Chapter 1 The Imminent Battle

When Simeone led the entire Atlético Madrid team to Dortmund, he was surrounded by the media at the airport. Many media outlets wanted to ask this charismatic and iron-willed coach what he thought of Dortmund's actions.

"I've heard about it," Simeone nodded in acknowledgment. "But other than that, I don't know any details, so I can't tell you what I think about it—don't comment lightly on things you don't understand."

Simeone was quite cunning.

But the reporters persisted, continuing to ask, "Will you do closed training?"

"I'll see how things go," Simeone replied, airtight. He neither said no nor yes, everything depended on the situation, which left a lot of room for flexibility.

"Then are you worried that Klopp is using closed training to research secret weapons to use against Atlético Madrid?"

Simeone laughed: "We will focus on ourselves."

The unspoken implication was actually "not worried."

That evening, German television broadcasted this interview at the airport, using Simeone's subtext as the title, or rather, the subtext the media had set for Simeone: "Simeone: We are not afraid of Dortmund's secret weapons—if they exist..."

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In fact, no team's training can be open forever. Even normal training is only open to the public for the first fifteen minutes, allowing the media and fans to see the players' warm-up exercises. When it comes to tactical training, everyone will drive away the onlookers.

But that's normal training.

Klopp's closed training directly sealed off the training base, and reporters and visitors were not allowed to enter. There was no fifteen-minute open period, and reporters could only be blocked outside the gate.

At the same time, there was no more training content on Borussia Dortmund's official social media accounts.

This deprived reporters of their source of information, which was like smashing their rice bowls. Of course, the reporters would be very unhappy, so they tried their best to ridicule and attack Dortmund.

When the Dortmund team reappeared in front of the media, it was the pitch familiarization training the day before the match.

It was also when Klopp attended the pre-match press conference. He had to appear in front of the media and face the reporters' anger and ridicule. Klopp had cancelled the club's routine press conferences before, but the UEFA Champions League pre-match press conference was stipulated by UEFA, and he couldn't cancel it or not attend. If he was absent from such a press conference without a valid reason, he might be penalized by UEFA.

UEFA would certainly not allow such examples. If they were not penalized, other coaches would follow suit, and if they were in a bad mood, they would not go. What would be the point of having a pre-match press conference?

This time, Klopp attended the pre-match press conference himself, and also brought Zhou Yi to attend.

Klopp revealed the reason for the team's closed training: "...I hope the team can stay focused and undisturbed, so I chose closed training. I don't think there's anything special about it, and I'm surprised that you can interpret so many meanings from it... To be honest, sometimes I really admire your imagination..."

Zhou Yi interjected, "What would happen if humans had no imagination? It's unimaginable, so all the media friends here and those who didn't come are the hope for the future of mankind. Please take care of your health..."

The master and apprentice sang in harmony, mocking the reporters to their heart's content.

Some reporters laughed it off, while others with small minds secretly vowed: You better not lose to Atlético Madrid, otherwise, it won't look good in the media!

Some reporters were unwilling to wait until after the game to fight back, so they clung to "closed training" and insisted that Klopp explain it clearly.

"Isn't closed training that doesn't allow reporters into the training base not normal? And Dortmund has rarely made such training arrangements before. There are also speculations from the outside world that you are afraid of your opponents, I wonder if this is true?"

After asking the question, the reporter was quite pleased with himself, feeling that he had thrown a very thorny question to Klopp.

If Klopp didn't admit that they were afraid of their opponents, then they were lying. If they admitted it generously, they would lose face.

Anyway, there was a pit waiting for them.

But unexpectedly, after Klopp and Zhou Yi exchanged glances, they gave an answer that surprised everyone.

"Of course it's not true. We are in closed training, just because we are studying secret weapons to deal with Atlético Madrid!"

Klopp's answer was sonorous and powerful, shocking everyone present.

Zhou Yi chimed in beside him: "Yes, we have been training tactics to deal with Atlético Madrid, everyone is working very hard and desperately. Now, after three days of hard training, we have achieved good results!"

Zhou Yi said seriously, but it made the reporters below laugh.

When Klopp said it, they hadn't reacted yet, but when Zhou Yi said it, many people felt that Zhou Yi was deliberately being funny.

Because Zhou Yi sometimes says very nonsensical things in a very serious tone.

For example, this time, if there wasn't the last sentence, some people might really believe it, but the last sentence revealed the truth—how could a secret tactic be developed in three days? Isn't this a joke?

So everyone thought Zhou Yi was just being funny.

Besides, if Dortmund really had secret weapons, how could they reveal them so easily? If their previous closed training was for secrecy, wouldn't it be a waste of secrecy to actively reveal it now?

Although there is only one day left before the game, it is also like giving Atlético Madrid a warning in advance.

The real secret weapons are only revealed when the opening whistle of the game sounds.

Only in this way can the opponent be caught off guard. How can you announce that you have secret weapons before the game even starts?

This is completely inconsistent with normal people's thinking and Klopp's style.

Klopp is crazy, but he is also cunning.

So does what he said really mean that Dortmund has secret weapons?

The media reporters had a big question mark in their minds.

And it is not ruled out that Klopp and Zhou Yi are joining forces to sing a duet, bluffing, releasing smoke bombs, interfering with Atlético Madrid's normal preparation work, creating trouble for them, and making them suspicious...

If Atlético Madrid really takes the trouble to guess and study what secret weapons Dortmund will use, then they will be fooled and fall into Klopp's trap.

Now everyone knows how cunning Klopp is, right?

This pre-match press conference was simply to dig a hole for Simeone.

So will Simeone be fooled?

When it was Simeone's turn to attend the pre-match press conference, he was asked this question by reporters.

"Secret weapon?" Simeone was stunned for a moment, then chuckled, and then shook his head and said, "I don't know, but we will still focus on ourselves."

The reporters from Madrid breathed a sigh of relief—it seemed that Simeone had not been fooled, so they were relieved.

Simeone is also very cunning. In the current process of two people fighting wits, Simeone should not have been taken into the pit by Klopp.

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"Do you really have secret weapons, Zhou Yi?" In the "Excluding Old Guo" group, Sun Pan was chatting with Zhou Yi about this issue.

Atlético Madrid was a team that Sun Pan played for for two years. Although he left there, he still has feelings for this team. After all, many players in that team, including the coach Simeone, are friends of his, and they get along very well.

He is of course very concerned about the game between Atlético Madrid and Dortmund.

Zhou Yi did not directly answer this question, but asked him: "Panpan, I know you have a good relationship with many people in Atlético Madrid, so are you here to find out information for them?"

Sun Pan sent an angry expression: "What do you take me for! Do you think I'm Lao Yang!"

Yang Muge sent a sweating expression.

However, he can't refute Sun Pan about this matter. Because during the first Ruhr derby of this season, he was indeed entrusted by the coach Jens Keller to inquire about whether Zhou Yi could play.

As a result, he was of course "played" by Zhou Yi, but he was a spy first, so he naturally couldn't accuse Zhou Yi of deceiving him...

Later, everyone in the group revealed this matter, and they knew about Yang Muge's failed "Infernal Affairs"...

Zhou Yi said: "Oh, but it doesn't matter. A gentleman is open and honest, and a villain hides his chicken. How can I, such an honest person, lie to my brothers? That's right, we of course have secret weapons specifically for Atlético Madrid! This is what we came up with by pooling our wisdom!"

He Ying felt that Zhou Yi's statement was unreliable: "Three days, what secret weapon can be developed in three days?"

"With the whole team united, what's impossible? Brothers working together can break gold! United, we can create miracles!" Zhou Yi did not directly answer He Ying's question, but gave everyone a bowl of chicken soup.

Guo Nu couldn't stand it anymore: "Bullshit!"

"Damn, even Lao Guo can see it, Zhou Yi, your bluffing is too failed, right?" Sun Pan laughed.

"Tch, if even Lao Guo can understand our awesomeness, wouldn't we be at the same level as Lao Guo?" Zhou Yi said with disdain.

"Damn, I don't know what Lao Guo thinks. I'm not someone who likes to stir up trouble, but if this was me, I definitely wouldn't be able to stand it!" Sun Pan instigated.

Guo Nu sent an expression of covering his face and laughing to tears: "I'm not surprised at all..."

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When the group started a new round of blackening Lao Guo, Sun Pan was on the phone with Atlético Madrid coach Simeone.

"Secret weapons? There's no such thing." Sun Pan said to Simeone in a very certain tone. "Zhou Yi always has some quirky ideas, maybe this is what he came up with to interfere with you. And hasn't he done such things before? Before the Ruhr derby, Yang Muge asked Zhou Yi privately if he would play. Zhou Yi said he wouldn't, so what happened? He started! He caught Schalke 04 off guard!"

"There's such a thing?" Simeone coaches a La Liga team, so he doesn't know much about the Bundesliga league.

"Of course there is. I know Zhou Yi, the more serious he is, the less you can believe what he says, he is especially good at deceiving. How else could he be a central midfield organizer? He has a strong heart!"

Simeone put down the phone and was still recalling what Sun Pan had told him.

Zhou Yi is very young, but in terms of cunning, he is probably already at the level of an old hunter... What a monster!

Fortunately, he has an inside line, otherwise he really wouldn't be able to figure out what he was thinking.

Now that it has been determined that it is just a bluff, there is nothing more to think about, just prepare for tomorrow's game according to the original plan.