Chapter 128: Lightning Assault
No matter how Djalminha felt about it, his hatred for José was inevitable.
For Djalminha, who came from a middle-class background, football was merely a hobby. This prevented him from reaching greater heights—something that could be seen in his conversations with Irureta. At the end of last season, Irureta had half-jokingly told his student, "If you can keep your red cards under three for the entire season, you could win the World Player of the Year award."
Djalminha's response was natural: "Screw the Player of the Year." He simply didn't care.
Because of this attitude, this most unprofessional of professional players had always treated football as a form of entertainment. Last season, his performance was top-tier, helping Deportivo La Coruña secure their first-ever league title. However, this season, his form had dipped, which led to the more hardworking Valerón gradually securing a starting spot. Even so, Irureta still relied on Djalminha more.
"I'll make that guy realize that he has no right to criticize my playing style!" Djalminha spat during an interview.
Because of this statement, the atmosphere leading up to the match grew tense...
"Kala, stick to Djalminha. Frustrate him. Got it?" José instructed Kaladze in the locker room.
Kaladze nodded. How do you neutralize an unstable genius? By getting under his skin and letting his emotions affect his game. And Djalminha happened to be exactly that kind of volatile talent.
Coaching battles aren't fought on the pitch—something not many coaches understood at the time. But for José, it was second nature. The information overload of the future had already taught him the advantages of such tactics. Against someone like Djalminha, whose talent was as extraordinary as his temper, this strategy was even more effective.
With that instruction given, José shifted his focus to the attack.
"Deportivo's defense isn't bad, but it's not as solid as Valencia's. Their center-back Donato is already 39 years old. He's still playing well, but his reaction speed has inevitably declined. Samuel, he'll be your primary target. Beat him with your pace. As for the other center-back, Naybet, Albert, keep him occupied and create openings for Samuel. Romero and Pablo are both excellent attacking full-backs, so we need to suppress their wing play. Control the midfield and take the fight to them."