Pepe was sitting on the sidelines of the training ground, resting, but he kept hearing his teammates whispering.
"Tsk tsk! I saw him make a tackle just now!"
"Tackling isn't the problem, but that challenge was completely unnecessary!"
"Maybe he's trying to vent?"
"That's not good!"
"This is a sign he's about to get a card!"
"We can't afford cards—we're running out of players!"
Pepe's face twitched as he heard this. He turned around and saw Srna, Kaká, Ramos, and Marcelo standing beside him, pointing and whispering.
"You guys... I can hear you!"
Hearing this, the four looked slightly embarrassed.
Marcelo was the most direct.
"Hey! Have you been feeling any unusual urges lately? Like being really irritable, wanting to lose your temper, or feeling restless?"
Pepe was taken aback. "Am I going through menopause?"
Ramos said with a grave tone, "Self-regulation is important. Don't let anger control you!"
Pepe retorted, "Is that something you should be saying? Last season, you got more cards than I did!"
Ramos, embarrassed and angry, snapped, "Why can't you take good advice? I'm trying to help you relieve stress!"
"You guys are becoming my stress!"
Pepe pointed at Ramos and Marcelo. "If either of you hadn't been injured, I wouldn't be playing so tired!"
"Are you looking down on our substitutes?" Marcelo immediately fired back.
Pepe rolled his eyes, not wanting to continue arguing with them.
Lately, he had been able to regulate his emotions better.
His temperament had stabilized somewhat, perhaps because his "notorious reputation" meant fewer players provoked him.
Most importantly, Real Madrid always managed to score and take the lead. As a defender, when the team was ahead, the overall pressure on them lessened.
This was the foundation of his stability.
Just then, Suker walked off the field.
Pepe reached out to Suker, who slapped his hand in a high-five before sitting down beside him.
"What were you talking about?" Suker asked.
Before Pepe could answer, Marcelo chimed in, "Pepe is showing signs of violence!"
Suker was stunned and turned to look at Pepe.
Pepe waved his hand. "Don't listen to their nonsense. I can control my emotions."
Hearing this, Suker fell even more silent.
Pepe could control his emotions?
Was he joking?
"Your silence feels kind of insulting, you know?" Pepe said gloomily.
Suker grinned. "Maybe we're just being too sensitive."
Since the start of last season, Real Madrid had been on a winning streak in the league.
This was naturally something to be happy about, but when it became an obsession, and everyone focused too much on the so-called winning streak, they would overlook other issues, leading to unexpected problems.
At the same time, the "so-called winning streak" also brought them a lot of pressure.
Sometimes, Suker thought it might be better to just lose outright and get it over with, so the pressure would vanish.
But deep down, he still felt unwilling.
This was the psychological state of the other Real Madrid players as well.
"By the way, why don't you grow your hair out?"
Suker touched Pepe's buzz cut, changing the subject.
Pepe had a well-shaped head, very full, and it felt nice to touch.
Pepe didn't answer, but he vaguely remembered that when Ramos changed his hairstyle, these guys had mocked him. So, even though he had thought about changing his hairstyle, he never went through with it.
Just then, at the entrance of the training ground, Mourinho and Casillas walked in together.
Everyone turned to look.
Mourinho's expression was calm, but Casillas didn't look too happy.
Over the past few days, the conflict between Mourinho and Casillas had intensified.
Although they hadn't openly argued, anyone could tell there was some underlying tension in their words.
This made the locker room atmosphere somewhat tense.
After all, when the captain and the coach didn't get along, it disrupted the overall environment.
However, the two hadn't publicly argued.
From time to time, they would have private conversations.
What exactly they discussed and how productive those discussions were, no one knew.
But judging by Casillas' expression, the communication probably hadn't gone well.
"Iker has been under a lot of pressure lately..."
Ramos crouched down and said to everyone, "The national team coach, Del Bosque, called Iker and asked him to communicate with the club, hoping Mourinho would stop fueling the conflict."
Suker asked, "Why doesn't he call himself?"
Ramos replied, "He tried, but it probably didn't work."
Del Bosque had also coached Real Madrid but was labeled "lacking star power" by Florentino Pérez and was fired.
He was a good-natured person with a mild temper.
But for Mourinho to make Del Bosque lose his temper in front of the media showed how much he could get under people's skin.
In fact, Florentino Pérez quite supported Mourinho's approach.
Or rather, he liked coaches who brought their own drama.
If Mourinho didn't pursue transfer authority, he would undoubtedly be Florentino's favorite coach.
This was also why Florentino had been tolerating Mourinho.
After all, he brought attention and recognition.
However, for the Spanish national team and players like Casillas, this issue was very serious.
Especially for Casillas, who was under pressure from multiple sides.
As the national team captain, the Real Madrid and Barcelona factions within the Spanish national team barely communicated.
Apart from matches, they kept to themselves.
Their relationship hadn't been great before, but it had never been this bad.
Secondly, regarding the locker room conflict, after Del Bosque found it intolerable and failed to communicate effectively, he could only pressure Casillas, since the troublemaker was Real Madrid's coach, and Casillas was Real Madrid's captain.
Therefore, Del Bosque believed Casillas had to take responsibility.
Under these circumstances, Casillas had no choice but to take action.
He tried his best to communicate with Mourinho.
However, the latter's notorious temper was no joke.
Trying to make the stubborn Mourinho shut up was like asking him to admit he was wrong.
Mourinho wouldn't admit fault!
He didn't think he was wrong!
As a result, the communication wouldn't make any progress.
Suker slowly let out a sigh.
"Let's just get through this season~"
Suker still had the Champions League to focus on this season!
A second consecutive Champions League title would prevent his salary from being reduced, as per the agreement he had signed with Florentino Pérez.
Suker also felt frustrated.
If things really went south, he could join forces with Casillas to oust Mourinho and bring in Ancelotti.
However, before that, Mourinho needed to take the first step.
Florentino Pérez had to understand that Mourinho wouldn't give up transfer authority, making it easier to show him the door.
Of course, this was the worst-case scenario.
Things might also ease up!
After all, in the original timeline, the struggle between Mourinho and Casillas ended in a double loss, with no winners.
Mourinho was forced to resign and leave!
Casillas wasted the latter part of his career, especially when he participated in the 2014 World Cup in poor form. The aging Spanish squad faltered, and Casillas was eventually benched before leaving Real Madrid.
This was also why Suker didn't want to get involved in this conflict.
It was a messy situation, impossible to untangle.
Suker could only hope the two would reconcile on their own. If the conflict continued to escalate, eventually leading to opposition and a decline in the team's performance, Suker would have no choice but to take action.
After all, he could tolerate conflicts in the locker room.
But he couldn't tolerate a decline in performance due to conflict!
As for now, even if Suker and Casillas joined forces, they couldn't drive Mourinho away.
He had just won the treble and was at the peak of his popularity.
Moreover, Florentino Pérez hadn't fully realized that Mourinho wanted transfer authority, so he wouldn't make a firm decision.
Now, they could only wait!
Wait for the situation to develop to a certain point, wait for thereputation to accumulate to a certain level, until it became uncontrollable, and then strike hard.
La Liga Round 3, Valencia vs. Real Madrid at home.
Valencia had a more complete squad and team structure than Atlético Madrid.
Atlético Madrid had greater potential, but they currently lacked key players, so Suker's outbreak could pose a significant threat to them.
But against Valencia, they needed to be more cautious.
Valencia was a city on the southeastern coast of Spain, just over an hour away by high-speed train.
Real Madrid chartered a train car to Valencia. After arriving, they took a bus through a special tunnel to the stadium.
On this day, the Mestalla Stadium was packed with fans.
They had all come for the match against Real Madrid.
Although Atlético Madrid had suffered a heavy defeat away, they believed they had the ability to compete with Real Madrid.
Moreover, Real Madrid's current performance was also a key factor.
If they missed this opportunity, it would be much harder to defeat Real Madrid in the second half of the season.
After all, Real Madrid was a team that grew stronger as the season progressed.
Under the clear sky, there wasn't a cloud in sight.
Valencia lived up to its name as the City of Sunshine.
While Madrid was still raining, here it was exceptionally sunny.
During the warm-up, Real Madrid actively prepared. This match was a hurdle for them in the early season.
They had to overcome it!
To this end, Mourinho once again emphasized tactics before the match.
Just before the players took the field, Mourinho approached Pepe for a conversation.
Clearly, Mourinho had also heard some of the rumors within the team, and he was worried that Pepe might get too agitated.
After all, "Pepe hasn't gotten a card in so long" not only surprised the players but also made Mourinho nervous upon reflection.
Pepe felt utterly speechless.
He had been fine, but all this fuss was starting to annoy him.
The players from both teams lined up in the tunnel, waiting to take the field.
The Valencia players looked serious.
Regardless of whether Real Madrid was fielding a bench player, they were still wearing the white jersey, which was enough to make them nervous.
Soon, the referee signaled for them to take the field.
The players immediately followed.
The starting lineups were as follows:
Valencia (4-4-2):
Goalkeeper: Guaita
Defenders: Luis, Alba, Rami, Mathieu
Midfielders: Miguel, Canales, Banega, Albelda
Forwards: Pablo Hernández, Soldado
Real Madrid (4-3-1-2):
Goalkeeper: Casillas
Defenders: Srna, Carvalho, Pepe, Albiol
Midfielders: Khedira, Alonso, Granero
Forwards: Bale, Suker, Di María
"This is the 2011/2012 La Liga Round 3 match between Valencia and Real Madrid! Several key players from Real Madrid are still absent. Can Valencia seize this opportunity to defeat Real Madrid?"
"And for Real Madrid, can they continue to suppress Valencia and extend their league winning streak?"
"So far, Real Madrid has won 40 consecutive league matches. Can they go even further..."
As commentator González spoke, the match began.
Valencia kicked off first.
Real Madrid pressed forward to press, but their intensity wasn't too high, mostly forming a defensive block in their own half.
Clearly, in the opening stages, Real Madrid focused more on defense.
Suker roamed behind Bale and Di María.
He was a free agent in the front, not restricted to a specific area, so he could move as he pleased.
Thus, Suker constantly moved horizontally. Although he participated in some defense, his defensive duties weren't too heavy.
Valencia moved the ball out along the flank.
Their forward Hernández dropped back to receive the ball. He collected it on the left wing, turned, and immediately lofted it into the penalty area.
At the same time, Valencia's other forward, Soldado, pressed forward.
Pepe moved closer.
The two engaged in a fierce physical battle.
Just then, as Soldado turned, he discreetly elbowed Pepe in the chest.
Pepe felt a sharp pain, but more than that, he was furious. He slapped Soldado's arm away and, despite the pain, jumped to clear the ball.
Boom!
The ball was headed away.
Pepe landed and glared at Soldado.
"Hey! Calm down!"
Srna, on the other side, sensed something was wrong and immediately called out to Pepe.
Casillas also shouted, "Pepe! Calm down!"
Pepe suppressed his anger and stared at Soldado. "You remember this!"
Soldado snorted. Anyone could talk tough.
"I'll destroy you!"
"Go fuck yourself##%%#@@@￥￥&"
Pepe started trash-talking.
But Soldado had already turned and retreated, ignoring Pepe.
Pepe was left fuming.
Soon, Valencia launched another attack.
Soldado pointed at Pepe. "Here! Here!"
Damn it!
Pepe was furious. Was he being looked down on?
During the collision, Pepe felt another pain in his chest. No doubt, the guy had elbowed him again.
Bastard!
Pepe was enraged.
But just then, hurried footsteps approached.
Casillas rushed ahead of both players and grabbed the ball.
He caught the ball and fell to the ground.
Once it was safe, Casillas got up holding the ball.
He looked at Pepe. "He's provoking you. Don't let him get to you. Our forwards will score soon, and then our pressure will ease up a bit!"
Casillas said.
Pepe pursed his lips and nodded, but his chest was still burning with rage!
In the 11th minute, the two clashed again, but this time Pepe won the duel.
However, the referee blew his whistle, signaling a foul by Pepe.
Pepe was about to sneer when the whistle made him almost explode.
Before Pepe could do anything, Srna quickly pulled him away, and another teammate argued with the referee.
But the referee had no intention of changing his decision.
"Pepe is being targeted and provoked!" Suker frowned.
He had a bad feeling!
Pepe wasn't the type to tolerate provocation!
Suker felt he needed to step up!
Otherwise, Pepe's time bomb was about to explode.
The pre-match concerns were justified.
During the defensive phase, Pepe glared fiercely at Valencia's forward Soldado.
If looks could kill, Soldado would have been torn to pieces by Pepe.
Just then, Soldado turned to look at Pepe and subtlely moved closer.
He kept bumping into Pepe with his back.
Although Pepe pushed him away repeatedly, the guy seemed to enjoy provoking him.
"Son of a bitch!"
Pepe felt his rage meter was full, ready to explode at any moment.
Boom!
Valencia took the free kick.
The penalty area instantly became chaotic.
Soldado charged toward the back post, with Pepe close behind.
Just as Soldado was about to jump, Pepe finally snapped.
"Die, you bastard!"
Pepe slammed into Soldado, knocking him to the ground.
It was a vicious collision.
But Pepe had lost it!
Soldado lay on the ground. He was about to raise his hand in protest when he felt a chill.
The next second, Pepe, like a demon, viciously kicked him twice.
This stunned everyone.
Valencia players rushed over. Hernández tried to stand up for his teammate and charged at Pepe, but the latter slapped him.
"Go to hell! Want to fight?"
Boom!
Srna grabbed Pepe and hurriedly pulled him back.
But his face was full of bitterness.
It's over!
This guy is definitely getting a red card!
Suker also crouched on the ground, shaking his head helplessly.
It had finally happened!
Typical Pepe!
When he doesn't get cards, it's fine.
But when he does, he goes all out!
"Beeeep!!!—"
Amid the sharp whistle, the referee ran toward Pepe.
Under everyone's gaze, he pulled out a red card and pointed to the sidelines.
Pepe was sent off with a red card.
Pepe was still furious, cursing at the Valencia players as he turned and left.
On the sidelines, Mourinho looked bitter.
He felt the same helplessness he had when coaching Balotelli.
No matter how many times he lectured them, these guys just wouldn't listen.
Once they lost their temper, they didn't care about anything.
In the 16th minute of the match, Pepe was sent off with a red card.
Real Madrid was forced to play with ten men!