I changed football.

"Leonardo, what exactly are you struggling with?"

After the training session, Yaldin returned to his office and was about to go in to rest when he was stopped by a voice behind him.

Jardine immediately recognized the voice as that of his good friend and assistant coach, Irola.

Irola Fernandez called out to Jardim from behind.

"Leonardo, we need to talk."

Yaldin turned around and raised an eyebrow: "Alright, let's talk."

He turned and walked into the office, and then the two of them sat on the sofa.

Irola was very familiar with her old friend. Although they were friends, they were actually in a superior-subordinate relationship, with the head coach and assistant coach in charge.

Irola spoke first: "I think Lee and Killian have performed exceptionally well. They are fully capable of starting. In fact, I'm not quite right to say 'capable,' they've surpassed the original starting lineup. What reason is there not to let them start?"

Yardin waved his hand: "You don't understand, this has nothing to do with the club—"

Before he could finish speaking, Irola interrupted him: "All I know is that the two have already signed professional contracts, and their physical condition is not a big problem. Lee is very good and can play the full 90 minutes without any problem. The physical trainer has already told me that. Killian is a little less capable, but he can play 75 minutes without any problem. If you are going to reject it because of these things, then that is the real problem."

"The root of the problem isn't here. I know they're both very good, but this season's tactical setup isn't like this. We were originally playing a 4-3-3 possession-based game, with Bernardo playing on the right wing as a wide attacking midfielder. This way, he could participate in the playmaking, and Bakayoko, Moutinho, and Fabinho could all play. But if Li Yuan and Mbappe both play, the midfield becomes unmanageable. This is just one of the simplest problems; there are many more."

"Honestly, is it really necessary to be this upset about only three of these four players starting?"

"How can I not be conflicted? I was the one who strongly advocated for Fabinho to be converted to defensive midfield, and he has indeed played quite well. However, if he plays defensive midfield and we also need to bring on Li Yuan and Mbappe, then only two of the other three players can be on the court. This is a loss for my tactics!"

"Why are you still fixated on your tactics? You're not Guardiola, you don't have his resources and treatment. All you need to do is win, and on top of that, play a little more attractively. That's all. But right now you're not playing attractively, and you're still not winning. The fans are criticizing you, and the management talked to you a few days ago, right? You've been with the team for so long, are you really going to be fired just because of your performance this season?"

After a pause, Irola continued, "You're too caught up in this to see the true nature of the situation. Essentially, you're just a coach, not management. Your job is to win and achieve the established goals. If you insist on tactical stuff, you'll lose your job, and all of us will be unemployed with you!"

Jardim sighed helplessly and said, "Maintaining tactical consistency is what the head coach strives for; you wouldn't understand."

Irola almost blurted out a curse, but she held back and continued, "It's good that you have ambition and tactical persistence, but it also depends on reality. Take Guardiola for example. He wanted to implement his tactics in Germany, and it went well at first, but he didn't perform well in the Champions League semi-finals. Bayern Munich still played their traditional tactics. Guardiola is already the most steadfast in his tactics, but he can also change them. Are you more famous than Guardiola? Can't you change your tactics?"

"You know what? I've been under a lot of pressure lately. The media keeps talking about this, and that's not all. Mbappe's agent's mother keeps giving interviews to the media, and the club's management told me that Mbappe is the future of the club and we absolutely cannot let him go. This—"

Looking at the disheveled and agitated Yaldin, Irola almost laughed in exasperation.

"We're all following you. Even if I get fired in the end, I can just find someone else to be my assistant coach. Being a head coach isn't easy, but there are assistant coach positions everywhere. But if you leave Monaco, do you think you'll ever find another opportunity to coach in one of the top five leagues? Focus on the present first, then think about tactical pursuits. And honestly, Leonardo, your tactical pursuits are nothing."

After saying that, Irola pushed open the door and left.

Yaldin was left alone in his office, still lost in thought.

If Li Yuan had overheard this conversation, he would have realized that Jardim at this moment resembled many of the head coaches he had ever met.

They have their own tactical goals and are unwilling to adapt.

For example, Amorim insisted on playing with three center-backs and refused to change the formation. When the higher-ups asked him to change the formation, they actually won the game. But in the next game, he insisted on switching back to three center-backs and lost. Wasn't that stupid? In the end, he was sacked. But the problem is that Amorim believed that his insistence was the right thing to do.

The result is that he may never be able to coach a big club like Manchester United again.

A head coach who lacks ability but insists on his so-called coaching philosophy will be quickly eliminated.

Jardim is clearly not such an extreme coach, otherwise he wouldn't have still fielded Li Yuan and Mbappe.

So when Yaldin finally figured it out after thinking about it alone in his office for a long time, he made a decision.

If sticking to ideals doesn't work, then let's be a little more worldly for now.

In the 23rd round of Ligue 1 on January 30, in an away game against Angers, who were ninth in the league, he decided to start Li Yuan and Mbappe together.

Once you change your mindset, you suddenly feel like the world has expanded.

After Yardin made this decision, he even felt much better.

That's life. Many times, after you've hesitated for a long time about something, you'll find that it's actually a good thing to do it this way, and you'll feel incredibly relaxed after making that decision.

As Yardin made his decision, Li Yuan received a phone call.

It was Raiola who called.

After answering the phone, I heard Raiola's laughter on the other end.

"Li! You are truly the most special player I have ever met. Everyone says Mourinho is special, but I think you are the most special one!"

Li Yuan was completely bewildered: "What's wrong? What happened?"

"Haha, what's wrong? What could possibly happen? Don't worry, it's not bad, it's good news!"

"Good news?"

"You've landed a spokesperson job!"

"Oh! An endorsement?"

"This is the first time I've seen a player who hasn't even played 10 games in a professional league get an endorsement deal. A milk brand from your country wants you to be their spokesperson, and the price they offered is quite good, 250 million RMB. I've looked into that price; it's a very high price in your country, especially for a young person like you who's just starting out."

"250 million RMB? How can it be so high?"