The perfect midfield: It starts with never passing the ball to Ronaldo.

Chapter 98: Huge signing bonus + maximum salary within the team; Starting to impersonate a center.

Rewind to Mario's China tour, when Wanda Group was in talks with Atlético Madrid about naming rights for their new stadium.

Seeing that Mario, who speaks Chinese and is full of positive energy, instantly ignited the passion of Chinese fans, they came up with the idea of ​​deepening their cooperation.

Once the new stadium is completed, Wanda Metropolitano will have a star player who can speak Chinese, which is something to look forward to.

Although he is a foreigner, this highlights cultural confidence that aligns with policy and helps promote cultural exchange overseas.

Wanda, with its deep pockets, made the arrangements directly.

The signing fee and part of his salary were covered by the group, on the condition that he engage in some business collaborations and that Mario make an annual trip to China.

Of course, the team's head coach Simeone also nodded in agreement, at least Mario's attacking power was a good addition after Falcao left.

Furthermore, the Argentine coach has already come up with a good solution: to have Mario impersonate a striker.

He has more shooting opportunities than a free-roaming forward, but he doesn't have to do the dirty work that a free-roaming forward needs to do. He can fully utilize his long-range shooting and heading abilities, and use the system and Costa to cover up his defensive shortcomings.

During the match, Mario's main task is to be active in the dangerous areas of the attacking third, leveraging his offensive advantages. He can compete for high balls, shoot from outside the penalty area, or serve as a support player to pass the ball back.

After the transition from offense to defense, do not participate in deep defense; symbolically interfere with the opponent's center-backs' passing or block passing lanes to avoid being out of position.

Costa needs to use his body and running to cover a larger area, both as a second tallest player to contest for the ball and to be responsible for pressing in the attacking third, making up for Mario's defensive gaps.

The formation remains the classic 4-4-2 system, but is slightly adjusted according to the offensive and defensive situation.

When defending, the formation changes to 4-4-1-1, with Mario leading the attack and Costa dropping back to the midfield line to assist in the defense, forming a two-layer defensive line. This ensures that there is a pivot point for counter-attacks in the attacking third while maintaining a numerical advantage in midfield.

When attacking, they resumed their parallel formation, with Costa and Mario double-teaming each other, and the full-backs pushing up significantly to provide crosses.

In addition, the midfield protection needs to be strengthened. The double pivot of Gabi and Thiago needs to expand its coverage area, especially to press the opponent's defensive midfielder and prevent the opponent from easily passing through the midfield.

The defense remained compact, denying the opponent space to penetrate through the middle and forcing them to move down the flanks, thus showcasing Atletico Madrid's strong ability to recover from deep runs as full-backs and wingers.

In this way, although the attacking line has a sieve that reduces the intensity of pressing, the defensive density in the midfield and backfield remains unchanged, allowing Atletico Madrid to maintain its tough character and achieve a qualitative leap in attack!

First, there's the efficiency of passing the ball down the flanks.

Mario and Costa can form a twin-tower attack.

Whether it's a sharp drop shot at the front, a high ball at the back, or a triangular back pass, the threat would undoubtedly increase significantly.

Secondly, use Mario's long-range shooting threat to create space.

He can drop back into the midfield area to do what he always does, thereby drawing out the opponent's defenders.

Alternatively, you can follow up from two points, anticipate the ball's trajectory by using Costa's pull, and unleash a powerful shot.

They can also move laterally to the flanks to receive through balls from teammates and finish the attack.

Moreover, although Mario is tall and plays as a midfielder, he is still very skillful with his feet. He can make 7 or 8 points good at short passing combinations in the middle and through balls in the flanks.

In that case, the slight loss in defense is completely insignificant.

Moreover, this season they almost signed local striker Villa on a free transfer, and Simeone even had plans for a three-striker rotation.

The starting lineup against strong teams is Mario and Costa.

Using Costa's pressing and physical duels to strangle the opponent's midfield, Mario was responsible for the counter-attack pivot and set pieces.

Villa is a substitute and can come on in the second half when the opponent's stamina drops, using his agile movement to find opportunities.

The starting lineup against mid-to-lower table teams is Mario and Villa.

Villa's dropping back and linking up play can help break down a tight defensive formation, while Mario's long-range shots and headers are even more effective at breaking down dense formations.

Costa is a substitute and can come on when a stronger attack is needed.

It features both high-altitude bombardment and long-range heavy artillery, as well as Villa's agility and Costa's toughness.

With the cards in their hand, Atletico Madrid's attacking power can be made even more difficult for opponents to defend against. In addition, with Mario being the newly crowned Champions League Golden Boot winner, Atletico Madrid's attacking power can reach a new level in the new season!

Mario smirked as he hung up the phone, realizing that Simeone's tactical design was comparable to that of his uncle during his time at Porto.

Sure enough, those who spend a lot of money are more valued.

A €6000 million buyout clause, a €3000 million signing bonus, a weekly salary of €25, and a four-year contract.

After glancing at the salary details in the document, Mario found Mendes' number in his contacts and dialed it.

Although he's not quite as good as Messi and Ronaldo, he's definitely the top player of his age group and is undoubtedly Atlético Madrid's highest-paid player!

"Jorge, I've made up my mind. I'm going to bring my talent to Madrid!"

"Congratulations on choosing the best club in the world, Real Madrid!" Mendes' first thought was that the young man had figured it out.

"No, it's the one you just emailed me from. Their player director even showed me their sincerity!" Mario quickly corrected his agent while resting in the VIP lounge at Seoul Airport.

"I need to remind you that Atletico Madrid is several levels below its neighbors and Barcelona."

"It's okay if you don't like Real Madrid, Chelsea and Manchester City are both competitive clubs!"

"Their most recent league title was in the 2001-02 season, which was in the Segunda División!"

"As for the La Liga title, that dates back to the 1995-96 season, yes, the year you were born!"

"Now, do you still want to join them?" Mendes offered his opinion, offering gentle guidance.

"Believe me, the Bed Sheet Army is no pushover!"

"They snatched the Copa del Rey title from Real Madrid and Barcelona this season, and they've also won the Europa League twice!"

"And this is also perfect for me to create a new history, leading a brand new team to the top of Europe, isn't that cool!" Mario explained with a smile, knowing the potential of the Rojiblancos after his time travel.

"Get your marketing team ready! I hope the buzz surrounding the city's twin stars derby will surpass the Messi-Ronaldo rivalry!"

"Young man, to be honest, I envy your blind confidence at your age."

"But since you're the boss, I'll make the arrangements. See you in Madrid tomorrow at noon!"

On July 1, 2013, the moment the transfer window opened, Mario's blockbuster deal instantly made headlines.

Multiple media outlets have confirmed that Porto's talented midfielder Mario has landed at the Calderon Stadium, joining Atletico Madrid after winning the Champions League Golden Boot.

On the afternoon of July 1 local time, 19-year-old and 24-day-old Portuguese superstar José Mario Pereira passed his medical examination for Atlético Madrid at a private hospital in the Spanish capital.

It is reported that Atletico Madrid spent €6000 million on the release clause and €3000 million on the signing fee to bring in this phenomenal player who scored 13 goals in the Champions League last season. This price broke the club's all-time transfer record!

Manchester United, Chelsea, and Manchester City were hijacked! Ferguson: We lost to Chinese capital!

In the office of renowned Portuguese agent Jorge Mendes, there are piles of documents from Manchester United, Chelsea, and...

Official offers from Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain.

However, the team that ultimately prevailed was Atletico Madrid, which had never appeared in media predictions before.

A source close to the negotiations revealed that Mario's trip to China led to Wanda Group's involvement in the transfer.

The Portuguese league's five-shield army may follow in the footsteps of Casillas's predecessors.

Inside Cristiano Ronaldo's mansion, he was a little overwhelmed after seeing the news.

I kindly provided you with physiotherapy equipment, and you joined the team next door instead?

Brother, MyBro, there's only one champion in Madrid, don't you know that?!