Chapter 29 of 100

Chapter 29

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The phrase "藕断丝连" (literally "lotus root broken but fibers still connected") becomes a very cruel term when used to describe injuries. The rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is a nightmare for athletes, not only because of the immense pain and damage it causes, but also because it is almost a permanent injury. Even the most advanced medical techniques cannot fully repair it. Worse still, once the ACL is ruptured, the area becomes a high-risk zone, leading to a vicious cycle.

Motta is a victim of this vicious cycle. Unless he gives up football, he will have to continue battling injuries.

Lin Sen, with a slight headache, retracted his gaze. Sometimes, you can't help but admire certain people who can do things that ordinary people can't. Lin Sen himself can't imagine how he could continue playing football after suffering injuries like Motta's, let alone reach another peak in his career with almost a completely replaced ligament. Of course, this is also related to Motta's later position and playing style. Motta, who later became the team's playmaker, did not need the explosive power that forwards or defenders require.

Lin Sen could say he has a way to deal with Motta's injury, or he could say he doesn't. Motta's injured area is the same as Aguero's, but the situation is undoubtedly much worse. Aguero only had a strain, while Motta's injury began with the most severe rupture. Lin Sen can't cure it; he's not a god, as proven by his inability to fully heal Aguero. However, Lin Sen can help Aguero recover faster, and the same principle applies to Motta. Not being able to cure doesn't mean he can't prevent. Although ligaments are the main stabilizers of the knee joint, muscles and tendons also play a very important auxiliary role. Lin Sen may not have a solution for ligaments, but he has many methods for muscles.

Lin Sen was paying attention to Motta, and Motta was also paying attention to Lin Sen. Although Motta had been recovering from his injuries in Brazil, he was not unfamiliar with Lin Sen. When Motta joined Atletico Madrid, Lin Sen was one of the doctors responsible for his medical examination. It was during that examination that his contract with Atletico Madrid was only for one year.

"Welcome back to the team." Without a formal handshake, Lin Sen approached and patted Motta on the shoulder like an old friend.

"Thank you." Motta was a bit taken aback. After joining Atletico Madrid, due to his injuries, he hadn't spent much time with the team. The two players he was most familiar with were his former Barcelona teammates, Luis Garcia and Simao. If Motta had asked them about Lin Sen, their evaluations would have been different, but undoubtedly, Lin Sen would not be a coach who just gets by. Additionally, perhaps because their futures at Atletico Madrid were unexpectedly similar, Motta felt a sense of camaraderie with Lin Sen, almost like they were in the same boat. Therefore, his impression of Lin Sen before meeting him was not bad.

Looking at Motta, who seemed nervous but was actually very calm, Lin Sen knew that Motta wasn't worried about his future. It's true that his contract was only for one year, but that had nothing to do with his abilities. As long as he recovered from his injuries, he wouldn't lack for offers. On the contrary, Lin Sen wasn't so optimistic.

Their first interaction ended there, with each of them saying just one sentence, fair and reasonable. Lin Sen didn't mention Motta's injuries or show too much enthusiasm, which was appropriate for their roles as coach and player. Motta was different from Aguero; they had no prior relationship, so Lin Sen couldn't directly offer his advice as he did with Aguero. Therefore, he had to take it slowly.

Today, the starters were only doing recovery training, but the other players still needed regular intensity training. During the training match, Lin Sen surprisingly included Motta in the lineup. Aguero, who was also on the list, was a bit surprised. This was in stark contrast to how cautiously Lin Sen had handled his return to the field, but he trusted Lin Sen's judgment.

Everyone was surprised, but Motta was not.

As Lin Sen had observed, Motta's injuries were actually fully healed, both medically and personally. If he were to get injured again, it would be a "new" injury. From now on, the word "cautious" would apply more to Motta himself than to the coach.

Notably, when Motta came on the field, Lin Sen gave him two key words: "drop back" and "organize."

Motta was not a naive young man. Lin Sen's words were concise, but the task was not simple. Having come up through the ranks at Barcelona, Motta understood what "organize" meant. He nodded. After returning from Brazil, he had cut his long hair into a clean, bald head, as if signaling a new beginning.

Since Raul Garcia and Camacho had played in the previous match, Lin Sen deliberately paired Motta with young Koke in the center of the midfield.

However, the partnership between the two was not very effective. Koke's versatility, which would later allow him to play almost any position in the front line, was already beginning to show, but versatility is only a strength when it is well-executed. In the match, Koke seemed to be everywhere, but his timing was far from decisive, and he often lost his position. Motta, on the other hand, performed well in organizing the midfield as Lin Sen had instructed. While he didn't completely tidy up the midfield, the ball generally stabilized when it reached his feet, whether in attack or defense. However, there seemed to be some misunderstanding about Lin Sen's instruction to drop back.

Motta might have thought that Lin Sen's instruction to drop back was out of concern for his recent recovery, and that he shouldn't be too involved in midfield pressing. This was certainly part of Lin Sen's consideration, but not the whole reason. Organizing midfielders often need space, and even players as strong as Pirlo and Xavi are no exception. During Pirlo's time at Milan, he had Gattuso, and Xavi had Busquets. Their presence not only provided necessary hardness in the midfield but also created more passing opportunities for the former. Motta's offensive abilities couldn't be compared to Pirlo or Xavi, but he was stronger in defense. Therefore, Motta didn't need a purely defensive midfielder to protect him. Lin Sen's intention was to have Motta drop back and Koke move forward, so they could share the workload and complement each other. However, it seemed that this would take some time to achieve.

Since it was the day after the match, today's training was relatively simple. After the morning session, Lin Sen discussed with Juan and decided to cancel the afternoon training.

As soon as they left the training ground, Aguero approached.

"Are you thinking about Thiago?" Aguero's first words almost made Lin Sen trip.

"Do you think Janina knows about your taste?" Lin Sen replied bluntly.

"Hehe." Aguero was unfazed, "Don't change the subject. You know what I mean."

"Do you really want me to treat others with acupuncture?"

"Of course. Just treating me is unfair." Aguero said matter-of-factly, "If you're going to treat, treat everyone. It would be best if the whole team could be treated."

"I just realized how devious you are." Lin Sen rolled his eyes and said coolly, "Don't think I'll give acupuncture to just anyone. I didn't charge you, but that doesn't mean it's free. Next time, I'll charge you, and the fee will be one week's salary per session."

"… You're too devious." Aguero was shocked, "I have to pay for being treated?"

"What do you think a doctor is?" Lin Sen sneered.

"Talk about Thiago." Lin Sen's sneer made Aguero feel uneasy, and he quickly got to the point, "You really don't plan to try? If Thiago is healthy, he could be very helpful to you."

"There's no way, we can only take it slowly." Lin Sen shook his head. Aguero had indeed heard the news that Atletico Madrid was looking for a new coach, but even as the team's star, he probably had little say in the matter. In La Liga, the coach's position is always decided by the president. Players can express admiration for a coach, but they never make explicit statements about who they want to coach. The management, if the player is important enough, might consider their opinion when selecting a coach, but it would never be the deciding factor. This is a tacit understanding between players and the management.

"Should I talk to him?"

"Do you know him well?"

"Not really. But my words will definitely be more useful than yours!"

Lin Sen nodded, acknowledging the truth. Given Motta's similar injury history and Aguero's status, Motta might question Lin Sen, but he wouldn't doubt Aguero.

Seeing Lin Sen nod, Aguero smiled and turned to leave.

Watching Aguero's departing back, Lin Sen also smiled.

He didn't doubt Aguero's intention to help. However, how much of that intention was genuine recognition of Lin Sen, he couldn't be sure. It was probably more out of gratitude. The more prominent a player, the stronger their ambition. From Aguero's future choices, it was clear that he was no exception. A player's career is short compared to a club's history. Even for an ambitious club, few would be willing to be a so-called guardian during the dormant period. Even a loyal player like Batistuta eventually left Fiorentina in the final stages of his career. Talent needs championships to be affirmed. In this regard, Lin Sen and Atletico Madrid's position in Aguero's heart were similar: "I am grateful to you, but if you can't help me achieve my dreams, I can only say sorry." This has nothing to do with loyalty or betrayal.

Lin Sen even speculated that Aguero's actions might have a more devious motive: If Aguero wanted to help Lin Sen persuade Motta, did he really need to ask for Lin Sen's permission?

At that moment, Juan approached from behind and greeted Lin Sen.

In the afternoon, the coaching staff would meet to study the next opponent.

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