The God of Football starts with passive skills

Chapter 66 The Wang Shuo Effect! New Skill: Weak Foot! I'm going to crush the two-footed monsters of the Bundesliga! What a magnificent dream!

Mr. 2000 million!
This is a new nickname given to Wang Shuo by the German media after his transfer to Borussia Dortmund.

The transfer has generally been viewed favorably.

Everyone says that transfers are very risky, but Wang Shuo's transfer this time is really quite secure.

Especially since the head coach is the familiar Klopp, which is very important!

The rest depends on how well Wang Shuo and Klopp adapt to Dortmund.

However, some media outlets have expressed skepticism about Wang Shuo's transfer.

Especially some media outlets that are close to Bayern Munich.

Their reason for not being optimistic about Wang Shuo joining Borussia Dortmund is that they rejected Bayern Munich.

Moreover, Rummenigge himself spoke out.

But in capitalist Europe, the market has the most say.

For the past few years, Borussia Dortmund's kit sponsorship has been Nike.

However, due to the poor performance in the past few years, Dortmund's commercial value has shrunk significantly, and disagreements arose between the two parties when negotiating a contract renewal with Nike.

After his contract expired in the summer of 09, Borussia Dortmund had been looking for a new kit sponsor.

Brands such as Puma (a local brand) and KAPPA (from Italy) are on Dortmund's list of potential partners.

After signing Wang Shuo, the collaboration was finally officially finalized.

KAPPA from Italy has officially become a sponsor of Borussia Dortmund.

The specific sponsorship fee was not disclosed, but Watzke, beaming with joy, said when announcing the sponsorship: "We are very satisfied with this partnership!"

The sponsorship agreement is for a period of 3 years.

Incidentally, although Wang Shuo and Klopp left, Mainz's commercial value has increased significantly as the dark horse of last season's Bundesliga, especially with the prospect of playing in the Champions League in the new season.

The jersey sponsorship has changed to an energy company called ENTEGA, with an annual sponsorship fee of up to 500 million euros.

This is certainly incomparable to established clubs like Bayern Munich, Wolfsburg, and Schalke 04.

But in the Bundesliga, they are definitely in the upper-middle tier.

It's worth noting that when Mainz was promoted last season, their sponsorship revenue above the ball level was only 150 million euros.

Werder Bremen is considered a long-established powerhouse, right?

They currently receive 800 million euros annually in sponsorship fees from Citibank.

Borussia Mönchengladbach is only worth 450 million euros.

Not to mention, Mainz's jersey sponsor is Nike.

Christian Haider's business acumen is truly remarkable.

In addition, Mainz's club president, Strutz, also became a director of the German Football Association in the new season, serving as vice president of the German Professional Football League.

A season of dark horse success turned Mainz's fortunes around!
……

Good news keeps coming from Dortmund.

After signing KAPPA as sponsor, Dortmund's season ticket sales have been booming.

It is well known that, not only in the Bundesliga, but also throughout Europe, Borussia Dortmund's football market is famous for its popularity.

But this season is clearly different.

Before the new season training camp has even started, Borussia Dortmund has already sold more than 4 season tickets.

what is this concept?

Borussia Dortmund has set its own season ticket sales target at a maximum of only 5 tickets.

In other words, the season tickets were almost sold out before the team even started training camp.

For other teams, including Bayern Munich, breaking 10,000 is already quite an achievement.

Dortmund practically snatched the ball from us.

It doesn't stop there.

After signing with KAPPA, a brand new set of home and away kits for Borussia Dortmund was officially launched.

The home stadium still features a yellow color scheme, with black stripes on the shoulders and sides of the waist.

The away jersey is predominantly black with dense, fine yellow diagonal stripes.

The new jerseys were immediately snapped up by Borussia Dortmund fans after they were announced.

According to statistics from Twenga, a well-known German shopping search engine, within a week of Wang Shuo announcing his move to Borussia Dortmund, the popularity of Wang Shuo's jersey skyrocketed to the top of the Bundesliga.

It surpasses Bayern's Ribery and Lahm.

He also surpassed Mario Gomez, the homegrown international who had just joined Bayern Munich.

"This proves how warmly Dortmund fans welcome Wang Shuo's arrival!"

But this also brings up a completely new problem.

Wang Shuo has not yet officially decided on his jersey number for Borussia Dortmund.

When he was in Mainz, Wang Shuo wore the number 9 jersey.

But at Dortmund, the number 9 jersey belongs to Valdes.

This Paraguayan striker joined Borussia Dortmund from Werder Bremen in the summer of 06 and has been a key striker for the team ever since.

However, its performance has consistently fallen short of expectations.

Last season was his best season yet.

He scored 7 goals and provided 6 assists in 29 matches.

As a striker's signature number, Borussia Dortmund also hopes that Wang Shuo can wear the number 9 jersey.

After all, before Valdes, the Hornets' number 9 jersey had always belonged to famous European scorers such as Chapuisat, Bobic, and Jan Kohler.

"After Wang Shuo joined the team, Dortmund hopes that Valdes can give up the number 9 jersey like Bobic did back then, which will become another beautiful story for Dortmund."

In the summer of 2001, after Czech striker Jan Koller joined Borussia Dortmund from Anderlecht in Belgium, Bobic, who was then wearing the number 9 jersey, voluntarily gave up his number 9 jersey and changed to number 16.

For the next five seasons, Jan Koller wore the number 9 jersey for Borussia Dortmund, leading the team to victory.

It wasn't until his transfer to Monaco in 2006 that the number 9 jersey was inherited by Valdes.

But it’s clear that over the past few seasons, Valdes has proven himself unworthy of this legendary jersey.

At the very least, he is not a convincing and efficient scorer!
In a previous media interview, head coach Klopp revealed that the reason for selling Swiss striker Frey was that he lacked individual ability and sufficient forward movement.

"Before I decided to coach Dortmund, I spoke with Frey on the phone, and we had disagreements about things like running in the attacking third."

That's why he returned to Switzerland!

Now that Wang Shuo, who is more in line with Klopp's requirements, has joined the team, and Valdes, whose performance in the frontcourt is even worse than Frey's, will probably have to step down and make way for him.

……

Early in the morning, Wang Shuo woke up in an unfamiliar bed.

When I opened my eyes, I saw an unfamiliar ceiling, an unfamiliar blanket, and an unfamiliar bed.

Turning my head to the side, I saw a window without curtains, and the sky outside was just beginning to lighten.

He couldn't get used to staying in a hotel, so he rushed to a nearby shopping mall, bought a bed and mattress, and then a quilt, and moved in.

He has never been a person who has high demands for material life.

For him, the greatest significance of a house is simply having a place to eat, drink, relieve himself, and sleep.

During his time in Germany, Wang Shuo has been studying Borussia Dortmund.

I also watched a lot of Dortmund's match videos from last season.

Compared to Mainz, Borussia Dortmund's strength is clearly much greater.

But compared to teams like Bayern Munich and Wolfsburg, they are still far behind.

For example, goalkeepers.

Weidenfeller is known as a erratic goalkeeper in the Bundesliga, but he is already the best goalkeeper Dortmund has.

The center-back position is currently Dortmund's strongest link.

Hummels, Subotic, and Santana were among the best center-backs in the Bundesliga last season.

The key is that, in addition to their defense, they can also score goals.

Can you believe it?

The three center-backs scored 11 goals.

The two forwards only scored 19 goals.

Therefore, some media outlets made a suggestion last season.

Instead of having three center-backs rotate between two positions, it would be better to put one of them on the striker line.

He might score more goals than Frey and Valdes.

Left-back is also a very strong position for Dortmund.

Brazilian player Dedé needs no introduction; when healthy, he remains one of the best left-backs in the Bundesliga.

Lee Young-pyo got old and left as a free agent.

Dede's substitute is young player Schmelzer, who also performed very well last season.

Owomoyela on the right wing was an unexpected discovery.

Borussia Dortmund had originally pinned their hopes on Rukavina.

Unexpectedly, this 29-year-old former German international, after experiencing the disaster at Werder Bremen, came to Borussia Dortmund.

Although they were plagued by injuries at the beginning of the season, they have been able to establish themselves completely since the end of October.

How outrageous is it?
Since the end of October, Rukavina has not had any chance to play.

Not even a minute.

Utterly disappointed Rukavina was forced to leave for 1860 Munich in the second division during the winter break, and has now become a bargaining chip in signing Sven Bender.

Dortmund's defense, honed by Daum, is quite strong and fits Klopp's requirements well.

Hummels is good at passing, Subotic is an outstanding defender, and Santana is also a formidable player.

These are all elements that Klopp likes the most.

This is something Mainz didn't have before.

The midfield needs no introduction.

Shaheen, Kyle, Sven Bender, Letalek, and Tinga and Klinger.

Brazilian veterans Tinga and Klinger were once key players in Dortmund's three-defensive-midfielder formation, but they clearly don't fit Klopp's requirements now.

Despite Klopp's emphasis on running and pressing in the attacking third, he is actually a technically gifted player at heart.

Simply put, he likes players who are both fast and technically skilled.

Shaheen, Foyle, Hainaur, and others are all of this type.

Given their age and technical characteristics, it is estimated that Klinger and Tinga will find it difficult to continue as starters under Klopp's coaching.

In the attacking third, the main attacking forces are the two flanks.

Polish right winger Kuba had an interesting story to tell last season.

He was injured during the winter break and missed 7 league matches, from the 18th to the 24th.

Borussia Dortmund's record in these 7 league matches is 5 draws and 2 losses.

Wang Shuo had already heard of Kuba when he was in Mainz.

This Polish winger had a tragic childhood.

When he was 10 years old, he witnessed his father stabbing his mother to death, which greatly affected Kuba and even made him stay away from football for a time.

But in the end, he bravely stepped out of the shadows.

This Polish winger is known for his tenacity on the field. He may not be particularly fast, but changing pace and direction are his specialties.

Wang Shuo also likes this kind of passionate teammate!

The most suspenseful part now is the left flank.

Should we use Feulner, Reuss, or Grosskreutz?
There is no definitive conclusion yet.

In addition, Klopp also promoted a talented young player named Mario Götze from Dortmund's U19 team to the first team.

After watching Dortmund's match videos and gaining a better understanding of his new teammates, Wang Shuo genuinely believes that the current Dortmund team has great potential.

The most important thing is youth.

Like Kuba, he's only 23 years old.

Shaheen will not turn 21 until September.

Sven Bender was only 20 years old.

Hummels is 23, Subotic is 20, and Santana is 23.

This is a very young team.

Wang Shuo believes that with Klopp's coaching ability, as long as he can mold this team into the right shape, they will definitely achieve great things!
With that in mind, Wang Shuo entered the scouting system.

When you help Mainz win the German Cup, the system rewards you with a national-level passive skill card or 150 passive points.

Wang Shuo chose the latter.

He now has 174 passive points.

The current passive skills are: Intercontinental level [Breathing], [Ball Sense], [Swiftness]; Regional level [Insight], [Opportunity], [Aura]; Professional level [Coordination], [Eagle Eye]; and a special passive skill [Damage Reduction].

Wang Shuo stood in front of the giant football, took out another 50 passive points, and put them into the draw.

There are still 3 passive skills left to be drawn, and Wang Shuo wants to know what he will be able to draw this time.

As the giant soccer ball spun rapidly and then gradually slowed down, Wang Shuo watched with anticipation throughout.

Finally, at the moment the football stopped spinning, another dim pentagon burst into dazzling light.

"Congratulations! You have used 50 passive points to draw the professional-grade passive skill [Reverse Foot]."

"Reverse foot: Improve reverse foot ability and develop right brain thinking."

When Wang Shuo first saw the message, he was a little stunned.

There really is a passive skill that improves left-foot ability!
But after looking at the information more closely, he was a little confused.

Improving the ability of the weaker foot is easy to understand.

What does it mean to develop right-brain thinking?
Right brain?

Oh, right, the left brain controls the right side of the body, and the right brain controls the left side of the body.

Some people say that the left brain is responsible for logic, language, and analysis, while the right brain is responsible for creativity, spatial awareness, and intuition.

This led to the concept of the rational left brain and the creative right brain.

In the world of football, there is another interesting phenomenon: left-footed players tend to be more unpredictable and more inclined to take risks and be creative, sometimes making some wildly imaginative moves.

Is this what the "God of Balls" system refers to as right-brain thinking?

"So, does that mean I can train myself to become a bipedal monster?"

Wang Shuo felt completely relaxed and happy when he thought of this!

Damn, who can understand what it feels like for a guy whose left leg is almost crippled to play in the Bundesliga, where bipedal monsters are everywhere?
Especially in Mainz's 4-4-1-1 formation, he can play as a lone striker.

One person can cover the entire frontcourt area.

But the result?

My left foot is bad!
Wang Shuo often found himself almost crying from his own frustration.

Oh my God.

Now that's great, with the [Reverse Foot], Wang Shuo can also train to become a bipedal monster.

I'll make you all pay!

Thinking of this, Wang Shuo became very excited.

He had 124 passive points left, and he allocated 50 of them to [Reverse Foot].

After much hesitation, he gritted his teeth and added the remaining 50 points.

"Use 50 passive points to upgrade [Weak Foot] from Class Level to Regional Level?"

"Yes."

"Use 50 passive points to upgrade [Weak Foot] from the regional level to the national level?"

"Yes."

Upon entering the personal attribute panel, Wang Shuo saw the national-level [Inverted Foot] skill prominently displayed in the passive skill section, and he felt extremely pleased.

Since his debut in Mainz, Wang Shuo has always had two major weaknesses.

One is the left foot, and the other is the physical contact.

Now it's all right, I've finally made up for my major weakness in my left foot.

From now on, my left foot is no longer crippled!

As long as you can't roll it to death, roll it to death!
Open up!
Brush your teeth, wash your face, and change your clothes.

Before leaving home, Wang Shuo took out his phone and posted a tweet.

"Friends, I see Dortmund at 5 a.m.!"

……

Leaving Lükelenberg, head north along the metro line.

Wang Shuo has taken the subway in Shanghai.

But Dortmund's subway is different from Shanghai's; it's above ground and integrated with the roads.

Crossing another east-west subway line, you can see the Mercedes-Benz dealership in Dortmund from afar.

Turn right onto a side road opposite, and you'll soon arrive at the training ground for Borussia Dortmund's first team.

Just across a parking lot is the magnificent Westfalenstadion.

When Wang Shuo arrived at the training ground, the gates were still tightly closed.

When I got to the security room at the entrance, I found the security guard lying inside asleep, snoring quite loudly.

knock knock knock.

Wang Shuo gently tapped on the windowpane.

Upon hearing the noise, the sleeping security guard squinted and sat up.

"Who's out there?"

At this time, the sky was beginning to brighten.

The security guard rubbed his eyes, leaned closer, and could see Wang Shuo clearly.

"It's you, Mr. Twenty Million."

"Sorry, did I wake you up?"

Wang Shuo apologized to the middle-aged security guard who opened the door.

"It's alright. You're here to train so early? Nothing's ready inside yet."

The summer training camp has not yet started, the coaching staff has just arrived, and Dortmund is just about to set sail.

"It's nothing, I'm going to the gym to work out, and I'll just do some casual workouts later," Wang Shuo explained.

The security guard, of course, had no problem with it either. "Then you'd better be careful not to get injured. You're our sharpest weapon this season!"

"Thank you."

Wang Shuo smiled and said goodbye to the security guard before quickly running towards the gym.

Watching Wang Shuo's retreating figure, the security guard smiled and nodded repeatedly.

I had heard from the media that Wang Shuo trained exceptionally hard.

It now seems that his ability to stand out from Mainz and become a 2000 million euro man in just one season is not only due to his talent, but also to his relentless efforts.

Wang Shuo had previously visited the first team's training ground, so he naturally knew where the gym was.

After going inside and getting familiar with the environment, I was filled with emotion.

Putting aside everything else, the gym for Borussia Dortmund's first team is much better than the one in Mainz.

Not only are the equipment more complete, but most importantly, it is more advanced.

Some of the equipment was so unfamiliar that Wang Shuo had never even seen it before; it looked like it had just been purchased.

Having spent over a year in the Mainz gym, Wang Shuo heard plenty of complaints from Axel Busenkel.

These devices are actually not expensive.

The real expense is for the people who use these devices.

For example, they are equipped with professional coaches.

Mainz does not have a budget for this.

Despite having the [damage reduction] buff, Wang Shuo has always been quite cautious.

Therefore, he basically only practices with equipment he is familiar with.

He went back to China to rest during this period, and his training was also suspended.

Restarting now feels a bit strange.

Football, in essence, is a skill that requires practice to master.

Practice makes perfect every day; skip a day and you'll waste ten days.

This statement also applies to football.

Therefore, Wang Shuo is constantly reminding himself that he cannot slack off in the future.

However, buying gym equipment for home use is not advisable. It is best to find a suitable gym and continue training every day.

By the time Wang Shuo stopped to rest, more than an hour had passed.

The sun has already risen outside.

"Hello, Wang, you're here so early?"

Just as Wang Shuo was drinking water, a middle-aged man suddenly entered from outside.

He has blond hair, but his body looks very strong.

He was wearing Borussia Dortmund's training kit, but his muscle definition was very clear.

Wang Shuo's mouth watered at the sight.

"Hello."

Wang Shuo stood up. "Excuse me, you are..."

"Oliver Bartlett, Dortmund's fitness coach, this gym is under my management."

"Hello, Oliver, I'm Wang Shuo." Wang Shuo quickly extended his hand.

“I know, Jürgen and Zelik have both told me. They both said you have a nickname in Mainz: the Practice Maniac.” Bartlett couldn’t help but laugh at the end.

Wang Shuo immediately thought of Busenkel.

Needless to say, this nickname must have been given to him by this henpecked husband.

He was starting to miss this guy a little!

“It’s a pleasure to work with you, Wang.” Oliver Bartlett stood in front of Wang Shuo.

“I am British, born in London, studied biology in Australia, studied at the German Sport University Cologne in 91, graduated with a master’s degree in physical education in 96, and then ran a gym in Australia.”

"During that time, I received physiotherapist training in Osnabrück, Germany. Starting in 07, I worked for several national teams, including the German U21 team and the German national team, and I still do now."

Wang Shuo was taken aback.

Holy crap, that's amazing!

It's not uncommon for coaches to hold both club and national team positions.

Because the national team has few competitions and coaches generally cannot offer high salaries, it is naturally unable to attract talent.

Therefore, for many outstanding professionals, the national team often adopts a part-time approach.

For example, you could discuss with the clubs to have a professional work for the clubs during the regular season and play for the national team during national team matches, since their schedules don't conflict.

Oliver Bartlett was pleased with Wang Shuo's surprised expression.

“Jürgen talked to me about you. He hoped I could help you, and I know quite a bit about you, such as how weak your physical strength has always been.”

Wang Shuo nodded.

This is a fact.

"I want to ask you, Wang, tell me, what kind of player do you want to be?"

Before Wang Shuo could answer, Bartlett offered an explanation.

"You know, different goals require different levels of effort from players, and the direction of that effort is also different."

"So, I need to know what kind of player you want to become? That way, I can know how to help you."

After nodding slightly, Wang Shuo raised his head without hesitation and looked directly at Oliver Bartlett.

"I want to be the best football player in the world, Oliver!"

"I'm willing to put in more effort and endure more hardship for this!"

This time, the person who was surprised was Oliver Bartlett.

If Wang Shuo told him that he wanted to become the best player in the Bundesliga, Bartlett wouldn't be surprised.

Because Wang Shuo does indeed possess such potential.

But Wang Shuo's answer was that he wanted to become the best player in the world.

The comparisons are with superstars like Cristiano Ronaldo, Messi, and Kaká.

“What a…great dream!” Bartlett said, somewhat surprised.

Wang Shuo was more ambitious than he had imagined.

But that's a good thing.

For a football player, especially a young player of Wang Shuo's caliber, the most terrifying thing is to lack ambition.

"I need to study this carefully and discuss it with Professor Andreas Schlumberger."

"Professor Schlumberger?" Wang Shuo was somewhat surprised.

"You haven't met him yet, have you?"

Wang Shuo shook his head.

“Jürgen was invited from Goethe University in Frankfurt. He is an expert in sports science, especially in sports rehabilitation and physiotherapy. He also works for many national teams and teaches at renowned institutions such as Goethe University, Regensburg University, and the German University of Health and Sports in Berlin.”

"He is now Dortmund's athletic performance specialist."

Wang Shuo remembered that Klopp had mentioned it before, but he hadn't paid attention.

It has to be said that Klopp is now quite wealthy and powerful.

He jumped from the small pond of Mainz to the large lake of Dortmund, and now he clearly has more resources at his disposal.

Previously, the gym instructors in Mainz were all self-taught, working part-time as trainees.

What about Dortmund?
Bartlett is a national-level expert, and Professor Schlumberger is also a renowned expert and scholar.

In Mainz, it would be virtually impossible to hire someone like that.

But can they really solve Klopp syndrome?
……

When the coaching staff arrived to report for duty, Wang Shuo met Professor Andreas Schlumberger.

Actually, he's quite young, only 43 years old.

But Buvac said he is a very, very senior expert.

Since 07, he has been in charge of almost every youth team in Germany, from the U15 to the senior team.

I'm currently working part-time in Dortmund.

Because he is friends with Klopp, and Borussia Dortmund's president, Raubal, is also the vice president of the German Football Association.

Without these two connections, don't even think about getting him to agree to anything.

Wang Shuo also saw another physical trainer, Florian Wanler, a man in his 80s from Hamburg.

After Klopp took over as manager of Borussia Dortmund, he adopted a dual assistant coaching model.

One was Zelik Buvac, who was in charge of training, and the other was Peter Kravitz, who was in charge of data analysis.

They were all old acquaintances, so Wang Shuo naturally exchanged pleasantries with them upon seeing them.

Klopp then gave Wang Shuo some instructions.

"You are very important to us in the new season. In fact, I have pinned all my hopes for the team to score goals and win on you."

Klopp looked at Wang Shuo with a serious expression. "So, Wang, you must listen to me and not get hurt, understand?"

"Don't worry, I will have them tailor a training and physical enhancement program for you."

Wang Shuo naturally agreed.

Borussia Dortmund will not start the new season with the Bundesliga or the German Cup.

Instead, it starts with the Europa League qualifying rounds.

Starting from the new season, UEFA reformed the UEFA Cup, transforming it into the Europa League.

As the 6th-placed team in the Bundesliga, Borussia Dortmund will need to play in the third round of qualifying matches to secure a place in the Europa League.

There has been no lottery yet.

Another important match was in late August when Borussia Dortmund invited Real Madrid to play a friendly match at the Westfalenstadion to commemorate Dortmund's centenary celebrations.

This is a friendly match meant to please the fans.

Borussia Dortmund paid money to invite Real Madrid to play a match.

After Real Madrid signed stars such as Kaká, Cristiano Ronaldo, Benzema and Xabi Alonso, their overall strength increased dramatically.

Dortmund have very little chance of winning.

But at least we can't afford to lose too badly at home, right?
After all, it was to celebrate the club's 100th birthday.

Therefore, Borussia Dortmund faces considerable pressure at the start of the new season.

As for what tactics Klopp intends to employ, Wang Shuo is not entirely clear either.

……

After finishing his extra training in the morning, Wang Shuo took a shower and changed his clothes. When he went out, he saw a BMW parked under the shade of a tree by the roadside on the training field.

A tall, blonde woman stood next to the BMW, wearing tight jeans that perfectly showcased her incredibly long legs.

Even though she was wearing sunglasses, she still had a really good presence.

When Wang Shuo saw those long legs, he immediately thought of Lina Gerke.

Where is your phone?

When Lina Gerke saw Wang Shuo come out, she took off her sunglasses and went to greet him.

Wang Shuo took his phone out of his pocket and silenced it.

"You know, this iPhone has a one-touch mute function, which I use when I'm training..."

In the end, even Wang Shuo himself felt guilty.

"Why are you here?"

“I happened to be in the area and heard that you moved to a new place, so I came over to see if there was anything I could help you with.”

"So you've been there?"

“I went there, Thomas gave me the address, but the door was closed. I guess you were here.”

Wang Shuo responded with an "oh".

"Let's go, get in the car, let's go home."

Let's go home...

Wang Shuo sensed something was off, but he still followed and got into the passenger seat.

"Are you learning to drive lately?"

"Yes, they gave me two cars, but I still don't know how to drive them."

"What car?"

"Cayenne and Panamera."

"The Panamera is so beautiful, can I borrow it for a while?"

"Sure, I'll call them."

"But I heard that the cars provided by sponsors are only for relatives to use?"

As she spoke, Lina Gerke secretly glanced at Wang Shuo and noticed that he looked a little flustered, which made her smile to herself.

"Never mind, I'll just drive my BMW."

Wang Shuo could only chuckle.

Lina Gerke's career is currently mainly in Austria, and it's just starting out in Germany.

She debuted after participating in Heidi Klum's modeling talent show, so her management contract was also signed with Heidi Klum, and her manager was Heidi Klum's father.

It's a little over 4 kilometers away, but you can get there quickly by car.

Wang Shuo rented a small two-story villa.

It's a spacious apartment for a young couple, with room for at most one more child.

Lina Gerke was very satisfied with the house after entering.

It's just that there's hardly any furniture inside, making it feel quite deserted.

After wandering around for a while, Lina Gerke returned to the downstairs living room.

Are you going to training this afternoon?

"The new season is about to start, and I need to get back into form as soon as possible."

"Then... give me a key to the house."

"What are you doing?" Wang Shuo asked, somewhat surprised.

But when asked, he still reached for his keys and gave her one.

Lena Gerke smiled happily and accepted the key without any qualms. "I happen to be free this afternoon, so I'll help you decorate this place, add some furniture, and that bed is really ugly, and the mattress isn't comfortable either. Let's replace it all."

It's not like you're the one sleeping!
But Wang Shuo also knew that things bought in small shopping malls couldn't be that good.

He made do last night too.

He immediately went upstairs, took out a bank card from his suitcase, and handed it directly to Lina Gerke.

"Just swipe my card when you buy things; the password is my birthday."

“900913?” Lina Gerke blurted out.

Wang Shuo's heart skipped a beat. How could she remember it so well?
"Correct."

"Then I won't be polite. Don't feel bad if I spend it all," Lina Gerke said, waving her bank card with a giggle.

"You will not."

Wang Shuo's words silenced Lina Gerke.

Actually, despite her seemingly extravagant spending habits, Wang Shuo could tell that she was someone who had come from a small town and had a tough life.

Lena Gerke looked around the living room furtively before finally saying, "I'm going to swindle all your money!"

……

In the afternoon, Wang Shuo went back to training as usual.

When he returned to his home in Lükelenberg in the evening, he found Lina Gerke's BMW still parked at the door.

When he pushed the door open, he was completely dumbfounded.

The once empty and desolate living room now has a sofa set.

There is a shoe cabinet at the entrance.

There's also a rather artistic painting on the shoe cabinet.

When he changed his shoes and entered the house, he noticed a bouquet of flowers in a vase on the coffee table in the middle of the sofa.

The entire downstairs space had been rearranged, and he couldn't recognize it at all.

Isn't this amazing?
Hearing a noise from the kitchen, Wang Shuo went over and saw Lina Gerke cooking while wearing a scarf.

"You're back? We can eat in a bit."

"Where did you buy the furniture? How did it arrive so quickly?"

IKEA.

IKEA?

Wang Shuo had never heard of it and didn't know what it was.

“I went to the western suburbs of Dortmund to choose the flowers and had them come over. The flowers were bought from a florist outside the community. I thought they looked pretty when I passed by, and the vase was also from IKEA.”

"Go check upstairs. I've changed the bed and mattress for you."

Wang Shuo went upstairs to take a look and confirmed that everything had indeed been changed.

The overall style looks very simple and unpretentious.

The mattress is very soft to lie on.

"How are you? Are you comfortable?" Lina Gerke asked with a smile as she stood at the doorway.

His tone carried a hint of smugness.

Wang Shuo sat up in bed, nodding repeatedly, "Thank you, it really is very comfortable."

"We also bought a room in the next room, since it's more convenient when guests come over."

"I don't actually have many customers here."

Agent Thomas Essien?

Even if he comes, he'll have to go and stay at a hotel.

If my teammates from China come, they can definitely stay next door.

“I was thinking that sometimes, if I happen to have time to come and watch the game, and it gets late when it ends, I might as well stay at your place for the night.” As Lina Gerke spoke, she secretly glanced at Wang Shuo again.

Wang Shuo hummed in agreement and did not refuse.

And that key, he didn't say he wanted to take it back either.

Lina Gerke simply pretended not to remember.

And bank cards...

This way, there's a chance to make another phone call or come back to return the item.

As she thought about it, the blonde girl felt her cheeks burning.

……

On the first day of July, the Klopp ship officially set sail from Dortmund.

Early that morning, Wang Shuo arrived at the training ground earlier than everyone else, as usual.

The other teammates also arrived one after another.

The team's current captain is Sebastian Kyle.

A top German midfielder.

He took over the captain's armband from veteran Worns in 08.

On the first day of reporting to the team, Kyle was naturally in charge of leading everyone to familiarize themselves with the locker room rules and regulations.

In the locker room, Kyle held a brief welcoming ceremony.

It means leading all the veteran players to welcome new signings such as Wang Shuo, Reus, and Feulner.

Although it was just a formality, the atmosphere was still quite lively.

This was also the first time Wang Shuo had met all his teammates, including Hummels, Dede, Weidenfeller, and others.

After that, Klopp met with everyone, accompanied by his coaching staff.

This step can be omitted for Wang Shuo.

Because he had become familiar with the coaching staff during his extra training sessions over the past few days.

When the new season training camp began, Borussia Dortmund officially announced that the team's season ticket sales had reached 5.

In other words, all season passes are sold out.

This is the first time in so many years for Dortmund!
This is also good news.

Klopp's training is just as intense as it was last year in Mainz.

Especially physical conditioning training.

The goal is to completely drain all the players' energy and unleash their full potential.

But it's different.

The addition of players like Oliver Bartlett and Professor Schlumberger has made Klopp's entire training plan more scientific, and the training and physical conditioning throughout the season will be more rational.

The team's tactics are undoubtedly what everyone cares about most and is most worried about.

Klopp's tactics are advanced, but they are also very unfamiliar to Dortmund's players.

In fact, last season, under Daum's coaching, they used a 4-4-2 formation with two strikers.

What about Klopp?

He now wants to use a 4-2-3-1 or a 4-3-3 formation.

This makes a very big difference.

More importantly, Klopp's tactics heavily emphasize high pressing and quick counter-pressing after losing possession.

Dortmund has very little time to prepare.

The Europa League qualifying rounds are played on a two-legged basis.

Next up is the German Cup, and then the Bundesliga.

The first round is a home game against newly promoted Cologne, followed by an away game against Hamburg, then a home game against Stuttgart, and an away game against Eintracht Frankfurt.

After two weeks of national team training, the fifth round of the Bundesliga will be a home game against Bayern Munich.

The entire process also includes Europa League and German Cup matches.

This is really a fatal blow for Dortmund!
Klopp had no choice but to proceed steadily.

He arranged a total of 5 warm-up matches, all of which were held in the region surrounding Germany.

After the match, they can rest for a few days before the third round of the Europa League qualifiers at the end of July.

Klopp is also very clear about tactics.

The attacking line is mainly led by forward Wang Shuo.

Incidentally, Valdes finally made a concession and "voluntarily" offered to change his jersey number, handing over the team's number 9 jersey to Wang Shuo.

Wang Shuo's extensive running is Dortmund's biggest asset in the attacking third, and also a key element of Klopp's overall tactics.

Dortmund is a level above Mainz in terms of both squad strength and overall ability.

Therefore, Klopp also upgraded the tactics based on Mainz's.

"We want to build the most powerful and indomitable team in the Bundesliga, and even in all of Europe!"

Wang Shuo, as the spearhead, will be followed by three attackers who are good at dribbling and are also relatively fast.

Kuba is on the right wing, that's pretty much a given.

The team originally intended to give the central position to Zidane, but he didn't sign the player, so currently, the most likely candidate is Feulner.

On the left flank, both Reus and Grosskreutz have a chance.

Three players surrounded Wang Shuo, quickly suppressing the opponent through rapid running and passing combinations, as well as excellent execution after losing possession.

Meanwhile, in the two holding midfielders, Kehl is responsible for dropping deep, while Sahin is responsible for passing the ball, orchestrating plays, and making runs forward.

In addition, there are full-backs on both flanks.

This allows for the creation of numerous attacking opportunities throughout the midfield and forward areas, maximizing the numerical advantage.

Because the full-backs are very active in making forward runs, the two wingers on the left and right sides of the front line will actually be closer to the flanks.

In this way, Wang Shuo will be able to get more support.

Only at this moment did Wang Shuo truly understand the kind of football Klopp wanted to create.

In Mainz, limited by personnel and resources, he was unable to fully utilize his abilities.

For example, on the right flank, if it weren't for Schürrle, Mainz's right flank would have been almost crippled.

Feulner on the left wing is not known for his speed or dribbling skills.

But at Dortmund, Reus is very fast, and Kuba is also very fast when he gets going.

Even though Grosskreutz might not be as fast as the other two, his running ability is extremely strong.

This was perfect for Wang Shuo, allowing him to fully utilize his strengths and characteristics.

Of course, Wang Shuo also understood even more why Klopp had always wanted a tall center forward with outstanding running ability.

Because in his tactics, the center position needs to be versatile and able to run.

But how many players in European football can do both of these things at the same time?

Wang Shuo is only a little weak in physical confrontation and head strength, but otherwise he's fine.

Especially after the team resumed training, Klopp and others discovered that Wang Shuo's left-foot ability had improved significantly after more than a year of hard training.

This is a huge surprise and will greatly enrich Dortmund's attacking options.

Another point is that Dortmund's midfield creativity, passing ability, and ball control are far superior to Mainz's.

Not only Sahin and Feulner, but also midfielders like Kehl, Tinga, and Sven Bender possess excellent passing ability and teamwork.

This will greatly improve Mainz's weakness in the middle!

In conclusion, Wang Shuo has high expectations for Borussia Dortmund in the new season.

As long as his teammates can adapt to Klopp's tactics and the team can gel as quickly as possible, Wang Shuo believes that Dortmund this season will surprise everyone, just like Mainz last season.

He himself, on the other hand, needs to rely on his teammates to deliver another outstanding performance!

He is confident that he can definitely compete with Bayern Munich!
Incidentally, Bayern Munich signed Robben from Real Madrid for €2500 million, forming the formidable duo of Ribeiro and Arjen Robben.

With the addition of stars like Mario Gomez, Olic, and Tymoshchuk, and the guidance of top coach Louis van Gaal, Bayern Munich is more formidable than ever before this season!
(End of this chapter)