Capítulo 51: Set Sail
After getting the money, Lin planned to buy some training equipment to keep at home for regular workouts.
The recent match made him realize that his current physical condition wasn't enough to last the full game.
If he didn't work on improving his stamina, it might take until next year or even longer for him to earn a spot in the starting lineup.
Just as he finished purchasing the equipment and was returning home with the delivery person, he found unexpected visitors at his house.
"Pep, what are you doing here?"
Seeing that it was Guardiola, Lin was very surprised. He thought Guardiola should be busy preparing for his wedding. He never expected to see him here.
"I saw you getting injured in the match, so I came to check on you. Is your injury okay?" Guardiola asked with concern.
After leaving Munich, he first went to Dortmund, then rushed over upon learning that Lin returned with the team to Bremen.
"I'm fine. The team doctor examined me using the team's equipment, and there's no issue," Lin replied.
Upon hearing this, Guardiola let out a sigh of relief.
What he feared most was hearing that Lin had suffered a serious injury. But seeing him lively and active, he knew the likelihood was low.
"That's good!"
At that moment, Guardiola noticed the training equipment being moved into the house by the workers.
"Did you buy these yourself?" he asked.
"Yeah, I plan to train more to improve my stamina and strive for an early opportunity to start in the lineup!" Lin replied.
"Starting at your age might be a bit premature. You should start as a substitute, get accustomed to the rhythm of the Bundesliga, and then strive for a starting position."
Listening to 16-year-old Lin's desire to compete for a starting spot, Guardiola was deeply impressed.
When he was 16, he was still working his way up in the youth team!
He didn't debut on the Camp Nou stage until he was 19, and didn't establish himself in the first team until he was 21.
Compared to himself, Lin had a much earlier start.
But after watching Lin play in a match, Guardiola realized that his talent was much stronger than his own at a young age.
If he was just an ordinary soccer star, then Lin had the potential to become a superstar.
"Yeah, the coach said the same thing," Lin replied.
After dismissing the team, Coach Schaaf had a special talk with Lin. They discussed his tactical role in the upcoming season, with Schaaf telling him he would be the team's attacking core.
But his stamina wasn't enough to last the full game. Therefore, Schaaf hoped he would accept the tactical arrangement to come on as a substitute in the second half.
A substitute as the team's attacking core? If others heard this, they would think Schaaf was tricking a kid.
But Lin believed Schaaf was telling the truth. He didn't deceive himself.
He accepted Schaaf's arrangement, but that didn't mean he was willingly accepting a substitute position.
So he had to train his stamina to meet the coaches' requirements and strive for a starting position as soon as possible.
"It's good to have this determination, but be mindful of the training load. Avoid injuring yourself, especially at your age, preventing injuries is crucial!" Guardiola knew Lin's strong-willed nature, so he didn't say much, just reminding him not to hurt himself.
Guardiola stayed in Bremen for two days, during which he had a friendly conversation with the club's coach Schaaf. They talked very comfortably.
Guardiola introduced to Schaaf his training philosophy for Lin and his tactical positioning in Barcelona's youth team.
Schaaf sought advice from Guardiola about Messi's usage in the Barcelona first team, including as a winger, and a tactical player.
Among the players Guardiola coached, Messi was the most talented and the one he was most proud of.
Regarding how to use Messi, Guardiola had his own insights.
If others asked him this question, he definitely wouldn't tell them.
But it was different when Schaaf asked, because Guardiola could tell that Schaaf seemed to intend to use Lin as Werder Bremen's Messi.
Upon careful consideration, the playing styles of these two were very similar, even their way of dribbling was almost identical.
Perhaps the way Messi was used at Barcelona would also work at Werder Bremen?
On the last day, after treating Lin's foster family to dinner, Guardiola left Bremen and returned to Catalonia.
Before leaving, he reminded, "Don't forget to come back to attend my and Serra's wedding, it's scheduled for October 1st!"
"Don't worry, I'll remember!" Even if it meant taking time off, he would return to his foster parents' wedding. Moreover, the team didn't have a match that day, so he had to be there.
Guardiola left, and Lin's vacation came to an end.
On August 9th, the players began to return to the club for reporting.
On this day, Werder Bremen officially announced the completion of all transfer work for this season on their official website.
All the summer acquisitions were set to make their appearance at the Weserstadion on August 11th, in a friendly match against Aston Villa, a Premier League team. Also, the team's jerseys for the new season would be officially available for sale.
This summer, Werder Bremen brought in a total of 11 players—three on loan, four purchased, two free transfers, and two promoted from the club's youth team.
While the number of new players was significant, the spending on acquisitions was not high. The three loan players cost a total of 1.25 million euros, the four purchased players cost 8.5 million euros, totaling 9.75 million, less than 10 million.
This level of spending was considered a frugal model for a small to mid-sized football club.
On August 11th, Werder Bremen hosted a friendly match at home against Aston Villa.
At the pre-match player meeting, the eleven summer signings were introduced one by one.
Nearly 45,000 spectators attended the event, almost filling the stadium. The reason for the large attendance was mainly due to the team's outstanding performance in the Telekom Cup. Fans saw signs of the team's revival, rekindling their passion for watching football.
The unexpected victory in the Telekom Cup was a pleasant surprise for Werder Bremen's fans. They had thought they were merely accompanying their prince, but the team unexpectedly won the championship. Although the championship didn't hold the same prestige as league or national cup trophies, it was still a trophy after all.
Moreover, these two games allowed the fans to get to know the new faces of the team. Players like Lukimya, Selassie, Elia, and the two young talents, Lin and De Bruyne, received recognition from the fans.
Lin's strong finishing ability and De Bruyne's talent in linking up the attack were unanimously recognized by the fans. As a result, they began to look forward to the team's performance in the new season.
Because the fans had an early introduction to these new players through the two matches, they enthusiastically cheered for them when they took to the field. Among them, De Bruyne and Lin received the loudest cheers.
When Lin, wearing the number 10 shirt, entered the field, all 45,000 fans stood up, chanting his name. Some fans even wore the newly released jerseys of the new season, with the number 10, representing Lin.
He, who hadn't even played in a Bundesliga match, had already become the most popular player among the fans!
This scene was captured by a reporter from the "Bild" newspaper and became a classic photo discussed by many fans in the future.
The 2012-2013 season, Werder Bremen was ready to set sail.
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