had already lifted two trophies—
and yet this was their first two-game winning streak.
A classic case of perception being completely out of sync with reality.
Other teams could win eight straight and still not generate this level of pressure or momentum.
The real reason was simple:
Su Hang's eleven goals in three matches were so outrageous that they triggered panic across all of Europe.
Now things felt much calmer.
In this match, Su Hang "only" recorded one goal and one assist—
a massive drop in efficiency.
Across four matches, his total stood at just twelve goals and one assist.
An average of a hat-trick per game.
…
"Ding! Twelve goals in four matches. Your explosive scoring performance has conquered Ruud van Nistelrooy. He admits that even at his peak, he never possessed your level of scoring efficiency."
"If you operated closer to the penalty area, your goal tally would likely increase further."
"Van Nistelrooy is forced to admit that you are more deserving of the title 'King of the Six-Yard Box.' You have acquired the Van Nistelrooy-recognized skill: 'King of the Six-Yard Box.'"
"King of the Six-Yard Box: Legendary Skill. Within the six-yard box, Van Nistelrooy reigned supreme. His instinctive reactions and ruthless finishing at point-blank range always sent the ball into the opponent's net—an ability unique to him."
"Your Attacking Awareness, Heading, Agility, Jumping, and Foot Strength have all increased."
"When you are inside the penalty area, your Shooting ability is enhanced."
"When you are inside the six-yard box, there is a chance to activate the 'Super Tap-In Specialist' effect. When you attempt a shot in any unexpected way, your scoring rate will increase."
???
After the match against Betis, Su Hang received the system notification.
Van Nistelrooy was convinced!
This…
Not bad at all!
Van Nistelrooy's position as Real Madrid's starting striker was officially secure!
Su Hang: Before Benzema arrives, Van Nistelrooy is the biggest boss! I said it! Who's in favor? Who's against?
Thanks to Van Nistelrooy's generosity, several of Su Hang's attributes increased.
Attacking Awareness: 88 +1, approaching the activation threshold of the Star Path.
Heading: 85 +1
Agility: 79 +1. For a player standing 1.85 meters tall with a powerful build, this level of agility was already outstanding.
Jumping: 84 +1
Foot Strength: 83 +1
The only pity was that Shooting and Strength were currently locked on the Star Path, so they couldn't receive bonuses. Otherwise, those two stats would likely have increased as well.
The good news was that the "Super Tap-In Specialist" effect from the "King of the Six-Yard Box" title would be extremely helpful for Su Hang in completing his "Shooting Star Path."
As for the title "King of the Six-Yard Box," it originally stemmed from Romário being known as the "King of the Penalty Area."
As a later-generation striker who was equally dominant inside the box, Van Nistelrooy earned the nickname "Little King of the Six-Yard Box."
Later on, it also came to reflect his terrifying dominance specifically within the six-yard box—his lightning-fast reactions allowed him to finish opponents off time and time again.
So it could also be understood literally as "King of the Six-Yard Box."
Both interpretations had their own logic, and both held up.
After this La Liga victory, the Real Madrid players were given a half-day off.
Even so, some players still voluntarily camped out in the gym and on the training ground, showing no signs of slacking off.
Modrić: You call being kidnapped "voluntary"?
Zidane also joined Su Hang in attending the tactical discussion meeting arranged by Capello with the coaching staff.
Real Madrid's "Su Hang dependency" no longer needed excuses or denial.
Facts spoke for themselves.
What Real Madrid needed to solve now wasn't Su Hang—
it was how to unleash the abilities of the other players.
Zidane shared his view during the meeting:
"Actually, this isn't a bad thing. Having a player who dominates in finishing is a blessing."
"The problem lies in how we use him."
"There are only two paths in front of us."
"One is to build the entire team around Su Hang, with the primary objective being to get the ball to his feet."
"This would be a further reinforcement of his finishing strengths and an expression of absolute trust."
"The advantage is that the other players can focus entirely on defensive duties."
Capello's eyes lit up.
To be honest, this was exactly what he had in mind.
To make it happen, he might switch to a single-striker setup, with Su Hang as the starting center forward.
Van Nistelrooy, Raúl, and everyone else would go to the bench.
What they had been discussing earlier was precisely the feasibility of this plan.
Most of the assistant coaches aligned with Capello supported the idea.
However, Real Madrid's original assistant coaching staff strongly opposed it.
They believed this approach would weaken the team's overall attacking power, reduce goal output, and make the offense dull and lifeless—completely at odds with Real Madrid's identity.
Even if they won matches, they could easily lose the fans' support.
Likewise, Su Hang and Zidane both opposed the decision.
On the surface, Su Hang seemed like the biggest beneficiary of this system, but playing as a lone striker placed enormous demands on a player's abilities. Su Hang didn't have absolute confidence in carrying that burden alone.
Make him a target-man lone striker, and he could do it.
But make him a pure finishing lone striker?
That was asking too much of Big Tiger.
That was Ronaldo's job—not Su Naldo's.
Without support runners, Su Hang couldn't unleash his strongest finishing ability. His close control, ball feel, and fine details still had clear shortcomings.
Support players could cover up those weaknesses.
...
(35 Chapters Ahead)
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