Green Dragon

Chapter 27 Ajax's helplessness

2009 7 Month 8 Day.

"Some people may wonder why this year's training camp is two weeks earlier than last year..."

Ajax coach Marco Van Basten immediately entered the formal training session after counting the players.

His eyes flicked slowly over the faces of each player, pausing slightly from time to time, and finally fell on Long Shute: "As a rookie who has just entered the first team, can you answer this question?"

"Uh..." Long Shute didn't expect that he would answer the question like a student when he was 19 years old. He thought for a while and gave his answer, "There was the European Cup last summer, oh , and the Olympics, but this year basically everyone has no national team missions.”

"I'm afraid you're not a good student, Long. You can only get fifty points for your answer." Van Basten shook his head, but he didn't show any displeasure.

The two main forwards Suarez and Suleimani led the players to laugh.

Long Shute smiled awkwardly: "Sorry, coach..."

"Oh, it's nothing, you don't need to apologize." Van Basten's temper seemed to be much milder, "I heard that you gave yourself an extra summer training, so I thought you knew..."

Long Shute looked at him blankly.

After confirming that the newcomer was indeed somewhat ignorant, Van Basten had to reveal the answer himself: "At the end of this month and the beginning of August, we will have the third qualifying round of the Champions League against Sporting Lisbon from the Portuguese Super League. !"

Sporting Lisbon?

Today's Long Shute is no longer what he was when he first came to this world, and he also has some understanding of the mainstream European leagues.

Sporting Lisbon used to be considered a well-known club. Together with Porto and Benfica, they became the three giants of the Portuguese Super League. The new and old kings of the Portuguese national team - Figo, Ronaldo and Nani all started here.

But Portugal is a small country with few people, the market is sluggish, and investment is weak. Sporting Lisbon has gradually become a third-rate team in recent years. It has missed the league championship for 7 consecutive years. .

However, objectively speaking, the current situation of Sporting Lisbon is not even as good as Ajax.

Although the players in the Ajax team are currently only boys in their early twenties, Long Special has already learned from the system that Suarez, Vertonghen, Vermaelen, Van der Wiel and others will be in the near future. They will all transfer to the major European giants at a high price. Even Emmanuel Sen, who is nicknamed the "king of conceding goals on the wing", can go to AC Milan to play the main force. The strength of this group of players can also be seen .

Of course, if the outcome of a football match can be determined simply by relying on the value of the players, then there is no need to hold these matches.

"Our schedule is first away and then host, which is more favorable," Van Basten announced seriously. "The first round is on July 7. I hope to establish a sufficient lead in the first game. For this goal, I need everyone to be able to concentrate and put all their energy into training."
-
Van Basten's wish is of course good, but he has no way to dominate everything.

As soon as he finished speaking, Ajax's defensive core and team captain Vermaelen joined the Premier League giants Arsenal at a price of 1300 million euros...

No way, judging from Ajax's current financial situation, it is impossible for them to do nothing during the transfer window.

In particular, they must retain the main striker in the team, Luis Suarez.

Last season, the Uruguayan striker scored 31 goals in 23 appearances and provided 14 assists for his teammates. He won the league silver boot and the assist king, and has become a hot star in the transfer market.

A few years ago, Ajax's top card would have been directly taken away by European giants, but now the Eredivisie is weak after all, and the gold content of the star seems to have declined accordingly, and the desire of the giants for him does not seem to be so strong .

But even so, in order to keep such a top card, the club will inevitably increase his treatment, and if a new contract is signed with Suarez, other people will inevitably make corresponding demands, and the club will immediately pay more in salary. a big burden...

These all need money.

So they have to sell people.

what?
You said that you can use Longshute to fool Chinese companies into sponsoring?

Do not make jokes.

This is 2009!
A little guy who has just been promoted from the youth team to the first team... What skills does he have to attract Chinese companies?

What's more...not to mention CCTV, in China, there is not even a mainstream satellite TV that broadcasts the Dutch league live!

There are not many Chinese in the Netherlands...

How can there be any publicity benefits? ! -
Perhaps troubled by financial problems, Ajax did not have any significant signings this summer. They only bought the 300-year-old defender Villarte from Twente for 31 million euros. The ultra-low-priced young people are members of the youth team like Long Shute.

It's not that Van Basten doesn't want to buy people. For example, in the forward line, although Suarez is extremely talented, his moody and extremely sensitive personality makes him a hidden powder keg. Besides, a team that wants to succeed It is impossible for a team to have only one top striker.

But the club told him very clearly that there was no money in the account.

If he wants follow-up funds, he must lead the team to overcome obstacles and enter the main match of the Champions League...

So in the past two weeks, the pressure on Van Basten's shoulders can be imagined, and the intensity of Ajax's training can also be imagined.

After just the first day of training, most of the players were about to collapse from his high-pressure training, but... Long Shute was grinning from ear to ear.

Because the more he trains, the more he feels that he has more room for improvement.

He wished he could sleep on the training ground 24 hours a day.

Until fitness coach Reynaldo Landberg talked to him specifically.

"Dragon," the experienced middle-aged coach looked at the player analysis report in his hand and shook his head at him, "Did you not rest this summer?"

"Uh, coach," Long Shu told the truth, "I've rested for three days."

Landberg almost choked to death, he rolled his eyes: "I understand your urgency to play in the first team, but you have to know that a player who doesn't know how to cherish and take care of his body will have a certain career. It will prematurely enter the decline period. Look at these data, the degree of wear and tear of your joints and ligaments, and the accumulation of acid and fat in your muscles have reached a critical point. In this case, even if you train hard, It is also difficult to help your technical improvement, but your body may collapse at any time. If you persist like this, I will suggest that the head coach disqualify you."

Long Shute couldn't help but panic: "How dare you?! I... I'll kneel down for you!"

"Then go to the lounge now, ask John for a full-body relaxing massage, and then take a hot bath. You are not allowed to participate in any ball training this week, huh?" Landberg frowned.

"The day after tomorrow is the warm-up match..." Long Shute opened his mouth.

The other party raised his eyebrows: "Do you still want to hang out in Ajax?!"

"Think, think, think!" He quickly nodded like a chicken pecking rice, "You are the boss, I will listen to you! I will go back to massage and relax, and then I will not train for a week!"

(End of this chapter)