The winter break was gradually coming to an end, and Mourinho had finished his preparations for the upcoming matches.

Real Madrid would summon the players on December 31st to prepare for the second half of the season.

However, before that, Mourinho had to visit Florentino Pérez's residence.

In the estate, Florentino was leisurely enjoying his afternoon tea when his secretary approached.

"Mr. Mourinho has requested a meeting."

Hearing this, Florentino frowned slightly.

He wasn't particularly fond of Mourinho's sudden, unannounced visits.

Or rather, he didn't like the trouble Mourinho often stirred up at the club.

Since Mourinho had solidified his position in the locker room, the entire atmosphere had become turbulent.

Although Florentino hadn't said anything, it didn't mean he was unaware.

Previously, at Suker's request, he had given a small warning to both Mourinho and Casillas.

But now, the two seemed to be at odds again.

"What is it this time?"

Florentino rubbed his temples and asked.

The secretary shook his head. "He said he wants to discuss it with you in person."

Florentino sighed. "Let him in."

Soon, Mourinho was led into the estate by the secretary.

"I need more support from the club!" Mourinho sat down and immediately got straight to the point.

Florentino was clearly displeased but continued, "We already support you quite a bit. We've even given you the vocal backing you wanted."

The subtext was, what more do you want?

"Neymar!"

Mourinho declared loudly. "I went to the technical director, and he told me that the reason we haven't made progress in our dealings with Neymar is because we want him to spend a year proving himself in the second team, right?"

Florentino nodded. "Yes. Except for a few star players, many who want to join Real Madrid have to prove themselves in the second team. Raúl, Carvajal, and Casillas all went through the same process. We treat everyone equally."

"But some old rules need to be changed!"

Mourinho insisted.

Florentino said sternly, "Are you questioning Real Madrid's traditions?"

"No!" Mourinho waved his hand. "On the contrary, I support them. But some outdated traditions are truly unnecessary. Just like with Suker, Kaká, and Srna, make an exception for him. He doesn't need to prove himself in the second team; he can contribute immediately."

"But we already have Suker and Bale on the wings. Do you still want Neymar? Does he fit into your tactical plans?"

Mourinho scratched his head. "Actually, I've already discussed this with the technical department multiple times. I've explained my team-building ideas and lineup choices to them, but they chose to ignore me."

Florentino took a sip of tea.

Had it ever occurred to this guy why the technical department was ignoring him?

Or was he feigning ignorance?

"I think there are some issues with how our technical department operates. Faria has plenty of experience in this area. I hope he can serve as a consultant for the technical department or take on a more important role."

Mourinho spoke at length, but Florentino's expression grew increasingly grim.

"I believe that for a team to operate healthily and efficiently, the management and the head coach need to have a certain standing and communicate with each other. I want to turn the technical department into a bridge for communication. We can—"

"Enough!"

Florentino said sternly, "So, you just want Neymar, right?"

Mourinho nodded. "Yes!"

"I understand," Florentino said. "I'll notify the technical department. I have an important meeting to attend, so I won't see you out."

Florentino issued the dismissal, and Mourinho took the hint, rising to leave.

After Mourinho left, Florentino slowly let out a breath and said to his secretary:

"Does he not know what the technical department is for?"

The secretary replied, "Mourinho is a professional head coach. He can't possibly be unaware that our technical department holds the authority over transfers."

Florentino said, "So, he wants to enter the technical department to gain control over transfer decisions?"

The secretary ventured, "Maybe he just wants to place someone there to get some insider transfer information?"

"Do you think that's likely?" Florentino asked. "If he wanted insider information, he wouldn't need to plant someone. As the head coach, he should already have access to transfer details."

The secretary fell silent!

Florentino slowly leaned back and sighed.

"José has many good qualities. He can generate buzz, he can bring championships, he has excellent coaching abilities... but he's too greedy!"

Outside Florentino's estate, Mourinho drove away in his car.

Faria was in the driver's seat, listening to Mourinho's account, and he couldn't help breaking out in a cold sweat.

"Hey! Man, you're provoking Mr. Pérez. You can't do this!" Faria grew anxious.

Everyone knew about Florentino's obsession with controlling Real Madrid. Asking him to give up transfer authority was nearly impossible.

"So I was testing him," Mourinho said calmly. "Testing him bit by bit. Last time, I got his support. This time, I got Neymar."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure. Mr. Pérez will at least meet one of my conditions. Otherwise, our relationship can't solidify. If he doesn't plan to outright fire me, he'll abandon so-called traditions. Of course, I'd rather get you into the technical department."

"I'm not going!" Faria shook his head vehemently. "You know I'm not good with transfer operations. I don't have as many tricks up my sleeve as you do. Your conflicts with Iker, your mutual benefits with Suker, your game with Mr. Pérez—I don't want any part of it. Honestly, man, the things you do scare me. One wrong move, and we could lose our jobs!"

"See, you understand perfectly well."

"Because you told me!"

Mourinho smiled. "Don't worry, I know what I'm doing. But—"

Mourinho's eyes grew determined. "I won't give up!"

Faria opened his mouth but ultimately sighed in resignation.

He knew exactly what Mourinho wanted.

To be like Ferguson at Manchester United.

Or like Wenger at Arsenal!

He wanted to become that kind of head coach. At the very least, he wanted the first team and the transfer department to operate according to his vision.

Mourinho had always believed that the head coach was the soul of a team.

The head coach understood the first team's composition and its issues better than anyone.

Therefore, owners who were willing to delegate authority to the head coach were good owners!

However, whether it was Abramovich (Chelsea) or Florentino Pérez (Real Madrid), neither was prepared to give Mourinho that kind of power.

His fallout with Chelsea and his strained relationship with Abramovich also involved some issues regarding transfer authority.

Mourinho had always pursued this power but had never obtained it.

In Europe, there was a type of head coach called a [Manager]. Unlike ordinary Coaches, they were fully responsible for the team's football affairs, including first-team personnel decisions and youth development. In terms of buying and selling players, the sports director was merely the executor of the head coach's will, not the decision-maker.

In this regard, the classic examples were Ferguson, at Manchester United, and Wenger at Arsenal!

These two were the most representative [Managers].

However, this type of coach was most common in the Premier League, which was why many famous coaches were drawn to the Premier League.

No coach could resist the temptation of such authority.

And for Mourinho, this temptation was even more irresistible.

Of course, mid-to-lower-table Premier League teams had previously offered Mourinho such terms to become their [Manager].

But Mourinho's ambitions were too grand.

He didn't want to be a [Manager] for a mid-to-lower-table team. The authority might be significant, but the financial constraints would prevent him from building the team as he saw fit.

However, top clubs weren't willing to give him this opportunity, so he had to fight for it step by step.

He knew it would be difficult to demand transfer authority at Real Madrid, but where there's a will, there's a way. The process was inherently slow.

Once he secured his voice in the locker room, he would gradually infiltrate the youth academy.

When the time was ripe, he would find an opportunity to confront Florentino directly!

In any case, he wouldn't give up on transfer authority!

The best approach was to test Florentino's boundaries bit by bit, break through those boundaries gradually, and eventually achieve his goal.

As they entered the Real Madrid training base, the club's crest was visible at the entrance.

Mourinho's eyes fixated on the crest.

Or more precisely, the crown on the crest!

"What the hell?"

In the private jet flying to Madrid, Suker looked at the newspaper in his hand, utterly stunned.

"Marca": [Real Madrid Reaches Preliminary Agreement on Neymar Transfer, Brazilian Prodigy Nears Bernabéu!]

Reading this report, Suker's eyes nearly popped out of his head.

"Marca" was Real Madrid's mouthpiece. If they published it, it meant Real Madrid wanted to send a message to the outside world.

Other reports from Marca might not be trustworthy, but those about Real Madrid were always accurate because they came from internal sources.

"The Neymar from Santos?" Srna nodded. "He's really talented. If it weren't for his team holding him back, he could perform even better. In fact, I think he could already be at our starter level by age 19!"

Suker looked up. "Wait, why is he coming to Real Madrid?"

"Why shouldn't he?" Srna rolled his eyes. "He's playing well. What's wrong with joining Real Madrid?"

"You don't get it!"

Suker snapped.

Srna shrugged.

Suker, on the other hand, was utterly confused.

What was going on? In the original timeline, Neymar had also been closely linked with Real Madrid, but it never reached the point of being reported like this.

If "Marca" dared to say this, the transfer was almost certainly happening.

But if Neymar transferred to Real Madrid, what would happen to Barcelona?

What about MSN?

Gone?

After a pause, Suker froze.

Why was he panicking?

This might not be a bad thing!

Breaking up MSN would make his challenges easier.

As for having a wolf like Neymar around, it was better than letting him grow wildly elsewhere.

Suker always believed that Neymar had the potential to reach historic levels and even threaten him.

Besides, the guy was still young. Having him work for him while he was young wouldn't be so bad, right?

With this thought, Suker suddenly felt relieved.

Previously, he had been worried about Neymar because he saw him as part of the original MSN trio, which had the potential to threaten him.

But if this guy joined Real Madrid, many problems would be avoided.

As for whether he could keep Neymar in check—if Messi could do it, why couldn't he?

Snap!

Suker tossed the newspaper onto the table and smiled. "Not bad."

"Huh?"

Srna looked puzzled. A few seconds ago, Suker had seemed upset, but now his mood had suddenly changed.

However, he didn't dwell on it.

Back at the villa in Madrid, Suker and the others had just returned when Kaká showed up.

"Did you hear the news?" Kaká asked.

"About what?" Srna said.

"Neymar!" Kaká said happily. "To convince him to choose Real Madrid, I called him five times!"

Suker was surprised. "You know him?"

"Of course!" Kaká shrugged. "Everyone in Brazil knows Neymar. Even though he's with the Olympic team and hasn't played for the senior national team yet, he's trained with us. We know exactly how good he is!"

Suker's mind went blank for a moment.

Damn it!

The problem wasn't with the club but with the national team!

In the original timeline, the 2014 Brazil World Cup would see the host nation suffer a humiliating defeat!

The image of the old man holding the World Cup trophy, his face filled with grief, was still vivid in his memory.

But now the problem was... Brazil hadn't been broken!

Kaká was leading the midfield as the captain of the Brazilian national team.

Up front were the samba dancer Neymar and the workhorse Pato.

There were also Maicon, Marcelo, David Luiz, Oscar, Hulk, Thiago Silva, Alves, and others...

This Brazilian team was strong!

Suker rubbed his head in frustration.

He had been too focused on the club and had overlooked the national team issue.

He had suggested Kaká's transformation.

He had implemented Pato's transformation.

And now, Neymar might arrive early.

Had he accidentally created a powerhouse Brazilian team?

In fact, during the 2014 World Cup, Brazil, though lacking in star power, was not weak.

They simply lacked experience and placed too much pressure on Neymar.

This led to the team falling apart after Neymar's injury.

But now, with Kaká and Pato around, they could share the pressure with Neymar.

"What's wrong?" Kaká asked with concern.

Suker shook his head. "I'm tired. I need to sleep."

"But it's only 7 p.m.!" Kaká looked at the time.

"Get out!"

Suker said irritably.

His mind was in chaos. He needed to rest and sort out his thoughts.

Kaká and Srna left.

Suker sat on the quiet sofa, pondering the earlier issues.

From the club level, Suker had been paving the way for himself, taking bold but careful steps.

But he never expected to create such a massive change.

In the original timeline, Brazil was in a transitional phase.

After Kaká's injuries led to his decline, Neymar was forced to bear too much pressure. If Kaká could have played a few more years, Brazil wouldn't have declined so quickly.

But now, things were different. Brazil had bridged the gap!

Kaká had become a crucial link.

Especially a Kaká playing in midfield!

He had the experience and the skills!

He could solo when needed and provide support for Neymar and Pato.

There was also the impressive Oscar.

At this point, Oscar hadn't been turned into a "workhorse" by Mourinho yet. He was still full of creativity.

And with Kaká backing him up, his performance would undoubtedly reach new heights.

The butterfly effect—a small butterfly flapping its wings could create a gust that turned into a storm on the other side of the world.

If a small butterfly could do that, what kind of effect was he?

When he flapped his wings, could anything good come of it?

He just never expected to change the fate of the Brazilian national team.

Sigh~~~~~~

Suker exhaled and shook his head.

Whatever!

It didn't matter who he had to face—whether it was Germany or Brazil, they would have to bow down this time.

They had made significant progress, and so had Croatia!

Croatia's current starting lineup could hold its own against any possession-based football powerhouse. It was worth a fight.

After organizing his thoughts, Suker looked up and realized two hours had passed.

Tomorrow was the first training session after the break. He needed to recharge, especially since he had been running around during the holidays, handling various matters and participating in events like Mostar Zrinjski's 100th anniversary. His body and mind were somewhat exhausted.

Time to sleep early!

After a quick shower, Suker lay down to sleep.

After breakfast, Suker grabbed his gear and headed to the training base.

Kaká, Srna, and Bale did the same.

They didn't discuss the Neymar issue, and Beale didn't bring it up either.

But they all understood, and Bale knew perfectly well that Neymar's arrival would inevitably become his competitor.

And a formidable one at that.

Suker also noticed Bale's expression.

This, Suker thought, was the right effect.

Neymar couldn't directly challenge him—at the very least, he would have to get past Bale first.

As for which of the two would come out on top, Suker couldn't say for sure.

But that wasn't his concern. Mourinho or future coaches would handle that.

As long as it didn't interfere with his plans, it was fine.