Starting With Real Madrid

Standing on the pitch at the Bernabéu, Modric had just completed a dribble and was bent over, hands on his knees, gasping for air. He wanted to take a brief moment to catch his breath, but then he heard head coach Gao Shen calling from the sidelines.

When he turned to look, he saw the coach gesturing wildly at him, repeating the same word again and again.

Gao Shen didn't say it out loud, but with his body language, anyone watching—fans, directors, opponents, viewers at home—would probably think he was delivering precise tactical instructions, possibly even giving Modric some sort of mystical Eastern guidance.

This was the world's interpretation of what they couldn't understand.

People tend to cloak what they don't know or can't explain in mystery.

And that was the case with Gao Shen.

Otherwise, how could they possibly explain his meteoric rise and success in European football in such a short time?

At that moment, the stadium's big screen switched to a tight close-up, and the crowd burst into loud cheers.

Modric figured the broadcast director, the fans, even the opponents and TV audience must all be thinking Gao Shen was issuing some sort of secret command or carefully calibrated tactical tweak.

But the reality would probably shock them.

Modric could clearly make out what Gao Shen was shouting just by reading his lips.

Scumbag!

Yes, Gao Shen was calling him a "scumbag."

…

This all started two days before the Porto match, in Gao Shen's office at Valdebebas.

Gao Shen had shown Modric an analysis report prepared by chief analyst Carlos Vargas. It detailed several insights about Porto, one of which was focused on Fernando.

The Brazilian midfielder had a habit of abandoning his position.

As the team's holding midfielder, he often rushed forward to press or intercept, leaving gaps behind him.

In football, nothing is absolutely good or bad.

Fernando's aggressive pressing had been the key to Porto's upset win over Manchester City. His interception led directly to James Rodríguez's winning goal.

But that same aggressiveness also left his midfield position exposed.

And this wasn't a one-off.

Vargas had reviewed multiple Porto games and found that Fernando always played this way.

This kind of trait isn't uncommon in the Portuguese league.

Or more accurately, it's typical of many Brazilian players.

Take David Luiz, for example. If even centre-backs are roaming out of position, what can you expect from a defensive midfielder?

Gao Shen called Modric into his office to discuss the problem and devised a targeted tactical plan to exploit Fernando's tendency to vacate his position.

The plan was to have Modric lure Fernando out.

"Are you a scumbag?" Gao Shen asked.

Modric blinked, completely confused, and shook his head. "No, no, no, boss, I'm not! Really!"

"I mean, you need to seduce that beautiful girl named Fernando like a scumbag would," Gao Shen said.

Modric stared blankly, his brain filled with question marks. "Boss, I really can't do that kind of thing. You should ask Toni Kroos. He's taller and better looking than me. I think he's more suitable."

He wanted to hand off the task as quickly as possible. He really wasn't cut out for this.

"I'm telling you, TK is a top-tier straight-edge guy. He can't pull off something like this." Gao Shen rejected the idea outright.

Many people thought Toni Kroos had high emotional intelligence. Maybe he did. But once you got to know him, you'd see he was actually a complete straight shooter. Either he said nothing, or he said everything directly. It was impressive in its own way.

That kind of guy was made for long-term, stable relationships.

"Also, let me correct your misunderstanding, Luka. Who told you that scumbags have to be tall and good-looking?"

Modric widened his eyes. "Don't they?"

"Tsk. I can tell you're way too innocent. Real scumbags aren't usually handsome. Or at least, being handsome is the least important trait," Gao Shen explained.

Of course, looks are still a plus. Better to have than not.

Now Modric was truly curious.

Men are not only interested in women, but also in other men—especially when it comes to figuring out why women fall for the wrong ones.

Many say that a scumbag is perfect in every way—except that he's a scumbag—while an honest man is useless in every way—except that he's honest.

But those who say that clearly don't understand what makes a scumbag tick.

Gao Shen had known a few in his past life. Some were so manipulative it was scary.

Even when several female colleagues knew one of them was a serial cheater, they still longed for him afterward, hoping he'd change and give them another chance.

To put it in poetic terms, he was the devil's finest creation.

And no, he didn't look like Beckham, Ronaldo, or Kaká.

He looked more like Diego Costa.

Is that what you'd call handsome?

Gao Shen had worked closely with that guy for years. He was also friends with the women who got cheated on. After observing and analyzing for a long time, and even having a heart-to-heart while drunk, Gao Shen finally understood his methods.

According to that "champion-level" scumbag, after the initial effort to reel a girl in, he didn't do much. Instead, the women ended up working to please him.

It completely flipped Gao Shen's understanding of relationships.

It was just like a scam.

Here's how it worked:

In the beginning, the scumbag would lavish the woman with attention and kindness, giving her a taste of affection. Then he'd start tailoring his actions to her preferences and gradually pull her into the relationship.

Once someone gets used to those benefits, it becomes hard to give them up.

When the scumbag started pulling away, she'd feel the loss and try harder to regain what she once had.

That's when he'd play hard to get.

And every time she made an effort, that counted as her "investing" in the relationship.

At first, she'd get big returns on small investments. But gradually, the more she invested, the harder it became for her to walk away.

By the time the relationship was deeply entangled, the woman couldn't let go—even if she knew she was being used.

She'd want something back for her "investment."

According to that scumbag friend, it worked every time.

And even after being cheated on, some women still regretted things ending. They wanted him to come back—not because they forgave him, but because they couldn't bear the loss.

It wasn't even about love. It was about sunk cost.

Of course, that's the theory. Actually pulling it off takes serious skill.

But the framework is there.

When Modric heard all this, his eyes nearly popped out. It was too much. His worldview had been shaken.

"Boss, I haven't heard anything about you doing stuff like this," Modric said, suspiciously eyeing Gao Shen.

Why else would he know all this?

Gao Shen nearly slapped him.

"I'm a man of integrity, got it?"

But as a head coach, sometimes you need to understand things like this. It's called knowledge application.

"Anyway, just listen to me. Give Fernando a taste of something sweet, draw him out slowly, and then trap him. Understand?"

Modric smiled bitterly. "Boss, I'm really just an honest man."

Gao Shen laughed. "Don't give me that. I've looked at the whole team. You're the most suited for this task."

"Because I'm the ugliest?" Modric asked, resigned.

Gao Shen grinned. "Let's not get into that. Here's how we'll get rid of him…"

…

Now, standing on the pitch at the Bernabéu, Modric saw Gao Shen yelling "scumbag" at him from the sidelines and could only smile bitterly inside.

But Gao Shen hadn't just fed him theory. He had made him practice it.

In training the day before the match, they spent fifteen minutes running this exact scenario. Modric had to dribble and lure Casemiro out of position.

Pretend to refuse, then show a little bit of potential gain. Make the opponent feel like there's something to win. That's how the trap works.

Modric took a deep breath and looked at Gao Shen on the sidelines.

Boss, for you, I'll be a scumbag this once!

Real Madrid restarted with a goal kick.

Xabi Alonso dropped deep to receive the ball from the back line.

Modric moved centrally, slipping between Defour and González, positioning himself directly in front of Fernando. But the other two Porto midfielders were still a few steps away.

After several short passes, the ball landed at Modric's feet.

He was now right in the space between Defour and González, facing Fernando.

Just as he was about to advance, González came in from the side, forcing Modric to turn his back and pass the ball back to the defense.

"Tony!" Modric called out to Kroos.

Wasn't he supposed to screen González?

How was he supposed to be a scumbag 1v2?

Kroos nodded, indicating he'd pay more attention.

Real Madrid's defense pulled back further, the full-backs spread wide, and Kroos worked to create more space by dragging González away. Modric continued shifting into open pockets.

Jackson Martínez, James Rodríguez, and Varela pressed Real Madrid's back line.

Not just Modric—Real Madrid as a whole was teasing Porto, tempting them to press higher.

After all, the first half was nearly over. If they weren't going to press now, when would they?

Modric received the ball just behind González. Defour was a little far, and Fernando was the closest.

The Brazilian midfielder hesitated, then made his move.

He had tried several times already, and each time Modric had passed it back right away.

It seemed that Real Madrid was playing it safe.

This time should be the same.

Fernando was confident in both his timing and his physicality.

But to his surprise, Modric didn't pass the ball back.

On the sideline, Porto head coach Vítor Pereira's heart sank as he saw Modric deftly turn and accelerate on the ball.

No! Something's gone wrong!

(To be continued.)

***

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