The moment Zidane said he wanted to change the formation, the Real Madrid players around him immediately began whispering among themselves.
Shock and disbelief were written all over their faces.
Zidane looked around calmly before speaking again.
"Previously, our formation leaned more toward a 4-3-3," he said. "But in the next match, I want us to play a 5-4-1."
The room fell even quieter.
"Compared with the 4-3-3, the 5-4-1 is much more conservative. So in the next match, our main tactic will be defensive counterattacking."
As soon as Zidane finished speaking, the Madrid players broke into an uproar.
As captain, Ramos was the first to speak directly.
"Coach, why do we need to play on the counter?" Ramos asked, his voice full of confidence. "We're stronger than Bayern. Let's just attack them head-on. We can definitely win."
His words quickly gained the support of several Madrid players.
Varane, Carvajal, Marcelo, and a few others all agreed with him. After all, this Real Madrid side had crushed almost everyone in front of them this season.
They had won La Liga eight rounds early, demolished Liverpool, and humiliated Barcelona more than once.
Playing conservatively now felt strange.
But Zidane's expression did not change.
It seemed he had already expected this reaction.
He explained calmly, "For the first seventy minutes, we will base ourselves on defense. After seventy minutes, we will take the initiative and catch them off guard."
He turned toward the tactics board.
"During this period, I've watched a large number of Bayern Munich matches. This team are extremely good at scoring within the first sixty minutes. Their intensity at the start of matches is very high, and once they find rhythm, they can overwhelm any opponent."
The Madrid players gradually quieted down.
"So during the first sixty minutes, we need to avoid their sharpest edge," Zidane continued. "On the other hand, Bayern often concede in the final ten minutes. Their defenders tend to lose focus when the match approaches its end. That will be our best chance to score."
After hearing Zidane's analysis, the Madrid players stopped questioning him.
Of course, they would not have dared to question him too much anyway.
Zidane possessed absolute authority inside Real Madrid's dressing room.
Ramos' earlier comment had only been spoken out of instinct. He would never openly oppose Zidane.
After all, when Ramos had first joined Real Madrid, Zidane had already been the club's biggest superstar.
In the following training session, Madrid focused more on defensive drills.
Every player worked extremely hard on the training ground.
At five in the afternoon, Real Madrid's training session officially ended.
Just as Theodore Bjorn was about to return to the hotel and rest, his phone suddenly vibrated.
It was a message from Ma Fanshu.
[Theodore, are you free after training? I'd like to do an interview with you.]
Because the match between Real Madrid and Bayern Munich was attracting enormous attention back home, all the major sports media outlets were scrambling to report on anything related to the game.
The sports channel also wanted to seize the traffic, so they specifically entrusted Ma Fanshu with interviewing Theodore.
After receiving the message, Theodore did not refuse.
[Sure. Let's do it at the hotel.]
After that, Theodore sent Ma Fanshu his room number.
As Real Madrid's current leading star, Theodore usually stayed alone whenever the team traveled for away matches, so Ma Fanshu interviewing him in his hotel room would not disturb anyone else.
...
At seven in the evening, Ma Fanshu finally arrived.
She had applied exquisite makeup and wore a pair of black high heels, making her look more polished than usual.
"Sorry, I'm late."
Theodore shook his head, indicating that it was fine.
After a few simple greetings, the interview officially began.
"First question," Ma Fanshu said, looking at him with a professional smile. "Do you think Real Madrid have the ability to beat defending champions Bayern Munich away from home?"
Theodore replied almost without thinking.
"I believe Madrid have the strength to beat Bayern. There are many talented players in this squad."
Ma Fanshu continued, "Real Madrid have already won La Liga, but the award ceremony will only be held in the final round. How many trophies do you think Madrid can win this season?"
"Three," Theodore said. "La Liga, the Copa del Rey, and the Champions League."
Ma Fanshu immediately followed up, "After the season ends, the Euros will begin. Do you think Norway can make it out of the group stage?"
Hearing this question, Theodore could not help smiling.
"Of course we can qualify."
His answer carried absolute confidence.
"Do you really think Norway getting out of the group is something difficult?"
Ma Fanshu quickly waved her hand.
"No, no, of course I have confidence in you. But Norway haven't made it out of the European Championship group stage for a very long time. In fact, for a long time, they couldn't even reach the main tournament…"
Theodore remained calm.
"From now on, Norwegian football has risen," he said. "I will lead the Norwegian national team all the way to the final and win the European Championship!"
...
After that, Ma Fanshu asked Theodore several more questions, and Theodore answered them openly.
He gave as much detail as possible.
Then Ma Fanshu glanced down at her notes and smiled.
"Last question. This one is from Uncle and Auntie."
Theodore looked at her.
"When are you getting married?"
"Ah?"
Theodore stared at Ma Fanshu with a completely blank expression.
"Pfft!"
Seeing his reaction, Ma Fanshu could not help laughing.
She quickly explained, "Ever since your birthday party ended, Uncle and Auntie have been chatting with me. They really want me to persuade you to get married earlier."
Theodore waved his hand.
"Right now, I only want to focus on my career. First, I'll help Real Madrid win the Champions League. Then I'll help Norway win the Euros."
He paused, then added, "Only after finishing those things will I think about it."
After Theodore finished speaking, disappointment clearly flashed across Ma Fanshu's face, but she quickly adjusted her emotions.
"I support you," she said with a smile. "As a man, you should focus on your career first. Good luck."
By the time Ma Fanshu finished the interview, it was already past nine at night, almost ten.
Considering that Munich was not particularly safe late at night, Theodore asked her to stay.
He had thought Ma Fanshu would refuse, but unexpectedly, the moment he said it, she agreed.
That instantly made Theodore feel that something was not quite right.
Sure enough.
The two of them spent a beautiful night together.
...
The next day, Theodore arrived at the training ground in high spirits as usual.
In fact, he seemed to have endless energy during training.
He kept running at high intensity and worked extremely hard, which also earned Zidane's approval.
At noon, training ended, and Theodore went to the restaurant with his national team teammate Ødegaard for lunch.
At that moment, the beautiful sports channel reporter finally slowly opened her eyes.
...
After the interview report was released, it quickly sparked heated discussion among fans.
In less than ten hours, the number of clicks had already surpassed one million.
It instantly became a blockbuster report.
📰 CCTV Sports: Exclusive Interview With Theodore Bjorn! Real Madrid's New King Targets the Treble and European Championship Glory!
📰 Dongqiudi: Theodore Speaks Before Bayern Clash: "Madrid Can Beat Anyone — Norway Will Rise Too!"
📰 Titan Sports: From La Liga Champion to Champions League Favorite! Theodore Declares His Ambition for a Historic Season!
📰 Sina Sports: Theodore Sets His Sights on Three Trophies With Real Madrid — Then the Euros With Norway!
📰 Madrid Sports: No Fear of Bayern! Theodore Bjorn Ready to Lead Real Madrid Into the Battle of Munich!
On social media, Chinese fans immediately flooded the comment sections.
📱 @MadridCN_Insider ✔
Theodore saying Madrid can win the treble sounds arrogant from anyone else. From him? It sounds like a schedule.
| ↳ 📱 @WhiteShirtFaithful
| Reply: La Liga is already done. Copa del Rey is close. Champions League is the real final boss.
📱 @NorwayFootballWatch ✔
"The Norwegian national team will rise." Theodore really said it like he's about to drag the whole country into a new era.
| ↳ 📱 @TheodoreEraCN
| Reply: If anyone can do it, it's him. Real Madrid, Norway, doesn't matter. He carries.
📱 @DongqiudiUser7788 ✔
Theodore vs Lewandowski is going to be insane. Best young monster against the best number nine in the world.
| ↳ 📱 @UCLNightTalk
| Reply: Bayern are strong, but if Theodore plays like he did against Liverpool and Barça, nobody is safe.
📱 @FootballCNLive ✔
Real Madrid have already won La Liga eight rounds early, but Theodore's eyes are clearly on the Champions League now. Bayern are next.