Triguera knew who Kai was talking about. He was very familiar with the Portuguese youth training scene: "You mean Benfica's Maniche? I don't remember much about him. I only know he has a bad temper. It seems he doesn't have anything particularly outstanding technically."
Maniche, whose full name is Nuno Ricardo de Oliveira Ribeiro—yes, there isn't even a single part of "Maniche" in that name. That's Portuguese names for you; they're really weird.
You could probably open a whole course just to study them.
Maniche is around twenty-two or twenty-three this year, and right now he's nothing more than an unknown nobody.
But in the future, he will become famous as one of Mourinho's first disciples.
Porto, Chelsea, Atlético Madrid, Inter Milan—he can be considered a wandering figure among top clubs.
But his strongest point isn't that—it's his outstanding performances for the Portuguese national team.
In two consecutive tournaments, Maniche scored crucial goals to help Portugal eliminate the powerful Netherlands, earning the reputation of being their nemesis and establishing himself as a world-class player.
He would become one of the best defensive midfielders in Portuguese history!
The next day, Moreirense seized the final moments of the winter transfer window and sent a loan request to Benfica.
If Benfica were willing to sell Maniche at a low price, they would also accept it.
This was basically the biggest show of support from Moreirense's boss toward Triguera.
Benfica agreed almost instantly.
It was obvious they really didn't want Maniche at this point.
However, the deal was rejected by Maniche himself just as quickly.
The media showed great interest in this transfer, because it involved Moreirense, a team that had become quite a hot topic this winter.
Triguera was the one personally requesting the signing!
Under such circumstances, ordinary players would rarely refuse.
At Maniche's age, he definitely understood how good Triguera was at discovering and developing talent.
Reporters bombarded him with questions.
"Maniche, don't you want to play in the Portuguese Liga? Are you aiming for the Primeira Liga?"
"Don't you think Moreirense's tactics suit you?"
"Don't you like the weather in Moreirense?"
"Do you have conflicts with Kai and Cristiano Ronaldo? Otherwise, why refuse to join?"
Faced with all these questions, Maniche snapped: "Because they want to sign a defensive midfielder."
The reporters nodded—nothing strange there. A team built around Kai would obviously need one or two defensive midfielders.
Seeing they still didn't get it, Maniche lost it: "And I'm a right winger!"
…
The reporters were stunned.
Maniche… a right winger?
Damn, after being loaned out, everyone had completely forgotten his position.
But then again—telling a right winger, "Come play defensive midfield for us"…
The fact that Maniche didn't straight-up tell them to go cut cock was already a miracle.
This might be one of the most ridiculous transfer attempts in history!
"I beep—beep—you idiots…" Maniche's follow-up Portuguese "national essence" was quickly censored.
This incident quickly became a joke in the Portuguese transfer market.
Trying to convert a right winger into a defensive midfielder—just how unprofessional is Triguera?
Of course, Triguera himself was also a bit embarrassed.
Because he genuinely couldn't remember what position Maniche played.
If Kai said sign him, then sign him.
Triguera trusted Kai's judgment.
In the first half of the season, everyone said those Chinese players weren't good—but what happened? Didn't Sporting Lisbon U17 finish first in their division?
Faced with all the criticism, Kai accepted an interview on the last day of the transfer window and responded:
"Of course Mr. Triguera knows that Maniche is a right winger."
"What we see in Maniche are the qualities of a top defensive midfielder."
"To be honest, from my perspective, Maniche as a winger is nothing. No one remembers him—the media can confirm that."
"But Maniche as a defensive midfielder has the potential to become a national hero of Portugal!"
"Whether he comes to Moreirense or not doesn't matter, but I hope he can reflect on himself and find the path that suits him best."
As soon as this statement came out, the debate exploded even more.
Kai's words were bold.
Too bold.
Too damn bold.
"Bora": "Who does Kai think he is? Does he even understand how ridiculous it is to turn a right winger into a defensive midfielder? Does he know what a national hero means? Even Figo wouldn't dare say that about himself!"
Bora fired back aggressively.
"Record": "Portugal's golden generation, led by Figo, brought the team to the European Championship stage. Why wouldn't they be considered heroes? Players changing positions is completely normal—many have improved drastically after doing so."
Record responded.
In the end, Bora doubled down: "No matter what, Moreirense, without any strong signings this winter, will not achieve good results. Don't forget—they are still in the relegation zone!"
…
"Ding! You have obtained the blue player skills: Curved Free Kick and Volley."
"Curved Free Kick: Improves the arc of your free kicks, making it easier to bend around the wall."
"Volley: Improves the accuracy of your volley shots. Because of your good relationship with Zidane, when performing a left-footed side volley, there is a chance to trigger the special effect 'Flying Volley.' Power, curve, speed, accuracy, and trajectory are greatly enhanced."
Kai looked at the two skills with satisfaction.
A Flying Volley from the heavens!
Even before the 2002 Champions League final, Kai had already experienced Zidane's genius.
This is basically closed beta privilege.
Way better than some electric bicycle nonsense.
After all, if the "Flying Volley" fails, it's just a missed shot.
If Cristiano Ronaldo's stepovers fail, he might trip over the ball and lose both dignity and possession.
Too risky.
Up to now, Kai still hadn't dared to try that flashy nonsense.
Mainly because… he valued his dignity.
On February 2nd, the seventeenth round of the Portuguese Liga began.
Moreirense faced Ferenc.
This was another team near the relegation zone.
Moreirense's schedule during this period was quite favorable.
They wouldn't face top-ranked teams until the final stretch of the season.
This gave Kai and Cristiano Ronaldo plenty of time to adapt.
Of course, it also meant they might get absolutely smashed at the end of the season.
Twenty-ninth minute.
Cristiano Ronaldo broke down the wing and won a corner kick.
The move was actually a failed dribble that got blocked, but Ronaldo got lucky and earned the corner.
Yesterday's match… how should he put it?
He thought he was leading a bunch of youngsters to victory—
But it turned out… he was the one being carried by them?!
Now in this match, he had to get serious.
Attention! Attention!
The miracle of "Fat Peach" has officially begun!
The Netherlands were rock-solid defensively, making it hard for the U.S. team to score. After conceding, the U.S. defense collapsed, and the Dutch won 3-0.
Argentina had problems on both ends, while Australia held firm and struck on the counter, creating a miracle with a 1-0 victory.
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