"Is the information confirmed?"
At the Yellow Wall's training ground in Dortmund, Germany, the club's Head Coach, Jurgen Klopp, solemnly questioned the assistant sitting before him. The man was just as tall and burly as Klopp, but had long hair and distinctly Eastern European features.
His name was Željko Buvač, a Bosnian. He had started his professional career in the Yugoslav domestic league before coming to Germany in the early 1990s. He had played alongside Klopp at Mainz for three years, forging a deep friendship with him. Later, when Klopp became Mainz's Head Coach, he invited Buvač to become his assistant at the earliest opportunity.
Some said Klopp's greatest strengths could be summed up in eight words: high pressing and counterattacking. Half the credit belonged to Buvač, because his philosophy emphasized efficient, simple, quick passing, somewhat like a whirlwind attack. Whether at Mainz or Dortmund, Buvač had always personally overseen the team's attacking training.
At that moment, Dortmund's Chief Assistant Coach was sitting before Klopp. He nodded solemnly. "It's confirmed. Our scout in Spain got reliable information. After Marcelo returned to Madrid, he went straight to the hospital for an examination. It is indeed a fracture, and he'll be out for at least three months. Arbeloa suffered a muscle strain. According to the Spanish National Team doctor's assessment, he'll be out for a month."
After hearing that, the corners of Klopp's mouth lifted into a smile that was not quite a smile, as if he wanted to laugh but was worried it might be inappropriate.
That was understandable. As a former professional player, he knew all too well what a terrible disaster injuries could be. But as Real Madrid's upcoming opponent, he could not help feeling fortunate. Losing two key players in succession was a devastating blow to Real Madrid's