Ground football: Ronaldo thought I was going to assist him

Most importantly, Maxić completely refrained from interfering with any of Materazzi's tactical arrangements. Even when Materazzi asked him to speak, Maxić would always smile and say, "I think your arrangements are excellent, and there are even some parts that I don't quite understand."

This earned Maxiza the friendship of Materazzi.

Could it be that Maxi, a rising star in the Portuguese coaching industry who led Portugal's U15 team to a double championship and was relied upon by his predecessor, Augusto, doesn't understand tactics?

Absolutely impossible!

But he willingly remained subordinate to Materazzi, showing no interest in vying for fame or fortune.

A true master is one who doesn't seek fame or fortune!

Therefore, Materazzi would talk to Maksa about many things, and Maksa would occasionally give him some pointers.

For example, Materazzi really wanted to sign Quaresma.

Quaresma's individual skills are undoubtedly excellent, but his tactical execution is somewhat weak; he tends to hold onto the ball too long. Furthermore, his performance drops drastically when the opponent intensifies their attack.

This is the defect of the ripening products from the Portuguese Super League.

Augusto and Materazzi's teams didn't perform well, largely because Quaresma severely hampered the team's attacking efficiency, and frequent loss of possession also led to defensive crises.

If they replaced the right winger with someone less capable than Quaresma, the team's performance would definitely improve.

Materazzi, having coached a top team in the world's number one league, had long seen through Quaresma's true strength and weaknesses.

He may be a real genius, but he is too young and hasn't received enough training.

The reputation is well-deserved, but the reality is often unworthy of it.

Materazzi's comment that Triguera was good at developing players was a veiled compliment, actually implying that Quaresma, like Duncan and Ronaldo, were products of Triguera's caliber but didn't live up to their reputation.

But Maxa reminded Materazzi.

"The team needs Quaresma to put up good numbers so he can become a superstar," Maxa said.

"But I don't need to be responsible for Quaresma's transfer fee; I only need to be responsible for the team's performance. Otherwise, I'll be the one fired." Materazzi didn't understand Maxa's words.

Maxa laughed and said, "No, Materazzi, you and Augustus are not the same."

Maxiza meant that Materazzi understands tactics better and could find ways to compensate for Quaresma's shortcomings with tactics.

Augustus's old-fashioned tactics were outdated, and he even needed to rely on Maxi's tactical acumen. These two approaches were certainly different.

But Materazzi misunderstood, saying, "You mean that someone like Augusto, an unknown with no resources, can only rely on the team."

"But I'm different. Even if I lead a team to a championship in the Portuguese league, I still can't get the recognition of the mainstream big clubs."

"However, if I have a knack for developing and utilizing young talents, I could very well return to a top club. Shevchenko of AC Milan, Ronaldo of Inter Milan, Simão and Xavi of Barcelona, ​​Raúl and Guti of Real Madrid, and Casillas—they are all still quite young."

"All the top clubs are looking for a head coach who can manage these young superstars!"

"I see!"

"Thank you, Maxa! You have shown me the way forward!"

Materazzi was extremely grateful.

Maxa looked completely bewildered.

What he meant was that Materazzi was a bigger name than Augustus, and he took over mid-season, so the team certainly wouldn't fire him after half a season of poor performance.

Once Quaresma leaves in the summer, you can finally build the Sporting Lisbon you want, right?

How did this all come down to returning to a wealthy family?

……

February 24th.

In the 19th round of the Portuguese Second Division, Moreirense will face Gondoma.

Some people may remember this team; the head coach of Gondomar is none other than Augusto, who was dismissed by Sporting Lisbon during the winter break.

Augusto and Trigár had a major conflict over the position of Sporting Lisbon head coach, and Trigár was relegated to the youth academy after losing the competition.

The media dug up all of these stories.

In a pre-match interview, Augusto also said: "Ronaldo and Duncan were indeed excellent in the youth training, but it is a bit too early to praise them after they have entered the professional arena."

"The same goes for Trigár; he's an excellent youth coach, but not necessarily an excellent head coach. Apart from Maxa, it's difficult for youth coaches to make this transition because the two require completely different considerations."

Augustus vehemently denied it, and he had the right to do so.

But The Record also uncovered a bombshell.

That is, the competition between these two is not limited to the head coach position, but also involves the aspect of "traditional succession".

Record: "It is well known that Augusto especially admires his assistant coach Maxi, who has become a rising star in the Portuguese coaching profession as a result."

"It is understood that several Portuguese league teams have extended invitations to Maxi, but Maxi has rejected them all."

"Some believe that Maxi is waiting for the position of head coach of Sporting Lisbon, while others believe that he could also be persuaded to take the positions of head coach of Porto and Benfica."

"Some also believe that Maxição might want to start his coaching career with the national team. If Portugal doesn't achieve satisfactory results in this European Championship, Maxição could very well take the reins of the national team and begin the first chapter of his legendary career!"

"Sports Lisbon's first-team coach, Materazzi, also highly praises Maxi.

"But actually... Maxa was initially mentored by Trigra; you could say he was Trigra's protégé."

"And Augustus considered himself Maxi's guide."

"Maksa is destined to become a great coach. Whether he will belong to Augustus's faction or Trigera's faction in the future may be one of the core conflicts between Augustus and Trigera!"

"Now that the two are facing off in the Portuguese Second Division, a fierce battle is inevitable!"

Don't you think this is just a coincidence?

Moreover, similar to Quaresma's experience with Sporting Lisbon's first team, Ronaldo has recently begun to feel the pressure in the Portuguese Second Division.

It wasn't just that the opponent's defensive actions against him were too aggressive, or that the referee subjectively condoned the older player's fouls against the younger player.

There's also something about the overall pace and pressure.

Cristiano Ronaldo has overcome some of these challenges, but there are still others he needs to overcome.

This match is a perfect example.

At the start of the match, Gondomar played very aggressively, creating a back-and-forth offensive situation with Morelens.

But Trigla and Duncan had previously studied Augustus's tactics.

Augusto, influenced by Maxi, has become a star player.

The entire Gondomar team's tactics revolve around their number nine center forward.

This led to a winning streak for them after the winter break.

In lower-level competitions, star player dominance is the most effective tactic.

However, this tactic also has significant drawbacks.

I like playing football on the ground: Ronaldo thought I was going to assist him.