Chapter 107: Chapter 22: Geniuses and Super Geniuses

“We’ve been hit hard with injuries and just changed coaches!”

“The most crucial thing is our Villa didn’t play. If Villa were there, Real Madrid’s defense would have retreated at least 10 meters!”

“Raul’s recent form is indeed good, but compared to Villa, he’s still lacking. Our Villa is very young; in the future, Spain’s top forward will still be Villa!”

Some Valencia fans expressed their opinions online, feeling unsatisfied with the loss in this match. Some even added, “Why is Real Madrid always able to play when the opponents are facing difficulties?”

Some fans didn’t quite understand the meaning, so a Valencia fan specially explained, “It means Real Madrid often plays against the opponent when the opponent’s team is experiencing difficulties.”

These statements from Valencia fans made some Merengues restless, and they responded, “If you lose, admit it, don’t make excuses.” Some neutral fans, also speaking from an objective point of view, said, “To be fair, the schedule is arranged in advance. Can such things really be blamed on Real Madrid?”

“Are you saying that Real Madrid predicted before the schedule started that Valencia’s Villa would be injured in the 10th round and that Koman would be switched in as coach?”

Fans from both sides had some disputes over this issue.

…

Spain, Madrid

In the office, Schuster and Francisco gathered again, following their routine of analyzing upcoming opponents and watching Barcelona’s matches. This match against Valencia served as a strong boost for them.

Why did Valencia lose so badly this time?

Besides Villa’s injury and coaching change, it was also because coach Koman was unfamiliar with La Liga and Chen Zhong.

From the match process, it was evident that Koman lacked sufficient defense against Real Madrid’s defensive midfielder pushing forward and didn’t pay attention to Chen Zhong. Four out of the five goals were related to Chen Zhong.

After this match, Koman’s impression of Chen Zhong should be very deep.

“This is the information on Barcelona.”

“They drew with Valladolid in their last match.”

Upon hearing Francisco’s words, Schuster initially grinned as if to mock Barcelona but quickly recalled that this league’s second-to-last-ranked Valladolid also drew with Real Madrid in the fourth round, so he restrained his smile.

“I remember this young guy.”

“Isn’t his name Bojan?” Schuster pointed at the long-haired boy on the video and said, “He’s already starting for Barcelona?”

“Dos Santos, Bojan, Iniesta, Gudjohnsen.” Francisco recited the four names and then pulled out a document, saying, “If Henry can’t play, then these four are likely to replace Henry.”

“Dos Santos needs some space for sprinting, Gudjohnsen is actually better suited as a midfield substitute, Iniesta has played on the wings but is better positioned in the midfield.”

“Additionally, Barcelona doesn’t have many available players in the midfield, but against Valladolid, Valladolid wouldn’t give Barcelona too much space, which is why 17-year-old Bojan got the start.”

“This is his second start, right?” Schuster tapped his fingers on the table and said, “Last time it was against Villarreal, he started but didn’t score.”

“Yes, Rijkaard sees his scoring ability as valuable, and he complements Ronaldinho and Messi’s characteristics. If he plays, Barcelona almost doesn’t need any additional adjustments.”

“In fact, even though he didn’t score in this match, his performance was very impressive.”

Schuster raised his eyebrows, non-committal, as the Catalonia media openly praised Bojan after this match: “If Ronaldinho saved the team with a goal, then Bojan, this little guy, hasn’t even grown up yet, also brought hope to the club with his performance. His display on the field was outstanding, showing maturity beyond his age.”

“In a few rounds, we’ll face Barcelona.”

“Bojan’s body is slight, Valladolid gave us a good example. As long as we stick tightly to him, he’ll struggle to hold his position and control the ball.” Francisco’s suggestion made Schuster nod as he took out a notebook and carefully wrote down what Francisco had just said.

Schuster is very serious about the upcoming clash with Barcelona, and his notebook is filled with analyses of each player and their recent form. He might underestimate opponents verbally, but he definitely takes them seriously in tactical planning.

It’s unknown if Chen Zhong’s emergence gave some stimulus to Barcelona, but this season they’ve actively provided opportunities to young players; Dos Santos and Bojan are their frontrunners.

…

Spain, Barcelona

Bojan, alongside Xavi, was interviewed by the media following the match against Valladolid. Xavi praised Bojan in front of the media, saying, “He’s a very motivated player; he has speed and strong scoring ability.”

Bojan, however, appeared calm when faced with media inquiries. He spoke up, “It’s unfortunate to only get a draw away, but we must accept it calmly and focus more on Sunday’s game. We don’t need to worry about others, just play our own football. The league has only gone through 10 rounds, and good results will come over time.”

This statement made some fans feel that Bojan has the demeanor of a great leader.

In fact, Bojan did not perform very well in the first half; facing Valladolid’s tight defense, he struggled to keep the ball due to his slender build. But in the second half, as Messi exploded, Bojan also got some chances and showcased his offensive capabilities, demonstrating a good level in dribbling, coordination, and shooting, which gave Barcelona fans high hopes for his future.

During this period, reporters also asked about Chen Zhong, highlighting Chen Zhong’s belief that he is already the best player of his age group, with current targets being Kaka, Ronaldo, and Messi.

Upon hearing the reporter’s question, Bojan’s fist clenched, a flash of anger passed through his eyes, but soon disappeared without a trace. He opened his mouth and said, “I know him.”

“He’s a decent player.”

“I heard he was called a monster in the youth team; I’m quite looking forward to facing him in the upcoming matches.”

This was what Bojan said during the post-match interview, but he regretted it once he returned to his dormitory. He had faced Chen Zhong before in the European Youth Champions League matches; the words he just said felt like they had never met, and surely the media, especially Real Madrid’s mouthpieces, would “criticize” him.

But is he really that strong now?

Bojan has only started a few matches for Barcelona; Dos Santos is luckier than Bojan, but not by much.

Meanwhile, Chen Zhong has fully assumed the role of a starting player. Out of 10 league rounds, he participated in 7, and in the Champions League already 3 matches, showing a peak performance of 6 goals and 5 assists, excluding warm-up matches.

If Dos Santos and Bojan are considered geniuses, then Chen Zhong’s performance can be referred to as a super genius. Only players like Ronaldo and Messi, who are also super geniuses, can secure a starting position at the club at his age.

At 17, Ronaldo appeared 25 times for Sporting Lisbon, scoring 3 goals and assisting 6.

At 18, Messi had his first full season at Barcelona, with 25 appearances, 8 goals, and 3 assists.

Both players, after their first complete season debut, quickly became strong contenders for the Ballon d’Or in just a few years.

If Ronaldo and Messi are expected to be the main characters of the future among the 80s generation, currently among the 90s generation players, Chen Zhong is leading by a landslide. Bojan is also from the 90s generation, but at least for now, Chen Zhong has overtaken him.

“Extra training.” Bojan’s eyes flashed with determination as he walked out of the dormitory towards the training ground.

Witnessing all this, Messi was sipping on a straw, drinking cola. Messi is extremely fond of Coca-Cola, almost to the point of addiction, prompting the club to consider removing vending machines from the club to control Messi’s cola intake.

Watching Bojan’s departing figure, Messi, sipping his cola, had a flash of envy in his eyes.

Is this what having a rival feels like?

Meanwhile, in distant England, at Manchester United’s training base, Cristiano Ronaldo was doing extra training, having realized that his chances of winning the Ballon d’Or this time are slim.

But next time, the next Ballon d’Or.

It will surely belong to me!

Cristiano Ronaldo!

…

Spain, Madrid

In the dormitory at Sports City, Chen Zhong received a call from Negredo. In an excited tone, the old friend from Castilla said, “Chen!”

“My agent told me.”

“Real Madrid is in contact with him.”

“I might be joining Real Madrid!”

Due to Soldado’s previous experience, Negredo has always maintained a cautious attitude towards returning to Real Madrid, not believing he can get many opportunities.

But with Chen Zhong’s sudden rise, some things seem to have changed unknowingly, and how might Negredo shine again at Real Madrid?

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep