The God of Football starts with passive skills

Chapter 78 Leading Figure - Wang Shuo! A Major Change in the Bundesliga! The Strongest Passive Skill: Foundation! Dortmund's New Captain!

Wang Shuo spent Christmas in Mainz.

Lina Gerke will definitely be going home for Christmas.

Wang Shuo followed her car south to Mainz.

Besides Zhao Yifan, several other players from Huai Ren Football School also gathered in Mainz.

Although their current situations are different, some, like Wang Shuo, have become famous, while others have not yet found a suitable team.

But in a foreign land, this group of young people with football dreams came together to spend Christmas.

For three days in a row, Wang Shuo spent time with them, going out for sightseeing and talking about football and the future...

Although Wang Shuo is fundamentally different from them, much of his experience is still very valuable to them.

At least in Wang Shuo's view, most of the young players in the Bundesliga and Bundesliga 2 are not much better than their teammates at Huai Ren Football School, and may even be worse.

Don't overestimate the level of young players in the Bundesliga and 2. Bundesliga.

The reason why people used to have the illusion that they were very strong was mainly due to survivor bias.

It's very simple; anything that can be disseminated domestically through the media must be newsworthy.

Those are naturally some very talented stars, such as Thomas Müller or Schürrle.

However, it should be noted that talented young players like Schürrle, Thomas Müller, and Marko Marin are extremely rare in the Bundesliga and 2. Bundesliga.

Looking across Germany, how many outstanding young players are there?
But how many young players do they need each year in the Bundesliga and 2. Bundesliga?
Zhao Yifan originally didn't have much confidence.

But Wang Shuo paved the way for him and helped him integrate into Mainz. Now he is the core player of the second team and has gradually gained confidence. He also agrees with Wang Shuo's words.

They are no worse than most of their peers in the Bundesliga and 2. Bundesliga.

Where does the difference lie?
Wang Shuo believes that one issue is tactical awareness, and the other is that they haven't played enough matches.

Football is a skill that requires practice to master. No matter how much you train, if you don't experience the test of real matches, you'll still get nervous on the field, and nervousness will prevent you from performing to your full potential.

Therefore, Wang Shuo believes that the most important thing for them is to be patient. As long as there are matches to play, they should play more matches, familiarize themselves with and integrate into the European football environment, and gradually improve themselves.

The players at Huai Ren Football School all come from impoverished families.

This is not surprising.

Which wealthy family's child would be willing to be sent to a remote place like Huai Ren Football School to receive this kind of closed management and training?

They are all brothers who have played football together for many years. Wang Shuo assured everyone that he would do his best to help them if they needed anything while they were playing in Europe.

Just like this house in Mainz, Wang Shuo is still paying the rent.

Wang Shuo also paid for many of his teammates' expenses during the trial period through Thomas Essien.

"This Christmas was the first time I was involved in a collaboration between a top team like Borussia Dortmund and the community and fans. I really realized that we have so much to learn."

"But we can't develop slowly like them and spend a hundred years accumulating experience."

"Times have changed. Look at Japan and South Korea. They didn't take that many years, but their football level has improved a lot, hasn't it?"

This is actually the same principle as the "leapfrog development" in economic development.

You can't follow the old path of Europeans. You have to keep pace with the times, find the right path that suits China's national conditions, learn from the advanced experience of Europeans, and formulate a complete football development system that suits China's characteristics.

Here's a simple example.

Jiang Pengju and his team are working on developing school football and community football.

good or not?
very good!
This is laying the foundation, which will take a long time.

Coach Gao has been saying that he is waiting for the right opportunity to make a second comeback and finish the second half of the professionalization process that he didn't complete last time.

This is going to be a league!

That's absolutely right.

Wang Shuo has personally experienced the benefits and advantages of industrialization.

But there is actually another very important thing.

confidence!

We need to instill confidence and determination in everyone to improve Chinese football.

At this stage, given the current slump in the domestic football atmosphere, the most important thing is to rebuild confidence!

Strengthen the foundation, promote reforms, and boost confidence!

Wang Shuo believes that as long as they take a three-pronged approach and persevere, there is still a chance.

When will we have to wait?
Without a doubt, this group of people was Gao Huai-ren's source of confidence!

With their success in Europe, Gao Huai-ren has more confidence and hope in the country!

As a leader, Wang Shuo's success has brought more confidence and hope to everyone!

……

Wang Shuo woke up as dawn broke, spurred by his biological clock.

The familiar ceiling, the familiar bedroom furnishings, the familiar sheets and bed, and the woman sleeping soundly beside me.

They returned to Dortmund from Mainz last night.

Lina Gerke was thinking about Wang Shuo. After spending Christmas with her family, she rushed over to Mainz to find Wang Shuo on the afternoon of the 26th.

After meeting with Zhao Yifan and others and having dinner, they returned to Dortmund.

This Christmas, Germany was particularly cold.

However, the winter break is particularly short.

Due to the 2010 South Africa World Cup, all leagues had to shorten their schedules.

The German Football Association announced early on that it wanted to give the national team more time for training, so the winter break this year was shortened.

The normal winter break used to be six and a half weeks, but this year it's only three and a half weeks.

Bild reports that this is the shortest winter break since 1978.

With the winter break shortened, the team's training camp will have to be brought forward.

Teams including Freiburg, Borussia Mönchengladbach, Stuttgart, and Nuremberg all began assembling on the 27th.

This was unimaginable in the past.

Of course, it's even more difficult for leagues like the English Premier League, which don't have a winter break at all.

Like most teams, Borussia Dortmund chose to assemble on New Year's Day.

This will give us two weeks of winter training.

As in previous years, this year's winter training camp saw seven Bundesliga teams, including Borussia Dortmund and Mainz, choose the southern coast of Spain, while four teams opted for Turkey.

Both Bayern Munich and Werder Bremen received invitations to commercial matches, so they went to Dubai.

Wolfsburg, on the other hand, was invited to South Africa.

Hoffenheim, Bayer Leverkusen, Hannover 96, and Bochum chose to stay in Germany.

However, many teams are worried that playing games too early, especially in bad weather, could increase the risk of injuries.

Around Christmas time is the peak season for various lists and rankings to be released each year.

This year is no exception.

Kicker magazine has compiled some key statistics for the first half of this Bundesliga season.

For example, the past half-season saw the fewest shots on goal in the Bundesliga in nearly 20 years.

They interviewed numerous head coaches, including Löw, Klopp, Rangnick, Labbadia, and Magath.

Almost everyone agrees that German football's tactical style is undergoing a huge transformation.

If last season saw Klopp's Mainz, Rangnick's Hoffenheim, and Labbadia's Leverkusen play the roles of spoilers and dark horses, then it was a game-changer.

This season, the tactical style led by these three dark horse teams has begun to become the mainstream in the Bundesliga.

High-intensity pressing and pressure, launching rapid and decisive counter-attacks in the shortest possible time after winning possession.

This tactical concept is becoming a tactical trend in the Bundesliga.

In the first half of last season, the Bundesliga scored 462 goals, but this season there have only been 418, a full 10% less.

Kicker magazine believes that this trend is what brought about the changes.

Does a low number of goals and shots mean the game becomes dull?
No, quite the opposite.

Kicker magazine provided very detailed interviews with fans from various regions and teams, along with their analysis and summaries, all of which unanimously agreed that although there were fewer shots and fewer goals, the game was not dull; on the contrary, this style was highly praised.

"Bundesliga fans really love this passionate tactical style."

"Among them, Borussia Dortmund received the support of most neutral fans!"

"Westfalenstadion has become a match venue that most neutral fans long to attend in person."

"The fervent football atmosphere and the passionate football have made Westfalenstadion a new temple!"

But there are exceptions.

That's Bayern Munich.

The University of Münster has released a research report on the football industry in the Bundesliga this season, and even in European football as a whole.

The article emphasizes that positive interactions between fans and players are disappearing.

This manifests itself in the fact that when the team is behind or even loses, the fans start booing!

This would be a huge blow to any team.

The result is that the home advantage is gradually weakening.

In the first half of the season, out of 153 matches, the home team had 58 wins, 48 ​​draws, and 47 losses.

This is the lowest home win rate in Bundesliga history, and the highest away win rate ever.

The most typical example is Bayern Munich.

Van Gaal has been booed by fans at the Allianz Stadium since the start of the league season, something unimaginable in the past.

While other Bundesliga teams are focused on high-pressing and rapid transitions between attack and defense, Van Gaal's Bayern Munich remains committed to attacking and possession.

"Of course, a strong, high-quality squad gives Bayern the confidence to make choices that are completely different from other Bundesliga teams!"

The fierce competition has resulted in the veterans finding themselves in increasingly dire straits.

Before 2010 even arrived, 32-year-old Italian striker Luca Toni announced his transfer to Roma.

The conflict with Van Gaal was certainly a reason, but Gomez's arrival was also a catalyst.

But age is the most important factor.

The reason Wang Shuo noticed this news was that after the transfer, Luca Toni's annual salary shrank from 1000 million euros to 180 million euros.

And then there's Ruud van Nistelrooy of Real Madrid.

It's no secret that Real Madrid wants to sell and Van Nistelrooy wants to leave.

The biggest obstacle, however, is his annual salary of 500 million euros after tax.

No club is willing to pay such a high annual salary for a 33-year-old center forward.

Is the club short of money?

Actually not.

Forbes, a leading financial magazine, has just released its global club value rankings, evaluating clubs based on factors such as historical performance, revenue, player transfer fees, and fixed assets.

Three football clubs are in the top 10: Manchester United, Real Madrid, and Arsenal.

Despite Arsenal's consistent pursuit of a top-four finish and their tendency to sell their captain, they don't seem to be that poor.

In this list, only one Bundesliga club made it into the top ten football clubs: Bayern Munich.

The Bundesliga giants are ranked 5th among football clubs.

This also made Wang Shuo realize the cruelty and ruthlessness of professional football.

The powerhouses remain constant, but the star players come and go.

When you're doing well, of course all teams are chasing after you.

But once you're no longer able to keep going, well, sorry, Tony and Fanny are cautionary tales.

Wang Shuo deduced from these news reports that the Bundesliga is becoming increasingly competitive.

The most direct feeling is that there is more and more physical confrontation.

With their rise last season, many teams have been using the same tactics when defending against Dortmund and Wang Shuo this season.

Close-quarters combat and decisive fouls!

With that thought in mind, Wang Shuo closed his eyes again and entered the God of Football System.

……

After accumulating points through the past period of competition, Wang Shuo has accumulated a total of 107 passive points.

In addition, he equaled Gerd Müller's record of 20 goals in the first half of the season, a record that had stood for over forty years, and was awarded 50 points by the system.

He now has a total of 157 passive points.

According to Wang Shuo's recent allocation, part of the money is used for drawing prizes, and part is used for upgrading.

Upon entering the God of Football System and arriving in front of the giant soccer ball, Wang Shuo saw that among the twelve pentagons, only the last one remained dim and without luster.

To be honest, he's feeling quite uneasy right now.

I wonder if this last passive skill actually enhances physical strength and combat ability?

After a period of exploration, [Shengxi] focuses on recovery, health preservation, and anti-aging.

Wang Shuo felt that with the combination of [Life Rest], [Damage Reduction], and [Breathing], he should have no problem coping with the entire season through high-intensity running and confrontation.

He now needs to not only upgrade his existing passive skills and continue to strengthen his own abilities, but also explore further and break through the ceiling.

This refers to the domain skills that have been upgraded from intercontinental level to world level.

This should be a huge breakthrough!

The only obstacle is the 500 passive points.

Not to mention there's a legendary tier above that, which costs 1000 points to upgrade each time—it's insane!
Wang Shuo was somewhat doubtful as to where he had gotten so many passive values.
Fortunately, he is only 19 years old, so he has plenty of time and can take it slow!
Thinking of this, Wang Shuo invested 50 passive points, and the giant soccer ball slowly began to spin.

Even though there's only one pentagon left, they're making such a big fuss about it.

That's totally the style of a rigid, old-fashioned cadre!
Wang Shuo thought to himself, "This is ridiculous."

Finally, the football stopped, and the last pentagon was instantly lit up.

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

"Foundation?"

What the hell?
"Foundation: Increase muscle density, optimize neural recruitment, and strengthen connective tissue."

"No increase in muscle mass?"

When Wang Shuo saw this message, he felt somewhat disappointed.

He was hoping to unlock a passive skill that would transform him from his current skinny self into a powerful, muscular man that would make women drool.

But now it's clear that's not the case.

Also, why are there more and more technical terms in the passive skills of this God of Football system, making them increasingly difficult to understand?
Is it rigorous? Or just a bluff?

Wang Shuo thought of the previous [life-giving] concept.

After this period of time, through his subtle discussions with Professors Oliver Bartlett and Andreas Schlumberger, he came to the conclusion that it was absolutely amazing!
Leaving aside the body's recovery ability, let's not even mention the optimized metabolism.

The idea of ​​slowing down telomere reduction is absolutely amazing!

But it was precisely this technical term that Wang Shuo couldn't understand at all.

Now, the "foundation" is using this tactic again!
Increasing muscle density is the easiest to understand.

Within the same volume of muscle, higher density results in more solid muscle.

The benefits of more solid muscles are also obvious.

It means an increase in strength.

Wait a minute, isn't this just about increasing strength and combat effectiveness?

Although Wang Shuo isn't a professional, he still understands these basic facts.

This one point, while not directly increasing muscle mass and not turning you into a muscle giant, does improve strength, resistance, and jumping ability.

Thinking of this, Wang Shuo immediately thought of another huge benefit.

Yes, flexible!

Everyone knows that for football players, strength and agility are inversely proportional.

In other words, the stronger your physical strength, the less agile you will be.

Putting aside other things, Cristiano Ronaldo of Real Madrid, while at Manchester United, quickly improved his physical strength and adaptability to the Premier League.

What's the cost?
Cristiano Ronaldo has transformed from the flamboyant young Ronaldo into the concise and direct Ronaldo we know today.

Many of the technical moves he used to excel at, his delicate footwork and ball control, are no longer there.

why?
Because building muscle will inevitably slow down the pace of development and affect flexibility.

[Foundation] Improves muscle density.

Does that mean that Wang Shuo doesn't need to have that much muscle to achieve the same muscle-building effect as others?
If that's the case, then can his speed and agility be guaranteed?

Isn't this exactly what countless professional players dream of: enhancing physical strength and competitiveness without sacrificing agility?
More importantly, the muscle lines are more even, and the body contours are more refined. This is really great for Wang Shuo, who values ​​his appearance and is prepared to rely on his looks when he gets old!

Do not believe?

Go take a look at the thighs of those professional players.

To increase strength, which player doesn't develop big, muscular thighs?
This is not good-looking at all, okay?

Having figured this out, Wang Shuo suddenly felt that the [Foundation] was practically tailor-made for him!

That's fucking amazing!

While enhancing muscle strength and combat effectiveness, it also retains Wang Shuo's speed and agility.

Are there any drawbacks?
Of course there is, but you have to build muscle yourself.

But is this a problem for someone like Wang Shuo, who is known for his high-scoring papers?
"I have to send it!"

Wang Shuo was extremely excited.

……

"It's not even dawn yet, and it's so cold outside. Why are you going out to train so early?"

Wang Shuo got out of bed impatiently, and Lina Gerke woke up.

When she pulled the blanket over her body, leaving her delicate pink shoulders exposed to the air, Wang Shuo felt an urge to push her back onto the bed.

But he finally endured it.

control!

You must exercise restraint!

I'm the man who's going to win the European Golden Ball!
"The second half is about to begin, and I need to prepare in advance," Wang Shuo said with a smile.

When he came out of the bathroom after washing up, he found that Lina Gerke was already dressed in sportswear.

"Wait for me, I'll go with you," she said, her heart brimming with joy.

"Can you come too?"

"Don't underestimate me! We also need to exercise and stay in shape."

After washing up and putting on their warm down jackets, the two left a few minutes late.

The streets outside were wet, and the snow on both sides of the road had not yet melted.

Wang Shuo took out his phone and posted a tweet.

Speaking of which, there's something quite strange.

His Twitter account is pretty boring; he basically posts one message every morning when he leaves the house.

But the number of fans is growing.

More and more fans are even checking in with him in his comment section every day.

"Actually, you should post more content, such as training, competitions, or anything else, just a few words."

As the two ran side by side, Lina Gerke offered words of encouragement.

Wang Shuo nodded; he was also learning how to interact with netizens and fans.

But it must be said that in terms of social skills, he is really not as good as Lina Gerke.

Not long ago, he watched Lina Gerke on a German television program. Her eloquence was truly excellent, and she was very humorous.

Lina Gerke told him that it was all about practice.

With more experience, more exposure, and more learning, you'll gradually learn it.

However, one thing is true.

She's quite fast.

Wang Shuo initially slowed down to accommodate her.

Later, seeing that she could keep up, I sped up, and unexpectedly she followed the whole way.

It wasn't until near Strobella that she started to fall behind.

The security guards were also surprised when they arrived at the training ground.

Unexpectedly, Wang Shuo came to practice more right after Christmas.

He was also surprised to see Lina Gerke brought along.

After getting their autographs and taking photos, they were then taken to the gym.

"I really want to show all those guys outside who say Wang Shuo isn't good enough for Lina that they're a perfect match, and their relationship is so good."

The security guard muttered enviously to himself behind them. For single people, German winters are just too cold!
……

Professor Andreas Schlumberger arrived early and resumed work.

Wasn't the winter break shortened?
The team will regroup on January 1st and head to the southern coast of Spain for training. They need to prepare in advance and develop a training plan, especially physical conditioning training.

Klopp takes this very seriously.

If we're not careful, the Klopp syndrome could be resurfaced in Dortmund!
Wang Shuo was also somewhat surprised to see Professor Schlumberger, but he immediately ran over to ask him questions.

"Neural recruitment ability is actually quite simple."

"We all know that muscle contraction generates force, right?"

Wang Shuo nodded; he knew this.

"Let me explain it to you like this: if we think of the brain as a general, the muscles in the body as the soldiers under the general's command, then the nerves are the command system of this army."

"When your brain issues a command, the nervous system begins to make precise adjustments. For example, when jogging, it mobilizes the slow-twitch muscle fibers in the body, while when sprinting, it recruits a large number of fast-twitch muscle fibers."

"Therefore, the stronger your neural recruitment ability, the faster you can mobilize and recruit soldiers, the more soldiers you can mobilize and recruit, and the higher the accuracy will be."

Wang Shuo suddenly realized.

This means that his starting speed and sprint speed can be faster.

The power he unleashes in an instant will be even greater.

Change of direction, sudden stop, and turning techniques will be smoother and more precise.

Wang Shuo also realized another meaning from Professor Schlumberger's words.

It consists of fast-twitch muscle fibers and slow-twitch muscle fibers.

As the name suggests, fast-twitch muscle fibers contract quickly, have strong instantaneous explosive power and great strength, but are prone to fatigue.

Slow-twitch muscle fibers are the opposite; they contract slowly, have weak burst power, and are not very strong, but they have high endurance and are not easily fatigued.

If we use track and field as an analogy, fast-twitch muscle fibers are suitable for sprinting, while slow-twitch muscle fibers are suitable for marathons.

Everyone has these two types of fibers in their body, just in different proportions.

Cristiano Ronaldo's African heritage is said to have a higher proportion of fast-twitch muscle fibers, which is why he can sprint so fast.

Wang Shuo wondered if increasing muscle density meant he could not only be faster and more explosive than before, but also run longer.

Add to that the ability to optimize neural recruitment, and this passive skill becomes truly terrifying!

That's practically the strongest passive skill!
Professor Schlumberger clearly had no idea what Wang Shuo was thinking, and he continued to try to explain.

"Connective tissue is the link between muscles and bones; it is the transmission system."

"Strengthening connective tissue makes the transmission of force more precise and efficient, while also enhancing the protection of vulnerable areas such as ligaments, joints, and tendons."

At this point, Professor Schlumberger suddenly hissed, "Wang, why have you suddenly become so interested in fitness and human science lately?"

He forgot how many times Wang Shuo had asked him related questions.

He was even more studious than his students at university.

Is this still a professional player?

“I’m planning to apply to the university where you teach and become your student,” Wang Shuo said with a smile.

Unexpectedly, Professor Schlumberger's eyes lit up. "Sure, as long as you're willing to come, I'll approve your admission and guarantee your graduation."

joke.

Although Goethe University Frankfurt, where he plays, has a prestigious reputation, it was still willing to give the green light to a well-known football star like Wang Shuo.

"By the way, you probably don't know this yet, do you? Jürgen is a graduate of our Goethe University Frankfurt."

"What?" Wang Shuo was very surprised.

That slovenly, bearded uncle, did he also graduate from university?
"It's quite surprising, isn't it? He completed his studies while playing football, and he studied sports psychology in the Department of Sports Science."

Wang Shuo really didn't know this.

I'd never heard anyone mention it before in Mainz.

"Truly... appearances can be deceiving!"

"Think it over carefully, and feel free to contact me anytime," Professor Schlumberger said warmly.

Wang Shuo nodded in agreement without hesitation.

If I could really get a college degree, wouldn't it be much easier to find a job after I retire?
Ugh, pshaw!
Am I being too spineless?
Having already reached 11th place in the Ballon d'Or, why would he worry about finding a job after retiring?

Although professional athletes have short careers, as long as they can make a name for themselves and earn money, and as long as they don't squander it, they should have no shortage of food and drink after retirement, right?

If all else fails, become a coach.

Of course, having more skills is never a bad thing.

It would be great to have the opportunity to learn something at university.

Wang Shuo started playing football at Huai Ren Football School at a young age, and he still had a heartfelt and beautiful hope for going to university.

After seeing Professor Schlumberger off, Wang Shuo and Lina Gerke rested for a while.

He took the opportunity to re-enter the God of Ball System and directly invested 100 passive points into the [Foundation].

"Use 50 passive points to upgrade the passive skill [Foundation] from Class Level to Region Level?"

"Yes!"

"Use 50 passive points to upgrade the passive skill [Foundation] from the regional level to the national level?"

"Yes!"

Nima!

I'm going to see how good the effect really is.

He had a strong feeling that physical confrontation would no longer be his weakness!

As for how much improvement he can expect, he needs to study it further.

I took advantage of the winter break training period to carefully understand and thoroughly master it.

……

Borussia Dortmund's training camp in Spain remains in Marbella, next to Malaga.

Many teams from Germany and Northern Europe hold their winter training camps here, so it's very lively, and there's no need to worry about not being able to contact teams for friendly matches.

Before the team headed south, Klopp arranged for each player to undergo a very detailed physical examination.

After arriving in Marbella, the team began intensive winter training.

As Wang Shuo observed before the season, Klopp had anticipated the team's injuries and the players' physical exertion from the outset.

So far this season, Dortmund has had two seriously injured players: Kehl, an injury-prone veteran, and Dede, a seasoned player.

To some extent, the team's injury management is quite good.

Of course, this is related to the fact that the average age of Dortmund players is only 23 years old.

With so many young players on the team, they recover quickly and are naturally less prone to injury.

But no one dared to be complacent.

Especially with situations like this year's shortened winter break.

On January 15, the second half of the Bundesliga season resumed.

At this time, the temperature in Germany was still very cold, and the risk of injury to the players was very high.

As originally planned, Klopp led the team in a week-long closed training camp in Marbella.

During this period, they mainly engaged in high-intensity physical training.

However, no warm-up matches were held.

Instead, after returning to Germany from Marbella, they played a friendly match against Red-White Allen, a team near Dortmund.

Yes, it's the team that Reus and Grosskreutz played for.

It is said that this was the result of discussions among Klopp, Buvac, Professor Schlumberger, and Bartlett, among others.

They believed that playing friendly matches in Marbella was not very effective and that it would be better to play them directly in Germany.

The temperature was a bit cold, but the players were able to adapt to playing in such cold weather.

Wang Shuo had no objection to this.

He spent the entire winter training period familiarizing himself with the new passive skill, [Foundation].

Especially this time, he was promoted directly to the national level, so he needs to adapt properly.

During the winter training period, he went out once to visit Mainz.

Zhao Yifan also went south with the team for winter training.

Moreover, the two clubs were located not far apart, so he took some time to visit them.

However, when he met Tuher, he still didn't mention Zhao Yifan at all, and only chatted about their recent situations.

In the first half of the season, Mainz ranked 9th in the Bundesliga, and their overall performance was actually quite satisfactory.

Of course, it's definitely worse than last season.

It's slightly worse than Hoffenheim's 7th place.

However, considering the transfers of Wang Shuo, Feulner, and Subotic, Tuchel's performance is still quite impressive.

Mainz's management is also very pragmatic and highly praises Tuchel's coaching achievements.

However, during his time in Marbella, Wang Shuo saw several of his former teammates who had fought alongside him leave Mainz.

He even left the Bundesliga.

First was Baljak, the Serbian striker who played alongside him in the 2. Bundesliga, who went to Duisburg in the 2. Bundesliga for 150,000 euros.

Gunkel was a favorite of Klopp, but now he has gone to Koblenz in the second division for 5 euros.

Veteran striker Van der Heyden transferred to Club Brugge in Belgium on a free transfer.

Pekovic transferred to Fiat in the German second division as a free agent.

"We have to compete on three fronts in the first half of the season: the Champions League, the German Cup, and the Bundesliga, which is why they need to stay."

"But now, we finished bottom of our group and were eliminated, and we've also been knocked out of the German Cup. All that's left is the Bundesliga, and we don't need that many players."

Tuchel, on the other hand, seemed quite relaxed about it.

The person in charge of orchestrating this layoff—or rather, personnel restructuring—was Christian Heidel.

Given Tuchel's personality, he didn't like getting involved in this kind of thing.

By letting go of five or six players at once, Mainz was able to save a considerable amount of salary expenses.

Although they finished bottom of their group in the Champions League, the revenue was substantial.

Overall, Mainz made a fortune this time.

It just seems a bit cold-hearted.

But there's nothing we can do about it.

Not just Mainz.

Do you know how many players Magath's Schalke 04 has in their first team right now?
This is something many people probably wouldn't expect.

There were a total of 34 people!

What's outrageous is that while Magath was calling for streamlining the squad, he signed four or five players during the winter break, resulting in a very bloated first team.

From another perspective, this may also be another form of cruelty.

"In the world of professional football, being bad is the original sin!"

Before saying goodbye, Tuher gave Wang Shuo a reminder.

"So, if you don't want to become a sinner, and you don't want to be eliminated, the best way is to become stronger!"

"Only by constantly becoming stronger and stronger can you maintain your foothold on the court!"

Wang Shuo thought of Tony and Van Nistelrooy.

They were once the pride of heaven, but when they grew old, they too lost their dignity.

Perhaps Zidane was right.

But not everyone can be Zidane.

……

On the afternoon of January 16, at the RheinEnergieStadion in Cologne.

In the 18th round of the Bundesliga, Borussia Dortmund will play away against FC Köln.

In the last three rounds of the first half of the season, Borussia Dortmund truly made their mark.

Klopp's team set an example in the Bundesliga with three relentless attacks, convincing everyone that no team is better at starting than Borussia Dortmund.

But Soldo's Cologne also achieved amazing results in the first half of the season.

Despite being ranked 12th in the Bundesliga, they have only conceded 15 goals, tying for 3rd place with Borussia Dortmund.

However, despite having two strikers, Podolski and Novakovic, along with midfielders such as Maniche and Petit, Cologne only managed to score 10 goals in the first 17 rounds.

Bottom of the Bundesliga!

Don't worry.

Of their 10 goals, 3 were scored in the 17th round home game against Nuremberg.

In other words, they only scored 7 goals in the previous 16 games.

How will Cologne cope with playing at home against Borussia Dortmund?
Counter-attack!

Everyone knows this.

Soldo made the same arrangement.

He hoped to stop Dortmund's early attack through a defensive counter-attacking strategy.

As it turns out, they really succeeded.

In the first 20 minutes, they not only thwarted Dortmund's attacks, but also caused Dortmund goalkeeper Weidenfeller to be injured and forced to leave the field.

It was a save in the 21st minute when Weidenfeller fell heavily to the ground.

Substitute goalkeeper Mark Ziegler replaced him in the game.

Everything seemed to indicate that the situation was developing in a way that was extremely unfavorable to Dortmund.

The 5 Cologne fans in the stands cheered excitedly for their team.

Soldo stood on the sidelines with his arms crossed, clearly satisfied with the current course of the game.

The Dortmund players seemed somewhat flustered.

In the first game of the second half of the season, they lost their starting goalkeeper, Weidenfeller, who was also the team captain.

This shook the team's morale.

With the help of the team doctor, Weidenfeller slowly walked off the field. He reached out and took off the captain's armband from his arm, looking at Klopp on the sidelines.

to whom?
Generally speaking, Borussia Dortmund has two captains, one captain and one vice-captain.

The problem now is that team captain Sebastian Kyle is seriously injured and will be out for an extended period.

Vice-captain Weidenfeller maintained a consistently high attendance rate and always wore the captain's armband, to which no one objected.

But who would have thought that Weidenfeller would also be injured now?

Klopp paced back and forth on the sidelines, looking somewhat agitated.

How to do?
Dortmund's current lineup is:
Goalkeeper: Ziegler;

Defense: Schmelzer, Hummels, Subotic and Owomoyela;

Midfield: Sahin and Sven Bender form the double pivot, with Reus, Feulner and Kuba in front;

Forward: Wang Shuo.

In Borussia Dortmund, there is no tradition of determining the captain based on seniority.

In the current squad, Klopp believes there are only three players qualified to wear the captain's armband.

They form the team's central axis: Hummels, Sahin, and Wang Shuo.

Hummels joined the team in 08 and immediately became a key central defender, performing exceptionally well.

Sahin goes without saying; he's a midfield prodigy from Borussia Dortmund's youth academy and should be the most ideal candidate for captain.

Klopp originally felt that either of these two people would be fine with the position.

Hummels is less experienced, while Sahin has great control in midfield but is somewhat weak-willed and less capable of leading the team in crucial matches.

Of course, Hummels wasn't exactly dominant either, just slightly better than Sahin.

But now, Klopp has a better option.

If Klopp were to choose, he would pick Wang Shuo.

Not only because Wang Shuo is the team's biggest star right now.

More importantly, Wang Shuo's desire to win and his ability to inspire his teammates at crucial moments make him a key leader who can lead the team to break through.

However, Wang Shuo only joined the team in the summer of 09, so strictly speaking, he has only been there for half a year and is the least experienced.

Klopp turned to look at Buvac.

The latter had clearly guessed Klopp's thoughts and nodded slightly.

Then he looked at Peter Kravitz, who also nodded.

With that thought in mind, Klopp took a deep breath and immediately stopped hesitating.

Time did not allow him to hesitate any longer.

Try this first!
Besides, he's not the official captain, just the captain on the field.

If other players have any objections, let's discuss them after this match!
Thinking of this, Klopp walked to the sidelines, waved to Weidenfeller, and shouted at the field.

"Your Majesty, come here for a moment!"

All the players from both sides, the Cologne fans in the stands, and countless Bundesliga fans watching the live broadcast on TV witnessed this scene.

"It looks like Dortmund is going to entrust Wang Shuo with an important task!"

"Is Klopp planning to hand over the team captain's armband to Wang Shuo?"

"You know, Wang Shuo only joined Dortmund this summer. Isn't it a bit too early for him to be the captain now?"

"When Bayern Munich made the unprecedented decision to appoint Van Bommel as captain, it caused a huge uproar."

Wang Shuo quickly ran to the sidelines and came to Klopp.

At this moment, the captain's armband that Weidenfeller had been wearing was now in Klopp's hand.

When Wang Shuo came over, Uncle Hu walked to the sidelines, grabbed his left hand, and put the armband on his left arm.

"Wang, don't overthink it. Just focus on playing your best. I believe in you!"

Wang Shuo also did not expect that Klopp would appoint him as the team's on-field captain.

At that moment, he was truly moved.

Since Klopp was willing to trust him and entrust him with important responsibilities, he naturally wouldn't refuse.

"Don't worry, leave it to me!" Wang Shuo patted Klopp's arm, then turned and ran back onto the field.

Wang Shuo felt a little awkward and wasn't used to the new thing suddenly appearing on his left arm.

He even felt that the captain's armband was a bit heavy.

But when he ran back onto the field, Feulner was the first to run over and give him a high-five and a hug.

"Keep it up, brother!"

At the crucial moment, it was his old buddies from Mainz who stood by him.

Kuba also ran over to give Wang Shuo a high-five and a hug.

Next were Sven Bender, Subotic, Owomoyela, and others.

Reus and Schmelzer were further away, but they still made a special trip over.

Sahin and Hummels also ran over to shake hands and give high-fives to Wang Shuo.

Goalkeeper Ziegler clapped his hands forcefully, called out to Wang Shuo, and then raised his hands high.

Gaining the approval of his teammates gave Wang Shuo unprecedented confidence.

"OK!"

"Brothers, hurry up! We need to score a goal as soon as possible!!"

"come on!!"

Everyone immediately cheered in unison.

Only then did Klopp on the sidelines secretly breathe a sigh of relief.

He made the right choice.

Wang Shuo is usually unassuming and doesn't fight for anything; he even voluntarily gives up his penalty kick rights to others, especially Sahin.

But this does not mean that Wang Shuo has no status in the locker room.

On the contrary, some people have built their status step by step by working diligently without competing or vying for anything.

Choose Sahin?
It may not convince everyone.

The same applies to choosing Hummels.

But Klopp believes that choosing Wang Shuo is definitely the right choice!

On the pitch, led by Wang Shuo, Dortmund continued their attack on Cologne.

(End of this chapter)