Starting as a Defensive Midfielder at Real Madrid

Two straight 2–0 victories, an undefeated start to the league—though the scores and performances weren’t exactly dazzling, Real Madrid fans had begun to accept and even appreciate Mourinho’s version of the team.

After all, as long as the team kept winning, as long as they were stable, fans could tolerate less-than-stellar style of play.

Inside the club, the two victories had also strengthened the players’ confidence in Mourinho’s methods.

At the very least, this last match’s halftime adjustment earned wide approval from the stars in the dressing room.

It wasn’t that they held a grudge against Khedira or the anonymous ”passenger” who had failed to impress again.

It was simple: if a player couldn’t fulfill tactical requirements, especially when still adjusting to the team, then he couldn’t expect to be guaranteed a spot.

At this stage, Li Ang was simply a better fit alongside Xabi Alonso in the double-pivot midfield.

Never mind all the ”oh, everyone likes the Little Lion” stuff.

The real reason?

With Li Ang on the field, everyone else felt more comfortable, more secure.

If Khedira later got his act together and played better than Li Ang, the team would have no problem accepting him reclaiming a starting spot.

That’s professional football. All of them were professionals.

You win your place through merit. That’s how it should be.

After the league game wrapped up, the players didn’t get any time off.

Following a proper night of rest, they were right back at Valdebebas on the afternoon of September 12 for regular training.

In just four days, they would face Ajax at home in their first Champions League group match of the new season.

Ajax wasn’t the strongest opponent, but they weren’t pushovers either. And at home, Real Madrid had to aim for a decisive win to start their European campaign off right.

After the afternoon training on the 12th, Mourinho waited patiently while Li Ang finished his extra work with Alonso. Then, he called him into his office again.

No one knew what they discussed for nearly an hour.

But on the morning of the 13th, when Li Ang appeared on the training pitch wearing a substitute bib, paired with Gago and Granero in midfield rotations, murmurs began.

”Did the talk go badly?”

That question popped up in the minds of several players.

Cristiano even approached Li Ang during a break to ask what was going on.

But Li Ang seemed completely calm. His demeanor gave away nothing—if anything, he put Cristiano at ease.

Alonso didn’t ask at first either. But after training wrapped up and he helped Li Ang finish his post-session routines, he simply said:

”Call me if you need anything.”

Coming from Alonso—someone who normally stayed far from locker room drama—that line meant a lot.

Li Ang was quietly moved.

But truthfully, nothing had gone wrong between him and Mourinho.

On the contrary, it had been Li Ang who requested to train more often with Gago and Granero.

Simple reason: he wanted to keep honing his ability to organize play while on the ball.

And compared to a complete midfield general like Alonso, Gago and Granero—who had more flaws—were actually better training partners for that goal.

When Li Ang explained this logic to Alonso, the older man gave him a strange look.

He understood… but something about it still felt off.

”I’m too good, so my apprentice thinks training with me is too easy. So he learns from me but scrimmages with others.”

Hmm… logical. But still weird.

Gago and Granero might want to strangle the kid if they found out his real reasoning.

As for Alonso?

Well, maybe he was just a little… flattered.

”Alright, stop wasting your energy on flattery. As long as you’ve got a plan, that’s good. If anything’s unclear, call me. You need to study the art of organizing play—review matches constantly. But don’t slack on your defensive training either.”

After a few more words of advice, Alonso finally left the training ground satisfied.

The next two days followed the same pattern.

Li Ang trained alongside Gago, Granero, and occasionally Canales—giving him more opportunities to take charge of passing and circulation.

Those players couldn’t do what Alonso could. They couldn’t be the lone pivot and still organize and defend everything.

So naturally, Li Ang got to shoulder more responsibility.

And he loved it.

Acting as a support piece in midfield—linking play, shielding defenders, helping bypass high pressure—that was enough for him right now.

He wasn’t trying to do too much.

He knew he wasn’t ready to dictate the whole game or carry the ball forward through waves of defenders.

His job was to improve—step by step.

His role remained steady.

A classic holding midfielder, now slightly adjusted to occasionally help organize from deep.

And because he didn’t hog possession or demand touches, his growing role didn’t bother any of the other midfielders.

If anything, they welcomed it.

He wasn’t there to take their spotlight. He was there to cover for them.

An unselfish teammate who didn’t fight for the ball and always cleaned up their messes?

Who wouldn’t want that?

Not just Gago and Granero—even Khedira started to look at Li Ang differently after they scrimmaged together in a test run where Mourinho tried a midfield trio: Alonso, Li Ang, and Khedira.

One scrimmage. That’s all it took.

Khedira went from wary to friendly.

He loved making late runs, covering ground, but often ended up out of position or overlapping poorly with forwards.

But with two anchors behind him—Li Ang and Alonso—he was finally free to do what he did best.

His box-to-box traits were finally unleashed.

In that scrimmage, Khedira probably played his best football since arriving at Real Madrid.

Even Mourinho had to question his own tactical assumptions.

A simple adjustment—giving Khedira more attacking freedom—made him significantly more effective.

Sure, his finishing still wasn’t great. But he could consistently pop up in dangerous areas and create chaos with his runs.

Defensively, he wasn’t stellar, but with his range and energy, he made Li Ang’s job easier.

Li Ang could focus on positioning and interceptions.

Alonso could relax, with Li Ang behind him and Khedira in front creating space.

It was like a new tactical door had opened.

In the lead-up to the Champions League match, Mourinho and Karanka had to pull late nights with the coaching staff at Valdebebas.

Meanwhile, the other Real Madrid players started looking at Li Ang with growing curiosity—and even admiration.

This wasn’t just some no-name academy kid playing the destroyer role.

He was a versatile, plug-and-play midfield prince.

A low-maintenance teammate who made everyone better.

Even his rivals wanted to be on the pitch with him.

And Mourinho?

He was fully convinced now.

Li Ang had earned the right to stay in the lineup—not just as cover, but as a key part of his rotation.

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