Van Gaal

To show how seriously Almere took this semester's assessment, the venue was set at the club's home ground.

The Municipal Stadium belonged to the Almere city government but was leased long-term by the club, connected to the training grounds. To the east was a rugby field, while tennis and baseball fields lay to the south.

The First Team's home ground was modest, with only low, single-tier stands surrounding it.

When Yang Yang and the others came out of the locker room and entered the prepared pitch, aside from an empty section in the center of the main stand, the rest of the stands were already filled with quite a few fans. More spectators kept streaming in through the entrances, and some players' families and friends had even put up encouraging banners.

Yang Yang spotted his uncle's family on the eastern stand, along with employees from the Chinese restaurant who had come specifically to cheer him on. Since it was warm-up time, he didn't go over, just waved a greeting from a distance.

As Yang Yang was warming up meticulously on the pitch, a commotion came from the main stand.

Club chairman René ter Borgh appeared, accompanied by several distinguished guests. Though there was no welcome ceremony, many recognized that the guests included Almere's mayor and government officials, along with various local dignitaries who joined them.

Yang Yang, being new to the place, didn't know any of these people and paid them no mind, continuing his warm-up. Henk Dimer and the others, however, were visibly excited about the mayor's arrival.

"It looks like the rumor that the city government is going to strongly support Almere's push for the Dutch Second Division is true."

"With the government's backing and the club officially becoming Ajax's satellite club, Almere is bound to make big moves in the next few years. Getting into the Dutch Second Division is just a matter of time."

"Right, right. If not this year, definitely next year."

Yang Yang listened silently. He only recognized Chairman René ter Borgh, who was said to be a local Almere tycoon but didn't live in the city—he lived in Blaricum instead.

Laren and Blaricum, in the southeastern suburbs of Amsterdam, were the most popular residential areas for the wealthy and corporate executives, but they were actually closer to Almere, just south of Hooij Lake in the southwest.

What truly impressed Yang Yang was ter Borgh's vision and boldness. He had founded Almere less than seven years ago and brought the team to its current level—no small feat. The main reason behind this was ter Borgh's complete trust in John Rep, handing over nearly all club operations to him except for finances.

Unlike China's weak football culture, in the Netherlands, football was the trendiest topic among politicians and business elites. This was clear from how ter Borgh chatted and laughed with the mayor and other officials on the main stand.

The government also invested generously in infrastructure. For instance, the facilities Almere leased included not just a standard stadium with stands and two training buildings, but also six full-size training pitches and three half-pitches. And there were at least three or four similar training complexes in Almere.

As Yang Yang marveled at the Dutch government's investment in football, another stir came from the main stand.

Looking up, he saw First Team Head Coach John Rep appear on the main stand, politely guiding two distinguished guests behind him. Ter Borgh and the others, who had been seated, all stood up at once.

"Who's that?"

"What's that man and woman's background?"

"Oh, my God, that's... that's..."

"Van Gaal!"

"Who?"

"Van Gaal! Louis van Gaal!"

"Really?"

"Really, it's really Louis van Gaal."

"God, why is he here?"

Not only were the players on the pitch buzzing, but the parents and fans in the stands were also in an uproar.

Louis van Gaal was a legendary coach in Dutch football and Ajax, renowned for his long tenure in Ajax's youth system, where he developed numerous stars. Later, in the 1990s, he led Ajax to the Champions League title, marking the club's last golden era. He was hailed as the final godfather of Ajax after Michels and Cruyff.

For instance, Ajax's current Head Coach, Ronald Koeman, was a player Van Gaal had mentored.

Everyone was stunned by Van Gaal's appearance, and Yang Yang was no exception, staring in disbelief.

He realized that the man walking behind Head Coach John Rep was none other than the Dutch Middle-aged Man who often came to watch his training. And the woman behind him was his girlfriend, Trus Opameer.

Damn, so that was Louis van Gaal!

Yang Yang was shocked, almost unable to believe it.

Back in China, he was familiar enough with football news that the name Louis van Gaal wasn't unfamiliar. But since he was from a county-level city in Quanzhou, newspapers and information were scarce, TV didn't broadcast La Liga, and after a year in the Netherlands, he had buried himself in training, ignoring everything else. Van Gaal always wore a golf cap that covered half his face, so Yang Yang had never recognized him.

But wasn't Van Gaal coaching Barcelona?

Oh, right. There had been news in January that he was fired early.

Though he had been dismissed twice from Barcelona and his stint coaching the National Team wasn't successful, Van Gaal's status in Dutch football remained lofty. Everyone treated him with respect, and the entire Almere club felt honored to have invited a world-class coach like him.

As Yang Yang watched Van Gaal from the pitch, the Dutch coaching legend also spotted him in the stands. Smiling, he raised his right hand and waved at Yang Yang from a distance. This gesture immediately caught John Rep's attention.

"Louis, do you know Yang Yang?" John Rep asked in surprise.

Van Gaal's smile faded, and he nodded lightly. "You could say I do."

He didn't seem to like discussing his private matters in front of others.

"More than that," Trus chimed in with a grin. "He secretly followed him for over a month and still misjudged him."

John Rep was even more puzzled. "What happened?"

Trus glanced at Van Gaal, who didn't want to elaborate, so she briefly explained—how Van Gaal initially thought Yang Yang wouldn't stick with his basic training for long, only to be completely surprised.

She was vague, but John Rep was stunned.

As the team's Head Coach, he had already completely changed his view of Yang Yang and thought highly of him. But hearing Trus say that even Van Gaal favored Yang Yang so much that he followed his training for over a month—what did that mean?

Everyone in the Netherlands knew Van Gaal had a notoriously bad temper and couldn't tolerate a single flaw. Yet he had tracked Yang Yang for a month—what else could it mean besides exceptional regard?

And everyone knew Van Gaal's eye for talent was famously sharp. Being favored by him was even more convincing than being scouted by Ajax's Chief Scout. If this news got out, Yang Yang's value would skyrocket, drawing attention and even offers from countless Dutch clubs.

More importantly, John Rep had received solid information about Van Gaal's next destination...

Thoughts flashed through his mind, leaving the Almere head coach caught off guard.

Once the players finished warming up, club chairman René ter Borgh began his pre-assessment speech, while also announcing a major club development: Yanmar Agricultural Machinery from Japan had officially sponsored the naming rights for Almere's stadium.

From now on, the Municipal Stadium would be formally renamed Yanmar Stadium.

This sponsorship from Japan would greatly ease Almere's financial pressure, while also giving the entire club a significant boost.

Regardless of whether the team could secure promotion to the second division this season, at the very least, the club's operations were clearly on an upward trajectory.

After chairman René ter Borgh, Head Coach John Rep solemnly explained the purpose of the semester assessment and announced that renowned coach Van Gaal had been invited as the technical advisor for this evaluation, drawing thunderous applause from the entire crowd.

The test was the same as a regular training session, lasting ninety minutes, with drills similar to everyday practice—all standard assessment items like ten-meter and thirty-meter sprint shuttles, keep-away, four-on-four and six-on-six small-sided scrimmages. The only difference was that at the end of training, a thirty-minute full-field scrimmage was arranged.

Since the drills were nothing unusual, everyone quickly began the final assessment under Dick Van Pool's organization.

Although these were all daily training routines, everyone clearly felt the difference. Several coaches with notebooks stood on the sidelines, watching the game and scoring, which put pressure on many players who usually performed well but were prone to nerves, causing frequent mistakes.

The coaches showed no sympathy in their scoring for this, as it was part of the psychological evaluation.

A lack of mental toughness also limited a player's future development. After all, in real matches, opponents would show no mercy or pity to the weak.

Just like in the match against Omnibus, the right-back who replaced Nick had performed terribly, and afterward, Dick Van Pool had frozen him out, never giving him another chance to play.

The coaches' scoring wasn't just about spotting mistakes; it was more of a comprehensive evaluation.

For example, with passing, they assessed the passer's quality—ball speed, passing route, whether it reached the receiver's preferred foot, whether it was easy to control—while also evaluating the receiver's movement, support, and control.

Yang Yang's passing and receiving were weak points. Although a month of hard training had brought clear improvement, he still lagged behind others. However, his off-the-ball movement, support, and passing lanes often impressed.

In speed tests, whether the ten-meter or thirty-meter sprint shuttle, he topped the entire team.

Over the past month, besides basic training, he hadn't neglected his greatest strength—speed. Under Old Bing's professional guidance, his speed and explosiveness had improved compared to before.

In the subsequent keep-away games and small-sided matches, Yang Yang also showed his progress.

When the full-field scrimmage began, Head Coach John Rep and technical advisor Van Gaal came down from the stands to supervise from the sidelines and score the players.

Barring any surprises, I should be watching the World Cup final right now.

A new week has begun. I hope everyone will support me and cast your recommendation votes. Thank you so much!