Chapter 10

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Brother, your donation shows up as: Book Friend + number, but when I clicked in, it changed to "y Depu." I hope I didn't get it wrong.

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For Ajax, a club renowned for its youth development worldwide, the oldest player in the locker room is 32, which might be hard to imagine in other European top clubs. After all, other top clubs usually have some older players. At Ajax, including the age threshold of 30, there are only three players over 30!

There will be a crucial Champions League match tomorrow!

In the third round of the Champions League qualifiers, Ajax traveled to Austria and was held to a 1-1 draw by FK Austria Graz. The result wasn't too bad, but considering the team's form and actual performance, especially the significant gap in strength between the two teams, Ajax's performance was indeed questioned by the outside world!

Where is the Ajax that swept through with a youth storm last season?

After a season that shook Europe, these young players should have matured even more. Why do they seem to be performing worse in the new season?

The outside world can only speculate and discuss, but the specific reasons must be very complex, as a team is made up of the most complex beings on this planet: people!

Jari Litmanen, the Finnish "Ice Blade" who returned to Ajax for a second stint, arrived early at the locker room. At 32, he quietly sat in the corner, changing into his training gear. Since FK Austria Graz had already arrived in Amsterdam, the decisive match for Champions League qualification would take place the next day. Therefore, Ajax's training was scheduled at the youth training base to ensure that the home pitch was in perfect condition for the match, which would be the first official game of the new season. The club placed great importance on this.

Litmanen no longer had much ambition, despite still possessing the ability. Ajax's tradition is to constantly renew itself, with new waves pushing the old ones forward. As one of the old waves, he contributed his remaining energy last season. This season, with the further maturation of the young players, his role in the team would become less significant.

Sitting in the center of the locker room, on the chair in front of his locker, was 20-year-old Rafael van der Vaart. This young Dutch talent, who had already achieved success, was now a target of observation for all the major European clubs. He had already changed into his training gear, shoes, and all, exuding a sense of authority even without the captain's armband.

His gaze swept around the locker room, looking at each of his teammates.

Dennis Rommedahl, who had established himself in the first team, stood in front of his locker, bare-chested, seemingly engrossed in something, perhaps a photo or a letter.

Czech international Zdeněk Grygera, who had joined the team for 3.5 million euros in the summer, was still unfamiliar with his teammates and quietly waited in the corner, observing them, trying to integrate as quickly as possible.

Seeing Grygera, Van der Vaart couldn't help but look at another teammate: Tarek El Hadj Djilali.

Poor El Hadj Djilali, who was the team's absolute right-back, suffered a major injury. His absence was a significant factor in the team's failure to retain the league title last season. Grygera's arrival was to address the uncertainty surrounding El Hadj Djilali's form in the new season.

Brazilian Maxwell, another young talent, quickly made his way to Europe after his debut in the Brazilian league and secured a starting position at Ajax in his early 20s. However, compared to Van der Vaart, who became captain at 20 and was a target for major European clubs, Maxwell was still less well-known.

American John O'Brien was somewhat pitiable. He had been signed by Ajax four years ago but had always been on the fringes of the first team. He only played as a starter for one season, and the rest of the time, he was either injured or squeezed out by local talents. In the locker room, he was like a transparent person.

When Van der Vaart saw Sven van der Veld, who had already changed and was jumping in place, his eyes narrowed slightly, and a sense of resentment welled up inside him.

Sven van der Veld, a Belgian international, had been performing well at Zulte Waregem, scoring 54 goals in the last two seasons. Ajax spent 6 million euros to sign him. Van der Vaart's frustration stemmed from the fact that he, who should have occupied a forward position, had to drop back due to the team's tactical adjustments after the departure of Cristian Chivu. The head coach, Ronald Koeman, had made it clear that in the new season, Van der Vaart's position would be moved back!

On the field, forwards are usually the most prominent, as most goals come from them. Van der Vaart scored 18 goals in 21 league appearances last season!

This was the root of his attention from major European clubs.

Even as captain, he should understand the team's needs and be inclusive of his teammates, but Van der Vaart was still very unhappy about Van der Veld's arrival and his own position being moved back. However, he couldn't explode, as he was the captain.

At that moment, someone pushed the door open, and Van der Vaart turned to see a towering figure. He immediately looked away, as if he didn't want to see the person.

It was Swedish forward Zlatan Ibrahimović, who didn't get along with Van der Vaart, a fact that was no secret in the locker room. Ibrahimović sometimes played very selfishly on the field.

Moreover, Ibrahimović's arrogant and self-important personality also annoyed Van der Vaart, who had also achieved success at a young age.

Ibrahimović whistled as he opened his locker and began to change.

The small winger, Sylva Cikl, curiously asked Ibrahimović why he was in a good mood today. Ibrahimović smiled but didn't answer, instead playfully roughhousing with the other player.

The roughhousing in the locker room sometimes resembled the childish and silly behavior of elementary school students, pulling hair, kicking butts, startling teammates, and making crude and violent jokes...

The atmosphere in the locker room became much livelier, but Van der Vaart and some of the Dutch players, like genuine Ajax man Wesley Sneijder, whose background was deeply rooted in the club (even his younger brother was in the Ajax youth system), did not participate.

There was also 18-year-old Nigel de Jong, who looked "ferocious," and the newly promoted second goalkeeper, Maarten Stekelenburg, and 19-year-old local defender, Johnny Heitinga.

Foreigners like Czech international Tomáš Galásecký generally did not participate in these roughhouses, perhaps wary of the ambiguous boundaries. If things went too far and caused conflicts, it would not be good. Compared to some clubs that were becoming increasingly international, Ajax, a traditional club, still held a clear banner: local talent first!

The locker room, a closed circle, was a microcosm of various personalities. Just as everything seemed to be repeating the previous day's routine, the locker room door was suddenly opened from the outside!

Everyone turned to look, and the locker room fell silent.

All eyes were on the unfamiliar outsider.

The newcomer had an Asian face, was tall and slender, and was dressed in cheap black sportswear and what looked like market-bought sneakers.

Even though Ajax had been profitable for many years, their expenses were also substantial. To ensure the quality of their youth development, they invested most of their funds in their overseas satellite club system. The Dutch league itself was not very profitable, and Ajax could not offer high contracts to their players, which was one of the main reasons they struggled to retain talent.

However, for players like Van der Vaart, Sneijder, and Ibrahimović, Ajax could not make them extremely wealthy, but they could at least provide a middle-class income.

So while they might not live in mansions or drive sports cars, they could certainly afford designer clothes and maintain a decent appearance.

When they saw the stranger enter the locker room, an Asian face dressed in very shabby clothes, they had the idea to play a prank.

They probably thought the person was a new cleaner who had entered the locker room by mistake.

Ibrahimović walked up to the person and said seriously, "I'm Ibrahimović. Who the hell are you?"

The young Asian man looked left and right, then walked straight to an unused locker, placed his bag on the chair, and began to change into his training gear, completely ignoring everyone.

Ibrahimović, feeling ignored and annoyed, and considering that this was the first-team locker room, felt he had reason to be angry and wanted to teach the insolent young man a lesson.

Van der Vaart immediately stood up and blocked his way, saying calmly, "Zlatan, maybe he just got lost."

Ibrahimović turned his head and cursed, "He doesn't even react. He probably doesn't understand what we're saying. Idiot."

At that moment, the young Asian man, now fully dressed in his training gear, stood up, stuffed his sportswear and sneakers into his shoulder bag, and walked out, passing by Ibrahimović and saying in English:

"My name is Qin Xiong. I don't care who the hell you are."

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