I Am Scouted by Real Madrid

Chapter 82: Chapter 5: Stubborn Mouth 2

Apparently, he hasn’t found a new team, and newly crowned La Liga champion Capello was sunbathing on vacation when he suddenly received a phone call informing him that he was no longer the head coach of Real Madrid. How could Capello find an appropriate club on such short notice?

”Honestly, I’m very disappointed in this Real Madrid.”

”During the Galaxy Battleship era, Real Madrid had many star players, giving the team its own unique personality and charm. Although when I took over, the era was already ending.”

”But the team still had superstars like Carlos, Beckham, and Ronaldo. Yet today we see Real Madrid shedding its expected image completely, and I have no idea what its future will be like.”

Capello hated those commentators who criticized his team, but now he’s become someone he once loathed.

Moreover, both Beckham and Ronaldo were players Capello had personally let go, and his comments now can be seen as reflecting his inner resentment.

Just as he wore a sullen expression, the camera turned to Capello, prompting some fans to shout, ”Capello, stay! Capello, stay!”

This scene surprised even Capello himself.

In fact, when he led the team to win the La Liga championship, many fans had shouted for him to stay from the stands, which was a major reason Capello never expected to be terminated.

Capello’s commentary booth was just a wall away from the VIP boxes at Calderon, and as he listened to the fans’ chants, his stern face softened, with a hint of warmth in his eyes. Watching Schuster in the coach’s seat, he said, ”I’m doing fine now, but I will always fondly remember my days at Real Madrid. I have many cherished memories there. No one can refuse Real Madrid; if possible, I wish I could be sitting on the coaching bench today.”

”The match has already started.”

”If you ask me which team I’m more hopeful will win, I’ll mention Lazio because having four Serie A teams in the knockout stage would make for a very interesting scene.”

Capello is Italian, supporting Lazio and Italian teams isn’t too unreasonable. He seemed calmer now, speaking leisurely from the commentary booth, ”In this match, Rocky is back from injury, and together with Pandev, their striking power is impressive. Real Madrid’s defense has performed well this season, but against Rocky and Pandev, they might struggle to gain an advantage.”

As the match began, Lazio gave Real Madrid a real test, with Pandev dodging Ramos, cutting inside, and unleashing a powerful shot from outside the box as a show of force.

Casillas made a beautiful sideways dive to block the ball. Rocky quickly followed up, intending to shoot again, but Chen Zhong firmly held his position, giving Casillas time to secure the ball.

”Lazio’s shot had a clever intent.”

”This player who blocked Rocky’s position is interesting.”

”But I think a better approach would have been to clear the ball outright.”

Capello seemed a bit dissatisfied with Chen Zhong’s approach; he could have cleared the ball but chose to do something unnecessary, making Capello find it slightly amusing.

Lazio clearly aimed to win at home. After their attacking play, they quickly resumed, gaining mid-field control and repeatedly sending ammunition to the forward line during the opening stages.

”In this match, Lazio is taking turns attacking Real Madrid’s flanks. Honestly, I don’t quite understand Schuster’s tactical setup here. On the right side, Ramos and Guti, who aren’t keen defenders; on the left, Marcelo and Robben also tend to avoid defending. Has he entirely abandoned the flank defense?”

Lazio seized a counterattack opportunity, rapidly advancing to Real Madrid’s territory, where Pandev received the ball and attempted to pass it to Rocky.

Just as Lazio’s fans rose to cheer.

A white figure cut in from the middle, intercepting the ball.

Chen Zhong again—it was already his second key interception in this match.

”Pandev’s pass lacked some strength.”

”This young player is a bit too reckless.”

”He needs to consider what if his slide tackle fails to intercept? Then the space behind him opens wide, allowing Rocky multiple ways to score.”

Lazio’s players continued to charge forward, while Chen Zhong intercepted the ball and, without hesitation, passed it to Sneijder. Sneijder quickly launched towards Lazio’s defense, Real Madrid’s fast counterattack making the crowd tense.

Sneijder, with the ball, had multiple passing routes. He executed a surgical knife-like pass directly to Van Nistelrooy.

Van Nistelrooy gained a perfect one-on-one opportunity, breaking into the box and softly shooting past the advancing goalkeeper, penetrating Lazio’s goal.

The Merengue in the stands cheered, and Schuster smiled and nodded continuously.

Capello’s expression stiffened momentarily, but he quickly regained composure and said, ”Van Nistelrooy always brings good outcomes for Real Madrid, constantly posing threats and scoring.”

”But Real Madrid’s midfield setup is evidently problematic. Guti on the right can’t showcase his abilities—this isn’t where he prefers to play; he should be in the center. Furthermore, Sneijder’s positioning is too far left, leaving Diara isolated, struggling to cover such vast areas.”

”And Real Madrid’s defensive issues—this young player, likely number 22, Chen’s tackles are too reckless. His courage is undeniable, but we see favorable outcomes, not what would’ve happened had he failed to intercept or had his pass to Sneijder been intercepted midway.”

”Then Real Madrid would suffer a lethal blow, allowing Lazio to score earlier.”

Capello elaborated extensively. After addressing issues, he praised Real Madrid.

”But Real Madrid isn’t without merit.”

”Compared to last season, this Real Madrid has improved significantly in speed and technique.”

”And Cannavaro, though not having intercepted yet, appears in Chen’s lost position when Chen charges forward.”

Capello looked at the camera, seemingly satisfied with his remarks, nodding while displaying a gratified smile, ”Clearly, Cannavaro has become Real Madrid’s defensive leader.”

”Last season, when I coached, Real Madrid’s defense was somewhat scattered, but in this match, we can clearly feel Real Madrid’s defense has unified.”

”This change is evidently because Cannavaro took responsibility, building the defense around him. It certainly isn’t because of that reckless Chen, right?”