Chapter 806: Pre-season Double Crown
From the official dissolution and entry into the off-season on June 5th, until the Manchester City training camp reopened on July 10th, Wang Feng and Lu Yao settled all matters in Madrid before returning to Manchester the day before.
During this month-long period, the Chinese superstar did not participate in any commercial activities, focusing mainly on remote management of group affairs, allowing him to spend quality time with his family.
This was also to make up for the separation during the season, especially when the schedule was tight, making it almost impossible to find free time for family.
Of course, the cost was that his physical condition became somewhat poor. Although he continued his regular exercise and ball training daily, the lack of field equipment was evident.
In addition, the diverse styles of Chinese cuisine were simply too delicious. While he could resist with willpower when he was younger, now with numerous honors and achievements, it was easy to indulge a bit.
However, after a detailed examination by the team doctor, it was determined that the problem was not serious, and with diligent exercise for half a month, he could recover his condition.
Wang Feng managed to maintain a relatively normal physique, but Gündogan visibly gained weight. Even if his injury recovered, if he wanted to return to the starting lineup, he would still need to put in some effort.
The former captain, Kompany, fulfilled his wish to completely let go, gaining more than ten kilograms in no time. Other key players also showed signs of gaining weight, with Walker, Danilo, and other recently transferred players being in the best shape.
Guardiola, angry and extremely headache-inducing, realized that these guys were indeed resting on their laurels and taking it easy. This wouldn't do!
So, he urgently consulted with the coaching staff and devised a devilish training regimen, significantly increasing the intensity of the players' physical training, leaving them exhausted after a single day.
Manchester City's camp was immediately filled with wails of despair. Many wanted to lead protests, but when they saw the team's biggest star, Wang Feng, meticulously following the arrangements, they couldn't help but feel ashamed and could only grit their teeth and persevere.
Seeing this situation, the Spanish coach nodded in understanding. He truly understood why Inter Milan and Real Madrid were always able to achieve good results consecutively—a remarkable example and leader were so important!
Many elite clubs fell apart because of their core players, who indulged in privileges, slacked off in training, and even openly protested and challenged the head coach. Naturally, other players followed suit, disregarding all the arrangements made by the coaching staff.
After ten days of devilish training, the entire Manchester City team headed to the United States for summer training, accompanied by some commercial activities. During this time, Wang Feng also concentrated on handling many of his commercial endorsements.
They played several warm-up matches against Manchester United, Real Madrid, Tottenham Hotspur, and West Ham United. Apart from an initial loss to the Red Devils, Manchester City's performance improved with each game, winning them all.
Guardiola also used these matches to refine the main lineup for the new season. In the goalkeeping position, Ederson replaced Bravo as the starter.
The 24-year-old Brazilian had an excellent performance last season at Benfica, with 24 clean sheets in 40 starts, making him one of the main contributors to the team's double triumph in the Primeira Liga and Taca de Portugal.
His agility, reaction speed, and accuracy in saves surpassed the 34-year-old Chilean veteran. It was believed that he could carry the banner of the future Manchester City goalkeeper.
The four defenders were Danilo, Benjamin Mendy, Otamendi, and Walker.
Stones had made rapid progress, forming a competitive situation with Danilo. Kompany's physical condition and strength were unlikely to continue to meet the standards for starting, so he was rotated, and the captain's armband was handed to David Silva on the field.
In addition to them, Delph, Laporte, and Zinchenko were also key substitutes.
The midfield comprised of De Bruyne, Fernandinho, and David Silva, with Gündogan also in Guardiola's focus for potential replacement of Fernandinho.
There was also the 17-year-old wonderkid Phil Foden, who came through Manchester City's youth system. Based on his excellent performance last year in the U18 squad, the head coach promoted him to the first team.
The three forwards were Bernardo Silva, Wang Feng, and Sané, with Agüero, Sterling, and Jesus as substitutes.
Before the start of the new season, there were pre-season Super Cup matches in various European leagues, with the participating teams being the champions of the domestic league and cup. England was no exception.
However, it was not called the Super Cup here but rather the Community Shield.
Originally named the Charity Shield, the competition was founded in 1908, with the format being professional teams against amateur teams, aimed at strengthening the communication between the two.
It wasn't until 1974 that it was changed to a clash between the league champions and the FA Cup winners, attracting more and more attention from fans.
If a team like Manchester City simultaneously won the league and the FA Cup, then the league runner-up would take their place. So, Chelsea, an old opponent, was Manchester City's opponent this time.
It was the first official match of the Premier League season, marking the beginning of a new journey, and also raising funds for charity, with a very high reputation.
However, in the early 21st century, a British investigation found that the FA's use of Charity Shield income had violated fund regulations and could no longer be called a charity event, thus it was renamed the Community Shield.
Unlike other cup competitions, the winning team did not receive a trophy but rather a shield, which was octagonal in shape with a concave interior, decorated with cloud patterns and the name.
Under the new system, Manchester City had almost no chance to participate until 2012 when they lifted the shield for the first time.
Guardiola attached great importance to this match and deployed his main lineup to strive for victory.
The addition of personally selected new signings did not disappoint the fans, greatly enhancing the stability and strength of the possession-based lineup, allowing Manchester City to control the game more smoothly.
In the first half, Walker advanced from the wing, crossed to De Bruyne, who then slotted the ball diagonally into the penalty area. Bernardo Silva tapped it in front of the goal, opening the scoring for the Sky Blues.
Chelsea, on the other hand, showed great patience and resilience, defending collectively to neutralize the opponent's continuous attacks while waiting for the opportunity to counterattack.
In the 71st minute, they found Hazard at the edge of the penalty area through a long pass from the back, and the Belgian forward deceived Manchester City defenders twice with his footwork before shooting into the far corner.
Approaching injury time, Wang Feng moved to the left and combined with Sané, delivering a low cross. David Silva arrived at the far post and scored from close range.
With this precise late goal, Manchester City eventually won 2-1 against Chelsea, claiming victory in this pre-season match.
In addition to the Community Shield, before the start of the league, Manchester City would also compete with last season's Europa League champions, Manchester United, for the UEFA Super Cup.
This prestigious trophy had never been within Manchester City's reach, so many Manchester City fans traveled with the team to the Philip II Arena in Macedonia, hoping to support their team and witness another historic breakthrough.
Guardiola made only minor adjustments to the lineup, with Agüero starting instead of Bernardo Silva, while the rest of the personnel remained unchanged.
In the first half, a Manchester City attack was cleared out, but De Bruyne controlled the ball on the right side of the penalty area, dribbled past defenders, and crossed from the byline. Wang Feng headed the ball into the net, scoring the first goal of the new season.
In the second half, Sané dribbled past two defenders on the wing and then passed it back in a triangular fashion. The Chinese superstar attracted defenders with his movement but cleverly let the ball go through to the top of the arc.
Fernandinho arrived, took a shot with his right foot, and blasted it through De Gea's hands.
After that, there were no further changes in the scoreline, with Manchester City defeating Manchester United 2-0, winning their first-ever UEFA Super Cup.
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