Chapter 498: New impetus
The World Cup, with all its grandeur, has come to a close, and the transfer market is once again in full swing. Meanwhile, for some Real Madrid players, this year's summer break is particularly short.
Players like Pepe, Casemiro, Higuaín, and Di María are okay because their national teams were eliminated early, so they began their vacation as soon as the team disbanded.
However, players like Ramos, Casillas, Alonso, and Wang Feng are having a tough time. Not only did they play all the matches until mid-July, but they also had to participate in celebratory events, keeping them busy until they finally realized that the club's assembly was less than a week away.
"I feel like hitting you when I hear that," Di María gritted his teeth. By now, he had fully integrated into the atmosphere of the Galacticos. Listening to Ramos' endless complaints, he felt some resentment. "I didn't want an early break either, but unfortunately, I wasn't given the chance."
At this moment, everyone was undergoing recovery training at Real Madrid City's Valdebebas training base. As usual, they would play several friendly matches in Europe and then kick off their activities in China.
In recent years, Real Madrid's training camp in China has become a fixed pattern, carrying immeasurable commercial value.
Wang Feng and the other players reported at the same time. He only took a few days to rest in Madrid, during which he had to complete signings, interviews, and commercial activities, making him extremely busy.
Fortunately, he had the support and companionship of his family all the way. Now that his fame and career had reached new peaks, it was an excellent time for him to exert himself to the fullest.
Coach Benítez, as usual, looked sternly at everyone. Deep down, he was quite satisfied with the players' physical condition, but to earn his praise, they needed to do more.
After winning four consecutive league and Champions League titles, no one wanted to stop because one more step forward would equal the team's legendary history.
The club's senior management also tried to maintain the existing lineup system without daring to make major changes. They brought in young players like Di María and Héctor, while letting go of substitutes like Van der Vaart, Guti, and Metzelder.
The departure of old friend Guti made the Chinese superstar feel a bit sad, but he soon felt relieved. It was also a good choice for the Spaniard.
Staying at Real Madrid, Guti's playing time would only decrease, and both his technical ability and salary would decline significantly. It was better to take this opportunity to play elsewhere.
Moreover, his choice to join Schalke 04, where Raul currently plays, meant that the two would not be lonely in Germany.
Benítez's training intensity still made the players complain, but everyone executed it meticulously under the leadership of the Chinese superstar, which gave great motivation to the newly added players.
"Wang is truly an incredible leader," Di María said in his first interview after joining Real Madrid, talking about his feelings after joining the team. "He always restrains himself and influences others with his actions, which is much better than preaching."
"To be honest, I now understand why he can lead the team to victory wherever he goes."
At the same time, the Argentine midfielder added, "What is even more incredible is that the atmosphere within the Real Madrid team is not surprising at all but rather very relaxed and harmonious."
"This is completely different from my impression of big clubs. There is almost no estrangement or communication barriers between the players. Speaking frankly is the principle that everyone adheres to, and I think this should also be influenced and inspired by Wang."
After a period of internal adaptation, Benítez arranged a training match between the first team and the B team. Currently, Real Madrid Castilla is still competing in the Spanish Segunda División B, unlike Barcelona B, which is sailing smoothly in the Spanish Segunda División.
However, this season, Zidane will take over their coaching affairs. The Frenchman's coaching ability still needs time to be tested.
There's nothing much to say about the whole game. Wang Feng didn't even get a chance to play, as the coach said his condition didn't need any further adaptation.
In the end, with goals from Sneijder and Higuaín, the first team defeated the B team 2-0. After the match, Zidane and Benítez greeted each other before coming to Wang Feng's side.
"Congratulations on winning the World Cup, Wang. I didn't have a chance to congratulate you properly back in South Africa," Zidane joked. "Will you feel less motivated to play football now? After all, you've won all the honors in your career, and there are still many other players who long for the Ballon d'Or and FIFA World Player of the Year awards. Honestly, I envy you."
Wang Feng shrugged. "Who doesn't want to achieve more honors? I'm very greedy. Moreover, for me, there is a new motivation, which is to help Real Madrid establish an unprecedented dynasty, surpassing the past, present, and future!"
Looking at the confident expression of the Chinese superstar, Zidane felt that all of this was very likely to be realized, and he eagerly hoped to achieve legendary status with Wang Feng.
It seems that I also need to work harder and enrich my coaching experience as soon as possible, improve my level, and strive to take over Real Madrid soon.
On the side, Benítez was still seriously considering the tactical arrangements for the new season, paying no attention to the fact that someone had already set their sights on his position.
After training at Valdebebas for a week, the Galacticos flew to Andalusia and played a friendly match with Real Betis.
Wang Feng still sat on the bench, while Di María and Héctor put on the Real Madrid jersey for the first time. Due to some competition with Robben, the Argentine midfielder was exceptionally active.
Although he didn't score, he assisted Granero to help the team break the deadlock. In the second half, the coach replaced Di María with "Little Arrow".
Although Robben was absent due to injury for the entire season, his performance in the World Cup was still very outstanding. Therefore, Benítez still tended to give him a chance, and he didn't disappoint, contributing a goal and an assist in succession, finally securing a 3-0 victory.
After the match, Spanish media analyzed that as the reigning champions, it was not easy for Real Madrid to maintain such impressive competitiveness and vitality, especially since they hadn't deployed their biggest weapon yet.
In the following days, they also played against Sevilla and Real Sociedad. Wang Feng only played 45 minutes and scored one goal. His attacking ability was still excellent, and the Galacticos remained undefeated, with one draw and one win.
After the European warm-up matches, Real Madrid and others flew to China to start their commercial competition tour. A domestic sponsor spared no expense to hold an invitational tournament. In addition to Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Inter Milan, Ajax, and last year's Chinese Super League champions, Capital Team, were also invited to participate.
The format was a round-robin, with each team playing against the other five teams once. The team with the highest points would be the champion.
Due to the recent World Cup wave, domestic fans were enthusiastic, and the matches were almost full. The atmosphere briefly surpassed that of the domestic league matches, which made the sponsors very satisfied. Real Madrid also gave Wang Feng face by letting him play in every match.
In the end, with a record of 3 wins and 2 draws, the Galacticos smoothly won the trophy, and Wang Feng was named the best player of the tournament with 3 goals and 4 assists.
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