The Penafiel players bombarded them indiscriminately in the final minutes.
Fortunately, Fonte, Kirop, and Altino, who came on as substitutes, provided enough defensive presence, making desperate clearances with their heads and feet to secure the precious three points.
After the game, Triguera strongly condemned the actions of the opponent's players: "Penafiel's players were too aggressive. This is not the normal rhythm of the game."
"Their players provoked ours first, and their No. 8 should have received a red card, not a yellow!"
"It's normal that we won. In fact, if it weren't for their fouls on Cristiano Ronaldo, we could have scored even more goals!"
Similarly, Kai, on the side, also said in an interview: "Everyone who watched this game knows that Ronaldo and I do not need special protection. We have the ability to play in the Portuguese Liga and perform well!"
"But the premise is that we must be treated fairly."
"A foul is a foul, and dangerous play is dangerous play. You can't ignore dangerous fouls against us just because that's what the opponent intends."
"It's a tradition for veterans to play rough against newcomers, but that should not influence the referee's decisions. Everyone was once young, and everyone will have children."
"Time and experience should make you wiser, not biased against younger players!"
The master and apprentice struck with a combination punch.
The Portuguese Liga hadn't been this lively for a long time.
In the end, Triguera was fined €2,000 by the Portuguese League officials.
Although the fine was small, the message was clear:
Don't push it too far.
Triguera paid the fine quite happily and was in a good mood.
Cristiano Ronaldo didn't understand the logic and asked Kai if Triguera had gone mad.
Kai then explained it to him in a few words, helping him understand.
"Everything has two sides. The biggest fear when making a complaint is that it leads to nothing. As long as there is a result—even a bad one—you gain more information," Kai said as he opened the office door and saw Triguera and the others.
Before walking over, he continued, "The official punishment may look like dissatisfaction with us."
"But it also means they heard what the boss said. Considering the boss's influence in youth training and the attention on you and me, the Portuguese Liga officials will definitely look into this matter."
"Punishment means: 'We know about it, and we're handling it—so don't escalate things further.' After all, no one wants their internal problems discussed by the whole world."
Cristiano Ronaldo suddenly understood and called him the "Knowing King."
After a while, Triguera and the assistant coach came over.
They were going to review the previous game.
Cristiano Ronaldo was brought in not because he could participate in tactical decision-making, but because they wanted him to express his feelings about the match—especially since his performance was a key issue.
Cristiano Ronaldo had played very poorly.
Ronaldo: "I'm not afraid of them, but when I had the ball, I felt like I couldn't move properly. I..."
Not everyone can clearly express what they feel inside.
Young Ronaldo still had a lot to learn in terms of expression.
This is why, in many learning stories, someone like Xiao Ming often needs a mentor who is better at articulating and understanding things.
Kai: "At that moment, you felt like you should keep using your skills to try to beat them, right?"
Ronaldo nodded quickly.
Kai: "But if you don't use your skills, you get tangled up by defenders because your intentions are too obvious."
Ronaldo nodded again.
Kai: "In the end, you feel like you can't beat them anyway, so you stop trying and just pass back."
Ronaldo's head was spinning.
As expected of the guy who sleeps on the bunk above me—Kai really understands me!
Unexpectedly, Kai smiled slightly and said to Triguera: "This is a very typical case of a talented young player being shocked by experienced professionals after entering the senior level, leaving him temporarily lost."
Ronaldo was stunned.
Typical?
What do you mean typical?
I'm the only Ronaldo in the world! I'm unique! Don't make me sound ordinary!
Ronaldo didn't like that feeling at all.
Triguera, as a youth training expert, had more insight: "Actually, Ronaldo is already performing better than most players who encounter this situation."
Cristiano Ronaldo brightened up.
See? Even if I face typical problems, I'm still special!
"Of course," Triguera continued, "there are also a few rare players who don't face this issue at all. For example, Kai—you don't have this problem."
"After facing malicious fouls, you even used skill moves to bait defenders and provoke them into making irrational challenges."
"No, no, this is just the basic performance expected from a future world-class midfield master. Nothing worth mentioning…" Kai waved his hands modestly.
The assistant coach looked confused.
Where? What?
Cristiano Ronaldo was heartbroken: Since you two are so in sync, should I just leave?
After the review, Triguera made targeted adjustments.
Ronaldo needed to rebuild his confidence in taking on defenders.
He needed to find a balance between flashy skills and simplicity.
This is a stage every winger must go through—no one can avoid it.
Regarding the team's tendency to collapse after taking the lead, Triguera also arranged specific training.
However, results would take time.
After all, this team didn't have the mentality of a strong side.
To truly fix this issue, they needed not only long-term pressing and defensive coordination training, but also confidence.
Win more matches.
Win by bigger margins!
"In the short term, we can only address this through signings," Kai concluded. "We need a defensively aggressive midfielder."
Triguera nodded: "That kind of player is hard to find—and even harder to develop."
In the future, "aggressive" might describe a player with strong mentality, work rate, and physicality.
But right now, it's often a negative term—used for players who are reckless, hot-headed, and prone to picking up cards.
"I do know someone," Kai said. "There's a player from Benfica who was quite famous a few years ago. He was loaned out for a year and just returned this season."
"I heard the reason he came back was because his previous team didn't want him—and he had a huge conflict with his teammates."
"The key point is, Benfica doesn't want him either. They tried to loan him out in the summer, but no one was willing to take him."
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