Ender's Football

On Monday of the second week, the first team of Leipzig Red Bull flew home from Ibiza, Spain, where the weather is pleasant. They just finished the training task of the winter break, and they will usher in a friendly match with Salzburg Red Bull in two days. .

It can be seen from the names that the two "Red Bulls" can be regarded as relatives and have a close relationship.

In fact, as early as 2005, the Red Bull Group acquired the team "SV Casino Salzburg" located in Salzburg, Austria, and renamed the team Red Bull Salzburg, which also achieved good results. Achievements, once dominated the Austrian league.Later, Red Bull successively acquired the New York Metro Stars and changed its name to "New York Red Bull".

But these teams are far from the center of the football world after all.

As we all know, there are "five major leagues" in professional football, referring to the English Premier League (English Premier League), Spanish Football League (La Liga), German Football League (Bundesliga), Italian Football League ( Serie A) and the French Football League (French Ligue [-]), and the highest level of competition is the UEFA Champions League (Champions League), which can integrate the giants of the above major leagues.Therefore, although local fans in other leagues may be fanatical, enthusiastic, and full of enthusiasm for their teams, it is Europe, the five major leagues, and the star-studded UEFA Champions League that can really attract the attention of football audiences all over the world. .

Therefore, Matt Schitz, the head of the Red Bull Group, made up his mind to buy the current Red Bull team in Leipzig, located in eastern Germany.

Ender was very curious about this team that had already made a name for itself in Germany.

He used to watch the Bundesliga games when he was in Uwensburg. He has also heard the story of the Leipzig Red Bull rushing from the Bundesliga to the Bundesliga overnight, and then climbing to the Bundesliga. Friendly, they regard it as a "team built with money", and once a player in their team is taken away by Red Bull, they are "mercenaries".

But despite the backlash, Leipzig's first team has been on a steady march.Although they failed to enter the Bundesliga last season, it was their first Bundesliga season after all, and they had created the best result in their history-the Bundesliga No.5.As long as they can enter the top three in the standings this season, they are very hopeful to create another history and enter the Bundesliga*.

However, Ander was not able to see Leipzig's first team on Monday.

These stars who returned from vacation in Ibiza made the entire Red Bull base feel like an enemy. All the staff that Ander usually saw or could not see began to work nervously, providing Leipzig's first team with various services.

When Ander and Sieghard went downstairs to have breakfast in the restaurant of the Red Bull Youth Training Center on Monday morning, they could still hear the staff discussing how to arrange three meals after the first team returned.There is also a nutritionist preparing healthy drinks, which will be provided to the first team and their youth players.

"They are really professional," Ender sighed to Sieghard. "Perhaps a club like Red Bull can provide such conditions..."

As he spoke, he turned his head and paused slightly during the process, remembering that Sieghard's previous club was a more glorious club than Leipzig, so his voice stopped immediately and did not continue.

Ender breathed lightly, and quietly raised his eyes to look at Sigurhard. The other party didn't make any special reaction, but nodded to him.

"It's a good thing," was all Sieghard said.

At 16:19 in the morning, Ender and Sieghard said goodbye in the restaurant, and the two went to the training ground where U[-] and U[-] were located.

This was the first training they officially participated in after they arrived in the city of Leipzig, so Ender was still a little nervous.He changed into Red Bull's white home team jersey for this season in the locker room, hugged a football, took a deep breath, and walked to the training ground.

There are several training grounds in the youth training center, and there is another training ground between U16 and U19.When Ender looked far away at the U19 side, he could only occasionally see Sigurhard's brilliant golden hair reflecting a glimmer of light in the sun.

What he did these two days was with Sieghard. Now that he suddenly lost his little friend, Ender felt a little lost.

He tossed the football from his arms, and let the ball bounce twice on his thigh.Then let it return to the instep, and then circled twice with the calf, and then kicked the football high into the air with the arch of the foot again, and then went deep into the hands again, and took it into the arms.

He did this set of movements smoothly and smoothly, and he did it very skillfully, and he suppressed his nervousness well.

He approached the barbed wire fence with the football in his arms, and stepped onto the turf of the training ground. Jeremy, the British chatterbox genius he met a few days ago, had arrived and was talking to another boy next to him.

Seeing Ender approaching, Jeremy seemed a little agitated and a little excited, waving at Ender from a distance, making some mouth shapes, as if he wanted to say something to Ender.

Ender didn't know what he was excited about, so he tilted his head to look at him with some doubts.

Jeremy then stretched out his hand and pointed vigorously to another direction beside him, telling Ender to look over there.

Ender turned his head graciously, and then his smile froze on his face.

——No wonder a genius like Jeremy, who is actually very proud in his heart, will show such an expression!

The Red Bull youth coach that Ender and Jeremy met on the day of their trial training was standing on the training ground next to them, still wearing the sports jacket he wore last time with the Leipzig Red Bull LOGO printed on it, with a cold expression and hands behind his back. Behind him, beside Tong Tong, another older youth training coach was talking.

It was that arrogant Jonathan Schuylman.

Ender still remembers how he talked to himself that day, and he also remembers that he reminded the boys indifferently: "Even if any group wins by a large score in this game, it doesn't matter much", "If your talent can't Show it in the rest of the game, it's zero for me", and then those words lead to chaos and disorder throughout the second half of the training session, leaving the boys in a kind of dead-end game of stealing the spotlight from each other. middle.

Fortunately, the young coach is now standing on the training ground next door, otherwise Ender might have to perform a cardiac arrest live for everyone.

He walked up to Jeremy, and the two boys met eyes, knowing what the other was trying to say.

Jeremy whispered: "Thank God, Ender, you don't know that I was really relieved when I saw him next to me. Although I don't dislike his behavior, he is indeed too arrogant. I don't want to see him every day." They were all pointed at by him.”

Although Jeremy had said a lot, this was the first time Ender felt a little bit of agreement with him in his heart.

With a rare nod, he agrees with Jeremy.

However, things were not as expected. Five minutes later, Ender and Jeremy, who were warming up in the training ground, saw their assistant coach walking over with a smile on his face. The cheerful old man said gently to the children: " Come on, everyone gather around, let me introduce to you our U5 youth training coach this season - this is Jonathan Scheuermann, despite his young age, he is already well-known in the German football circle , was just invited by Mr. Albeck this season..."

Under the sparse applause from the other boys, and the stunned gazes of Ender and Jeremy, the man who was standing in another training field just now stepped over and stopped in front of them, his eyes were on their eyes. Time stopped, the end of his eyes was raised lazily, and even his eyebrows were furrowed.

Ender quickly realized that he hadn't applauded just now.

It's over, he won't sentence me to death because of this.

he thought nervously.

I don't want to know what kind of venom this arrogant man will spray out in the next second to criticize him.

***

Obviously, Ender's mental activities are exaggerated here.

——Schuylman is certainly not a poisonous snake, nor can he spit out venom. From his mouth, at most, he will say something straightforward, which will hurt the fragile self-esteem of adolescent boys, or hit those youthful vigor self-confidence.

After seeing the "delayed applause" of Ender and Jeremy, he glanced at the two children with a half-smile, then looked at the rest of the U16 team, and then started his first speech .

According to the usual practice, at this time, the youth training coaches will generally introduce themselves, trying to establish a friendly relationship with the children, and then tell everyone about the next training tasks, the goals of this season, the usual training arrangements and time wait...

For example, the coach Tierner that Ander met in Uwensburg, he is a typical kind of grandfather who has a strong affinity and makes the children very happy to get along with him. During his speech, he emphasized that the main purpose of being together is to have a happy and meaningful life, and then to be healthy and encourage children to study hard, whether it is in school or on the football field.

But Schuylman is completely unconventional.

His indifferent eyes swept over every boy present, and then he began to speak in his own style.

"As you can see, my name is Jonathan Schuylman, and I will be your head coach for the next season," he said flatly, "I know many of you may be asking yourself: 'Who is this'? It's not a nobody' question, of course, I did play professional football before, but I'm not a famous player, and I haven't been to any big club. If you expect me to have an earth-shattering resume, then I can only regret to inform you You guys, 'No'. If anyone feels disappointed or doesn't want to stay on my team, it doesn't matter. You are welcome to transfer to another echelon, or suggest to Mr. Albeck to replace me. ,I do not mind."

After he spoke such a long paragraph, he managed to stop the boys who were still applauding sparingly just now. Everyone looked at him dully, as if they were very uncomfortable with Schuylman's speaking style.

The assistant coach who just laughed happily came over to smooth things over: "Jonathan, look at our boys, all of them are great. I believe that each of them will perform well in the future. Sooner or later, they will become the future of our Red Bull team." Star, is it?"

The boys nodded dully.

Schuylman gave the old man a lot of face, he actually nodded, but then continued: "Today is the first day we know each other, so I should say this up front: I am a very dissatisfied person, and I long for Success and championships, so what I ask of you this season is - the Northern League Championship, I want to make sure my team will do everything to achieve this goal, you have to work hard, and I will work hard. And I just said The same, if someone feels that he does not have the confidence to win the championship and does not want to train seriously, then I suggest you leave my team as soon as possible, otherwise it may be very painful; by the way, I also suggest that you do not dream of a wealthy family or even a career Football, because if you don't even have a competitive spirit, you are not suitable for professional football at all."

The assistant coach continued to smooth things over with a smile: "Have you heard what Coach Jonathan said? You must work hard! Every boy here has been selected into the team through layers of selection, and he is also a one-of-a-kind talent—although we The history of the club is not long, but everyone knows that we are a very young and enterprising team, and I believe we will be able to win the Northern League championship this season! No problem."

Jonathan Schuylman nodded again.

"I've finished talking, and no one has run away yet, and they all seem a little ambitious," he said, "I know you're all geniuses from all over the country—even here from abroad—I don't care about you What kind of clubs were you in before, in the so-called youth training giants, or what kind of strong team; I don’t care whether you were the core or the focus of attention in the previous club. Here, now, you are right I am just a stranger, I need you to show a good performance..."

In the middle of what he said, Ender was already able to automatically fill in the next sentence for him in his mind.

Here it comes, he thought to himself, it really is the case, I have heard it before the last training match.

"...I will only pay attention to the answers you gave me. As for the previous ones, just stay in your previous clubs. Forget the flowers and applause, forget what honors you have won, I only see you on the court performance, let football tell me the answer."

……

Jonathan Schuylman's first speech appears to be over.

But when Ender subconsciously raised his hand and wanted to pat it a few times, he looked at the other boys around him, but he didn't pat it after all.

However, he did not applaud, someone was drumming.

Jeremy, a British boy, clapped his hands vigorously twice. In the silence, his crisp applause was particularly obvious, and instantly attracted everyone's attention.

Only then did Jeremy realize that something was wrong. The boy from England looked around and found that no one had raised his hand like him, so he put his hand down embarrassingly.

"Hey," he leaned close to Ender's ear and whispered in English, "what did he just say? Why is everyone so quiet?"

Ender gave Jeremy a hard look, and then he realized that this boy from England couldn't speak German at all!

In other words, Jeremy didn't understand the long passage that Schuylman said just now.

"It's very good of you," Ender said sincerely to Jeremy, "it's very enviable."

Jeremy was puzzled.

But he didn't ask any more, because Schuylman had already set his sights on where the two of them were at this time.The man who had just silenced the boys looked at Jeremy and Ender for a while, then raised his eyebrows and called out, "Ender?"

Ender tensed his body stiffly, and raised his head nervously: "Sir?"

"Jeremy?" he called again to the boy next to Ender.

Jeremy was not as nervous as Ender, he also raised his head and looked at Schuylman: "Sir?"

"What were you talking about just now?" Schuylman asked.

Ender quickly figured out how to answer in his mind, and seeing Jeremy's questioning face, he immediately decided to tell the truth: "Uh... Coach, Jeremy doesn't know much German, so he was asking me, What did you say..."

Schuylman was taken aback.

Only then did he seem to realize that the Jeremy in front of him was a complete foreigner, the kind who couldn't even speak German.

The words that had come to his lips were blocked by Ender.

Still an assistant coach, this smiling white-haired old man stepped forward to save the game: "Although Coach Jonathan has read your information, we have a lot of U16 children, and many of them have just joined our Red Bull Youth Training Center , It’s also the first time I came to the training ground, let’s see this, let’s introduce ourselves, let’s get to know each other by the way—let’s start with Jeremy and Ender, Jeremy said in English OK."

Ender sincerely believed that Mr. Albeck must have had the foresight to choose such a kind assistant coach for Scheuermann.