Chapter 87

Lin Sen could imagine what the next day's newspapers would write. They would undoubtedly sing praises of Barcelona to the fullest, while sarcastically noting that Malaga had finally returned to being Malaga. As for himself, he would most likely be portrayed as an arrogant and rude head coach. After returning to the locker room, he had originally intended to console his players, but after seeing Gabi apologize in front of the entire team, he knew there was no need for him to say anything more.

The Malaga team did not stay in Barcelona after the match; they took the night flight back to Malaga. Lin Sen, on his own initiative, gave the team an extra day off, meaning that with the original day off, the players had two days without having to go to the training ground. Tapia had initially wanted to stop this, as Barcelona was the strongest opponent in the grueling schedule but not the last. Even for Lin Sen personally, the next opponent was actually more important than Barcelona.

Because the next opponent was Valencia.

However, Lin Sen ultimately did not give Tapia the chance to stop him; he announced the day off in the locker room.

After returning to Malaga, the team dispersed on the spot. Tapia and others were picked up by their families and friends, while Lin Sen, feeling a bit lonely, hailed a taxi to head back to his residence.

The taxi driver was a fat man with a large beard, who claimed to be a Malaga fan. For him, having the head coach of Malaga in his car was a pleasant surprise. He chatted enthusiastically with Lin Sen throughout the journey, offering various suggestions. Lin Sen, who had initially thought he would feel impatient, found himself surprisingly calm. Having been a head coach for nearly half a year, he had learned a lot. His understanding of the game had deepened, but he had also forgotten many things. Listening to the driver's amateur and sometimes naive comments, he felt as if he was hearing words he himself would have said a few years ago, which improved his mood.

Lin Sen's down-to-earth attitude made the fat fan even more talkative, and he even slowed down the car intentionally. Lin Sen did not mind, as long as the driver did not take him on a roundabout route.

As they approached his residence, Lin Sen casually asked the fat driver for his thoughts on Malaga's loss to Barcelona. The driver laughed and admitted that he had not watched the game due to work, but had learned the result from the car radio. At first, he was a bit disappointed, but he quickly came to terms with it. "Didn't you say that one player's salary in Barcelona could cover the entire team in Malaga? Losing is nothing to be ashamed of. Besides, the team's performance was not embarrassing."

Lin Sen nodded in response to the driver's words.

Lin Sen did not know how many Malaga fans shared the driver's mindset, but for any team, having such fans was undoubtedly a blessing. Whether the team succeeded or failed, they always found reasons to support it. Perhaps the years in the second division had taught them to be more forgiving. The saying "love is blind" did not seem to apply to them.

When getting out of the car, the fat driver refused to accept Lin Sen's fare, saying that if Malaga could win a few more games, it would be even better. He then drove away.

Watching the car leave, Lin Sen smiled silently, tightened his coat, and began walking slowly toward his residence.

Malaga was indeed a good place. It was early November, and in a few days, it would be the beginning of winter according to the Chinese calendar. However, the weather in Malaga was still mild, with daytime temperatures around 20 degrees Celsius, making it quite comfortable. Lin Sen looked up at the sky, which, though not as beautiful as in summer, still looked clean and clear, much like the Mediterranean Sea that bordered the city.

Before becoming the head coach, Lin Sen would always explore the surroundings of a new place to adjust his mood. In his mind, each new place was like a new person, and if he did not quickly understand their strengths, he would only make himself miserable. However, this habit did not continue in Malaga, as the order was different. As Lin Sen put it, he had gotten married before dating.

So, giving the players a day off was also a day off for himself.

Lin Sen was well aware of Tapia's intention to stop him, and the fax hanging in his office was not just for show. The more he thought about it, the more he realized he needed to stay calm. Although Valencia had rejected him, their judgment was not bad. Under Unai Emery's leadership, Valencia had become the only team in La Liga that remained undefeated. After Malaga's defeat to Barcelona, Lin Sen did not doubt that the person who had replied to his fax was secretly laughing.

Thinking about this, Lin Sen smiled to himself: Is it a bit early to be laughing now?

Valencia was undoubtedly the team he most wanted to defeat besides Atletico Madrid. Lin Sen did not deny this. If he were a person who could swallow his pride, he would not have hung the fax on the wall. However, he could not deny that a camel, even when thin, was still bigger than a horse. Although Valencia was not the same team it was a few years ago, it was still not a team that the young Malaga could easily defeat, especially given Valencia's consistent performance this season.

Malaga's current record, excluding the Copa del Rey, was seven wins in nine league matches. Apart from the two Madrid teams, the other opponents were of similar strength to Malaga, and winning or losing was not a surprise. The real strong opponents were the luck of the win against Real Madrid, the knowledge of Atletico Madrid, the draw with Sevilla, and the direct loss to Barcelona. Therefore, in reality, Malaga had no surefire reason to defeat Valencia.

If there was one, it was Lin Sen's determination.

---

Kolomer was indeed secretly laughing.

Unai Emery had not disappointed him. With six wins and three draws in nine matches, if not for Lin Sen's interference, the board's decision to hire Unai Emery would have elevated Kolomer's status in the board even further. Now, although it was still a correct decision, the spotlight was not on Valencia.

In September, the La Liga Coach of the Month award went to Lin Sen, who had won all five of his league matches. Kolomer was furious at the time because Valencia had also won all their matches, but with Malaga starting from a lower point, he had no grounds to complain. The October Coach of the Month award, although not yet announced, was almost certainly going to be Barcelona's Guardiola...

What he did not expect was that Malaga's performance in October was also good, with two wins and one draw in three matches. Valencia, on the other hand, drew two out of three matches, clearly being outshone by Malaga. This made Kolomer even more frustrated, but fortunately, his frustration did not last long, as Malaga suffered consecutive losses in the Copa del Rey and the league...

In contrast, Valencia won 4-1 away in the first leg of the Copa del Rey, virtually securing their advancement. In the most recent league match, although they did not win, they did not lose either. Ranked third, they were only one point behind the top. More importantly, in the next round, Valencia would face Malaga, and they would have the opportunity to follow in Barcelona's footsteps, trampling on Malaga and climbing to the top...

Kolomer was full of confidence about this.

---

Over the next two days, Lin Sen seemed to have completely pushed football out of his mind. He went shopping, watched movies, and visited bars—elements of his life before becoming the head coach. When the short break ended and the team resumed training, even Tapia could see that Lin Sen was in a good mood.

Lin Sen's mood was directly reflected on the training ground. He even allowed the players to sign autographs for the fans watching the training, something that would never happen during regular training. Not only Lin Sen, but the players were also relaxed, and it was clear that everyone had enjoyed the two-day break. The loss in the previous match did not seem to have any visible impact.

As Malaga's performance improved, more and more fans came to watch the training sessions. From a few dozen at the beginning, there were now at least a hundred, and after the victory over Real Madrid, the number had even reached over five hundred...

Interestingly, the most popular player among the fans was not the captain, Gamess, nor the biggest star in Malaga, Gabi, but Rois, who was not even a regular starter. The German young player had mostly been a substitute this season, but his elegant playing style and good looks quickly won him a large number of female fans, to the point where many in the team teased him about it.

"Hey, Marco, that female fan is back. Look, she's sending you a kiss."

"Marco, why don't you just start a fan club?"

"That's not fair! Marco, I'm much better looking than you, so why do I always get signatures from guys?"

...

For such teasing, the introverted Rois mostly just smiled shyly. After three months of intensive training, he had gained three kilograms, finally approaching the normal weight for his age, but weight did not equal fitness. He still lacked the stamina to play a full match. He knew that his start in the Copa del Rey was not a test but a reward for his good performance as a substitute.

Rois did not complain about this. Although his father had tried to talk to Lin Sen about his substitute role several times, Rois had always blocked him. There were two reasons: one was that he was satisfied with his current status, at least for now. The other reason came from Lin Sen.

If you can pass Ruiz's fitness test, then I will let you start.

This was Lin Sen's promise to him.

So, Rois was patiently waiting.

---

PS: The power keeps going out, and I can't even complain about it.