Fox in the Penalty Area

When Sophia opened her eyes from the bed, she found her husband lying beside her, but stared at the ceiling with wide eyes.

She was startled, and quickly propped herself up from the bed: "You won't just stare at the ceiling like this all night, will you?"

Maxi Carey didn't look away, still looking at the ceiling and said, "I woke up half an hour earlier than you."

Hearing this, Sophia breathed a sigh of relief.

"Why don't you get up now that you are awake?"

"Thinking about something."

"You thought about it all night last night..."

"I didn't fully understand it after thinking about it all night." Carey said, turning to look at his wife and seeing the gleam in her eyes, "But I just suddenly figured it out."

Under the gaze of her husband, Sophia smiled: "Just figure it out."

After she finished speaking, she turned over and got up: "I'll make breakfast."

Carey sat up and asked in surprise, "You didn't ask me what I figured out?"

The wife didn't look back, just put on her clothes: "Don't ask. As long as you figure it out. As for what you think, that's your business. I believe you, Maxi. You said you figured it out. ,I can rest assured that."

While talking, the clothes were already put on.

Sophia stood up, turned around and smiled at her husband:

"Anyway, it's great that you can figure it out."

After she finished speaking, she went out to prepare breakfast.

Carey sat on the bed, watching his wife disappear behind the door, and heard her footsteps drifting away.

He was really ready to explain to his wife how he figured it out.

But the wife did not ask.

Are you afraid of being embarrassed when you explain?

After all, it was really hard to get Maxi Carey to admit that he was no longer the most special one.

Carey himself was lying on the bed with his eyes open for half an hour of mental construction.

※※※

"I think we should get Carey to have a good talk with Ms. Ocampo..."

Before starting the day of training, first assistant coach **** Valentin offered his own advice to head coach Parrotti.

The full name of "Ms. Ocampo" in his mouth is Daniela Ocampo, a psychiatrist of the Madrid Pirates Club.

Usually responsible for psychological counseling for the players.

If the player is not in good condition, or has any troubles, is injured, etc., as long as he feels that he has a psychological problem, he will go to Ms. Ocampo, have a chat with her, follow her advice, and do a good job for his own psychology. "massage".

Professional football puts more and more pressure on players, and the mental health of professional players has reached a point that cannot be ignored at all. In the vast majority of European professional football clubs, psychologists are already standard.

Some wealthy clubs even have not only one psychiatrist, but an entire team of psychologists.

Strive to provide the best psychotherapy for your players.

"It's no use, Jesus. When did Carey go to Ms. Ocampo? He didn't go to the last two times when he was seriously injured. He didn't trust anyone else to help him solve his own problems." Paro Tee shook his head and rejected the proposal. "'Super Maxi' has super confidence, he thinks he can handle any problem by himself. Only cowards and brats go to a psychiatrist..."

"I think only cowards and brats refuse to go to a psychiatrist. Because they don't want to face their inner vulnerability." Valentine pouted.

He came close to saying that Maxi Carey was a coward and a brat.

In his heart, he really thought so.

A person who refuses help from others and always thinks that he can solve everything by himself, what is not a child?

A person who refuses to admit that he is old and that it is difficult for him to return to his prime is not a coward or what?

"So we can only watch Kyrie come back from injury now, but still can't help the team. Then we can only wait for him to figure it out on his own?" asked second assistant coach Enzo Nacher. road.

After everyone looked at each other, they found that... it seems that this is really the only way.

Someone sighed softly, and was completely useless for this Maxi Carey.

The hero who once saved the team from fire and water countless times now seems to have become a big burden to the tail.

This fact seems cruel and inhumane.

But that's one of the truths of professional football.

Therefore, if players who play in a giant team get older, if they cannot maintain a good enough competitive state, then they leave the giant team and go to a less powerful team to continue their career, which is the vast majority of players. what they all do.

There are very few people who have been able to play on a giant team until they retire.

In fact, this has nothing to do with the humaneness of a club. After all, a professional football club is not a welfare institution. If a player's ability is not proportional to the salary paid to him by the club, he will either accept a salary reduction and become a substitute in the team, or Break up and leave, go to a team that is willing to pay you a high salary, or a team that is willing to give you a main position.

When Maxi Carey was seriously injured for the first time, the Madrid Pirates Club also gave Carey a three-year contract extension for the first time.

But when Carey was seriously injured for the second time, the club didn't mention the contract renewal at all.

It is also because everyone at the club knows very well that Kyrie has been seriously injured twice in a row in two years, and I am afraid that he cannot even maintain his previous strength. It is also unique, too hypocritical, no one believes and no one does it.

Now Kyrie's performance after returning from injury for the second time seems to prove the correctness of the decision of the Madrid Pirates Club.

Even if Kyrie is the hero of the Madrid Pirates, if he can't continue to bring victory to the team, but instead becomes a problem for the team... Then the team that is more human will not have a relationship with the hero of the past.

Finally, coach Parrotti changed the subject: "Let's talk about other things..."

Everyone is also very wise not to continue to be entangled in the matter of Carey, and this is not something they can solve with a few words here.

※※※

A five-on-five small-court confrontation is taking place on the training ground. The purpose of the training is to enhance the players' ability to use quick passes to get out of this pressing after being pressed in a tight area.

The training requires trained offensive players to have a maximum of two touches - a stop, a pass, or a shot.

This is actually a kind of training that simulates actual combat situations.

Because in the real game, the offensive player will often face the pressing and containment of the defending team.

If the offensive player adjusts more, he may be intercepted by the opponent, or lose the opportunity to attack.

As soon as Maxi Carey moved the football away, Joaquin Bella rushed to him and saw that the football had been passed away, and Bella stopped his feet.

This is also a very normal practice in training. After all, this is training. No matter how close the training is to actual combat, it is only training. Another way of saying "close to actual combat" is "it cannot be real combat."

But after Joaquin Bella stopped, he heard Kyrie sneer at him: "Why stop? You won't steal half of the game?"

Joaquin Bella looked at Carey unexpectedly, who was still saying, "Show your attitude in the game, Joaquin. Don't act like a sissy!"

Bella quickly defended: "This is just training, Maxi. And you've just recovered from your injury..."

Carey interrupted him unceremoniously: "It's okay, you can play according to the standard of the game. I can handle it. Even if it is a real game, I can handle it! Don't mother-in-law, Joaquin!"

Bella spread her hands: "Well, this is what you asked for, Maxi!"

"Yes, I asked for it. You can't break the ball from my feet anyway." Carey shrugged and pouted.

"Hey!" Joaquin Bella was irritated by Carey's last words.

When the football was passed to Kyrie again, he swooped down aggressively, as if he were actually facing an enemy in a game.

He didn't even show any signs of slowing down as he was about to hit Kyrie.

"Hello!" Damian Daya, another teammate who saw this scene, had to remind Bella aloud.

But before he could say anything, Joaquin Bella's foot hit the football—or rather, Kyrie's kicked the ball into Bella's leg.

In the face of Bella's rush, Kyrie was still a little flustered, and the ball was passed too hastily. As a result, it was cut off by Joaquin Bella.

Bella, who stole the ball, did not hold back the momentum and slammed into Kyrie.

The latter took two steps back to stabilize his body.

He was just stabilizing his footsteps when Bella's sarcasm followed: "Ha, Maxi, you said I couldn't steal the ball from you?"

Carey twitched the corners of his mouth: "It's just a fluke."

"Hey! Next time I'll let you know if it's a fluke!"

※※※

Seeing Kyrie and Bella bickering, second assistant coach Enzo Nacher wanted to blow the whistle to suspend practice.

But he was stopped by Parrotti: "It's okay, don't stop, that's all."

Nacher glanced at him strangely: "But I feel like there is some anger between the two of them..."

"How can there be no anger in the training? Just like that, leave them alone and let the training continue."

Parrotti shook his head and folded his arms.

Since the head coach has said so, assistant coach Nacher naturally has nothing to say, he motioned for the training to continue.

※※※

Bella who broke Kyrie's ball was excited, he pointed at Carey and shouted loudly: "Pass the ball to Maxi, let him see how good I am!"

The teammates who watched the fun and did not think it was a big deal naturally passed the football with great cooperation.

Joaquín Bella also followed the ball to Kyrie.

Hu Lai and his teammates, who were doing similar training next to them, couldn't help but stop training and turned to look.

For a time, Maxi Carey and Joaquin Bella became the focus of the training ground, and everyone focused on them.

When they saw Joaquin Bella's ferocious look, they couldn't help but feel a little dazed, they really thought it was in the game.

Someone is really worried about Kyrie on the inside, worried that he will get hurt in training...

Others couldn't help but want to speak out to remind the two sides who were obviously on top to stop this dangerous game.

But at this moment, all of them saw Carey's right foot gently rubbing the ball that was rolling over.

The football passed over Bella's head.

At the same time, Carey jumped to the side to avoid Bella's rush, then passed him from the side, and passed the football that was falling from the air to his teammates.

Still two touches, no violation.

Joaquin Bella, who was passed by, turned around and looked at Carey in surprise.

And Carey looked back and smiled when he saw him like this: "What is your expression, Joaquin? Is it incredible that you were passed by me?"