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Starting as a Defensive Midfielder at Real Madrid

Chapter 125: If Anyone Forces Me to Pick a Side—I’ll Flip the Damn Table (Part 1) · Nov 11, 2026

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Chapter List (401)

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101 Chapter 101: Formation Core Leon — Bringing the XJBT Tactic to Real Madrid 2026-11-11
102 Chapter 102: You Can Be Better Looking Than Me, But Dirtier? Never—Because I’m the True Defensive Midfielder! 2026-11-11
103 Chapter 103: Don’t Panic, Xiao Ping—Barça Will Deliver 2026-11-11
104 Chapter 104: Breaking Through the Long Pass Barrier, Filling the Shortcomings 2026-11-11
105 Chapter 105: A Gift for Everyone—So No One Gets to Laugh at Anyone Else 2026-11-11
106 Chapter 106: When It’s a Friend, You Hit Even Harder 2026-11-11
107 Chapter 107: The Meaning of Real Madrid Is Victory—It Is Championship 2026-11-11
108 Chapter 108: They Came to Madrid Saying They Were Here to Win—And Got Beaten 3–0 Again 2026-11-11
109 Chapter 109: This Is Mourinho’s Trump Card—The Midfield Beast Trio PLUS Edition! 2026-11-11
110 Chapter 110: Barcelona, Salute This Season’s La Liga Champions! 2026-11-11
111 Chapter 111: A World Apart—You Can’t Turtle Up Against Bayern, Turtling Won’t Save You 2026-11-11
112 Chapter 112: I Told You—Leon Would Be the Key to Breaking Bayern Down! 2026-11-11
113 Chapter 113: On the Battle for Possession—Mourinho Says, “You’re All Trash Compared to Me” 2026-11-11
114 Chapter 114: Real Madrid’s Championship Aura Can’t Be Hidden Anymore—So They Won’t Hide It! 2026-11-11
115 Chapter 115: Barcelona’s Dynasty Has Ended—And Real Madrid Is Climbing to the Summit! 2026-11-11
116 Chapter 116: There’s No Shortcut to This Championship—Only Unity, Only Sacrifice 2026-11-11
117 Chapter 117: Equalized by a Header? We’re Not Bayern Munich! 2026-11-11
118 Chapter 118: Few Teams Are as Resilient as You—But I Just Want to Win 2026-11-11
119 Chapter 119: Let the Whole World Remember Our Names—We Are the Greatest Mourinho-Era Madrid! 2026-11-11
120 Chapter 120: When You Gaze Upon the Crown, Bow Your Head—And Salute the Treble Winners 2026-11-11
121 Chapter 121: In a Summer Window of an Arms Race, Madrid’s Selling Strategy Feels Out of Place 2026-11-11
122 Chapter 122: A New Era Begins—When the Young Replace the Old, Football Marches On 2026-11-11
123 Chapter 123: The New Generation Replaces the Old—A New Era in Football Has Arrived 2026-11-11
124 Chapter 124: We’re Still Growing—Real Madrid Is Still Growing! 2026-11-11
125 Chapter 125: If Anyone Forces Me to Pick a Side—I’ll Flip the Damn Table (Part 1) 2026-11-11
126 Chapter 126: There’s No Need to Overcomplicate Things Against Barça – Just Stick to Counterattacks and Aerial Balls 2026-11-11
127 Chapter 127: Watch Out—Here Comes Real Madrid’s Aerial Attack Squad! 2026-11-11
128 Chapter 128: Why Does That Number Ten Keep Charging Into Our Box?! 2026-11-11
129 Chapter 129: Luka, You’re My Natural-Born Midfield Partner 2026-11-11
130 Chapter 130: Winning a Trophy as Soon as You Arrive—So This Is What It Feels Like to Be at a Big Club? 2026-11-11
131 Chapter 131: The Fifth Trophy of the Year — Kings of Europe 2026-11-11
132 Chapter 132: The Birth of a New Midfield Duo — Twin Turbo Engines Engage! 2026-11-11
133 Chapter 133: So You Guys Are the So-Called New Kings of the Premier League? 2026-11-11
134 Chapter 134: You’re Not Vieira, and You’re Not Even Close 2026-11-11
135 Chapter 135: Li Ang Isn’t in the Top Five Defensive Midfielders—He Just Beat Two of Them 2026-11-11
136 Chapter 136: This Season’s ”Father-Son Match” Came Awfully Early 2026-11-11
137 Chapter 137: Sometimes, Charging Forward Is the Best Way to Break the Game 2026-11-11
138 Chapter 138: I Can Choose Not to Shoot—But You Don’t Dare Not to Defend 2026-11-11
139 Chapter 139: Farewell to the Jia Mansion—Same Atmosphere, Same Opening 2026-11-11
140 Chapter 140: Messi Drops Deep Early—A Smarter Barça 2026-11-11
141 Chapter 141: Wait, What? You Both Chickened Out? Just Fight Already! 2026-11-11
142 Chapter 142: Header Equalizer! Li Ang Only Scores in Clutch Moments! 2026-11-11
143 Chapter 143: Götze’s Hunger to Compete—The Battle of the ’90s Generation Stars 2026-11-11
144 Chapter 144: Come On—Show Us What You’ve Got, Challenge the Defending Champions! 2026-11-11
145 Chapter 145: Don’t Break Down—It’s Just That I’m Better Than You 2026-11-11
146 Chapter 146: We Are Here—Real Madrid Is Right Here! 2026-11-11
147 Chapter 147: Chaos Unleashed—Atlético Charges In Swinging a Giant Blade 2026-11-11
148 Chapter 148: Want to Advance? Now You Have to Look at Real Madrid’s Face 2026-11-11
149 Chapter 149: The Madman’s Temper—Public Opinion Erupts! 2026-11-11
150 Chapter 150: If You Can’t Get Past Li Ang, You Don’t Deserve to Face Pepe and Ramos 2026-11-11

La Liga’s new season had begun, and Real Madrid had taken their home opener at the Bernabéu with a 2–0 win over Valencia.

The result wasn’t surprising. Most media outlets had predicted a Madrid win.

What was surprising, however, was the way it played out.

There was so much to talk about: the performance of Madrid’s rotation squad, Mourinho’s tactical adjustments, and the rapid integration of new signing Matuidi into the system.

Sports pages across Spain were preparing to hype up the story—pundits lined up to debate Madrid’s chances of defending their La Liga title.

But then Barcelona played their opener.

They smashed Real Sociedad 5–0, and the narrative suddenly shifted overnight.

Pro-Barça outlets were now loudly proclaiming that Barcelona would reclaim the La Liga crown this season and avenge last year’s humiliation.

It was a bold statement—especially considering that the Supercopa de España was just around the corner.

This year’s edition of the Supercopa would take place mid-season, and Barcelona were hosting the first leg.

If they lost to Madrid again right after that claim... well, the media blowback would be brutal.

Maybe someone inside Barça’s upper management—or Guardiola himself—had voiced their dissatisfaction, because all the overly cocky headlines vanished by the next morning.

Suddenly, those pro-Barça outlets had gone quiet.

Meanwhile, Real Madrid and Barcelona were both making their final preparations for the Supercopa.

Because Madrid would be the away team first, the pressure to grab some away goals was on their shoulders.

Fortunately, most of Madrid’s starting XI had now fully recovered and were feeling confident.

Last season’s dominance over Barça gave them reason to believe.

Mourinho, too, wasn’t enforcing the same ”rage against Barça at all costs” mentality anymore.

In previous years, he had to.

Barcelona had been so strong, and Real had nothing to show for it in terms of results or silverware.

Back then, Mourinho needed his players to be angry—to channel that fury into every Clásico.

But now?

They’d won a treble.

They were champions of everything.

Even his brief spat with Casillas last season had been resolved.

Mourinho had no reason to keep that fire stoked constantly.

Sure, he still didn’t like Barça, personally or professionally.

But he wasn’t stupid.

There was no upside to butting heads with the team captain anymore—especially not publicly.

In private? Mourinho was a different man. He still had his edges, but now he was measured.

During pre-match prep, his communication with Casillas had been respectful and encouraging—normal even.

But Leon, standing off to the side, watching Mourinho exchange warm hugs and motivational words with Casillas, couldn’t help but feel something was off.

Yes, Mourinho was always friendly during off-hours. That wasn’t new.

But something about this whole scene triggered a quiet alarm in Leon’s mind.

He couldn’t quite explain it.

Call it instinct.

And then he remembered the peculiar moment from earlier in the summer when club president Florentino Pérez had shown him an unusual level of affection.

Pérez was an exceptional club president—a die-hard Madridista.

But more importantly, he was a ruthlessly sharp businessman.

Would a man like that act emotionally, do something in front of cameras purely for sentiment?

No.

Everything he did was calculated.

Leon wasn’t paranoid. He wasn’t looking to assume the worst about Pérez.

But he also didn’t want to get burned.

He didn’t want to get caught up in something political... something internal.

He’d already had to play peacemaker between Casillas, Ramos, and Mourinho last season.

That had been enough of a headache.

If something like that blew up again this season?

Leon didn’t think he had it in him to mediate round two.

So, he made a decision: focus on the pitch.

Everything else could wait.

He wanted to win.

He didn’t care about boardroom squabbles or politics.

And yet, it turns out that not getting involved isn’t always an option.

Leon’s youth academy background.

The way he had established himself as an untouchable presence in Madrid’s midfield.

His surging popularity with fans, rising by the day...

Put all of it together, and it was clear: he couldn’t stay neutral forever.

Some people in the club wanted him to take sides.

August 22nd.

After training, Madrid’s CEO José Ángel Sánchez invited Leon for a coffee.

Just inside Valdebebas.

Nothing too formal—his office, a quick chat.

Leon didn’t think much of it at first.

Maybe they were going to talk contract terms again?

They exchanged the usual pleasantries. Sánchez smiled. Praised him.

So far, so good.

But then the CEO casually dropped a question:

”So, Leon—what’s your opinion on the club’s new internationalization policy?”

Leon raised an eyebrow immediately.

He didn’t even try to hide his reaction.

His gut had been right after all.

Sánchez, still smiling, didn’t seem to think there was anything strange about talking club politics with a 20-year-old midfielder.

Or maybe...

Maybe that was exactly what the people behind this wanted.

They didn’t want analysis.

They wanted commitment.

They wanted alignment.

Leon stared at his coffee cup. His fingers tapped against the porcelain.

Then, calmly, he cut through the formalities:

”If I have to pick a side... can the president wait until next season? We’ve got a real shot at more trophies this year.”

Sánchez’s smile froze for half a second.

”Leon, I think you might be misunderstanding. This is just a casual chat—just gauging your thoughts.”

Leon met his eyes, steady and clear.

”There’s no misunderstanding, sir.

And honestly, I don’t care what verbal agreements the president has with the coach—or any other players.

I just want to play.

If you’re asking me to choose a side, we’ll talk about it after this season.

Not before.”

Sánchez’s smile vanished completely.

He didn’t push back.

Just nodded and steered the conversation elsewhere.

Shortly after, the meeting ended.

As Leon stepped out of that office, his face darkened.

”Of course. Just what I was afraid of.”

But you know w

hat?

He didn’t care anymore.

If they were going to fight this war now, during a title-contending season...

If anyone dared to drag him into it...

He’d flip the damn table.

At the very least, he’d flip his own table.

Let the rest burn if it had to.

📝 Nota del narrador:

Veteran Real Madrid fans knew exactly what this scene meant.

Florentino’s post-season moves had started to take shape, and the dominoes were falling.

Leon, with his role in the squad and fanbase, would never be left untouched.

But as the story moves forward, one thing is clear:

Leon doesn’t run from pressure.

He steps right through it.

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Read 40 Chapters In Advance: /johanssen10

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