Was it the times that made the heroes, or the heroes that made the times?
This was an age-old question that had been debated countless times in the football world. Whether it was the players, the Head Coach, or the team, who was truly the most important protagonist?
When Guardiola's Barcelona first rose to fame, many people had asked whether Guardiola had made Barcelona, or Barcelona had made Guardiola. The same question applied to the relationship between Messi and Barcelona: which had made the other?
The same went for the relationship between Yang Yang and Real Madrid. It was a question that would never have an answer.
Yang Yang himself believed that football was a team sport. Whether they were players, the Head Coach, or any player, coach, or staff member on the team, everyone played a role. Even an insignificant physiotherapist might prevent a player from suffering an injury with one professional massage, allowing that player to help the team win a crucial match through his performance.
Was that physiotherapist important?
It was a very boring question, because football had always been the result of everyone working together.
But it could not be denied that football history had never lacked heroes. Through their individual ability, whether as players or coaches, they made everyone else on the team revolve around them. Under their leadership, the team marched to victory and achieved glorious feats.
That was probably what people meant by heroes making the times.
So no one knew whether Barcelona would have welcomed Dream Team III without Guardiola, and no one knew what Real Madrid would have become without Yang Yang.
Van Gaal believed that the current Ajax lacked such a hero capable of shaping the times.
He had a feeling that this group of Ajax players would emerge and