48 Guardiola Can't Sit Still

"Let's take a look at this play."

Inside the CCTV broadcast studio, when Werder Bremen suddenly accelerated to launch a counter-attack, journalists Marcy Tiwan and Hussk Baker were both excited.

"Pledl successfully intercepts, passes to De Bruyne, Dortmund is on full-speed defense!

De Bruyne's pass is excellent, very penetrative, Dortmund's defense is in danger!

Lin receives the ball, dodges Leitner, then Ginter, clean and slick, the opposing defenders must be feeling frustrated!"

"One-on-one, he's about to shoot! Oh no, he's tackled down!"

Hussk Baker quickly commented,

"I don't know how the referee will rule on this play; Dortmund's center-back Hummels tackled Lin from the side, whether he touched the ball or not, it's a dangerous move, he might get a card, and if he made contact with the player first, it could be a red card plus a penalty!"

"The referee signals a penalty and gives Dortmund's number 15, Hummels, a red card, even though he keeps explaining it wasn't intentional, the referee shows no signs of changing his decision, just signaling him to leave the field."

"Dortmund players seem very agitated; they're surrounding the referee, seemingly protesting this ruling."

"Lin seems to be injured; Werder Bremen players are rushing into the penalty area!"

Compared to the referee's decision, Marcy Tiwan was more concerned about Lin's injury:

"Lin seems seriously injured. He hasn't moved since falling. His exact injury status is unknown, but Hummels' red card decision is clear."

"Yes, this kind of tackle from the rear is very dangerous for players as they can't anticipate the tackle and may get hurt, even career-threatening injuries!"

After dismissing Hummels, the main referee walked to the fallen Lin, examined him for a moment, and then signaled for a stretcher to carry him off.

Werder Bremen's medical team rushed to the scene; seeing Lin's pained expression, they anxiously asked, "Lin, how do you feel?"

Actually, Lin wasn't injured much; he noticed the opponent's tackle and made a dodging move in advance. Though he was still brought down, he avoided direct harm. His inability to get up was mainly due to a severe leg cramp from intense sprinting, compounded by exhaustion.

Understanding this, the medical team breathed a sigh of relief.

They quickly straightened Lin's leg and helped relax his muscles.

Although cramps after exercise aren't a major issue, they can be quite uncomfortable.

The home fans jeered Lin, thinking it was a dive, and protested the referee's ruling as unfair.

But at that moment, the big screen replayed the scene, leaving them speechless.

On the screen, it was clear that Hummels' tackle from the side didn't touch the ball but kicked the player. Even a layman would notice it was a clear foul.

Unable to accuse the referee of bias or call Lin a diver, they reluctantly accepted the decision.

Nevertheless, due to the opposing player's actions, number 10, which led to the red card and penalty, it was fair to boo him!

The stadium filled with boos as Lin was carried off amid them.

At the moment Lin fell injured, Schaaf had the substitute players on the bench begin warming up for a potential substitution.

By the time Lin was being treated on the sidelines, Werder Bremen's winger Aaron Hunt had already entered the field.

"Is the injury severe?"

Schaaf, concerned about Lin's injury rather than the penalty outcome, approached the team's medical team leader for answers.

"At present, the injury doesn't seem severe, but further examination is needed," replied the medical team leader.

"Well, arrange a comprehensive examination, leaving no details overlooked!"

As Lin lay injured, Schaaf's heart felt gripped by something painful. He feared that the potential rising star the team had just acquired might be ruined at his hands.

Therefore, he placed particular emphasis on Lin's health issues.

Young players might believe they're in good physical shape and not take their injuries seriously enough.

However, this mindset is flawed. Neglecting early-career injuries could lead to major long-term risks.

In the future, when injuries compound and worsen, they may regret not taking precautions.

There are countless talented footballers whose careers have been ruined by injuries. Hence, major clubs in recent years have placed high emphasis on their medical teams, hiring professional sports and medical experts at high salaries.

No longer were the days when a goalkeeper acted as a doctor; those days were long gone.

Schaaf was deeply concerned about Lin's injury. In Munich, Guardiola, watching Lin fall on TV, immediately stood up, his face filled with nervousness and fear.

He understood very well what an injury at the young player's age meant; it could directly ruin their professional career!

Lin's professional career has only just begun, so if it's easily ruined like this, he's worried that he will not recover from it.

"Sorry, Mr. Hoeness, I have an urgent matter to attend to. We can talk about the things you mentioned earlier another time!"

He stood up, apologized to the other person in the conference room, and then turned around to leave.

"Um, Coach Guardiola, your son's injury shouldn't be too serious. Our intent contract is almost final, we just need your signature. Maybe you could sign the contract first..."

Hoeness was somewhat speechless. Even if you care about your son, there's no need to be so hasty!

How much time does signing a document take anyway?

However, Guardiola hadn't even finished speaking when he left the conference room, leaving the other person and Guardiola's agent wide-eyed.

"By the way, is Coach Guardiola always this agitated?" Hoeness was a little annoyed. After spending an entire day with him, showing him around the team's squads, youth training, grounds, and even the locker rooms.

And when it came to signing, he just left after a brief remark, which made him feel slighted and disrespected.

Rummenigge shook his head:

"That's not normally the case. Pep is a very humble person and doesn't usually behave like this, but when it comes to people he cares deeply about, he may lose control."

"How many people are so important to him? I'm not prying into Coach Guardiola's privacy, but you know, I need to eliminate risks for the team. You can't have our head coach leaving the team casually, can you?"

Rummenigge replied sternly, "You can rest assured about this. Although Pep has a fiery personality, his professional ethics are beyond doubt. I can tell you that there aren't many people he cares about deeply. Apart from family members, only two people have received this level of attention from him on the pitch!"

"Oh? Who are they?" Hoeness asked curiously.

"Barcelona's number 10 player, Messi, and the person you just saw fall injured!"