Dominating Football with Perfect Ball Control

Chapter 460: 460. The Inevitable Experience of a Professional Player

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”May I ask Lance, you are already a decorated player crowned with five titles, the core player Atlético Madrid relies on the most... Regarding the final championship, the last piece of the sextuple winner puzzle, the Club World Cup, do you have confidence in winning it?”

”Of course, our whole team is ready.”

On the television screen, 19-year-old Lance was full of youthful energy, and his captivating smile had surely charmed countless Spanish beauties.

His sharp and imposing aura matched Lance’s consistent character.

With the system backing him, Lance had achieved so much at such a young age; he was brimming with confidence!

At that time, Atlético Madrid fans firmly believed that no matter how many players left or how much their team’s form declined,

as long as Lance was there, he could lead the team to victory.

Lance had even defeated the mighty Barcelona, and that 1-on-5 game-winning goal was etched as the fondest memory for all Atlético Madrid fans.

The moment he led the team to lift the trophy at the Bird’s Nest Stadium,

was also the hottest news topic across society at the time.

With 5 out of 6 achievements secured,

Atlético Madrid only needed the Club World Cup to replicate Barcelona’s miracle and become the world’s second ’sextuple winner’.

Such a glorious achievement was naturally the shared expectation of everyone.

Many Atlético Madrid fans had already started opening champagne,

the Club World Cup?

It was the cup competition with the least prestige.

To call oneself the best club in the world, the skill levels of clubs across major continents were actually uneven.

The top players were all in Europe, giving the King of Europe a dimensional-reduction strike advantage over champions from other continents.

Therefore, the Champions League winner only needed to play 2 matches.

One semi-final and one final.

Clubs from other continents had to fight their way up from the qualifying rounds.

The Club World Cup was scheduled for December 2016,

with participating clubs including AFC Champions League winner Kashima Antlers, Oceania champion Auckland City, CONCACAF champion Club América, African champion Mamelodi Sundowns, South American Copa Libertadores champion Atlético Nacional,

and Champions League winner Atlético Madrid!

Was there any suspense?

Absolutely no suspense!

At least when Atlético Madrid won the title in early August, that’s what the fans thought.

Looking at the TV hanging from the ceiling of the hospital room,

Lance also thought the same way at the time.

But looking around,

Lance hadn’t expected to be lying in a hospital room a month later.

An achievement that every professional player is bound to encounter!

Injury Achievement 1/1!

Completed!

In reality, Lance had previously faced some injury crises.

Including a check-up at the hospital during his time at Bayer Leverkusen,

and a brief two-week rest due to a soft tissue contusion in his first season after joining Atlético Madrid.

To Lance, these were insignificant minor issues.

However, this time,

Lance was not so lucky.

”Earthquake! Atlético Madrid Core Injured, Out for at Least 4 Months! Champions League Winner Suffers Consecutive Setbacks at Start of New Season!”

”La Liga Standings Bottom? Team Completely Exposed After Losing Lance.”

”Winless in Three Games Again! Atlético Madrid’s Season is Over.”

Looking at the news push notifications on his phone, Lance couldn’t help but give a wry smile.

How did things turn out like this?

...The incident dates back to the first round of La Liga.

On August 15th, the entire Atlético Madrid team had just lifted their 5th trophy of 2016 at the distant Bird’s Nest Stadium.

The very next day, Atlético Madrid had to fly back to Madrid to welcome the opening match of the 2016-2017 season.

The La Liga opener,

August 20th,

Atlético Madrid vs. Alavés,

a newly promoted team from the Segunda División that no one had heard of.

No one would have thought that this unknown Alavés would finish the season in 9th place in La Liga,

transforming from a promoted side into a La Liga powerhouse.

Even less likely was that Lance, who led Atlético Madrid to boundless glory and almost swept every title,

would fall in this match.

Lance himself hadn’t expected this.

Perhaps this year had been too smooth,

no matter how dire the situation, he could always turn it around.

The Champions League Final 0-4 deficit, the desperate situation in the European Cup, the two-goal deficit in the UEFA Super Cup, the opening deficit in the Spanish Super Cup... Lance even, for a moment, believed he was a god!

He was quite pleased with himself.

”Lance, your recent physical examination report shows you are overly fatigued. Is your training load too heavy?”

”I feel fine, Coach. I can manage.”

”Alright. If you have any issues, tell me immediately. Don’t push yourself too hard.”

”Don’t worry, I know.”

Simeone nodded; he didn’t think much of it.

Because Lance had always been the most perfect player, without any flaws.

This 19-year-old boy was too mature,

he had been perfectly healthy throughout the entire past season, so surely nothing would go wrong?

The slight warning in the report probably meant nothing.

Although Atlético Madrid was traveling back and forth, the whole team was exhausted, but they could push through it.

However... less than 10 minutes into the first half of the opener,

Lance was battling against the newly promoted opponent.

Lance, anchoring the forward line, had learned to utilize physical strength in confrontations.

Cannavaro’s Muscle Memory was very useful.

Goalkeeper Oblak sent a long clearance, and Lance intended to contest the ball in the forward area, aiming to launch an attack to help Atlético Madrid secure an opening win.

Victory could absolutely boost morale,

and perhaps Atlético Madrid could restore their form from last season.

But it was during this seemingly insignificant aerial challenge that Lance headed the football. The moment he landed,

he felt his knee collide with his opponent’s,

followed immediately by intense pain in his knee,

nearly causing Lance to black out!

”[Substitute Paper Figurine]! Where is the [Substitute Paper Figurine]?!”

Damn it?!

As Lance fell to the ground clutching his knee, he desperately searched his system inventory with his remaining willpower, but he couldn’t find the [Substitute Paper Figurine] item at all!

He still had over 2,300 Silver Coins,

but Lance hadn’t drawn any cards to replenish his stock!

He had become too complacent recently,

Lance never thought about fully utilizing his items!

As a result, he was dumbfounded at the critical moment.

”F*** it!!!”

Lance wished he could slap his past self from a week ago awake.

He was only a five-time champion, hadn’t even won a Ballon d’Or, so what was there to be arrogant about!!

The more successful he became, the more he won the Champions League and the European Cup, and the more the world praised him,

the less Lance valued the system.

He even neglected drawing cards with Gold Coins and Silver Coins.

He always assumed his own strength was enough to cheat his way through everything!

Now, Lance was paying the price for his choices.

If he wanted to experience the life of a true professional player?

He had to endure injuries!

One day later, in Madrid, at La Paz Hospital.

The examination report from Spain’s top sports injury hospital was released.

The news was terrible: a torn meniscus, Grade 2 damage, conservatively estimated absence of 3 to 6 months!

After the injury was announced, the world was shaken!

Lance was immediately sent to the hospital for surgery after receiving on-site treatment from the team doctor.

His agent, Mendes, rushed to the scene immediately,

and instructed the hospital to spare no effort, using the best experts and medical resources to save Lance’s left knee; money was not an issue.

With the help of ’money power,’ Lance would have no residual injury concerns and was guaranteed a full recovery.

But in the minimum of 3 months he would miss, Lance was definitely out of action.

So now, in October, Lance had just completed one month lying in the hospital,

and he could only watch news about Atlético Madrid’s continuous decline, the team’s morale being scattered, and Real Madrid and Barcelona fiercely competing for the title.

”The La Liga title is probably out of reach. No matter what, I must hold on until the Club World Cup!”

The sextuple winner was just one step away!

Late at night, in the luxurious private hospital room,

Lance’s eyes shone brightly like daylight!