Chapter 238 231: Landlubber

Including their draw against Utrecht in the third round of the Eredivisie and their 2-1 loss to Valencia in the European Super Cup, Ajax had gone nearly two full months without a win.

The narrow 1-0 victory over Roda JC, while a close call, brought immense joy to the fans in the stadium and everyone at the club. It washed away the oppressive gloom of the past few weeks, scattering the dark clouds that had been looming overhead.

But everyone knew the real test was yet to come: the midweek Champions League match.

Israel's Maccabi Tel Aviv wasn't considered a strong team, but if Ajax couldn't clear this hurdle, their position in the group standings would become precarious. A single misstep could even see them finish at the bottom.

For the defending champions, that would be an absolute disgrace.

No one on the team, from head coach Ronald Koeman down to the players, could truly rest easy.

After the match, Yang Yang went straight home and fell into bed.

After reviewing the match against Roda JC with Old Ice in the Super Training ground, he completed a series of basic drills and practiced his three Star Skills. Soon, a new day dawned.

He wasn't sure when it had started, but he had grown accustomed to this compact yet fulfilling lifestyle.

Since they had played the entire match last night, Vermaelen and Maxwell wouldn't be at morning practice today.

Yang Yang left the house alone, only to see two figures already standing across the street.

It was Maicon and Filipe Luís.

"Good morning, Yang."

"Good morning."

Yang Yang smiled and greeted them as they jogged over.

Thanks to Maxwell, they weren't complete strangers to Yang Yang. Still, they were newcomers. All told, Yang Yang had spent less than a month with them, so they weren't what you'd call well-acquainted.

When they stood before Yang Yang, they were still a bit reserved, especially Filipe Luís.

"Is something up?" Yang Yang asked curiously.

Maicon and Filipe Luís exchanged a glance before Maicon finally spoke.

"We wanted to ask… if we could join you for your extra training?"

"Hmm?" Yang Yang was a little surprised.

"What we mean is, for the morning practice and the afternoon drills from now on, can we be your training partners? Is that okay?"

"Of course." 'Why would he refuse? He'd been looking for training partners this whole time; otherwise, he wouldn't have made that bet with Niklas Bendtner.' "But can you tell me what this is all about?"

The two exchanged another glance, and again, it was Maicon who explained.

"My performance on the team has been terrible. We don't want to be sent back to Brazil. We want to stay at Ajax."

Yang Yang understood at once. At the end of the day, professional leagues were simply too cruel.

Brazil has a seemingly endless supply of players, and European teams hold a massive appeal for those in the Brazilian domestic league. Nearly every player saw a move to a European league as a crucial step toward changing their own lives and their families' fortunes.

But getting to a European league was only the first step; the real challenge was establishing a foothold.

Every year, countless Brazilian players were sent back to their home league for failing to perform in Europe. A recent, high-profile example was Porto's talented striker, Alberto. Despite an outstanding performance in the Champions League final, he couldn't secure a starting position in the new season and was being sent back to Brazil.

Alberto had at least proven himself in the UEFA Champions League. Maicon and Filipe Luís, on the other hand, had yet to prove anything. If they couldn't convince Ajax to keep them, they would be sent home as well.

As for when, or if, they'd ever get another chance to play in a European league... who knew?

Seeing them, Yang Yang was suddenly reminded of his own time at Almere. 'How similar our situations are.'

"Of course. No problem at all. You're welcome anytime," Yang Yang said with a chuckle.

Seeing that Yang Yang hadn't refused, both Maicon and Filipe Luís were delighted and thanked him profusely.

A short while later, Niklas Bendtner arrived at Yang Yang's door, honoring their agreement. When he discovered he suddenly had two new competitors, he couldn't help but feel a little wary, especially of Maicon.

The right-back's speed and technique were decent, but his defending was a major issue.

"I used to play in midfield but was later converted to a right-back," Maicon explained.

Yang Yang had a moment of realization. After being converted to a defender, Maicon had struggled for a starting spot at Cruzeiro. But for Van Gaal and the technical staff to have scouted him, it was clearly because his speed and technique were exceptional for a defender.

Maicon was twenty-three; his defensive skills could still be developed further.

"Our biggest problem right now is defending," Filipe Luís said, looking a bit embarrassed. "We both think that the extra ball-trapping drills you do after training could really help us improve our defense. That's why we came to ask for your help."

Yang Yang, however, didn't mind at all. He laughed and said, "Well, with you guys here, I guess Maxwell is off the hook."

After a brief pause, Yang Yang took a closer look at Maicon and Filipe Luís's physiques. They were similar to his own—a little on the slender side.

"I think you two should also talk to Kluivert about stepping up your physical conditioning," Yang Yang advised. "For defenders, that's even more important than it is for attackers."

Maicon was twenty-three and Filipe Luís was already nineteen. Both had lean builds, which was a real disadvantage for defenders. Especially in the European leagues, physical strength was the foundation for a career in professional football.

Of course, strength training was grueling. Whether they had the grit to endure it was up to them.

......

......

The four of them set off from Oude Kerk, jogging around Oude Kerk Lake while juggling soccer balls. It was a unique sight for the small town, but it was too early for most residents to be awake, so there was no one around to see it.

Just like usual, after three laps, Yang Yang went to the corner breakfast shop to buy a few breakfast meals.

The shop owner cheerfully showed off his new newspaper clippings. Apparently, all the major media outlets in the Netherlands had covered last night's match that morning, and they were all showering praise on Yang Yang's performance, hailing him as the key to Ajax's victory.

"The team won as soon as you came back! Who would dare say you're not a core player now?" the owner said, beaming with pride. He now boasted to his friends and relatives every day that Yang Yang bought breakfast from his shop each morning.

"Eight days, three matches, twenty thousand kilometers... My God, that's just incredible."

After a string of compliments, the owner looked at Yang Yang with concern. "But, Yang, you just played a full match last night, and now you're out here this early for extra training. Can your body handle it?"

"Don't worry, I know my body's limits," Yang Yang said with a smile.

Watching Yang Yang pick up the breakfast and walk away, the shop owner smiled, his eyes crinkling at the corners.

'After watching football for so many years, he knew players this diligent and hardworking were becoming a rare breed.'

......

......

His appointment with Winston Bogard was at nine o'clock.

But Yang Yang arrived at the gym right on time at eight-thirty.

There was no one else in the gym yet, so he started doing some simple stretches to warm up.

About ten minutes later, Winston Bogard arrived for work.

"I didn't expect you to be earlier than me." He seemed a little surprised to see Yang Yang.

The team's morning practice was at ten. He had asked Yang Yang to come an hour early and had been worried he might be late. He hadn't expected Yang Yang to be even earlier. It was clear Yang Yang was serious about wanting to build his physical strength.

But wanting it wasn't enough. It required determination and perseverance.

Anyone who hasn't gone through it can't possibly understand how grueling strength training is. The even greater challenge is sticking with it consistently.

"I've been studying your physical data for the past two days, and I've also been discussing it with the coaching staff. We all agree that strengthening your body must be done in a targeted way. You can't become clumsy; you have to maintain your agility and speed."

Yang Yang nodded. That was his thought as well.

"Your current height is just over 1.8 meters, and your weight should ideally be controlled at around seventy-five kilograms."

In the year since joining Ajax, Yang Yang had indeed grown a bit. He was now just over 1.8 meters tall. He wasn't short, but he wasn't tall either. The main issue was his slender frame, which made him look thin.

"Your gym training will focus on the bench press, squat, deadlift, and power clean. The squat and power clean are particularly effective for training your speed, which will help you sprint faster during matches."

Yang Yang continued to nod.

In front of Bogard, all he could do was nod. He was a complete novice when it came to strength training.

"Do you know why powerlifting competitions around the world only compete in three main lifts: the squat, bench press, and deadlift?" Bogard asked suddenly.

Yang Yang shook his head. He was completely clueless about it.

"The reason is simple: these three exercises are the best all-around indicators of physical strength. The squat represents knee extension strength, and the deadlift represents hip extension strength—these come from the two most powerful parts of the body. The bench press reflects the strength level of your entire upper body. Together, these three lifts give a complete picture of your overall body strength."

Hearing this, Yang Yang began to understand.

'So these three major lifts train three different regions of the body. To exert your full physical power, you need all three regions to be strong. That's why they're so important.'

'If I can master these three lifts, not only will I be stronger in physical confrontations, but my speed and shooting power will also improve significantly. This is exactly what I need.'

"Besides the gym exercises, I also need you to do a set of shuttle runs on the outdoor stairs. When the time is right, I'll have someone prepare sandbags for you to train with. But there's one more exercise that is mandatory."

"What is it?"

"Swimming."

"Huh?" Yang Yang's brow furrowed.

"Swimming is an excellent exercise. It improves the body's flexibility and builds muscle strength. Therefore, I require you to train in the swimming pool every day."

Winston Bogard had created a complete, tailor-made training plan for Yang Yang. It was incredibly detailed, with every item logically arranged and clearly explained. Everything, including swimming, could be done right there at De Toekomst.

De Toekomst had its own swimming pool for players, it's just that…

"I don't know how to swim," Yang Yang said, embarrassed.

Even though he was from a coastal city, he had never learned to swim as a child. He hadn't had the chance to learn after coming to the Netherlands, either. So…

He was a complete and utter landlubber.