The office building of the Villarreal training base, the manager's office.

Pellegrini sorted out the few documents he had read in his hand, put them away, sighed softly, and walked to the window.

Outside the window, the players are training, no different from before, and they are completing every training project seriously. But Manuel Pellegrini knows that everything is a little different, at least, his players are not as calm as they appear to be.

In the penultimate round of the league this past year, they drew at home to rivals Valencia, and they would have been able to accept a win or draw in the past, but it was clear that picking up just one point in this period of time was a devastating blow to the team – as it meant that Villarreal had lost control of their destiny.

The team has worked hard for a season, but in the end, it is likely that the basket will be empty, and such a result is difficult for anyone to accept.

But that's the way it is, they have dropped to fifth in the league by two points, while Atletico Madrid have replaced them in the top four. Although there is still one final round of the league and Villarreal may not have a chance to regain fourth place in the league, the initiative is no longer in their hands. Even if they sweep away the slump and finish the league with a win, if Atletico Madrid still wins, then Villarreal will have to play in the UEFA Cup next season.

In the semi-finals of this season's Champions League, I can only play the League Cup next season, and I have tasted the highest level of European club competition, but I have to play a League Cup that has dropped by more than one notch in terms of gold content, influence, and attention, which is actually very unpleasant.

"When did I, and my team, ever dismiss the UEFA Cup?"

Pellegrini also had something wrong in his heart, and it was this mistaste that made him laugh at himself. When he first came to the town and took over the team, Villarreal was still a fish belly struggling on the brink of relegation, although he came here with ambitions, but if someone told him that in a few years, his team would become a powerhouse in La Liga, and even reach the Champions League semi-finals, and more than once, I am afraid he would mock the other party for having a sick brain, otherwise how could he talk nonsense in broad daylight.

It's not that he doesn't have confidence in himself, it's not that he doesn't have confidence in his players, it's that he thinks that no matter how hard he and the club work, if a country team wants to grow into a league powerhouse, as long as it is ten or twenty years...... But now......

Thinking of this, Pellegrini shook his head self-deprecatingly, in the past, their goal was to be relegated every year, but now at least next season they can play in the League Cup, and they still feel unsatisfied.

After a long sigh, Pellegrini continued to stand on the sidelines and watch the players running in the heat below. Being squeezed out of the top four in the final stage of the league is a painful thing, but no matter what, life has to go on, the game has to go on, even if Atletico Madrid still doesn't give them half a chance in the last round, but at least, they have to work hard to win the game, maybe a miracle will happen?

It's always more rewarding to do your best than to do nothing.

At the very least, do what you can do first, and maybe when the opportunity comes, they will be able to seize it.

While thinking this, a crisp bell suddenly rang in the empty office. It's the phone on the desk that is vibrating.

Pellegrini walked over, picked up his phone, and looked at the name of the caller displayed on the screen, and he suddenly lost his mind. But only slightly stunned, he pressed the answer button.

"The season is almost over, Mr. Manuel."

An unusually calm voice came from the phone, and the owner of the voice was as casual as if he was chatting with an old friend.

But Pellegrini knew that he and the owner of the voice were not that familiar, and although they would send text messages to greet each other on some important days at some times, in fact, some practical topics were not touched by the two of them sensitively.

"yes, the season is almost over, Mr. Perez."

Pellegrini sighed and said, when he said this, he had a lot of sense of loss in his heart, after all, he really wanted to lead the small city team to achieve good results, not to mention fighting for the league title, but also to keep the team in the top four and qualify for the Champions League next season, but now it seems that this hope is undoubtedly very slim.

'It's a shame that you've dropped out of the top four.'

If someone else said such a thing, Pellegrini might think that the other party was deliberately calling to mock or see a joke, but on the other end of the phone was Florentino, the newly reinstated president of Real Madrid, Pellegrini didn't think the other party would be so boring, and he also heard a faint loss from the other party's tone.

Thinking of a team like Real Madrid, which is aiming to win the championship every season, is now only ranked third in the league, and is suppressed by its sworn rival Barcelona, and is still pressed by an ordinary team like Sevilla, it is estimated that the arrogant Lafayette is also full of unhappiness, so Pellegrini naturally has a feeling of "the same end of the world".

Sure enough, on the phone, Florentino's tone became even more regretful and unwilling, and Pellegrini could even imagine that on the other end of the phone, Florentino held the phone but had a cold face.

"I'm also full of regrets for my team, once again we were in competition and we were being crushed by the Catalan guys. So, I still stick to my point that Calderón is an idiot because he played the worst hand with a good hand! ”

"So, Mr. Perez, you're back."

Pellegrini smiled.

"I want to be able to change this passivity, Real Madrid is the best club in the world and it should be at the top of the mountain, not halfway up the mountain and watching someone step on their head and stand on the top."

"I heard that after that conversation, you seem to have signed a new contract with Villarreal? It seems that there is a lot of liquidated damages? …… You know, Mr. Manuel, I'm not trying to point you at anything, because in my opinion, the more valuable a great coach is, the more he is worth it. ”

"Do you understand what I mean? So, my question is, are you ready? ”

When Florentino said the last sentence, Pellegrini, who had already had a premonition in his heart, couldn't help but be stunned for a moment, at this moment he had already walked back to the window with his mobile phone, and the players below were still running, looking at this group of disciples who had gone all the way with him to today, Pellegrini suddenly had a strong impulse to refuse, but in the end, his reason still prevailed over emotion.

He had already decided to leave at the end of the season, he also had a "napkin" agreement with Florentino, and most importantly, he wanted to go to a bigger stage, to get bigger honors - he was hungry for success, he wanted to be a real world-class champion coach!

In fact, he also thought that if Florentino forgot this "agreement", then he would treat it as if it had not happened, and then continue to fight with Villarreal with peace of mind, but obviously, Florentino is a very "contract spirit" person, he defeated Calderón in the general election as he wished, and when the season was about to be technical, he called and fulfilled the agreement.

Although it is somewhat out of place to leave when the team is likely to play in the UEFA Cup next season, and may even leave others with a bad image of "sharing prosperity and prosperity, but not suffering", Pellegrini really has no way to refuse the temptation from Real Madrid.

"Of course."

This is Pellegrini's answer to Florentino.

Then the two sides hung up the phone, and there was no more unnecessary communication, because, everything was silent, and both of them knew what they should do next.

Pellegrini's eyes gradually became firm, and after a long exhale, when he turned again, his eyes changed rapidly, from firm to stunned, and he saw a thin figure standing at the door of the office, like a wooden stake, looking at him fixedly.

Such a blank look in his eyes, in this period of time, Pellegrini has seen it many times before, but this time, Pellegrini is still a little flustered, because he feels that this time, Fan Bizhuang is not in a daze, but "despised" him with his eyes - despise him for being a deserter in a small town.

Although he probably felt that this was just his own delusion, Pellegrini waved his hand slightly awkwardly and said, "Fan, why are you here?" ”

"Is it a call from over there?" Fan Bizhuang was still so indifferent, as if he was casually saying some innocuous little things, and without waiting for Pellegrini to answer, he added as if asking himself, "I heard your conversation." The voice on the phone was loud. ”

Hearing Fan Bizhuang say this, what else could Pellegrini say, he could only continue to nod awkwardly.

In fact, he wanted to explain, after all, he was likely to leave the town, and Fan Bizhuang had known about it a long time ago, but Fan Bizhuang didn't give him a chance to explain, and he quickly spoke to himself repeatedly.

And the words that came out of his mouth made Pellegrini a little shocked.

"Mr. Manuel, does what you said before still count?"

"What?"

"Take me with you."

Pellegrini was dumbfounded, the corners of his mouth twitched in shock, and then he saw that Fan Bizhuang had turned around, walked away, and slowly disappeared at the end of the passage.