"This was an unsatisfactory match for Real Madrid, that's all."

"No need for everyone to dwell on this, as for whether Villarreal will surpass us in the rankings tomorrow."

"Honestly, I don't care." Schuster seemed somewhat indifferent at the post-match press conference, but in reality, after the match, he stayed up late to watch Villarreal's subsequent game.

Unfortunately, Real Madrid gave Villarreal a chance, but they didn't seize it!

At home, Villarreal faced Almeria, leading 1-0 at halftime, but in the second half, Negredo equalized for his team at the last moment with an unstoppable curving shot from the edge of the penalty area, turning the 3 points they had in hand into just 1 point.

Negredo's outstanding performance has led many media to speculate that Real Madrid might bring this powerful center forward back to the Bernabeu next season, or even during the winter transfer window.

...

The players boarded the plane to Germany one by one, as they were heading to Germany for the Champions League group stage match against Werder Bremen. Both Real Madrid and Werder Bremen place great importance on this match.

If Real Madrid wins, they will advance as group leaders, and if Werder Bremen loses, their Champions League journey will come to an end.

On the plane, Schuster and Francisco were still discussing internal team matters.

Real Madrid has delivered an outstanding performance in both the league and the Champions League this season, but internally, they have created quite a bit of trouble for Schuster.

"I really want to kick their damn asses with my foot."

"Do they even want results?"

"Can they finalize the contract renewals soon?" Schuster said to Francisco, "I want a stable locker room and for the players to focus on the matches."

"President Calderon has already announced that he will not conduct any renewal negotiations before the New Year," Francisco defended Calderon but quickly couldn't help but complain, "Honestly, I don't think this is a good decision."

During this period, players like Van Nistelrooy, Robinho, Ramos, and Guti have all requested renewals or salary increases, with Ramos even generating news about joining Milan a while ago.

Guti has also recently issued the threat of "going to the Premier League if not renewed."

Since Schuster took charge at the Bernabeu, Guti has undoubtedly become the core of Real Madrid's midfield, but this youth academy product of Real Madrid is troubled because of renewal issues.

He has repeatedly expressed, "I hope to retire at Real Madrid."

But after dealing with problems with Raul and Chen Zhong, Real Madrid has actively communicated with Van Nistelrooy recently, even making verbal promises.

Yet they still haven't given Guti a direct negotiation, not even scheduling private meetings, which has left Guti in a bad mood, even repeatedly expressing in interviews, "If the club doesn't give me a new contract, I don't rule out leaving Real Madrid early."

Guti's contract is set to expire at the end of 2010, which might be why the club is not yet focused on renewing it since there is still some time.

Guti hopes to extend for another two years, aiming to retire directly at the Bernabeu at the age of 36.

Schuster is very "fond" of Guti. With most coaches, Guti goes through a process from "not used" to "heavily used," but Schuster allowed Guti to become a starter right from the beginning.

However, it is clear that Guti is a "fragile" person. He doesn't have the same status on the pitch as Raul, nor does he receive as much respect from opponents as Raul does. Additionally, Guti has a fiery temper, prone to being angered by opponents' foul tactics.

On top of that, the contractual issues upset him, which led him to be provoked by Murcia's players in the recently concluded match.

Schuster sighed as he thought about it. He couldn't understand why a club like Real Madrid acted as if they were broke, didn't Calderon claim they had at least 100 million in the account?

"Things weren't originally this complicated."

"But now I can't quite understand the current football world."

"The highest-paid player in the world is not Kaka, not Ronaldinho, but Ibrahimovic..."

Ramos wanted a salary increase just a few months after renewing, likely related to salary inflation in football. When people thought Kaka's 9 million euros already stretched their imagination, Italian media reported Inter Milan might offer Ibrahimovic an 11 million euro annual salary, a 4 million increase from his current 7 million euros.

Schuster felt like an old relic about these salaries.

The reason he suddenly mentioned this issue was that during the pre-qualifiers, Ibrahimovic expressed his affection towards Real Madrid through the media, saying to the camera, "Real Madrid is one of the greatest teams on this planet. Players worldwide hope to play for Real Madrid, but not everyone gets the chance."

"I have a long-term contract with Inter, but as for the future, who knows?"

Schuster indeed has some thoughts about the team's current lineup, especially for the center forward position. He doesn't trust Saviola or Soldado and feels that Van Nistelrooy's recent performances haven't met his expectations.

He genuinely wants to bolster the center forward position, at least to find someone who can replace Van Nistelrooy.

However, his target is not the media-hyped Drogba or Ibrahimovic, but Almeria's Negredo.

"Mijatovic is truly an amateur."

"I estimate he won't manage to secure either Nasri or Breno."

Recently, Real Madrid's transfer focal points have been the French midfielder Nasri, known as the "New Zidane," and Breno, dubbed the "New Lucio." Both players have no shortage of suitors, yet a typically generous Real Madrid is, during transfer pursuits, trying to undercut prices.

On the other hand, in competition with Bayern Munich for Breno, they demanded a bone age test for Breno, which instantly angered the player.

Schuster, reflecting on the summer transfer window, once eagerly desired Ballack's signing, but now, he has seen through everything, despairing entirely at the team's transfer market actions.

He always wanted a "superstar," but the team's current transfer operation level will likely fail to fulfill his wish.

They can only overpay for players in leagues like Eredivisie or Portuguese Primeira Liga.

Luckily, they still have Chen Zhong.

Schuster no longer holds any hope for the club's activity in this winter window.

These days, President Calderon, as the head of Real Madrid, has mostly participated in social gatherings with Real Madrid club members, highlighting the team's league advantages and emphasizing his achievements.

Calderon publicly declared that Real Madrid is currently in a "state of bliss."

Sometimes, when Schuster closes his eyes to sleep, he dreams of Calderon proudly holding a microphone on stage, loudly saying, "Look at the standings, where are we? In first place! We are far ahead of fellow title contenders Barcelona and Sevilla, with Sevilla even trailing us by 13 points!"

"Real Madrid has achieved such excellent results under my leadership, which makes me happy. The players' attitude on the field is completely different from last year, precisely what I wanted. Let's not forget, Real Madrid is now the reigning champion in both football and basketball, a double crown we haven't held in over 20 years."

"Look at Robinho, Raul, Casillas, Ramos—how outstanding they are. They are at the peak of their careers, and we'll continue down this path. Good results naturally follow. Our fate is in our hands, and the team is filled with confidence in defending the title this season and making breakthroughs in the Champions League."

"Mr. Chairman, and Chen Zhong!"

"Mr. Chairman, we must defeat Barcelona in the El Clasico!"

Madrid's members shouted loudly from below, as Calderon delightfully replied, "Rest assured, I can guarantee that after December 22, when we face Barcelona at Camp Nou."

"The team will deliver a victory to the fans, celebrate Christmas with a win, and we'll enjoy a perfect Christmas with a 10 to 12 points lead over Barcelona."

"Of course, this is not to belittle Barcelona. In fact, we are looking forward to a higher-level opponent, but Barcelona is currently very disorganized, and they can't find a solution. Perhaps they should change their strategy; we are doing much better in this regard."

Calderon didn't forget to showcase his achievements as he spoke, "This summer, we corrected last season's mistakes. We have moved ahead in time, while Barcelona hasn't."

...

Guti was suspended for a red card, and Sneijder was in poor form.

In this match against Werder Bremen, Schuster officially designated Chen Zhong as the mid-field core.

He will utilize the 442 formation against Werder Bremen, pairing Diara with Chen Zhong in midfield, with Robinho and Sneijder as wide midfielders, Van Nistelrooy and Raul up front, and Cannavaro paired with Pepe on defense, Marcelo and Ramos on the flanks, with Casillas in goal.

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