Starting as a Defensive Midfielder at Real Madrid

Chapter 49: From Now On, We Won't Lose Again—Until We Lift the Trophy

Pato had to admit it—he was a little jealous of Li Ang.

Not because of starting spots or coaching preference.

But because that kid, without even trying, had managed to capture the hearts of half the women in Milan.

After Gazzetta dello Sport published an article on January 17 about Li Ang being spotted during extra training and getting swarmed by female fans, young Milanese girls lost their minds.

The report, written from a female fan's perspective, described Li Ang as serious, patient, shy, and composed.

Add to that his incredibly clean personal life—no rumors, no scandal—and he suddenly looked like the perfect boyfriend prototype.

In short, Li Ang had unintentionally skyrocketed in popularity.

And Pato felt it.

"Kaká left, and now we've got a new 'Kaká'.

So much for being the prince of Milan…"

The Brazilian sighed in front of the mirror, tossed the morning paper aside, ate breakfast, and drove to Milanello.

Originally, he had planned to keep some distance from Li Ang.

But once he arrived and was greeted by Li Ang's warm smile and sincere questions, he folded.

What could he do?

Li Ang had called him "Milan's prince." How was he supposed to resist that?

By the time the rest of the players arrived, the usual banter was flying.

Li Ang, now a clear favorite, was the center of it all.

After the greetings, he naturally took his place beside Pirlo to begin warm-ups.

On the sidelines, Allegri, dressed in training gear, watched with satisfaction.

The vibes were excellent.

With everyone in a good mood, Allegri made a decision:

Time to intensify the defensive training.

Milan didn't need to be Serie A's best attacking team.

They needed to be the toughest, most stable, most miserable-to-play-against team in the league.

After all, the goal was the Scudetto.

And if you're not rock-solid, you don't win titles.

The first half of the season had been carried by Zlatan's one-man show. Milan won a lot of tight matches—but Allegri had never truly felt at ease.

Too many close calls.

Too many risks.

Now, with Li Ang locking down midfield and Nesta finally back from injury, Allegri was ready to take the next step.

His "Defensive Mastery Plan" could begin in full.

From that day forward, whether they liked it or not, every player was pulled into Allegri's rugged vision.

The midfielders especially.

Well… except Pirlo, of course. He still had his privileges.

Gattuso and Seedorf? No escape.

They would rotate from now on, helping manage minutes.

And as for Li Ang and Boateng?

They were the new "grinders."

Li Ang was used to it—he'd always been a ball-winning, box-covering machine.

But Boateng?

That poor guy looked like an attacking midfielder on the team sheet, but in training, Allegri made him run back to the penalty arc like a defensive midfielder.

And the crazy part?

It worked.

When Milan dropped deep, they could form a wall of four defensive midfielders in front of the center-backs.

From left to right, they closed down every channel—cutting out both aerial and ground threats.

Allegri loved it.

"Perfect! Wonderful!"

He clapped and shouted like a madman.

January 23. Matchday.

After nearly five days of intense defensive drills, Milan welcomed their next "victim"—Cesena, currently sitting 17th in Serie A.

Right from the kickoff, Milan unleashed the full fury of their midfield fortress.

Forget build-up play.

Forget possession.

Chaos. Destruction. Confusion.

Every inch of the field was a battlefield.

Cesena's players were soon left dazed, hoping for just a moment to breathe.

But Milan gave them none.

And then, in the 14th minute—

Zlatan struck.

Scrambling in front of the box, he dug out just enough space and curled in a clever shot.

1–0, Milan.

"Brilliant individual effort from Zlatan!

Cesena had no answers—they've been stunned by this relentless Milan press!"

The Sky Italia commentator didn't even bother analyzing tactics.

Because there weren't any.

This wasn't a system.

This was just give the ball to Zlatan and hope he makes magic.

And he did.

Allegri didn't care.

Let the press mock his tactics.

He was winning.

"Stay calm! Calm down!"

Two minutes later, the Milan fans closest to the bench understood what "calm" meant.

Before the 20th minute, Milan shifted into full turtle mode.

They weren't even pretending anymore.

Fans of Cesena shouted insults. The game looked ugly.

But Allegri didn't care.

1–0. Job done.

He walked into the tunnel at halftime with a smug grin.

Second half? Same story.

No high press.

Just a rock-solid shell.

Cesena cracked in the 70th minute.

All-in on attack, they left the backline exposed.

Two quick counters—on the second, Pato scored.

2–0. Game over.

Li Ang high-fived his teammates, then stood quietly, offering a moment of silence for Cesena.

Because let's be honest:

It was brutal for their opponents.

But for Milan?

It was the best way to win.

Allegri was right.

The tactics were sound.

Cesena had to eat the result—no matter how bitter.

At the post-match presser, Cesena's coach complained loudly.

Allegri?

Just smiled.

Didn't even respond.

But back in the dressing room, Allegri stood tall and declared:

"From now on, we will not lose again.

Not until we win the title."

Thank you for the support, friends. If you want to read more chapters in advance, go to my Patreon.

Read 20 Chapters In Advance: patreon.com/johanssen10