When Coach Kai was happy, he would casually provide some player and tactical analysis, which was enough for Maxa to continue maintaining his "master tactician" persona.
To be honest, during the six months since he had been separated from Young Master Kai, Maxa barely dared to sleep.
Every day, he was terrified of being exposed.
But now he wasn't afraid anymore.
By Kai's side, he had constantly seen and learned everything. Kai could wield any sword, spear, or staff with style, though his favorite was the nunchaku—both soft and hard at the same time. He studied tactics and even attended various martial arts classes with Young Master Kai...
Ibrahimović was still depressed because he couldn't understand why Triguera and Maxa were so polite to Kai.
"Jardel..." Kai looked at Jardel running laps around the training ground and shook his head. "I calculated the average number of goals scored by Portuguese Super League teams over the past few seasons. Each team scores around one hundred goals per season."
"And a strong team might score 130, or even 150."
"But Sporting Lisbon only scored around 100 goals last season, which was basically the same as the previous three seasons."
"This proves that... Jardel's arrival did not make the team's offense stronger. His role is simply to make the team's goals more concentrated."
"Looking at Sporting Lisbon's results last season, we were more stable when beating weaker opponents, but we also lost more often against strong teams."
"This wasn't an accident. I watched footage of those matches. Jardel was tightly marked, the team struggled to score, and naturally couldn't beat their opponents."
"If he were a striker capable of scoring against strong teams, then concentrating the goals on him wouldn't matter. But if he can only bully weaker sides, then his value to Sporting Lisbon is far lower than everyone thinks."
Ibrahimović froze.
Was this really something Kai, a substitute player, should be saying?
Was this really something a rookie like Ibrahimović should even hear?
"And he doesn't like dropping deep to support. He has the ability to play as a fulcrum, but he refuses to actually perform the fulcrum role. I don't like cooperating with that kind of center forward. Viana struggled to regain form after returning from injury last season because the striker lacked the ability to drop deep and connect play."
"He was constantly trapped in double teams and disconnected from the midfield and attack."
"In comparison, Drogba's physical support play and Ibrahimović's footwork and passing ability are both more helpful to the team."
"And I believe both of them can produce more than Jardel against strong opponents. At the very least, they have the potential to do so. Jardel, meanwhile, has already proven through his performances that he doesn't."
"That's the main reason the Brazilian national team has been slow to call him up."
Triguera nodded repeatedly, but considering Ibrahimović was still there, he never openly voiced his opinion.
After enough time had passed, Triguera told Ibrahimović to leave. Maxa instructed him to look more solemn so people would think he had just been severely reprimanded.
After Ibrahimović closed the door, he deliberately slowed his steps.
Then he heard Triguera's voice from inside:
"So... are you planning to sell him to Benfica or what?"
Kai's voice followed:
"Nuno Gomes exploded during the European Championship. Benfica will definitely build around him now. Sending a traditional target man like Jardel there would just be self-destruction."
"It's unrealistic to send him outside the Portuguese Super League. Jardel is very popular inside Portugal, but his influence barely extends beyond it. Although Bundesliga and Ligue 1 clubs are interested in buying him, the transfer fees aren't ideal, and the salaries aren't low either. He may not be willing to leave."
"The best option is to send him back to Porto. Porto lost the league title without him. Both the club and the fans know exactly how important he is. Only they can afford to pay a high price to take him back."
"Don't forget, after Jardel came to Sporting Lisbon, his salary increased significantly. Even if we sell him back for a slightly lower transfer fee than we paid, this deal would still be the best possible way to cut losses."
Maxa interrupted:
"Do we really have to sell him? Can't we keep him as a substitute? His scoring efficiency is stable, and his presence can stimulate the potential of Ibrahimović and Drogba to a certain extent."
Kai replied:
"There's no need. Don't doubt the players you choose. Whether it's Ibrahimović or Drogba, once they adapt to the Portuguese Super League, they'll definitely be good enough. Rotating the two of them is already sufficient."
"If Jardel stays, he'll end up sitting on the bench. After one season, his value will drop significantly no matter what. Right now is the best time to cash out..."
Ibrahimović slowly walked out of the office building.
He didn't even dare glance back at Triguera's office window.
He had heard something he probably shouldn't have heard, and now he was worried...
Looking at Ibrahimović's expression, everyone assumed he had just been brutally lectured.
After all, Ibrahimović and Jardel had entered together. Jardel came out early to run laps, while Ibrahimović remained inside for another half hour.
Which punishment was lighter and which was heavier? Everyone understood immediately.
Poor Ibrahimović.
At the same time, however, Ibrahimović looked at Jardel still running laps and found it impossible to believe that a club would actually consider selling a super striker who had scored 38 league goals in a single Portuguese Super League season.
If he were the manager, he would definitely sacrifice himself instead of a player like Jardel after a conflict.
Too ruthless!
And the key point was that Kai had proposed it.
The main reason being: "I don't like playing with that kind of striker."
Dropping deep, link-up play, fulcrum... these words kept flashing through Ibrahimović's mind.
He was a player who loved beautiful football. In the past, he only pursued beautiful dribbles and spectacular shots.
But now... he was beginning to appreciate beautiful link-up play too.
…
Over the following days, the conflict between Ibrahimović and Jardel seemed to fade away.
But in reality, its influence had already spread deep into the locker room.
Because Kai had stood up for Ibrahimović, he not only had the support of old teammates Ronaldo and Fonte, but also the backing of newcomers like Barzagli, Drogba, and Pepe.
For a while, this group of young players gathered around Kai, forming a circle where they would no longer be bullied by the veterans.
At the same time, while Kai stood at the center of this group, he also maintained good relationships with almost everyone outside of it.
From Matthäus all the way down to the stadium concierge, he could get along with anyone.
After a warm-up match, the team defeated their opponent 2–0.
Jardel scored both goals, while Matthäus contributed an assist.
Considering the opponent was Le Mans, a newly promoted Ligue 2 side, the scoreline was still enough to satisfy the fans.
After all, Sporting Lisbon's lineup had practically been rebuilt from top to bottom, so beating a Ligue 2 team was acceptable.
But in reality... Le Mans, despite being newly promoted, had made no major signings this season and had even lost several seemingly average but actually crucial players—such as Drogba. Their true level was not particularly strong even for Ligue 2.
Sporting Lisbon was a giant of the Portuguese Super League. Yet after a hard-fought match, they only won by two goals and held no real dominance on the pitch. Most of their threat came from Quaresma's dazzling dribbling and wing deliveries, but the team's ability to create and finish chances was still lacking.
Still, a win was a win, so the team received a day off afterward.
Kai organized the Kai Gang to go watch a movie together.
Kai also sent Terry a text message, but Terry replied that his family was visiting him, so he couldn't leave.
Kai expressed his understanding and wished Terry and his family a happy weekend.
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