The Legendary Chairman Novel - Chapter 023
023 Step by Step on the Right Track
Oscar Ortega was born in Montevideo, Uruguay, in 1955.
When he was young, he made money in his hometown by producing golf balls and taking football coaching courses. He was also a football coach at the local English University in Montevideo.
Since he was 21, Ortega has coached in Argentina, Japan, Colombia, Chile and Mexico. Last year, he went to Seville, Spain.
And now Ortega is still in Seville.
He was the target of Zhong Cheng’s current trip to Seville. He would be an unattainable figure in Zhong Cheng’s coaching staff. When Zhong Cheng came here, he had to bring Ortega back to Leeds.
Even in the later generations, Ortega’s fame was unknown, and not many people knew about him. However, this was definitely a formidable figure, because he was the fitness coach of Atletico Madrid, Simoni’s iron-blooded team.
The success of Atletico Madrid in the future would definitely not be separated from Ortega, and even Ortega guaranteed the success of Atletico Madrid. Atletico Madrid was a tough and oppressive defensive force in the next generation, and what surprised them the most was the physical fitness of the Atletico Madrid players.
According to the intensity of the Athletic Madrid match, a match was extremely strenuous for the players. However, everyone who had watched the Athletic Madrid match knew that Simoni rarely rotated, which was enough to show how powerful Ortega was.
Moreover, Ortega was not only the fitness coach of the Madrid Athletics Team, he also had a lot of defensive training for Atletico Madrid in his usual training. Atletico Madrid players’ defensive ferocity, oppression and so on came from him.
That was why Zhong Cheng was eager to pull Ortega into his coaching staff.
Zhong Cheng knew that Ortega had already met Simone, who had returned to Atletico Madrid, at this time. The two of them should have had a very happy conversation and had an irreversible relationship.
However, Zhong Cheng now has an advantage, that is, Simone is still a player, not a coach. Simoni’s coaching career began two years later when Oscar Ortega followed him around.
Now that Oscar Ortega was still at home, it was time for Zhong Cheng to take action.
When Zhong Cheng saw Oscar Ortega, Simone was also a guest at Oscar Ortega.
Looking at the iron-blooded tough man in front of him, Zhong Cheng was not surprised. He knew that the two of them were close. Zhong Cheng greeted Simone and said, “Hello, Mr. Diego Simone!”
Diego Simone stood up and asked doubtfully, “Hello, sir, may I ask who you are?”
Oscar Ortega, who was accompanying Zhong Cheng, also looked at him with a questioning look in his eyes.
Zhong Cheng smiled and said, “I am Zhong Cheng. I am currently the head coach of Leeds United. I came here uninvited. Please forgive me!”
Simone and Ortega were both shocked by Zhong Cheng’s youth and slightly speechless.
Ortega, as the host, immediately replied, “No, Mr. Zhong Cheng is a guest from afar. You’re welcome. Please take a seat!”
The three sat down and Ortega instructed his family to make coffee. He then asked, “Mr. Zhong Cheng, why are you here this time?”
Zhong Chengying smiled and said, “It is precisely for the sake of the old gentleman!”
Seeing that Ortega and Simone were puzzled, Zhong Cheng immediately acknowledged the reason, “I would like to ask you to come out of the mountain and help me!”
Ortega was shocked. He didn’t seem to have any interactions with Zhong Cheng before, did he?
Simone was equally shocked. He looked at Zhong Cheng in surprise.
Ortega immediately asked doubtfully, “Mr. Zhong Cheng, we didn’t seem to know each other before, did we?”
Zhong Cheng immediately said, “Indeed, I don’t know him, but I have heard of his name. I am especially interested in Mr. Ortega’s’ Indispensable Strength ‘.”
Ortega was shocked. He did not expect Zhong Cheng to really know his coaching philosophy.
Zhong Cheng saw Ortega’s expression change. He continued, ‘”Modern football is becoming more and more intense. It is almost impossible to compete on the field. Strong physical fitness is the foundation of high-intensity oppression and coercion. The regional defense pressure is the most important. And Mr. Ortega is everyone. Especially your defensive concept evolved from rugby, which makes me admire him very much …”
Hearing Zhong Cheng’s words, Ortega was truly shocked. He did not expect Zhong Cheng to understand him so well. Furthermore, what Zhong Cheng said was even more relevant to his heart. There were even some things that he was still trying to figure out, but Zhong Cheng was very clear.
Ortega immediately felt like a close friend, and his gaze towards Zhong Cheng had obviously changed.
Seeing this, Simone couldn’t help but give Zhong Cheng a thumbs up in his heart. Although this fellow in front of him was young, his methods and knowledge were definitely something that an extraordinary person could compare to.
Ortega was intrigued by Zhong Cheng. The two of them were talking to each other, and they had a lot of fun discussing. Simone also joined in, and the three of them were chatting with each other.
Ortega could not tell that Zhong Cheng was intentionally welcoming him, but Zhong Cheng did have some information. Moreover, the two of them had very similar ideas, so Ortega was still tempted in the end. He agreed to Zhong Cheng’s invitation and was willing to join Zhong Cheng’s coaching staff, becoming the fitness coach and defense coach of Leeds United.
Time was running out, so Zhong Cheng and Ortega didn’t stay in Spain any longer. They flew back to Leeds United the next day, while Simoni went to report to Athletics Madrid.
After returning to Leeds United, Zhong Cheng decided on another coach, Paul Lambert, a famous Scottish footballer who later joined the Scottish Football Hall of Fame.
Paul Lambert is still young and has just gone to Germany to study. Participated in a football coaching training course run by the German Football Association. He still did not have a coaching certificate, but Zhong Cheng was very optimistic about him. He wanted him to join Leeds United and return to China after completing his studies.
Paul Lambert is also a well-known Premier League coach in future generations, and Zhong Cheng feels that it’s great to be able to win this old man.
So far, Zhong Cheng’s coaching staff has eight people. They are assistant coaches Nay Smith, Rogers, DiMatteo, Paul Lambert, fitness coach Ortega, Carlos Menendez, intelligence scouting expert G. Nethercott, psychiatrist D. Brown and team doctor Mark Pias.
Right now, Zhong Cheng was still lacking the goalkeeper coach. At this moment, Zhong Cheng was not busy looking for the goalkeeper coach. He had brought the coaching staff to the first team and was just starting his work.
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While Zhong Cheng set up the coaching staff, Leeds United’s reinforcements did not stop.
Now that Zhong Cheng’s avatar was useless, he left this matter to Trivo Birch. Zhong Cheng gave Trivo Birch a list and asked Trivo Birch to bring these people to Leeds United as soon as possible.
The first thing Zhong Cheng looked for was the future number one right-back, Brazilian Maekon. Trivo Burch found Maekon, but Maekon directly rejected him.
McConnell said United’s Alex Ferguson had taken a fancy to him and tried to bring him in, but failed because McConnell could not get a work permit.
Zhong Cheng knew that Macon had only been selected into the Brazilian national team last year, but he had yet to meet the requirements to obtain a labor permit. This year’s permit was obviously going to be given to Modric, so Macon had no choice but to give up.
Actually, Zhong Cheng wanted to buy Macon and then rent it to Monaco.
However, Macon did not agree, because he was about to sign with Monaco. Zhong Chengqi was short by one move, and this was the first time in the shipping industry that he had suffered a setback in the transfer market.
For the first time and for the second time, Zhong Cheng is optimistic about Serbian centre-back Vidic. Although Serbia is not a member of the European Union, Vidic is already a Serbian international and can get a work permit.
Nemanja Vidic wanted to leave the country to explore European football. At this time, Leeds United came for Nemanja Vidic, but Vidic directly rejected Leeds United. Instead, he chose to go to Russia, where it was ice and snow, to join the Russian giants Moscow Sparta.
Zhong Cheng was speechless. No matter how he looked at it, Leeds United had a better future than Moscow Sparta. Why would Vidic choose Moscow Sparta?
However, Vidic had no choice but to reject Leeds United.
Trivo Bocchi then moved to Italy because Zhong Cheng valued the promotion of Serie A defender Marivorno Chiellini. Chiellini was a left-footed defender who could play well on the sidelines. Zhong Cheng was eager to bring him to Leeds United.
After Trivo Burch went to Livorno, he contacted Chiellini, but Chiellini refused as soon as he stated his intention. First, Chiellini has never thought of playing abroad. Second, the club is in talks with Serie A giants Juventus. He is likely to go to Juventus. Why would he agree to go to Leeds?
Trivor Burch sent the news back. Zhong Cheng was speechless. Or was his team not famous enough? Otherwise, would these players be able to escape from Zhong Cheng’s grasp?
A wealthy family must build Leeds United into a wealthy family. Then only I refuse others, no one else will refuse me!
Zhong Cheng clenched his fists tightly and punished his ambition in his heart.
Zhong Cheng shook his head repeatedly as Leeds United suffered a series of setbacks in the transfer market. Now was the most dangerous time for Leeds United.
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Zhong Cheng’s coaching staff has now taken over the team completely, and Ortega and his student Carlos Menendez are currently training with the team.
Ortega was a very strict person. His training was very intense and demanding. During the training, he personally took the players to train. In addition, he often designed some small games to mobilize the muscles in the players’ bodies, train their reactions, sensitivity, and so on.
The Leeds United players were a bit miserable, because the intensity of the training was really too great, many players were unable to endure it.
Moreover, Ortega divided the stadium into different areas. Each area had to maintain an extremely high level of pressure. During the defensive training, it was famous for being fierce, making many players unable to withstand it, especially the veterans in the match.
At this moment, Zhong Cheng led Rogers, DiMatteo, Nai Smith and the others arrived at the coach’s office. Zhong Cheng sent out the tactical materials he had prepared. This was a tactic that Zhong Cheng had designed himself. He hoped that his assistants would familiarize themselves with the materials in their hands as soon as possible, and then start training. Because the new season was really about to begin, there really wasn’t much time left for them.
Moreover, Leeds United’s first warm-up game of the new season is imminent, and they must familiarize the players with this tactic as soon as possible.