Starting as a Defensive Midfielder at Real Madrid

”How did City win the title last year? Arsenal and United both got through their groups easily. Chelsea only missed out because they scored one goal fewer away at Shakhtar Donetsk. At least they dropped into the Europa League.”

”You might as well just say City finished bottom and got knocked out. No need to sugarcoat it. Okay, they were unlucky. Last season in the Champions League they only missed out by a point to Napoli.”

”Oh, so this is what ’Premier League elite’ looks like, huh?”

”You sound salty. Doesn’t matter—like it or not, City are still the reigning Premier League champions.”

”Case closed, lads. This one’s a United fan.”

”So what if I am? Is there a single Premier League fan who isn’t laughing at City right now?”

As the Champions League Round of 16 drew closer, fans across Europe took to the internet to argue, predict, and mock each other’s chances.

In England, Manchester City—who had crashed out of the group stage two months earlier—naturally became the target of widespread ridicule.

Normally, Arsenal fans would join the pile-on.

But not this year.

They had bigger things to worry about.

On the night of February 13, Arsenal would welcome Real Madrid to the Emirates.

Six-time title holders. Champions of everything.

The moment the draw was made, most Arsenal fans felt the same crushing realization: their Champions League run was probably over.

Fans from all over Europe sympathized. Even neutral observers had to admit—UEFA’s draw seemed particularly cruel.

First, Ajax had been stuck in Madrid’s group three years in a row.

Now Arsenal were facing a third consecutive brutal Round of 16 matchup.

How could it be just bad luck every year?

Most fans were tired of asking.

All they could do now was quietly root for Arsenal to do the impossible.

Three straight years: Barça, Milan, Madrid.

If next year brought Bayern, people might finally riot.

Don’t bully the polite ones.

On the afternoon of February 9, Arsenal hosted Sunderland in Premier League Matchday 26.

The squad looked more serious than usual, heads down and focused.

After a tough 90 minutes, they scraped out a 2–1 win at the Stadium of Light.

Hours later, over in Madrid, Real were hosting Sevilla for La Liga Matchday 23.

Many Arsenal fans tuned in. They wanted to see firsthand what they were up against.

With a full week’s rest, Mourinho unleashed his strongest XI.

With no injuries, Coentrão and Arbeloa both returned to the starting lineup.

As one by one, Madrid’s stars stepped onto the pitch, Arsenal supporters at home couldn’t help but imagine their own team standing on the other side.

As usual, Li Ang appeared calm and collected, his hands clasped behind his back.

When the broadcast camera panned over him, he smiled and nodded.

La Liga fans were used to it—Li Ang always did this, whether facing a powerhouse or a relegation side.

But for Arsenal fans, it was unfamiliar… and unsettling.

That smile wasn’t threatening. But it still made them nervous.

Then the match began.

Li Ang took control in midfield, linking passes and coordinating attacks like clockwork.

Arsenal fans started to feel dry in the mouth.

What’s the one thing they feared most?

A team that dominated the middle and had an unstoppable disruptor.

Back in the day, they had Vieira. They weren’t scared of midfield wars.

Even four or five years ago, with Alex Song and Fabregas, they could still fight toe-to-toe.

But now?

Diaby was injured again.

Their most physical midfielder was Arteta.

Let’s be honest—Sevilla’s double pivot, Kondogbia and Medel, were both tougher than Arteta.

And even they couldn’t hold off Li Ang and Essien.

Madrid barely even used their wing attacks.

Just pure midfield power—Li Ang and Essien plowing through, distributing at will.

Ronaldo and Benzema, rested and razor-sharp, were clinical up front.

Together, they took seven shots in the first half—six on target, three goals.

By halftime, many Arsenal fans couldn’t bear to keep watching.

Madrid looked terrifying.

A few brave souls stayed until the end. And when Madrid finished off Sevilla 5–0, they immediately went online to share their thoughts.

And once they started analyzing?

They realized that Madrid didn’t just have one or two players to worry about.

They had a whole squad full of threats.

Once they understood Madrid’s defensive structure, Arsenal fans looked back at their own attack and could only sigh.

The match hadn’t even started yet, and it already felt uphill.

Pessimism started to spread online.

But many Arsenal supporters pushed back.

Football is unpredictable.

Even against a monster like Madrid, they had to believe in miracles.

After all, Arsenal were the first English team to play in the Round of 16 this season.

So all eyes in England would be on them.

On February 12, Madrid arrived in London a day early to train at the Emirates.

That same afternoon, Wenger and Arteta held the pre-match press conference.

British and Spanish journalists fired off questions. Wenger answered selectively.

But when asked to compare the two sides’ young players, Wenger didn’t hesitate to praise Mourinho’s youth development.

”These young players all have their own characteristics. Comparing them directly—saying who’s better or worse—isn’t fair.

I prefer to talk about who’s right for a team, and who might be less suitable.

José has done very well. He’s brought in a number of young players who suit Madrid’s system perfectly. I commend his work.”

Then he turned to Li Ang.

”But to compare Li Ang to those young players still breaking through? That’s not fair.

Gentlemen, Li Ang was on the Ballon d’Or shortlist this year.

You can’t still call him inexperienced or raw, can you?”

Wenger made no attempt to hide his admiration.

Nor did he hide his envy.

A British reporter couldn’t help but make a cheeky ”Wenger window signing” joke, asking whether Arsenal had ever made an offer for Li Ang a few years ago.

Wenger gave a meaningful smile and left the press room with Arteta after dropping just one line:

”Who wouldn’t have wanted to sign Li Ang in the summer of 2011?”

It was a clever answer, and the journalists were quick to jump on it, churning out hot headlines within minutes.

Later that evening, as Real Madrid players returned to the hotel after their final training session at the Emirates, news of the comment had already flooded their timelines.

Seeing the media storm, Li Ang could only laugh helplessly in response to his teammates’ teasing.

”I really never got any contact from Arsenal. I think Wenger just said that in passing. Don’t read too much into it.”

But at the front of the team bus, where Mourinho sat quietly with his eyes closed, the corners of his mouth lifted slightly.

Back in the summer of 2011, when Li Ang had just returned to Real Madrid after a loan spell at Milan, Mourinho had actually received several formal transfer offers from top clubs across Europe.

The most sincere one came from Manchester United.

Sir Alex Ferguson himself had called Mourinho to personally request Li Ang, and United were prepared to offer €18 million for the young midfielder.

At the time, that was a very decent and genuine offer.

Li Ang had already proven himself in both La Liga and Serie A, and had just won the Italian double. He was one of the most promising players of his generation.

Even so, few clubs would have offered as much as €18 million for him—Ferguson was truly bold.

But Mourinho refused—flat out.

Even when asked to include a buyback clause, he wouldn’t budge.

In the end, Sir Alex had to give up.

What Mourinho hadn’t told the team back then was that Arsenal had also submitted a bid.

Wenger had personally called Mourinho to negotiate.

Arsenal’s budget was limited—Wenger could only go up to €15 million. But he proposed to pay it all up front and even include a player in the deal.

Mourinho turned that down too. But in truth, he was surprised.

Wenger, famously frugal, offering €15 million for a player who had only just emerged? That was rare.

After being rejected, neither Ferguson nor Wenger submitted an official bid, which is why no rumors ever surfaced in the media.

Li Ang himself had no idea how many elite managers had already marked him as one to watch.

But Mourinho remembered everything.

The fact that so many top coaches were eyeing Li Ang was the main reason he chose to sell off a certain attacking midfielder who had conflicts with Li Ang.

Looking back now, Mourinho wasn’t just right—he had shared the same vision as the best in the business.

If he had sold Li Ang to United back then, even with a buyback clause, Mourinho was certain he’d regret it for the rest of his life.

And that moment became a turning point in Mourinho’s coaching philosophy—

He learned to be more patient with young players.

Not just evaluating talent, but projecting long-term development.

Even for players he didn’t initially believe in—like Lucas Vázquez, who had just been promoted to the first team—Mourinho began listening more to the opinions of others.

He started giving players more chances, following suggestions from Castilla coaches and Karanka.

In Vázquez’s case, that patience paid off. Mourinho discovered the young winger’s versatility and reliability.

The successful integration of Castilla graduates only made Mourinho more confident in his new approach.

He was still as sharp and decisive as ever.

But he had learned to temper that edge with a bit more warmth and patience.

He had become a new Mourinho—one with a reputation for developing youth, and with increasing popularity among the next generation of players.

Of course, that didn’t mean Mourinho was going to pour his heart out and thank Li Ang publicly.

That would be a bit too much.

But stepping in now to help Li Ang out of an awkward moment? That, he could do.

After briefly explaining the Arsenal offer back in 2011, the players on the bus quickly turned their attention toward Mourinho.

Li Ang sat there, dumbfounded.

”So I was a Wenger window signing all along?”

He laughed in disbelief. Then, for some reason, a tiny spark of joy flickered in his heart.

After all, in football circles, there’s a running joke:

If you’ve never been linked to a Wenger deadline-day bid, are you really a top player?

That night, Li Ang went to sleep grinning from ear to ear.

Even the drizzling London weather the next morning couldn’t ruin his mood.

He didn’t mind the rain—his hometown in Sichuan had the same damp, cold winters.

No central heating. People did everything outdoors. The chill was unavoidable.

Alonso and Ronaldo, having played in England before, handled it well.

Other Madrid players were less comfortable.

Thankfully, Mourinho had the foresight to arrange for an indoor training facility.

So on matchday morning, their final session was completed without a hitch.

Madrid’s club media team snapped a series of relaxed training and hotel life photos, which were posted on the official Twitter account.

Once the images hit the web, Premier League fans couldn’t help but admit:

Madrid looked ready.

Focused, relaxed, confident.

Those casual, smiling shots gave off more pressure than any stern-faced training photo ever could.

That was the poise of a world-class club.

At 6 p.m., Madrid boarded their team bus to the Emirates.

Around the same time, Arsenal’s squad did the same.

It was like a signal—London’s sports media kicked into full gear.

Reporters swarmed the stadium’s perimeter as both buses arrived one after the other.

No players stopped for interviews, of course. The journalists just needed photos and footage for their matchday coverage.

As Madrid’s bus rolled into the stadium, Li Ang quietly pulled back the curtain beside his seat.

He smiled and flashed a quick ”V” sign toward the waiting cameras.

Dozens of flashes erupted in response.

Maybe Li Ang was just being friendly.

But that didn’t stop the reporters from spinning it their own way.

Ten minutes later, Sky Sports posted a headline across their site:

”Li Ang’s V Gesture: We Came Here to Win!”

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