Chapter 27

After the match against Villarreal, Lin Sen ultimately failed to meet Cinderella and the others, as he was unable to get away. Karpin, with his deadpan face, would always be right on time to block the entrance of the locker room as soon as the match ended, making the players think Lin Sen owed Karpin a fortune. Compared to the previous match, the post-match press conference for this game was just a formality for Lin Sen. There were only a few journalists, and the questions were the usual clichés. Even Muñoz, who bore the responsibility of keeping the team from relegation, was more popular than Lin Sen. By the time Lin Sen had finished dealing with everything, Cinderella and the others had already finished their dinner.

The match was good. The people were good. I'll treat you next time.

Cinderella's text message gave Lin Sen some comfort. He automatically ignored the first sentence, the second one made him a bit proud, and he didn't take the third one seriously.

This is fine.

Politely declining Aguero's invitation to visit his home, Lin Sen now just wanted to let his mind relax.

The European football league schedule is always exceptionally tight. Apart from international match days, professional teams generally play one match per week. Sometimes, when there are other competitions, they even have to play two matches in a week. At such times, players have to endure physical tests, while for coaches, the test is mental. Taking last week's schedule for Atlético Madrid as an example, they played on Saturday, had a recovery training session on Sunday, and Monday was a rest day. The following Tuesday to Friday were entirely dedicated to preparing for the next match. Players can use rest days to recover physically, but for coaches, there is no such thing as recovery. You can imagine how tight the process becomes when there are two matches in a week. This is why all coaches, despite being accustomed to the concept of two matches a week, still complain frequently. Sometimes, worrying about the players' physical condition is just an excuse for venting.

From the team doctor to the head coach, Lin Sen felt a mix of pain and joy.

Lin Sen's method of relaxation was to simply throw himself onto the bed and sleep without a care.

---

Winning against Villarreal, for Lin Sen, meant that in a few short weeks, he had gone from losing to not losing and then to winning. In a nutshell, he was gradually getting into his role. For the media, Atlético Madrid's win and their rise to tenth place in the standings was not as interesting as the topic of whether Real Madrid would win the title a few rounds early.

The two major Spanish newspapers, Marca and As, both based in Madrid, unanimously gave their front pages to Real Madrid's away victory over Osasuna. They now lead the second-placed Villarreal by seven points, and as long as they don't lose in the next round, Real Madrid will retain the title, winning the La Liga championship two rounds early.

At this moment, the independent newspaper, El Independiente, once again played the role of a conscientious media outlet in the eyes of Atlético Madrid fans. Deputy editor Rod not only carefully analyzed how many more points Atlético Madrid needed to secure a place in the Intertoto Cup but also focused on Lin Sen's substitution in the previous match.

"For many, Lin Sen's substitution in this match was nothing out of the ordinary. The substitution was made at the 88th minute, with the score 2-0, a standard formality. However, it was this substitution that earned Lin Sen the most enthusiastic applause of the match, even more so than when the goals were scored. This contrasted sharply with the boos he received during his first substitution as a coach, perhaps reflecting a change in Lin Sen's standing among Atlético Madrid fans. The reason Atlético Madrid has been abandoned by fans this season, on the surface, is due to a string of losses, but in reality, it is because the fans have lost hope. Lin Sen's substitution, however, offered a stark and naked hope. The return of the top star, Aguero, plus the debuts of two young talents from Atlético Madrid's youth academy! Direct! Refreshing! The applause at the Calderón proved everything. Whether Lin Sen's move was intentional or not, you have to admit, it was a brilliant move!"

Indeed, it was brilliant.

Even Cerezo had to admit it.

Reading the day's newspapers was a daily routine for Cerezo. This habit formed even before he became a film producer. After taking over Atlético Madrid, he read more and more newspapers, and became increasingly picky. Today, he chose to read the article in El Independiente in detail, not just because it mentioned Atlético Madrid, but because it truly addressed some of the things he valued.

As a renowned Spanish film producer who had produced many international films, the club's image was always one of Cerezo's top priorities. The incessant chatter of the former president, old Hill, gave Atlético Madrid a constant tone of struggle, which, while earning the club sympathy, struck Cerezo as petty. A successful club can make struggle a part of its history, but it should never be its future. After taking over, Cerezo began to reorganize Atlético Madrid in various aspects. The black contracts and black bonuses had to be eliminated, and Atlético Madrid needed to rebuild its image. Image, in simple terms, is face. Atlético Madrid, which had always lived in the shadow of Real Madrid, first needed to ensure that petty disputes did not become the dominant factor. Just like a person, you must first see yourself as an equal, stand tall, and look your opponent in the eye, rather than crouching down and shouting why you should look up to them. It's not that others look down on you; it's that you look down on yourself.

After standing tall, to earn respect, you ultimately need strength. This season, Atlético Madrid invested 80 million euros. The media often adds the word "alleged" to this figure to mock it, but for Cerezo, it was a solid number. 80 million was 80 million, not a penny less. Next, with his mindset as a film producer, he thought that after inviting big-name stars, it was time for a blockbuster. Unfortunately, the result was a flop, with terrible box office results. Cerezo may not be an expert in football, but he was a businessman, and the value of the players he bought did not fluctuate much. If the actors were not the problem, then it must be the director.

Aguirre was a good coach. Cerezo always thought so, which is why he was patient. Otherwise, with this season's performance, if it were under old Hill, Aguirre would have been fired long ago. But Aguirre quit. So, Lin Sen's appointment could be considered a coincidence.

Cerezo even prepared for the worst. Expecting a new director to produce a good film was a luxury, especially a sequel to a flop. But who would have thought that this young director would give him a small surprise.

Indeed, a small surprise.

It turned out that his own people could be so generous and forgiving to the Atlético Madrid fans who had given him such a headache.

Cerezo smiled, put down the newspaper, took off his glasses, and rubbed his temples. After a moment, he put his glasses back on, picked up the coach's profile that had been on his desk since Aguirre's resignation, and began to read it slowly.

---

Lin Sen was woken by a phone call that sounded like a death knell. He realized that the better a song sounds, the less suitable it is as a ringtone; otherwise, one day, you'll lose a good song.

"I have a bad news and a good news. Which one do you want to hear first?"

Lin Sen felt the sky was falling. He forced his eyes open to check the time on his phone and immediately felt tears welling up. It was 1 AM. Oh, my lady, calling at 1 AM to tell me there's a good news and a bad news? This is not how you prank someone. What are you trying to do?

Speak!

After a long breath, Lin Sen finally managed to utter a word. He knew that meaningless shouting would only add to his own misery and would be of no use to Dina.

"Not angry?"

"Would being angry help?"

"Sometimes."

"Are you going to tell me or not? If not, I'll hang up."

"Didn't you say you haven't decided which one to hear first?"

"…Does it matter?"

"Then I'll tell you the bad news first. The club is already in talks with Mourinho."

Mourinho? Lin Sen was stunned. Mourinho? Atlético Madrid is in talks with Mourinho?

Yes, the famous Mourinho, who was forced to leave Chelsea at the beginning of the season, should be idle at home right now. Mourinho and Atlético Madrid? Lin Sen didn't doubt the authenticity of the news. Of course, Lin Sen didn't think Mourinho would really come to the Calderón. He knew that at this time, Mourinho was not only on Atlético Madrid's radar but also that of another major club: Inter Milan! After the Calciopoli scandal, Inter Milan dominated Serie A. This season, they were once again stopped in the round of 16, and Mancini, disappointed, announced he would leave. Moratti, even more disappointed, reluctantly accepted Mancini's decision, but it was too late. Inter Milan needed a new coach, and Moratti made one of the most successful coaching changes in his tenure, but that's another story.

Lin Sen really didn't think the current Atlético Madrid could pose any threat to Inter Milan. If he remembered correctly, photos of Moratti and Mourinho meeting privately should be coming out soon. His long-awaited plan to save Adriano would likely be delayed, as he was certain Mourinho had the same idea.

Mourinho not coming to Atlético Madrid to compete for his job didn't mean Lin Sen could rest easy. The club's search for a new head coach, which may have started even before Lin Sen became the interim coach, clearly signaled that the position of Atlético Madrid's head coach was up for grabs.

This time, it wasn't just a rumor.