July 8, 2009.

"Some people may be a little surprised why this year's training camp was two weeks ahead of last year..."

After counting the players, Ajax head coach Marco Van Basten immediately entered the formal training session.

His eyes slowly flew over the faces of each player, pausing slightly from time to time, and finally landed on Long Shute: "As a newcomer who has just entered the first team, can you answer this question?"

"Uh..." Long Shute did not expect that he, who was already 19 years old, would have to answer questions like a student. After a while, he thought about it and gave his own answer, "There was the European Cup last summer, oh, and the Olympics, and this year, everyone basically had no national team tasks."

"You are probably not a good student, Long, your answer can only be worth fifty." Van Basten shook his head, but did not express an unhappy expression.

Two main strikers, Suarez and Soleimani, led the players to burst into laughter.

Long Shute smiled awkwardly: "Sorry, coach..."

"Oh, nothing, you don't need to apologize," Van Basten's temper seemed to be much gentler. "I heard you practiced yourself for a summer, so I thought you knew..."

Long Shute looked at him blankly.

After confirming that the newcomer is indeed a little ignorant, Van Basten had to reveal the answer himself: "At the end of this month and early August, we will play the third round of the Champions League qualifying match, and the opponent is Sporting Lisbon from the Portuguese Premier League!"

Sporting Lisbon?

Now Long Shute is no longer the one who just came to this world, and he also has some understanding of mainstream European leagues.

Sporting Lisbon was once considered a well-known club. With Porto and Benfica, they became the three giants in the Portuguese Super League. The two new and old kings of the Portuguese national team - Figo and Ronaldo Ghanani all started here.

But Portugal has a small country with few people, a sluggish market and weak investment. Sporting Lisbon has gradually become a third-rate team in recent years, missing the league championship for seven consecutive years, and the European competition is also difficult. It is very similar to Ajax's development.

However, objectively speaking, Sporting Lisbon's current situation is even worse than Ajax.

Although the players in the Ajax team are only young boys in their early twenties, Long Shute has learned from the system that Suarez, Vertonheng, Vermullen, Van der Welville and others will transfer to major European clubs at a high price soon. Even Emmanuelson, who is nicknamed the "King of Goals on the Wing", can play a main role in AC Milan, which shows the strength of these players.

Of course, if the outcome of a football match can be simply judged by the player's value alone, then there is no need to hold these events.

"Our schedule is to go first and then go home, which is more favorable," Van Basten announced seriously. "The first round is July 29. I hope to establish enough lead in the first game. For this goal, I need everyone to concentrate all their energy and devote themselves to training."

-

Van Basten's wish is of course good, but he can't dominate everything.

As soon as he finished speaking, Ajax's defensive core, team captain Vermullen joined Premier League giant Arsenal for 13 million euros...

There is no way. Judging from Ajax's current financial situation, it is impossible for them to have no action in the transfer window.

Especially they must retain the main shooter in the team, Luis Suarez.

Last season, the Uruguayan striker scored 23 goals with 31 appearances and gave 14 assists to his teammates, winning the league's silver boots and assists. He has become a hot star in the transfer market.

If it were put a few years ago, Ajax's top card would have been directly snatched away by European giants, but now the Eredivisie is weak after all, and the value of the stars seems to have declined accordingly. The giants' desire for him does not seem to be so strong.

But even so, if you want to keep such a top card, the club will have to raise his treatment. If you sign a new contract with Suarez, others will inevitably make corresponding requirements, and the club will immediately have a large burden on salary payment...

All of these require money.

So they want to sell people.

What?

You said you can use Longshute to fool Chinese companies to sponsor it?

Stop kidding.

This is 2009!

A little guy who has just been promoted from the youth team to the first team...What are his abilities to attract Chinese companies?

What's more... let alone CCTV, in China, there is not even a mainstream satellite TV station that broadcasts the Dutch League live!

There are not many Chinese in the Netherlands...

How can there be any publicity benefits?!

-

Perhaps due to financial problems, Ajax did not have any sufficient signings this summer. He only bought 31-year-old defender Villalt from Twente for 3 million euros. The rest were either super low-priced young people or members of the youth team like Longshute.

Van Basten doesn't want to buy people. For example, on the forward line, although Suarez is extremely talented, his moody and extremely sensitive personality makes him a hidden powder keg. Besides, a team that wants to succeed cannot have only one top forward.

But the club told him clearly that there was no money in the account.

If he wants subsequent funds, he must lead the team to overcome obstacles and enter the Champions League main game...

So in the past two weeks, the pressure on Van Basten's shoulders can be imagined, and the intensity of Ajax's training can be imagined.

After just the first day of training, most players were about to collapse by his high-pressure training, but... Long Shute couldn't stop smiling.

Because the more he trains, the more he feels that he has more room for improvement.

He wished he could sleep on the training ground 24 hours a day.

Until physical coach Renaldo Landberg specifically talked to him.

"Dragon," the experienced middle-aged coach looked at the player's analysis report in his hand and shook his head at him, "Have you not had a rest this summer?"

"Uh, coach," Long Shute told the truth, "I've had a rest, and I've had a full three days off."

Randberg almost choked to death, and rolled his eyes: "I understand your eagerness to play football in the first team, but you must know that a player who does not know how to cherish and recuperate his body will definitely enter a period of decline too early. Look at these data. The wear of your joints and ligaments and the accumulation of acid fat in your muscles have reached the critical point. In this case, even if you train hard, it will be difficult to help your technical improvement. Instead, your body may collapse at any time. If you persist like this, I will recommend that the head coach disqualify you from participating."

Long Shute couldn't help but feel anxious: "Dare you dare?! I...I'll kneel down for you!"

"Then go to the lounge now, find John for a full body relaxing massage, and then take a hot bath. No ball training is allowed this week, huh?" Randberg frowned.

"The day after tomorrow is a warm-up match..." Long Shute opened his mouth.

The other party raised his eyebrows: "Do you still want to be in Ajax?"
Chapter completed!