Competing for Captain, Five S-Ranks Band Together!

After the tests concluded, three C-grade players were promoted to B-grade.

Moric, meanwhile, was elevated from B-grade to A-grade.

He was no longer a nobody within the team.

Yet, some remained as unfortunate as ever.

Take Lu Yang, for instance; he remained a C-grade.

Then there was Baizami, who, despite being a product of Inter Milan's youth academy, also remained at B-grade.

However, his statistics were top-tier.

His dribbling, passing, and shooting might not have reached A-grade standards, but in truth, they were no worse than Vedian's.

Speed was Baizami's super specialty; it was the best in the entire training camp, even faster than Vedian's.

But his prickly personality and inability to grasp team tactics were fatal flaws, and since these had already been verified by Inter Milan, his grade remained unchanged.

After the tests, the coaching staff organized the forty-five players into groups of five, instructing them to practice coordination within these groups over the coming days.

The five S-grade players were clearly not grouped together; each led their own team.

However, Lu Yang was surprised to find himself grouped with Moric, Baizami, Versace, and Soguer.

Three A-grade players!

Among the nine teams, this lineup was quite impressive.

For some reason, Lu Yang felt that Maniero's tone shifted slightly when he read out the list for this specific group.

He couldn't shake the feeling that there was something fishy going on.

Considering the team was short on players in every position, Lu Yang even wondered if this was a pre-arranged familiarity exercise set up by Soto and Maniero.

After all, Soguer was from the Milan youth academy, and Soto was a Milan legend.

Versace was from the Viola youth academy, and Carlisle had a good relationship with Maniero, while Maniero and Soto were also close.

Could these two... be joining San Remo before the season even started?

The more Lu Yang thought about it, the more plausible it seemed.

So, he used his eyes to question Maniero.

Maniero's act of pretending not to notice only served to confirm some of Lu Yang's suspicions.

In an instant, Lu Yang knew how to get along with this little team.

Damn it, these were all brothers-in-arms for the future!

Consequently, during the subsequent training sessions, Lu Yang spoke up frequently.

"Soguer, how can your passing be so brilliant? You are the best pivot striker I have ever seen!"

"No, don't be modest, Soguer. I even feel like I see the shadow of that great striker from Real Madrid in you!"

"Look at that clever back-heel; you could practically play midfield. You're making Moric almost redundant!"

Moric had nothing to say to that but damn it!

"Versace, why are you always so versatile? Tell me, is there anything you can't do? Good heavens, and you're 1.81 meters tall; you could do all the work from defender to forward by yourself!"

"Hahaha, no, no, Versace, you're too modest. Moric's height can't compare to yours!"

Moric gritted his teeth. So, love really does fade, doesn't it?

In just two days, the atmosphere in Lu Yang's group became harmoniously terrifying.

Even Baizami was able to exchange a few words with everyone.

This was a stark contrast to some of the other groups where the atmosphere was tense.

Lu Yang's leadership ability was displayed to the fullest during this phase.

But it wasn't without its problems.

When Lu Yang's group practiced together, Baizami truly couldn't integrate into the coordination.

His positional sense was abysmal.

He never knew when to release the ball or how to pass it appropriately.

Especially whenever he saw Lu Yang, Moric, Soguer, and Versace execute beautiful one-touch passes, he would be overcome by a strong sense of inferiority.

Because such picturesque passing would always be terminated the moment it reached him.

His passes were also always ill-timed.

That night.

After training ended, Baizami was still on the pitch practicing instead of returning to the dormitory.

It was almost bedtime, and Lu Yang, who shared a room with the other four, noticed Baizami was missing.

Lu Yang went out to look for him and soon found Baizami on the pitch.

"Hey, Baizami... are you... crying?" Lu Yang saw that Baizami's eyes were a little red.

"No, it's just sweat." Baizami wiped the tears from the corners of his eyes, stubbornly making excuses.

"Hmm, I must have seen it wrong." Lu Yang sat down next to Baizami and watched the sky for a while before speaking slowly, "Actually... there is a kind of football that doesn't really require coordination with teammates."

Baizami was sensitive; he perked up, but immediately slumped again. "You're comforting me, right? Thank you, Lu, you're a good friend!"

Lu Yang shook his head. "I'm not comforting you. In a certain World Cup, there was a player who, whenever he touched the ball, would face multiple defenders. He had absolutely no passing lanes to get the ball out."

"He could only play one-man football!"

Baizami asked, "Who is he?"

Lu Yang said, "Lionel Messi!"

Baizami frowned. "Never heard of him."

Lu Yang said, "It doesn't matter if you haven't. His way of playing is different from yours; he has strong organizational skills and only faces such situations in desperate moments. But you... your lack of ability in tactics and coordination forces you into that kind of desperation every single match."

"Forgive my bluntness and presumption, but I want to say that even without coordinating with teammates, you can still play professional football that is useful to the team. That was how Messi helped his team at the time."

Baizami stood up. "Really? What way is that?"

For the first time in a long while, a glimmer of light appeared in his eyes.

Lu Yang nodded. "Of course it's real! His way was... to keep dribbling, beat one opponent after another, and then kick that damn ball into the net!"

At this moment, Baizami was stunned.

Lu Yang's words had undoubtedly struck his soul.

Italian football, from defense to attack, places great importance on tactical systems.

Baizami was completely out of place here.

From the first day he joined Inter, he had been taught to coordinate well with his teammates.

But coordination is also a talent, and Baizami lacked it.

He had thought there was only one way to play football.

It wasn't until he met Lu Yang today that he saw the other side of the game.

Of course, Lu Yang didn't tell Baizami that even someone as strong as Messi could only leave that World Cup early playing that way.

But that was the World Cup.

For San Remo, who would be competing in Serie C next season, even a Baizami who only knew how to charge forward was useful.

Chelsea won the Champions League, and the biggest contributor was undoubtedly Kante.

But Werner, acting as a nuisance in the front court, dragging away two of the opponent's center-backs at once, was one of the direct reasons for the goal.

His threat could not be ignored.

In the second half, Chelsea's offensive intensity shrank, partly because the opposing Manchester City finally brought on a defensive midfielder, but also because Werner had been substituted!

Therefore, charging forward can absolutely play a role in team football!

So Lu Yang wanted to activate Baizami, not let him sink into an ocean of self-doubt and lose the sharpness he originally possessed.

"Is there really a kind of football where you just keep dribbling and beating people?" Baizami, as expected, was feeling insecure again.

"Really, I'll show you when I have time," Lu Yang said.

Baizami was amused this time.

How would he show him?

Lu Yang's dribbling was clearly not as strong as Baizami's.

But regardless, Baizami appreciated Lu Yang's good intentions.

And he also knew his correct way of playing moving forward.

Stop seeking coordination with the team and instead become a sharp dribbler or even a goalscorer!

Star of Italy has begun airing.

A documentary-style reality show featuring forty-five young talented players was a first in the world of football.

Everyone wanted to see Italy's ability to create stars.

At the same time, it was an opportunity to see the talent of the younger generation of Italian players.

After all, the Italy National Team had suffered repeated failures in recent years, losing more than winning, and was no longer the same Italy team that had won the World Cup twelve years ago.

"Is that Aguilar? I remember he played in Serie A last season, right? He's a right winger for Roma!"

"There are actually Serie A players; the quality is so high!"

"And there's Ceballos from the French league champions Monaco. The way he plays is so cool, his movements are so elegant!"

"Parrott from Porto is good, he can really score!"

"Lam from Liverpool in the Premier League is very steady in defense; he has the air of a leader!"

"Huh, why is there a player from Serie D? Does this count as a talent?"

"Brother, you're out of the loop, aren't you? This is Lu Yang! Sophia's rumored boyfriend!"

"Damn! It's actually him! Why him?"

"Isn't that handsome face enough of a reason?"

"Uh... as much as I hate to admit it, I actually find that quite convincing."

Soon, the conflict between Aguilar and Baizami appeared before everyone's eyes.

Although Aguilar's excessive cursing was censored, people could still tell what he was saying by reading his lips.

For a time, many people were dissatisfied with Aguilar.

And this dissatisfaction found an outlet when Lu Yang stepped in.

When Lu Yang cleanly and decisively defeated Aguilar, the internet erupted in cheers.

Comments like "As expected of the man Sophia has her eyes on, truly domineering," "You can bully anyone, but you can't bully a San Remo player; what a great sense of team spirit," and "This is a real man" were constantly posted by netizens.

Lu Yang gained countless fans in an instant.

On the other side, in real life, at the Juventus Stadium, the training camp entered its next phase.

Joint practice!

In other words, a proper match.

Maniero announced in front of the players: "Lads, next, you will use real combat to prove your strength. First, we need to elect two captains for Team A and Team B."

"Each captain will select 17 players to form an 18-man roster, and then the match will begin."

"Players who perform well in the match will be noted by us; naturally, the winning team will receive a performance bonus."

"As for the nine players who aren't selected, along with the thirteen who rank low in the match ratings or have little opportunity to perform, they will be reorganized into two teams, Team C and Team D, to play another match."

"At that point, we will complete the entire screening process and select a 24-man roster. Then, formal team training will begin."

"From these twenty-four, eighteen will ultimately remain. They will face three teams: Millwall of the Championship, England U19, and Arsenal of the Premier League. Under the eyes of the whole world, you will unleash your talent to the fullest!"

"Believe me, as long as you are good enough, you will soon secure a contract with a top-tier club or a loan opportunity with a strong team! Now, let's start with the selection of the A and B team captains."

As his voice fell, everyone began to discuss.

"I want to be the captain of Team A. I will lead everyone to victory. And victory will allow more of us to stay!" Aguilar stepped forward.

As a Serie A player and a 23-year-old veteran, his words carried significant weight.

Although others were eager to try, the odds of winning against Aguilar were clearly not high.

Aguilar successfully became the captain of Team A.

As the first captain chosen, he was granted priority to select four players.

The captain of Team B, meanwhile, would be allowed to select eight players at once, followed by the Team A captain, and then the Team B captain.

This selection method was undoubtedly more favorable to Team A.

It was a reward for the brave.

But even Maniero did not expect Aguilar to be so ruthless.

He chose the other four S-tier players!

Many players on the scene gasped.

What was the point of playing now?

Might as well just join Team A; Team B didn't have a single S-tier player, how could they possibly win?

Consequently, the position of Team B captain instantly lost its appeal.

Just as the atmosphere was about to turn cold, Lu Yang suddenly stepped forward and said: "I am running for captain of Team B. I hope everyone will choose me. I promise that I will do my best to lead everyone to victory. Ratings don't represent everything; we can win!"

Soon, Lu Yang became the captain of Team B, as no one competed against him.

Most people wanted to be selected for Team A to enjoy the ease of a guaranteed win.

The players Lu Yang chose were Moric, Baizami, Versace, Soguer, and four other players who still seemed to possess a fighting spirit.

They had been together for over a week, so they had some understanding of each other.

About ten minutes later, the selection ended.

The nine players who were not selected walked to the sidelines without much disappointment.

Not being selected was at least better than being picked for Team B.

Team B was a guaranteed loss, so it was better to wait for the Team C and D match.

Teams A and B entered the preparation phase, beginning to designate starters, substitutes, and tactics.

This placed high demands on the captains.

It was equivalent to making the captains act as coaches as well.

The five mentors began to whisper among themselves.

Carlisle: "The overall strength of Team B is far inferior; there is no way Team A can lose this match!"

Ancarelli: "That is indeed the case. Perhaps the only area where Team B isn't at a disadvantage is the midfield. The partnership of Moric, Lu Yang, and Versace can barely rival the midfield of Team A, which is built around Ceballos. The former two come from the same club and share a great rapport, capable of achieving a result where one plus one is greater than two."

Perotta: "But Team A possesses a dream lineup, while over on Team B... aside from Soguer, there isn't a single player worth mentioning!"

Taji: "Perhaps Team B should set their goal as limiting the number of goals they concede; that would be more realistic."

Maniero laughed: "Not necessarily. Who knows, there might be a surprise in store. Among them are quite a few players we previously identified as big-game players, such as Lu Yang, and..."

Once Maniero said this, everyone realized that there were indeed several players on Team B whose stats were average but who had performed exceptionally well in the league.

Was this a coincidence?

After all, the very concept of a "big-game player" is unreliable and impossible to judge.

But if Lu Yang were here, he would tell these mentors that it is, in fact, possible to judge.

When everyone else was scrambling to join Team A, the look of defiance in the eyes of a few was incredibly intense.

They disdained the idea of riding coattails; no matter how strong the opponent, they would not fear the confrontation.

These people, in all likelihood, are big-game players.

They may not necessarily be strong, but they truly have the potential to be!