Starting as a Defensive Midfielder at Real Madrid

Chapter 14: Don't Charge Forward, Be the Defensive Grind King

On the morning of September 1st, José Mourinho arrived early at the Valdebebas training ground.

Today was the day when the first-team players who hadn't been called up for international duty would resume joint training, and Mourinho wanted to arrive early with his coaching staff to prepare.

Known as one of football's most meticulous and hands-on managers, Mourinho placed great importance on day-to-day training.

From his first day at Valdebebas, he had paid attention to every detail—grass quality, training facilities, the condition of boots and kits, even the wear and tear of the players' locker cabinets.

He was blunt about pointing out issues, and while his direct communication style and attention to detail had put pressure on staff, the overall efficiency of Real Madrid's preparations and training operations had clearly improved.

Normally, Mourinho kept a stern demeanor in front of others.

But today, as he sat in his office reviewing reports on Cristiano Ronaldo and Li Ang's additional training workload, he found himself both amused and exasperated.

He didn't dislike seeing his players work hard.

Extra training was a good thing—it showed ambition and a desire to improve.

But the way Li Ang and Ronaldo were pushing themselves was bordering on excessive.

While pleased, Mourinho also had a "happy headache" on his hands.

He couldn't outright discourage them either—he didn't want to crush their enthusiasm.

So after carefully thinking through his approach, Mourinho called the two early birds into his office for a friendly chat.

With Cristiano, there was more praise than guidance.

After flattering him with words about his importance in the tactical system and his irreplaceable status, Mourinho gently suggested that he needed more rest and recovery.

With Li Ang, Mourinho was more direct and relaxed.

"You're still young, no need to overdo it. You've got a place here, and you'll get your chances. Take it slow—don't burn yourself out. Feeling stressed lately? You've got my number. If you're ever feeling off, call me."

Li Ang sat and listened quietly to Mourinho's thoughtful advice, a little surprised and, honestly, touched.

He didn't know why the coach had recently become more and more kind toward him, but he could feel Mourinho's genuine concern.

The pressure on the training ground was still intense, but off the field, Mourinho truly cared about his development and well-being.

As for pressure, Li Ang had always viewed it two ways.

If someone applied pressure to belittle or torment him, he'd push back just as hard.

But if someone placed high expectations on him out of genuine belief and encouragement, he'd accept that pressure gratefully.

He may have had a young body, but inside, he was an experienced man—he knew how to tell good intentions from bad and how to endure when necessary.

Seeing Li Ang listening patiently without showing any impatience, Mourinho was even more pleased.

He liked Li Ang's emerging "match mentality" and his calm maturity that didn't match his age.

Young players who "got it" so quickly were rare.

Talent-wise, Li Ang couldn't hold a candle to someone like Balotelli from Mourinho's Inter Milan days.

But if Mourinho had to choose, he'd choose to cultivate Li Ang.

To him, talent was important—but mental maturity, communication, and iron will were even more precious.

"Alright, go prep for training. If you need anything, come find me. Don't force your body, and remember to go for therapy checkups on time!"

Mourinho gave Li Ang a final pat on the shoulder and sent him off with a rare smile.

After the small morning episode, the rest of the first-team players quickly noticed something odd during training—

The boss was smiling more than usual today.

Of course, that smile disappeared the moment the high-intensity session began, replaced by the trademark Mourinho scowl that was no more pleasant than a devil's grin.

Due to South American national teams skipping friendlies during this international break, some players like Di María and Marcelo had let themselves go a bit over the two-day holiday.

Now they were paying for it—practically gasping on the field under Mourinho's merciless drills.

Even after the rest of the team finished, those two had to run an extra five kilometers as punishment, grimacing the entire time.

Their suffering made the rest of the squad quickly grasp one clear rule:

Mourinho doesn't care what you do during your days off—but you better come back ready.

Otherwise, next time it wouldn't be Marcelo or Di María suffering. It'd be you.

With intense and well-structured training, Real Madrid's players quickly sharpened both their physical condition and mental focus.

And Sami Khedira, recently recovered from injury, seemed to be sensing a threat to his starting spot.

He didn't report for Germany's matches and stayed behind at Valdebebas, training proactively with his club teammates.

To be fair, he was doing well.

He still liked to push forward at times, but his defensive work was more active than when he first arrived.

When healthy, Khedira had the stamina and physical tools to cover huge swaths of the midfield.

Whether he was effective was one thing—but on the surface, he looked the part.

If he could focus more on defending and doing the dirty work, then with his current form and physicality, both Li Ang and Lassana Diarra would be behind him in the pecking order.

Mourinho, no matter how much he liked Li Ang, still had to prioritize his effort to transform Khedira into an ideal defensive midfielder.

Li Ang might one day be the kind of elite ball-winner Mourinho adored.

But if Khedira could click mentally, Real Madrid could instantly have one of the toughest midfield duos in all of Europe.

So for now, the coaching staff placed Khedira with the main training group.

On September 9th, players like Xabi Alonso and Sergio Ramos returned from international duty.

The starting lineup for the next league match against Osasuna was basically set.

—

September 11, evening – Santiago Bernabéu Stadium.

Li Ang sat on the bench alongside Di María and Canales, the three whispering to each other with hands over their mouths.

On the touchline, Mourinho stood with a furrowed brow, watching Real Madrid struggle against Osasuna's defensive wall—and nearly get caught out more than once.

By the 42nd minute of the first half, Real still hadn't found a breakthrough.

The scoreboard read 0–0.

And the fans at the Bernabéu?

They weren't hiding their displeasure.

The boos began faintly, but quickly spread through the stands like wildfire.

Cristiano's expression darkened.

Benzema stood with hands on his hips, glancing toward a certain player who had shown little to no defensive awareness all match—but he held his tongue.

Alonso was catching his breath in the back, trying to calm himself.

He hated to complain, but Khedira had once again surged forward and failed to track back.

Alonso had nearly exploded with frustration.

Once again, he had to organize the play and cover for the German's defensive lapses.

He didn't mind occasionally cleaning up for a teammate.

But every time?

Khedira's attacking contributions hadn't led to anything meaningful so far. If anything, he was better off just staying back, cutting off Osasuna's counterattacks first.

That way, everyone could play with more peace of mind.

Unlike the previous match, where things ran smoothly, tonight's game had most of the team feeling miserable.

Alonso was gassed. Ramos and Carvalho were under constant pressure. The attacking players were getting fewer chances.

At that moment, everyone's minds—except for Khedira and that one lazy attacker—drifted to the same person.

They remembered the player from the last match who shouted for them to press up while he stayed behind to intercept, cover, and chase back.

That Little Lion who did the dirty work and made everyone else feel safe.

Cristiano muttered under his breath, visibly irritated.

He was starting to lose patience with the German midfielder's constant forward runs.

He wanted his Grind King back.

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