Chapter 284: Court Magician

Chapter 284: Chapter 277: Court Magician

After the training session ended, Yang Yang and a few teammates stayed behind for extra practice.

Maicon and Filipe Luís were tasked with sending in crosses from the wings. Yang Yang, meanwhile, lurked just outside the penalty area, with Vermaelen marking him as he made quick runs to get on the end of the deliveries.

The unlucky soul in goal was none other than Danish center-forward Niklas Bendtner.

The kid had already gotten plenty of opportunities as a substitute this season and had performed well, racking up both goals and assists. He had put in some excellent performances in both the Dutch Cup and the Eredivisie.

Ajax was even considering selling Anastasios to make way for Bendtner.

But he had recently lost another bet to Yang Yang and was forced to continue his duties as a ball boy and goalkeeper.

However, he understood the situation clearly now. His skills had improved significantly during his time training against Yang Yang. As a result, his initial complaints and frustrations were gone. He now relished the task, standing cheerfully on the goal line.

Yang Yang’s comforting explanation was that playing in goal would help him better understand a goalkeeper’s movements and reactions, which would in turn improve his own shooting.

But it had to be said, the Dane had very little potential as a goalkeeper.

Time and again, Yang Yang charged forward, burying the crosses from Maicon and Filipe Luís into the back of the net.

This made it hard for Maxwell and the others on the sidelines to watch.

“Come on, Niklas, what kind of goalkeeping is that?”

“Move! You’ve got to move! Open up your body!”

“And you, Thomas! Get tight on him! Keep up, don’t let him just zip past you!”

“Oh, my God! How did you let that one in?”

On the sidelines, Maxwell, Heitinga, and the others were gleefully stirring the pot. This infuriated Vermaelen, who lashed out and booted the ball toward them, shouting, “You come and do it if you’re so good!” Everyone roared with laughter.

“This guy’s like a slippery eel! He just zips behind you in an instant. How am I supposed to stop that?” Vermaelen said, exasperated.

Heitinga, having defended against Yang Yang in training himself, knew the feeling all too well and nodded emphatically in sympathy.

After more than six months of strength training, Yang Yang’s body had become stronger and more powerful. Yet, he wasn’t some brawny, muscle-bound type. In fact, in his jersey, he didn’t look much different than before, just a bit more solid.

But it was precisely this deceptive appearance that allowed him to catch opponents completely off guard with his sudden bursts of acceleration.

Yang Yang was incredibly fast, both in his initial burst of acceleration and his top speed. He was also extremely agile and a powerful dribbler. An attacker like him was a total nightmare for defenders across the Eredivisie.

…

“Yang, did the boss call you in for a talk?”

Yang Yang walked off the pitch for a drink of water. Meanwhile, Niklas Bendtner was temporarily freed from his goalkeeping duties and joined the others for some proper training.

It was Sneijder who asked with concern.

“He did. You too?” Yang Yang replied openly.

It wasn’t much of a secret anyway.

“He asked me, too. I told him I hope the team can fight for both the UEFA Cup and the league,” Sneijder said calmly.

Yang Yang was slightly surprised, but he understood almost immediately.

‘After all, he and Sneijder were on the same page.’

Sneijder might have seemed low-key and hardworking, as if he wasn’t in competition with anyone, but Yang Yang knew him. Deep down, he was also a very driven and ambitious player; he just wasn’t born with the same prodigious talent as Van der Vaart.

‘Sometimes, that’s just how it is. You have to accept your fate.’

‘But accepting your fate doesn’t mean you stop trying or lose your ambition.’

For Sneijder to have become a core starting midfielder for Ajax at such a young age, it was impossible that he lacked ambition.

His performance last season had also been excellent. In the early stages, he even played the role of Ajax’s savior. But later, with Ibrahimovic’s dominance, Van der Vaart’s resurgence, and Yang Yang’s own meteoric rise, everyone’s attention gradually shifted away from him.

The fact that Ronald Koeman had only consulted Sneijder and Yang Yang, in addition to captain Galasek, made it clear to everyone that the coaching staff considered them the two most important players on the team.

Like Yang Yang, Sneijder wanted to step out from the shadow of Van der Vaart and Ibrahimovic. He wanted to achieve something tangible that would lay a solid foundation for his own future move to one of the Four Major Leagues.

Yang Yang was the core of the attack, while Sneijder was the playmaker in midfield. The two had a fantastic understanding on the pitch.

“We’re on the same page,” Yang Yang said with a slight smile.

“But that’s a pretty big risk,” Maxwell cautioned.

Yang Yang nodded. “But the rewards are just as tempting.”

If they followed up last season’s Champions League victory with a UEFA Cup this season, their generation would have undoubtedly ushered in another golden era for Ajax. They would become legends at this club.

And what does it mean to be a legend?

It means being like Van Basten, who, after retiring with no coaching experience and only a freshly-minted coaching license, was immediately able to take charge of the Ajax Second Team and then the Dutch National Team.

It’s the respect shown when Arie Haan came to Ajax and met with Technical Director Van Gaal. It’s why Ajax, in September at the very start of the season, unconditionally released Yang Yang to go home and play in the AFC U-19 Championship.

A playing career lasts a few years, a decade or so at most. But being a legend lasts a lifetime—or even an eternity.

“I agree, we should go all out,” Heitinga said fiercely. “Even if we end up with nothing, it’ll be worth it!”

“Yeah! If we hadn’t made the quarterfinals, fine. But we’re here now, and there aren’t many top teams left. It would be a huge waste not to go for it,” De Jong chimed in.

Even Maicon and the others still training on the pitch noticed the conversation and chimed in, agreeing that they should go for it.

“Someone once told me the human body has no limits,” Yang Yang declared. “As long as your willpower is strong enough, as long as you can endure the hardship and push yourself to the absolute brink, the potential you can unleash is astonishing. I’ve always believed that with all my heart.”

His teammates all nodded in agreement.

…

…

In the distance, at the window of the head coach’s office in the training complex, Ronald Koeman silently watched the scene unfolding on the pitch.

Behind him, assistant coach Luther Carroll and Ali Van Eeden of the technical department wore solemn expressions.

They had just concluded an hour-long discussion, the main topic of which was the team’s upcoming fixture list.

The board wanted to play it safe, fearing the risks, while the coaching staff felt they should take a gamble.

Neither side’s position was unreasonable. After all, Ajax had only just emerged from its financial crisis.

“The biggest difference between our team and others is our youth.”

Ronald Koeman pulled his gaze away from the training pitch. He turned, walked slowly back to the sofa, and sat down opposite Van Eeden. His voice was steady and measured.

“Our average age is only twenty-two. Forget about the top teams in Europe; even in the Eredivisie, we’re one of the youngest squads. This group of kids is bursting with energy. Every single one of them is full of drive, and the atmosphere within the team is fantastic. Everyone is so motivated. That’s the biggest thing that sets us apart.”

At this, Ronald Koeman gestured toward the window behind him. “Ali, you can go look at any other team. Training ended over an hour ago. Where else would you find a team like ours, with so many players staying behind on their own to do extra work?”

Ali Van Eeden was left speechless.

The atmosphere at Ajax was indeed excellent right now. There was competition, but the relationships between the players were harmonious. It was nothing like the first half of last season, which was a mess of cliques and infighting.

Now, there was a mix of veterans and youngsters, but they all communicated and engaged in healthy competition.

Across the Eredivisie, not even Hiddink’s remarkably stable Eindhoven side could boast such a harmonious locker room.

“We understand the board is asking for stability out of concern for the risks. But these kids are in the prime of their youth, and they want to give it their all. We should respect that. We must support and trust them. That has always been the proud tradition of Ajax.”

Trusting young players and letting them go out and make their mark—that is the tradition of the Ajax youth academy.

At any other club, it would be rare to see someone like Yang Yang playing a key role in the first team at just sixteen years old.

And that was especially true given that Ajax was one of the giants in the G-14.

Ali Van Eeden couldn’t win the argument against Ronald Koeman and Luther Carroll. “Alright,” he finally said. “I’ll go talk to Michael. I’ll do my best to help you persuade the management and the board.”

“But you have to promise me one thing.”

“Name it.”

“You must be prepared for things to go either way. Don’t force it.”

“Deal.”

…

…

「April 7th. Villarreal, Spain. Estadio El Madrigal.」

UEFA Cup quarter-final. Ajax were away to face Villarreal.

The Yellow Submarine, under the guidance of the “Chilean Engineer” Pellegrini, were having an excellent season, currently sitting third in La Liga.

So far this season, Villarreal had been performing well on multiple fronts, both in Europe and in Spain. At their home ground, the Estadio El Madrigal, they had lost only once—a two-nil defeat to Deportivo La Coruña that came when the team was fighting on multiple fronts and riddled with injuries. But that was their only home loss.

The star-studded Real Madrid had been held to a nil-nil draw here. The seemingly invincible Barcelona had lost three-nil. The “Bat Army” of Valencia had been defeated one-three, and Atletico Madrid lost two-three…

In the European Arena, Premier League side Middlesbrough and Ukrainian powerhouse Dynamo Kyiv had both been defeated two-nil at the Estadio El Madrigal.

The home record at the Estadio El Madrigal this season was formidable.

This understandably made Ajax particularly cautious for their visit to the Estadio El Madrigal.

Ronald Koeman opted for a 4-3-3 formation, with Galasek and De Jong once again paired as a double pivot in midfield, bracing for a tough fight.

But just twelve minutes into the match, the “South American Magician” Riquelme, on loan from Barcelona, received the ball in midfield. He powered past De Jong, played a quick one-two with a teammate, and unleashed a long-range shot from outside the penalty area.

The ball flew into the net!

“GOALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!!”

The entire Estadio El Madrigal erupted in a crazed roar as countless fans began to chant Riquelme’s name.

“Riquelme! The magician from Argentina! He’s given Villarreal a dream start!”

A dream goal, a frenzied home crowd, a world-class star…

Everything seemed to foreshadow a disaster for Ajax.