(Author's Note / Disclaimer
Before we continue, I'd like to share a quick update with you guys.
I've just released a new football fanfiction called Genius Midfielder, which is in the same genre and style as the story you're currently reading. If you enjoy this kind of football-focused, growth-oriented story, you might really like it as well.
Feel free to check out my profile anytime and give it a try.As always, thank you for your support, and enjoy the chapter!)
...
"Capello's assistant has gone to the fourth official. After being frozen out for months, Beckham is finally getting his chance—but the situation is already dire."
"I'm worried that after the match, Real Madrid's executives will dump all the blame on him."
"Su Hang has called Robinho over. He's gesturing—looks like he's laying out a specific tactical role for Robinho. But… is this really something Su Hang should be doing?"
"Guti's over there too. Su Hang is still explaining things…"
"Capello isn't saying anything. It seems he actually approves of Su Hang's arrangements."
"But honestly, players directly interfering with tactics—especially giving on-the-spot instructions—is a very bad sign! Su Hang is setting a terrible example for players everywhere."
"As a player, he's undoubtedly outstanding. But he absolutely shouldn't be stepping into the head coach's role."
"Even Zidane wouldn't do this."
"Su Hang is far too arrogant! Reaching the top of the world at twenty—I can understand his success. But from his rise until now, it's only been three years."
"Everything happened too fast. He doesn't have the composure or mindset to handle it all. He's drifting. He's swelling with ego."
"Hopefully this defeat wakes him up."
"I have great faith in Su Hang's future—but only if he stops being so arrogant!"
"Real Madrid may have produced a super academy star, but they might also be raising a tiger that will turn on them. I can already foresee the ugly battles between Su Hang and the club."
"Interfering with tactics, meddling in transfers, demanding doubled top-tier wages, demanding more commercial resources—when the team loses, he doesn't lose; when he wins, the team doesn't win…"
"After the Galácticos era collapses, Real Madrid may not enter a new revival—but a nightmare era defined by Su Hang."
"This is a mistake!"
"And it all begins with this match!"
The commentator sounded as if he had glimpsed the future itself.
And his words were being echoed by countless media outlets and fans, both in the stadium and in front of their screens.
Only Zidane, recovering at home in Spain, curled his lips into a faint smile.
Since the start of the season, whenever people talked about him and Su Hang, the word "succession" always came up.
But what exactly is succession?
Is it succession when fans who loved Zidane start loving Su Hang after Zidane retires?
Zidane didn't think so.
When he was on the pitch, Zidane was Real Madrid's organizer and core. Once the whistle blew, the entire team moved under his control.
Now, Su Hang was achieving control over the team in his own way.
This—that—is succession.
Not forcing Su Hang into midfield, and not asking him to ignore the midfield either.
Attacking midfielder, defensive midfielder, wide midfielder, winger, center forward, fullback, center back—even goalkeeper, absurd as that sounds—all can theoretically become a team's organizing core.
What matters more than position is the mind.
Without the desire—and the effort—to move in that direction, no matter if you're the world's best striker, midfielder, or defender, you can never become the true controller of a team.
And once you lose that control, you're living under someone else's roof. Everything depends on whether others choose to give it to you.
From that perspective, Cristiano Ronaldo's career was incredibly smooth—almost blessed.
He was never the team's true controller, yet he almost always received the best treatment and remained among the very best players… except under Ten Hag.
Perhaps it's true that smiling girls and hardworking boys are rarely unlucky.
As Beckham came on, Real Madrid began circulating the ball at the back. Beckham kept passing and receiving, and within five minutes, he had already sent out two long passes.
The first was clearly off, his touch not quite there yet.
But the second already had about eighty percent accuracy—unfortunately, Cassano started too late and couldn't catch up to it.
On Bayern's end, Kahn prepared to restart play.
"Ding! You have used a Random Moment Card and obtained: Robert Lewandowski 2015."
!
!!
!!!
As expected!
Su Hang had gambled correctly!
By not using the Messi Moment Card outright, he had won the bet.
Tremble, Bayern Munich!
Random Moment Cards generate based on the opponent, with a high probability of drawing a star who has deep ties to them.
Lewandowski may not be Bayern's greatest player of all time, but he is without question their strongest star of the 21st century.
Not only was he the world's number one striker for a long stretch, he was also—after Messi and Ronaldo—one of only three players to win both the Ballon d'Or and World Footballer of the Year.
The other two were Benzema and Modrić.
Young Modrić: Holy shit, is that real???
In 2015, just one year after joining Bayern Munich on a free transfer from Borussia Dortmund, Lewandowski delivered a god-tier performance in the sixth round of the Bundesliga against Wolfsburg.
From that moment on, he became the most explosively prolific scorer on the planet.
Without the slightest hesitation, Su Hang activated the Lewandowski Moment Card.
"Ding! You have activated Moment Card: Robert Lewandowski 2015. You may allow Bayern to experience the power and madness of the Polish striker eight years early."
Boom!
After Kahn played the ball out, his eyes briefly met Su Hang's.
For some reason, he saw anticipation in Su Hang's gaze.
Anticipation of what?
A comeback?
Don't be ridiculous!
We're Bayern!
Manchester United: Uh… not sure if this is the right time, but May 26, 1999—it was a beautiful evening…
In midfield, the two sides battled fiercely.
Bayern sent the ball into Real Madrid's defensive half, where Kompany brought it under control.
Kompany then passed it to the holding midfielder, Beckham.
Without hesitation, Beckham threaded a through ball.
As a max-level long passer, his ground passes were naturally just as sharp.
This pass wasn't a magic blade—but it was deadlier than one.
Raúl received the ball up front, turned, and laid it off to Guti on the right. He was taken down by Hargreaves but immediately got back up and continued his run.
Guti took the ball and instantly slipped it forward.
Cassano dropped to receive, but Van Bommel stuck tight to him. With no space to control the ball, Cassano flicked it with his heel, knocking it into the box.
Hargreaves thought Raúl was out of the play and ignored him—only for Raúl to suddenly burst out from behind, steal the ball, and prepare to shoot.
Thankfully, Lucio was fast enough. He reacted decisively, sliding in inside the box to disrupt the ball.
In that area, one careless moment means a penalty. Lucio's decision-making and defensive ability were outstanding.
But…
Rushing to make the play, Lucio didn't put full force into the tackle, and it wasn't completely clean.
The ball deflected toward Su Hang.
In an instant, everything happened in a flash.
The ball bounced in from the right. Su Hang's right foot didn't even have time to react—he missed the shooting point.
But he still had his left foot.
Bang!
Su Hang stuck out his left foot, redirecting the ball toward goal, then fell to the ground because of the awkward shooting motion.
Even Su Hang looked that clumsy.
And Kahn—who had already shifted his weight when Raúl shaped to shoot—had even less time to respond.
He couldn't move at all.
He could only watch as the ball slowly rolled into the net.