Chapter 113: A Sudden Turn for the Worse

“Damn it! This is just asking for trouble!” Dai Zhiwei was getting ready to head to team training that morning, but after taking a phone call, he couldn’t shake his unease and nearly ran a red light.

Just as Villarreal was preparing for their Champions League playoff against Monaco, a sudden piece of news completely shook the club to its core.

Three days after Villarreal clinched the UEFA Super Cup, the club officially announced the dismissal of head coach Marcelino García Toral. This shock announcement sent ripples throughout Spanish football.

Villarreal’s chairman, Roig, revealed that Marcelino was being fired due to alleged match-fixing, which had severely damaged the club’s reputation.

Last season, in La Liga’s 38th round, the "Yellow Submarine" unexpectedly lost 0-2 at home to Sporting Gijón, a defeat that helped Gijón avoid relegation and led to Rayo Vallecano—who had "betrayed" Villarreal back in 2012—being relegated.

Was this poetic justice?

Dai Zhiwei didn’t believe Marcelino had arranged to throw the match. Having spent the majority of his playing and coaching career in Gijón, and now with Villarreal firmly secured in fourth place, why would Marcelino want to see his enemies relegated?

If anyone should be investigated for match-fixing, it was the final round of 2012 that demanded scrutiny.

Back then, Zaragoza and Rayo Vallecano were one point behind Villarreal, and Granada was just one point ahead—four teams fighting to avoid relegation.

What followed was a drama worthy of fiction: Zaragoza maintained a two-goal lead and survived, while Granada and Rayo Vallecano faced each other. When Villarreal trailed by a last-minute goal from Falcao, if Rayo beat Granada, both teams would stay up.

In the final minutes, Granada inexplicably slowed their play. In the 90th minute, with Rayo winning, an obvious offside by Tamudo was allowed.

In the end, Villarreal was relegated.

Video footage caught Rayo players blatantly urging Granada players to ease up. Michu later admitted in an interview that as soon as they knew Villarreal was behind, they began lobbying the opponents.

Was there more to the story?

Spanish media largely pointed the finger at Villarreal’s center-back, Musacchio, as the catalyst for Marcelino’s dismissal.

The Argentine was set to be bought by AC Milan at the end of July, but Milan’s financial difficulties stalled the transfer.

Marcelino demanded Musacchio resolve the matter quickly and return to training, as Villarreal’s first Champions League qualifier was approaching.

Musacchio maintained a firm stance with club executives: even if Milan didn’t come through, he was considering other clubs.

Marcelino, however, was adamant: no sale.

He believed Musacchio had no right to request a transfer and certainly shouldn’t skip training. The conflict exploded.

Marcelino said, “Not only are you not leaving, but you must apologize for your lackluster attitude in training. Otherwise, you won’t play—just sit on the bench and finish out your contract.”

Additionally, Dai Zhiwei knew Marcelino even tried to strip Musacchio of his vice-captaincy.

The root cause?

Marcelino was an ambitious coach who wanted control over player signings to build the team according to his tactical vision. In his first few seasons, the club granted him significant transfer autonomy and brought in many players he requested.

Two months ago, the club director, Colton, resigned. Logically, Marcelino’s power should have grown, but the club signed Pato and Cheryshev—and other new players—without his knowledge, which infuriated him.

Especially after the unprecedented back-to-back triumphs in the Europa League and UEFA Super Cup, Marcelino became even more arrogant, demanding greater authority.

Dai Zhiwei had assumed the club’s leadership would compromise, acknowledging the team’s recent successes. At worst, he thought the standoff would continue indefinitely.

But to his surprise, these fools chose to sever ties abruptly, announcing Marcelino’s dismissal just two days before the Champions League playoff against Monaco.

Dai Zhiwei’s relationship with Marcelino was ordinary, but the coach had shown him some recognition. More importantly, firing the head coach at such a critical moment felt like the club was giving up on the Champions League altogether.

After Marcelino’s dismissal, Villarreal appointed Fran Escrivá as the new head coach.

The 51-year-old Spaniard previously managed Elche, leading them to promotion to La Liga as Segunda División champions in the 2012-13 season. Last season, he took charge at Getafe but was sacked in April due to poor results, with Getafe eventually relegated.

“Damn it! They let go of the coach who won the Europa League and Super Cup, and hired a fool who just got a team relegated and was fired a few months ago!” Dai Zhiwei slammed the horn on the steering wheel in frustration. “Villarreal’s leadership are pigs, just like the Chinese Football Association—complete idiots!”

“No, calling them pigs is an insult to pigs!” he cursed again, then decided not to go to training. He turned around and headed home—after all, the team didn’t even have a coach today.

As the team’s star player, this was his way of sending a message to the club’s management: they could act recklessly, but they must never disregard the players’ effort and dedication.

He didn’t care about any punishment for missing one training session, and he doubted Escrivá, who had just taken over, would penalize him for it.

...

Sighing, Dai Zhiwei stood with his hands on his hips, staring silently at the giant screen showing a 1-2 scoreline before lowering his head.

This was the first leg of the 2016-17 Champions League playoff, held at Villarreal’s home ground, the Cerámica Stadium, against Monaco.

Last season, Monaco finished third in Ligue 1 and entered this season’s Champions League at the third qualifying round.

Though Monaco’s summer signings were few, they brought in strong players like Sidibé, Glik, and Mendy, all solid starters, strengthening the squad.

This match marked Escrivá’s debut as Villarreal’s coach. Soldado was out injured, so Pato and Dai Zhiwei led the attack. On Monaco’s side, the “Tiger” Falcao was absent, and Germain played up front.

In the week since Escrivá’s appointment, the team had descended into chaos—no clear tactics, no settled starting lineup. Many players signed under Marcelino feared being sold before the transfer window closed.

What kind of fighting spirit could Villarreal muster in such conditions?

Just three minutes into the match, Ndiaye, playing center-back, committed a foul in the box, conceding a penalty.

Fabinho stepped up and calmly slotted home, putting Monaco ahead 1-0. Villarreal fell behind at the very start.

In the 36th minute, Monaco sent a cross into the box, but neither side controlled the ball at the first attempt. Pato won the second ball and flicked it toward the center, where Dai Zhiwei headed it home, leveling the score at 1-1.

It was Dai Zhiwei’s first Champions League goal, but he showed little excitement, merely making a gesture like blowing a whistle, as if fulfilling a duty.

Most Villarreal players looked just as dispirited as Dai Zhiwei, playing more out of professional commitment and loyalty to their home fans than passion.

This Villarreal was a far cry from the team that had just defeated Real Madrid in a last-minute thriller to claim the UEFA Super Cup a week earlier.

After halftime, in the 72nd minute, Monaco launched a swift counterattack. Bernardo Silva skillfully beat defenders before shooting. The ball deflected off Gaspar’s calf, wrong-footing Asenjo, who could do nothing as the ball slipped in.

Monaco led 2-1 again.

Despite trailing, Villarreal tried to mount a comeback, with Dai Zhiwei leading the charge.

In the 87th minute, Mendy passed to a sprinting Dai Zhiwei, who was then fouled. Frustrated, Dai Zhiwei loudly protested the referee’s decision and was shown two yellow cards in quick succession, resulting in a red card.

Unfortunately, the dismissal came too late to change the outcome. Escrivá failed to make effective tactical adjustments, and Villarreal lost 1-2, leaving their qualification hopes in jeopardy.

In the second leg, Monaco only needed a draw or a narrow 1-0 loss at home to advance to the Champions League group stage.

Villarreal’s European journey this season was now teetering on the edge of a cliff.

If Dai Zhiwei had a clear conscience about his performance in this match, that would be nonsense. Still, he gave at least 95% of his effort. But in the current state of the team, what good was his individual effort?

After the loss, his frustration was tinged with a certain schadenfreude toward Villarreal’s leadership.

“See? Your reckless actions have probably cost the club at least ten million euros by risking Champions League qualification,” he thought bitterly.

Three days after the first leg against Monaco, Villarreal faced their opening La Liga fixture.

Did anyone expect Escrivá to turn around the chaotic team in just three days?

Of course not.

Notably, Escrivá had never managed a mid-table or upper-table team before.

He might be adept at keeping teams safe from relegation, but leading a team to glory was beyond him—indeed, he had failed even at survival.

Despite this, Escrivá fielded many of his loyal players in the first league match. Villarreal, though the away team, played with more vigor in the first half, with Dai Zhiwei spearheading attacks against Granada’s defense.

Unfortunately, they squandered several chances without scoring. Granada adapted and tightened their defense, successfully maintaining a 0-0 scoreline into halftime.

Dai Zhiwei’s form remained affected by the team’s atmosphere, limiting his impact. However, his skill level was far beyond that of Granada’s defenders, who couldn’t mark him out of the game.

After the break, in the 61st minute, Dai Zhiwei’s dribble won a free kick. Castillejo took it and struck directly into the bottom right corner, breaking the deadlock at 1-0 for Villarreal.

Dai Zhiwei hoped this goal would lift the team’s spirits, but just three minutes later, in the 65th minute, Granada earned a corner. Ponce headed the ball home to equalize at 1-1.

Neither side scored afterward, and the match ended in a 1-1 draw. Villarreal sat eighth in the table, with a record of one draw and one loss under their new coach.

Fans grew anxious, knowing that in three days, the team would travel to Monaco for the Champions League playoff second leg.

The only consolation was that Monaco’s start to the Ligue 1 season had been underwhelming. After two rounds, they had one win and one loss, ranking sixth.

Monaco’s first league match was a home draw against Guingamp, a nail-biter, and last season they had a slow start. However, they had played several friendlies and Champions League knockout games before the season, so there was no question of lack of cohesion—their main issue was fatigue.

Last week, Monaco eked out a 1-0 away win over Nantes in a hard-fought match, claiming their first league victory. Fatigue would likely hamper them in the upcoming playoff second leg.

Lately, Monaco’s defensive vulnerabilities had become apparent—they conceded in nine of their last ten matches. Dai Zhiwei’s goal in the first leg had given Villarreal a lifeline, but the outlook was bleak.

Would the second leg see Villarreal stage a comeback, or was this the beginning of their downfall?

...

“Gooooooooooooooooooooooal!”

The Monaco fans in the stands erupted in wild celebration, shouting alongside their comrades, determined to burst through the clouds blocking the sun.

“1-0! Aggregate 3-1!” the Monaco commentator exclaimed with frenzy. Fabinho’s powerful penalty strike had put Monaco two goals ahead on aggregate, inching them closer to the Champions League group stage.

“We’re now two goals up on Villarreal. We’ve nearly killed them off. Their only fate is elimination. Go home, Spanish!”

“Damn it! Damn those bastards!” Dai Zhiwei cursed furiously.

Down 1-3 on aggregate with less than twenty minutes to play, even with stoppage time, Villarreal was hanging by a thread, half-fallen off the cliff.

(End of chapter)