Chapter 758: Rapid Integration

Chapter 758: Rapid Integration

In early July, Wang Feng ended his vacation and quietly arrived in Manchester with Lu Yao.

This international metropolis, located in the northwest of England, was as bustling as Milan or Madrid. It had a long history, once the birthplace of the cotton textile industry and the world's first industrialized city.

However, strolling through the streets, one could hardly see many classical buildings anymore. Since the 1960s, Manchester had been undergoing urban renewal projects, with many old buildings demolished and replaced with new ones.

The first thing the Chinese superstar settled was his residence. Without being too picky, he chose a wealthy area 20 kilometers from the city center, near Stockport. The entire community looked like a beautiful garden.

Celebrities like Beckham and Cristiano Ronaldo also owned properties in this area. Sun Jihai also lived here during his time at Manchester City. He believed that both the environment and security here were excellent enough.

The two of them were interested in a newly built, pure white, two-story villa. There weren't many rooms, but they were all spacious, with large windows and plenty of sunlight. Although it couldn't compare to the estates in Madrid, it was excellent in all aspects.

Of course, the price was excellent as well, a whopping £8 million. When Wang Feng paid for it, Lu Yao felt a bit sorry, "Brother Feng, why don't we just rent a room? After all, we won't be staying for many years."

Wang Feng smiled and reassured her, "We can afford it. Renting won't be as comfortable as having our own property to live in. Besides, Manchester is a big city, and buying a house now is considered an investment."

After sorting out the accommodation, the Chinese superstar reported to the Manchester City training base the next day, a week earlier than the team's requirement. In this new environment, he needed to be fully prepared for a fresh start.

The training base covered 80 acres and took six years to build, costing a total of £200 million. It had 16 football pitches, one of which could accommodate up to 7,000 spectators.

The training facilities were top-notch, with modern recovery centers, well-equipped hydrotherapy facilities, luxurious dressing rooms, spas, and even restaurants.

Manchester City also emphasized youth development, not only focusing on football skills but also partnering with a nearby high-quality school for academic education.

It could be seen that Mansour's investment in Manchester City wasn't just about making money; he had a deep love for football and wanted to create a dynasty of the Sky Blues.

Such a harmonious atmosphere even surprised Pep Guardiola. It was then that he understood why he had lost so miserably back then. Apart from technical aspects, the power of unity alone was enough to move people.

There was also a trivial matter. Vincent Kompany, the captain of Manchester City, wanted to pass the captain's armband to Wang Feng, but he was sternly refused, "You are the most suitable captain, Vincent. As a newcomer, I also need your help."

Wang Feng wouldn't even fight for the No. 10 jersey with Aguero, so how could he accept the captaincy? Although the Argentine didn't say anything, he was deeply grateful. From the Chinese superstar, he felt full respect.

Guardiola arranged for the players to practice passing and receiving the ball in the first training session, which was in line with his tactical thinking.

There were also many participants, including last season's main players, substitutes, and newly joined players.

The new coach naturally had a completely new criterion for selecting players, which meant that the starting lineup might change significantly. Therefore, many players were eager to perform well.

The training was mainly divided into three stages. First, pairs of players stood facing each other with a small arch in between.

The maximum number of times they could pass the ball through the arch to each other with one touch, while ensuring the ball stayed on the ground, increased continuously.

This training could effectively improve the sense of passing and accuracy, as well as the speed of receiving the ball.

The second stage added some dribbling exercises. Still in pairs, but now there were two small arches instead of one.

One player dribbled sideways and passed the ball through one arch to the other player.

The other player had to move sideways and pass the ball through the other arch back to the first player.

They continued this back and forth, and the actions got faster and faster.

The third stage was somewhat like a game of 'monkey in the middle.' Four players formed a group, with one player in the middle acting as the defender, and the other three passing the ball to each other.

Of course, this training had more restrictions. The ball had to stay on the ground, and there were strict rules regarding the time spent with the ball and the target of the pass.