The morning after the match, at Manchester's Carrington training base.
Nuno Cruz took the freshly compiled examination data from one of Man City's medical staff. It detailed the results of Su Dong's latest tests, and as he read, Nuno Cruz marked several important indicators with black lines.
At last, the head of Su Dong's private coaching team put down the report and nodded with a faint smile at the medical staff and private coaches around him. Only then did he look toward Su Dong, who was already drenched in sweat from training.
"All your test results look good. You should be able to play this weekend."
As soon as Nuno Cruz finished speaking, Su Dong visibly relaxed and laughed.
Although Nuno Cruz was nominally an expert hired by Su Dong, in reality, he held the key to deciding whether Su Dong could play. After every match, he conducted a physical assessment of him.
Su Dong could certainly object, or even ignore Nuno Cruz's professional advice, but that would be irresponsible toward himself.
Most people believed that, in his current condition, Su Dong would have no problem playing until he was forty. But that depended on him following his private coaching team's advice and cooperating with them. If he acted recklessly, who knew how long he could keep playing?
Su Dong knew he was no expert in this area, but he trusted professionalism and science.
That should count as his greatest strength.
Of course, sometimes—especially when he was stopped from playing—he still felt rather depressed. It was like paying someone to become his boss and control his body.
To some extent, a professional footballer's body truly did not belong to him.
Forget Nuno Cruz—even if Guardiola forcibly wanted Su Dong to play in certain matches, he would have no way to