After defeating Borussia Mönchengladbach, Borussia Dortmund enjoyed a brief respite.
A week is enough time for Tuchel to plan the grueling schedule in February.
To this end, the club has developed a special physical fitness enhancement plan for the players!
They made a special trip to Spain to hire a professional strength and conditioning coach!
The coach's name is O'Brien, and he previously worked for Real Madrid!
He was a member of the team of Real Madrid's famously ruthless Pintus.
On the first day, nearly half of Dortmund's players were out of commission!
The intensive training started with stretching, then moved on to the equipment.
Next up is core balance training!
Then comes the formal training program!
Hill turnaround runs, sprint runs, loop runs.
After all that, the players ran a total of 10 kilometers that day!
After the training session, many people couldn't even stand up.
Tuchel was very worried about his players, so he went to talk to manager Zorc.
"You know we have a tough battle to fight in February, right?"
"I know, I didn't know O'Brien's training intensity was this high, but it's a good thing in the end."
"Once an injury occurs, the loss will extend far beyond just the player!"
With the two of them pulling each other along, the training session for the second day began as scheduled.
This time, O'Brien prepared oxygen-barrier masks for the players!
The players were initially very resistant.
But upon hearing that Real Madrid players had been using them for a long time, they all voluntarily put them on and started training.
Andy has never felt as intensely sore as he has during these past two days of training!
Exhilarating!
He was far ahead in almost every category!
This surprised O'Brien!
He often stared intently at Andy's data.
Especially when he learned that Andy had trained intensely without any injuries.
They exclaimed, "Impossible!"
So he started secretly increasing Andy's dosage!
Under extreme conditions, Andy's breathing became rapid and erratic; each breath felt like a struggle.
The muscles in your legs and throughout your body feel as heavy as if they were filled with lead; every step feels like a struggle against immense resistance, and the muscle soreness keeps building up.
The thought of giving up would fill my mind, and a voice inside would keep telling me, "Stop, you can't do it anymore."
Seeing him stagger, O'Brien shouted:
"You can't even meet the most basic standards, how can you compare to La Liga players?"
He said that to motivate everyone, even though the training volume had already reached the required level.
Andy heard O'Brien's call, but seeing his teammates give up one after another, he gritted his teeth and persevered!
What is La Liga?
If we're going to do it, we should do it at the top of the top five leagues!
Under these circumstances, he sensed an opportunity to break through his limits!
It was at this time!
Andy's breathing was still rapid, but it gradually became more rhythmic.
With smoother oxygen intake and carbon dioxide expulsion, the suffocating feeling gradually lessened!
Under the mask, his perception of his surroundings began to change miraculously again!
It feels like my physical abilities have been "reactivated"!
We've made a breakthrough!
Andy seemed to break free from his own painful little world and enter a wider space!
The energy that was almost depleted seemed to have been replenished!
Seeing this, O'Brien gave him a thumbs up from a distance!
Everyone stopped and stared at Andy.
That's incredible!
This kid's willpower far surpasses that of ordinary people!
Driven by this unwavering determination, Andy kept running!
I don't know how much time passed, but I finally reached my limit.
After taking off his mask, he collapsed on the training field!
"Kid!You did it!"
"15 kilometers!"
"You've set a new record for Dortmund!"
Listening to everyone's words, Andy shook his head contentedly, then fainted.
Holy crap!
"Help!"
Medical personnel who were on standby at the sidelines rushed to the scene!
The group quickly lifted Andy onto a stretcher and took him to the medical center.
Tuchel looked worried and said to O'Brien:
"If any of my players cause problems, I will pursue the matter to the end!"
The latter was also somewhat helpless.
Who would have thought this child was so competitive?
I'll fight until I collapse to prove myself.
Inside the medical room, the team doctor gave Andy a full-body checkup.
They discovered that he was simply exhausted and had no physical injuries!
"This is insane!"
"He's a complete freak!"
Facing the group that arrived later, the team doctor slowly said:
"Andy just went into shock from exhaustion.I've given him glucose, and he should feel better after a nap."
Upon hearing this, everyone gasped!
Innate Marathon Body!
Aubameyang exclaimed:
"Andy's physical abilities are top-notch, even in Africa."
"His absence from the marathon is a loss for the entire track and field world!"
Andy didn't wake up until evening.
The house was empty, but there were many figures moving around outside.
Just as he was about to reach out, the swelling sensation in his limbs made him feel incredibly sore and uncomfortable!
Andy subconsciously opened his personal profile.
Damn it!
The extra health has dropped to 299!
God knows what deadly injuries the system helped me avoid!
It's probably a muscle strain/tear, or some kind of joint or tendon injury.
But it's not a big problem!
Compared to losing some health points, the progress you've made is worthwhile!
That feeling of breaking through one's own limitations is so exhilarating!
Andy even felt that he was becoming addicted to that feeling.
Outside, Tuchel and the team doctor looked at Andy through the window.
"See?I told you so!This kid is obsessed with training!"
"Sigh!When I was his age, all I thought about was going on dates with girls.I really don't know how he managed to do that!"
Could it be that.
The two exchanged a glance and simultaneously revealed a mysterious smile.
mostThe next day's training will focus on recovery!
After all, the team still has to participate in matches.
Tuchel is genuinely afraid of ruining his players through overtraining!
Despite this, Andy insisted on training while wearing a mask, which O'Brien refused.
"You're lucky you weren't hurt!"
"Once I'm gone, you can train however you want!"
Despite saying that, he still greatly admired Andy's willpower!
It's really rare to be in this state at the age of 19!
On the first day of February, Borussia Dortmund will host Ingolstadt at home!
Andy starts at right-back!
He contributed an assist in the first half!
A few days later, the team visited the Berlin Olympic Stadium to challenge Hertha Berlin.
They ultimately secured a thrilling victory thanks to Aubameyang's goal in the 80th minute!
February 10th, German Cup quarter-finals.
Borussia Dortmund vs.Stuttgart!
After the winter transfer window adjustments, Stuttgart's squad has undergone significant changes!
The only thing that hasn't changed is strength.
Goals from Reus, Aubameyang, and Gundogan in the first half sealed Dortmund's advancement!
Andy gets another assist!
With this, he now has 8 assists in the league, and 1 assist each in the German Cup and the Europa League!
Double-digit assists this season!
According to the contract, the assist bonus is yours!
At the same time, the system's task rewards will be credited to your account!