Chapter 693: Qualifying Matches (Second Perspective)
Seeing everyone gathered in a group, the head coach Schaaf's face immediately darkened, and he scolded loudly, "What are you doing if you're not training?"
After understanding the ins and outs of the incident, he couldn't help but laugh angrily. These people still thought there weren't enough things happening. Luckily, there were no journalists present today, otherwise, it would have become the biggest joke before the start of the Bundesliga.
"Zlatko, do you speak ill of your teammates like this? And you, Yellow, have been getting more and more temperamental recently. Dare to lay hands on the training ground?"
"You two stay behind after training for extra practice. If there's another incident, you'll be sent down to the reserve team indefinitely, and no exceptions will be made. Do you understand?"
The almost fiery gaze of the head coach told them that this was no joke. Everyone felt that Schaaf was stricter than before, whether it was Yellow Tiger or Junuzovic, they both hurriedly assured that there would be no next time.
Training resumed, and De Bruyne found an opportunity to express his gratitude to Yellow Tiger, who casually patted the Belgian's shoulder, saying, "You, you're just too boring and don't know how to fight for it. Occasionally getting angry can make you feel more present."
"If it were me sitting on the bench at Chelsea for a whole year, I would have been unwilling long ago."
Not all players can make a breakthrough and rise to the top in one go. Effort and showing oneself appropriately can leave a deep impression. Back then, Yellow Tiger not only won his position with his own abilities but also earned respect by constantly competing and rubbing shoulders with his teammates.
Especially in small teams, the victors secure their main positions, while the losers sink into obscurity, and may even find themselves without a team to play for. Professional football is sometimes so cruel.
"But Schaaf doesn't seem quite right. Is the pressure too great in the new season? At this time, it's better to be honest and not touch his mold."
Yellow Tiger stuck out his tongue and said, "I guess we won't be able to have dinner together tonight."
His prediction was correct. After a whole day of training, everyone was almost exhausted, but the head coach didn't forget to keep Yellow Tiger and Junuzovic behind, punishing them with a five-kilometer run.
This was really deadly. The two dared not disobey, so they dragged themselves through it and then returned to the physiotherapy room for recovery with the help of the staff. The result was another round of howls and cries. The fingers of the physiotherapist seemed to cut through their muscles like blades, causing a refreshing sensation.
It was already late at night when they returned to the dormitory. Originally, Yellow Tiger's roommate was Silvestre, who retired in the summer and hadn't been reassigned yet. Just as De Bruyne returned, the club also knew that the combination of the two was a powerful weapon, so they arranged for them to be together to cultivate their understanding.
"Are you okay?" The Belgian asked with concern, "Will training like this cause any hidden dangers?"
"I'm fine. It's just pushing close to the limit. It just happens to test how our physical reserves are."
Yellow Tiger didn't want to move anymore. "The club has its limits. The team doctor and physiotherapist are waiting."
Of course, the consequence of such training was that Yellow Tiger felt downcast for the next period of time and even had no energy to maintain his usual extra practice for improvement.
During this time, Werder Bremen played several preseason matches, with overall poor performances, failing to win a single one, which immediately attracted the attention of the media and fans.
"Summer window investment may be in vain, Werder Bremen's situation in avoiding relegation is worrying." So evaluated by the Batenfod region newspaper.
They believed that the team's midfield performance continued to decline, and the new recruit De Bruyne, who returned after a year, had to face a completely new situation. He also needed some time to integrate into the tactical system.
While Yellow Tiger, who shone brightly last season, seemed to disappear from everyone's sight, with almost no signs of his agile runs and tricky shots. The frontline was completely silent, and he might belong to the category of a flash in the pan.
More importantly, the team would face the pressure of competing on multiple fronts this season, something that big clubs dreamed of but small clubs dreaded.
Looking back at the history of European football, there were countless small teams who exhausted themselves because of European competitions, eventually leading to relegation.
Yellow Tiger didn't care about the media's accusations. Both he and the coaching staff understood that his body had not yet fully recovered to its best condition, not only because of the punishment training, but also because of the long summer vacation.
Nowadays, he often pulled De Bruyne to practice passing and coordination, and the Belgian's precise and clever passes always made the Chinese youngster's eyes light up, feeling a deeper understanding of his positioning and receiving methods on the field.
Head coach Schaaf obviously also intended to promote such cooperation, using the two as the core of the attack and constantly adjusting in the preseason matches.
Regarding this, Junuzovic was both resentful and helpless. He could only pray for the two to make mistakes, or find a new home for himself.
On the last day of July, Werder Bremen's Europa League qualification finally arrived, marking the team's return to the European stage after four years.
Due to obtaining the lowest Europa League spot in the Bundesliga, they had to start from the third round of qualifying, facing the Greek Super League team Trikala.
If they could advance after the two-leg contest, they would still have to go through two additional rounds of playoffs to enter the group stage of the Europa League with forty-eight teams.
However, the opponents only ranked fifth in the Greek Super League last season, and their overall strength was not outstanding. The entire Werder Bremen team was rubbing their hands together, vowing to defeat them and advance to the next round.
When De Bruyne stepped onto the Weser Stadium again, he couldn't help but feel emotional. After all the twists and turns, he returned here. He had once longed to wear the jersey of a top club and stand on the world's top stage.
But to achieve that step was incredibly difficult. Hasty attempts would only hinder progress. Only by accumulating and growing step by step could everything come to fruition.
Yellow Tiger came to his side and patted his shoulder. "What are you thinking? Trust me, you won't stay on the bench for long."
"Of course." The Belgian raised his eyebrows. "But what about you? Aren't you in good shape? The head coach has little patience. Don't lose your starting position by then."
Rubbing his hands, Yellow Tiger said, "You can rest assured. I feel extremely eager for the game, and the real show is about to begin!"
"The ball's in! Huanghu! A very wonderful offside steal and shot!"
"Werder Bremen opens the scoring at their home ground, taking the lead!"
A burst of enthusiastic cheers erupted from the stands of the Weser Stadium, with countless fans calling out their beloved team hero with awkward pronunciation.
"Who said Huang was just a flash in the pan? Who said he's out of form? When Felix slanted the ball into the penalty area, he quickly started, timing it just right. Any later and he would have been intercepted by the opposing defender, any earlier and he would have faced the risk of offside."
After scoring the first goal, the pressure on the home team decreased significantly, and they further expanded their lead through Hayirovic.
And when the game reached the 77th minute, De Bruyne finally made his appearance.
After he came on, he quickly created a threat, sending a ball into the penalty area at a forty-five-degree angle from the front court. Hayirovic at the near post struggled to get a touch on it, but it felt awkward, and he couldn't reach the ball no matter what.
Just when he thought the ball was going off course, Yellow Tiger, who was following up at the back post, was perfectly positioned. With no one marking him, he easily headed the ball, but unfortunately, the angle of the shot was a bit off, and the ball grazed the post and flew out of bounds.
"Damn it, can't you be more serious? You wasted such a good opportunity!" De Bruyne, who missed the assist, shouted at Yellow Tiger angrily, and the Chinese youngster apologized repeatedly, knowing he was at fault.
In the end, the score remained 2-0 until the end of the game, with Werder Bremen securing the advantage to advance.
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