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Starting as a Defensive Midfielder at Real Madrid

Chapter 263 261: The Champions League Is Full of Giants Lining Up to Get Revenge on Li Ang · Nov 11, 2026

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Chapter List (401)

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251 Chapter 251 249: What the Hell, You Still Dare to Fight Back? 2026-11-11
252 Chapter 252 250: Iron-Blooded Blow to Özil, 8-Goal Rout of PSG 2026-11-11
253 Chapter 253 251: Facing Barça in the Quarterfinals — Li Ang’s Smile! 2026-11-11
254 Chapter 254 252: Arsenal, It’s Time to Stop Dreaming 2026-11-11
255 Chapter 255 253: I Don’t Want to Say Chelsea Will Clinch the Title Early, But That’s the Reality 2026-11-11
256 Chapter 256 254: Returning to Camp Nou Feels Just Like Coming Home~ 2026-11-11
257 Chapter 257 255: Damn, Messi, You’re Actually Going All Out?! 2026-11-11
258 Chapter 258 256: The Counterattack Begins Now! 2026-11-11
259 Chapter 259 257: What We’re Doing Is Pure Torment—Crying? That Counts Against the Clock Too 2026-11-11
260 Chapter 260 258: Stop Scoring, Man—You’re Already Fourth in the Premier League Golden Boot Race 2026-11-11
261 Chapter 261 259: See You Next Year, Leo 2026-11-11
262 Chapter 262 260: The Red Devils Are Dead—Long Live the Blues! 2026-11-11
263 Chapter 263 261: The Champions League Is Full of Giants Lining Up to Get Revenge on Li Ang 2026-11-11
264 Chapter 264 262: Chelsea’s Midfield and Defense Still Need Major Reinforcements! 2026-11-11
265 Chapter 265 263: Hey Kuan, Bro, The Boss Here’s Generous—High Salary, Come Quick! 2026-11-11
266 Chapter 266 264: You Know It—The Little Lion’s My Brother, and Zlatan’s a Beast 2026-11-11
267 Chapter 267 265: Reinforcements Assembled, Legends Return—This Time, We’re Taking It All! 2026-11-11
268 Chapter 268 266: Li Ang, When Are You Winning the Ballon d’Or and Becoming a Grand Slam Champion? 2026-11-11
269 Chapter 269 267: A Dominant First Win—The Rise of the Galactic Chelsea Begins 2026-11-11
270 Chapter 270 268: The “British Battleship” Makes His Premier League Debut — The Excellent Maguire 2026-11-11
271 Chapter 271 269: Not a Single One Can Keep Up 2026-11-11
272 Chapter 272 270: Rotation? Even Chelsea’s Rotation Is a European-Class Powerhouse 2026-11-11
273 Chapter 273 271: Replicating Kaka’s 2007 Season? Why Not! 2026-11-11
274 Chapter 274 272: A Premier League El Clásico Reimagined 2026-11-11
275 Chapter 275 273: Guardiola, I Am Your Nemesis! 2026-11-11
276 Chapter 276 274: Your Blade Is Sharp, But So Is Mine 2026-11-11
277 Chapter 277 275: Premier League’s Finest—A Duel Between Possession and Relentless Pressing 2026-11-11
278 Chapter 278 276: In This Era, I Am Destiny! 2026-11-11
279 Chapter 279 277: A Hat-Trick to Be Crowned! The One True God of the Premier League! 2026-11-11
280 Chapter 280 278: Ambition on All Three Fronts 2026-11-11
281 Chapter 281 279: It’s Not That We Played Well—The Opponent Was Just That Bad 2026-11-11
282 Chapter 282 280: What, Arsenal Wants to Be the New Top Dog Too? 2026-11-11
283 Chapter 283 281: Eden, Stand with Me at the Summit of World Football 2026-11-11
284 Chapter 284 282: Everyone’s Showing Off—Except United, Who Are Getting Beaten Up 2026-11-11
285 Chapter 285 283: Tyrant Leon 2026-11-11
286 Chapter 286 284: Smashing the Face of the Premier League’s ”Top Club” 2026-11-11
287 Chapter 287 285: Double Digits in the League – Top Scorer in the Premier League! 2026-11-11
288 Chapter 288 286: Closer to the Ballon d’Or Than He Ever Imagined 2026-11-11
289 Chapter 289 287: I Want to Face the Strongest—But If It’s Barça First, That’s Fine Too 2026-11-11
290 Chapter 290 288: Luiz, Don’t Let Your Loyalty Ruin You 2026-11-11
291 Chapter 291 289: If You Ever Get the Chance, Think About Us—I’ll Be Waiting at Stamford Bridge 2026-11-11
292 Chapter 292 290: The Winning Streak Ends, But an Undefeated Title Run Is Still Possible 2026-11-11
293 Chapter 293 291: Little Lion, Are You Seriously Going for the Golden Boot?! 2026-11-11
294 Chapter 294 292: Time for Everyone’s Favorite Event—Beating Spurs Again 2026-11-11
295 Chapter 295 293: He’s Already a Young Legend 2026-11-11
296 Chapter 296 294: Someone Please Shut His Mouth Next Time! 2026-11-11
297 Chapter 297 295: Aiming for a New Midseason Record—Time to Sharpen the Blade Against Sky City 2026-11-11
298 Chapter 298 296: Nineteen Wins, the Big Boss of the League—A Perfect Midseason Finish! 2026-11-11
299 Chapter 299 297: 2014 Silver Ball Winner—Leon! 2026-11-11
300 Chapter 300 298: Hype Helps, but Performance Is What Truly Matters 2026-11-11

All of Chelsea’s hard work throughout the season finally paid off in early April.

As the entire British sports media turned its attention toward London, Chelsea held a private title celebration behind closed doors—well ahead of the official Premier League ceremony.

It wasn’t about the players getting carried away.

The club’s management simply wanted to express gratitude to the coaching staff and players, and more importantly, use the occasion to lift morale ahead of their upcoming Champions League clash.

Naturally, there were speeches and a lavish celebration, but the night truly hit its peak when Roman Abramovich handed out generous bonuses.

Li Ang wasn’t particularly concerned with the cash rewards.

At this point in his career, team and club bonuses accounted for less than 20% of his total income.

But Abramovich’s open admiration and gratitude genuinely warmed him.

Back at Madrid, he had sensed that Florentino Pérez believed in him.

But Pérez’s eternally unreadable smile made it hard to feel any true sense of closeness.

In many ways, Florentino was the more competent club president—shrewd, calculating, and excellent at leveraging player fame for global PR gains.

If you were good enough and had a big enough market, you didn’t need to worry about media, awards, or reputation.

Real Madrid’s machine would push your profile to the top automatically.

But for Li Ang, having an owner like Abramovich was better.

When Abramovich liked a team or a player, he made no effort to hide it.

Sure, his preferences could be unfair to coaches or front office staff—but for players, he was a dream boss.

That night, everyone—senior staff, team leaders, coaching staff, and players—was in great spirits.

Li Ang, in a rare break from his usual discipline, even drank half a bottle of red wine.

Their next league match wasn’t for another six days.

The Champions League tie with Bayern was ten days away.

With no immediate fixtures on the calendar, the players could afford to enjoy themselves—and were even given two full days off afterward.

Once the night got going, nearly every teammate came over to clink glasses with Li Ang.

He didn’t drink much, but he didn’t refuse anyone.

Only after the group drinking session wound down did he greet Mourinho and quietly slip into the hotel’s lounge.

After opening the window to get some air, Li Ang pulled out his phone and began calling some of Chelsea’s younger players who had been loaned out during the second half of the season.

”Harry, it’s Li Ang. You saw it, right? We clinched the title today. Ha, everyone’s thinking of you guys—boss too. Do well in the Championship, come back next season and help us defend the crown…”

”Mohammed, it’s me—did you catch the match? I know, you’ve already played in the Premier League for us this season. This title belongs to you too. Keep it up over in Sweden, bring back that trophy…”

”Hey, Nathan—been seeing your performances, not bad, huh…”

After a string of calls, Li Ang felt clear-headed again.

Thinking about those loaned-out teammates returning next year brought a smile to his face.

Back at his villa later that night, he was greeted by Anastasia, standing in the living room with a surprise smile. His heart melted instantly.

For the next two days, Li Ang stayed home—completely disconnected from football.

No extra training, no media. Just rest.

Moments like this, rare in the heart of a season, helped him understand what his Real Madrid teammates and Mourinho meant by ”enjoy life more.”

With his emotional tanks refilled, Li Ang returned to the training ground early once the break ended—fired up and focused.

The coaching staff didn’t resume intense training immediately.

Most starters underwent routine medicals and then either hit the therapy room or gym to decompress.

There were exceptions, of course.

Bertrand and Hazard, who had both gained a bit too much weight over the two days off, were whisked off by fitness coach Ruiz for extra conditioning.

No big deal—losing weight in training was easy for pros.

Meanwhile, Chelsea’s rotation players began prepping for the upcoming league match against Sunderland.

But the core starters?

Their minds were already locked in on Bayern Munich.

Tactical drills ramped up.

Tactical meetings became the new normal.

As for Bayern—no team was more familiar to Mourinho and Li Ang.

Two seasons ago, Mourinho’s Real Madrid had crushed Bayern’s dreams of Champions League glory.

That dominant version of Bayern, which ruled the Bundesliga and looked poised to conquer Europe, had been forged in the fires of their battles against Mourinho’s Madrid.

Without Madrid, Bayern would likely have claimed at least one European title already.

In Li Ang’s memory, this was supposed to be the season Pep Guardiola took over from Jupp Heynckes.

But thanks to the butterfly effect he himself caused, Heynckes stayed.

Guardiola went to City instead.

And ”Super Bayern” didn’t self-destruct under experimental tactics—they survived, evolved, and now stood as Europe’s most terrifying revenge machine.

Li Ang, having played them before, knew better than most how dangerous they were.

If he were still at Madrid, he wouldn’t bet on beating them this year either.

On paper, Madrid—with Li Ang—might still be the strongest team in Europe.

But the fire, the hunger? That’s what worried him.

Did Real still burn with the same desire for greatness?

Most of their squad had just won the sextuple, defended their league and Champions League titles—would they still be desperate to prove themselves?

Probably not.

Bayern, on the other hand, were starving.

Just like Madrid in 2011–12, they were in beast mode—ready to fight, ready to bleed, ready to win.

That Madrid team had been terrifying.

This Real Madrid? Li Ang feared they had become too comfortable.

Too refined. Too fat and happy.

He believed that only a major setback would wake them up again.

Which meant, in his eyes, Bayern had already taken the high ground.

Mourinho knew it too.

He hammered Bayern’s strength and complexity into his players every single meeting.

Gone was the blind belief.

Chelsea now respected their opponent—and knew they had to find the right cracks to exploit.

April 19th arrived.

In Matchday 35, Chelsea hosted Sunderland—and the visitors lined up for a guard of honor to celebrate Chelsea’s title.

But the Black Cats, desperate to survive relegation, showed no kindness during the match.

With heavy rotation in the lineup, Chelsea actually fell behind early in the match.

It wasn’t until Oscar took control and smacked a long-range shot off the post that the Blues began to find their rhythm.

Veterans like Essien and Mikel were far past their primes.

But against a bottom-tier side, they still managed to stabilize midfield once Sunderland’s early storm passed.

Oscar and Lukaku handled the attack.

Essien and Mikel controlled the middle.

Sunderland, though, got lucky up front.

Chelsea took the lead twice, only for Sunderland to equalize both times—both from set pieces.

In the end, Chelsea settled for a 2–2 draw at home.

No big deal. The title was already theirs.

They preserved their undefeated home record, and that was enough for the day.

Fans stayed in good spirits—Stamford Bridge even had a full-on Mexican wave going at one point.

Li Ang, Ibrahimović, and Hazard all came on in the 70th minute—just to shake off rust before the Bayern tie.

With this round of league matches wrapped up, football fans across Europe—and even the world—shifted their gaze.

The Champions League was back.

On April 22nd, Atlético hosted Real Madrid at the Calderón for the first leg of the semifinals.

After 90 minutes of war, Atlético stunned Real 2–1.

The win lit a fire under Atlético’s squad.

Real didn’t hit their target—but they did come away with a valuable away goal.

The second leg would be the real decider.

Judging by their knockout performances, either Madrid club reaching the final would be deserved.

And after the Madrid derby finished, all eyes turned to London.

On the morning of April 23rd, in a pre-match interview with Sky Sports, Thomas Müller grinned and joked: ”We came to settle a score with Li Ang.”

And at last, Li Ang began to realize the downside of all his success these past few years.

Because when he looked around the Champions League bracket, he realized—

just about every European powerhouse left was lining up for revenge.

Thank you for the support, friends. If you want to read more chapters in advance, go to my Patreon.

Read 40 Chapters In Advance: /johanssen10

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