Chapter 437: Year after year, people differ (everyday transition)

Early morning.

Cobham training base, mist swirling.

The sound of cleats striking the ball echoed with the birdsong from the trees, forming a vibrant movement.

As Tuchel walked past Kanté, he suddenly squatted down, pulled off the French little black egg's shorts with both hands, then facial expression, walked away on his own.

Kanté blushed, hastily pulling up his shorts.

Everyone: "..."

A bit hard to accept.

The controlling, unsmiling new Chelsea head coach still has this quirk?

Moments later.

Tuchel, stern-faced, turned his head to Dino and said: "Have you learned to strengthen bonds with players through these small interaction details?"

Dino nodded seriously, silently noting "pulling players' shorts" in his notebook.

Clap clap clap!

The Chelsea head coach clapped, and the coaching staff began to get busy.

The obstacles began to shift position.

No longer blocking both sides of the center circle, but blocking the four corner areas.

In an instant.

The training ground turned into a diamond hexagon.

"In our matches against Burnley and Manchester City, we relied too much on flank mismatch bombardment and diagonal long passes to solve problems."

"Premier League and Champions League opponents will quickly study this."

"The requirement for these days' scrimmages is: forget the damned flanks and byline!"

Tuchel's Chelsea style... is having no style.

Let's not discuss the overall tactical tendency for now.

Tuchel believes: players' combat effectiveness is not improved through traditional training, but by making them learn to find their own effective responses under different constraints.

The shaping of his tactical thinking is chaotic: Bruce Lee, Jeet Kune Do, sanda, Ke Lu Yin Fu, economics, Guardiola, differential learning...

Of course.

He has also reflected on his shortcomings during his time coaching Mainz and Dortmund: suppressing his controlling nature, no longer getting angry over minor things.

For vegetarians, this... is not an easy thing.

Break time.

Diego Costa drove a tricycle, taking teammates for a spin around the training base.

"Boss, these weird training methods are useless to me!"

"But I feel everyone gets smarter during matches!"

"Li, you should find a girlfriend; I keep coming across niche literature about Brandon, and a grown‑up player without a girlfriend is usually considered..."

Pfft!

Hazard grabbed a water bottle and sprayed it in Diego Costa's face.

"Why do you like reading this kind of literature?"

"Of course because it's fun and sweet, especially Brandon and that... Unfortunately the serialization is too slow; I really want to beat up that author!"

Diego Costa twitched his eyebrows, gave an ambiguous smile, and instantly drew loud laughter from everyone.

He usually likes to "harass" teammates in the shower, and even the news that Kanté showers in his underwear came from his mouth.

Li Kang nodded seriously.

We need to learn from Brandon's lesson: after that kid was dumped by his girlfriend, he couldn't recover his match form for a long time.

Chelsea still faces many challenges ahead.

One must devote time and energy to matches and study.

Cannot disappoint everyone's expectations.

Cannot let down the 250 million and the Premier League top salary.

Ten minutes later.

Chelsea players resumed training.

Morata slapped his forehead, shouting at Diego Costa: "I know which book it is! Yin Si Ke recommended it to me."

Not far away.

Cech, wearing a tank cap, was exchanging goalkeeper experience with Caballero and Eduardo.

Only nine days left until the summer transfer window closes.

Ms. Si Ka Ya and the negotiation representatives rushed to various places.

Chelsea, caught in a passive position, is expected to complete signings only at the last moment.

Time is like that something, and it passes in an instant.

In the blink of an eye.

And then came the day of the Champions League group draw.

Li Kang and the club representatives arrived in Monaco.

The north gate of the Grimaldi Forum hasn't changed much compared to previous years.

Blue carpet, blue alert.

Excited fans, media reporters rushing forward, frantically shaking posters and jerseys, cameras flashing nonstop.

"Lee!"

!

Amidst waves of fervent shouting.

The star players appeared one after another.

According to fans' past speculation: UEFA would let clubs with superstars safely pass the group stage, guaranteeing viewership.

But this year is different; the list of third-tier clubs is extremely terrifying.

This likely heightened the suspense over the group stage outcome.

Tonight, fans worldwide await the birth of the group draw results.

"Li, we have a good chance of meeting in the Champions League this year."

With a slicked-back pompadour, Atlético Madrid head coach Simeone, wearing a black windbreaker, enthusiastically patted Li Kang on the shoulder.

Beside him, Griezmann put on an impatient expression.

Atlético has been struggling lately.

Restricted by the transfer ban, they couldn't sign new players this summer.

Plus, the main midfielder is seriously injured, the squad is aging... and various other factors have left nobody optimistic about their new season campaign.

Even Atlético's senior management urged Simeone to lower his goals and focus on a single front.

Everyone chatted while, under the staff's guidance, walking toward the ceremony venue.

However... Tuchel's words openly praised Atlético's goalkeeper Oblak, causing Simeone to lose interest in continuing the chat.

After entering the venue.

Everyone went their separate ways.

Li Kang held his number placard and walked all the way to the front-row seat.

Quite a coincidence.

It was again the seat between Buffon and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Papapa!

The clean-shaven Juventus goalkeeping deity Buffon vigorously slapped the empty seat beside him, excitedly urging Li Kang to sit down quickly.

Cristiano Ronaldo unconsciously showed a smile, then suddenly recalled last season's Champions League final and immediately put on a stern face.

Buffon joked: "He's putting on airs again!"

Cristiano Ronaldo: '...'

He still shook hands with Li Kang.

The originally empty seats gradually filled with representatives from all sides.

The main stage's LED screen played back Arsenal's championship run under Wenger last season.

The Nou Camp revenge match.

Bei lai yin's prodigal son returns home.

Munich miracle arc.

Turin Allianz's leisurely garden stroll.

The image finally froze on Qiannian Qiuchang, the silhouette of the red-and-white number 10 with bandages.

The entire venue was instantly drowned in applause.

The camera promptly focused on Li Kang.

It then moved to the coaches' representatives' bench... Enrique?

The director suddenly realized: Arsenal's head coach is no longer Wenger.

A nameless emotion quietly welled up in his heart.

Just like old friends who gather at the same place on a specific date each year, he didn't come this year, won't come next year... perhaps he'll never come again.

The draw ceremony proceeded according to procedure.

Pedro Pinto and the UEFA officials were still full of empty talk, wearing out the audience's patience.

A girl cradling a glass container walked slowly toward the main stage.

When leaving from the side of the stage, she furtively shifted her gaze to the players' representatives' bench.

This time Buffon didn't tease Li Kang, nor mention anyone's mother.

He stroked his smooth chin.

"Li, what do you think of Chelsea?"