Chapter 39 Coaching Prodigy Pirlo? ...

On the second day of training, the players were all in a heavy mood. No one joked or played around; they just warmed up in silence and completed their training tasks in silence.

Even though we're used to injuries on the field, it's still painful for everyone to recall the image of Ronaldo struggling in pain on the ground.

Ronaldo is a player with a very good personality. Due to recurring injuries, he doesn't spend much time in the locker room, but he is still a very popular teammate.

Putting his private life aside, he was optimistic and friendly in the locker room. Even with two Ballon d'Or awards, three FIFA World Player of the Year awards, and two World Cup titles, he remained down-to-earth and got along well with younger players.

Kaka has a particular fondness for his round head covered in short, fluffy hair. He often rubs it, like he's rubbing a giant kiwi, and while rubbing it, he'll remark that it felt nicer to touch when he wasn't bald.

Ronaldo never got angry; he just smiled and let Kaka dribble past him all the time.

Pato, needless to say, had Ronaldo as his nightclub guide, eager to follow his Brazilian big brother to explore the Milan nightlife.

Even Fino occasionally received guidance from Ronaldo, who was never stingy in mentoring younger players.

Everyone in the locker room knew that Ronaldo would return to Brazil at the end of the season, but no one expected that the departure would come so soon, and in such a tragic way.

Ronaldo once taught Fino some techniques for avoiding fouls by defenders, which greatly benefited Fino, but Ronaldo himself tragically met with an accident...

It can only be said that fate plays tricks on people.

Sports injuries are almost inevitable in an athlete's career, especially in a sport like football where the competition is intense.

Good physical condition is very important for players, as it increases their resistance to injury.

Ronaldo's recent injury may seem accidental, but a closer look at his career reveals that it was an inevitable outcome within a seemingly accidental one. His knees were already riddled with injuries, barely allowing him to run on the field; even ordinary physical contact was a huge test for his knees.

Another vivid example is Michael Owen, who became famous at a young age and overexerted his body too early. He also forced himself to return to the field before his body had fully recovered from an injury, and ultimately reaped the bitter consequences at the 2006 World Cup in Germany.

In the final group stage match, Kyrie Irving collapsed without any contact just one minute into the game, tearing his right ACL and sidelining him for a year.

Compared to a sudden fall like Van Basten, the struggle and torment of Ronaldo due to injuries is far more agonizing for a player's will.

Fino gained a new understanding of injuries.

From the time Fino entered puberty, the youth coaches repeatedly reminded him of the impact of lifestyle habits on a player's physical condition, and he always kept this in mind. He doesn't smoke or drink, doesn't stay up late, and has always maintained good lifestyle habits.

He now realizes that this is far from enough; he needs professional help to ensure his body is always in optimal condition through a more scientific and comprehensive training plan in order to cope with injuries.

It could even go further: a professional team built around oneself?

Fino sighed. For now, it was just a dream; outstanding sports medicine experts were all well-paid.

He regretted his naive attitude towards money, having foolishly believed that as long as he didn't spend money recklessly, he could achieve financial freedom before retiring based on his annual salary. There's never enough money to go around.

Forget about a raise; the club doesn't have the money to give him one right now. Kaka's father is arguing with the club about a raise, and Galliani is so anxious he scratches his head every day—oh, no, Galliani has no hair; he scratches his bald head every day.

Perhaps I should hire an agent and shoot some commercials?

It seems GEA has given up on signing him; Ettore Trossi's agent has stopped contacting him recently.

GEA has indeed given up.

Having dominated Italian football for so many years, GEA understands the principle that "hesitation leads to trouble." Since they haven't been able to find a way to acquire their opponent, and the opponent is becoming increasingly powerful, it's better to let go decisively. They're all in the Italian football circle, and it wouldn't benefit GEA's own development to have a feud with a promising star.

Many astute agents have already sensed the shift in GEA's attitude and have begun to extend olive branches to Fino, hoping to bring this promising young man under their wing.

However, with the recent schedule being so packed with matches, Fino simply doesn't have the time to contact and screen agents. Perhaps he can sign an agent after the season ends and develop his commercial value.

Regarding Ronaldo's injury, the players all felt a sense of shared sorrow, but head coach Ancelotti thought about it more deeply. He had a bad feeling that with so many injured players, Milan was on the verge of collapse.

The league has completed 22 rounds, with Inter Milan leading the table with 54 points, AC Milan in second place with 48 points, Roma in third place with 46 points, Juventus in fourth place with 44 points, and Fiorentina in fifth place with 38 points.

Milan, Roma, and Juventus are only 4 points apart, which is not a reassuring number. Their positions could be reversed in one or two games, especially since the direct confrontations between the top teams in the second half of the season have not yet begun.

Inter Milan's momentum in defending their league title this season is unstoppable, while Roma and Juventus also seem to be steadily improving. Only Milan, even though they are currently second in the standings, is giving Ancelotti a sense of helplessness as their league declines.

Two days later, in the 23rd round of Serie A, Milan faced Parma.

With Ronaldo out for the season and Pato sidelined with injury, Inzaghi started as the lone striker in this match. Kaká finally recovered from injury and returned to the game, while veterans such as Cafu, Emerson, and Serginho also got their chances.

Fino was on the bench, sitting with Pirlo, which was a rare occurrence.

Pirlo is in his prime and is an absolute key player for Milan – to exaggerate a bit, Milan has a serious Pirlo dependency in recent years, and Ancelotti rarely rotates him when he is injury-free.

This season, Fino's playing time has increased significantly, and the chances of the two sitting on the bench together have become even fewer.

After the match started, Milan seemed to be falling behind, with Parma leading in possession, shots, shots on target, and even corner kicks.

Fortunately, the veterans in Milan's defense held up well and prevented Parma from taking the lead.

Sitting on the bench, next to a teammate they got along well with, Fino and Pirlo naturally started discussing the game situation.

As the discussion progressed, Fino's admiration for Pirlo grew even stronger.

Excluding obvious mistakes, there were some balls that Fino thought were just unlucky, but Pirlo could see the problem at a glance—whether it was poor teamwork or a problem with the way he touched the ball—and then he would explain it to Fino step by step, teaching him how to handle such situations.

Just like now, Parma has an attacking opportunity. Cigarini crosses the ball from the left, and striker Reginaldo receives the ball and shoots, but Kalac covers it with both hands outside the goal line.

While monitoring the situation on the field, Pirlo analyzed for Fino: "Reginaldo's shot was a bit reckless. Kalac was constantly on guard against him, and Pisanu was in a much better position. If he had simply passed the ball to Pisanu to shoot, it would have caught Kalac off guard. Even if he couldn't see Pisanu behind him, Morone was right to his left. Kaladze hadn't dropped back yet. If he had passed the ball to Morone, Sandro would have definitely left Cigarini to press Morone. Then Morone could have passed the ball to Cigarini, and Cigarini could have taken the shot. The probability of scoring would have been much higher."

Taking advantage of a dead ball situation, Pirlo turned around, patted Fino's leg, and looked at Fino, saying, "The closer you get to success, the easier it is to fail. You need to stay calm, especially in the penalty area."

Fino wholeheartedly agreed.

Fino felt like he was taking a private lesson from a top-notch instructor. Pirlo seemed to have some kind of spiritual awakening ability; with just a little guidance, his football IQ would increase by 1+1+1... and keep rising.

Pirlo is simply a born coaching genius. After he retires, he will definitely become a championship-winning coach as quickly as Ancelotti, right?

This teaching activity only lasted for half the game. During the break, Ancelotti sent Pirlo to warm up. The game was slow to break through, and Milan needed Pirlo's playmaking ability and accurate long passes.

Also during halftime, Dida, who did not play in this match, suffered a recurrence of his back injury, making Ancelotti feel even more uneasy. How could he get injured while sitting on the bench?

After Pirlo came on, Milan's situation improved significantly; their attack became more aggressive, and they created more opportunities.

In the 67th minute, Pirlo's long diagonal pass landed precisely at Kaká's feet. Kaká dribbled past his marker with lightning speed and, approaching the penalty area, passed the ball across to Inzaghi. Inzaghi controlled the ball on the left side of the penalty area, turned, and shook off his marker Couto. He unleashed a left-footed volley, but unfortunately, the ball went over the crossbar.

In the 70th minute, Ancelotti substituted Maldini for the underperforming Jankulovski.

This was Maldini's 1000th official match in his career, a remarkable number. Even before retiring, Maldini was already a legend. Fino joined the fans in applauding.

Maldini's role on the field is not just to add mental attributes to the team; he can still contribute to the team's offensive and defensive ends.

Maldini played a crucial role in the next two attacks.

In the 76th minute, Maldini cut inside Parma's penalty area and crossed from the left. Kaká's header was tipped over the bar by Parma's goalkeeper, Bucci.

In the 83rd minute, Maldini once again passed the ball from the left wing. Ambrosini chested the ball down and then volleyed it with his left foot. The ball was punched out of the penalty area by Butch. Inzaghi followed up with a shot before the defender could clear the ball, but it deflected off Falcone's leg and was caught by Butch who had reacted in time.

On the defensive end, Maldini's performance remained outstanding. He repeatedly directed the backline to end Parma's attacks, demonstrating that "experience is the best teacher."

The match ended in a draw, with both sides failing to score.

The draw didn't cause much of a stir; instead, discussions among fans calling for Maldini to renew his contract gradually gained traction online.