Soccer: I have the attributes of Messi in his Prime

Chapter 490: Ronaldo Shares His Experience

"Barcelona actually lost…" Guardiola put down the TV remote, slumped on the sofa, and stared blankly at the ceiling, his eyes unfocused. Barcelona held a special place in his heart. Though he was no longer their coach, seeing the team he once played for and managed lose still saddened him. It was especially hard watching his former disciples on the field, their dejection like needles in his heart.

"Losing to Atlético isn't surprising. Simeone's tactics were successful; he completely saw through Enrique's strategies. On the other hand, Enrique's tactics seemed a bit stiff. He misused Iniesta, giving him too many roles, expecting him to be both Xavi and Iniesta. That's just not possible. Moreover, Enrique tends to overwork his main players, and his poor rotation likely contributed to the team's lackluster performance. I think their physical condition played a big part!"

Lin Quan wasn't impressed with Enrique, and it wasn't because of any past disputes at Barcelona; he genuinely questioned Enrique's capabilities. Iniesta's poor performance last season was mainly due to tactical mismanagement. The same player excels in the national team but performs poorly at the club, which indicates misuse.

Last season, the MSN trio's outstanding performances masked these issues, but problems that aren't resolved only persist and grow. Enrique's Barcelona, compared to Guardiola's era, played differently. Relying on the individual talents of the MSN, Enrique preferred to leave the attack to his forwards.

Barcelona moved away from their traditional short-passing game, utilizing long passes from fullbacks and defensive midfielders and exploiting the wings. This tactic worked with Neymar, but without him, it failed, and Enrique stubbornly stuck with it.

Rakitić is talented, but he's no Xavi. And Iniesta, due to the tactical shift and his injuries, has seen a decline in form. This season, Barcelona's once-dominant midfield is no more, and without strong midfield support, Messi and Suárez have fewer opportunities upfront.

If Enrique had accepted reality and reverted to a strategy that used Suárez as the main striker and pulled Messi back into a playmaking role, things might have been better. After all, Messi, at 29, isn't getting any younger, and frequent injuries have affected his form.

Enrique's poor rotation policy, despite Barcelona's weak bench, didn't help. Overworking the main players was clearly the wrong approach. This season's failure wasn't just bad luck; even if they had miraculously beaten Atlético, they wouldn't have lasted in the next round.

"Right, you make a good point. Let's not dwell on Barcelona anymore. The semifinals lineup is set, and the draw is coming up. Do you want to join me for the ceremony?" Guardiola shifted his focus to the upcoming Champions League matches. The remaining teams were all strong competitors.

"Sure, the next league game is still a ways off, I'll come with you."

The Champions League semifinal draw was scheduled for the afternoon of April 15th at UEFA headquarters. The strength and influence of the teams in the semifinals made them among the strongest in football. At this stage, the draw mattered less than the order of home and away games.

This draw attracted more attention than previous ones, with numerous media and fans crowded outside, cameras and signs in abundance. Over 200 TV stations worldwide broadcasted the draw live, with millions tuning in online.

Lin Quan and Guardiola's arrival caused a stir outside the venue, with flashes and camera clicks nearly blinding Lin Quan. He smiled and waved at the cameras and fans.

"Lin Huang is here!" "Go Lin Huang!" "We love you, Lin Huang!"

Some fans even surged forward excitedly, but security managed to hold them back.

"Let's go inside," Guardiola said, seeing the crowd's excitement. They entered just in time to see Ronaldo and Zidane, looking equally harried, hurry in.

After greeting each other, Guardiola naturally sat next to Zidane, chatting easily. Though they had played for rival clubs, they had never faced each other directly, sharing instead common ground as former midfielders and current coaches.

Their conversation flowed easily, leaving Lin Quan and Ronaldo somewhat awkward. Lin Quan nodded to Ronaldo and took a seat. Ronaldo quickly sat next to him.

"I've seen your games. Your hat trick last match was impressive," Ronaldo said unexpectedly, initiating a rare compliment.

"Thanks, Ronaldo. Your hat trick at Bernabéu was incredible—three different methods to score. Compared to you, my goals were nothing," Lin Quan responded, appreciating the outreach.

"True, I do think so. Your attacking skills aren't diverse enough. I think you should continue to improve and expand your arsenal."

"Ah?"

Lin Quan was a bit stunned. What was happening? Wasn't this supposed to be a friendly exchange of compliments? Why did it turn into a critique?

"Don't you think your way of scoring goals is a bit too singular?" Ronaldo asked seriously, not joking at all.

"You play a lot like Messi did a few years ago, but haven't you noticed that since Messi's 91 goals in 2012, his scoring efficiency has significantly decreased? His goal count has been dropping in recent years. You don't want to follow in Messi's footsteps, do you?"

Seeing Ronaldo's earnestness, Lin Quan couldn't dismiss his good intentions. So, he nodded seriously.

Ronaldo nodded back, looking pleased. "As you age, accumulate injuries, and face more targeted defenses, Messi's dribbling success rate has decreased significantly. If you continue to play the same way, your scoring efficiency will definitely drop too. That's why I've surpassed him in goals over the past two years!"

As Ronaldo spoke, Lin Quan could sense the pride and confidence in his voice. Ronaldo was well aware that his talent and ability were somewhat less than Messi's. Messi's peak year saw him scoring 91 goals, whereas Ronaldo's best was 69. At his peak, Messi was unstoppable.

But Ronaldo didn't let this discourage him. Instead, he adapted his play style to enhance his scoring efficiency, turning himself into a goal machine. While not as good as Messi on the wings, he excelled in a forward role with his keen sense and comprehensive shooting skills. This allowed him to close the gap with Messi and even surpass him.

This adaptability was a point of pride for Ronaldo. Having successfully transitioned his play style, he now wanted to share his experience with Lin Quan, suggesting he diversify his skills in preparation for a future transition.

"That makes sense. Thanks for the advice, I'll seriously consider it," Lin Quan replied sincerely, appreciating Ronaldo's good intentions.

"You're welcome. If you have time this summer, you can come to my training camp!" Ronaldo handed Lin Quan a business card with the address and contact information for his training camp.

"Sure, if I have time, I'll definitely check it out!" Lin Quan accepted the card, glanced at it, and then put it away. This guy was truly a training fanatic, still training during the off-season.

However, this summer was likely impossible due to the upcoming European Championship. Both players, being key members of their national teams, would need to report early for training camp to prepare for the tournament.

With many strong teams in Europe, the European Championship's intensity was comparable to the World Cup. In some cases, teams might not even make it past the group stage. Thus, the tournament was taken very seriously, with early announcements of the 23-man rosters and early training camps.

So this summer, further training would be out of the question for Lin Quan. After a long season, it was crucial to rest rather than continue intense training, which would be self-destructive.

As they chatted, some journalists noticed and began taking pictures of the two players conversing. When these images were uploaded online, they caused quite a stir.

"Hey, weren't they supposed to have a bad relationship? They seem to be getting along pretty well!"

"I don't know, I haven't heard any stories about them being enemies."

"They don't interact much, so their relationship isn't great, but it's not bad either. It's mostly their fans who have issues."

"This isn't surprising. The feud between their fans is mild compared to the wars between Ronaldo and Messi's fans. Now that's terrifying!"

"True, after all, that rivalry has lasted five or six years. Fan wars are quite normal."

"If you think about it, Lin Quan's emergence has eased the competition between them. Without him, imagine how intense the fan battles would be."

"Exactly, I remember the online atmosphere three or four years ago. Any place with these two players' fans was full of conflict."

As fans engaged in heated discussions, the Champions League semi-final draw began. The first team drawn was Manchester City. According to UEFA rules, the first team drawn would play the first leg at home and the second leg away.

Seeing this result, Guardiola's face became tense. Playing the second leg away was not favorable, especially against top teams. The second leg would be more challenging, facing more obstacles.

Against top teams, it's unlikely to decide the outcome in the first leg. If the opponent is smart, they might adopt a conservative approach in the first leg, aiming for a draw or a narrow loss, saving the real battle for the second leg.

If this happened, Manchester City would struggle. Strong teams are excellent in defense, and even Manchester City would find it hard to break through if the opponent decided to defend solidly.

"Just don't draw Atlético. Real Madrid and Bayern both favor attacking play, which would be slightly easier."

With the home and away legs decided, Guardiola now hoped to avoid Atlético, as this schedule would favor them. Drawing Atlético could be dangerous for Manchester City.

However, as Guardiola thought this, Dejan Stanković drew Atlético Madrid. Seeing this result, Guardiola was speechless.

A murmur spread through the room as people whispered among themselves. The last time Simeone faced Guardiola in the Champions League, he had managed to shut out Guardiola's team. Would history repeat itself in this rematch?

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