Chapter 44

After signing the contract, Lin Sen immediately called Dina, but soon he regretted his action. This crazy woman, upon learning that he had successfully hooked up with Malaga, not only failed to encourage him but mocked him for seeking his own death. In her view, coaching Malaga would indeed allow Lin Sen to stay in La Liga, but staying in La Liga meant the possibility of relegation next year. On the contrary, if he coached a Segunda Division club, there was a chance of promotion to La Liga next year. Their agreement was not for this year but for next year. While this might sound overly certain, Malaga's "poverty" in Spanish football was notorious. Before Old Sanches acquired Malaga, the club's former president, Roldan, relied on selling players to survive, which led to the team's relegation. Although the chairman has changed, the hole dug in the past has yet to be filled, and the club's financial supervision period is even as long as five years.

Therefore, if Lin Sen went to the Segunda Division, Dina might actually be more optimistic. After all, the Segunda Division is not the same as La Liga; it is a lower tier, and Lin Sen could obtain a more relaxed environment. Now, staying in La Liga, Lin Sen would not only likely receive only Segunda Division-level financial support but also have to endure the pressure of La Liga. If Dina's call was a cold wind, the first formal meeting with Livermore was a bucket of cold water: a transfer budget of less than one million euros and a salary budget of seven million euros.

Dina was right; Malaga was indeed the most "poor" club in La Liga next season, with no exceptions. Such a budget didn't even qualify for ridicule, as it could only buy a toe. Now, Lin Sen had to cool down from his excitement about getting the job and re-evaluate this club that had yet to be supported by an oil tycoon.

Malaga, originally known as Malaga CF, was founded in 1948 as an affiliate of Malaga Athletic. After Malaga Athletic dissolved in 1992, the current Malaga FC was established and began its journey from the fourth tier. The club was once demoted due to financial issues. It wasn't until the 1994-95 season, with the arrival of Berdellon and Butcher, that the club saw a turning point. Four seasons later, in the 1999 season, they made their first appearance in La Liga. However, after Butcher left the football world and Roldan took over as president, Malaga entered a dark era, and the subsequent events are well-known.

What can one million euros do in the European transfer market? Lin Sen now felt like a country bumpkin entering a luxury mall in a big city, where almost any item could empty his pockets, and a slight misstep could lead to financial ruin.

"Enough, enough," Lin Sen sighed. He decided to first assess his team. The good news was that if Lin Sen was willing, the core of Malaga's promotion to La Liga could largely be retained, which was rare for a newly promoted team. Many Segunda Division clubs relied on loaned players, a convenient but clearly disadvantageous method, as it led to significant roster changes each season. The worst-case scenario was that most of the starting lineup would be on loan and would return to their parent clubs at the end of the season, which was clearly detrimental to team stability. Malaga also had several loaned players, but fortunately, most of them were rotation players.

The bad news was that the team's midfield core, Citalgo, had already been lured away by the relegated Zaragoza on a free transfer, leaving Malaga with nothing. Additionally, it was rumored that the offensive core, Salvador Ballesta, was flirting with Santander, where his former coach Muniz was now in charge, and the main striker, Bahia, was a primary target for Betis. However, for Lin Sen, these pieces of news were not entirely bad.

This was the current state of the team Lin Sen was taking over. Although he wanted to find some familiar names on the team list, the reality was that he felt completely lost. To gain a deeper understanding of the team, Lin Sen knew he had to put in the effort.

Match statistics, personal data, match videos...

Lin Sen saw a tough period ahead.

After returning to Madrid, Lin Sen tidied up his place. Since the house was rented, he didn't have many belongings. He had already informed Dina about the larger items and arranged for a moving company to store them at her place until he found a place in Malaga.

When Lin Sen met Dina, she immediately asked when he would fulfill his promise. Lin Sen knew she was referring to his earlier promise to accompany her to Beijing for the Olympics. While it wasn't a big issue before, it was clearly impossible now. Although the European Championship had little impact on a small club like Malaga, the team would typically return for pre-season training in mid-July, and the rest of July and August would be spent on friendly matches. This period was crucial for team preparation and integrating new players, especially for a new coach like Lin Sen.

"Or, I plan to return to China next week. Would you like to come with me?" Lin Sen rubbed his nose and said. He hadn't been back to China for three years, and his grandmother had been nagging him. Considering he would likely have even less time in the future, Lin Sen decided to visit her now, though the trip would be short, and the Olympics were out of the question.

"Sure, no problem," Dina agreed immediately. She was well aware of Lin Sen's schedule and her interest in China was not solely for the Olympics but for tourism. Even during the Olympics, Dina probably wouldn't enjoy the crowds, so the timing didn't matter much.

Lin Sen nodded and casually asked about Nora. Dina harshly replied that Nora had already gone on a trip with her parents because Dina initially didn't want her to go, and the little girl hadn't spoken to Dina for days.

Thinking of the two sulking at each other, Lin Sen couldn't help but smile.

Due to Nora's heart condition, although it was unclear if this was the reason her parents abandoned her, Dina was always particularly concerned about Nora's well-being. The small quarrels over food and other things were partly because of this, but Dina always found a way to make the little girl forget her illness. This time, Dina likely didn't want Nora to go with her parents for the same reason. However, this was for the best, as Nora couldn't fly, and Dina would have been unable to leave.

"Stop laughing!" Dina was furious at Lin Sen's expression.

Lin Sen quickly regained his composure, waved his hand, and said he would book the tickets and have her prepare.

Just as Lin Sen was about to leave, Dina gave him an unexpected warm hug and said, "Good luck, don't get fired."

Watching Dina's confident departure, Lin Sen could only laugh and cry.

---

After nearly a week of non-stop work, Lin Sen had a clear understanding of Malaga's lineup from the previous season.

Malaga scored 58 goals last season, ranking fourth in the Segunda Division in attack. The front three performed exceptionally well, contributing more than half of the goals, which was a crucial reason for their promotion to La Liga. The team's defense, which was only average, indicated some defensive issues. In terms of tactics, Malaga played a 4-4-2 diamond formation, favoring a simple and efficient style. Both offensively and defensively, they emphasized efficiency. Defensively, they were traditional, with two traditional wingers rather than the more modern goal-scoring wingers. Offensively, Citalgo's statistics from last season were telling.

Citalgo recorded a double-double in the league last season, with 14 goals and over 10 assists, making him the team's top scorer. As a midfielder, not a forward, his scoring ability was impressive, but without the support of the offensive system, Citalgo wouldn't have had so many scoring opportunities. Therefore, his departure was not just a financial loss but a significant blow to Malaga's entire offensive system.

After reviewing Malaga's lineup, Lin Sen found that, after deducting the players on loan who wouldn't return, those with expired contracts, and those who had signed with other teams, the team was very thin, with fewer than 20 players. This was a common issue for many Segunda Division clubs, which often relied on being "second teams" for others.

Before considering reinforcements, Lin Sen had to consider sales. This wasn't sad but the reality for small clubs. Not just Malaga, but also the other promoted teams, Numancia and Sporting Gijon, faced similar challenges. The enthusiasm of newly promoted teams was a beautiful wish, and Lin Sen had no reason to complain. However, with Malaga's current lineup, even if Lin Sen wanted to raise funds, there weren't many players to sell.

As Lin Sen had mentioned in his first meeting with Little Sanches, he didn't plan to shake up Malaga drastically. "Stability first, adjustments second" was not just a slogan. Objectively, Malaga's lineup was already very thin, and subjectively, La Liga was not a nurturing ground for coaches, especially for a team fighting for survival. Quick results were his only choice, and stability was the foundation for achieving them. The league was a long-term cycle, not a knockout tournament where luck could play a significant role. On the other hand, Lin Sen's budget and reputation limited his options. Those who could and would come wouldn't give him much choice.

Fortunately, from last season's data and videos, it was clear that despite losing several players, the core of Malaga's starting lineup was largely retained. While the team might lack in strength, it was more "pure" and dedicated. The players were very professional, whether due to self-awareness or genuine professionalism, which was especially important for Lin Sen, who had a brief coaching experience at Atletico Madrid.

Thus, after much deliberation, Lin Sen found that he had few options. Ultimately, he had to focus on the most valuable part: the forward line.

Appendix: Malaga's squad list at the end of the 2007-2008 season.

Goalkeepers:

1. Arnau (Francesc Arnau)

13. Goitia (Iñaki Goitia)

Defenders:

2. Gamez (Jesús Gámez)

3. Wellington (Welligton) - Loan expired

22. Gaitan (Raúl Gaitán) - Contract expired, not renewed

17. Jesule (Jesule) - Contract expired, not renewed

12. Valcarce (Valcarce) - Retired, new coach

5. Silva (Álvaro Silva)

6. Rossato (Adriano Rossato)

14. Rosario (Miguel Rosario)

Midfielders:

15. Carpintero (Carpintero) - Contract expired, signed with Córdoba

8. Citalgo (Antonio Hidalgo) - Contract expired, signed with Zaragoza

28. Elise (Ione Elise) - Loan expired

16. Gomes (Tiago Gomes) - Loan expired

20. Jorge (Paulo Jorge) - Loan expired

10. Apono (Apono)

18. Elisu (Elisu)

7. Gerardo (Gerardo) - Contract expired, signed with Las Palmas

11. Calleja (Javier Calleja)

23. Sandro (Sandro) - Contract expired, not renewed

21. Cheli (Cheli)

Forwards:

19. Peragon (Roberto Peragón) - Contract expired, signed with Alicante

27. Rosado (Iván Rosado) - Contract terminated, signed with Melilla

25. Bahia (Nabil Bahia)

9. Ballesta (Salvador Ballesta)

Note: Due to Malaga's status as a smaller club, finding accurate and consistent information was challenging. For the sake of the story, please take the novel as the authoritative source and don't be too critical.

Additionally, I apologize for the delay in the previous chapter's review. The chapter title was held up for a while, causing some trouble. I tried re-uploading, and the duplicate chapter should now be deleted. Thank you to the editor, Li Shou, for the assistance.