Chapter 98: First Experience as Captain (Second Update, Please Subscribe)

After everyone returned to the locker room, Coach Guidolin began his speech, "Antonio's injury was an accident. I don't want it to affect your mood."

He then looked at Muriel and continued, "Ruis, you're starting in Antonio's place this game. Besides aiming to score whenever possible, you need to actively defend when necessary." Muriel nodded in agreement.

Coach Guidolin surveyed the room and spoke again, "Next, let's talk about our goal for this game—to not lose. That's our objective. Winning would be great, of course, but pushing forward might give the opponents opportunities, so defense is our priority. Bruno, you'll need to focus more on defending."

"Okay, sir," Bruno responded.

"First, let's make sure we don't lose, and then, score away goals," Guidolin continued. "Although we won at home in the first leg, we allowed Alkmaar an away goal, so we need to aim for away goals too. Otherwise, even a 0:1 loss could eliminate us. So, while we focus on solid defense, we must also attack. Don't just stop attacking because I said our goal is to not lose. That approach won't work."

Everyone affirmed they understood, and Guidolin then turned his attention back to Bruno: "Bruno, I've decided to make you the third captain. In the absence of Antonio and Dusan, you are the captain."

Bruno nodded, "Understood, sir."

After Coach Guidolin finished his speech, he left the players to themselves. With just over ten minutes before the game started, it was too early to line up outside.

Dina Tale gestured for Bruno to come over. After Bruno approached, Dina Tale pulled out the captain's armband, saying, "I forgot to give this to you earlier."

Bruno was about to take it when Dina Tale said, "Let me put it on for you." Bruno, already in his kit, knelt on one knee and offered his left arm to Dina Tale.

Dina Tale slipped the armband onto Bruno's arm and adjusted it carefully to ensure the armband stayed in place over the sleeve. Satisfied, he patted the armband and smiled, "There you go."

This was the first time in Bruno's professional career that he wore the captain's armband. The snug fit of the armband made his arm feel heavy—as if bearing something significant.

In his memories, before his time travel, he had replaced Maguire as the captain of Manchester United. Now, nine years earlier at Udinese, wearing the armband felt strangely premature.

Dina Tale advised Bruno, "This is your first game as captain, and there are things you should know. If our players and the opponents clash, your role isn't to seek revenge but to mediate and appeal to the main referee. If our players disagree with the referee's decisions, you need to communicate on behalf of the team. However, be mindful of how you approach this; some referees don't appreciate players questioning their decisions. Just express your stance without going overboard."

Bruno nodded, absorbing the veteran's advice.

"There's not much else to say," Dina Tale concluded. "Just do your best, Bruno."

"I will," Bruno replied.

After chatting with Dina Tale, Bruno checked the time; it was almost time to head out. This would be his first time leading the team out of the locker room. Previously, either vice-captain Basta or captain Dina Tale would have done this, but today, it was his responsibility.

Bruno cleared his throat, only to hear Cancelo's laughter. He turned to glare at his younger teammate, who seemed more interested in making a joke at his expense.

The current Cancelo seemed different from the one in his memories—previously known for being introverted and odd, now he showed none of those traits.

Seeing Bruno's glare, Cancelo laughed even more, feigning concern, "Are you okay, Bruno? No problems with your throat, I hope?"

"Thanks for your concern, I'm fine!" Bruno replied, a bit annoyed.

Ignoring Cancelo's antics, which he now saw as a sign of liveliness, Bruno turned to the others and shouted, "Alright, brothers, it's our time to go out!"

Cancelo, quick to support his "brother," was the first to stand up.

The others, wearing amused smiles, rose from their seats and started heading out. Kante and Mahrez gave Bruno thumbs up as they passed, acknowledging their gratitude. All three were clients of Mendes and knew they were at Udinese because of Bruno's recommendation.

Now, leading the team out, Bruno was at the forefront for the first time, unsure of what being a captain entailed but enjoying the feeling.

Following the referee, they walked out to loud cheers at the AFAS Stadium, mostly for the home team Alkmaar.

The AFAS Stadium, with a capacity of only 17,000—a small venue compared to the historic Old Trafford or even Udinese's home ground, which held over 40,000—was vibrant with more than ten thousand home fans trying to intimidate the visitors.

However, Bruno and his teammates, seasoned players, were unfazed by the spectacle created by Alkmaar's fans.

Being a captain was busy before the game—exchanging flags, choosing sides, posing for photographs… Bruno lost the coin toss, so Udinese got to kick off the first half.

For Bruno and Udinese, this was a favorable outcome. The pitch conditions were the same on both ends, and with it being evening, there was no concern about the sun affecting play. Starting with the ball might allow them to initiate their offensive play.

Udinese's plan was to control the ball from the start. Bruno considered how to use this control effectively.

Some teams like to kick the ball long to the flanks right from the start, sending it to players who've already sprinted up the field.

If it were the old Bruno, he might have liked such risky attempts. However, the current Bruno preferred a more cautious approach, believing that such passes were too reckless and easily lost possession.

Moreover, compressing the opponent's defense line from the kickoff didn't benefit their offense. It was better to draw out the opponents, creating vulnerabilities between their lines.

Thus, Bruno decided to keep the ball in the back a bit before moving forward.

Bruno didn't share his plan with his teammates, assuming the ball would naturally come to him first after kickoff.

Sure enough, after the referee blew the whistle, the ball was passed twice and landed at his feet.

Bruno turned and passed the ball to the center-back Danilo, then gestured for it back.

Hesitant, Danilo instead sent a long pass to Mahrez on the flank. Unprepared for such an early long pass, Mahrez missed the reception. Previously, the ball would have circulated around Bruno before reaching him, so Mahrez hadn't focused on the ball, still observing the defense and planning his next move.

Annoyed, Bruno signaled to Danilo, "You should have passed it to me!"

Danilo, a decade older and one of the veterans in Udinese's lineup, received the complaint with a cautious tone.

Originally intending to catch Alkmaar off-guard with a quick long pass—as Udinese usually played several short passes before moving forward—Danilo's plan backfired.

Unable to defend his decision, Danilo could only offer an apologetic gesture.

Watching from the sidelines, Coach Guidolin nodded, impressed with Bruno's leadership. Despite some immaturity in the locker room, once on the field, Bruno quickly assumed his role, even daring to correct a veteran like Danilo.

Appointing him as the third captain was indeed a wise decision.

After Alkmaar regained and then lost possession, initiating an unsuccessful offensive, the ball returned to Udinese.

This time, Bruno specifically instructed his defenders, "Don't go for long kicks. The Dutch are tall and good at headers; we have no advantage with long passes, especially when they are well-positioned defensively. They may be tall but slow to turn and clunky on their feet, unlike our players who are more agile. Let's focus on ground passes and coordination."

(End of Chapter)

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