Chapter 154 New Aid Joins! Bayern Munich's Last Stand!

When Su Luo returned to China, he had become a master of time management. Meanwhile, Union Berlin's coaching staff and football director Schaffer were actively looking for a partner for Su Luo.

Su Luo's position had been moved back, and his role as a free agent in the front line was proving to be very effective. Previously, the team was more concerned about tight defenses, and it was difficult for Su Luo to be effective when confined to the penalty area. When he moved out and even stood in the lower back position, he often launched more threatening attacks. However, since Mahrez, Quining, Silvio, and others were not traditional center-forwards, their effectiveness as fulcrum players was limited.

The team needed a high center-forward who could compete for headers, protect the ball, and play passes. Su Luo might play even better with such a partner. So, in the transfer market, Union Berlin targeted several forwards.

There were not many high-quality and affordable center-forwards on the market. A striker with some value was worth at least 20 million euros or more. Even giants like Manchester United had difficulty finding one, let alone Union Berlin, which was relatively poor.

When the coaching staff was at a loss, they remembered Su Luo's recommendation.

"By the way, how about the Dutchman?" Neuhaus asked, a bit curious. "Shouldn't the scouts have found him already?"

Football Director Schaffer looked a little strange. "He's still playing in the Eredivisie, currently in the reserve team, and hasn't joined the first team. How do you know about him? Is it Su Luo again?"

"Yes, mysterious oriental divination. Just tell me, can this person do it?"

"Uh... To be honest, he is indeed the person we need," Schaffer said, then produced the scouting report.

Walter Verhorst was 23 years old at the time but was still in the reserve team. He was tall at 197 cm and had solid basic skills such as heading, tackling, positioning, and passing. Playing in the Eredivisie was no problem, and after adapting to the Bundesliga for a while, he should be able to establish himself.

"This kid trains very hard and often stays for extra practice. It's really desperate," Schaffer sighed.

"Oh? Is his family situation not good, and he hopes to change his destiny with football?" Neuhaus asked curiously.

Schaffer's expression turned even weirder. "His family is the Dutch oil and gas giant. You've probably seen their gas stations."

"???"

Neuhaus was dumbfounded. The super-rich second generation actually came to play football? However, although this was rare in football, it was not impossible. Midfielder Pirlo's family was the Italian steel king. If he didn't play football well, he would inherit hundreds of millions of property. The same was true for Verhorst. Because he had no distracting thoughts about money, he just wanted to play football. It was only because of his mediocre talent that he trained so hard. More importantly, Verhorst would not pursue high wages. Union Berlin's meager salary kept many outstanding strikers away, but Verhorst didn't care. As long as there were high-level games, he would definitely come.

"What does he and the club say?" Neuhaus asked.

"They are all happy to facilitate this deal. His weekly salary can maintain the lowest level of rotation players, and the transfer fee is only 500,000," Schaffer said.

"Is there anyone else besides Verhorst?" Neuhaus didn't want to know more.

Schaffer took out the player list and introduced them one by one. "Adebayor, a free agent, is relatively old and has a high salary asking price. Wilfried Bony, fast, good header, but Manchester City is interested, and we don't think we can get him. Immobile, but Torino is already loaning him out."

"There is no one else. On the whole, Verhorst is indeed the right candidate. Other strikers are expensive and not easy to sign. Only 500,000 euros can get us a 197 cm offensive fulcrum. This deal is relatively cost-effective."

Neuhaus still believed in Su Luo's "divination." Future Netherlands international and Manchester United striker Walter Verhorst joined Union Berlin and became Su Luo's teammate.

However, when Union Berlin's official website announced Verhorst's signing, the major media only reported it bluntly, causing no waves. Who is Verhorst? Never heard of him!

On the day of the training camp, Su Luo drove his newly bought sports car to the parking lot and saw someone driving a car of the same level as his for the first time. Su Luo's new car was a McLaren 675LT Spider with a 3.8-liter turbocharged engine and a maximum of 675 horsepower. Only two of these McLarens were delivered in 2016, thanks to Su Luo's connections.

But there was a flashy Koenigsegg Agera RS in the parking lot! This car wasn't cheap! Its horsepower reached 1,178, much higher than Su Luo's McLaren.

"Could it be that a big-name player is joining in the winter window?"

The car door opened, and a tall man barely emerged from the Koenigsegg. Due to his height, the big guy almost got stuck in the cockpit. When he got out and saw Su Luo staring at him, he looked a little embarrassed.

His most awkward moment was seen by his new teammate. Fortunately, Su Luo didn't laugh at him.

"The car is pretty cool," Su Luo raised an eyebrow.

"Thank you. I usually drive SUVs. I just came to Germany, and my car hasn't arrived yet. I can only drive the supercar I had at home."

"Are you...Walter?"

"Yes, Yin. I'm your fan!" Verhorst, who was a head taller than Su Luo, was very excited. Although he was a few years older than Su Luo, Su Luo was already impressive in the Champions League. The strikers of the Eredivisie youth team now regarded Su Luo as an idol, motivating them to train hard.

"No, now we are comrades-in-arms," Su Luo held out his hand, and the two shook hands in a friendly manner. As the captain of the team, it was Su Luo's job to help new players integrate into the team.

"Welcome to East Berlin, welcome to the Old Forest Administration Stadium!"

During the winter break last year, a group of players whose physical fitness was not up to standard ended up miserable. This year, everyone learned their lesson and made sure their physical fitness met the standards. Everyone was in good shape.

On the one hand, Su Luo reminded the players before the holiday. On the other hand, everyone knew how challenging the second half of the season would be. With the Champions League knockout round and the league championship on the line, no one wanted to be the one who dragged the team down. Everyone worked hard, hoping to achieve good results in both competitions.

Moreover, right after the winter break, they would face Bayern Munich. If they stumbled in this crucial game, they would be the sinners of East Berlin! Everyone showed their best form and prepared for the second half of the season. After resuming training, the players quickly adapted, and everything was back on track.

In southern Germany, in the city of Munich, Bayern Munich's training base was buzzing with activity. Pep Guardiola was leading Bayern Munich's players in training ahead of the start of the second half of the season. Compared to Union Berlin, Bayern Munich was under more pressure. They had no significant results last season, not even a German Cup victory, which was a great shame for the Bundesliga's only giant.

Having spent a lot of money to poach numerous talents and hire champion coach Guardiola, how could they endure another season without trophies? Adding to the pressure, Bayern had been humiliated by their opponents 7-0 in the season opener! Guardiola was essentially on the countdown to the end of his tenure. There were even rumors that Bayern Munich intended to bring back old coach Heynckes for the fourth time.

Next, Bayern Munich would face Juventus in the Champions League, and the critical battle between them and league leaders Union Berlin was also imminent. The next half-month could set the tone for the entire season and determine Guardiola's future at the club. Guardiola was determined to get rid of the shame! Since leading Barcelona to the top, he had never felt so aggrieved. He had come to Bayern to create a new dynasty, only to be blocked by a small proletarian team?

Pep Guardiola didn't take a holiday during the winter break. He gathered the coaching staff every day to discuss strategies to deal with Union Berlin and Su Luo. After much deliberation, Guardiola decided to implement his philosophy: control, ultimate control! Burn the flames of war in the opponent's half, and keep the ball firmly in their hands. If Su Luo doesn't have the ball, where's the threat?

This was how Bayern Munich played last season, almost knocking out their opponents. Guardiola blamed himself for being unstable and coming up with a bad idea in the opening match, using their weaknesses to challenge others' strengths. Now, after half a season of tempering, Bayern had regained their dominant form. Their pass control often overwhelmed other teams! Additionally, Guardiola had learned from peak Dortmund in defense and from Atletico Madrid's high pressing.

In half a season, Bayern's formation had undergone nine evolutions, eventually settling on a 3-4-1-2. With three defenders, three defensive midfielders in an inverted triangle position, a single midfielder balancing restrictions and organization, and a trident in the front line that also served as the first chain of defense, they locked opponents in the front half. Strong pressing prevented the opponent from passing to the midfielders. If they could counterattack, it meant the front line wasn't pressing enough, and Bayern Munich could do it best. Opposing midfielders couldn't even catch the ball!

For the battle of Tianwangshan against Union Berlin, Bayern Munich had been preparing for half the season. They had mastered high pressure and pass control drills, just waiting for the Bundesliga to restart. Before the end of the first half, Bayern Munich played a wave of six consecutive victories, including a 4-0 tactical win over Stuttgart, a 3-1 victory over Schalke 04, a 5-1 victory over Dortmund, and a 1-0 win over Borussia Mönchengladbach! All achieved with front-line pressure! Even Borussia's defense couldn't withstand wave after wave of pressure!

For this reason, Bayern fans became arrogant again. Before the start of the 18th round of the Bundesliga, Bayern fans clamored on Twitter under the hashtag #vengeBerlin, predicting scores.

"Repay them 7-0 this time! Bloodbath East Berlin!"

"At least 3-0! Bayern has completed the transformation!"

"Berlin lacks Sane, and Bayern wins 4-2!"

"Let the people of East Berlin see what it means to be dominated by the overlord of the Bundesliga!"

In addition to the confidence of the fans, the Bayern players were also determined to win this game. Lewandowski said in a pre-match interview, "The champion of the season must belong to the Southern Stars! We will prove it!"

Robben also believed that Bayern could win. "The morale of the team is good. We were careless last time. As long as we concentrate, it's impossible to give them a chance!"

Guardiola also claimed in a press conference the day before the game, "We have found the answer to shutting down Su Luo. As long as we guard against him, the opponent will be vulnerable!"

With the aura of Bundesliga kings, Bayern Munich boarded the bus and headed to Berlin. The fierce battle of Tianwangshan was about to start!

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