I Am Jose-Chapter 101 - : Professional Player Ronaldinho

After speaking with Piri, José dismissed the thought of immediately talking to Ronaldinho. True, everyone needed to decompress, especially with Christmas coming up. There was no need to burden Ronaldinho with a conversation that could ruin his holiday. José also needed a break. He planned to spend Christmas with his father and take some time for himself—to relieve the stress. While the games were important, it was equally essential not to fixate on them every day.

José's father, old Alemani, was thrilled that his son would spend Christmas with him. Ever since José moved out at eighteen, though they'd shared several Christmases together, in recent years it had become rare. José was either busy studying coaching courses or working as a coach for the youth or senior team. His father hardly saw him anymore—José was always busy with club affairs, more so than Alemani himself, who was the president.

Seeing his father so happy, José felt a little guilty. Even though José's soul had no connection to Alemani, this body belonged to the Alemani family. José had avoided these matters before, but now that he had "reincarnated" and replaced the previous José, he realized that he had inherited his responsibilities. So, for the next few days, José fulfilled his duties as a son, ensuring his father was in high spirits. He found that it wasn't as hard as he expected—children in Europe were no different from those in China. As long as they spent time with their parents and had a little chat, their parents were happy.

However, what José and his father talked about most was club matters. There was a significant difference here compared to Chinese families. If a Chinese father saw his son, at twenty-six, still single with no sign of a girlfriend, he would likely start arranging blind dates for him. But European fathers were not so concerned. As long as Alemani knew his son's sexual orientation was normal, that was enough.

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The father and son mainly discussed club matters. The Mallorca club's finances were stable. Despite not having European competition revenue this season, expenses had also decreased. José had signed a few players, but apart from Ronaldinho and Eto'o, others had lower wages. Moreover, the club had trimmed its roster, further reducing salary expenditures. According to Alemani, there wouldn't be a financial deficit this season.

Hearing this, José relaxed. After all, Mallorca's finances had always been healthy. The deficit last season was due to the assumption that income from the Champions League would cover the gap. With that not happening, the club had spent a lot on player transfers and salary increases, which led to the deficit. This season, without European competition, they had been more cautious. Alemani's claim that there wouldn't be a financial deficit made sense, especially since the club hadn't qualified for European competitions this year. If they could reach the top four, even two Champions League qualifiers would bring substantial revenue.

After enjoying a relaxing Christmas with his father, José got back to work, feeling good about it. Of course, the team wasn't gathering just yet, but the only issue left for José to address was Ronaldinho.

While José valued players like Eto'o and others as important future contributors, Ronaldinho was different. He was seen as the core player. José was very clear on this. Eto'o and the others were main players with well-defined roles—they could perform well as long as they played in their positions. Ronaldinho, on the other hand, was to be the focal point of the team.

On December 26th, just one day before the team gathered, José arrived early at the training base to handle some matters. Though Mallorca had a mild climate year-round, the days around Christmas were still cold. José walked through the grass-covered but now withered training ground, feeling the chill in the air. This was rare in Mallorca.

As he passed by the first-team training field, José was surprised to see Ronaldinho practicing on his own.

"Huh? Ronaldinho is so dedicated, still training during the holiday?" José watched as Ronaldinho practiced free kicks, reminded of the Brazilian's later career—after the 2006 World Cup, his performance dropped as he indulged in the nightlife, and his six-pack abs transformed into a distended belly. Despite all this, here was Ronaldinho, working hard.

But after a moment's thought, José understood. Ronaldinho's decline had more to do with his lack of discipline, exacerbated by his brother, Assis, who had been more lenient with him, offering advice like avoiding nightclubs. That change led Ronaldinho to refocus and regain his passion for the game, becoming the world's best player for several years.

The cold air surrounded Ronaldinho, and his breath formed visible clouds as he continued to practice his free kicks. José could tell that Ronaldinho had been at it for a while.

"Well done, Ronaldinho, not bad for someone I've worried about for so long," José thought. He finally understood why Ronaldinho had risen so quickly to become the world's top player in just a couple of years at Barcelona: raw talent combined with hard work, and a stable private life. A player like that would succeed unless something major held him back.

Unlike another star with the same name who had suffered from injury after injury, Ronaldinho rarely experienced serious injuries. His later fall from grace had more to do with a lack of motivation and a decline in physical condition caused by his reckless lifestyle. This was evident from how his once-sculpted abs had transformed into a bloated belly. A poor physical state no longer allowed him to perform at his best, despite his incredible technique.

What happened to Ronaldinho in the future was beyond José's control. After all, José wasn't a god, and attitudes could only be changed by the person himself. What José cared about was that Ronaldinho performed well now, and that was enough.

After some time, José watched as Ronaldinho struck a superb free kick that flew past the wall and into the top corner of the net. José couldn't help but clap his hands in appreciation. The sound echoed through the quiet training field.

Startled, Ronaldinho turned and saw José clapping from the sidelines.

José walked onto the field, smiling. "That was a beautiful free kick. If this were in La Liga, no more than three goalkeepers could have stopped that."

"But I can't make them all the time... and good free kick opportunities don't happen often," Ronaldinho replied honestly.

"The best free kick takers in the world don't score more than 30% of the time from prime positions. If it were that easy, football would be simple. You'd just find a great free kick specialist, create free kick situations, and score goals. Free kicks are important, but they're just one way to score," José said, picking up the towel Ronaldinho had left on the field and handing it to him.

Ronaldinho nodded, wiping the sweat off his forehead and neck. The weather was cold, but when working out, it wasn't an issue. Once stopped, though, the sweat could easily cause a cold.

"Still training?" José asked as Ronaldinho finished wiping his sweat.

After thinking for a moment, Ronaldinho shook his head. "No, I've already trained for two hours this afternoon."

"Training nonstop isn't good—it could hurt your body," José nodded in approval, patting Ronaldinho on the back. "Go take a hot shower. Afterward, come to my office. I'd like to have a chat with you."

Ronaldinho nodded and walked toward the training base's building. While Mallorca's facilities weren't the best, they were sufficient for a La Liga team. After a training session, there were always hot showers available.

José walked toward the office building, rubbing his hands together. Ronaldinho's sweat had soaked his clothes, and José realized that the clap he gave earlier had left his palms damp. Though he wasn't obsessive about cleanliness, the feeling of moist palms was uncomfortable. After washing his hands in the office, José dried them and began mentally preparing for his conversation with Ronaldinho.

As someone who had lived in China in a previous life, José valued communication with his players. He believed that many player-manager conflicts arose from a lack of communication and misunderstandings about roles—like the rift between Ferguson and Beckham. At the heart of their falling out wasn't Beckham's marriage to Victoria but the clash of visions regarding Beckham's career. José didn't want a similar situation. Even if he had to part ways with a player, he preferred it to be a peaceful, mutually beneficial decision.