The Greatest Of All Time

by Stayrr

Dive into a novel about the rise of a legendary sportsman. Follow Zachary Bemba on his journey to become the G.O.A.T (Greatest Of All Time) in the soccer world. He travels back to a time in his past where opportunity abounds. Access to a system capable of propelling him to greater heights is just the icing on the cake. From a nobody born in one of the poorest and most remote pla

39. 495 - 336

The Greatest of all Time #Chapter 495 Preparing To Return To Action - Read The Greatest of all Time Chapter 495 Preparing To Return To Action Online - All Page - Novel Next

After moving into the new villa, Zachary settled into a productive routine. Over the next few days, he would wake up early at around six and either jog around his beautiful neighborhood in Pinerolo, Piedmont, or go through a gym session within the comfort of his home. Then, a bit later, after enjoying a lavish breakfast prepared by Inger, his newly-hired professional chef, he would have Angelo drive him to the Vinovo, where he would spend hours attending Juventus' team training sessions.

In the evening, after putting in a few hours of his own personal training to hone his ball skills and free-kick technique, he would head to the language school and spend ample time learning Italian. The classes would end at around nine, and he would then have Angelo drive him back to his villa, where he would quickly return to his bedroom and jump into bed for the night.

Day in, and day out, Zachary didn't waste any waking moment in the slightest. He was so focused on improving himself as a person and a footballer that he even forgot to reach out to Eric Bailly for a few days. He only recalled that he'd forgotten to call his former teammate after his Thursday classes ended early and his schedule opened up slightly.

That day, he arrived home at around 7:00 PM and then enjoyed a sumptuous dinner prepared by Inger, his newly-hired professional chef. After the meal, he returned to his room and cleaned up before settling on his bed and dialing Eric Bailly's number through WhatsApp.

"Hello, Zach!" Eric Bailly was quick to reply. "Long time no talk, big man. How are you doing?"

"I'm doing fine, Eric," Zachary replied. "What about you? How is life at Tottenham taking you?"

"I can say quite well," Eric said with a chuckle. "I have already managed to make the first team. So, I'm having a blast playing in the Premiership. The only regret is that you didn't choose to join Tottenham with Kasongo and me."

Zachary also chuckled in response. "It wasn't time for me to join the Premier League. That's why I couldn't join Tottenham."

"Oh!" Eric Bailly sounded surprised. "Does that mean you'll join in the future?"

"Maybe, maybe not." Zachary didn't dare to give a definite answer as he'd just joined Juventus. Sighing slightly, he continued, "For now, I'm still focused on enjoying my time here in Turin. Let's put club football aside. Congratulations on defeating DRC over the weekend. I saw on the news that you won by two goals to one in Kinshasa."

"Thanks," Eric Bailly said. "And I'm sorry about my team defeating your home country. We just had to win, as we really wish to qualify for next year's African Cup of Nations."

"No problem, man," Zachary said dismissively. "You don't need to apologize. There's always a winner and a loser in football matches. And this time, my country was on the losing end. End of story."

Eric Bailly chuckled in response.

"Eric!" Zachary said. "I need a favor."

Ads by Pubfuture

There were a few seconds of silence before Eric Bailly's voice sounded again. "Well, that's surprising. What do you need help with?"

Zachary took a deep breath and told Eric about his biological mother and how she was from Ivory Coast. Then, building from there, he also informed Eric about his wish to represent the Ivorian football side in as few words as possible. He then ended his short narrative by requesting his former teammate to help him contact the Ivorian Football Federation.

"Oh, my!" Eric Bailly exclaimed after hearing Zachary's request. "Do you really wish to represent Ivory Coast? Are you not joking with me?"

"Not at all," Zachary assured. "I'm being serious here. I have not played for any country before. So, if the Ivorian Football Federation is willing to take me up, I'll gladly represent them. I need to play for an African team that has prospects."

"This is excellent." Eric sounded excited. "I'm getting goosebumps just picturing you in Ivory Coast's orange jersey, partnering with Yaya Touré in midfield. Damn! With your addition, we would go places, and winning the African Cup of nations or advancing to the late stages of the 2018 World Cup would no longer be just a dream."

"I'm glad you're so welcoming of me," Zachary said, surprised by Eric Bailly's enthusiasm. "So, can you contact the Ivorian Football Federation on my behalf?"

"Of course, I'll contact them," Eric agreed readily. "In fact, let me contact the president immediately as this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for Ivory Coast. I would regret it for the rest of my life if any other country happened to poach you due to my dilly-dallying. Just give me a few minutes. Okay?"

"Okay," Zachary agreed. "Call me after you get a response. And thanks."

"No, don't thank me," Eric hurriedly said. "I should instead be the one thanking you for choosing to represent Ivory Coast. Just wait a few minutes, and I'll get an official response from the Ivorian Football Federation president."

Without waiting for Zachary to respond, Eric Bailly ended the call. It seemed he was in a hurry to call his home country's football governing body president.please visit panda-:)ɴᴏᴠᴇ1.co)m

Zachary, on his part, decided to busy himself with going through a yoga routine as he waited for Eric Bailly's response. He went through various relaxing yoga poses on the carpeted floor of his lavish master bedroom while listening to hip-hop music in the background.

Roughly a dozen minutes passed in a flash, and just when Zachary was about to execute the cow pose again, his phone rang, thus breaking him out of his routine. He picked it up and pressed the accept button without glancing at the screen.

"Hello, Zachary! It's me again." Eric Bailly's voice sounded as Zachary held the phone against his ear. "I have just gotten a response from the Ivorian Football Federation president."

"That fast!" Zachary exclaimed. "You were able to get a response quickly, even this late at night."

"Yes," Eric agreed. "As I said, this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for Ivory Coast. So, the president had to give me a response as quickly as possible, even if it meant waking up all the top brass of the country."

Ads by Pubfuture

"Is that so?" Zachary was a bit amused. "So, what was the verdict?"

"Of course, it's a yes from the top brass of the Ivorian Football Federation," Eric answered with a light chuckle. "The entire Ivory Coast, the president of the football governing body, and the rest of the football officials in the country all wish for you to represent them in international competitions. Those were the president's very own words."

"That's great," Zachary said, letting out a breath. "So, what's needed for me to join the Ivorian Football team? Is there a lot of paperwork required?"

"Yes, there is," Eric said. "You must process your citizenship papers before you can represent Ivory Coast. But that's just a minor issue for a player with your standing. After I talked to the Ivorian Football Federation president, he promised to delegate some people to help you process your papers. So, you don't need to waste time trying to prepare the paperwork to represent Ivory Coast yourself. Instead, the Ivorian officials will help you complete all the required procedures and, later on, inform you when everything is ready. Moreover, your biological mother is Ivorian, and you already qualify as an Ivory Coast citizen by descent. So, the process will be quite fast and simple, and you might even be able to represent Ivory Coast during January's African Cup of Nations."

"That's great then," Zachary said. "Thanks."

"No problem," Eric said. "The Ivorian officials will contact you, most probably tomorrow. They'll give you more details concerning the necessary procedures."

"Okay, I will wait for their call."

--

After ending the call with Eric, Zachary took another warm shower before jumping into bed for the night. He slept like a log and only managed to wake up when the clock hand had just pointed to the seven o'clock mark.

p An dD ɴᴏᴠᴇ1.cO,m He quickly went through his morning routine, including yoga, cleaning up, and breakfast, before heading to the Vinovo to attend that day's team training session. He then spent the rest of the morning going through various teamwork drills under the strict supervision of his coaches.

At midday, as he took a break from training, he finally received the expected call from the Ivorian officials. After making some small talk, they asked him for his biological mother's details and contact information, which he eagerly disclosed. Then, they requested his own details before ending the call with a promise to work on all his paperwork within two months.

Zachary, who was in maniac training mode, obviously pushed the matter of Ivorian citizenship out of his head immediately after placing the phone to the side. He joined the rest of his teammates for lunch at the canteen before attending the afternoon team training session with them. He worked hard for the next hour, only stopping when the coaches called a halt to the day's training.

Settling on the sides for a post-training water break, Zachary's started thinking about Juventus' tight schedule for the following few weeks.

It was one hell of a schedule for sure, as Zachary and the other Old Lady players would have to tough it out with Sassuolo in an away Serie A match the following day before heading to Greece and playing against Olympiacos in the Champions League on Wednesday, four days later. But that was not the end. After the Olympiacos game, team Juventus would play US Palermo (at home), Genoa (away), and Empoli (away) within a small window of a week before ending their busy schedule with other home games against Olympiacos and Parma on the 4th and 9th of November, respectively.

Zachary and the rest of the Juventus players were obviously in for a hard time, as they had to play seven matches in just over three weeks. They were all under immense pressure and had thus been training more intensively compared to the weeks prior.

Fortunately, the training on that day, which happened to be a Friday and the eve of Juventus' game against Sassuolo, had just ended early at around 3:00 PM. Thus, after attending Coach Allegri's pre-match tactical meeting, Zachary, who was tired as a dog, decided to return home and rest. He was hoping to relax and enjoy his afternoon within the safe confines of his villa so that he would be fresh and ready to play against Sassuolo the following evening.

--

Ads by Pubfuture

As scheduled, Juventus' match against Sassuolo kicked off at 8:45 PM the following evening in Reggio Emilia, Italy. The action within the Mapei Stadium, Sassuolo's home ground, heated up quickly, and it wasn't long before the teams started launching relentless attacks against one another.

One minute, the cheers of the visiting fans would hit a thunderous zenith as Juventus launched attacks through their highly-creative players, like Zachary, Andrea Pirlo, Carlos Tevez, and Fernando Llorente. But a few moments later, it would be the Sassuolo fans singing at the top of their voices as their team attacked Juventus with an indomitable impetus.

Obviously, both teams wished to draw first blood and score the first goal to gain an advantage early on in the game. They thus continued playing attacking football, going at each other like mad and causing the tension in the stadium to soar to unbelievable levels.

Spirited counters and wing runs became the order of the evening, and due to the highly offensive football on display, the game became fast-paced. The team formations also turned almost worthless as the playing field heated up with tension. And in such a manner, the time passed quickly, and soon it was the 27th minute.

At that moment, it was the Sassuolo players on the ball. They were trying to launch another offensive against Juventus with snappy exchanges through the middle. However, a misplaced pass by Simone Missiroli, their central midfielder, rendered their efforts fruitless and sealed their fate of losing possession.

"Whoosh!"

Arturo Vidal, the Juventus defensive midfielder who happened to be close by, immediately pounced toward the loose ball. He slid forth and prodded the ball toward the right flank with the tip of his outstretched boot. And with that effort, he set loose Stephan Lichtsteiner and initiated another lightning-fast counter.

Stephan Lichtsteiner, on his part, controlled the ball mid-stride before continuing his mad dash toward the other side of the pitch. He cut through the flanks like an incarnation of the Flash while prodding the ball forward. His pace was for the world championships, and he effortlessly raced past two opposing players before squaring the ball to find Zachary in the middle.

As usual, Zachary was composed, fast, and decisive while receiving the ball. Taking it in his stride, he feigned going right before going left to lose an opponent. Then, with a slight shift of pace, he skipped past another Sassuolo player before expertly threading the ball forward to find Fernando Llorente.

Fernando Llorente, who happened to be in fine form, of course, didn't disappoint. He skillfully edged past an opposing center-back to connect with Zachary's pinpoint pass. He then squared his body and curled the ball over the goalkeeper and into the back of the net.

Llorente's 28th-minute goal allowed Juventus to gain the advantage, and the score was then 1:0 in favor of the team from Turin. As a result, the almost impossible task of coming back from behind against the best team in Italy lay on the shoulders of the Sassuolo players. They had to attempt to score at least a goal while continuing to defend well to keep the Juventus attackers at bay. Otherwise, they would obviously lose the game on their home ground and thus disappoint their home supporters.

FWEEEEEEE*

With the sound of the referee's whistle, the game recommenced. And as expected, the Sassuolo players pressed forward, immediately launching an offensive against Juventus. Their urgency on the ball was evident in their playing style, and anyone watching the game could tell that team Sassuolo yearned to score an equalizing goal as soon as possible.

However, as the Sassuolo players pressed forward, they left spaces behind, and more opportunities began to open up for Juventus on the counter.

The highly creative Old Lady attacking players, like Zachary, Tevez, and Stephan Lichtsteiner, took advantage of the situation and almost extended their lead on multiple occasions. They even came close to scoring during the 43rd minute as Carlos Tevez's audacious bicycle kick smashed off the post before bouncing out of play.

pàпdá-ňᴏνêι.сóМ After the half-time break, the game continued, and the pressure from the Sassuolo players grew more relentless. By relying on brilliant wing play and long ball tactics, they backed the Juventus players into their own half and forced them on the defensive during the opening ten minutes of the second half.

But just as supporters began to think that Juventus was about to concede a goal, a sudden change occurred on the pitch. Zachary, who had mostly stayed quiet during the opening minutes of the second half, exploded with brilliance. He dispossessed Francesco Magnanelli close to the border of the final third before kicking the ball to his left to find Patrice Evra on the left flank.

But Zachary didn't stop at that. Before Evra could receive the pass, he whirled around and then took off towards the other side of the pitch, hoping to be involved in the attack.

"Pa..."

Evra, on his part, effortlessly brought the ball under control on the left flank. Then, racing forward, he exchanged a couple of one-twos with Zachary, who was running in sync with him, as he speared into Sassuolo's half at breakneck.

Stepping into the final third, Evra was not selfish. Instead, he chose to slow down and pass the ball to Tevez, who had just floated into an unmarked pocket of space on the left side of Sassuolo's box.

Tevez effortlessly connected with Evra's through ball before whirling around and passing to Fernando Llorente. The latter took a single touch before flicking the ball back to Zachary, who had positioned himself immaculately close to the edge of the box.

"Whoosh!"

Judging the angle of the approaching pass, Zachary pounced forward. He didn't even bother to control the ball but just blasted it and sent it on a curling trajectory toward the inside of the far post. His shooting technique was flawless, and he beat the keeper to score Juventus' second goal during the 64th minute.

With the goal, Juventus gained momentum. They attacked and defended spiritedly during the remaining minutes of the game. They also played as a unit and denied Sassuolo any chance to score even a single goal. As a result, they managed to maintain their 2:0 lead and win the game after six minutes of added time.

After the game ended, the Juventus players were all in a celebratory mood. They had just accomplished their seventh consecutive win in the Serie A and further strengthened their position at the top of the Serie A. As a result, they gained confidence as a team and worked even harder over the next few days.

While training, the days passed quickly, and Wednesday arrived. The Juventus players, who had finished all their preparations, took an early morning flight to Greece and played against Olympiacos Piraeus in the evening.

Maybe, it was because of the traveling or the tight schedule, but the Juventus players weren't at their best against the Greek side. They started on the back foot after conceding an early goal during the 5th minute. But an impressive two late goals from Zachary and Andrea Pirlo during the 77th and 91st minutes, respectively, allowed them to win their 3rd successive Champions League fixture for that season.

The Juventus players then returned to Turin the day after the game. After resting for a day, they trained intensively for three days before welcoming Palermo to Turin. Backed by the support of their home fans, they dispatched their opponents with goals from Arturo Vidal, Fernando Llorente, and Zachary Bemba, thus further cementing their pole position on the Serie A table.

But that was not the end of their tight schedule. Three days later, on Wednesday, 29th October, they played against Genoa away from home and won by two goals to one. For that game, Zachary didn't score. But he still provided the two assists that resulted in the two goals scored by Tevez and Llorente for Juventus.

Then, two days later, on a rainy Saturday evening, Juventus played against Empoli away from home. For that game, the Old Lady players were brimming with spirit. They easily thrashed the opponents by three goals to zero after Andrea Pirlo, Zachary, and Ãlvaro Morata found the back of the net during the 14th, 57th, and 72nd minutes, respectively.

Juventus' insanely tight schedule then continued with a return Champions League game against Olympiacos on Tuesday, 4th November. But even after Coach Allegri fielded a second team, Juventus still went ahead to win the game 1:0 with an early goal from Simone Pepe.

Having rested for more than four days, Juventus' first-string players were back in action against Parma on Sunday, 11th November. They played an impressive game and easily thrashed the opponents by nine goals to zero.

Fernando Llorente, Carlos Tevez, Zachary Bemba, and Ãlvaro Morata all scored braces, while Stephan Lichtsteiner completed the one-sided demolition of Parma with a late goal.

And with that, the Juventus players had successfully completed their insanely seven-match tight schedule and remained unbeaten. They still had a perfect run in both the Champions League and the Serie A, without a single loss or a draw. As a result, they were a hot topic in Italy and the rest of Europe, with many famous media outlets citing how they had just accomplished the most perfect start of the season in over a decade.

--

Chapter 497 Zachary's Impact on the Team

Following Juventus' 9:0 thrashing of Parma FC, the entire Juventus club was in a celebratory mood. Be it the coaching staff, the club managers, the fans, the medics, and even the cleaning staff — they were all glowing with radiant smiles on the Monday after the game. Anyone walking around Juventus' facilities at the Vinovo could tell that there was something different and extraordinary about the club due to their enthusiasm and brimming spirits.

"I can't believe we're still unbeaten even after playing eleven Serie A games and four Champions League matches. We're almost about to make history." Coach Allegri's ears picked up a conversation between two ladies dressed as cleaners as he approached his office on Monday afternoon.

"Your information is not right," the other cleaning lady hurriedly reminded. "We're not just unbeaten in all our games. Instead, we've accomplished a perfect run, meaning we haven't lost or drawn a game. As you can see, there's a big difference between an unbeaten and a perfect run."

"Oh, my bad!" The other middle-aged cleaning lady nodded. "That's even more impressive. With Zachary Bemba joining us, our squad has become invincible. I don't think even the current Barcelona or Real Madrid squads can acquire a point from us. If we chanced upon them, we would thrash them by three or four goals to one."

"You're right," the other lady agreed, nodding like a hen pecking grain. "Barcelona has Messi, and Real Madrid has Ronaldo. But we do have Zachary. I'm also of the view that we would defeat them easily."

"Yeah..." The other lady concurred. But just as she was about to continue, she spotted the nearby coach Allegri and let out a little yelp. "Coach! Good afternoon!"

The other lady also reacted and followed suit with a greeting. "Good afternoon, coach!"

Coach Allegri smiled on seeing the reaction of the two ladies. They were standing at attention, like a pair of well-trained soldiers greeting their commander. "Good afternoon to you too, ladies!" He returned their greeting with a smile. "How is your day?"

"Our day is going well," one of the ladies responded. "We're just taking a small break before returning to work."

"Okay, wonderful." Coach Allegri chuckled. "Don't mind me. I'm only passing by. Just carry on with your conversation."

He nodded at them before smiling and continuing on his way. Behind him, he could still hear muffled whispers between the two ladies. But he didn't give any more notice to them and sped up, heading towards his office.

A few minutes later, he entered his office and quickly settled in his chair. He then booted up his laptop and started reviewing the sports news published by reliable media houses.

Slowly but surely, his smile grew more pronounced as he noticed that all the Italian press was praising Juventus' form. Famous newspapers, like the La Gazzetta dello Sport, Tuttosport, and the Gazzetta del Popolo, were all writing about how Juventus was doing wonders. They explained how the team had beaten all opposition since the start of the new season and then rated the Juventus players based on their respective contributions to the team's perfect run.

Zachary Bemba was, of course, the player with the highest rating on Juventus' squad. Based on the fact that he'd already scored ten goals and provided twelve assists in 10 out of 11 Serie A appearances while also netting seven goals (with two hattricks on different occasions) in the Champions League, most newspapers awarded him a record rating of 9.3/10. The newspapers also explained how Zachary was the most creative and efficient player in Juventus, with the ability to bring the best out of his teammates and make them tick.

"Truly remarkable! These articles are right on the money."

Coach Allegri nodded to himself after reading the information about Zachary. He totally agreed with the newspapers since he understood Zachary's capabilities quite well.

After Zachary had settled into the Juventus squad, he didn't just help the team by scoring goals. Instead, he'd utilized his never-say-never attitude and hardworking ethics to induce an over-the-top competitive spirit within the entire squad. As a result, the players, especially the attackers, were more focused than ever, often putting in more hours of training than before. And due to their diligent efforts and yearning to match Zachary's level, they quickly transformed into better versions and began putting on more consistent and remarkable displays during matches.

An example was Carlos Tevez, the Argentine who had already scored nine goals in the Serie A. His edge and brilliance on and off the pitch were exceptional over the previous few games, and in just about eleven games, he had already netted almost half the total number of all his goals from last season.

But he wasn't the only one that had improved after Zachary's arrival. There was also Fernando Llorente with seven goals and Álvaro Morata with five goals. They had turned into goal machines due to two reasons. Firstly, they were working harder than before on and off the pitch. And secondly, they were getting good service from Zachary during matches.

"Having Zachary on the team is really a blessing."

Coach Allegri sighed and returned to reading the news on his laptop. For the next few minutes, he took in all the published information quietly, only frowning, smiling, or shaking his head at times. Then, just as he was about to end his reading session, a new headline that had abruptly manifested on the home page of Tuttosport's website caught his attention.

"Just in," the headline read, "Zachary Bemba, Juventus' 19-year-old wonder boy, nominated for the Golden Boy award."

"Yes! This how it should be." Coach Allegri smiled as his eyes took in the headline. He was obviously not surprised that Zachary was on the 40-man shortlist for the Golden Boy award, an accolade first established by the Italian paper - Tuttosport.

Had he not been on the list, then Coach Allegri would have immediately deduced that the entire voting committee was blind and incompetent.

"Let's see who else is nominated."

Quickly reading the article, Coach Allegri took in more details about the Golden Boy nominations. Aside from Zachary, the other young players nominated included Liverpool's Raheem Sterling, Calum Chambers of Arsenal, Luke Shaw of Manchester United, Everton's John Stones, and Eric Dier of Tottenham. Then, there was Domenico Berardi (Sassuolo), Bernardeschi Franco (Fiorentina), Kingsley Coman (Juventus), Keita Baldé Diao (Lazio), Mateo Kovacic (Inter), and many others to make up the 40-man shortlist.

However, as far as Coach Allegri was concerned, none of those names could hold a candle to Zachary. The coach believed they were there as decorations on the list to accompany Zachary, the rightful winner of that year's Golden Boy award.

After reading the article, Coach Allegri turned his attention to other issues. He worked on training plans and read scouting reports until evening arrived. Then, just as the sun was about to sink below the western horizon of Turin, he wrapped up everything before exiting the training center and heading to the J Hotel for a team dinner.

The club officials had organized the dinner for two reasons. Firstly, the players would be heading for international duty over the next few days. So, the get-together was a way of sending the players off in good spirits. Secondly, the club management wanted to take advantage of the dinner party and officially recognize the efforts of those players who had gone above and beyond to help Juventus accomplish a perfect run in both the Champions League and the Serie A. In other words, they would utilize the dinner as a ceremony to award Juventus' best-performing players for the first quarter of the season.

Meanwhile, Zachary also arrived at the entrance of the J-Hotel's restaurant at around six in the evening. He was obviously not at the place to buy a meal but to attend Juventus' team dinner.

On stepping inside, Zachary's heart skipped a bit. Pausing in his step, he glanced at the immaculately arranged dinner tables before slowly sweeping his gaze across the room to observe his teammates.

"Damn! I'm really underdressed." That was the only thought that appeared in his mind the next moment.

The rest of his teammates, including the often-casually dressed players like Carlos Tevez, Kwadwo Asamoah, and Giorgio Chiellini, had all donned their impressive suits for the dinner party. They all looked sleek and dapper as they moved around, mingling with each other in the restaurant.

But what about Zachary? The man himself had not given his attire much thought since, as a new player, he wasn't aware of the usual dress code for Juventus' team dinners. He just put on a tucked-in white shirt with blue jeans and gentle black shoes before throwing a black leather jacket on top to complete his get-up. He, of course, looked sleek and fashionable since the attire matched his physique. But the only issue was that he had become the odd man out after walking into the dinner party venue.

"Eh, Zachary, you've arrived! Welcome."

A familiar voice sounded behind Zachary as he walked further into the restaurant. Turning around gracefully, not to knock into anyone, he came face to face with Patrice Evra, who was also in a sleek black suit. For the occasion, the Frenchman had gone above and beyond to dress up. His hair was well-combed, his shoes well-polished, and it was as if he was about to receive a Ballon d'Or or attend the Oscars.

"How are you, Patrice?" Zachary greeted him with a smile.

"I'm fine," he replied, giving Zachary a once over. "Zachary, you really look smart. Your outfit is unique, and it adds charm to your entire persona. Keep it up, bro." He ended his compliments with a thumbs-up.

"Quit messing around, Evra!" Zachary reprimanded. "We were together after the match yesterday when the director invited us for a team dinner. Why didn't you remind me that the dress code was a suit?"

Evra chuckled and said, "I'm not your wife. Neither am I your fashion designer. Why should I remind you? But that isn't the main question. Aren't you aware that the dress code for work dinners is always a suit? I thought it was common knowledge."

In response, Zachary sighed and shook his head. "I only thought this was a small dinner with the main theme of eating. That's why I didn't bother to dress formally."

"Then, sorry to you, my friend," Evra said, patting Zachary's shoulder. "But worry not! No one around will hold your poor choice of fashion against you. Come; let's find where to sit."

Zachary smiled ruefully before following Evra to one of the tables. He'd already accepted his fate of standing out as the 'odd man out' at the dinner party since he could not just up and depart to change attires.

Report chapter Comments

Chapter 498 Team Dinner

Shortly after settling on one of the tables, Zachary busied himself with exchanging small talk with the rest of his teammates. Players like Arturo Vidal, Andrea Pirlo, and even Gianluigi Buffon, the highly experienced captain, approached his table and offered their greetings one after the other. And like Evra, a few, who were more familiar with Zachary, even teased him about his choice of outfit for the dinner party.

Zachary, of course, was on his best behavior during the party. He returned their greetings with a smile and didn't get irritated because of their teasing. His heart was like that of a Buddha, without any ripples as he sat there, letting the club's festive mood wash over him.

A few minutes later, all the players took their seats around the dinner tables, and the party officially commenced. The waiters and waitresses swarmed in and started serving the food and drinks. And with that, the bunch of well-dressed Juventus players busied themselves with their food while at times toasting to each other and exchanging some small talk.

It was as if the celebratory mood was weaving all the players, coaches, technical staff, and club officials together as the most magnificent tapestry. They didn't stop chatting and laughing as they feasted. Anyone watching from a distance could see they were having a good time and bonding as a team.

"Ding! Ding! Ding..."

Suddenly a couple of rhythmic clinking chimes sounded as the dinner party was in full gear. With a slight tilt of the head, Zachary immediately noticed that Fabio Paratici, the Juventus sporting director, was the source of the sounds.

Under the artificial lighting in the room, the director exuded a magnificent and proud aura as he rose from his seat. Smiling slightly, he swept his gaze across the room as he continued tapping a spoon against his glass, obviously with the intention of attracting the attention of the others in the room.

"Buonasera a tutti voi!" He started off his speech by greeting everyone present in Italian. Then, smiling again, he continued spewing Italian words, most of which Zachary could not understand, before switching to English after a few more minutes.

"For the benefit of some of our brothers here that don't speak Italian, I'll switch to English for the next part of my speech," he said with a chuckle. "As I just said, we have been impressive as a team over the past few weeks. Our competitive edge has grown to never-before-seen levels, and our team spirit has soared, allowing us to win all our fifteen opening games in the Champions League and the Italian Serie A combined. I can't even begin to express how happy we're as the club management with such results. In light of that, I would like to take this opportunity to express my sincere thanks to you all - the players, the coaches, and the technical staff for the job well done. Cheers to you all!" He raised his glass to toast to everyone around.

"Cheers!" All the players, coaches, and technical staff returned the toast with bright smiles before gulping down their drinks.

Fabio Paratici smiled and continued, "I would also like to take this opportunity to recognize the best performers for Juventus during the just concluded month of October. Match in, match out, they are the people who have contributed the most to our success during the first quarter of the season. They are the heroes of the club who have worked tirelessly to help us accomplish a 15-match perfect run this season. When I read your name, please step forward and receive your award from the chairman."

"First and foremost on the list," Fabio smiled, "Let's begin by recognizing the efforts of our head coach - Massimiliano Allegri. His tactics have been spot-on, allowing us to win all our games since the start of the season. Ladies and gentlemen! Let's put our hands together for our head coach as he steps forward to receive his award."

"Pa, pa, pa..."

The thunderous clapping and applause resounded across the room as Coach Allegri stepped forward and picked up his accolade. With a bright smile, the coach shook hands with the chairman and director before quietly returning to his seat.

"Next," Fabio continued, "I would also like to take the opportunity to recognize the MVP for Juventus for the first quarter of the season, who has been exceptional on the field of play. Firstly, he scored ten goals and provided twelve assists in just ten Serie A appearances. Secondly, he has already netted seven goals in three UEFA Champions League appearances with hattricks against Malmo and Atlético Madrid. But that is not all. Just coming in today, he has also made the shortlist for this year's Golden Boy award. Ladies and gentlemen! Please put your hands together for Zachary Bemba, Juventus' MVP for the month of October."

"Pa, pa, pa..."

The applause was even more thunderous as Zachary stepped forward to receive his accolade. He proudly marched across the room in his blue jeans and leather jacket and stood before Andrea Agnelli, the club chairman.

"Congratulations," the chairman said, taking Zachary's hand for a firm handshake. "Keep up the good work." And with a stretch of the hand, the president handed Zachary his award.

"Thank you," Zachary said with a smile. He then received his award from the outstretched hand of the chairman before whirling around and returning to his seat.

At that moment, he felt very accomplished. His spirits were flying high after the club recognized his efforts. As a result, his smile became even more radiant as he settled back in his seat.

"Man, congratulations," Patrice Evra whispered from beside him.

"Thanks," Zachary replied after placing his accolade on the table.

"But why didn't you inform me that you were on the nominee list for this year's Golden Boy award?" Evra inquired.

"Why should I inform you?" Zachary asked with a smile. "It's not as if you're my girlfriend."

Evra grinned. "So, that's how you retaliate. But congs anyway. I'm really happy for you. Keep working hard, and you'll soon ascend to the top."

"Sure, thanks again," Zachary whispered before returning his focus to Fabio, the sporting director, who was still continuing with his speech.

"Ladies and Gentlemen!" Fabio said. "Although we've already achieved a 15-match perfect run, we shouldn't grow complacent. Instead, we must continue working hard on and off the field to ensure we don't lose any games throughout the season."

"This communication is just in from the chairman and the entire board," Fabio continued after sweeping his gaze across the room. "If we're to finish this season without losing any game in the Serie A, each player will receive a bonus of one million Euros while the technical staff will each receive 100,000 Euros."

Whispers emerged around the room when the sporting director announced the bonus money. But the director ignored them and continued, "So, ladies and gentlemen! Continue working hard to ensure that we win all games this season. Then, the money will be yours. And please never forget that, as Juventus, the sky is our only limit. May god bless you, and continue enjoying yourselves." The president then sat down as the applause resounded across the room again.

"So," Evra said to Zachary after the applause subsided, "Do you think we can achieve an unbeaten run this season?"

"I think it's possible," Zachary replied after chugging down his non-alcoholic cocktail. "On paper, we're the best team in the Serie A. And in theory, we should be capable of defeating all opposition within Italy. So, we only need some luck to achieve an unbeaten run."

"You seem confident," Evra said after taking a sip of his own drink. "But don't forget that there are circumstances beyond our control sometimes. Losing a few games is normal even though we're the best team."

"That's why I said we need some luck," Zachary intoned. "But if we're to achieve an unbeaten run, all that bonus money will take a great dent in Juventus' financials. I hope the executives know what they are doing."

Evra smiled. "If we were to achieve an unbeaten run, then there would be no need to worry about the financials. The club would gain back the money through improved television rights deals, sponsorships, and endorsements, plus increased ticket and shirt sales. They wouldn't be making any losses if we went 38 matches unbeaten."

"Is that so? Then, I guess there's no need to worry. The executives must know what they're doing." Zachary said before returning his focus to his food.

Evra, on his part, stayed silent, seeming to be thinking about something for a few seconds. Then, he said abruptly, "Most of us are heading off for international duty tomorrow, and as you know, I'm representing France. What about you? Are you going to play for DRC?"

"No." Zachary shook his head. "I'll be staying in Turin to train. I have no international duties yet."

"Are you not eager to play internationals?" Evra asked. "I'm sure that many countries, including France, would welcome you into their squads. So, why aren't you choosing a country to represent?"

"I have already chosen a country to represent," Zachary replied with a smile. "But I just don't wish to disclose it for the moment."

"Oh, okay," Evra said, nodding. "Then, I wish you luck wherever you'll be. I really hope to see you in the 2018 World Cup. It's just a pity that I'll most likely have retired from international duty and won't be able to compete against you."

Zachary chuckled but said nothing in response. He'd already chosen to represent Ivory Coast during International competitions. They were a team with a lot of promise and would even win the AFCON would surely increase, and just maybe, they might change their fate and qualify for the competition. the following year. So, as long as he added himself to the equation, their 2018 World Cup prospects They might even do wonders at the tournament and reach the late stages of the World Cup. Those were his innermost hopes.

--

After leaving the dinner party, Zachary returned to his villa. He waved to Angelo, his driver for the night, and then traversed the walkway cutting across the lush gardens as he slowly made his way toward the villa's side entrance.

As he walked forward, the gentle autumn breeze tickled against his face, soothing his emotions and casting a spell of serene tranquility over him. His face broke into a smile, and he took a few moments to observe the scenery around him.

He could see the water in his swimming pool glowing under the bright glow of the security lights in the distance. Then, whirling around, his eyes took in the tall trees spread around his entire estate. Their green leaves shimmered under the luminous glow of the moon above as they swayed back and forth under the influence of the wind.

Continuing to look around, Zachary took in the flowers, the walkway with rows of lamp posts on either side, and then the villa, which was like a castle out of a fantasy movie. At that moment, he felt that everything was perfect, and his fondness for his newly purchased villa increased to a higher level.

Smiling slightly, Zachary decided not to continue dawdling in the compound any longer. Instead, he traversed the walkway and arrived at the side entrance of his villa quickly.

He didn't bother to ring the doorbell but just punched in the security code to open the door. It opened with a whoosh, and he quickly stepped into the house, leaving the door to swing shut behind him.

After walking for a few more seconds, he arrived in his living room and noticed that Coach Bjørn Peters and his wife, Inger, were still awake. They had been lounging on the sofas while watching TV. But on seeing him arrive, they quickly turned around to greet him.

"You're back," Coach Bjørn Peters exclaimed, standing up from his seat. "How was the team dinner?"

"The dinner was great," Zachary responded with a smile.

"I can see that," Coach Bjørn Peters said, turning his gaze to the glittering accolade in Zachary's hand. "You even won another award. Which one was it?"

"October player of the month for Juventus."

"Then, congratulations," Coach Bjørn Peters said. "You truly deserve the accolade. You have been doing impressively on the pitch over the past few weeks."

"Thanks," Zachary replied before turning his gaze to Coach Bjørn Peters' wife. She was a tall, beautiful lady with red hair and bright blue eyes. Nodding at her, Zachary greeted, "How are you today, Inger?"

"I'm fine, Zachary," she replied with a smile. "Do you want me to fix you a late-night snack?"

"No, no." Zachary hurriedly shook his head. "I ate a lot at the dinner party. I don't have any room for more food in my small stomach."

pαпdα Йᴏνê,сòМ Inger chuckled and nodded in understanding. "I get you," she said. "I guess the party should have been quite enjoyable."

"It was okay," Zachary said and placed his accolade on a nearby table. Then, settling down on the sofa, he continued, "I managed to eat my fill and talk to my teammates outside the training field. So, I guess it was enjoyable."

"That's good," Inger said.

"Zachary!" Coach Bjørn Peters chimed in before his wife could continue. "A few days ago, you mentioned that you would utilize the next ten days without Serie A football to start an intensive training regimen to improve your agility, body coordination, and ball skills. Is that still your plan?"

"Yes," Zachary replied. "I wish to improve my dribbling, ball control, and pace with the ball. And to achieve all that, the first thing to do is to work on my coordination and agility."

"Okay," Coach Bjørn Peters said. "But I must inform you that improving agility and coordination takes time. It's a gradual process, and you need to work on it consistently over a period of more than six months to see initial results. So, as your fitness trainer, my advice to you is this. Let's start by including a few exercises targeted toward improving your agility and coordination in your current routine."

"In the beginning, our main training objective will be to stimulate your body to acclimatize to your new regimen without affecting your performance on the pitch. We won't do anything intensive except for lighter routines of Ball or Balloon Toss, Jumping Rope, Balance Exercises, Juggling and Dribbling Drills, Cone Weaves, and Shuttle Runs."

"Then, later on, like after a month or two," the coach continued with a smile, "we can increase the intensity of the exercises and add in more routines, like swimming and targeted weight lifting, to improve your core strength. As long as we follow such a plan, you should be able to feel your coordination and agility improving in about six months."

"Can't we shorten the timeline?" Zachary asked.

"No," the fitness trainer's voice was firm. "In fitness training, patience is crucial to success. We've got to set achievable goals and work on them consistently for months or even a year to accomplish good results. Otherwise, if we're to rush, we might tire out your body and make you injury-prone. And that's what we want to avoid here. Our sole objective should be to gradually raise your fitness while also maintaining your productivity on the pitch during football games."

"Okay, I understand." Zachary nodded. "Let's begin early tomorrow and follow your plan. I really hope to improve my ball skills and agility as soon as possible. I wish to be more effective on the pitch and more clinical in front of the goal."

"You surely will with time," Coach Bjørn Peters promised. "As long as you keep working hard off the pitch to improve your athleticism, you'll soon become deadly. Not even the top defenders in the Serie A will be able to keep up with you."

"I hope so," Zachary said, nodding. He'd decided to work harder than usual to quickly improve his overall skills and, in so doing, enhance his chances of scoring hattricks against top teams in both the Champions League and the Serie A. Then, he would be closer to completing the system's new mission and obtaining Ronaldinho's Step-Over and Feint Kingly Magic.

"We also need to ensure that your diet keeps up with your training," Coach Bjørn Peters said after a few seconds. "So, I'll discuss the training plan with Inger later, and she will arrange an appropriate diet to match your training goals. Please, ensure that you follow Inger's instructions while selecting the foods to consume over the next few months. Okay?"

"That's a given," Zachary said. "I'll follow her instructions to the letter." He'd hired Inger as his dietician and chef to manage his diet so he would achieve better results during training. So, he wasn't about to ignore her instructions.

"Okay, guys," Zachary said, standing up. "Let's talk again tomorrow. I'm now going to bed."

"Okay, have a good night," the Peters couple replied more or less in unison. "See you tomorrow."

"Have a good night too. Bye."

Zachary responded to their goodnight wishes before quickly stepping out of the living room area and heading up the stairs. He arrived in his bedroom a few minutes later and immediately entered the bathroom to take a warm shower.

After cleaning up and drying himself with a towel, he donned his nightwear and settled on his bed. He then picked up his phone from the bedside table and dialed Camilla's number.

The next moment, the dial tone sounded, indicating that the call was about to connect. But after a few seconds, an electronic voice reverberated in Zachary's ear, expressing that the number he was trying to call wasn't available.

Quickly opening his WhatsApp, he sent her a hello. But again, the messaging app quickly showed a single tick on the mailed text, indicating that she hadn't received the message. She was most likely offline.

"Is she really okay?" Zachary pondered.

Over the past two weeks, Camilla hadn't even talked to Zachary once. She'd only sent a text through WhatsApp a week ago, saying she was still traveling with her mom somewhere in Poland. Then, after that, she'd gone silent again, leaving Zachary to wonder whether she was really okay.

"Maybe, she's in a place without network coverage," Zachary mulled as he placed the phone back on his bedside table. "She might be in a jungle, on a nature tour, or on the road in a rural area. I'll have to wait for her to call."

Sighing slightly, Zachary quickly forced himself to push Camilla's matters to the back of his mind. He had many other issues on his mind, including his planned investments, endorsement contracts, and above all, his career and training plans. So, considering all those worries and his busy schedule, he wouldn't allow himself to spend much time contemplating matters he couldn't control.

"I should sleep early," Zachary decided and jumped into bed. However, he didn't sink into slumberland immediately after entering between the sheets. Instead, his mind continued drifting, and he thought about a few more matters that transpired during his first three weeks in his new villa.

After he'd taken Emily's advice and delegated more assignments to Kristin, the Norwegian girl became more effective. She was already effectively handling all the miscellaneous tasks for Zachary, including organizing his schedule, paying bills, representing him in the not-so-important meetings, and so on and so forth. But that was not all she'd achieved over the past few weeks.

Ten days ago, she'd finally hired house helpers for Zachary. They had quickly taken their posts and were already helping out in the daily maintenance of the villa. As a result, Zachary no longer needed to hire outside help to clean the house or wash the laundry. He was already self-contained due to Kristin's efforts.

"Okay, I should sleep now," Zachary decided again. "I need to start on my new training regimen early tomorrow."

And with that, Zachary closed his eyes and sank into a peaceful slumber soon after.

Report chapter Comments

For Zachary, days without Serie A football meant more time for training and honing his skills. So, as his teammates left for their respective international duties, he immediately began following his new training regimen.

Under the guidance and supervision of Coach Bjørn Peters, his fitness trainer, he went through drills to enhance his agility and coordination day in and day out. Anyone watching his training could tell that he was as focused as ever. He wasn't cutting corners or taking things lightly as he trained over the next few days.

That time around, however, Zachary made sure not to overwork himself. He followed Coach Bjørn Peters' advice and would only train for half a day.

As such, Zachary would do gym workouts, cardio, or other conditioning exercises early in the morning, from around six to ten. After that, he would rest for about an hour before running cones and working on his ball skills. And lastly, he would train his free kick technique before endings his day's training with a warm-down routine at around midday.

In the afternoon, after having his lunch, it was time to work on improving his other aspects. He would head to the language school and spend the rest of his day studying Italian. Then, after that, he would return home and spend time reading, following the sports news, or watching movies within the relaxing atmosphere provided by his villa.

And with all that relaxation time on his hands, it wasn't long before he started feeling well-rested and in bright spirits. As a result, he was really beginning to appreciate the captivating idea of taking time off from his often-hectic schedule.

Aside from training, learning Italian, and relaxing during the twelve days without competitive football, Zachary also spared some time to complete a select few of his long-planned investments.

He met his investment consultant on Monday, 17th November, just five days before his return to football action. And with her help, he utilized a few million Euros out of his saved 15-million signing bonus and spent the money on buying more shares from promising companies all around the globe.

Within a short two days window, he invested another one million Euros into Tesla, four million Euros into Netflix, and four million to buy a 2.9% stake in Leeds United, the struggling football club playing in the English Championship. But he didn't just stop at that. He also went against the expert advice of his investment adviser and splashed out four million Euros on coins before ending his investment craze.

Of course, after spending all that money, he was only left with roughly a million Euros in his bank account. But that didn't worry him in the slightest, as he was still making more money on a weekly basis.

He was calm and collected since he had his roughly 636,000 Euros a month salary, playing bonuses, and juicy endorsements to fall back on. Additionally, there was still the seventeen million he demanded from Juventus as the balance from his 32-million signing bonus. So, as far as he was concerned, he wouldn't go broke even if he tried his utmost.

Wednesday, 19th November arrived right after Zachary finished making his investments. After attending that day's language classes, he returned home early at around 4:00 PM and immediately switched on the TV. Minutes later, he started watching Ivory Coast's match against Cameroon.

Since Zachary had already decided to play for Ivory Coast, he wanted them to win. But after sitting in front of his TV, he soon realized that his hopes wouldn't turn into reality.

Ivory Coast played well, launching relentless attacks through their agile forward players like Yaya Toure, Gervinho, Wilfried Bony, and Salomon Kalou. They were the better team on the playing field. However, even after doing all they could to create opportunities, they still failed to break down the tenacious Cameroonian defense. As a result, the game ended 0:0 after four minutes of injury time.

But even with such a result, the Ivorians were quite happy as they had managed to qualify for January 2015's African Cup of Nations as second in their group. As a result, they would be heading to Equatorial Guinea two months later to compete for Africa's most prestigious football trophy.please visit pαпᵈα-:)ɴᴏᴠᴇ1.co)m

Having watched the Ivory Coast game, Zachary returned his focus to his training and Italian classes. He busied himself with his planned routines as two days passed in a blink, and Friday arrived.

Fortunately, by then, all his teammates had returned from their international duties. He turned his attention to Juventus' official planned schedule, hoping to join the rest of the squad to prepare for the away Serie A match against Lazio. He was ready to return to action with a bang and continue performing impressively for Juventus.

--

On Friday, the team held a light training session in the morning to hone the tactics for the following day's match against Lazio. Then, at three in the afternoon, Coach Allegri summoned all the players to the tactics room for the pre-match briefing.

pαndα noνɐ1,сoМ "Let me take this opportunity to welcome you back from the international break," the coach said after all the players had taken their seats. "I hope you all enjoyed your time while representing your respective countries. Did you?" The coach swept his gaze around.

"Yes, we did," most of the players replied more or less in unison.

"Good!" The coach nodded. "I know that most of you must be tired after playing matches in various localities spread around the globe. But as professionals, you have to toughen up and start focusing on your club duties. And even though we only managed to train for a few hours today, we must still do our best against Lazio tomorrow. We must not lose. And we must not come out of the fixture with a measly draw. Instead, we must pull out all stops to defeat the opponents and maintain dominance at the top of the Serie A table. Are you with me, guys?" The coach roared.

"Yes, coach," the players replied.

"Are you with me? Are you ready to defeat Lazio tomorrow evening?"

"Yes, coach," the players replied again.

"Good." The coach smiled and nodded. He then spent the next few minutes complementing various players before talking about tactics and how to approach the game against Lazio the following evening. He spoke for an hour and then ended his pre-match briefing by announcing the line-ups.

On his list were the usual first-string players, like Zachary, who had rested for almost two weeks during the international break, Andrea Pirlo, Arturo Vidal, Claudio Marchisio, and all the others who had been performing impressively over the past few weeks. And as expected, there was no Patrice Evra, the Frenchman who'd suffered an injury while playing for France a few days prior.

After announcing the line-ups, Coach Allegri didn't continue holding up the players for long. He quickly reminded them to be on time the following day before sending them back to their respective homes. He hoped they would utilize the evening to rest well and prepare mentally for Juventus' away game against Lazio the following day.

--

---

The Greatest of all Time #Chapter 501 Away Game against Lazio - Read The Greatest of all Time Chapter 501 Away Game against Lazio Online - All Page - Novel Next

501 Away Game against Lazio

The long-anticipated Serie A battle between Lazio and Juventus kicked off at 8:45 PM on Saturday within the packed Olimpico di Roma.

For that game, Juventus was gunning for a win so as to cement their lead at the zenith of the Serie A table. On the other hand, Lazio hoped to cause an upset and rise to the fifth position, which happened to be a Europa League spot in Italian football. So, it was another game of high stakes, and it caused a lot of excitement among the fans when the kick-off whistle sounded.

Having won their past fifteen games in both the Serie A and the Champions League, the opening momentum was definitely behind Coach Allegri's men. As soon as the referee's whistle to kick off the game sounded, they showed no signs of slowing down, even while playing at an away ground. They relied on their highly gifted ball distributors, like Zachary Bemba and Andrea Pirlo, to fly out of the traps and tear apart Lazio's 4-3-3 formation on several occasions. And following that, they created three clear chances on goal before eventually taking the lead during the fifth minute of gameplay.

Zachary was the architect again for that opening goal. After receiving a pinpoint pass from Andrea Pirlo, he cut through the left flank like a raging Tsunami before squaring the ball to the immaculately positioned Carlos Tevez. And with that, everything else was straightforward.

Tevez pounced forward to meet the pass with an almost-instantaneous reaction. Then, with a deft touch, he guided the ball past the Lazio goalkeeper to score Juventus' 1st goal for the night. And with that, the score was 1:0 in favor of Juventus.

The goal celebrations ended in a few seconds, and the game continued. However, even after scoring, the Old Lady players didn't relax. It was as if they were not from the international break, as they showed no signs of fatigue on the field of play. They poured forward on multiple occasions to launch deadly attacks against the home team, and it wasn't long before they created another goal-scoring opportunity.

That time around, it was Carlos Tevez who engineered the attack. Having connected with a defense-splitting pass from Andrea Pirlo, he ran at the Lazio defenders like an incarnation of a world-sprinting champion. With his agile footwork, he went past one, then the second, before skipping past the third opponent.

But just as the Argentine was about to escape a fourth opponent, Senad Lulic, one of Lazio's central midfielders, came sliding in from his blindside with an aggressive tackle. And with that, the opposing midfielder caught Tevez on the ankle and sent him tumbling to the ground.

Fortunately for Juventus, the aggressive tackle didn't injure Tevez. Instead, the Argentine had managed to create an excellent free-kick opportunity, which Zachary converted from thirty yards away to score Juventus' second goal for the night. And with that, Juventus was clearly in the driving seat with a two-goal advantage right before half-time.

After the fifteen-minute break, the second half kicked off, with many Lazio fans hoping their team would rise to the occasion and mount some pressure on the visitors. But they soon realized their wishes were merely pipe dreams after the Juventus players started the second half in high gear.

Ads by Pubfuture

Juventus was flying, and four minutes after the restart, Zachary found himself on the end of a rebound following some brilliant team play and an exchange of clever passes on the left wing. And being in fine form and at the top of his game, he capitalized on the opportunity to steer home from the edge of the box and score Juventus' third goal for the night.

With that, Juventus were on the road to thrashing the opponents. They were already three goals ahead during the 49th minute, and anyone watching the game could tell that they had totally outsmarted Lazio. They were miles ahead in pass completion, creativity, and chance conversion. And due to those impressive attributes, it wasn't long before the Juventus players created another opportunity to score a goal.

During the 62nd minute, Stephan Lichtsteiner dispossessed Keita Baldé, the opposing wing player, close to the border of the defensive third on the right flank. And before any other opponents could close him down, he flicked the ball to Andrea Pirlo to initiate another lightning-fast attack.

From there on, the counterattack was on, and the Juventus players bolted forward. Andrea Pirlo passed to Claudio Marchisio, who quickly passed to Zachary. And before the opposing players could fall back, Zachary escaped the harassment by an opposing player before threading a pass back to Stephan Lichtsteiner on the right flank.

What followed was only natural. Stephan Lichtsteiner used his incredible pace to spear deep into Lazio's half before finding Fernando Llorente with a tricky and clever chip into the box. And with that immaculate assistance, he set up the Spaniard, who quickly hammered home to score Juventus's fourth goal for the night during the 64th minute.

After the goal, Coach Allegri made three straight substitutions hoping to rest his players before the ensuing busy schedule for Juventus. He pulled out Andrea Pirlo, Carlos Tevez, and Zachary and replaced them with Álvaro Morata, Federico Mattiello, and Arturo Vidal.

However, after stepping onto the pitch, the three substitutes couldn't match the level of their predecessors. As a result, Juventus attacking brilliance dropped by quite a bit, thus allowing the Lazio players to push forward and launch attacks of their own.

With Lazio dictating the proceedings on the field, the Juventus players found themselves on the defensive during the final ten minutes of gameplay. And unfortunately, their often-solid defensive capabilities couldn't save them, and they conceded a goal during the 88th minute.

But that was not the end of the action on the field of play. The Lazio players continued battling, hoping to cut the goal deficit even further. They created more opportunities on goal and even came close to scoring on several occasions. Their spirit was brimming, and they were surely causing problems for Juventus.

Fortunately for Juventus, the goddess of luck seemed not to be on Lazio's side. Three of Lazio's well-placed shots missed the target by centimeters, while a few other attempts were intercepted by the defenders or saved by the keeper. The Lazio players could thus not get the second goal, and as such, Juventus won the game 4:1 after three minutes of added time.

--

After the game, Zachary didn't immediately return to the dressing room to celebrate with his teammates. Instead, he headed to the press area for the required player's post-match interview.

Ads by Pubfuture

"Zachary! Welcome, and congratulations on putting up another wonderful performance tonight." The Sky Italia reporter said in English as Zachary stepped in front of the cameras.

"Thank you," Zachary replied.

"You scored another two goals, taking your tally in the Serie A to 12 goals in twelve Serie A appearances," the reporter said, adjusting the microphone slightly. "You also provided an assist for the first goal, taking your number of assists in the Serie A to 13. How do you maintain such a level of consistency in a top league such as the Serie A?"

"By training, of course," Zachary answered. "I have always worked hard as a player, and I'm always looking for opportunities to improve myself. All the hard work allows me to be in the best shape possible during every match. And that's why I can continue performing and scoring goals for my team."

"Is that all?" The reporter pressed.

Zachary thought for a short while before saying, "I have also had ample rest during the 12-day international break. So, I was in the best shape I could ever be for the match against Lazio. I guess that could also have helped."

"Zachary!" The reporter said after a moment. "Juventus' win against Lazio tonight has allowed you and your teammates to accomplish the 12th successive win in the Serie A. Do you believe you can maintain this form and continue winning to achieve an unbeaten run throughout the entire season?"

"Of course, winning all games is our dream as a team," Zachary replied. "As a top team, we've never played to draw or to lose. We always walk onto the pitch and put everything out there, hoping to defeat every opponent, no matter how tough. So, it's only a given that we'll continue doing our utmost to win all our remaining games."

"Of course, we have a challenging series of games coming up," Zachary continued. "We have to face off against Malmö in the Champions League before playing against Torino, Fiorentina, and Atlético Madrid in a short three weeks window. Those are all demanding games. They will obviously test our resilience and capabilities as a team. But with the depth in our squad, I still believe we can win them all, especially if we continue working hard and playing as a team on the field of play."

"Thank you, Zachary, for staying back to talk to us," the reporter said in a conclusive tone. "I wish you all the best in your upcoming matches. Enjoy the rest of your evening, and goodbye."

"Enjoy your evening, too," Zachary said before stepping away from the cameras. Then, after shaking hands with the reporter and the camera crew, he left the press area and quickly headed to the dressing room. He was in a rush as he didn't want to miss the team bus back to Turin.

--

Ads by Pubfuture

502 Three Games

Having won the game against Lazio, team Juventus gained even more momentum. The players continued working harder than ever off the pitch, doing their utmost to maintain their tip-top match fitness. And naturally, their relentless efforts and dedication to the sport rewarded them handsomely, allowing them to put up a series of more impressive and consistent performances on the playing field.

Firstly, they played their return Champion's League game against Malmö on Wednesday, 26th November 2014, and won by three goals to nil, even while away from home.

Fernando Llorente, Carlos Tevez, and Claudio Marchisio were the undisputed heroes for Juventus during that game, with each scoring a goal during the 39th, 47th, and 78th minutes, respectively. As for Zachary, he didn't score but only provided an assist that resulted in Claudio Marchisio's goal.

Four days later, on Sunday, 30th November 2014, Juventus resumed their domestic Serie A duties. They welcomed Torino FC, their local rivals, to the Juventus stadium for the first 'Derby della Mole' face-off that season.

Due to the high stakes associated with the match, the Torino players were a spirited bunch. They played impressive attacking football and even scored the opening goal during the 11th minute. However, even doing all that was not enough to allow them to win the heated local derby. Instead, Juventus still came out on top and won the game with a score of 3:1 after Arturo Vidal, Álvaro Morata, and Andrea Pirlo found the back of the net during the 15th, 61st, and 87th minutes, respectively.

Surprisingly, the on-form Zachary once again failed to score, meaning that he'd gone two games without finding the back of the net. But he still put up an impressive performance and managed to provide an assist that resulted in Álvaro Morata's 61st-minute goal.

Having won the local Torino Derby, the Juventus players were in high spirits. They resumed training after a day of rest and started preparing for their next game, which happened to be against Fiorentina away from home. They soon became busy again as they drilled and conditioned themselves with the clear intent to continue their perfect winning run in all competitions.

However, the busy schedule still couldn't prevent Zachary from celebrating his birthday on Wednesday, 3rd December 2014.

He was in a hyper mood on that day since he had just turned twenty years. As such, he eagerly left Juventus' training center immediately after training and returned home for the festivities. Then, later in the evening, he enjoyed a feast with a select few acquaintances that included Emily (his agent), Kristin (his personal assistant and publicity secretary), Bjørn Peters (his fitness trainer), Inger Peters (his chef and dietician), Angelo (his driver and interpreter), and a few of his teammates like Patrice Evra, Gianluigi Buffon, and Carlos Tevez.

The birthday party was quite enjoyable. It was simple, precious, and destined to take a significant position in Zachary's album of good memories. The only blemish, however, was that he couldn't enjoy the feast with his grandma, who'd already passed away, and his girlfriend, whose status he didn't understand quite clearly as she was still traveling. But aside from that, he really had a fabulous time that evening and even received a lot of expensive gifts from his acquaintances.

"Zachary!" Emily called out to him as they relaxed on the couch in his living room after cutting the cake. "I got a gift for you." She handed him a well-packaged box and said, "Open it."

"Thanks a lot, Emily," Zachary said and opened the box. The next moment, his eyes lit up when they landed on a silver watch, which seemed quite expensive. Its silver surface glittered under the fluorescent lighting in the room, causing Zachary to become fascinated with it. His heartbeat accelerated a little, and his mood lifted as he immediately fell in love with the watch.

"Damn!" Suddenly, Patrice Evra, who was close by, exclaimed. "That's a Moon Phase Stainless Steel watch of the renowned Patek Philippe Nautilus collection. It costs roughly 120,000 Euros on the market. Zachary! God! Why can't I get an agent like yours? I also want a 120,000 Euro watch as a birthday gift."

On hearing the statement, Zachary glanced at Evra with surprise. "This is a 120,000 Euro watch?" He asked to confirm that he hadn't heard wrong.

"Yup," Evra replied. "I'm sure it is around that price."

"I'll be damned!" Zachary exclaimed and pivoted his gaze onto the watch again. It was sure pleasing to the eyes, but he couldn't identify what was particularly special about it. "Why is this watch so expensive?" He asked.

"The brand, my friend," Evra answered. "Patek Philippe is a long-established Swiss watch manufacturer that commands a lot of prestige all around the globe. As such, Patek Philippe watches represent swag and class, especially among the rich, making them unbelievably expensive. So, you could take it that wearing a Patek Philippe watch is similar to driving a Bugatti or Lamborghini for watch enthusiasts."

"Crazy!" Zachary mumbled. "I have really got a lot to learn."

"Do you find the watch, not to your liking?" Emily asked.

"Of course, I like it," Zachary hurriedly said. "It's a 120,000 Euro watch. What's there not to like? Thanks a lot for this gift, Emily."

"You're welcome," Emily said. "I'm also representing another person to deliver a birthday gift to you. Do you still remember Susan Berdal, the lady from Audi?"

"Oh! I remember her," Zachary said. "She's the Audi executive that offered me my first endorsement in Norway. Why are we talking about her at this moment?"

The corners of Emily's lips curled up into a smile. "She sent you the recently released Audi RS 7 model as a birthday gift. She hopes you can enjoy the comfort afforded by the car while traveling around Turin."

"Okay, I understand," Zachary said. "Thank her for me. I'll put it to good use."

"Good," Emily said, nodding. "We'll discuss the newly-offered terms in the endorsement contract with Audi when you get time. But for now, let me leave the floor for the rest."

"Okay."

With that said, the gift session continued with the others in attendance presenting their own gifts. And before long, Zachary received a pair of sleek, gentle shoes from Evra, an iPhone 6 from Kristin, running shoes from the Peters couple, and a few other gifts from the rest of his teammates in attendance. Then, when the gift session ended, Zachary thanked everyone and concluded the birthday party celebrations.

--

While feeling refreshed after celebrating his 20th birthday, Zachary returned his focus to training the following morning. He did his utmost to hone his match fitness before playing against Fiorentina two days later, on Friday 5th, December 2014.

For that game, Zachary was at the very top of his game. Five minutes after the kick-off, he made a daring run through the middle, rushing past three Fiorentina players like the wind. Then, when the angle opened up, he threaded the ball to Carlos Tevez, who converted successfully from inside the box to score Juventus' first goal for the night.

However, making the assist didn't mark the end of Zachary's brilliance that night. He was in high gear for the next hour, executing tackles and making daring runs through the wings and the middle. He really terrorized the Fiorentina players before eventually scoring Juventus' second goal from a counterattack during the 70th minute of gameplay.

From that point onwards, everything was smooth sailing for Zachary and Juventus. All the Old Lady players remained tactically disciplined and defended as if their lives were at stake. They managed to keep the Fiorentina defenders at bay and eventually won the game by two goals to zero after six minutes of added time.

--

Coach Allegri was in high spirits after watching his team defeat Fiorentina away from home and obtain their 14th consecutive win in the Serie A that season. He hugged all his players and congratulated them for the job well done before stepping off the pitch and heading towards the press area.

"Coach Allegri, welcome, and congratulations upon winning yet another crucial game in the Serie A," the reporter said after he stepped in front of the cameras.

"Thanks," Coach Allegri replied.

"You must be quite happy after winning the game against Fiorentina?"

"Yes, I am," Coach Allegri said. "It's another big win for us. The boys were impressive on the field of play and gave everything to win the game. Zachary, for instance, was exceptional and managed to set up the first goal before scoring the second during the 70th minute. There was also Andrea Pirlo, Arturo Vidal, and Claudio Marchisio. Their creativity in midfield today was impressive, and they managed to help us dominate possession throughout the entire duration of the game. Of course, there are moments when we could have done better. We could have capitalized on some of our chances during the late stages of the second half to score one or two more goals. But again, this is football, and even top players can miss opportunities, especially when the opposition is playing incredibly well on the defensive end."

"You have already amassed a total of 42 points, and you're also ten points clear at the top of the Serie A table," the reporter said. "Considering all that, do you think the Serie A is in the bag?"

Coach Allegri chuckled and said, "That would be my hope. But as we know, anything can happen during the course of a long season. Many uncontrollable factors can come into play, and our form as a team can take a dip. So, I can't say for sure that the Serie A is in the bag, as that would be unprofessional. But I can promise our fans that we'll continue doing our utmost to win every game. And hopefully, our efforts will be rewarded, and we'll be able to win the Serie A once again this season."

"On Tuesday, you'll face off against Atlético Madrid," the reporter stated. "Are you ready?"

"Not yet," Coach Allegri admitted. "We'll work on the tactics as a team from tomorrow afternoon til Monday. And hopefully, we should be ready to face off against Atlético Madrid by Tuesday."

"Okay, coach," the reporter said. "Thanks for answering our questions. We wish you all the best while preparing for the game against Atlético Madrid. Have a good evening."

"Thanks. Have a good evening too."

--

With the return Champions League game against Atlético Madrid around the corner, the Juventus players worked harder than ever. They spent most of their waking hours honing their tactics with the clear intent of defeating Atlético Madrid again. And in such a manner, the days quickly passed, and Tuesday, which happened to be the Champions League matchday, arrived.

On that day, at 9:00 in the morning, the UEFA officials organized mandatory pre-match press conferences for both teams. And naturally, Coach Diego Simeone, who had just arrived in Turin with his players, took the interview. He answered questions from journalists representing various famous media houses within the comfort of Hotel Galant's spacious conference room.

"Coach Diego!" A reporter from BeIN Sports called out. "During the first leg against Juventus in Madrid, you lost the game after conceding three goals, all scored by Zachary Bemba, who has been in great form this season. So, coach! Tell us! How do you plan to stop Zachary and the rest of Juventus' attacking force tonight?"

"I won't discuss our tactics here on live television," Coach Diego Simeone answered. "But I can say with a hundred percent confidence that we're ready and well-prepared to handle whatever Juventus throws at us. As you said, the Juventus attacking players, especially Zachary, Andrea Pirlo, Carlos Tevez, Fernando Llorente, and Alvaro Morata, have all been in fine form. When combined, their attacking prowess is probably rated among the best three in Europe at the moment. But don't forget that Atlético Madrid is a team accustomed to playing against tough opposition. On many occasions, we've faced off against Barcelona, Real Madrid, and many others but come out on top. I believe we can do the same against Juventus and win this game. That's my honest belief."

"Thank you for your response, Coach Diego Simeone," A reporter from Sky Italia said. "What is your minimum expectation for your players during this match? Is it a draw, or do you wish for Atlético Madrid to win the game?"

"Of course, we're here to win the game," Coach Diego Simeone replied emphatically. "Over the past few days, we've been working hard and preparing for this game. As a team, we're in the best condition, and we'll step onto the pitch with the sole goal of defeating Juventus. We want to win, get three more points, and then qualify for the knock-out stage of the Champions League. That's our sole objective here in Turin."

--

In the meantime, Massimiliano Allegri, Juventus' coach, also attended to his press duties at the Vinovo, Juventus' training center. As usual, he was in his sleek black suit, matched with a white shirt and black tie, as he replied to the questions fired out by the journalists in attendance.

"Coach!" A reporter from La Gazzetta dello Sport called out. "You have won all your Champions League group games, thus amassing 15 points from five opening matches. As such, you've already qualified for the knock-out stage since you're eight points clear of the second-placed Atlético Madrid. Considering all that, do you plan to rest some of your crucial players, like Zachary, Andrea Pirlo, and Carlos Tevez, especially since this match is practically meaningless in the grand scheme of things?"

Coach Allegri chuckled and said, "As professional athletes, we always yearn to compete against the best in the world. So, as a team, we'll always welcome a game against Atlético Madrid, who happen to be the Spanish champions. We'll do all we can to defeat them and continue our winning streak in all competitions."

"But again," the coach continued with a smile, "the season is quite long, and we have a tight schedule coming up. Taking all that into account, we have to rest some of our players at certain times to ensure they remain in tip-top condition throughout the season. That also applies to today's game."

"Does that mean that Zachary will not get to play today?" Another reporter hurriedly asked.

Coach Allegri smiled and answered, "I can't answer that question right now. But I can promise you'll get the answer to the question when the line-ups come out later today."

"Coach!" A Gazzetta del Popolo reporter in the front row said immediately after raising her arm. "A few weeks ago, Patrice Evra suffered a knock while playing for France and hasn't featured in any games for Juventus since then? What's the status of his injury at the moment? Is he able to return to the match line-up today night?"

On hearing the question, Coach Allegri sighed and shook his head. "Unfortunately," he said, "Patrice Evra suffered another setback during training on Sunday evening. The medical exams he took yesterday revealed that he'd strained the hamstring of his left thigh. He'll be out for six more weeks, meaning he can only return to action during January."

--

Later that day, just one and a half hours before the highly anticipated kick-off between Juventus and Atlético Madrid, the line-ups came out. And as promised, Coach Allegri remained true to his word and benched a few crucial players.

The players in his starting 4-3-1-2 formation were Marco Storari (as Goalkeeper), Paolo De Ceglie, Federico Mattiello, Giorgio Chiellini, and Leonardo Bonucci (as the defenders), Arturo Vidal, Simone Padoin, and Claudio Marchisio (as the defensive midfielders), Roberto Pereyra (as the only attacking midfielder) plus Fernando Llorente and Álvaro Morata (as the two strikers). As for the on-form crucial players, like Zachary, Andrea Pirlo, Gianluigi Buffon, Carlos Tevez, and Stephan Lichtsteiner, the coach had left them on the bench for that specific game.

On the other hand, Diego Simeone's starting 4-2-3-1 formation included all the famous Atlético Madrid names, such as Mario Mandzukic, Koke, Antoine Griezmann, Diego Godín, and Gabi, among others. The coach had obviously brought out all his big guns since he had to win the game in order to avoid the unfortunate fate of dropping out of the Champions League at the group stage.

One and half hours quickly passed after the release of the line-ups, and soon the clock hands around Turin pointed to the 8:45 PM mark. And as scheduled, the battle between Juventus and Atlético Madrid kicked off right on time within the packed Juventus Stadium.

For Atlético Madrid, it was a must-win game. Thus, immediately after the kick-off, the players in striped red and white jerseys poured forward like a swarm of starving locusts. They began to utilize high-pressing tactics to mount pressure on Juventus, and it wasn't long before they won possession.

From there on, they quickly gained momentum and started dictating the proceedings on the field of play. They were unlike the Atlético Madrid from weeks ago as they launched relentless attacks against Juventus for the next few minutes.

Their creativity on the pitch continued blooming as the game continued, and through their creative forward players like Mario Mandzukic, Koke, and Antoine Griezmann, they came close to scoring a couple of times. They were unquestionably the better team, even though they were playing in front of a very hostile audience of Juventus fans.

Nevertheless, they couldn't break down Juventus' tenacious defense, no matter how hard they tried during the first half. That was because players like Giorgio Chiellini, and Leonardo Bonucci, the two center-backs, did their utmost to thwart most of Atlético Madrid's attempts on goal. And with the two Italians holding the backline, the score remained 0:0 until halftime.

After the fifteen-minute halftime break, both teams emerged unchanged, with neither coach introducing any substitute. As a result, Atlético Madrid remained the better team on paper and thus continued dictating the tempo on the pitch.

Contrary to their usual practice, the impressive attacking and passing capabilities of the Atlético Madrid players were there for everybody to see as the game proceeded forward. At times, they would utilize lightning-fast one-two exchanges to break through the middle, while at other times, they would play an unexpected long ball to find Mario Mandzukic, their highly-clinical center forward. They kept Juventus guessing with their ever-changing tactics before eventually finding the back of the net through an outside-of-the-box shot from Koke during the 62nd minute. And with that, the deadlock was finally ripped apart, and the score became 1:0 in favor of the visitors.

The referee's whistle sounded after the goal celebrations, and the game restarted with most fans thinking that Atlético Madrid would press their advantage and continue playing attacking football. Even the commentators believed that the team from Madrid was out for blood, and they would launch more spirited attacks against Juventus to get more goals.

But as the game continued, both fans and commentators soon became wide-eyed as they realized that they couldn't have been more wrong while predicting the development of the match situation.

Contrary to the expectations of many, the Atlético Madrid players returned to their old ways and started playing defensive football during the 70th minute. And as such, all the men in the red and white striped jerseys began falling back often to absorb the very-same pressure they had clearly invited from Juventus with their switch of tactics.

Report chapter Comments

The AtlÃtico Madrid players had switched to their usual defensive playing style. Fortunately for them, their defensive efforts weren't passive as they fell back. Instead, they played aggressive, hard-tackling football to terrorize the Juventus players that tried to cut through their ranks.

For the next few minutes, it was as if they were fighting a war. As such, ruthless sliding tackles, borderline aerial duels, shirt-pulling incidences, and body slams became the order of the night as the game proceeded into the late stages. And soon, it became clear to all that the AtlÃtico Madrid players were out for blood, as not even the four yellow cards displayed by the referee could curb their ruthlessness.

More minutes passed, and the game approached the 70th-minute mark. And just then, Claudio Marchisio was on the ball after having intercepted a loose pass close to the center circle.

Taking the ball in his stride, Marchisio skipped past Gabi, AtlÃtico Madrid's captain, as he navigated his way through the middle, hoping to find a passing angle. But just as he was about to flick the ball to his left to find Simone Padoin, his counterpart in midfield, something unexpected and unfortunate transpired.

Mario Suárez, AtlÃtico Madrid's other central midfielder, came sliding in with a ruthless impetus. His boot skidded over the green like a deadly viper traversing the jungle, and he caught Claudio Marchisio on the ankle.

"Aaahhh!"

With an agonized cry, Claudio Marchisio went down immediately. He then started rolling around on the ground while holding onto his ankle. Anyone could tell he was clearly in pain and most likely injured by the ruthless challenge from the AtlÃtico Madrid midfielder.

FWEEEEEEE*

The referee blew the whistle and immediately rushed to the scene. Then, he quickly summoned the medics, who soon began offering first aid to the injured Claudio Marchisio.

The medics focused all their attention on Marchisio's ankle, hoping to relieve his pain so he would return to action immediately. However, all their efforts were fruitless, and they soon realized that the worst-case scenario had transpired. For sure, Claudio Marchisio, one of Juventus' midfielders, had suffered an injury after being on the receiving end of a ruthless tackle. He was in great pain, and they would thus have to ferry him out of the playing field on a stretcher.

FWEEEEEEE*

In the meantime, the referee, who happened to be crowded by raging Juventus players, blew the whistle again. He then pushed himself out of the mass of bodies in striped black and white jerseys before showing a yellow card to Mario Suárez, the player that had committed the foul. After that, he blew a whistle again and started marking out the spot for the free-kick. As for the complaining Juventus players, he clearly chose to ignore them.

--

"Damn it!" Coach Allegri exclaimed while running toward the fourth official after noticing that the referee had only shown Mario Suárez a yellow card for the foul.

Narrowing his eyes slightly, he yelled at the official, "Mario Suárez went for the leg instead of the ball. He should receive a red card instead of a yellow card. What's wrong with you, referees?"

"Calm down. Calm down, coach..." The fourth official said, trying to soothe Coach Allegri's flaring temper.

"Don't you dare say that to me!" Coach Allegri cut off the fourth official mid-sentence. "Don't tell me to calm down when my player has just suffered a ruthless tackle that took him out of the game."

"Calm down. Calm..." the fourth official continued. "It's unfortunate that your player has suffered an injury and can't continue the game. But that was Mario Suárez's first challenge. Surely, do you really believe that we should show him a straight red card for such a challenge?"

"Of course," Coach Allegri stated with anger. "His intent was clearly to injure Claudio. Based on that, the referee should show him a straight red card. It's that simple..."

"Coach, let's head back!" Maurizio Trombetta, one of Juventus' assistant coaches, said, pulling his boss away. "There's no use arguing with the referees as they won't change their decisions. Instead, we should calm down and decide on who to bring in place of the injured Marchisio."

"Okay."

Coach Allegri sucked in a long breath and followed after his assistant. He returned to his technical area in seconds and started thinking about the most appropriate substitute to introduce into the game.

Both Andrea Pirlo and Zachary were still on the bench. They were all highly gifted players who could enter the pitch and change the game situation quickly. Any of them could work as a substitute for the injured Marchisio at that moment.

But as the coach was about to select a substitute, his heart skipped a beat as a series of thoughts manifested within his mind. What if Zachary or Pirlo also suffer an injury? Is it worth it for a match that is clearly not that important in the bigger picture of our plans this season? Should I risk them to win the game?"

The gears in Coach Allegri's mind kept on whirling and rotating as he predicted a few unfortunate possibilities that could happen if he introduced an important player into the game. And for seconds, he couldn't decide what to do until his gaze landed on Coach Diego Simeone, the AtlÃtico Madrid coach, who happened to be watching him with a teasing smile at that very moment.

"Wait!" He thought with a frown. "Could this bastard have predicted this? After injuring one of my players, does he think I won't dare to introduce one of my other creative players since this is not a must-win game for us? What a cunning bastard!"

After thinking of the possibility, Coach Allegri couldn't contain his anger. He turned his gaze away from the AtlÃtico Madrid coach and returned his attention to Maurizio Trombetta, his assistant.

"Coach Trombetta," he said with narrowed eyes. "What's the score for the game between Olympiacos and Malmö?"

"The last time I checked, Olympiacos was still leading by two goals to one," Coach Trombetta answered dutifully.

Coach Allegri smiled. But his smile was a bit sinister. "Seems there's a possibility of Olympiacos winning. Doesn't that mean that AtlÃtico Madrid will drop out of the Champions League if we force them to a draw or win against them?"

Coach Trombetta thought for a short while before saying, "Both AtlÃtico Madrid and Olympiacos had seven points before today's games. So, if Olympiacos wins and AtlÃtico Madrid draws or loses, Coach Diego and his men will drop out of the Champions League. But why ask all this? What are you thinking, boss?"

"Just some minor stuff," Coach Allegri said, still maintaining his smile that was not a smile. "Coach Trombetta. Go ahead and prep Tevez, Pirlo, and Zachary as substitutes. Let them start warming up immediately! I want them on the pitch in five."

"Boss..." Maurizio Trombetta seemed like he was about to argue.

"Don't say anything," Coach Trombetta cut him off. "Just carry out my instructions. We need to make the substitutions quickly. Or else, we might concede another goal."

"Okay, boss," the assistant said with a helpless sigh. "I'll do as you say."

--

The three Juventus substitutes finally stepped onto the pitch one after the other after the ball went out of play for an Atlético Madrid throw-in during the 73rd minute.

Andrea Pirlo entered in place of the injured Claudio Marchisio while Carlos Tevez substituted in for the underperforming Álvaro Morata. As for Zachary, he replaced Roberto Pereyra, thus becoming the only attacking central midfielder for Juventus during the final 17 minutes.

After the substitutions, it was time for the game to continue. The referee's whistle sounded, and Atlético Madrid restarted the game by taking the throw in.

Juanfran Torres, the Atlético Madrid right-back, was the man called into action. He raced towards the touchline before planting his feet firmly on the ground and throwing the ball towards the middle.

The defender's technique was spot on, and he threw the ball accurately, hoping to find Mario Suárez, who happened to have just moved into an unmarked pocket of space in the middle. However, just before Suárez could make the connection with the pin-point throw, Zachary, who had just stepped onto the pitch, came rushing in to win the ball.

Zachary timed his run to perfection before pushing off the ground to leap for the ball. His 6-foot-4 physique played its role, and he outmuscled the seemingly helpless Mario Suárez for aerial superiority. And with that, he easily won the ball fair and square before using his head to guide it towards Andrea Pirlo on his left.

"Pa..."

With the soft sound of the ball meeting the boot, Andrea Pirlo connected with Zachary's pass. Then, just before an opponent could close him down, the maestro drew his leg back and smacked the ball expertly to unleash a raking pass toward the other side of the pitch.

Of course, the Italian maestro wasn't just playing aimlessly but trying to release Carlos Tevez, the other substitute, who happened to be making a daring run toward the other side of the pitch.

"Hu..."

Inhaling deeply, Carlos Tevez leaped high and chested the ball to the ground. He then feigned going left before actually accelerating towards his right to lose Gabi, the Atlético Madrid captain who had been closely following after him.

However, just as Tevez was about to dance his way out of another tight space, José María Giménez, one of Atlético Madrid's center-backs, came rushing in with a flying tackle from the side. The center-back slammed into Carlos Tevez, thus ramming the Argentine off the ball.

FWEEEEEEE*

The referee blew the whistle and rushed to the scene within seconds. He then went against the bitter complaints of the Atlético Madrid players and awarded Juventus a free-kick at a spot roughly forty yards from the goal.

"That was a fair challenge," Gabi, the Atlético Madrid captain, argued after the referee had made the decision. "Football is a physical game. There will always be duels based on strength when going for the ball, and that's what happened with José María. You surely can't penalize him for that."

"Are you serious!" Leonardo Bonucci, the Juventus defender who happened to have just arrived at the scene, scoffed. "Do you think this is rugby or American football? When have body slams become a thing in football?"

Gabi shook his head. "That wasn't a body slam from José María. He just went for the ball and overpowered Tevez while at it. Period. Why are you trying to make something out of nothing?"

"Leonardo!" Andrea called out to his teammate. "Ignore the idiot. We need to prepare for the free kick. Don't waste time arguing with petty people."

On hearing that, Leonardo Bonucci chuckled and said, "Pirlo! You're right, as usual. I don't know what got over me to argue with an idiot. But I have learned my lesson. I won't do it again."

"Good." Andrea Pirlo gave him a thumbs up.

Leonardo smiled and took a few steps to approach Pirlo's position. Glancing towards Zachary, who happened to be standing over the ball, the defender asked, "Is he going to take the free-kick?"

"Yes," Andrea Pirlo replied. "The guy almost never misses, even during training. He's the perfect man for the job."

"True!" Leonardo agreed. "But this free-kick is almost forty yards from goal. Will he be able to find the target from such a long distance?"

"Honestly," Pirlo said, "I'm not sure. But when I talked to him, he said that he wanted to have a go at the goal. So, I let him be."

"Eehh!" Leonardo Bonucci exclaimed. "Pirlo! That's not like you. Isn't it better to have him deliver a chip behind the defensive line and into the box? I feel that that's the only way we can score from a free-kick at such a distance."

Andrea Pirlo sighed and shook his head. "Let's not talk about this anymore. Zachary hasn't disappointed us since arriving here. Let's give him the benefit of the doubt."

"Okay," Leonardo agreed.

--

In the meantime, Zachary had just finished positioning the ball on the free-kick spot. Sucking in a deep breath to calm himself down, he took a few steps back and started observing the goings-on before him.

The referee was still organizing the wall, which happened to have only two players. Most likely, the Atlético Madrid keeper thought there was no need for a long defensive wall since the free-kick was almost forty yards from goal.

As Zachary's gaze kept roaming around, he noticed more details. He noted how Atlético Madrid had set up the defensive backline in front of their box and far away from their goal. It was as if they were most afraid of runs from the other Juventus players instead of Zachary himself. And most likely, they thought that Zachary wouldn't go for a shot but would try to link up with his teammates to make something out of the free-kick.

"Aren't they taking me too lightly?" He pondered with a smile. But with a single shake of his head, he cast the thought out of his mind. He then took a deep breath and activated the Dead-Ball Specialist Juju while awaiting the referee's signal.

A few more seconds passed, and the referee finally finished organizing the players in front of the box. Then, after taking a strategic position, he blew his whistle and signaled for Zachary to take the free-kick.

"Whoosh!"

Zachary went into action right away. Taking a deep breath, he made an angled run toward the ball while emptying his mind. A few long strides allowed him to arrive in front of the ball, and he drew his leg back before swinging it down to smack the ball dead in the center. For that moment, Zachary didn't bother with tricks but just hit the ball with raw power. So, there wasn't anything fancy with his technique, but just leg strength on display.

"Whoosh!"

The ball took off like a surface-to-surface missile just fired out of its launcher. Its white and black surface glimmered under the bright floodlights of the Juventus stadium as it tore through the air like a lightning bolt. And before the keeper could react or even move an inch, it ricocheted off the crossbar before bouncing into the back of the net.

"Sarò dannato!"

"Che diavolo!"

Andrea Pirlo and Leonardo Bonucci, the two players who happened to be near Zachary, exclaimed as their eyes widened with surprise. They were so shocked, and they turned to glance at Zachary as if he was a monster in human skin.

Zachary, on his part, just smiled and raised his arms to celebrate in response. He'd successfully converted a 40-yard free-kick to score an equalizing goal for Juventus during the 76th minute. He felt giddy with excitement and thus couldn't stop his heart from going on a wild caper in his chest.

--

Chapter 506 The Coach who Experienced more than Double Emotional Damage

"Damn it! Why does this boy keep scoring against us?" Coach Diego Simeone cursed out loud after Zachary converted a 40-yard free-kick to score an equalizing goal for Juventus. The thunderous cheers around the stadium sounded like funeral songs in his ears, and he couldn't stop himself from punching the air in front of him. He really felt crestfallen and disoriented after his players conceded a goal that could potentially force his team out of the Champions League at the group stage.

Taking a deep breath, he turned toward one of his assistants and asked, "Juan! What is the score for the game between Olympiacos and Malmö?"

"Just give me a moment to check," Juan Vizcaíno, the assistant, said before playing around with the buttons on his tablet. Then, a few seconds later, his eyes lit up, and he turned to glance at his boss.

"What is the score?" Coach Diego Simeone hurriedly pressed for an answer. "Don't keep me guessing. Hurry up and spit it out."

"The score is 2:2," Juan answered with a smile. "Markus Rosenberg scored the equalizer for Malmö six minutes ago."

"Yeah!" The coach pumped out his fist, his eyes brimming with hope. "Things are not so bad. But we must still do our utmost to win this game if we want to be sure of qualifying. Otherwise, we'll really be fucked if Olympiacos scores a late winner against Malmö."

Juan Vizcaíno, the assistant, nodded but didn't say anything. He continued playing around with the buttons on his tablet while waiting for his boss' next set of instructions.

Coach Diego Simeone, on his part, cocked his head slightly to observe Massimiliano Allegri, Juventus' head coach, who happened to be voicing instructions to his players. Then, narrowing his eyes slightly, he said, "I don't know why that bastard, Max Allegri, is trying so hard to win this game. He has brought in all his crucial players, even though he has already qualified as first in the group. Truly annoying!"

"Boss!" Suddenly the panicked voice of the assistant rang in his ears. "Konstantinos Mitroglou has just scored the third goal for Olympiacos."

"What?" Coach Diego Simeone's heart jumped with unease.

"I said that Olympiacos has just scored the third goal against Malmö," the assistant said. "And based on the match statistics, Olympiacos is the better team compared to Malmö. So, they have a high chance of winning and qualifying for the next Champions League stage as the second team in Group A. That's unless we can up our game and defeat Juventus."

"Damn! How can they score so fast? We're really fucked."

Coach Diego Simeone felt like his world had been turned upside down. He knew that Olympiacos would reach ten points if they won the other Group A game. So, that meant that the only way for Atlético Madrid to surpass them in such a situation was by winning the game against Juventus. They had to defeat the Old Lady or otherwise face the shameful destiny of dropping out of the Champions League at the group stage.

"Coach!" Juan Vizcaíno, the assistant, called out. "What's your plan?"

Coach Allegri didn't answer right away. Instead, he turned his gaze to the pitch to observe Zachary, who was on the ball. The twenty-year-old playmaker was like a whirlwind as he cut through the middle, executing sidesteps to leave opponents in the dust. Zachary then exchanged a couple of one-twos with Fernando Llorente and Carlos Tevez as he speared deeper into Atlético Madrid's half. A few more strides brought him to the edge of the box, and he unleashed a curling shot toward the top right corner.

"Damn!"

At that moment, Coach Diego Simeone really thought that his team was about to concede the second goal. His heartbeat accelerated to abnormal levels, and he couldn't help but clench and unclench his fists as he watched the ball heading toward the goal. He was really nervous.

Fortunately for the coach, Miguel Ángel Moyá, the Atlético Madrid keeper, was alert and leaped to make the save. The shot-stopper flew through the air with a stunning acrobatic dive before punching Zachary's effort out of play for a corner kick. And with that, he'd saved Atlético Madrid from conceding a goal during the 83rd minute.

"Damn it!" Coach Allegri cursed for the umpteenth time that night. "What the hell are Gabi and Suárez doing on the pitch? They allowed Zachary to pass through our ranks with ease. They almost caused us to concede another goal."

"Boss!" Juan Vizcaíno, the ever-dutiful assistant, said. "Ibrahim Afellay has just scored the fourth goal for Olympiacos."

"What?" Coach Diego felt dizzy.

"I said," the assistant repeated, "Olympiacos has just scored the fourth goal against Malmö. Olympiacos now has a two-goal cushion with only seven minutes remaining to the ninety-minute mark. They will most likely win the other final Group A game."

"Shit! How are they scoring so many goals in a few minutes? Are they playing against Malmö's under-16 team?"

Coach Diego took a moment to organize his thoughts before saying, "Unless we defeat Juventus, we're fucked. Juan! Hurry up and tell Ñíguez and Turan to warm up quickly. I want them on the pitch in three."

"Okay, I'll tell..." Juan stopped his words midsentence and turned his focus to the pitch. The assistant's wavering gaze said it all. He clearly thought something unexpected was about to occur on the field of play.

With a shudder, Coach Diego Simeone followed suit and started observing the proceedings on the field of play. There was already chaos in Atlético Madrid's box since Andrea Pirlo was about to take the corner kick for Juventus. Players of both teams were already pushing and pulling each other as they fought to gain an advantage before the corner ball came in. They were obviously going all out to attack and defend.

However, Coach Diego Simeone's heart remained firm even after his eyes feasted on all the confusion within Atlético Madrid's box. He wasn't that worried, as his players were so good at defending corner kicks delivered into the box.

However, what really tickled the coach's intuitive sixth sense was the sight of Zachary standing before the edge of the 18-yard box. The cunning young bastard had been within the fray inside the box. But after seemingly arguing with one of the Atlético Madrid defenders, he'd turned away in anguish before slowly walking towards the edge of the box. And on reaching there, he'd immediately taken up the position while projecting a feeling of not being interested in the corner kick.

"Damn it! This is bad!"

An ominous thought immediately swirled around Coach Diego Simeone's mind. With all the haste he could muster, he started rushing towards the touchline while yelling, "Hurry! Close down Zachary quickly. Don't let him..."

But right before Coach Diego Simeone could finish the command, Andrea Pirlo took the corner. The Italian Maestro's passing skills were among the best in the world. So, he effortlessly floated the ball towards Zachary, who'd already positioned himself at the edge of the box.

Zachary, on his part, was like a mountain lion pouncing forward as the ball approached his position. With a mighty swing of his left leg, he connected with the ball from Pirlo on the volley and sent it flying toward the goal.

"Damn!"

Coach Diego Simeone's heart jumped into his throat as his eyes followed the ball's trajectory. The ball was so fast, and before he could even blink, it took a slight deflection off the foot of a player in an Atlético Madrid jersey before homing into the back of the net.

With that, the Italian giants finally completed their comeback with another goal from Zachary during the 85th minute. The score was thus 2:1 in favor of the team from Turin, and they were taking firm steps towards achieving their sixth consecutive victory in the Champions League.

"We're in trouble."

Coach Diego Simeone sighed with helplessness. He couldn't believe that his players had lost a crucial lead during the final minutes of gameplay. He was disheartened, and his mood was already sinking into the abyss of desperation as he watched the Juventus players celebrating on one side of the pitch.

"Boss!" Juan Vizcaíno, the ever-dutiful assistant, suddenly called out from beside him.

For some reason, Coach Diego Simeone felt his heart skip a bit. He turned to face his assistant and asked, "What is it this time, Juan?"

"Boss!" The assistant said. "David Fuster has just scored another goal for Olympiacos in the other final game of Group A. As we speak, the score is 5:2, and Olympiacos is on course to defeat Malmö."

"Eehh!"

Coach Diego Simeone's shoulders drooped as he received double emotional damage. He felt like the universe was working against his team, and he couldn't come to terms with the fact that a third-rate team like Olympiacos could score five goals in a single Champions League game. What was next? Were pigs about to start to fly? Everything didn't make sense to the coach, and he felt even more disoriented. At that moment, he really wished to abandon the game and return to the dressing room. But he knew he couldn't really follow through with the thought as he was the manager of a top European football club.

"Boss!" Juan Vizcaíno, the assistant, called out again.

"Yes, Juan," Diego Simeone said without masking the annoyance within his voice. "Don't tell me that Olympiacos has scored a sixth goal!"

"No, that's not it," Juan replied. "I only wanted to inquire whether I should continue prepping Ñíguez and Turan as substitutes."

Taking a deep breath, Coach Diego collected himself and said, "Go ahead and tell them to warm up. We'll throw everything we have at Juventus during these remaining few minutes. Maybe, we can cause a last-minute upset and qualify for the next stage of the Champions League. I hope that luck will be on our side."

Report chapter Comments

Chapter 507 Checking Out the Competition

After conceding a goal, the Atlético Madrid players became more daring on the attack. They launched a series of relentless attacks, hoping to score an equalizer and possibly a winning goal before the ninety-minute mark. However, all their efforts still remained fruitless due to the tactical discipline and defensive solidity of the Juventus squad.

The Juventus players, on their part, were quite impressive during the final minutes. By employing strategies like time wasting, fouls, and parking the bus, they repeatedly took the sting out of Atlético Madrid's offensive attempts. They also constantly fell back as a team and remained solid in defense in order to deny the Madrid-based team any chance to score a goal. As such, they maintained their lead and managed to win the game with a score of 2:1 after six minutes of injury time.

--

The following morning, Zachary woke up late and went through his post-match yoga recovery routine within the comfort of his expansive master bedroom. He was in a pretty good mood since he'd scored another two goals in the Champions League the previous night. As such, his motions were seamless and brimming with spirit as he went from pose to pose, hoping to quicken his post-match recovery.

After completing the yoga routine, Zachary quickly cleaned up and put on a brand-new Nike tracksuit before heading downstairs. On arriving in the kitchen area of his new villa, he spotted Jaslene, his newly-hired maid, cleaning the kitchen.

She was a beautiful young girl of about 20-something years, and from what Zachary had heard, she was Filipino by descent. That morning, she had donned a pretty and fitting maid's uniform, allowing her curves to stand out within the otherwise dull atmosphere of the villa.

"Boss!" She exclaimed as she caught sight of Zachary. "Good morning?"

"Good morning to you too, Jaslene," Zachary replied with a smile. "But I already instructed you not to call me boss, as that makes me feel like an old uncle. Just call me Zachary like the rest do. Okay?"

"Okay, boss..." She replied but stopped abruptly after realizing her mistake. Smiling shyly, she said, "Yes, Zachary. I understand."

"Good." Zachary nodded and turned his gaze away from her. After sweeping his eyes across the sparkling kitchen and taking in the spotlessly clean tiles, sinks, and floors, he asked, "Where's Inger? Is she up yet?"

"Yes, she's up already," Jaslene replied. "She should be in the dining room at the moment."

"Okay, then. I'll go, find Inger. Just continue with your work."

"Yes, boss."

Zachary could only smile helplessly in response before whirling around and heading to the dining room. On arriving, he found Inger playing with her phone while seated on one of the chairs around the dining table.

"Hello, Inger!" Zachary greeted. "How's your morning?"

Inger's smile blossomed as she turned her focus away from her phone. She cocked her head slightly and replied, "My morning is fine. How about you? You woke up late today!"

"The fatigue from yesterday's match has taken its toll on me," Zachary responded. "I decided to sleep longer to allow my body to recover quicker."

"Oh!" Inger's eyes lit up. "I watched the match together with Bjørn from here. And OMG! You were really impressive when you came on as a substitute. You even scored the equalizer and winning goal for Juventus. Congs, man."

"Thanks," Zachary replied, smiling a bit unnaturally. He always found it slightly weird when acquaintances showered him with over-the-top praises. "Is breakfast ready?"

"Yup," she replied. "I prepared chicken breast with; Avocado, rice, beetroot, spinach, Quinoa salad, and a glass of coconut water. I'll bring the food over immediately."

"Thanks."

With that said, Inger immediately headed to the kitchen before returning with the food a few minutes later. She placed it before Zachary and then went away to do her other chores.

As for Zachary, he quickly busied himself with the food. He ate with relish and finished the meal in less than ten minutes. But since he still felt hungry, he didn't just stop at that.

After consulting with Inger, he picked a glass of milk, cereals, and bananas from the fridge before swallowing them to complete his meal. And with that, he finally finished his breakfast and was thus free to focus on other things.

Coach Allegri had allowed all the Juventus players two days off after they won the match against Atlético Madrid the previous night. Thus, that very day, Zachary had ample free time on his hands, which he mostly spent resting in his new villa.

He watched birds in his gardens in the morning and then went through a light gym routine at noon before enjoying a sumptuous lunch prepared by Inger, his chef. Then, after taking a short nap in the afternoon, he had Angelo, his driver, drop him at the language school, where he spent the rest of the day studying Italian.

At around 9:00 PM, he returned home, feeling even more tired after spending hours cramming and comprehending Italian sentences. He quickly took a shower and dried himself with a towel before descending the stairs and heading to the living room. Along the way, he picked a glass of juice from the fridge before continuing further and settling in front of the large screen to watch European Football.

Since it was Wednesday night, there were many Champions League games scheduled. For instance, there were high-stakes games like Barcelona vs. PSG, AS Roma vs. Man City, and Chelsea vs. Sporting. They were all live on different paid Television channels in Italy.

"You're also going to watch football!" Coach Bjørn Peters, Zachary's fitness trainer, exclaimed on seeing him settle on the couch beside him.

"Yes," Zachary replied after taking a sip of his juice. "I want to check out the competition."

Coach Bjørn Peters chuckled. "Checking out the competition is a good practice. But aren't you worried about oversleeping and being late for the team training tomorrow?"

"Nah," Zachary replied with a shake of his head. "We have another day off tomorrow. I don't have to get up early."

"Well, that's new!" Coach Bjørn Peters exclaimed.

"What's new?" Zachary inquired.

"I meant Coach Allegri giving you a day off," the fitness trainer replied with a smile. "The man should be over the moon after Juventus defeated Atlético Madrid."

"He sure is," Zachary said as the image of Coach Allegri celebrating the win yesterday appeared in his mind. After the final whistle had sounded, the coach went crazy with excitement and even celebrated before his opponent - Diego Simeone. But he didn't just stop at that. The coach also awarded all the Juventus players two days of rest as an appreciative gesture for the job well done against Atlético Madrid.

"That was some crazy stuff..."

Slowly pushing the memories of yesternight out of his mind, Zachary fixed his eyes on the large screen. The next moment, his eyes lit up when he noticed that the match on the screen was between Barcelona and PSG. He quickly placed his glass of juice on the table before focusing on the proceedings displayed on the screen.

As usual, Barcelona was the dominant team on the field of play, especially with players like Messi, Neymar, Pedro, Luis Suárez, Andrés Iniesta, and Sergio Busquets in their ranks. After conceding a goal in the opening stages, they quickly flew forward like packs of wolves on the hunt as they mounted a never-ending series of attacks on the Paris-based side. Their teamwork was so out of this world, and they relied on their signature Tiki-taka football to dominate possession and break down PSG's tenacity as the match proceeded forward. And with that, they managed to win the game by three goals to one after Lionel Messi, Neymar, and Luis Suárez found the back of the net during the 19th, 41st, and 79th minutes, respectively.

"This Barcelona team is something else," Bjørn Peters said with a sigh after the game ended. "They are always dictating the tempo in every game they play. No offense to you, Zachary, but I think they have the most lethal attacking combination in the world."

"No offense taken," Zachary replied with a smile. "I'm aware that Barcelona is a great team. If we chanced upon them, we would have to pull out all stops to get even a draw out of them. They are really a scary team, especially with Messi, Neymar, Iniesta, Suárez, and their Tiki-taka football to support them."

"That's true," Bjørn Peters said, nodding. "I have a gut feeling that they will be the biggest obstacle for you and your Juventus as you try to win the Champions League trophy this season. You'll have to defeat them before dreaming about lifting the most prestigious trophy in Europe."

"True," Zachary agreed as memories of his previous life manifested within his mind. "If we can't beat Barcelona, we should forget about this season's Champions League trophy."

Zachary had been a staunch supporter of the game during his previous life. He was well aware that Barcelona would play incredibly well and put up a series of impressive performances in the Champions League that very season. And if the future proceeded as it should, Barcelona would even overpower Juventus in the final and lift the 2014-15 Champions League trophy. In other words, the Barcelona players were the fated champions of Europe that very season.

Report chapter Comments

Chapter 508 Conclusion of the Champions League Group Stages

After the Barcelona game ended, Zachary didn't immediately go to bed. Instead, he remained seated in front of the TV screen, hoping to learn the results of all the other crucial Champions League matches played around Europe. Of course, he wasn't alone, but still in the company of Coach Bjørn Peters, who'd also stayed awake to watch the post-match show.

"Welcome back from that fascinating game of football between Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain," Zachary heard the magnetic voice of the beautiful TV presenter reverberate through the speakers. "I'm Emilia Vasquez, your host for the Champions League Wrap-Up show on ESPN. And for those just joining us, please be informed that Barcelona has just defeated PSG 3:1 with goals from Lionel Messi, Neymar, and Luis Suárez. The result has allowed Barcelona to amass 15 points and top Group F ahead of the second-placed PSG. As such, they will be one of the top-seeded teams during the Champions League Round of Sixteen Draw scheduled for Monday, 15th December 2014."

Turning to glance at one of the in-studio pundits, Emilia Vasquez continued, "Shaka Hislop! The Champions League group stage has concluded satisfactorily for some and frustratingly for others, depending on the team one supports. Isn't that right?"

Shaka Hislop smiled and said, "Except for Liverpool and Atlético Madrid, all the other teams we expected to qualify did qualify. Strong sides like Bayern Munich, Barcelona, Juventus, Chelsea, and Real Madrid all topped their respective groups. So, I can confidently say that this season's UEFA Champions League group stage ended in a satisfactory way."

Emilia Vasquez nodded. "According to you, which teams are the best performers for the just-concluded group stage?"

Shaka Hislop immediately replied, "First on the list is definitely Real Madrid. The Madrid-based side was impressive throughout the group stages. With their phenomenal star-studded line-up, which includes highly-gifted attacking players like Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema, Toni Kroos, Modric, and Marcello, they won all their group games and amassed a total of 18 points. They are by far the best-performing team of the group stages with their six out of six wins and a goal difference of 14."

"Second on the list would be Juventus," Shaka Hislop continued. "The Turin-based club has been in fine form after gaining a boost with the addition of their new playmaker/goal-machine - Zachary Bemba. Similar to Real Madrid, they won all their group games but only fell short because of their goal difference of 12."

"Third on the list is Bayern Munich. The Munich-based side was also impressive during the group stages. They won five of their games and only lost the game against Manchester City. With their goal difference of 12, they are the third-best performing team in the group stages, just barely ahead of Barcelona, who only have a goal difference of 10."

"Thank you, Shaka," Emilia Vasquez said and turned towards another in-studio pundit. "Joshua Morales! The Champions League group stages are over, and the representatives of the remaining clubs will travel to Nyon, Switzerland, for the draw of the round of 16 on Monday. What should we expect from this draw? Which teams could potentially face off against each other in the Round of Sixteen knock-out phase?"

"Thank you, Emilia," Joshua Morales said with a smile. "The rules for the draw are pretty straightforward. The top seeds, or in other words, the winners of each group, will go into one pot, while the second seeds in another pot. Then a chosen UEFA representative will draw the teams from the two pots together to determine who faces who. But please note that a club can't meet an opponent from their own association or from the group stages, and the group winners will be away in the first round of fixtures."

"For this Champions League draw," Joshua Morales continued, "the top seeds are the group winners in the first pot, who are Real Madrid, Juventus, Bayern Munich, Chelsea, FC Porto, AS Monaco, Borussia Dortmund, and Barcelona. On the other hand, the runners-up in the other pot are FC Basel, Manchester City, Olympiacos, Schalke 04, Shakhtar Donetsk, Bayer Leverkusen, Arsenal, and Paris Saint-Germain."

"Following that reasoning, potential match-ups for the Round of Sixteen include teams from the first pot, such as Juventus, Real Madrid, or Barcelona, facing off against runners-up from the second pot, such as FC Basel, Manchester City, or Olympiacos."

"Does that mean there's a possibility for a match-up between Real Madrid and Manchester City or Juventus and Arsenal?" Emilia Vasquez, the ESPN TV presenter, chimed in with a smile.

"Yup, there's a chance," Joshua Morales answered. "If fate wills it, we could see Arsenal facing Juventus or Barcelona facing Manchester City. It all depends on how the draw on Monday will go..."

--

As minutes passed, Zachary got bored with the progress of the TV show. As a professional footballer, he knew there was no point in dwelling on stuff he couldn't control. So, instead of worrying about the opponent Juventus could possibly face during the Round of Sixteen, Zachary was better off going to bed and resuming his targeted training tomorrow. And with that thought in mind, he quickly got up from his seat, hoping to head back to his room for the night.

"Are you finally going to bed?" Coach Bjørn Peters asked before Zachary could even take the first step.

"Yes," Zachary said, "It's already past one. I can't stay up any longer."

Coach Bjørn Peters smiled and nodded. "Can I ask you a question?"

"Go ahead. I'm all ears."

"Which teams in the runners-up pot would you want Juventus to face during the Round of Sixteen?"

Zachary smiled and answered, "Shakhtar Donetsk, Bayer Leverkusen, Schalke 04, and FC Basel."

"Eh!" Coach Bjørn Peters exclaimed. "You only wish to play against the weaker opponents?"

"True," Zachary said with a shrug. "Why would I go hunting a wolf when there's an option of hunting a deer?"

Coach Bjørn Peters chuckled. "Then which team in the runners-up pot would you not want to play against during the Round of Sixteen?"

"Paris Saint-Germain, Manchester City, and Arsenal," Zachary replied. "I would prefer not to face those in the Round of Sixteen. But again, if the draw pits us against them, I'll still welcome the prospect of competing against them. The games will be tough, but our odds of winning will still be high."

"Okay, then," Coach Bjørn Peters said with a sigh. "Hope you get an easy opponent for the draw on Monday as I really wish to see you progress further into the Champions League. I can then brag to my friends that my client is doing wonders on the top European Football Stage."

"Worry not!" Zachary said seriously. "I'll do my all to win the Champions League at one point in my career. If not this year, then I will try for next year. And if not next year, I'll try for the year after that and then repeat the process until I help Juventus to bring the Champions League Trophy to Turin. That's the minimum expectation of myself at this club."

"Ata boy!" Coach Bjørn Peters said, giving Zachary a thumbs up. "As the saying goes, if you believe in yourself and have dedication, consistency, and pride, you'll be a winner. So, keep working hard, and you'll lift that Champions League trophy sooner than you know."

"Thanks for the encouragement," Zachary said with a smile.

"Just a moment before you go to bed," Coach Bjørn Peters suddenly said solemnly.

"Yes, what is it, coach?"

"You haven't played for any country. Right?" The fitness trainer glanced at Zachary with a glint in his eyes.

"Yup." Zachary nodded. "I haven't represented any country in international competitions, but..."

"You don't have to explain to me your reasons," Coach Bjørn Peters hurriedly cut in. "But if you're still considering a country to represent, could you put Norway in your thoughts?"

"Coach!" Zachary said with a shake of his head. "I have already chosen a country to represent. As I speak, there are people already helping me to process citizenship papers for that country. So, I can't represent Norway in the future. I'm sorry."

"Oh!" Coach Bjørn Peters' eyes widened. "Which country is so lucky to have you represent them?"

Zachary smiled and replied, "I can't say for the moment. But you'll know in a few weeks."

He had already been in touch with the officials from Ivory Coast multiple times. They were working fast to process his papers and had even hinted that they would finalize everything before the end of the year. So, going by that, he would soon be a citizen of Ivory Coast, and he might also be eligible to play for them in January's African Cup of Nations.

"Oh, okay," Coach Bjørn Peters said after hearing Zachary's response. "It's a pity you've already chosen to play for another country. But again, you must have your own reasons. So, let me wish you the best of luck while representing that country."

"Thanks for understanding, coach." Zachary smiled. "I have to go to bed now."

"Okay, goodnight."

"Good night to you too, coach," Zachary said before walking out of the living room. In a matter of seconds, he ascended the stairs quickly and arrived in his bedroom quickly. He then jumped into bed, hoping to enter a deep slumber and allow his body to recover from the fatigue he'd accumulated playing against Atlético Madrid.

--

Chapter 509 One of those Strange Games

Having rested for two days, Zachary and his teammates returned their focus to their domestic duties. Under the guidance of Max Allegri, their coach, they trained intensively on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday while doing all they could to refine their tactics and hone their match fitness. Then, when Sunday, 14th December 2014, arrived, they put on their match gear and welcomed Sampdoria at the Juventus Stadium for yet another breathtaking Serie A battle.

The game was an early kick-off scheduled to commence at 12:30 PM. But even then, it still attracted an enormous crowd of roughly 39,000 football fans, most of which were Juventus supporters. And since Juventus had been performing incredibly well since the start of the new season, those fans were in high spirits while awaiting the commencement of the game. Their enthusiasm was so out of this world, and they went all out to sing the popular Juventus chants.

But there were still exceptions in the crowd, and not all the supporters were busy chanting Juventus songs. Instead, there were also those within their ranks huddled together in the middle section of the stands while discussing their expectations for their team.

"If we defeat Sampdoria, then we will have extended our perfect winning streak in the Serie A to fifteen matches," Paolo Favero, a staunch supporter of Juventus, said to his friend. "We're really flying, man."

"Yeah! We're indeed flying." Luca Maroni, his friend, who was also naturally a Juventus supporter, agreed. "If we factor in our Champions League campaign, then we already have a perfect winning streak of twenty-one games. It's simply unbelievable!"

"We've really become invincible after acquiring Zachary," Paolo said.

"Yeah, we have," Luca agreed. "By the way, how many goals does he have at the moment?"

Narrowing his eyes slightly, Paolo replied, "Thirteen goals in the Serie A and nine in the Champions League. It's simply unbelievable! He plays as an attacking midfielder in most games but still scores all those goals."

"Well, I think he's scoring a lot becomes of how Coach Allegri utilizes him," Luca said. "Within our standard 3-5-2 formation, he often starts in central midfield alongside Andrea Pirlo, our deep-lying playmaker, and Claudio Marchisio, our defensive midfielder. However, he usually pushes forward and joins our strikers as an additional attacker during critical moments. And that allows him more room and flexibility to provide assists or shoot and score goals."

"True," Paolo agreed. "He's a true in-and-out creative midfielder who can play as a Mezzala, a box-to-box midfielder, a false nine, and an advanced playmaker. Man! We're so lucky to have him."

"Indeed," Luca agreed again. "But he will face a tough challenge when we play against Cagliari Calcio next Thursday. You know how the Cagliari fans are. They will always use whatever means possible, including racial insults, to help their team win the game."

"Yeah, I know," Paolo said. "It's a must that they will use racial insults to throw Zachary off his rhythm. And since he's the best player in the Italian Serie A at the moment, they might take the insults to a never-before-seen level. I hope things won't get so bad to the point of forcing him to walk off the pitch."

Shaking his head, Luca sighed and said, "Let's pray that the worst won't occur. I don't want us to lose the game against Cagliari because one of our players walked off the pitch. That would truly be unfortunate."

"Yeah..."

--

The minutes passed quickly, and soon 12:30 PM arrived. And with the referee's whistle, the Serie A battle between Juventus and Sampdoria kicked off right on time under the fire of the noon sun.

For that game, Coach Allegri had brought out most of his top guns. Gianluigi Buffon was in goal, while Giorgio Chiellini, Leonardo Bonucci, and Martín Angelo Ogbonna were the three defenders. Then, Arturo Vidal, Andrea Pirlo, and Zachary Bemba were the three players holding the reigns in central midfield, while Kwadwo Asamoah and Stephan Lichtsteiner were on the flanks to complete the midfield of five. And finally, Fernando Llorente and Carlos Tévez were playing as the two strikers to complete Juventus' 3-5-2 starting formation against Juventus.

The start of the game was pretty intense, as the Juventus players flew forward and launched spectacular attacks through their creative midfielders linking up play with the wide players. And for the next few minutes, stunning runs through the wings became the order of the day until Juventus finally created a real goal-scoring chance during the 11th minute.

Stephan Lichtsteiner was the man in action at that moment. After controlling a pin-point pass from Zachary, he raced forward and speared deeper into Sampdoria's half like a bullet train on the rails. He skipped past a sliding challenge from an opponent and then stepped into the final third. Then, after the angle opened up, he unleashed a raking cross into the box where Fernando Llorente was already lurking.

"Whoosh!"

Fernando Llorente reacted immediately and leaped for the incoming ball. He effortlessly outmuscled Alessio Romagnoli, the Sampdoria center-back, in a battle for aerial superiority before heading the ball past the keeper to score Juventus' 1st goal during the 12th minute.

The game continued after the celebrations, and like always, Juventus didn't turn down the heat even after scoring the opening goal. The Old Lady players remained rampant while launching more relentless attacks on Sampdoria's defense. And as the game proceeded forward, they created more breathtaking chances as they searched for their second goal.

Firstly, Carlos Tevez threatened to double the lead during the 22nd minute. However, a slight deflection on an opposing center-back's boot took the Argentine's shot wide and away from the goal.

Moments later, during the 24th minute, Zachary was also about to score after unleashing a long-range missile from the outside-of-the-eighteen. But a stunning save from the keeper denied his effort, and he could only place his hands behind his head dejectedly.

But that was not all. Fernando Llorente and Carlos Tevez, the two Juventus strikers, were again just inches away from scoring during the 33rd and 41st minutes, respectively. But another spectacular save from the keeper and a moment of brilliant defending by one of the center-backs denied the two strikers the opportunity to extend the lead before half-time. As such, the game headed into the break with Juventus only leading by a goal to nil against the underperforming Sampdoria side.

After the fifteen-minute break, Juventus was even more threatening going forward — and Sergio Romero, the Sampdoria keeper, soon had to make yet another vital save to deny Fernando Llorente's finish after a sweeping counter. But that was not the end of Sampdoria's nightmares. Minutes later, during the 61st minute, the busy keeper was called into action again to deny Juventus from taking the lead through another long-range shot from Zachary.

The game was obviously one-sided, with the Juventus players looking ever more dangerous on the attack as the match approached the 70th minute. Moreover, the Old Lady players didn't just continue relying on wing play and long balls but also utilized the brilliant passing abilities of their players to hoard more than 70% possession during most moments of the game. And with that, they created even more opportunities on goal by relying on fast and snappy exchanges through the middle.

They were really doing their utmost to score the second goal and seal their win against Sampdoria, and as a result, everyone watching the game thought their win was a sure-and-done deal.

But football can change in moments, as it takes only seconds to create an opportunity. And such a scenario soon transpired in the game between Juventus and Sampdoria.

Three of Sampdoria's attacking players took one opportunity to race forward after a failed Juventus corner kick during the 76th minute. They exchanged lightning-fast passes as they launched a counterattack that caught Juventus napping.

Then seconds later, the ball naturally found its way to Stefano Okaka, one of Sampdoria's strikers, who remained composed and hammered it into the back of the net to score the equalizer for the visitors during the 77th minute. And with that, the score was back to 1:1 with only 13 minutes added time remaining to the end of the game.

--

"This is bad," Coach Allegri exclaimed as he watched the Sampdoria players celebrating their equalizing goal on one side of the pitch. "I fear that the chances we missed early on may come back to haunt us."

"True, we have a tricky situation on our hands." Maurizio Trombetta, his assistant, nodded with a frown. "This is one of those strange games of the season where our luck is always at its worst. We've been the dominant team ever since the start of the match. We have also created many opportunities and attempted more than fifteen shots on target. However, we still couldn't score and kill the game off. And even worse, we conceded an equalizing goal during the 77th minute. Truly unfortunate!"

"Yeah, we're very unlucky today," Coach Allegri agreed. "But fortunately, we still have thirteen minutes to make something happen. As long as we utilize our players well, we'll create more chances and hopefully score before the ninety-minute mark."

"What's your plan, boss?" Coach Trombetta asked.

"The key to winning such matches is trusting and relying on our best players," Coach Allegri said. "We need to push them to work harder and create more opportunities. And with that, their individual brilliance will bloom in great splendor, and they can make something happen out of nothing. That's what we need at this moment. That's what we need to win this game and maintain our perfect winning streak in all competitions."

"Okay," Coach Trombetta said with a smile. "So, going by your words, we must rely on Zachary?"

"Not just Zachary alone," Coach Allegri said, "We also need Andrea Pirlo, Stephan Lichtsteiner, and Carlos Tevez if we want sure results."

And with that said, the coach didn't wait for a response from his assistant. Instead, he walked towards the touchline, ready to summon Andrea Pirlo before giving him the match instructions for the final minutes.

--

Chapter 510 Another Win

"Andrea! Listen well!" Coach Max Allegri said to his deep-lying playmaker after he arrived on the touchline. "The next few minutes will be crucial for us if we wish to win this game. We have got to play with a clear purpose when on the ball in order to get a goal quickly."

Andrea Pirlo nodded and said, "I'm listening, coach. Go on."

"Okay, here is the plan," the coach continued. "Now that Sampdoria has scored, they will grow confident and launch more attacks against us. So, our strategy is to wait and absorb the pressure until we catch them off guard and counterattack against them."

"Yeah, that might really work," Andrea Pirlo said, nodding pensively.

"Not so quick," the Coach hurriedly said. "There's more. At the onset of the counter, I'll expect the player with the ball to pass it to you as quickly as possible. And immediately, when you receive the ball, all our attacking players, including Zachary, Tevez, Lichtsteiner, and even Fernando, will have to start sprinting toward Sampdoria's box. I expect to see a scenario where Fernando and Zachary are bolting through the middle while Tevez is on the left wing and Lichtsteiner is on the right flank. And with such a scenario, you will have to work fast to release one of the players. Depending on the circumstances on the field, you'll utilize your vision and passing range to unleash a through ball quickly to one of those players. As long as you time your pass well, we should be able to catch Sampdoria's defense napping and score a goal. Okay?"

"Okay, I understand, coach," Andrea Pirlo said.

Coach Allegri nodded and said, "You can convey my instructions to the rest of the players on the pitch. But remember that we must use the first opportunity that comes our way effectively. After the restart, we must make our first counterattack count and get that winning goal. Otherwise, the Sampdoria players will get wind of our strategy, and they will turtle up and prevent us from easily attacking them again on the counter. Understood?"

"I understand, coach."

"Good," Coach Allegri said and nodded again. "The match is about to restart. Head back and execute all my instructions. Remember, we have only one chance."

"Okay, Coach."

With that said, Andrea Pirlo quickly chugged down some water before running back towards the pitch. And since the game was yet to restart due to the prolonged celebrations of the Sampdoria players, he immediately went around, conveying the coach's instructions to the rest of his teammates. For secrecy, he, of course, didn't shout them out loud but whispered them in the ears of most of the players until they all understood the coach's strategy for the last few minutes.

--

FWEEEEEEE*

With the referee's whistle, the game restarted, with all the fans expecting that Juventus would immediately go all out to get a goal. However, a few minutes after the restart, they all realized their predictions were totally wrong when the Old Lady players decided to turtle up and absorb the pressure. And instead of doing their utmost to launch attacks and score, the Juventus players played defensive football that confused many watching the game.

"What has happened to Juventus?" Paolo Favero, a Juventus fan, exclaimed after noticing that his team was playing total defensive football. "Are the players tired? Are they satisfied with only a draw? Why have they stopped attacking?"

"Beats me!" Luca Maroni, his friend, said with a shrug. "Maybe, they are guarding against conceding another goal. You know, a draw is always better than a loss."

"Are you for real, man?" Paolo exclaimed. "You want us to get a draw against Sampdoria? Then, what happens when we play Inter or AC Milan?"

Luca shrugged but didn't answer. At that moment, his eyes were on the pitch, taking in a scenario where Sampdoria had just launched another attack on Juventus.

With renewed confidence after scoring the equalizing goal, the Sampdoria players played beautiful short passes from one end of the field to the other as they tried to stretch Juventus' defensive shape. They also dictated the tempo for minutes until they found a passing angle and sent forth an abrupt through ball forward to release Pedro Obiang, their left midfielder, on the left wing.

"This is not good."

Luca heard another fan grumble as Pedro Obiang controlled the ball. But Luca's eyes remained glued on the pitch, and he watched the Sampdoria man make a spirited run that allowed him to spear deeper into Juventus' half. And when the angle opened up, Pedro Obiang released a teasing cross toward Juventus' box, where a few Sampdoria players were lurking.

It was another goal-scoring chance for Sampdoria, and the players in the box reacted appropriately. The Juventus players leaped high, hoping to outsmart their opponents and clear the ball. On the other hand, the Sampdoria players jumped high, hoping to attack the cross and score the winning goal. The players of both teams were obviously doing their utmost to help their respective sides gain the advantage.

Fortunately for the Juventus supporters, Leonardo Bonucci, one of the Juventus defenders, came out on top during the battle for aerial superiority within the box. He outjumped everyone else before heading the ball and clearing it away from the crowded Juventus box.

"This is a chance..."

Luca Maroni's heart skipped a beat as he watched the ball rise above many players before descending toward the right side of the box, where Andrea Pirlo happened to be standing. And before Luca could catch his breath, the highly-experienced Maestro controlled the ball while spinning around to escape the entanglement of an opponent.

But that was just the beginning of Pirlo's magic on the pitch. He prodded the ball forward and past another opponent before unleashing a raking pass toward the right wing. And with that lightning-fast through ball, he managed to find Stephan Lichtsteiner, the attacking wing-back, who had long started making a spirited run toward the other side of the pitch.

On the right flank, Stephan Lichtsteiner's spirited run was as breathtaking as ever. He didn't even halt to control the ball — but just took it in his stride as he continued bolting towards the other side of the pitch like a predator on the hunt. And when he finally stepped into the final third, he sent forth a lofted cross all the way over the field and toward the left flank, hoping to find Zachary.

As it was a counterattack, most Sampdoria players had not yet retaken their defensive positions. As such, Zachary managed to control the ball under no pressure before continuing toward Sampdoria's box at breakneck speed. He cut through the left wing like a whirlwind and soon started approaching the box like a raging Tsunami.

There were, of course, a few Sampdoria players who'd returned or remained back, barring Zachary's way toward the box. But with a slight shift of pace and a couple of well-timed side steps, he sent them packing and left them in the dust. He then stepped into the box and rounded the keeper, who'd come out of the goal to meet him, before burying the ball into the net to score Juventus 2nd goal during the 83rd minute.

"GOAAAL! Zachary has done it again!" Luca Maroni yelled as the ball homed into the back of the net. He was over the moon as he jumped and hugged the other Juventus fans around him to celebrate Juventus' second goal for the night.

"This counterattack was truly spectacular," he said to Paolo Favero after the cheers started fading. "I can literally feel goosebumps all over my skin just recalling the counterattack. Within seconds, Pirlo found Lichtsteiner on the right flank, who, in turn, found Zachary on the left wing. And from there on, Zachary executed his magic on the pitch and scored the goal. This counterattack was surely for the record books."

"Yeah," Paolo agreed. "We've become more lethal on the counterattack with Zachary, Lichtsteiner, Tevez, and Pirlo playing together on the pitch. When they combine, they turn into monsters on the counter, and I don't think there's an opponent out there who can stop them."

"Zachary has scored his 14th goal in his 14th Serie A appearance this season," Luca said. "He's averaging a single goal for every game he plays. Doesn't this mean that he could potentially score 38 goals by the end of the season?"

"Don't underestimate his abilities," Paolo scoffed. "There are days when he will bag a brace or a hat trick. So, going by that, he might score more than forty goals in the Serie A this season."

--

After the goal celebrations, the game continued with the Sampdoria players going all out in search of an equalizer. They showed glimpses of brilliant football as they launched a series of attacks on Juventus' defense over the next few minutes. And due to their relentlessness, they even forced all the Juventus players to fall back and execute the 'park the bus tactic' during the last five minutes of gameplay. For sure, they were doing all they could to get the equalizer against Juventus before the game ended.

However, the efforts of Sampdoria remained fruitless, especially since they lacked the creativity to break through a defensive-minded Juventus team that was hell-bent on protecting their lead. They could not create a meaningful goal-scoring chance or even get an opportunity to take a shot on target during the game's closing stages. As a result, they lost the match against Juventus by two goals to one when the final whistle sounded after five minutes of added time.

--

---

The Greatest of all Time #Chapter 511 Preparations For The Away Game Against Cagliari - Read The Greatest of all Time Chapter 511 Preparations For The Away Game Against Cagliari Online - All Page - Novel Next

The day after winning the game against Sampdoria, all Juventus' players, coaches, board members, and technical staff turned their attention to the UEFA Champions League Round of Sixteen Draw. They were all anxious to know which team they would face during the next stage of the top European football competition. So, when the clock hands around Turin pointed to the midday mark, most of them settled in front of their screens, eager to find out the results from the draw.

The draw was pretty transparent and straightforward, with two UEFA representatives drawing the seeded teams against the runners-up from the group stages. The officials worked quickly to pick the teams from the pots, and in just twenty minutes, they came out with the list of fixtures for the Round-of-Sixteen knock-out stage, which were as follows:

--

17 February 11 March 2014

Paris Saint-Germain (FRA) v Chelsea FC (ENG)

FC Shakhtar Donetsk (UKR) v FC Bayern München (GER)

18 February 10 March 2014

FC Schalke 04 (GER) v Real Madrid CF (ESP)

FC Basel 1893 (SUI) v FC Porto (POR)

24 February 18 March 2014

Manchester City FC (ENG) v FC Barcelona (ESP)

Olympiacos FC (GRC) v Borussia Dortmund (GER)

25 February 17 March 2014

Bayer 04 Leverkusen (GER) v Juventus (ITA)

Arsenal FC (ENG) v AS Monaco FC (FRA)

--

Ads by Pubfuture

"This is wonderful!"

Zachary, who had been attentively following the draw from the comfort of his bedroom, let out a breath after learning that Bayer 04 Leverkusen was Juventus' opponent for the round of sixteen. As far as he was concerned, it was a blessing to battle the German-based club rather than facing off against sides like Man City, Paris Saint-Germain, and Arsenal, which were relatively stronger teams in their respective leagues.

As such, Zachary's heart was finally at peace since he was sure that if the Juventus players performed as usual, they would thrash the German-based side home and away and qualify for the quarter-finals. Then he would be a step closer to achieving every player's dream of winning the UEFA Champions League.

--

After learning the results of the draw, Zachary and his teammates returned their focus to the team training. Under the strict supervision of the coaches, they held full-day sessions at the Vinovo on Tuesday and Wednesday as they prepared for Thursday's away Serie A game against Cagliari Calcio. And when evening arrived on Wednesday, they answered Coach Allegri's summons and headed to the tactics room for the pre-match tactical meeting.

"Good evening to you all," Coach Allegri said when all the players had taken their seats around the tactics room.

"Good evening, coach," the players replied more or less in unison.

"I hope everyone is already here," the coach said while glancing around. "Is there anyone who hasn't arrived yet?"

"We're all here, coach," Gianluigi Buffon, the captain, answered on behalf of everyone else. "Except Patrice Evra and Claudio Marchisio, the injured players, the rest of us are all here."

"Good!" Coach Allegri smiled and continued, "Tomorrow evening, we'll face Cagliari Calcio away in Sardinia. It's another tricky game that will test our winning spirit as a team since we'll be playing in front of a very hostile crowd of Cagliari supporters. It's also a game that will test our discipline, character, and ability to focus in the face of all adversity since there's no doubt that the opponents and their supporters will use every means possible to throw us off our rhythm."

"They will intimidate us. They'll play a rough game against us. They will even haul insults at some of our teammates. But no matter what happens, we must not bring ourselves to their level. We must instead remain composed and only focus on winning. We must persevere through whatever they put us through and show them that we're Juventus, a team that can overcome all with the footballing spirit. Are you guys with me?"

"Yes, coach," the players roared back in chorus.

"Good, I like the spirit," Coach Allegri said and then started presenting the tactics for the game against Cagliari Calcio. He explained how the team would utilize a 4-3-1-2 formation instead of the usual 3-5-2 setup before assigning roles to individual players. He also talked about player movements, pressing techniques, and marking strategies before ending his one-hour address by reading out the match squad.

All the usual suspects, including Zachary, Andrea Pirlo, Giorgio Chiellini, Leonardo Bonucci, Stephan Lichtsteiner, Fernando Llorente, and Carlos Tévez, made the starting eleven. The only missing names on the squad were, of course, the injured Patrice Evra and Claudio Marchisio.

"Tomorrow," Coach Allegri said with a smile, "we plan to set off from the Vinovo at 9:00 AM by bus. We'll head to the airport and take an eleven o'clock flight to Cagliari. So, I expect every player on the line-up to arrive in the parking lot of the Vinovo by 8:30 AM. Understood?"

"Yes, coach," the players replied in chorus.

"Good." Coach Allegri nodded. "Since we're on the same page, let me wish you a good night. But please remember to get ample rest today. I want you all at the top of your game tomorrow. Understood?"

Ads by Pubfuture

"Yes, coach," the players replied.

"You can all go now," Coach Allegri said. "However, Zachary, please stay back for a moment. We would like to have a small chat with you."

"He doesn't speak Italian," Coach Trombetta reminded from the side.

"Oh, shit!" Coach Allegri exclaimed. "Okay, convey my words to him. We must chat with him before he departs."

"Okay, I'll do that," Coach Trombetta agreed before walking towards Zachary's seat.

--

Zachary, who was almost dying of boredom due to his non-mastery of Italian, quickly learned from Coach Trombetta that the coaches wanted to talk to him. Without hesitating, he answered their summons and followed them to Coach Allegri's office within the Vinovo. The three of them then quickly took their seats, and their meeting began.

"So, Zachary," Coach Trombetta said after exchanging a few words with Coach Allegri in Italian. "How far with the language studies? Are you close to mastering Italian?"

Zachary smiled ruefully and said, "Not yet. I can exchange greetings and speak a few sentences. But I still can't understand the meanings behind Coach Allegri's long pre-match addresses. Unless someone else translates for me, I won't comprehend anything."

"Baby steps are still steps," Coach Trombetta encouraged. "So, as long as you're making progress, no matter how small, that's fine."

"Thanks for the encouragement, coach."

"Anyways," Coach Trombetta said, "we wanted to chat with you about what you may have to put up with during the match tomorrow. Are you aware of the reputation of the Cagliari supporters?"

"There are reports that they can be racist at times," Zachary answered. As a staunch football fan during his previous life, he'd obviously heard about the famous incident between Romelu Lukaku and the Cagliari fans. So, he was vaguely aware of how the supporters from Sardinia could behave during matches.

"The bad news is that those reports are indeed correct," Coach Trombetta said with a sigh. "Some Cagliari fans will do anything to help their team win. At their core, they are really not bad people. They might also not be racist. But when their team is facing off against a player as incredibly skilled as you, they will use certain ways to help their team win. Those 'ways' can include hurling racial insults at you, hoping to make you nervous, or throw you off your rhythm."

"The reason we're telling you this is to prepare you for tomorrow," the coach continued. "Of course, we will do everything possible as a club to get a fair playing environment for you tomorrow. We're also working with the Cagliari officials to ensure that the match proceeds smoothly. But as you know, we can't control every supporter in the stadium. So, if the booing and racial insults begin, don't try to take on the fans, as that will encourage them to become more rampant with their abuse. You can force yourself to focus on the game and answer them by playing well against them. Or you could signal us to take you off, and then we'll handle the incident administratively. Is that okay?"

"Okay," Zachary said with a sigh. "To be honest, I've never faced racial discrimination before. The football community in Norway was very welcoming to all, and no one would go around hurling racial insults during football games. So, I don't know what to expect or how I'll feel when the scenario you've presented occurs. But I can still promise not to focus on the fans but on the game. I should be able to achieve that as long as the on-pitch Cagliari players don't join in on the hurling of insults."

"Good," Coach Trombetta said with a smile. "You should also understand that the best way to counter someone trying to offend you is to ignore them completely. For instance, when the Cagliari fans insult you, and you continue playing as usual, they'll realize that they are just barking up the wrong tree. And most likely, they'll stop the insults. But if you start throwing tantrums or hurling insults back at them, they will think that their strategy to throw you off your game is working, and they'll increase their booing. So, you have to try your utmost to ignore everything off the pitch. That's the way to go during tomorrow's match. Understood?"

"I understand, coach," Zachary said. "As I said, I'll try to focus only on the game. So, don't worry."

--

Ads by Pubfuture

The following morning, Zachary woke up early, at around six, and enjoyed a sumptuous breakfast prepared by Inger, his professional chef. Then, he spent about thirty minutes meditating in the quiet environment afforded by his bedroom to clear his mind before cleaning up and donning a brand-new Juventus tracksuit.

Minutes later, just as the first rays of the just-risen sun started to stream through the shy gap between the window curtains, he exited his bedroom and descended the stairs. With a measured pace, he headed to the dining room, intending to say his goodbyes to the other occupants of his villa.

Quickly walking through the door to the dining room, he found Bjørn Peters, his fitness trainer, enjoying breakfast with Inger, his wife, at the dining table. As for Jaslene - his newly-hired maid, she was busy dusting the seats around the bar and coffee area beyond the far side of the dining room.

Turning his gaze away from the maid, he smiled at Bjørn Peters. "How's your morning, coach?" He asked, flashing his fitness trainer a smile. "Did you sleep well?"

"I slept like a baby," the coach replied. "How about you? Are you ready to face off against Cagliari Calcio today evening?"

"Yes, I'm," Zachary replied, his voice brimming with confidence. He then spent a few more minutes exchanging more small talk with Bjørn and Inger before exiting the house through the side entrance.

Three days ago, Audi officials in Italy had finally sent over his new Audi RS 7. It wasn't anything as flashy as a Lamborghini or a Ferrari. But it was still a glittering white machine with outrageous performance, impressive refinement, and surprising practicality.

Smiling slightly, Zachary unlocked the Audi and placed his gym bag in the boot. Then, he went around the car and opened the front door before settling his tall frame within the spacious driver's seat.

With expert ease, he started it up, and the engine came alive the next moment. He eased it out of his estate, and a few minutes later, he joined the spacious roads of Turin and started making his way toward the Vinovo.

Zachary maintained a velocity of around seventy to eighty km/hour, hoping to make it to the training center before 8:30 AM, which was the agreed-upon time for the team to convene before heading to Sardinia for the game against Cagliari Calcio. But just as he was rounding another roundabout along the Via Moncalieri route, he drew the ire of the traffic police after missing a speed limit sign. As such, he had to park his car by the roadside and answer the questions of the law enforcers for a good 20-plus minutes before continuing on his way.

He arrived safely at the Vinovo fifteen minutes later. However, since he'd wasted almost half an hour talking to the traffic police, he was late by about eight minutes. So, his teammates and most coaches had already boarded the bus that would ferry them to the airport by the time he made it to the parking lot. Only Maurizio Trombetta, the assistant coach in charge of the first team, and the three medical personnel were yet to board. They were anxious and looking around as if they were waiting for someone, that someone possibly being himself.

"Zachary! There you are!" Coach Maurizio Trombetta exclaimed when he spotted Zachary. "We were just about to depart without you. Why the hell are you late?"

Zachary sighed and told the assistant coach how he'd wasted time talking to the traffic police on his way to the Vinovo. Then, he apologized for being late before asking the coach whether he could board the team bus.

"Of course, you can board the bus," Coach Trombetta said with a sigh. "However, as you know, the head coach is a person that is strict on timekeeping principles. He has already removed your name from the starting eleven, and you'll have to start from the bench today evening."

"But I was only late by about eight minutes..." Zachary tried to argue. He was, of course, not happy after being dropped from the starting eleven.

However, Coach Trombetta stopped him with a simple dismissive gesture. "Zachary!" The assistant coach said. "We all agreed that we had to arrive by 8:30 AM today. But for whatever reason, you arrived late. So, tell me! Do you want us to turn a blind eye to your being late? Do you wish for us to ignore the team rules and allow you to remain in the starting line-up? And let's say we do just that: What happens when another player arrives late in the future? Will we follow the same example and let that player go unpunished?"

On hearing the coach's barrage of questions, Zachary was at a loss for words. He could only remain quiet as he knew that he was the one in the wrong.

"Zachary!" Coach Trombetta continued. "I'm sorry to say: But for this game, you'll have to start on the bench. It's your punishment for arriving late. Okay?"

"Okay, I understand," Zachary replied, sighing heavily. But he didn't say anything more, as that would be totally meaningless.

After spending more than four months at the club, he had already learned that Coach Allegri would rarely change his mind after making a decision. So, Zachary was better off remaining quiet rather than challenging the coaching committee's abrupt decision to bench him. Additionally, by silently taking the punishment, he would maintain the team's harmonious atmosphere and increase Juventus' chances of winning the match against Cagliari Calcio.

"It's good that you understand," Coach Trombetta said with a slight smile. "You can board the bus and join the rest of your teammates. We'll be setting off for the airport in a few minutes."

"Okay, coach," Zachary replied and boarded the team bus. He then greeted a few of his teammates before settling in one of the seats towards the back.

--

Later that morning, at around half past ten, the Juventus squad arrived in Cagliari, Sardinia, by plane. After resting for about an hour and having a late morning snack in a cafe, they went through a super-light training session at one of the training grounds in Cagliari before enjoying a highly-nutritious meal selected by the team dieticians. Then, after lunch, they checked into a local hotel and rested for a good four hours before heading to the Stadio Sant'Elia, ready to face off against the tricky Cagliari Calcio side.

On arriving at the stadium gates, they received a heartwarming welcome from the crowd of traveling Juventus supporters, who were eager to get close to the players. However, as the squad was tight on time, the Juventus players didn't stop to sign autographs or take pictures with the excited fans. Instead, they just waved to the supporters before continuing on into the stadium.

A few minutes later, the Juventus squad arrived in the visiting team's dressing room, and from there on, proceedings moved on quickly. Under the urging of the coaches, the players hastily finished changing into their training gear before heading to the pitch to go through a pre-match warm-up.

Minutes later, after concluding the warm-up, they returned to the dressing room and donned their match gear. Then, after listening to Coach Allegri's pre-match address, the players who had made the starting eleven exited the dressing room with all the haste they could muster before heading back to the pitch to commence their Serie A battle against Cagliari Calcio.

Naturally, Zachary, the young playmaker serving punishment for his late-coming behavior that morning, headed to the bench instead of joining the rest of the first-string players on the playing field. Surprisingly, his absence from the starting eleven caused only a few intuitive Juventus supporters to raise their eyebrows. As for the other supporters, they probably assumed that Coach Allegri had just rested the young playmaker, especially since Juventus was playing against a much weaker Cagliari Calcio side. So, they didn't react abnormally to his absence from the starting line-up.

Proceedings moved forward, and the teams went through the pre-match routines, including the customary handshake and captain's coin toss. Then, when all the clock hands in Sardinia pointed to the seven o'clock mark, the referee's whistle sounded, and the long-awaited match commenced with Cagliari Calcio's kick-off.

Cagliari Calcio was a team placed third last on the Serie A table. They had only accomplished a measly result of two wins, six draws, and seven losses out of their opening fifteen Italian Serie A games.

Their chances of winning were so low that even the betting companies had given Juventus a paltry odd of 1.08 to win the game. And due to their greatly-lacking form and momentum, all the supporters watching the game thought that the flying Juventus squad would make quick work of the Cagliari side.

But as we all know, there is never a hundred percent certainty when predicting the result of football matches. At certain times, the lower-placed teams could also overpower the footballing giants with the right game plan, attitude, match discipline, and some luck — and that was what happened during that evening's match between Cagliari Calcio and Juventus.

With the absence of Zachary from the squad, Juventus struggled to control the game in the early stages. The often-creative and solid midfielders like Andrea Pirlo and Arturo Vidal failed to control the game, especially after being constantly harassed by the hostile Cagliari supporters within the stands. And on several occasions of pure carelessness, they lost possession and allowed the ardent Cagliari players to launch terrifying counterattacks, which eventually caused nightmares for Juventus' defense.

In such a manner, the game proceeded forward, and the hardworking Cagliari players slowly gained the advantage. They built up momentum and confidence, and it wasn't long before they stunned the traveling Juventus supporters into silence with a successful counterattack.

They broke through Juventus' ranks and raced into the lead during the twelfth minute of gameplay, with Víctor Ibarbo, Cagliari's center forward, teeing up Andrea Cossu to drive past Gianluigi Buffon with a missile from outside the box. And with that, they were firmly in the driving seat and soon built up even more momentum.

Things could've gotten worse for the Old Lady if the highly-experienced Buffon had not been on hand to stop a 15th-minute point-blank header from Víctor Ibarbo, Cagliari's center forward. Fortunately, after that incident, the Juventus players seemed to have woken up and begun to exert pressure on the Cagliari goal.

The on-form Carlos Teves and Fernando Llorente, Juventus' two strikers, soon became the main threats as they linked up with crosses from the wings to try their luck on goal. They even came close to scoring during the 34th and 39th minutes, respectively, only to be denied by stunning saves by Alessio Cragno, the Cagliari keeper.

Proceedings moved forward, and the second half soon arrived, with fans and commentators alike thinking that the Juventus players would shift into high gear to look for an equalizing goal. But the Cagliari players, who'd started the first half well, once again proved why they were a tricky side to play against, especially at their home ground.

During the 49th minute, they won a corner kick after executing yet another startling counter against Juventus. Daniele Conti, Cagliari's captain, took the corner with perfect precision to link up with Víctor Ibarbo, who headed home to score Cagliari's 2nd goal for the evening.

The score was then 2:0 in favor of Cagliari, the home team, and Juventus were already staring down the barrel of their first defeat of the season. Be that as it may, they didn't give up and stepped up their game to launch more purposeful attacks against the opponents. But they still couldn't find the back of the net even a single time as the game approached the late stages.

Moreover, as the saying goes, misfortunes never come singly. When people watching the match were beginning to believe that things couldn't get any worse for Juventus, a reckless tackle from one of the opponents during the 56th minute took Andrea Pirlo, Juventus' deep-lying playmaker, out of the equation. As such, the Italian Maestro joined Claudio Marchisio and Patrice Evra on the list of injured players, thus leaving his teammates to pick up the pieces against the tenacious Cagliari side. For sure, it was one unexpected crisis after another.

Report chapter Comments

--

Cagliari Calcio 2: Juventus FC 0

--

Coach Max Allegri was brimming with fury as he glanced at the score on the Stadio Sant'Elia's massive jumbotron. From his experience as a coach, he clearly understood that the fighting spirit of his players was at the bottom low for that game against Cagliari Calcio. As such, their pass completion rate was terrible, and they were lax and not hardworking enough while taking on the opponents. They were far from their best and had thus already conceded two goals against Cagliari.

"Boss!" Maurizio Trombetta, Juventus' assistant coach in charge of the first team, said. "The medics have already come to a conclusion. Andrea can't continue. His calf suffered the brunt of the tackle, and he can't finish the remaining minutes of the game."

"Shit!" Coach Allegri muttered under his breath. "This day is turning out to be our worst outing in this Serie A season."

"Yes, indeed," Coach Maurizio, his assistant, agreed. "So, what's your plan, boss? Should we bring on Zachary to strengthen our midfield? He's our best option at the moment."

"Zachary..." Coach Max Allegri mumbled, frowning slightly. Of course, he knew Zachary was the best option to help Juventus out of their predicament. But the challenge was that he was still on punishment after arriving late that morning. As such, the coach didn't want to give him leeway by introducing him early into the game.

As if reading his mind, Coach Maurizio sighed. "Boss! I know that the team should be strict with all players, especially with regard to disciplinary matters. But aside from that, we sometimes need flexibility while enforcing some punishments. Take Zachary's case, for example. It was his first time driving in Italy. So, he missed the road sign and incurred the ire of the traffic police, thus arriving late. So, boss! Considering his circumstances, shouldn't we give him some leeway? Moreover, we need him in this game. Shouldn't we stop being rigid and bring him on to help us stabilize the situation? Remember! We must do all our best not to lose this game."

On hearing his assistant's words, Coach Allegri narrowed his eyes. He turned his attention back to the pitch and noticed that the medics were about to finish the first aid on the injured Andrea Pirlo. As such, if he didn't bring on a substitute right away, his team would have to play the next few minutes with only ten men on the field. And just because of that numerical disadvantage, Juventus might concede another goal immediately after the restart.

"This is really a bad day..." Sighing with dejection, Coach Max Allegri finally made up his mind. He turned his attention back to his assistant and said, "Let's go with your suggestion. We'll immediately introduce Zachary in place of Andrea Pirlo. We'll also bring on Alvaro Morata for Fernando Llorente to further stabilize our situation and create more chances up front."

"That's a good plan, boss," Coach Maurizio Trombetta said, his eyes sparkling with expectation. "Both Zachary and Morata have been warming up on the sidelines. I'll tell them to get ready and step onto the pitch immediately."

"Good," Coach Allegri said, nodding. "Let them hurry. We don't want to restart the game with only ten men."

"Okay."

--

Zachary, who happened to be warming up on the sidelines, sighed with relief after learning that he would be entering the pitch. He hurriedly returned to the bench and changed into his match gear before stepping toward Maurizio Trombetta to receive his match instructions.

"Zachary!" The assistant coach said, patting his shoulder. "We don't have much time. So, I'll have to be brief. You'll be substituting Andrea Pirlo in our midfield. Just play as a classical central midfielder and control the play in and around the center of the pitch. That's all we need from you to take back the initiative against the opponents. Any questions?"

"None, coach," Zachary responded. "I know what I have to do."

"Good!" Coach Trombetta smiled. "Don't forget what we discussed yesterday. Forget the fans during the game and focus only on your football. Okay?"

"I understand, coach," Zachary replied, his voice brimming with confidence. His yearning for some football action had soared high into the night skies of Sardinia, especially after spending a considerable fraction of the match on the bench. His conviction was beyond normal levels, and he was ready to do his best to help his team turn the game around. As for the Cagliari fans, rumored to have racist tendencies, they could go to hell. He would use his skills to silence them, and everything would be uncomplicated from there on.

--

FWEEEEEEE*

The referee's whistle sounded a few seconds later, and the fourth official put up his board to signal the substitutions. Zachary immediately ran onto the pitch in place of the injured Andrea Pirlo, while Alvaro Morata, the Spanish striker, replaced Fernando Llorente. They quickly took up their positions, and the referee blew the whistle to restart the match with a Juventus free kick.

Since the free-kick position was close to the center circle and far away from Cagliari's goal, the Juventus players decided to take it short. Arturo Vidal, Juventus' defensive midfielder, flicked the ball toward the right wing — to find Stephan Lichtsteiner, and with that, the game was again underway.

Stephan Lichtsteiner, Juventus' attacking wing-back, was as swift as ever on the flanks. He fed the ball past Danilo Avelar, Cagliari's left midfielder, before initiating a mad dash toward the other side of the pitch. Then, when the angle opened up, he chipped the ball into the middle to find Zachary, who had just run into an unmarked pocket of space on the border of the final third.

Zachary relied on his perfect control to connect with the pass from Stephan Lichtsteiner. But no sooner had he made the second touch than the boos and jeers around the Stadio Sant'Elia hit a crescendo. The Cagliari staunch fans behind their goal immediately started hauling insults at him while others vocalized maddening monkey chants, hoping to throw him off his game.

"What the hell..." Zachary was surprised by the behavior of the fans as he prodded the ball forward. It was as if the entire stadium was against him, as the Cagliari supporters went all out to boo him and disrupt his concentration. And it was at that moment that he realized that it wasn't good to take the warnings of the coaches lightly.

"I just need to keep my calm and ignore them..." Zachary thought to himself as he continued moving the ball forward, hoping to initiate an attack against Cagliari. However, one of his touches on the ball was a bit too heavy, and he gifted the opponents a chance to regain possession through Daniele Conti, a Cagliari midfielder.

Daniele Conti, also the Cagliari captain, was on point when Zachary blundered. He executed a ruthless sliding tackle and booted the ball away from Zachary's feet to find Antonio Balzano, Cagliari's right midfielder.

And with that, Cagliari was again on the counter for the umpteenth time that evening while Zachary was yet to understand how he'd lost the ball. A few seconds had already passed since he committed the error, but he was still standing in the same spot as a statue, seemingly unaware that he'd just gifted the opponents another goal-scoring chance.

"Ripiegare e difendere. Ripiegare e difendere..."

The yells of Coach Allegri jolted Zachary out of his trance, and he whirled around just in time to see Antonio Balzano, the Cagliari midfielder, racing towards Juventus' half at breakneck speed. He could see that it was another dire situation for Juventus, as most of his teammates had been in Cagliari's half when he lost the ball.

"Fortunately, there's still time..."

Such a thought flashed through Zachary's mind, and he took off, chasing after the Cagliari man with the ball. His long strides ate up yards of space in seconds, and he cut through the middle of the pitch like a bullet out of a muzzle. He pursued to defend since he was hell-bent on rectifying his blunder by stopping the counter and winning the ball back for Juventus.

Fortunately for Zachary, Antonio Balzano slowed down after running into a blockade by Giorgio Chiellini right after racing past the center line. The Cagliari man tried to go wide instead of cutting inside with the ball, thus allowing Zachary to catch up from behind. And that simple error was what put an end to Cagliari's counter.

Zachary was not the least bit careless when he caught up to Antonio Balzano. He bided his time well and pressured the Cagliari midfielder with his presence.

He forced Antonio Balzano to make a series of errors, and when the time was ripe, he slid forth without hesitation. He booted the ball toward Giorgio Chiellini and thus stopped Cagliari's counterattack before it could do any damage against Juventus.

"BOOOO..."

Deafening boos and jeers immediately erupted from the stands as Zachary picked himself from the ground after executing the tackle. He could even hear monkey chants mixed in with the sounds as the Cagliari supporters tried to rattle him and throw him off his rhythm.

But unluckily for them, Zachary had already entered the zone after making that tackle to win back the ball. He was in a high state of focus, and the chants from the stands seemed like background noise without any influence on his mental state.

"Chiellini!" He yelled towards the center back. "Pass the ball to me."

On hearing the shout, Chiellini, who was about to pass the ball back to the keeper, immediately halted his actions. He glanced at Zachary with a trace of surprise in his eyes and then kicked the ball to him.

"Excellent..."

Zachary thought to himself as he brought the ball under control. He was already in the zone — and as such, his heightened spatial awareness allowed him to have a perfect view of the entire field.

Report chapter Comments

Zachary's mind was calm like still water as he quickly moved the ball forward. As he jogged, his S-graded spatial awareness worked like the best of charms, and his eyes took in everything, major and minor, around the pitch.

Carlos Tevez had initiated a spirited run toward Cagliari's box through the right flank while Alvaro Morata was bolting through the middle of the pitch. As for Roberto Pereyra, Juventus' other midfielder — he had just raced into an unmarked pocket of space close to the center circle and was eagerly motioning for Zachary to pass the ball to him.

But what surprised Zachary was that he noticed that the three Cagliari midfielders were all out of position. For instance, Daniele Conti, Cagliari's captain, had floated off to the right flank to keep an eye on Stephan Lichtsteiner, Juventus' highly agile attacking wing-back, while Albin Ekdal, Cagliari's other defensive midfielder, was keeping track of Arturo Vidal towards the left flank. As for Andrea Cossu, Cagliari's last central midfielder, he was quickly closing down Zachary, hoping to pressure him to release the ball.

The three Cagliari midfielders were obviously trying their best to execute a man-to-man marking tactic to keep Juventus at bay. But after being drawn out of their respective positions by the highly technical Old Lady players, they had left the middle spaces unchecked, thus leaving a very clear and unmarked highway, from Zachary's position, through the middle and all the way to Cagliari's backline.

And by making such an amateur mistake during the execution of their tactics, the Cagliari men were surely begging for a beating. And if Zachary could get past Andrea Cossu, the only Cagliari midfielder, who was quickly closing down on his position, he might be able to make something out of nothing by going at it alone.

"Fortune favors the bold..."

Such a thought flashed through Zachary's mindscape, and at that crucial moment, with barely 30 minutes remaining to the 90-minute mark, he made a bold decision. He ignored the calls of all his teammates and took off towards the other side of the pitch like a flying arrow just let loose by a mighty archer.

A second or so later, he came across the first obstacle in the form of Andrea Cossu, the Cagliari midfielder. And it was at that moment that the boos and monkey chants in the stadium hit another new high as he prepared to take on the Cagliari man.

While trying his best to maintain a steady mind, Zachary slowed down to draw in the opponent. Then, just as Andrea Cossu was a meter away, Zachary stepped over the ball once with his left leg while letting his body follow through with the step-over.

Consequently, Zachary's tall frame leaned toward the left, giving the impression that he was just about to bolt past Andrea Cossu from that direction. However, as the opponent took the bait and tilted toward the same side, hoping to make a block, Zachary abruptly altered his center of gravity and collected the ball with his right foot.

His heart racing like a predator on the hunt, he abruptly shifted his frame towards the right by relying on his incredible agility and body control. He then prodded the ball forward and zoomed past Andrea Cossu while readjusting his posture to regain his sprinting form. Then, a second later, his legs pumped like the pistons of a race car, and he dashed through the space neglected by the Cagliari midfielders. He was on a mission to quickly help his team turn the tides and score a goal before it was too late.

"BOOOO..."

"BOOO..."

As Zachary sprinted forth, loud boos, maddening screams, and irritating monkey chants reverberated, like an antistrophe, instituting a wild typhoon of jeers in Cagliari's home stadium. Those noises shook the entire place and eventually resounded in Zachary's ears. And even while in the zone, those deliberate racial insults jolted his mood and threatened to affect his momentum as he raced forward with the ball.

But fortunately, he'd already prepared himself when he decided to run with the ball. So, he didn't try to suppress his emotions but allowed himself to feel the rage from all the booing and jeering. And like a wild horse on a rampage, he let the anguish boil within him before it manifested into a wild frenzy, propelling him forward.

"Whoosh!"

Fueled by his anguish, he continued cutting through the pitch like an incarnation of the Flash and soon started bearing down on Cagliari's box. His momentum was unstoppable, and he magically and repeatedly raced past opponent after opponent before eventually making it to the space before Cagliari's 18-yard box. Then, just before the Cagliari's center backs could close him down, he surveyed the situation ahead of him with a single glance and decided to go for the spectacular.

"BAM..."

The next moment, the sound of his boot connecting with the ball was audible in his ears as he smashed the ball from twenty yards away. His shooting skills and sharpness came into play, and he unleashed a hell of a missile toward the top right corner of the goal.

"Please, go in..."

Zachary clenched his fists as he sent the ball flying. His intent was to score a spectacular goal and silence all the fans jeering at him. He was also hoping to score quickly — and, in so doing, give Juventus a chance to come back into the game within the final minutes of gameplay.

However, the next instant, Zachary felt his mood sink deep into the abyss of desperation, feeling like the world was working against him. He couldn't contain his frustration as he noticed that Alessio Cragno, the Cagliari keeper, had grazed the ball with his fingertips after making a spectacular dive. As such, the shot-stopper had barely managed to send it off its trajectory, thus sending it out of play for a corner kick. The man had once again saved Cagliari from conceding a goal during the 62nd minute.

"F*ck..."

Zachary couldn't help but mumble a couple of expletives as he watched the ball bouncing out of play. He'd placed the shot immaculately but still failed to score due to the alertness of the keeper. As a result, his mental state and confidence took another blow, and he could only place his hands at the back of his head with regret.

"Zachary! BOOO..."

"Zachary! Screech! Screech..."

Right then, before Zachary could calm himself down, the Cagliari fans in the stands behind the goal initiated another wave of verbal attacks on Zachary. They hurled out insults, vocalized monkey chants, and even pointed middle fingers at him. They were obviously going all out to affect his state of mind, hoping to make him even less of a threat to their team. Their shamelessness knew no bounds, and they were slowly but steadily wearing away Zachary's self-control.

"Zachary! You need to remain calm..." A gentle pat on Zachary's shoulder helped him calm down as he was about to explode with fury. Turning around, he came face to face with Kwadwo Asamoah, Juventus' left attacking wing back, who happened to be watching him with concern.

"Don't be angry at them," Kwadwo Asamoah continued without allowing Zachary a chance to speak. "You can think of them as a bunch of ignorant fools or barking dogs, and you shouldn't lower yourself to their level. Okay?"

"Okay," Zachary responded, taking a deep breath. "I'm calm enough."

Kwadwo Asamoah smiled and said, "Then, I'm glad. Just remember that if you could help us defeat Cagliari in such an atmosphere, that would be the perfect response to their insults. If we can score many goals against them and thrash them so hard that the entire stadium falls silent... Or if we can stifle their shouts by dominating them on the pitch such that they are even ashamed to call themselves Cagliari supporters... How good can that be? For me, that is the perfect revenge against them. Do you understand?"

"Yes, I do," Zachary replied with a simple nod. He felt incredibly pumped and psyched after listening to his teammate's words. As such, he yearned to do even more to help his team overpower Cagliari.

"Thanks." He said to Kwadwo Asamoah after a moment.

"Don't sweat it. Teammates are there to help each other out." The Ghanaian replied with a smile. Then, smiling slightly, he continued, "The clock is ticking. So, let's quickly prepare for the corner. And remember that the whole team is always with you."

"Okay..."

Zachary exchanged a few more words with a few other teammates, including Giorgio Chiellini, Juventus' assistant captain, before taking a position right outside the box to attack the corner. At that moment, he was at the peak of his concentration as he had already pushed the boos from the crowd to the back of his mind. He was waiting and biding his time, ready to take any chance that came his way and, in so doing, get some sweet revenge on the Cagliari fans.

FWEEEEEEE*

After organizing the players within the box, the referee blew the whistle and motioned for Juventus to take the corner kick. Immediately after, Stephan Lichtsteiner, Juventus' wing-back, quickly took the corner and sent a curling ball toward Cagliari's box.

It was a chance for Juventus to test Cagliari's keeper. As such, most of Juventus' players, including Giorgio Chiellini, Carlos Tevez, and Arturo Vidal, leaped up to meet the corner ball. They all battled the Cagliari players for aerial superiority, hoping to meet the corner ball and score an opening goal for Juventus.

However, once again, luck was not on Juventus' side. The Cagliari keeper leaped high and made another timely intervention by punching the ball away from the area and toward the middle. And in so doing, he managed to save Cagliari from conceding a goal during the 64th minute.

"There's still a chance..."

Zachary, who happened to have not made a run into the box, sensed an opportunity as he noticed that the keeper had not punched the ball far enough. He immediately judged that the ball would land only about a dozen yards from the box before springing into action.

He chased after the ball like a whirlwind and got to it before any of the opponents could close him down. He controlled it immaculately before quickly whirling around and looping it over a fast-approaching opponent.

However, that was not the end of his magic. Keeping the ball close to his feet, he bounded forward and dashed past another opponent with a simple shift of pace.

His angled run took him toward the left side of the box and further away from the mouth of the goal. Fortunately, he also drew away the Cagliari defenders from their positions as they chased after him, hoping to close down his shooting angle towards the near post. Additionally, he also tricked the Cagliari keeper into shifting toward the near post with his sprint, thus leaving the rest of the goal undefended.

"Chance..."

The gears in Zachary's mind shifted and fell into place, and within anything but an instant, he judged that there was a gap in Cagliari's defense. He acted immediately, relaxed his spine, and dug his boot under the ball. And with the most delicate of touches, he lifted the ball and looped it over all the defenders in the box, hoping to find the top right corner of the far post.

"Silence!"

All the rowdy Cagliari fans behind the posts turned silent as the ball drew a parabola from the left side of the box toward the undefended part of the goal. Most probably, they were praying and hoping for the ball to hit the post and bounce out of play. But alas, they were out of luck at that moment, and Zachary's well-placed effort continued moving forward before grazing off the post and eventually homing into the back of the net.

Report chapter Comments

--

Cagliari Calcio 2: Juventus FC 1

--

After a few seconds of silence, Zachary's spectacular goal gave way to thunderous cheers intermixed with annoying boos, monkey chants, and vuvuzelas. As the volume of the sounds increased, they blended together into a single booming wave that exploded forth and shook every soul within the Stadio Sant'Elia.

But all the noise had nothing to do with Zachary, especially since his entire focus was only on the game. He sprinted forward and picked the ball from the back of the next before running all the way back to the middle and placing it on the center spot.

His hurried actions expressed his intent clearly. He yearned to restart the game quickly after scoring the game so as to keep his team's momentum going. He desired to increase his team's chances of scoring a goal or two within the next few minutes. And that way, he wouldn't have to face the embarrassment of suffering a defeat against a much weaker Cagliari side and its annoying supporters.

"Ragazzi!" Zachary used his little knowledge of the Italian language to call out to his teammates, who were taking up positions on the pitch as they readied themselves for the restart of the game. "We're just a goal down. We only need to score one more and tie the game. Let's do this. Let's show Cagliari that we are Juventus." He ended his little speech by clapping his hands for emphasis.

On hearing Zachary's loud shout, most of the Juventus players on the pitch were surprised. They did not respond to his little motivational speech but turned to glance at him with weird looks.

Their expressions betrayed their inner thoughts, and they seemed amused by the sudden change in the on-pitch behavior of their often-quiet but highly skilled teammate. Most times, he wouldn't say a word during a match. But right then, he had just yelled at them using a tone of voice more intimidating than the one often used by 'an angry' Coach Max Allegri. Zachary's change was sure surprising for them.

On noticing their slow reactions to his yell, Zachary was a bit annoyed. Narrowing his eyes slightly, he shouted, "Why do you all have blank looks on your faces? Aren't you aware that we must win this game? We must score as soon as possible. We can't lose to a weak team like Cagliari. We're Juventus, for God's sake."

At that moment, right after hearing his provocation, his teammates seemed to regain their wits. It was unknown who yelled first. But all the Juventus on-field players soon joined in to shout, "we're Juventus," repeatedly, as they waited for the Cagliari players to take their positions on the other side of the pitch. Their team spirit was overflowing and pouring out of their bodies like a torrent as they waited for the referee to blow the whistle and signal the restart of the game.

FWEEEEEEE*

The referee finally blew the whistle after a few more seconds. Right then, VÃctor Ibarbo, Cagliari's center-forward, restarted the game with a back pass toward his midfield. He kicked the ball from the center spot, hoping to find Daniele Conti, Cagliari's captain, positioned close to the border of Cagliari's defensive third.

"High pressing! Let's close them down right away..."

Zachary yelled at the top of his voice when he saw the Cagliari man about to control the ball. His blood boiled with an indomitable fighting spirit, and he led the charge toward the other half, intending to deny the Cagliari players any time to settle down. He was like an incarnation of Usain Bolt on the pitch, and in only a few seconds, he was within meters of Daniele Conti, who happened to have taken a few extra unnecessary touches on the ball.

"What the hell is this guy doing? Why is he slow? Is he inviting me to take the ball from him?"

Lightning-fast thoughts flashed through Zachary's mind as he raced forward. But those musings didn't slow his actions, and he continued closing down the Cagliari captain. Like a mighty lion pouncing on helpless prey, he accelerated and ran at Daniele Conti like mad.

"Man on! Man on..."

The yells of the Cagliari players seemed to jolt Daniele Conti from his trance. Raising his head slightly, he noticed that an opponent, who happened to be Zachary, was already bearing down on him. He panicked and hastily whirled around before raising his leg with the intent to kick the ball to Albin Ekdal, his counterpart in Cagliari's midfield.

"Chance..."

Zachary thought to himself as he read the Cagliari midfielder's intentions like an open book. He didn't rush to make a sliding tackle as he had previously intended but instead kept bearing down on the opponent while waiting for an opportunity.

Then, when Daniele Conti swung his leg to kick the ball, Zachary acted with all the haste he could muster. Like a martial artist, he whipped out his leg while being carried by his forward momentum to initiate a sliding tackle. He timed his move to perfection and thus utilized an outstretched boot to block the ball.

"It actually worked..."

Zachary couldn't contain his happiness after robbing Daniele Conti of possession and sending the ball only a few meters away. But all the joy he was feeling still didn't slow down his actions. Instead, the overwhelming delight became fuel for his fighting spirit, and he picked himself from the ground with the urgency of a cat that had just caught the scent of some catnip.

Adrenaline pumped through his system, and he accelerated and pounced on the loose ball like mad. He got to it before any of the Cagliari players could react, and what followed was obvious.

The Cagliari players were slow to react as they had not expected their always-reliable captain to lose the ball in a dangerous area immediately after the restart. So, Zachary took advantage of their sluggishness and cut through them like a knife through butter. He rushed through the middle, skipping past opponent after opponent, as he took a mazy route towards Cagliari's goal at breakneck speed.

Of course, a few Cagliari players reacted better than their teammates while trying to stop him. For instance, Simone Benedetti and Luca Rossettini, the two Cagliari center-backs, tried to block Zachary by relying on their incredible physiques to bar his way.

But who was Zachary? He was a man who was almost unstoppable after gaining momentum, and as such, they couldn't stop his run. With just a few side steps and a simple body feint, Zachary sent the two men packing and was soon one-on-one with the keeper who had come out to meet him.

All that mattered at that moment was remaining composed, and Zachary being Zachary, of course, couldn't fail at such a simple task. He slowed down slightly to draw in the keeper. Then, when the keeper took the bait and rushed forward, Zachary darted past him toward the right before hammering the ball into the back of the net to score Juventus' second goal during the 67th minute.

--

Cagliari Calcio 2: Juventus FC 2

--

The score on the mega jumbotron changed to confirm Juventus' second goal as the home fans grew totally silent for the first time that evening. They stopped their booing for a few seconds, and at that moment, Zachary again experienced true bliss, taking joy in the fact that he was the very person that had silenced them.

However, even while feeling joyful, Zachary didn't celebrate as usual. Instead, he stood right before Cagliari's goal and faced Cagliari's staunch supporters behind the goal before putting a finger to his lips. His message to them was clear: "Please, will you shut up!"

"BOOO..."

"Screech! Screech..."

Zachary appeared to have poked a hornet's nest with his taunting celebration. The fans seemed totally incensed, and they immediately renewed their booing and jeering with an ever-growing momentum. Mixed in with their shouts were even insults targeted at Zachary's ancestors, family members, etcetera. The Cagliari fans had obviously gone mad with rage after their team conceded an equalizing goal against Juventus. Naturally, emotions of anguish, disappointment, and dissatisfaction were quickly brewing in their ranks.

Having just scored a goal, Zachary grew more spirited as he sensed their rage. He didn't know why, but at that juncture, he felt that the anguish of the Cagliari supporters was comparable to the cheers of the Juventus supporters back in Turin. He was experiencing true happiness as he watched the fans who had taunted him the whole evening go mad with rage. As such, the corners of his lips slowly curled upwards as a soft smile outlined his often-intense facial features.

--

On the sidelines, Maurizio Trombetta, the assistant coach in charge of the first team, sighed and shook his head after noticing Zachary's actions. He turned towards Coach Allegri and said, "We informed this boy not to agitate the fans. But he went against our advice and taunted the fans after scoring. His future while facing off against Cagliari will be filled with hardships."

"Who cares about the future?" Coach Allegri answered off-handedly. "I would do the same if I were in his shoes. What matters now is that he has scored two goals and tied the score within seven minutes after stepping onto the pitch. As a result, we still have more than twenty minutes to bag another goal and win the game. We should be able to go home with another three points today."

"Indeed..." Maurizio Trombetta hummed an agreement. With his experience as a coach, he could tell that the momentum was with Juventus. Thus, if nothing unexpected happened, Juventus would score another goal or two and eventually win the game.

--

The predictions of the coaches were spot on. After the game restarted, the Juventus players utilized high-pressing tactics to win the ball back as soon as possible. Then, from there on, they started launching waves and waves of attacks until they created an opportunity for Alvaro Morata, who scored Juventus' 3rd goal during the 82nd minute.

However, that wasn't the end of the drama on the pitch. The game proceeded forward, and during the 87th minute, Juventus won a free-kick right outside the box. And, of course, Zachary being Zachary converted the free kick successfully to score Juventus' 4th goal and his third for the evening. He had bagged another hat trick in a Serie A game and thus couldn't contain his happiness as he picked up the match ball and headed towards the press area for the post-match interview.

Report chapter Comments

Within the press area of the Stadio Sant'Elia, Beatrice Paretti, a Sky Italia sports journalist, scrunched her eyebrows after she received instructions from her immediate supervisor. Frowning slightly, she inquired for clarity: "Boss!" She spoke slowly but in a steady voice while holding her phone against her ear. "Did you just ask me not to interview Zachary about how he felt about the racist behavior of the Cagliari fans? Racism is a talking point that can garner the attention of the masses. It can also improve our viewership. So, as reporters, why should we ignore this topic no matter how sensitive it is?"

Mario Romano, one of the top dogs managing Sky Italia Turin, sighed from the other end of the line. "Beatrice! Let me ask you this. Over the years, Italian football has been dragged through the mud because of claims of racist behavior against foreign footballers. As a result, our public image outside Italy is so poor that foreigners think that a black or Asian player will surely face racial insults as long as he appears in Italy. Do you know why?"

"Isn't that simply because some fans, for instance, those of Cagliari, are prone to racist behavior?" She voiced her doubts.

"Yes, there's that," Mario replied with another sigh. "Some of the fans around Italy are really racist while supporting their respective team. That's a fact. But that does not mean we have the football league with the most racist incidents in Europe. For instance, if you were to investigate meticulously, you would realize that Spain and France, which happen to be some of the most preferred destinations for every professional footballer worldwide, also experience racist incidents during professional matches almost every other year. But do you know why Spain and France still have a good reputation even after experiencing all those incidents?"

Beatrice didn't respond but quietly waited for her boss to continue.

Taking the cue, Mario said from the other end of the line, "All those leagues have managed to maintain their perfect reputations because the media of their respective countries cooperates with them. Of course, if a racist incident happened during a match, the Spanish or French media would cooperate with the football governing body to issue a statement against the incident. But they will not make it the center of the news by using statements such as 'racism - the cancer affecting Italian football' like we usually do. Instead, they'll play it down by using words like some bad seeds among the fans destroyed the harmonious football atmosphere during the match between teams A and B by insulting players so and so. In that way, they are still fighting against racism, but in such a clever way that they don't affect the reputation of their respective leagues."

"So, do you mean that we should follow their example and downplay the issue of the Cagliari fans racially abusing Zachary?" Beatrice Paretti hurriedly interjected before her boss could continue. She was getting impatient, especially since she knew Zachary would arrive for the post-match interview soon.

"Yes, that should be our intent," Mario Romano said. "If Zachary doesn't mention the issue himself, let's leave out the ugly stuff from the interview. Let's leave it for our publicity guys to find a way to handle the incident. As for you, focus on only the football and Zachary's performance during the interview. Okay?"

"Okay, got it. I will do as instructed." Beatrice said and ended the call. She couldn't help but sigh as she shoved her phone back into her pocket.

She knew that if all institutions at all levels worked hand in hand to fight racism in football, they would attain much better results. But alas, there were always obstructions in the battle against this cancer. For instance, some owners of the major broadcasting corporations and a few presidents of the football governing bodies in Italy were always reluctant to come out and condemn racist behavior during matches -- the excuse always being: they didn't want to hurt the reputation of Italian football. How could they use such a lame excuse that couldn't fool a three-year-old?

Deep within her heart, Beatrice knew those politicians and businessmen were not giving their all in the battle against racism. But there wasn't much she could do to change the tide, as she was just a small-time reporter trying to make ends meet. She would obviously not go against the instructions of her bosses and risk her career for a fight that didn't really concern her well-being.

--

The second Zachary stepped into the press area, a beautiful and formally-dressed journalist with a label of Sky Italia on the breast pocket welcomed him enthusiastically. Her assistants quickly shoved microphones in his face while her camera crew worked fast to focus their lenses on him.

"Nice to meet you, Zachary Bemba," she said with a practiced smile. "I'm Beatrice Paretti, a sports journalist from Sky Italia. Thank you for staying back for this interview. It shouldn't be an easy feat after an intense match like you just played."

Zachary nodded and motioned for the reporter to go on with the interview. He was impatient to finish the annoying but compulsory task of talking to the reporters so he could return to the dressing room to shower and celebrate with his teammates. He also needed to eat something as he had expended plenty of energy during the match.

As if noticing his impatience, the beautiful reporter smiled and went straight to the point. "Zachary!" She said. "Let me start by congratulating you upon scoring a hat trick and helping Juventus win yet another Serie A game. But can I ask why you started from the bench today when you are clearly fit and on top of your game?"

Zachary smiled and replied, "The answer to that question is a team secret. So, I can't answer it. Sorry."

The corners of the journalist's lips twitched slightly after hearing Zachary's response. But she still maintained her professional smile and went on with the interview. "Your hat trick today has taken your tally this season to seventeen Serie A goals in 16 matches and 26 in all competitions. Your goal-scoring form is impressive. It seems you have adapted well to live at Juventus over the past few months."

"Yeah," Zachary responded. "My teammates have helped me adapt well within the team. My chemistry with most other players has improved, allowing me to perform better during games. As I'm sure that my teammates always have my back, it's easy to let go of most worries and focus on creating goal-scoring chances for my team."

"Talking about Juventus," the reporter commented, "your whole team is in great form. You have won all your matches this season and amassed 48 points. Since you are yet to lose a game, are you gunning for an unbeaten run this season?"

"As players, we only leave in the present," Zachary said. "We always take things as they are and only aim to win every game that comes our way. As such, we'll always do our best on the pitch to overpower our opponents. As for lofty goals, like accomplishing the unbeaten run, we don't have to think about such stuff as that will make us lose focus of the present."

"Let's talk about today's game against Cagliari," the reporter said with a smile. "You were so intense after stepping onto the pitch against Cagliari. I saw you chasing loose balls, tackling, and running at opponents like your life was at stake. You even yelled at your teammates several times, which is an obvious contrast to how you've always acted in previous matches."

"Yeah, I did all that cause this game was important to me," Zachary replied. "Firstly, I hate losing, and as a Juventus player, I had to do my all to help my team win the game, including taking on tasks like motivating my teammates with a few words at certain times. Secondly, I was working hard to suppress the insults and jeers the Cagliari supporters were hurling at me. It's good that luck was on my side, and I scored a hat trick against Cagliari. Otherwise, I would have had to go back to Turin depressed after enduring the insults of all those supporters."

"I'm happy for you," Beatrice said before abruptly changing the topic. "Zachary! The Golden Boy award ceremony is tomorrow night, and you are one of the favorites tipped to win the accolade. Are you excited?"

"Yes, I'm," Zachary said, smiling. "As a football player, winning awards is the best testament to my career progress. So, I'll be looking forward to the award ceremony. I really hope to emerge as the best young player for 2014."

"I think you'll win," Beatrice said.

"That, I can't be sure before the results are out." Zachary countered. "The voting process is complex. I don't know if the majority representatives will vote for me."

Beatrice chuckled. "Let's end the interview here. Thanks again for staying back to answer our questions. I wish you all the luck during the award ceremony tomorrow. May you emerge as the overall winner."

"Thanks," Zachary replied before stepping away from the cameras. He was still feeling the bliss of helping his team achieve a comeback against Cagliari. So, he walked with a swagger before quickly arriving at the visitor's dressing room.

"Zachary!" Maurizio Trombetta, the assistant coach, was the first to welcome him. "Nice game. You were truly impressive today."

"Thanks," Zachary replied, feeling contented. He then exchanged a few pleasantries with the other coaches and teammates before celebrating with them in the tight space of the dressing room. Then later, Zachary washed up and ate some snacks before joining his teammates on a team bus to the airport. He was looking forward to returning to Turin and following the Golden Boy award ceremony scheduled for the following evening.

--

The morning sunlight streamed golden through the window in a well-mannered announcement of the already-risen sun. Groaning slightly, Zachary woke up with a start and glanced at the clock on the opposite wall.

"It's already ten," he mumbled, coming to a realization that he'd already slept for close to eight hours. Without any dilly-dallying, he jumped out of bed, washed his face, and changed into his exercising gear. Then, after stretching slightly, he started his morning yoga practice, hoping to quicken his post-match recovery.

As he went from pose to pose, memories from last night's game manifested within his mind. He smiled as he recalled how he'd gone all out to perform incredibly well and score yet another hat trick. As a result, he'd taken his Serie A goal tally to sixteen, thus surpassing the 13 goals of Luca Toni (from Hellas Verona) and the 14 goals of Mauro Icardi (from Inter) to become the top goal scorer of the season so far.

"Coming to Italy was sure a good decision," Zachary mumbled as he thought about what he'd already achieved within a few months after joining Juventus.

Aside from solidifying his position on Juventus' starting line-up, he had also become the top scorer for two competitions, including the Champions League and the Serie A, right before the half-season mark. His performances for Juventus were ever spectacular, and he was already among the favorites to win the golden boots and take home the MVP awards for the two competitions.

Zachary was, of course, not so arrogant to assume that he would have easily achieved such outstanding feats in other teams or leagues except Juventus and the Italian League. For instance, had he chosen to go to the Premier League and join Tottenham, he might still be struggling to reach the five-goal mark even halfway through the season. That was because he would have lacked the necessary conditions to succeed at such a club and league.

First and foremost, there was the lack of world-class players like Andrea Pirlo to support him at Tottenham. That being the case, he would lack the competitive pressure to help develop his skills at the club level while also losing the option of gaining highly-skilled teammates to support his goal-scoring form and help him win league games. What would have followed would have been him losing his football instincts and slowly regressing to a mediocre player, even with the system as support. That was how bad one wrong move could be to a professional football player.

Secondly, there was an aspect of the English game being highly competitive and physical. Zachary felt he was not ready yet to take on such a challenge.

He figured that he wouldn't have been able to maintain his incredible performances and consistency in the English premiership. As such, he had readily agreed to join Juventus, hoping to refine his skills in the Italian League before considering the notion of joining an English side.

"Phew"

Letting out a breath, Zachary continued going through his yoga practice. He trained for the next twenty minutes while gradually increasing the difficulty of the poses until he felt all his stiff muscles relaxing. He then performed a few simple stretches to further loosen his muscles before heading to the bathroom for a shower.

Ten minutes later, he stepped out of the bathroom feeling refreshed. He quickly donned a brand-new tracksuit and stepped into his trendy sneakers while looking forward to the day that had just commenced.

Coach Allegri had given the entire team a day off after Juventus' win against Cagliari the previous night. That meant that all the other Juventus players would be spending time at their homes to relax and recover from post-match fatigue. They wouldn't have any responsibilities to take up their time until the afternoon of the following day when Juventus' team training would recommence.

However, for Zachary, it was a different story. He had to attend the Golden Boy award ceremony later that evening. As such, he couldn't relax until he worked on his hair and finished purchasing a presentable suit for the ceremony.

For any other person, buying fashionable clothes wouldn't have been a daunting task. But for Zachary, it was the opposite. Firstly, he was used to donning free tracksuits from Nike for seven days straight and had zero experience purchasing a suit in Turin. Secondly, he couldn't go window shopping from street to street looking for what he needed as he feared the passionate football fans who would readily swarm him for autographs if they ever caught a whiff of him.

"I better call Kristin to help me out," Zachary thought and immediately picked up his phone. Settling down on his bed, he dialed her number and waited patiently for the call to connect.

"Hello, Zachary. It's a wonderful surprise to receive your call today morning." Kristin's voice sounded from the other side of the line within seconds. She was as bubbly as ever.

"Hello, Kristin," Zachary replied and then exchanged small talk with her for the next minute. Then, when he judged that the timing was right, he switched gears and went straight to the point.

"Kristin," he said abruptly. "Do you have some free time today?"

There were a few seconds of silence at the other end of the line before Kristin's voice sounded again. "I have a class from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM. But I will be free in the afternoon. Do you need me for anything?"

"Yeah," Zachary said. "As you know, I'm one of this year's Golden Boy award nominees. The ceremony is today, and I need your help buying a suit. You don't have to do much but guide me to shops where I can get one."

"Oh," Kristin said, sounding a bit surprised. "That's easy. I know several shops in Turin that sell good suits. Let's meet at 2:00 PM, and I'll take you to one."

"Great," Zachary said. "Where should we meet?"

"Let's meet at the Vinovo," she replied. "I'll be at the gates by two in the afternoon."

"Perfect. Thanks for your help."

"You're welcome," she said. "See you at two."

"Okay, see you then," Zachary replied before ending the call.

--

As scheduled, Zachary met up with Kristin at the gates of the Vinovo at 2:00 PM. She was as beautiful and shapely as ever, even in her winter get-up that covered most of her frame. She smiled naturally, exposing her perfect teeth, as she sat beside Zachary in the back seat of Angelo's Citroen.

After greeting Zachary, she turned towards Angelo, Zachary's driver sitting behind the steering wheel. "Hello, Mr. Angelo," she greeted. "How's your afternoon?"

"My afternoon is fine," Angelo replied before asking, "Zachary tells me that you'll be helping him buy a suit. Which one is our first stop?"

Kristin thought before saying, "Let's head to the Armani store at Centro Commerciale Lagrange first. We should be able to get what we need there."

"Okay," Angelo agreed. "Let's go."

And with that said, Angelo started up the engine, and they set off toward the Armani store at Centro Commerciale Lagrange. They arrived roughly thirty minutes later, and Zachary instructed Angelo to park the car nearby. As for him, he put on his large hat and shades to conceal his identity before alighting from the vehicle and entering the store with Kristin.

After entering the store, Zachary removed his shades, allowing the customers and shop attendants to recognize him. Their eyes lit up, and they couldn't help but steal a couple more glances at him.

Fortunately for Zachary, people in the shop maintained their distance and didn't approach him for autographs. His tense mood relaxed as it seemed he wouldn't have to worry about football fans swarming him while enjoying his shopping.

"This is the benefit of shopping here," Kristin whispered in Norwegian from beside him. "Customers and attendants are already used to seeing celebrities like football stars, professional athletes, and musicians who usually shop here. Additionally, there are rules prohibiting the harassment of celebrity customers while in the shop. As such, no one will bug you for autographs while in the shop."

"That's great," Zachary said, glancing around the shop. His eyes took in all the trendy suits and other pieces of fancy wear around the store. They were all carefully and meticulously organized around the place to arouse the desires of the customers entering the shop.

"Hello, esteemed customers," a shop attendant approached them as they were still taking in the sights. She was a beautiful girl in a black formal lady's suit with a round face adorned by a pair of slim spectacles. "Welcome to Armani! It's our honor to host you today. How may I be of service to you today?"

Kristin smiled at the girl and responded, "We need a good suit for him." She pointed at Zachary. "We need it ASAP. He has to put it on for a ceremony today evening."

"Oh!" The girl said, giving Zachary's tall frame a once over. "Roughly 6'4 to 6'5 feet and a toned physique. We may have some fine pieces that may suit your taste. Do you wish to see them?"

"Of course," both Zachary and Kristin replied in unison.

"Excellent! Follow me." The girl said with a smile before whirling around to lead the way.

Zachary and Kristin followed her, and after a few minutes, they arrived at the far end of the shop. There they saw many suits in different styles and colors under her guidance.

Zachary tried them on one by one before selecting a Soho Line single-breasted tuxedo priced at 4,000 Euros as his preferred attire for the award ceremony in the evening. But he didn't stop at that. He also selected four other suits as emergency wear for future dinner parties before paying for them and exiting the shop with Kristin.

After buying the suit, the next item on his agenda was to have his hair worked on. He didn't wish to look like a thug with a scruffy hairstyle while attending the Golden Boy award ceremony in the evening. So, he once again turned to Kristin for advice.

Kristin was like an encyclopedia for fashion stores around Turin. On hearing Zachary's plight, she quickly directed Angelo to drive him to a high-profile saloon located somewhere on the outskirts of Turin.

On reaching there, the hairstylists worked quickly, and in just two hours, Zachary emerged from the saloon, sporting a cool braided and tapered Nipsey-4 hairstyle. His beard and sideburns were also neatly trimmed to highlight his prominent cheekbones and sharp look. He was so suave as he walked out of the saloon.

Smiling slightly, he relaxed as he finally finished preparing for his first award ceremony in his professional football career. He was only remaining with the task of donning his new Armani suit before heading to the Golden Boy award ceremony venue.

Report chapter Comments

At 7:00 PM that evening, Zachary arrived at Torino Incontra, the Golden Boy award ceremony venue. He was dressed to kill in his new tuxedo that matched well with his polished black Aubercy Diamond-Studded Shoes. His new hairstyle gave him a rogue feel, and a Patek Philippe moonphase silver watch adorning his wrist highlighted his elegance.

Smiling slightly, he marched forward and stepped on the red carpet leading to the venue. He walked confidently as the cameras flashed to capture his majestic visage.

"Zachary! An autograph..."

"Zachary! We love you. You will win for sure..."

"Zachary..."

The fans lining along the sides of the entrance went wild with frenzy and started yelling out his name. Zachary was surprised as he hadn't foreseen such a scenario where the Juventus fans would flood the venue to support him before his first award ceremony. However, as he had already been long used to the ever-present attention from the fans, he didn't lose himself. He waved to them before continuing his short march on the red carpet.

Heart beating wildly with excitement, Zachary finally entered the ceremony venue after a short while. He swept his gaze around the place and noticed that many guests, including retired footballers and journalists alike, had already taken their seats. Most were in the middle of hushed conversations while occasionally glancing ahead to catch the performances on the main stage.

As he continued looking around, Zachary also saw many cameras and their respective crews around the venue. They were probably put in place by famous Italian Television stations, like Sky Italia, Juventus TV, and Sportitalia, to capture live moments of the occasion. By the look of things, the stage had been set, and the award ceremony was about to commence.

"Zachary!" A middle-aged man with an usher's badge on his breast pocket called out while approaching from the side. "It's an honor to have you here. Welcome!" He spoke perfect English tainted by a little bit of an exotic accent, typical to Italians.

"Thank you," Zachary replied, nodding to the man.

The man smiled and said, "I go by the name - Mario Alberto. I'm one of the ushers for the ceremony. Let me guide you to your seat."

"Thanks," Zachary replied. "Please lead the way."

After hearing that, the man's smile brightened, and he eagerly turned around to lead the way. Zachary followed after him and passed by row after row of guests until he made it all the way to the front seats in the venue. And there, he finally saw the other top nominees for that year's Golden Boy award.

Raheem Sterling, the English player with the second highest probability of winning the award, was at the end of the row, enjoying the performances on the stage.

Then, Zachary also saw the other nominees in the same front row. They included Kurt Zouma, Divock Origi, Luke Shaw, Mateo Kovacic, and a few more faces Zachary couldn't recognize. They had all donned stylish suits, probably thinking that they had a chance to win the award. And maybe since they were proud footballers topping their generation, they didn't bother to initiate a conversation with Zachary when he arrived. They only nodded at him in greeting and returned their focus to the stage.

Zachary, on his part, smiled at those who nodded at him and then settled down on a seat assigned to him by the usher. On the surface, he seemed composed without any change of expression. However, on the inside, his feelings were a tad bit complicated.

During his previous life, he could only get glimpses of the faces of all the young football stars seated beside him only on the TV screen. In that lifetime, he could only admire them from afar without daring to dream about ever competing with them. How could he when he was even failing to make it in the low-tiered Congolese League back then?

But in Zachary's new life, everything changed for the better. He had obtained the GOAT system, and with its support coupled with his hard work, he quickly rose to prominence on the international football stage. He was only a few days past his 20th birthday, but he was already playing for Juventus, one of the mightiest football clubs in the world. But that was not all. He was also a distinguished player in the club, able to score goals, match in, match out, and as a result, he had been nominated for the Golden Boy award. It was a fact that he was flying, and he'd already achieved much more than he could have ever dreamt about during his previous life.

Thinking about all his achievements so far, Zachary felt satisfied, happy, and overwhelmed at the same time. Fame, money, and trophies — he already had it all at a young age, and nothing was stopping him from soaring even higher into the skies.

With all those feelings flooding his mind, he warned himself against growing complacent and losing it all. He didn't wish to have any regrets at the end of his career, so he pledged to work even harder and compete for more accolades. Achieving greatness was the basis of his conviction, and he would do his utmost to grow as a footballer and compete with the best in the world. He would either be successful or die trying.

Proceedings moved forward quickly, and soon enough, an electrifying opera performance ignited the atmosphere and set the stage for what was to come. Most of the lights dimmed, leaving a single one focusing on the master of ceremonies taking the stage. He smiled as he greeted the audience before introducing the background of the Golden Boy award.

The MC's speech was pretty brief. But he still managed to describe how the Golden Boy was an award given by sports journalists to the young male footballer playing in Europe, who was perceived to have been the most impressive during a calendar year. The MC also mentioned that the accolade was established by the Italian sports newspaper - Tuttosport in 2003 before going—on to introduce the representatives from the other top newspapers around Europe involved in the selection of the Golden Boy.

Among the dozen or so names mentioned were top media houses like De Telegraaf from the Netherlands, Mundo Deportivo from Spain, A Bola from Portugal, Bild from Germany, and The Times from the United Kingdom. They could all cast a single vote to select the most impressive young player of the year to win the Golden Boy award.

The MC went through everything pretty quickly. Eventually, he concluded his address with catchy words to excite the audience before inviting Pavel Nedvěd, a former Juventus player and legend, to present that year's Golden Boy award.

Pavel Nedvěd, on his part, was as swift as any professional footballer could be while walking onto the stage. He stepped before the podium with a smile and adjusted the microphone to match his height. Then, after greeting the audience and saying a few more perfunctory words in Italian, he finally got to the moment that mattered most.

"Ladies and gentlemen," he said, "This year's Golden Boy award goes to one of the most promising players the world has ever seen. In just one year after stepping onto the professional football stage, he has been the best player in almost every competition he participated in. Ladies and gentlemen, please put your hands together for Zachary Bemba, this year's Golden Boy award winner."

"Clap, clap, clap..."

The applause from the audience was like thunder as Zachary stood up and walked to the stage. He moved gracefully, taking advantage of his long strides to reach the podium quickly.

Finally, the long-awaited moment arrived when Zachary received the glittering Golden Ball from Pavel Nedvěd. His smile brightened as he thought about all the sweat and torment he had endured over the past three years while pushing forward to evolve as a footballer.

The countless hours and days he spent in the gym or on the turfs training all came back to him, flooding his mind and making his feelings a mess. He took a deep breath and thanked the audience and organizers in as few words as possible before expressing his gratitude to those who had expended great efforts to support him. Among those were his late grandma, his coaches, and his teammates. He spoke confidently in English, and in just a minute, he ended his speech and walked down the stage with his Golden Boy award in his hand.

It was also at that moment the applause from the audience resounded again to commemorate his winning the first award of his budding football career. He felt good as he took in the acknowledgment of those in the hall, but at the same time, he couldn't help but think about his late grandma once again.

"How good would it be if she was here to share all this with me?" He mused, sighing to himself. Then, taking a deep breath to calm himself, he settled back in his seat to wait for the award ceremony to end.

--

Later that night, after taking interviews from various journalists and after answering countless congratulatory calls from acquaintances and teammates alike, Zachary finally settled on his bed, feeling worn out to his very core.

He thought of calling Camilla to share his success with her. But after contemplating for a moment, he pushed the idea out of his mind. Camilla had been out of reach for the past two months. She would hardly ever receive or respond to his calls or messages, so he figured he was better off waiting for her to reach out.

Sighing to clear away the gloom of his failing relationship, he rolled into bed, hoping to sleep early, as he had to attend team training the following afternoon. But right then, before he could even enter in-between the sheets, a system notification reverberated in his mind.

"DING"

"Congratulations to the user for winning the first major award of his career and completing a hidden system mission," the system AI's apathetic voice sounded immediately after. "The user can check the mission completion details and rewards associated with the mission completion on the system interface."

Zachary's fatigue was immediately swept away, and his heartbeat quickened with excitement. A soft smile outlined his facial features, and he commanded the system to display the just-completed mission details.

Report chapter Comments

Zachary blinked reflexively to adjust to the brightness of the translucent crystal-like display that had just manifested in front of his eyes. Then, without further ado, he started perusing through the details of the just-completed mission.

4 New Messages

--

CONGRATULATIONS

-You have won the first major award of your career and thus completed a Hidden System Mission.

-You've taken your first step toward gaining the recognition of the international football community as one of the most exceptional players of countless generations.

--

-Mission Rewards

1) A total of 100,000 Juju points

2) An S-grade mental conditioning elixir

--

- Congratulations to the user once again. Continue working hard and try to win more internationally recognized accolades, including the Ballon d'Or, as soon as possible.

Zachary couldn't contain his surprise after reading the mission completion message. The mission was much more rewarding than expected, and he'd obtained quite plentiful benefits. Among those was an S-grade mental conditioning elixir, one of the system's most potent elixirs that could further fortify his mental capacities. He couldn't contain his happiness as he perused the contents displayed on the crystal-like system interface again.

"Based on the system's rewards," he mused, "it seems that individual accomplishments are much more rewarding than those involving team efforts."

Zachary had already noticed the pattern in the system's reward policy. For instance, if he became an MVP or top scorer in a tournament, the system would award him more than if he helped his team win a domestic league. So, following that reasoning, the GOAT system was clearly pushing him to improve his abilities while also encouraging him to win more individual accolades. Maybe, that was the fastest way to achieve GOAT status. He was now even more sure of the conjecture after seeing the reward for winning the Golden Boy award.

"Let's just take one step at a time," Zachary mused before returning his focus to the rewards for the hidden mission completion. His glance fell on the 100,000 Juju point reward, but after a moment of contemplation, he chose to store the amount for future use.

He had, of course, not forgotten that he would need 1,000,000 points for the next system upgrade. So, he had long started taking every chance available to stock up on Juju points.

"Phew..."

Taking a deep breath, Zachary finally focused on the best reward for the night. It was the S-grade mental conditioning elixir, which happened to be one of the most potent system elixirs that he could consume and not experience side effects. By ingesting the tonic, he would strengthen his mental abilities, such as spatial awareness, tactical knowledge, risk assessment, and mental strength, and thus push his game intelligence to a higher level in a short while.

But that was not all there was to the elixir's benefits. Zachary also understood that by improving his mental capabilities, he would gain better body control and thus see a spike in some of his overall ball skills.

For instance, with a sharper mind, he would assess risks and make decisions within moments during critical moments of the gameplay. He would also rely on his enhanced intelligence to execute skills much more quickly and fluidly, thus becoming more clinical on the pitch. And as a finishing touch, his passing skills would also benefit from the mental fortification afforded by the elixir.

As Zachary was well aware that the S-grade mental conditioning elixir was the most suitable system tonic to improve his overall abilities quickly during the middle of the season, he acted immediately. Without even the slightest hesitation, he made up his mind to consume it right then, even before going to bed.

"System," he called out telepathically while glancing at the interface. "I would like to consume the S-graded mental-conditioning elixir now."

"Command received," the system AI replied. "Confirming... A single dose of the S-graded mental-conditioning elixir is ready for the user's use in the system inventory. The user can select the respective card in the inventory to summon the elixir. As a reminder, the user must consume the elixir within five seconds after its removal from the system inventory or risk its effects disappearing."

"I understand," Zachary replied. He quickly went through the already-familiar process of summoning the elixir from the system inventory before tapping on an image of a small apple with the words "S-grade mental-conditioning elixir" inscribed below it.

The card soon exploded into glittering particles, and a tiny apple, roughly the size of a small lollipop, materialized from the system's crystal-like display. Zachary didn't waste time admiring its lustrous glow but instead wolfed it down as quickly as possible. Then, he adjusted to a comfortable position within his bed and covered himself while bracing himself for the elixir's effects to kick in.

Everything that followed was all too familiar to Zachary since it was his second time consuming an S-graded mental conditioning elixir. His head started spinning, and an explosion went off in his mind, causing his thoughts to turn into a jumbled mess. He felt himself losing his senses, and after a few seconds, all went dark. The pain and disorientation caused by the S-grade menta- conditioning elixir had once again caused him to black out.

In the meantime, Kristin was still awake, tending to her duties as Zachary's publicity secretary. She worked quickly to post the best pictures of Zachary posing with the Golden Boy award and added captions such as "The beginning of greatness," "The rise of one of the best of a generation," and so on and so forth. She successfully posted them on all of Zachary's accounts, including Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. And with that done, Kristin finally relaxed, washed up, and went to bed, feeling fulfilled. However, she could not imagine the commotion that her posts had caused on the net.

A few minutes after Kristin posted the pictures, Zachary's followers started sharing the posts on their respective pages. A reposting craze followed, and those few images were reposted probably millions of times until the words "Zachary" and "Golden Boy award" became trending topics on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.

In fact, those keywords turned so popular within hours and thus emerged on the list of top google searches in Europe, Africa, and South America. And with that, even the often-neglected and previously forgotten Golden Boy award became a household term for most football lovers worldwide. Indeed, a great person could make everything he was associated with more famous and prestigious, even on an international stage.

But that was not all there was to the craze. Some netizens, including football critics, journalists, and fanatics, soon started a debate about whether Zachary had the potential to win the Ballon d'Or that season. And that was another fuse that caused another explosion of discussions on the internet, causing even presenters of famous sports shows worldwide to join in on the conversation.

"So, guys!" Emilia Vasquez, one of ESPN's famous sports presenters in Europe, said on her show the following morning. "There's a massive debate on the internet that has taken me by surprise. Many notable football critics around Europe and the rest of the world are beginning to believe that Zachary has a chance to compete for the Ballon d'Or award this season. What do you guys think?" She turned to the two pundits present in the studio.

Joshua Morales, the pundit closest to her, smiled at the cameras and said, "I think Zachary has a fair chance of competing for the award. First and foremost, his team, Juventus, is already flying and on course to win the Italian Serie A. Their form is so out of this world — to the point that they haven't lost or drawn a single time this season. Be it the Champions League or their domestic competitions — they still hold a hundred percent winning record. The crucial point is that Zachary has been at the center of it all, putting up spectacular performances and scoring incredible goals to help Juventus continue winning. He has already proven his amazing abilities as an exceptional player, and I think he has a fair chance to compete for the Ballon d'Or."

Shaka Hislop, the other pundit in the studio, laughed and supplemented with an analysis of his own. "Let's also not forget that as we speak now, he's the top scorer of both the Italian Serie A and the Champions League. In my honest opinion, I don't think he will stop scoring goals as long as he remains fit. Now, imagine Juventus winning both the Serie A and the Champions League. How would the situation unfold? Wouldn't Zachary be the favorite to win the Ballon d'Or under such circumstances?"

"Those are sound conjectures, fellas," Emilia Vasquez said with a smile. "But the crucial question is: Can Juventus win those two competitions?"

"Now, that'll be difficult for Juventus," Shaka Hislop answered. "Don't get me wrong. I obviously don't doubt Juventus' ability to win the Serie A and maybe another domestic Italian competition like the Coppa Italia. They are by far the strongest team with the mightiest squad in Italy. That's why they have achieved a hundred percent record and amassed all the 48 points they could possibly get from their sixteen Serie A matches so far."

"But if we move to the Champions League, I don't think they will have it easy," Shaka Hislop continued. "Juventus will have to beat the world's greatest teams, like Real Madrid, Barcelona, and Bayern Munich, in order to achieve continental glory. Can Zachary up his game and perform beyond expectations against such teams? Can he continue putting up spectacular performances to help his team overpower all those giants? Can he continue scoring in the Champions League and outshine other outstanding players like Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar, Robert Lewandowski, and Luis Suárez? All those are questions to consider as we assess Zachary's chances of winning the Ballon d'Or this season."

--

Chapter 520 An Increase in Stats

Zachary woke up feeling refreshed. After glancing at the clock and noticing that its hand had already passed the eight o'clock mark, he immediately jumped out of bed.

"The effects of the S-grade mental conditioning elixir are truly wondrous," Zachary mumbled as he walked to the bathroom to wash his face. His memory received a significant boost after he consumed the elixir. Without even focusing, he could recall many Italian sentences that previously seemed like alien text. He felt like, if he tried hard, he might even be able to master Italian within less than six months. But that was not all.

Zachary also noticed that his spatial awareness had risen to another level. With just a glance, he could commit all the details around him to mind. Be it their size, the position, and the color of all objects around him — Zachary could remember all those elements even without trying that hard to observe. Moreover, everything seems to have increased to a higher definition, allowing him to perceive more particulars he had previously ignored.

"System," Zachary called out as he stepped out of the bathroom. He dried his face with a towel before commanding, "Bring out my current attributes."

"Command received," the AI intoned. "User's attribute data coming up on the interface immediately."

Zachary smiled. He settled on his bed and started perusing the information that had just appeared on the translucent crystal-like display before him.

USER STATS

-Physical Fitness: S

-Soccer Technique: S

-Game Intelligence: SS

-Mental Ability and Mindset: S

-X-Factors: S

-GOAT Skills: 10

"Oh!" Zachary exclaimed. "My game intelligence attribute jumped over the S grade and improved straight to the SS grade. Wonderful!"

Zachary was giddy with excitement. His game intelligence had been at the S- grade for a few months. But after consuming an S-grade mental conditioning elixir, he improved straight to the SS grade. His game intelligence was finally catching up with that of experienced world-class players like Andrea Pirlo.

A few weeks ago, Zachary had given in to temptation and scanned Andrea Pirlo with the system's snooping tool. He finally learned that exceptional players like Andrea Pirlo didn't possess abnormally-high physical fitness stats. In fact, Pirlo's physical fitness attributes, including agility, strength, and stamina, were just at the inferior S- grade average. They were a level lower than Zachary's S fitness stats.

But what was impressive about Andrea Pirlo was his game intelligence and passing skills. His passing skills, spatial awareness, risk assessment, and mental strength were at the SSS grade, while his tactical knowledge was at the SS grade. Those few attributes overcompensated for his weaker physique, allowing him to gain the ability to play like a maestro on the field of play. He didn't need to take on players by dribbling and tackling. Instead, he only needed to find spaces and use his insanely high game intelligence and passing skills during crucial moments. Then, he would be able to influence the game and win matches for his team without overexerting himself.

Zachary understood the charm of game intelligence after scanning Andrea Pirlo. That was why he was over the moon after leveling his intelligence attributes to the SS grading.

"System," he called out telepathically. "I would like to see the breakdown of my game intelligence and soccer technique stats."

"Command received," replied the system AI. "Stats breakdown for game intelligence and soccer technique will be coming up on the interface shortly."

With that said, the crystal-like display shimmered slightly before bringing up new information on the screen. Zachary reflexively blinked his eyes and began to read through the contents.

--

-Soccer Technique: (Av. Rating: S)

Ball Control: S

Dribbling Skills: S-

Passing Accuracy: S

Body Control: S-

--

-Game Intelligence: (Av. Rating: SS)

Spatial Awareness: SS

Tactical Knowledge: S

Risk Assessment: SS

--

Zachary observed that his spatial awareness and risk assessment were the individual stats that gained the most significant boost. As for tactical awareness, it was still lagging behind at the S grading. Perhaps, he needed to play more games and gain more experience before improving the stat.

Then, there were his soccer technique stats. Surprisingly, they hadn't received any boost after he consumed the S-grade mental conditioning elixir. Maybe, he needed to go through targeted training and get used to his high game intelligence before those technique attributes would level up. That was his gut feeling.

"Bzzt Bzzzt! Bzzt Bzzzt!"

Suddenly, Zachary's phone vibrated from the nearby table as he finished reviewing his stats. He quickly dismissed the system interface with a mental command before picking up the phone and glancing at the screen.

The call was from an unknown number. It began with a country code of 225, meaning it was from a foreign country.

"Could this be from the Ivorian officials? Could they have finished preparing my citizenship papers?"

The gears in Zachary's mind turned and fell into place quickly. He accepted the call and placed the phone against his ear.

"Bonjour, Zachary," the person on the other side of the line greeted in French. "I'm Omar Sangare, an Ivorian official helping with your citizenship papers. We previously talked on the phone."

"Oh, Sangare!" Zachary exclaimed. "I remember you. Are my citizenship papers ready? Can I play in the African Cup of Nations next month?" He went straight to the point.

"The papers are almost ready," the official replied. "As for playing in the AFCON, that will not be possible in your case. We have no problem with you joining us. However, CAF's bureaucracy has hindered us from registering you for the competition. Their procedures to approve a change of citizenship for any player can take roughly six months. Our hands are tied."

"Oh, I understand," Zachary said, feeling both disappointed and relieved. Joining the African Cup of Nations would increase his chances of winning his first international trophy with Ivory Coast. He knew that for a fact, as the Ivorians had won the 2015 AFCON during his previous life.

However, partaking in the African tournament would also force him to forego his club duties during January. And since he was a key player on the team, his absence might affect Juventus' performance, and his team could drop out of the Champions League, causing him to lose out on attaining European glory. Obviously, he would have had to make a choice if the Ivorians had called him for the tournament. But now, he just needed to go with the flow and concentrate on his club duties. It was a relief.

"Mr. Sangare!" Zachary said after a moment. "When will my papers be ready? And when can we announce to the public that I'll be playing for Ivory Coast?"

"Well..." Mr. Sangare said. "We could make the announcement in a few days when the papers are ready. But again, we don't want to distract your future teammates and their coaches, who are busy preparing for the African Nations Cup of Nations. So, I suggest that we make the official announcement in late March. That will be after the AFCON and just before the friendlies. It's a perfect time, in my opinion."

"Okay, then," Zachary agreed. "We will go with your plan. Please try to complete all the necessary procedures before March. I would wish to start playing international games as soon as possible."

"Sure," Mr. Sangare said with a chuckle. "We also want you to play our international matches soon. So, we'll obviously work fast to finish all the procedures concerning your citizenship."

"Excellent," Zachary said. "I have to say goodbye now and commence my morning practice. Thanks for the update."

"You're welcome. I will keep you updated concerning your whole citizenship change. Otherwise, I wish you luck in your upcoming games."

"Thanks, and goodbye," Zachary replied.

"Goodbye," Mr. Sangare said and hung up the phone.

Zachary stood in one place for a moment as he organized his thoughts. The main reason why he chose to join Ivory Coast was to compete in the 2018 World Cup. So, Zachary wasn't overly depressed after failing to join their AFCON squad. He instead felt relaxed as he had no diversions to distract him from his club duties.

But again, not joining the AFCON didn't mean that his schedule had opened up. He was still as busy as a worker bee, as he had to play in the Italian Serie A, the Coppa Italia, the Supercoppa Italiana, and the Champions League. All those were top tournaments featuring world-class clubs and talents. Zachary understood that he needed to do his all to remain focused if he desired to perform beyond expectations and help his club win most of the competitions. There was no way around it.

The enhancement of his game intelligence had come at the right time. His football brain had experienced a significant boost in its abilities, and as a plus, it could potentially push his ball skills to a higher level if he went through targeted training. Thus, Zachary planned to work hard through the two-week Christmas break. He would go all out to push his body control or dribbling skills to the SS grade. Then, if all went well, he would shine on the football pitch come January.

"Let's start with the morning training for today."

Zachary psyched himself up. Without further ado, he started going through his morning yoga routine, hoping to warm up his body for the more intensive team training later that day.

--

---

The Greatest of all Time #Chapter 521 Preparing for the Supercoppa Italiana - Read The Greatest of all Time Chapter 521 Preparing for the Supercoppa Italiana Online - All Page - Novel Next

Chapter 521 Preparing for the Supercoppa Italiana

Zachary spent the morning hours going through his physical fitness routines. Under the guidance of Coach Bjørn Peters, his fitness trainer, he first went through a gym workout to hone his endurance, strength, and body control. Then, when the clock hand pointed to the eleven o'clock mark, he rested for two hours before enjoying a sumptuous lunch prepared by Inger, his chef.

After lunch, he didn't continue lounging around in his mansion. Instead, he got into his new Audi RS 7 and headed to the Vinovo for Juventus' afternoon training.

As usual, Zachary found dozens of fans and a few journalists waiting around the gates when he arrived at the training center. He rolled down his window and waved at them before continuing towards the parking lot.

He eased his car into one of the empty parking spots and alighted from the vehicle. He smiled as his eyes caught the visage of Coach Maurizio Trombetta, the assistant coach, who happened to have just arrived at the training center at the same time as him. The middle-aged coach was in full winter gear, with a thick jacket, a head sock, and gloves to keep the December chill away from his body. His eyes shone when he spotted Zachary.

"Zachary!" The assistant coach exclaimed. "Good afternoon!"

"Good afternoon to you too, coach," Zachary responded while picking up his gym bag from the back seat of his car. He then locked the doors before turning to the assistant coach again. "Coach! You seem to be in a good mood. Where's Christmas?"

"It's too soon to think about Christmas," Coach Trombetta replied with a chuckle. "Congratulations upon winning the Golden Boy award, by the way. Your form over the past year was incredible. You really deserved the honor."

"Thanks, coach," Zachary responded, grinning. He was in a good mood, especially after consuming an S-grade elixir and improving his game intelligence stats. He felt like everything around him was more vibrant than usual, and he couldn't stop himself from walking with a slight swagger as he headed toward the inside of the training center.

"Honestly," Coach Trombetta continued with his praise, "I'm really impressed with your capabilities on the team. Your goal-scoring form is excellent, and if you can continue maintaining your form, you might be able to make it into this year's Ballon d'Or shortlist."

Zachary chuckled. "The Ballon d'Or is still a bit far away from me. Setting it as my target would distract me from my current priorities. I only need to continue performing well, and if lady luck is on my side, I'll make the shortlist."

Ads by Pubfuture

"That's a good mentality," Coach Trombetta said. "It's always good to focus on the present. The Supercoppa Italiana is only two days away. It's a chance for you to pick up your first silverware with Juventus. In this year's match-up, we'll face off against SSC Napoli in the Jassim bin Hamad Stadium in Doha, Qatar. Are you ready?"

"Yes, I am," Zachary replied, oozing confidence. Consuming the S-grade mental-conditioning elixir had allowed his stats to gain a timely boost right before the Supercoppa Italiana. He was in the best state he could ever be as a footballer. If all went as planned and nothing unexpected happened, he most important determiners of the result of the Supercoppa Italiana. You'll have to play intelligent 00:03

football and find a way to create as many chances as you can against Napoli. Additionally, you have would perform beyond all expectations in the Supercoppa Italiana final.

"I like your confidence," Coach Trombetta said as they continued further into the training center. "But please note that you must give it your all for the Supercoppa. We have to win. Evra, Marchisio, and Pirlo are missing due to the injuries they picked up during previous matches. You're the only remaining playmaker in the starting eleven. As such, your influence in the midfield will be one of the most important determiners of the result of the Supercoppa Italiana. You'll have to play intelligent football and find a way to create as many chances as you can against Napoli. Additionally, you have to be quick with your decision-making while on the ball — or else, the opponents will find a way to mark you and stop you from making your mark in the final."

"I understand, coach," Zachary said, feeling even more determined. "I'll do my best during the final. When are we setting off for Qatar?"

"Tomorrow," Coach Trombetta said. "We'll fly to Qatar in the morning. If everything goes as planned, we'll arrive in Doha by 6:00 PM and spend the night there. Then, on Monday morning, we'll go through a light training session to polish our tactics for the match before spending the rest of the day resting. Finally, in the evening, we will head to the Jassim bin Hamad Stadium for the Supercoppa Italiana final against Napoli. That's the plan."

As the two conversed, they finally arrived before the dressing rooms. Coach Trombetta said a few more encouraging words to Zachary before heading off toward the coaching staff's dressing room. As for Zachary, he stepped towards the player's locker room while thinking about the Supercoppa Italiana final that was only two days away.

Inaugurated in 1988, the Supercoppa Italiana was an annual football match contested by the Serie A champions and the Coppa Italia winners from the season prior. However, if the same team had won both competitions for the previous football calendar year, the Supercoppa would instead be a match-up between the Serie A champions and the Coppa Italia runners-up.

During its first few years after its inauguration, the Supercoppa was often—scheduled in the summer as a super cup curtain-raiser to the new season played in the home stadium of the Serie A champion. However, in recent years, the Italian football league's governing body had started scheduling the match during the winter. Moreover, the match would often be hosted in stadiums outside of Italy, probably to attract more publicity for Italian football.

Previous Suppercopas were played in countries such as Italy, the United States, Libya, and China. As for that year, the match was to be held at the Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium, all the way in Qatar. So, for that matter, the Juventus squad needed to make the more than eight-hour-long flight to Doha to participate in that year's Supercoppa Italiana.

Zachary, on his part, was not against making the trip to Qatar. He had already spent roughly four months focusing only on football at Juventus. The daily training and packed match schedule had worn him out to a certain extent, and he figured that a change of scenery would be perfect for him. As such, Zachary was eager to travel to Doha and face off against Napoli there.

"Maybe, I can also spend a few more days on holiday there after the match," Zachary thought. "Doha should have many world-class sports facilities. Spending the Christmas break there won't affect my training plans. I only need to inform the coaches in advance."

Ads by Pubfuture

Zachary finally arrived before the player's locker room after a few seconds. He pushed the door open and noticed that most of his teammates were already in the dressing room. Some had even already donned their training gear and were about to head out for the training.

"Ciao ragazzi! Come stai?"

Using his mastery of broken Italian, Zachary greeted them, one after the other, after stepping into the room. His teammates returned his greetings humorously and congratulated him upon winning the Golden Boy award. A few experienced players, like Gianluigi Buffon and Stephan Lichtsteiner, even encouraged him to keep working hard so he could compete for the Ballon d'Or. He could tell that they were truly happy for him for winning the Golden Ball award.

--

Thirty minutes later, at 2:15 PM, all the Juventus players had long assembled on the main training turf. The winter breeze sweeping across the ground assaulted them, causing them to tremble as their bodies fought against the cold environmental conditions. But they remained attentive as they listened to Coach Max Allegri's address.

"As you all know, the Supercoppa Italiana is only two days away," Coach Max Allegri said as he swept his gaze across his players. "But the time we have for training is even less than a single day, especially since we'll spend the entirety of tomorrow traveling. So, guys! We must utilize the limited time today to finalize all our preparations for the Supercoppa Italiana. We must refine our game plan for the match against Napoli or risk embarrassing ourselves on Monday evening. Are we together, guys?"

"Yes, coach!" The players replied more or less in unison.

Coach Allegri nodded and flipped his notebook open. "To save time, I'll first name the match squad for the game. That will allow all the players on the starting eleven to train in their individual roles today."

"Gianluigi Buffon will be in goal," Coach Max Allegri announced in a solemn voice. "In defense, we'll utilize three defenders. They are Giorgio Chiellini, Leonardo Bonucci, and Angelo Ogbonna. Moving on to the midfield: we'll employ Simone Padoin, Arturo Vidal, and Zachary Bemba as our three central midfielders. Simone Padoin and Arturo Vidal will be the holding midfielders, while Zachary will play as the attacking pivot. The three will also work together with Kwadwo Asamoah and Stephan Lichtsteiner to complete our midfield of five. Lastly, Fernando Llorente and Carlos Tévez will play as our forwards to complete our 3-5-2 formation. That's it for the starting eleven. Any questions?"

All the players remained silent and didn't respond.

"Now, to the substitutes," Coach Allegri said with a slight nod. "On the bench, we'll have Rubinho, Marco Storari, Martín Cáceres, Filippo Romagna, Federico Mattiello, Roberto Pereyra, Kingsley Coman, Simone Pepe, Sebastian Giovinco, and Álvaro Morata. That's it for the match squad. So, let's start our training for today."

With the coach's declaration, the training officially started.

The players began by going through a thirty-minute warm-up routine before moving on to the actual tactics session. And as planned, they focused on refining their tactics until all the players on the match squad had committed their roles for the game against Napoli to mind. Finally, in the evening, after working so hard for hours, the Juventus players said their goodbyes to their coaches and returned to their respective homes to rest for the night. They had done all they could to prepare for the match. All that remained was for them to travel to Doha and face off against Napoli in the much-anticipated Supercoppa Italiana final.

--

Ads by Pubfuture

Chapter 522 The 2014 Supercoppa Italiana Challenge

"DING!"

A system notification sounded in Zachary's mind when he entered his bedroom later that night.

"The system has detected that the user is now an active member of Juventus' 2014 Supercoppa Italiana squad," the system AI's apathetic voice sounded in his mind immediately after. "Conditions for the 2014 Supercoppa Italiana challenge have been met, and the respective system mission initiated successfully."

"Does the user wish to view the mission details right away?"

"Of course," Zachary replied after switching on his bedroom light. He settled on his bed before continuing, "Please bring up the mission details."

"Command received," the AI's voice sounded in his mind again. "Mission details have been displayed on the interface."

The space before Zachary shimmered with bluish light, and a translucent crystal-like display manifested before him. Zachary took a deep breath and focused on the mission details that had appeared on the interface.

--

GOAT MISSIONS

--

#NEW MISSION: 2014 Supercoppa Italiana Challenge

-The system has detected that the user is part of Juventus' 2014 Supercoppa Italiana squad. The system has designed an associated mission for the tournament.

--

-The user needs to accept the mission first to stand a chance of winning rewards after completing the objectives below.

--

Objective 1: Become the leading playmaker for the 2014 Supercoppa Italiana final by providing the most assists during the game.

Objective 2: Help Juventus win the 2014 Supercoppa Italiana final by scoring at least one goal during the game. (To meet the objective, the user must meet two conditions. One, he has to score at least a single goal, and two, he has to ensure that Juventus wins the game)

Objective 3: Become the Man of the Match for the 2014 Supercoppa Italiana final.

Objective 4: Score a hat trick during the 2014 Supercoppa Italiana final.

--

Rewards:

-Objective 1 completion reward: 5,000 Juju-points

-Objective 2 completion reward: 10,000 Juju-points

-Objective 3 completion reward: S-grade Agility Enhancement Elixir

-Objective 4 completion reward: The second of the twelve shards required to learn Ronaldinho's Step-Over and Feint Kingly Magic. (Note: This objective is also a partial fulfillment of the conditions to complete the Giant-Killer Hattrick Challenge)

--

-The user can choose not to accept the mission.

Accept *Reject

--

Punishment if the user doesn't realize at least one objective by the end of the game: Minus 50,000 Juju points.

After accepting the mission, the user has to complete at least one milestone before the game ends to escape the penalty.

--

Remarks: The only way to attain greatness is by never giving up while taking small but consistent steps forward.

Zachary's eyes lit up with excitement after reading the mission details. His hopes had already soared high as the system had again offered him a chance to win bountiful benefits if he performed well during the Supercoppa Italiana final. He thus readily accepted the mission.

Among the rewards was an S-graded agility-enhancement elixir which could potentially elevate his speed, body control, and dribbling skills to the next level. There was also a shard of Ronaldinho's Step-Over and Feint Kingly Magic, which would push him closer to obtaining one of the most effective dribbling styles in the world. Zachary felt even more motivated to try his best during the Supercoppa Italiana as he wanted to go home with all those rewards.

"Phew!"

Zachary took a deep breath and glanced at the clock on the opposite wall. On noticing that it was already 9:00 PM, he decided to prepare and go to bed as soon as possible. He wished to get ample rest that night before setting off with his teammates to Qatar the following morning.

After making the decision, Zachary proceeded with haste. He was soon in autopilot mode, washing up, brushing his teeth, and packing his luggage for the following day's trip. Zachary completed everything around 10:30 PM and then jumped in bed, hoping to descend into the land of dreams as soon as possible. But just as he was about to cover himself, his phone vibrated from a nearby table, causing him to furrow his brows. He wasn't expecting any call that late in the night.

"Who could it be?"

While suppressing his annoyance, Zachary scooped up the phone and noticed that the call was from yet another unknown number. The number began with 61, meaning that it was from overseas.

"Hello," Zachary said after pressing the accept button and holding the phone next to his ear. "Who's this?"

There were a few seconds of silence at the other end of the line before a familiar and feminine voice sounded in his ear. "Zachary! It's me. How are you doing?"

Zachary's mind short-circuited at that moment. "Camilla!" He called out. "Is that you?"

"Yes, it's me," she replied. Her voice was barely audible.

Zachary took a deep breath and asked, "Are you okay? I haven't been able to reach your phone for over two months. You also rarely reply to my WhatsApp messages!"

"Well..." she said. "I got an abrupt offer for a job in Australia some months back. It was a dream job for me. I acted quickly and moved there to begin work immediately. That's why I have been out of reach recently."

"Oh..." Zachary said, feeling a bit down. He decided not to ask obvious questions, like 'why didn't you call me before you moved' or 'why didn't you send me your new number when you arrived in Australia?' Deep within his heart, he knew the answer to all those questions.

"Zachary..." Camilla said after a few seconds. "Let me ask you something. Do you think we have been happy as a couple?"

Zachary's heart skipped a beat. He answered, "We had our good times together. We were happy before we got out of touch due to the distance."

Camilla sighed audibly from the other end of the line. "Zachary!" She said. "I have been doing some thinking over the previous few weeks. We should take some time apart to sort out our lives."

"Time apart..." Zachary's voice trailed off. He felt a bit empty on the inside.

"Spending time apart would be the best for both of us," Camilla continued. "Firstly, time apart will allow us to concentrate more on our individual careers. You will have more time to focus on your football, and I'll have more time for my new job. Secondly, time apart will allow us to sort out our feelings for each other. It's the best solution for our situation."

"Seems like you've got everything sorted out," Zachary said lightly.

"Zachary!" Camilla's voice rose up a notch. "This is also hard for me... I don't wish to do this, but we can't continue on like this..."

They continued talking for a few more minutes, and Zachary finally consented to Camilla's suggestion. Moreover, in essence, he had no other choice but to accept her terms. They both agreed to take an indeterminate period apart, with the excuse of needing more time to focus on their careers without distractions. They then ended the call on a seemingly positive note and wished each other blessed and good lives.

Zachary sighed again after placing his phone back on the table. He collapsed back into bed and stared at the ceiling for minutes. A fresh lump of emptiness grew within him, and he couldn't help but wonder when everything had started going wrong with Camilla.

Was it when he signed for Juventus and moved to Italy? Or was it before?

Zachary's mind turned and whirled as he thought of the days past when he was still a Rosenborg player. He had shared intimacy with Camilla, and they had seemed like the typical couple in love. Their lovemaking was always breathtaking, and there was mutual respect between them. Those were the good times.

But again, Zachary hadn't failed to notice that nothing else was holding together their relationship aside from their intimacy. They were the perfect couple when they made love, but aside from that, they didn't have many more things in common. They didn't even share many hobbies, beliefs, or cultural values, and their bond was not that firm.

Their fundamental worlds would not easily intersect since Zachary, himself, was a footballer determined to make it big, while Camilla was a corporate lady doing her all to rise up in the business world. Unless some sort of compromise was reached on both their parts, they would always be like two shining stars that only chanced upon each other and collided before following the natural laws and diverging to continue on along their innate trajectories. Their love was not just deep enough to survive the endless difficulties the world could inflict upon them.

"Life is not easy."

Sighing with dejection, Zachary switched off the light and entered between the sheets. He continued thinking about moments with Camilla until he dozed off and entered deep sleep around midnight.

--

The following morning, Zachary managed to wake up early, at around six. His previous night's conversation with Camilla was still so fresh in his mind, and his mood was low. But as a footballer yearning to achieve big things, he still forced himself to focus on his priorities. He couldn't allow himself to be bogged down by just one hardship in life.

He worked quickly with all the haste he could muster and finished all his preparations by seven in the morning. Then, after having breakfast, he entered his Audi RS 7 and drove to the Vinovo, Juventus' training center, where he linked up with his teammates. From there, their group boarded a team bus to the airport, thus beginning their long journey to Doha, Qatar, the venue for that year's Supercoppa Italiana final.

--

The Juventus squad arrived in Doha at around 5:30 PM. The sun had already set, and the bright artificial lights illuminated the hallways of Doha International Airport.

Zachary followed the rest of his teammates as they quickly went through the airport procedures and immigration checks. A dedicated team of helpers from the Qatar Football Association aided them, and they completed the entire process quickly. They then picked up their luggage and exited the airport.

During the winter months from October to March, the climate in Qatar was, at most times, just mild. From what Zachary had read before traveling, daily temperatures often ranged from 24ºC to 35ºC during the day and 15ºC to 22ºC at night. The place was definitely a much warmer utopia when compared to Turin.

Equipped with all that knowledge, Zachary didn't even bother to put on a jacket. He had only donned a simple Juventus tracksuit, a head sock to keep his braided hair in place, and comfortable Nike sneakers for travel. He continued moving along with his teammates as they followed their guides to the arranged bus for the team.

"Juventus! Oye!"

"Zachary! Welcome..."

"Carlos Tevez..."

"Buffon... We love you..."

Suddenly, a cacophony of excited voices sounded while the players were on their way to the arranged bus. The noise immediately captured Zachary's attention, and he reflexively inclined his head to look.

A crowd of passionate supporters had gathered a few meters away, just beyond some parked taxis. Most of them were probably Italians who had traveled to support Juventus during the Supercoppa Italiana final, and they were being kept in order by airport security. Zachary also spotted a few men in long, white, and loose Arabic clothing among the crowd. They were most likely members of the Juventus fanbase in Qatar.

"I didn't expect that we had a lot of fans in Qatar," Kwadwo Asamoah commented from beside Zachary. He seemed excited. He waved back to the fans while pulling his suitcase towards the waiting bus.

"It's the Italian football publicity offices doing their work," Zachary said as he followed his teammates' example and waved to the fans. "The Italian football governing bodies must have put in quite the effort to market the Supercoppa in Qatar. We might get a full stadium during the game."

"I heard that the Jassim bin Hamad Stadium only has a capacity of 13,000 seats," Kwadwo Asamoah remarked. "The supporters attending the match will be much fewer than the numbers we usually attract back in Italy."

"Definitely," Zachary agreed. "But I still like the vibrant atmosphere and the good weather here. It's a good choice for the venue of the Supercoppa..."

After some minutes of exchanging small talk and waving to the fans, the Juventus players finally reached the organized team bus. Their guides helped them load their suitcases into the luggage compartment as they boarded the vehicle. Then, a few minutes later, when all the squad members had taken their seats, the bus started moving, and they set off for the luxurious The Ritz-Carlton, Doha hotel.

They arrived at the hotel roughly thirty minutes later and checked into their rooms. After settling down, they enjoyed a sumptuous dinner at the hotel's restaurant and then had a team meeting chaired by Coach Max Allegri afterward. Then, after about an hour of discussing team plans and strategies for the following day's game, they ended the meeting and returned to their rooms for the night.

The night and the following day's morning hours were all uneventful as all the Juventus players adhered to the team rules. All the players woke up early after enjoying a fulfilling night of rest at the luxurious The Ritz-Carlton, Doha hotel before eating breakfast and going through a light training routine later in the morning.

The rest of the day went as planned after the morning training. They had their lunch at midday and then attended arranged press conferences at around 1:00 PM before resting during the afternoon. Then, at five in the evening, after enjoying another light meal, they boarded their team bus and headed to the Jassim bin Hamad Stadium, ready to face off against Napoli in that year's Supercoppa Italiana final.

--

Monday, December 22, 2014.

Jassim bin Hamad Stadium, Doha, Qatar.

Time: 6:29 PM

The weather was just perfect, not so cold and not so hot. The stadium's floodlights had already been switched on, and they bathed the pitch in a luminous glow. Players of both Napoli and Juventus had already taken their positions, and they were only waiting for the referee to blow the whistle so they could commence the game.

A sudden silence descended upon the stadium as the fans stopped singing the chants for their respective teams. The supporters in the stands only waited quietly as the referee glanced about him and raised the whistle to his lips.

FWEEEEEEE*

Paolo Valeri, the referee for the day, finally blew the whistle, and the stadium came alive once again. The supporters resumed singing as Gonzalo Higuaín, Napoli's center forward, kicked the ball back into his midfield to kickstart the game. At long last, the 2014 Supercoppa battle between Juventus and Napoli had commenced.

In the middle of the pitch, Marek Hamsik, Napoli's attacking midfielder, effortlessly controlled the ball from Gonzalo Higuaín. He turned and whirled before kicking the ball toward his left, hoping to find Jonathan de Guzmán, Napoli's left winger. The latter received it and tried to play a forward pass to Gonzalo Higuaín, the striker who was already strategically positioned in Juventus' half.

However, the ball from Jonathan de Guzmán was not accurate enough. It was easily intercepted by a highly agile Arturo Vidal, who slid in wholesale and poked it to Kwadwo Asamoah, Juventus' attacking wingback on the left.

"Ball!" Zachary shouted as Kwadwo Asamoah controlled the ball.

Kwadwo Asamoah didn't panic on hearing Zachary's shout. He effortlessly stepped forward to meet the ball before passing it to Zachary.

Zachary's ball control was as brilliant as ever. With light but quick movements, he connected with the pass from Kwadwo Asamoah as his eyes surveyed the situation all over the pitch. Just then, he realized that he could observe and scrutinize the movements of all his teammates much more clearly than before. He naturally spotted Carlos Tevez, the striker who had long initiated a daring run toward the other side of the pitch.

The Argentine striker was already bolting past bodies and bodies of Napoli players while swerving left and right. His speed was impressive, and the striker would rush past Napoli's defensive line within the next five seconds.

The gears and wheels in Zachary's enhanced football brain whirled and turned before falling into place. In a split second, he realized he had to release the ball into the space behind Napoli's defense within less than four seconds or else risk Carlos Tevez running into an offside position and missing out on an opportunity.

The first second, Zachary shoved the ball forward with the tip of his boot to prepare for what was to come.

The next second, he stepped forward with momentum before drawing his leg all the way back like a taut bowstring. He also didn't forget to align his body at the perfect angle so as to make a flawless release. Everything was completed almost instantaneously.

Finally, the third second arrived as he swung his leg down and smashed the ball towards the other side of the field. He utilized the toe area of the inside of his boot to unleash a lofted ball toward the space behind Napoli's backline. Moreover, he had timed the pass faultlessly and only hit the ball during the second before Carlos Tevez could run into an offside position. In essence, he had sent forth the perfect defense-splitting pass to Carlos Tevez.

--

At the other end of the field, Carlos Tevez's eyes glinted with excitement as he noticed the ball flying toward him. He accelerated and raced past the two Napoli defenders trying to box him in before slowing down and chesting the descending ball forward.

The next second, the adrenaline pumping through his system pushed his speed to the max before the Napoli defenders could recover. He chased after the ball like mad and got to it in only a few seconds.

With the simplest of touches, he extended his boot and looped the ball over the approaching keeper. Then, he swerved right and circumvented the goalkeeper before collecting the ball again and hammering it into the back of the empty net. He had scored Juventus' first goal during the 1st minute of the Supercoppa Italiana.

"GOAAAAL..."

Carlos Tevez couldn't contain his excitement as the cheers around the stadium hit a thunderous crescendo. A bright smile outlined his often-intense features, and he ran all the way back to Zachary's position to give him a bear hug.

"Zachary!" He said with a chuckle. "That was the dream pass for any striker. You timed it so well. Thank you."

"There's no need for thanks. It's what I should do." Zachary's smile was brighter than usual as he hugged his teammate back.

The rest of the Juventus players soon joined the celebrations as the cheering from the stands continued resounding around the stadium. The players took turns hugging each other before exchanging encouraging words to reinforce their determination to win the Supercoppa Italiana. Their team spirit was overflowing since they had scored their 1st goal during the second minute of gameplay. They had obviously set themselves in the perfect position to win the fixture.

--

Two men in black suits sat in the commentator's booth close to the top of the Jassim bin Hamad Stadium. One was Fabio Crudeli, a middle-aged man with a lean physique, while the other was Tiziano Caressa, an aged man with streaks of white in his hair. They were the two Italian sports journalists chosen to provide commentary for that year's Supercoppa Italiana.

The two men had ample experience and would never lack words for any situation on the field of play. They were like walking football dictionaries, and they would always effortlessly find perfect descriptions for any scenario happening during the game. They were true poets, and anyone listening to their commentary could vividly visualize the exact plays on the pitch even while not watching a game. If there were awards for commentators, maybe they would come in the second and third-best positions, with only Peter Drury, the British sports commentator, coming up ahead of them.

However, just two minutes into the Supercoppa Italiana, the two commentators were already faced with a situation that caused them to be at a loss for words. The light streaming into the commentary booth illuminated their stunned faces, and for a moment, they couldn't find the exact verbal portrayal of what they had just witnessed. They couldn't understand how Zachary had managed to pick out Carlos Tevez from a crowd of Napoli defenders and provide the defense-splitting pass that resulted in Juventus' first goal for the night.

"Well..." Tiziano Caressa, the aged man, sighed and took a deep breath as the cheers around the stadium started dying down. "That was unexpected. Don't you think so, Fabio?"

"Of course," Fabio Crudeli, the middle-aged commentator, replied. "It just took Juventus about 70 seconds to score their first goal of this Supercoppa. But even more surprising was the way they scored the goal. I have to say that it was the true definition of magic coming alive on the football field. Zachary Bemba received the ball deep in his half, and we all expected him to pass the ball to another midfielder or defender to maintain possession. But the young Maestro did what none of us, including the Napoli players, had expected. He went for the spectacular and took out the entire Napoli team with a single brilliant ball. His pin-point defense-splitting pass took the opponents out of the equation, and he managed to set up Carlos Tevez for the goal. In my book, this is one of those incidences where the assist is more breathtaking than the goal itself."

Tiziano Caressa, the other commentator, chuckled. "Zachary Bemba has just shown us what he can do even in the absence of Andrea Pirlo and Claudio Marchisio, the other two key players in Juventus' midfield. His awareness of the spaces around him, game reading, and ability to assess risks during crucial moments should be really exceptional. That was why he effortlessly spotted Carlos Tevez's run in a split second before providing the perfect pass to set up the goal."

--

On the field of play, the game was yet to restart due to Juventus' lengthy celebrations. The coaches hurriedly summoned Zachary to the sidelines and gave him a few instructions.

"Listen, Zachary," Maurizio Trombetta, the assistant coach in charge of the first team, said. "We don't need to force anything since we have already scored the 1st goal. So, over the next few minutes, let's settle down and play possession football. Let's pass the ball around slowly and confidently as we build up play and look for opportunities. Let's stay in control, and let's not create any chaotic situations on the pitch which might benefit Napoli. Understood?"

"Yes, coach," Zachary said, taking a quick glance at the pitch. The referee was about to restart the match. So, Zachary quickly stepped into the opponent's half to stop the referee from following through with the intended action.

"For us to play possession football," Coach Trombetta continued, "You'll have to drop deeper into the midfield when necessary. Try to open up the spaces in the middle of the pack by forming triangles with the rest of your teammates. You can occasionally play a through-ball to the strikers when you see fit. But please, don't try to force anything, as that will pointlessly give away our possession. Understood?"

"Yes, coach. I understand."

"Good," Coach Trombetta replied. "You can head back to the pitch."

Zachary nodded and quickly ran to his position. The referee glared at him, probably as a form of warning against his time-wasting behavior that delayed the restart. But he just apologized, and the referee let him be. He then took a deep breath and focused his senses in preparation for the action that was about to commence.

FWEEEEEEE*

The referee finally blew the whistle after a few more seconds. The cheers resounded around the stadium, and Gonzalo Higuaín, Napoli's center forward, kicked off the game for the second time that evening. He kicked the ball and passed it 'further' back into his half to find Kalidou Koulibaly, one of Napoli's center-backs. It seemed that the striker had learned his lesson, and he was afraid of gifting possession to Juventus by passing the ball to his unreliable midfield.

In the backline, Kalidou Koulibaly controlled the ball effortlessly. The defender then flicked it to Raúl Albiol, the other center-back, who, in turn, passed it to Faouzi Ghoulam, the left-back.

Most likely, the Napoli players were trying to rebuild their confidence by playing short but sure passes at the back. So, their defenders continued passing the ball among their ranks without showing any intent to move it forward. It was as if they were provoking Juventus to come and get the ball — or else, they would continue playing pointless possession in their backline.

"High press... Go after the ball. Don't let them get comfortable and play." A loud shout reverberated from the touchline a few seconds later. It was from Max Allegri, the head coach of Juventus, and he was waving his arm animatedly to signal his players to high press the Napoli backline.

On hearing Coach Max Allegri's instructions, all the Juventus players went into action. They pushed forward like a pack of wolves with the intent to close down the spaces and freeze Napoli's passing game.

The two Juventus strikers and wing-backs went even a step further to man-mark the four Napoli defenders. They ran at the four Napoli players like a pack of wolves on the hunt, eventually forcing Kalidou Koulibaly to play the ball high and long. They had thus achieved their objective and frozen Napoli's pointless passing game at the back. What remained was for them to execute the next step of their game plan.

"Pa..."

The long ball from Kalidou Koulibaly was brought under control with an outstretched boot in the other half of the field, close to the border of Juventus' defensive third. The player in action was Leonardo Bonucci, one of Juventus' defenders. With fluid motions, he pocked the ball forward with the tip of his boot. Then, before any of the opponents could close him down, he passed it to Arturo Vidal, one of Juventus' defensive midfielders, to kick-start a period of dominant possession for Juventus.

"Pa... Pa, Pa..."

The passes started flowing like water over the pitch as the Juventus players moved the ball around. They arrayed themselves in their customary 3-5-2 formation and played beautiful possession football that wowed critics and fans alike. They froze out Napoli, and by the 15th minute, they had already amassed an incredible ball possession statistic of 74%, while Napoli only had 26% of the ball.

Zachary, in particular, was especially impressive within the midfield. He followed the coach's instructions and didn't force anything. He didn't even try to execute risky dribbles but just adhered to the basics of passing and receiving the ball.

You give me the ball, and I pass it to another or return it to you. That was his policy throughout the opening fifteen minutes of gameplay.

Even at the most crucial moments, he would utilize the spaces well by relying on his enhanced game intelligence, graded at SS by the system. The opponents couldn't seem to find his trails on the pitch, as he was always floating around the opposing players' blind spots while occasionally moving into gaps. Moreover, by finding the most strategic positions in the middle of the pack, he often provided the best outlet for the ball, thus allowing Juventus to continue dominating possession. His midfield play was simply too spectacular, and even the commentators were not shy with their praises when talking about him.

"It's Zachary on the ball," Fabio Crudeli, the middle-aged commentator, said, his voice rising up a notch. "He turns and twists and passes it to Arturo Vidal, his counterpart in midfield. Arturo passes to Simone Padoin, who in turn passes back to Zachary. Oh! Juventus' midfield play is simply incredible. Their midfielders, especially Zachary and Vidal, are in top shape today. They look confident on the ball, and there's nothing the Napoli players could do to stop them."

"Yes, this is Juventus at its best," Tiziano Caressa, the other commentator, supplemented. "Before the game, I thought they would suffer in the absence of Claudio Marchisio and Andrea Pirlo, the two sidelined by injuries. But I couldn't have been more wrong. Zachary has stepped up his game to fill the shoes of the two missing experienced players. He's playing in a more intelligent fashion and helping his teammates to dominate the game. The Napoli players can't do a thing to stop him, and he has already conquered the midfield..."

"Oh, my! What do we have here?" Fabio Crudeli suddenly interrupted, his voice going up a notch. The commentator seemed excited as if something interesting had just transpired on the field of play.

"Zachary Bemba is finally willing to take a risk in this game," Fabio Crudeli continued as the cheers resounded. "He sidesteps, dribbles past David López, and accelerates into space. He looks up once and sends a diagonal ball to the right wing. Oh my, goodness me! He has just picked out Stephan Lichtsteiner, Juventus' wing-back, on the right flank. What an excellent through-ball! The attack is on, and the Juventus players are flying forward..."

Report chapter Comments

On the pitch, the highly agile Stephan Lichtsteiner was already cutting through the right flank like a high-speed Swizz express train. He fed the ball past Christian Maggio, Napoli's left-back, and beat the man for pace. Then, with the most pin-point of passes, he picked out Fernando Llorente, the Juventus striker, who happened to have just run into an unmarked pocket of space between the two Napoli center-backs.

"Pa..."

Fernando Llorente controlled the ball mid-stride without slowing down. He quickly accelerated toward Napoli's box, hoping to leave the opposing center-backs in the dust. However, his speed was not impressive enough, and only a few seconds later, Kalidou Koulibaly, the no-nonsense defender, caught up to him and tried to tackle the ball from him.

Fortunately for Juventus, Fernando Llorente was a very talented and experienced striker. Even though he wasn't that fast on his legs, he still utilized his body to protect the ball and lured a foul from Kalidou Koulibaly. Moreover, the striker managed to draw the reckless tackle in a position only some twenty-seven or so yards from Napoli's goal.

FWEEEEEEE*

The referee blew the whistle immediately and awarded Juventus a free kick. He also fished out a yellow card from his pocket and showed it to Kalidou Koulibaly, the defender who had committed the foul.

"Zachary! Zachary..."

"Zachary..."

The Juventus fans behind Napoli's goal started chanting Zachary's name at the top of their voices. Of course, they hadn't forgotten that Zachary was one of the most clinical free kick takers in the entire world. As such, they were excited by the prospect of witnessing more magic from him as he converted yet another free kick.

"I will take the free-kick," Zachary declared as he quickly picked up the ball from the ground. Of course, none of his teammates, including Carlos Tevez, Arturo Vidal, and Stephan Lichtsteiner, tried to contest him for the ball. They all knew he was a better free-kick taker than them and thus left him to do what he usually did best.

"Phew..."

Inhaling deeply, Zachary strode forward and placed the ball on the spot marked by the referee. He then stepped back to observe the situation ahead of the box but not before activating the Dead-Ball Specialist Juju. As usual, he wished to utilize the skill to increase his analytical abilities, which would, in turn, raise the probability of him converting the set piece successfully.

"DING"

Suddenly, a system notification resounded within Zachary's mind, causing him to furrow his brows. He was against interacting with the system during a game, as he didn't wish to draw unnecessary attention to himself. But he still maintained a poker face and listened to the system AI's following words.

"The system has detected that the user's game intelligence has already achieved the SS grading," the AI said. "The user has met all the conditions to master the Dead-Ball Specialist Juju completely. As such, from this moment forward, the user will not need to utilize Juju points to activate the skill."

Zachary's eyes lit up ever so slightly as he tried to contain his happiness. "Will the skill still help me to enter a state of extreme focus before I take a set piece? Will the skill also boost my spatial awareness and risk analysis core attributes while I am preparing to take a set piece?" He communicated with the system AI telepathically.

"Yes, to all questions," the system AI answered. "The Dead-Ball Specialist Juju has become a true-blue passive skill due to your high game intelligence and growing experience of converting free kicks. As long as you are about to take a set piece, your 'spatial awareness' and 'risk analysis' core attributes will rise to the next grade. They will ascend to the SSS grade before you take the set piece, thus increasing your conversion chances. Moreover, that will be at no cost of Juju points."

"Wonderful!"

Zachary's heartbeat quickened as he finished his telepathic conversation with the system AI. Taking a deep breath, he calmed his bubbly emotions down and started observing the situation before Napoli's box.

The referee was in the midst of arranging the wall roughly ten yards away from the free-kick spot. It was a five-player wall, with all the Napoli men positioned in the 'most strategic way' to block all shooting angles to the goal. Additionally, a player was lying behind the wall, probably to guard against a potential carpet shot from Zachary.

But that was not all. Zachary also noticed that the opponents were playing a high defensive line to create an offside trap for all those Juventus players who wished to rush into the box and connect with the set-piece ball. The Napoli men were obviously going all out to prevent Juventus from scoring another goal through a set piece.

Zachary's eyes took in all the placement of the players ahead as his enhanced game intelligence processed the information. The gears in his mind turned before quickly falling into place. He smiled and reminded himself that all Napoli's preparations didn't mean a thing if he made the perfect execution. As long as he found the ideal spot between the goalposts, the keeper and the defenders wouldn't be able to do a thing to stop the ball from finding its way into the back of the net.

FWEEEEEEE*

It didn't take long for Paolo Valeri, the referee, to organize the wall and the players before Napoli's box. After a few seconds, he blew the whistle and motioned for Zachary to take the set piece.

Zachary had already prepared for the moment. He didn't waste a second before making an angled run toward the ball and swinging his leg at it. He used the inner toe area of his boot to wrap around the ball with the intention of unleashing a curling shot toward the goal.

"BAM!"

The sound of the boot meeting synthetic leather reverberated in his ears, and the ball soared from the ground before flying over the wall. At first, it was as if it was heading over the crossbar. However, a few seconds later, it dipped abnormally before descending and bouncing right in front of the Napoli keeper, who happened to have already committed himself to a full-body dive. The ball then bounced again and nestled into the back of the net, causing thunderous cheers to rise from the stands behind Napoli's goal.

--

Juventus FC 2 : SSC Napoli 0

--

"Oh goodness me!" Fabio Crudeli, the middle-aged commentator, yelled at the top of his voice as Zachary raised his arms to celebrate. "What a sensational goal! What a beauty! Zachary has just converted a free-kick from 27 yards away to score Juventus' second goal during the 18th minute of gameplay. This young man is flying, and no one can stop him when he stands before a free-kick. We might be witnessing the rise of the greatest free-kick taker in history."

"His technique is always a marvel to look at," Tiziano Caressa, the other commentator, chipped in. "He is always spot on with his execution when he stands before a set piece. I don't understand how he does it! His ability is scary."

"Well..." Fabio Crudeli chuckled. "If you're playing against Zachary, better not concede a free kick in the areas close to your goal. A free kick within the final third is like a penalty kick in his case. I can't even remember a time when he failed to convert a set piece in such areas."

--

On the sidelines, Rafael Benítez, the head coach of Napoli, was in a sour mood. He couldn't make sense of what was going on with his players. He had instructed them not to draw fouls in the final third, but they hadn't listened. They had conceded a free-kick less than thirty yards away from the goal and gifted Zachary the perfect chance to extend Juventus' lead to two goals. Coach Benítez couldn't contain his frustration.

Moreover, he had long noticed that his players were not working hard enough. Their concentration levels were also a bit off, and they committed many errors during the opening twenty minutes of the game. In particular, the midfielders were doing a poor job marking Zachary and Arturo Vidal, thus allowing Juventus to conquer the midfield. They were just like amateurs who could handle the pressure of the Supercoppa Italiana final.

"This can't go on," Rafael Benítez thought after watching for a few more minutes. He turned his gaze to the bench, and his eyes fell on two players.

"Dries Mertens and Jorginho!" He said after a few seconds of contemplation. "Start warming up. I want you on the pitch in less than six minutes."

"Yes, coach!" The two players replied and changed into their warm-up gear. Then, after chugging down some water, the two players quickly jogged away from the technical area and initiated their warm-up routine.

Rafael Benítez returned his focus to the field of play, feeling dejected. It was already the 32nd minute of gameplay. Marek Hamsik, the man who was Napoli's captain and attacking midfielder, had just committed another error. He had fumbled the ball close to the center circle and misplaced yet another pass, thus gifting free possession to Juventus.

Arturo Vidal, the Juventus midfielder, who happened to be close by, quickly pounced on the ball and intercepted it. Vidal then played it to Zachary, who speared into Napoli's half like an arrow just let loose from a bowstring.

Coach Rafael Benítez suppressed a shudder as he watched Zachary quickly bearing down on Napoli's goal. Benítez couldn't stop his heartbeat from quickening as Zachary skipped past David López, one of Napoli's holding midfielders, with a simple change of pace. Then, before the helpless Napoli coach could yell out instructions to his players, Zachary dug his boot under the ball and looped it over the defense to set up Fernando Llorente, one of the two Juventus strikers.

The attack was on. Fernando Llorente timed his run well and rushed into the space between the two Napoli center-backs. His long strides pumped like the pistons of a race car, and he effortlessly connected with the overhead ball from Zachary right after beating the offside trap.

What followed depended on Fernando Llorente himself, and the Spanish striker didn't disappoint. He didn't even try to control the ball but just extended his boot and guided the ball goalward. His execution was spot on, and he skillfully looped the ball over the keeper, who had unfortunately come out to greet him. He effortlessly found the back of the net and scored Juventus' third goal for the night during the 33rd minute.

--

Juventus FC 3 : SSC Napoli 0

--

"Damn!"

Coach Rafael Benítez felt like punching someone when he saw the ball homing into the back of the net. He was just about to make two substitutions so as to rectify Napoli's precarious situation on the field of play. But his players couldn't hold on for even a few minutes, and they gifted Juventus the 3rd goal during the 33rd minute of gameplay. It was simply frustrating.

Coach Benítez's even felt that the game was a done deal, and he couldn't visualize how his team would recover from a three-goal deficit. He was even having second thoughts about making the two substitutions as thoughts of giving up took root in his mind. That was what three goals within the opening thirty-two minutes could do to you. They could make you doubt yourself, and there wasn't a thing you would be able to do but take a more severe beating from the opponents. Football was that merciless to those who gave up early in the game.

"No, I can't give up," Coach Benítez resolved. "We must do our best until the very end. At least, let's begin with a small goal of winning the second half."

As an experienced coach, Rafael Benítez quickly discarded the thoughts of surrender. If he couldn't win the entire Supercoppa, he would at least try to win only the second half. His pride wouldn't allow him to merely sit back and take a merciless thrashing from Juventus, no matter how good a team they were.

Report chapter Comments

Coach Rafael Benítez finally introduced Dries Mertens and Jorginho into the game during the 38th minute. The two players came on for Marek Hamsik and Jonathan de Guzmán and quickly helped stabilize Napoli's situation on the field of play. But aside from that, they achieved nothing else due to the tenacity shown by the Juventus players on the field.

The Juventus players, on their part, didn't step on the brakes even after gaining the three-goal advantage. They continued playing beautiful possession football while doing everything possible to deny Napoli any chances of creating goal-scoring opportunities. They were like a well-oiled machine, and they utilized teamwork and individual brilliance to maintain their three-goal advantage until the half-time break.

The second half of the game commenced after the fifteen-minute break. The Napoli players seemed to have woken up and applied pressure on Juventus during the opening minutes of gameplay. They launched several counterattacks against Juventus and came close to scoring twice during the 49th and 57th minutes, respectively. However, their efforts were rendered fruitless by the unwavering spirit of Juventus' defenders, and the score remained 3:0 in favor of the Old Lady throughout the second half's opening minutes.

As the game continued, the Juventus players eventually rectified the situation and regained dominance on the pitch. They exuded confidence on the ball and effortlessly outplayed Napoli for about a dozen minutes. Moreover, their possession of football also froze out the opponents, thus depriving them of the ability to create opportunities that could result in goals. Evidently, Juventus was in the driving seat, and they were managing the game well.

However, the excitement wasn't over, as the situation changed again during the 74th minute. That was because the Napoli players got a chance to counterattack after a failed wave of attack by Juventus.

It all started with Rafael Cabral, the Napoli keeper, making a save. The Napoli shot stopper executed a stunning dive and seized a powerful shot from Carlos Tevez out of the air. Then, before anyone could react, the keeper picked himself from the ground before running toward the edge of the box and making a one-handed throw to the left flank. His throwing technique was flawless, and he set up Dries Mertens, the substitute winger, for a counterattack.

Dries Mertens, on his part, was quick to advance the counterattack. He raced along the touchline like a whirlwind before skipping past Leonardo Bonucci, one of the only two remaining Juventus defenders between him and the goal. Dries Mertens then accelerated and cut into the pitch before squaring the ball to the middle to set up a perfect one-versus-one situation between Gonzalo Higuaín and Gianluigi Buffon, the Juventus keeper.

Cheers mixed with gasps of desperation arose from the stands as Gonzalo Higuaín, the highly clinical Napoli striker, controlled the ball right at the edge of the eighteen-yard box. The Argentine stepped forward confidently before squaring his body and kicking the ball with his instep. He was, of course, trying to score by surprising a keeper with a powerful drive toward the inside of the far post.

However, the Napoli man's decision couldn't have been more wrong.

Just as Gonzalo Higuaín's boot connected with the ball, Gianluigi Buffon, the highly experienced Juventus keeper, reacted instantaneously and put his body on the line. Buffon made himself big and lounged forward to throw his entire frame at the ball. His daring gamble paid off, and he blocked the ball with his knee and sent it toward the right side of the pitch.

"Clear the ball... Be fast..." An anxious roar came from the sidelines. It was from Max Allegri, and he was again doing his best to urge his players to solve the precarious defensive situation quickly. It seemed he was aiming for a clean sheet, and he didn't wish to see his team concede even a single goal against Napoli.

The Juventus defenders obviously didn't need any reminders and quickly solved the danger. Giorgio Chiellini pounced toward the descending ball and hammered it high and far toward the other side of the pitch before the opponents could close him down.

"Whoosh..."

The cleared ball from Giorgio Chiellini traveled high into the air, like a surface-to-surface missile heading to the other side of the pitch. A few seconds later, the earth's gravitational force acted on it, forcing it to descend towards the right flank.

"Pa..."

The sound of the ball meeting rock-hard chest muscles sounded ever so slightly. It was Zachary in action, and he had effortlessly leaped off the ground to bring the descending ball under control with his chest.

"Pa..."

The sound of a boot meeting synthetic fiber soon followed as Zachary looped the ball over an approaching Napoli player. Then, with the most spartan of touches, he again flicked the ball over another Napoli player, who tried to rob him from the side.

But Zachary didn't just stop at that and only finalized his display of skill after executing an elastico dribble to escape from an encirclement of three. He then accelerated to his top speed and initiated a daring sprint toward Napoli's box like a raging Tsunami.

"Zachary! Zachary..."

The Juventus fans in the stands began yelling Zachary's name as he cut across the field at breakneck speed. But he stayed calm and didn't let the noise affect his decision-making. He soon approached the box and unleashed a through-pass toward Carlos Tevez, who had just dashed into an unmarked pocket of space at the edge of the box.

Carlos Tevez, on his part, was not selfish with the ball. He didn't even spend time controlling it but just played it along into the path of Zachary, who was still sprinting toward Napoli's goal like a rocket.

One-Two! Through-Pass!

The lightning-fast exchange of passes between the two players was all it took to break through Napoli's defense again. Zachary circumvented Raúl Albiol, Napoli's center-back, before stepping into the box and connecting with the return ball from Carlos Tevez. He then curled the ball over the approaching goalkeeper and found the back of the net to score Juventus' 4th goal during the 76th minute.

--

Juventus 4 : SSC Napoli 0

--

"GOAAAL..."

Coach Max Allegri yelled like a madman when Zachary found the back of the net. His heart leaped for joy, and the curses from Rafael Benítez within Napoli's technical area sounded like music to his ears. The fact that he was only minutes away from winning yet another Supercoppa Italiana cheered his soul, making him feel like he was walking on clouds. He punched the air again and roared like a beast as his players celebrated the fourth goal.

"Damn!" Coach Max Allegri said after a few seconds. He wasn't cursing out of frustration but out of happiness. "Zachary has done it again. I don't know what happened to the boy over the past few days, but he looks sharper on the field of play. His decisions have been spot-on during the game, and I can't find any fault with his play. It's as if he matured in a short span of less than a week."

"Maybe, it's because of winning the Golden Boy award," Maurizio Trombetta, the assistant coach, replied uncertainly. "He might be that type of player who gains more confidence and maturity after winning major awards."

"Maybe, maybe not," Coach Max Allegri said. "Let's focus on the important stuff first. This game is already in the bag. We need to rest our key players. We must preserve them for the January games."

"Excellent plan, boss," Coach Trombetta agreed. "Who are we taking out?"

"Zachary, Tevez, and Arturo Vidal," Coach Max Allegri replied with a smile. "I'll replace them with Martín Cáceres, Federico Mattiello, and Roberto Pereyra. Those three should be able to help us weather the final minutes of the game without taking any damage."

"Good," Coach Trombetta said. "I'll go and tell them to warm up. They should be ready to join the proceeding in five minutes max."

--

The game restarted after the goal celebrations. Juventus still didn't let up the pressure and immediately robbed the ball from Napoli with high-pressing tactics. Then, from there on, they started moving the ball around the field meticulously to outplay Napoli.

Zachary was especially in Black Mamba mode. He continued playing like a Maestro in the middle of the pitch while searching for an opportunity to initiate another attack against Napoli.

Of course, he hadn't forgotten the milestones for the system's Supercoppa Italiana mission. He still yearned for a hattrick that would allow him to win one of the shards required to master Ronaldinho's Step-Over and Feint Kingly Magic.

However, Zachary soon conceded that he could not realize his wish since Coach Max Allegri substituted him out of the game during the 81st minute. But again, he was not angry as he understood the coach's intentions, especially after noticing that Carlos Tevez and Arturo Vidal had also moved out of the pitch. Obviously, Allegri wanted to rest his players, and thus, Zachary had no right to question the man's decisions.

The Juventus players remaining on the field didn't rest on their laurels after the substitutions. They continued playing with tenacity and matching run-for-run against the opponents. They played compact and solid defensive football during the final moments and eventually won the game with a score of 4:0 after five minutes of injury time. They had finally emerged victorious from the Supercoppa Italiana battle and won their first silverware for the 2014/15 Italian football calendar.

--

A day later, in the evening.

The clock hands had just pointed to the seven o'clock mark when Zachary arrived at the Ritz-Carlton, Doha, hotel's restaurant to attend Juventus' post-Supercoppa Italiana dinner.

The multitude of glowing lights within the hall shone upon him, illuminating his well-ironed black Armani suit and polished shoes. With a smile etched on his face, he stepped further into the hall, hoping to join his teammates, who had arrived earlier. In the meantime, he also didn't forget to continue observing his surroundings as he moved further into the hall.

The restaurant was painted in radiant colors of brown and gold that matched the immaculately arranged and stylish furniture. The long table close to the balcony overlooking the sea was especially eye-catching. Zachary naturally couldn't miss the several waiters and waitresses dressed in chic black and white uniforms that were busy placing dishes on it.

There were already mouth-watering premium sushi, sashimi, and ceviche served alongside fresh fish, meat, and various vegetable soups on the table. There were also several foreign dishes Zachary had never seen, supplemented with colorful vegetable salads to complete the setup.

Zachary noted that a few of his teammates had gathered around the table. They were in the midst of selecting the dishes they wanted while the servers poured wine and soft drinks for them.

"Zachary! You are here!"

A familiar voice sounded from behind him. Turning around to look, Zachary noticed that Maurizio Trombetta, the assistant coach, had, at some point, arrived behind him. The man seemed to have gone all out to dress for the party. His black suit, white shirt, bowtie, and shining black shoes all outlined his elegance, making him look like a filthy-rich aristocrat.

"Coach!" Zachary exclaimed. "You are smart today."

"Thanks," Coach Trombetta said with a smile. "Your get-up is also not bad. I'm guessing you'll be able to wow all the pretty ladies attending the party. How envious!"

Zachary chuckled but chose not to comment. "Coach! I sent in a vacation request to you and the head coach yesterday. I wish to stay in Doha until the football calendar resumes in January."

"I discussed your request with the boss today morning," Coach Trombetta said. "We have no problem with your staying in Doha for the Christmas break. But please endeavor to return to Turin before 3rd January. We will be commencing our preparation for our Serie A game against Inter Milan then."

"I will do that. Thanks for your consideration, coach."

Coach Trombetta smiled and patted Zachary's shoulder. "We're here to enjoy and relax but not to talk about plans and whatnot. Let's pick up some food and join the rest."

"Okay."

Zachary walked with Coach Trombetta to the long table at the other end of the hall. He exchanged small talk with his teammates while picking up food before settling on a table at a far corner. He then busied himself with savoring his meal while occasionally conversing with teammates and coaches who would stop by his table. Zachary was having a good time relaxing after winning the Supercoppa Italiana.

Zachary's eyes would, from time to time, land on the glittering trophy on the high table in the middle of the room. Then, moments from the previous night would flood his mind, and he would vividly recall scoring two goals and providing two assists during the game before lifting the Supercoppa trophy with his teammates. It was a night to remember, especially since the prize was his first silverware with Juventus.

Additionally, Zachary was overflowing with joy, especially after he had completed yet another system mission by winning the Supercoppa. His being the Supercoppa man of the match was an indisputable fact. As such, he had naturally realized two mission objectives that allowed him to win an S-grade Agility Enhancement Elixir and some Juju points. He was obviously taking steady steps to elevate his skills.

The dinner continued, and a few minutes later, a familiar and elegant woman wearing a glamorous maroon dress approached Zachary's table. She had blue eyes, smooth skin, and long wavy dark brown hair that cascaded down her shoulders. She was Emily Anderson, his agent, and she was Zachary's plus-one at Juventus' dinner party. They should have arrived together at the venue, but a few issues had delayed her.

Emily smiled as she settled down opposite Zachary. "Sorry, I'm late," she said while positioning her plate of food before her. "It has been long. How are you doing?"

"I'm doing fine." Zachary grinned. "What about you?"

"I'm also okay," she replied while forking a piece of meat from her plate. "But I'm quite busy these days."

"Oh!" Zachary took a moment to glance at her as she swallowed down her food. "I thought you arrived in Doha yesterday night! What delayed you?"

"Well..." Emily said a bit hesitantly. "I was actually meeting up with the Nike representatives. They were also here in Doha for the game, and due to your performance, they are growing more interested in offering you a juicier long-term deal. But we haven't reached any agreement yet."

"Oh, okay," Zachary said but didn't ask for details. Emily was a skilled and reliable agent. Zachary trusted her to handle all negotiations on his behalf. He didn't need to micro-manage her.

"So, Zachary!" Emily glanced up from her plate. "What are your plans for January? There's the African Cup of Nations coming up. Aren't you going to represent your country?"

"Nope," Zachary said, lowering his voice. "I'm not going to participate in the AFCON. I'm in the process of switching my citizenship to Ivory Coast, another African country."

"For real!" Emily's eyes widened. "Are you going to represent another country but not your home country?"

"Please lower your voice," Zachary said, his heart skipping a beat for some reason. "I don't wish for others to know yet."

"Okay," Emily conceded, "But why is it my first-time hearing this?"

"Well... I decided on this only a few months ago and immediately started the process. I had always meant to talk to you about it, but different things would always come up, and I would often forget about the issue. Sorry!"

"Zachary..." Emily sighed, seemingly deflated. "This is irresponsible behavior. I'm your agent. So, why not talk to me about the decisions that concern your football career? There are a lot of benefits that you could have gotten before switching citizenship. But since you've already initiated the process, there's nothing much I can do to get you those benefits."

"Sorry..." Zachary said with a smile. "But I really don't mind missing out on the benefits. My only goal is to get opportunities to compete in international competitions. Monetary benefits are just a plus."

"If you say so." Emily sighed again. She glanced around the hall, and her eyes naturally floated to the glittering trophy on the table in the middle of the room. She smiled and said to Zachary, "Congratulations upon winning your first silverware with Juventus, by the way. I watched the game, and I was really impressed by the way you handled yourself. Keep up the good work."

"Thanks..."

As the two of them conversed, the dinner party finally moved on to the stage of speeches. Fabio Paratici, the sporting director, was the first to address the gathering. He thanked all the players and coaches for their impressive work ethic and congratulated them upon winning the Supercoppa. He then concluded with a few encouraging words before handing over the floor to Max Allegri, the Juventus head coach.

Max Allegri, on his part, didn't say much. He only congratulated the players and commended their efforts during the Supercoppa before telling them to enjoy themselves. He then stepped off the stage and allowed the party to move on to the socializing phase of the night.

Zachary was not interested in the social events, which included dancing and making pointless small talk with people who were already tipsy after taking more than a few glasses of wine. He said his goodbyes to his coaches and parted with Emily in the hotel lobby. Then, a few minutes later, he returned to his room and washed up before jumping into bed.

It was then he recalled the Supercoppa Italiana system mission. He had completed it the previous night but decided against utilizing his rewards since he was already as tired as a dog after playing more than eighty minutes of intensive football.

But now, since he was already well-rested, it was a different story. He started to seriously consider the option of using the S-grade agility-enhancing elixir as soon as possible. However, he had to ascertain first whether the elixir's effects would negatively affect his skills and hinder him from performing at his best after the football season restarted in January.

"System," he called out. "Bring up the mission completion details for the 2014 Supercoppa Italiana Challenge."

"DING"

"Command received," the AI said, and the space before Zachary shimmered as a translucent crystal-like display appeared. It was the system interface, and inscribed on it were the mission completion details.

#5 new messages

--

CONGRATULATIONS

-You have completed the system mission (2014 Supercoppa Italiana Challenge).

--

-Mission Summary

Objective 1: Become the leading playmaker for the 2014 Supercoppa Italiana final by providing the most assists during the game (Completed by providing two assists that resulted in goals; Rating S; Rewarded 5,000 Juju points).

Objective 2: Help Juventus win the 2014 Supercoppa Italiana final by scoring at least one goal during the game. (Completed by scoring two goals that helped Juventus defeat Napoli during the Supercoppa; Rating S; Rewarded 10,000 Juju points).

Objective 3: Become the Man of the Match for the 2014 Supercoppa Italiana final (Completed; Rating S; Rewarded S-grade Agility Enhancement Elixir).

Objective 4: Score a hat trick during the 2014 Supercoppa Italiana final (Not completed; Rating B; Rewarded 0 Juju points).

--

-Overall Mission Rating: S

--

-Mission Rewards

1) A total of 15,000 Juju-points

2) An S-grade Agility Enhancement Elixir

--

-Bonus Rewards

You have earned 5,000 Bonus Juju points.

--

A sense of contentment filled Zachary's heart. He contemplated for a moment before his eyes fell on the S-grade Agility enhancement elixir that could potentially elevate his agility and dribbling skills by an entire grade.

"System!" He called out in his mind. "Will there be any side effects if I consume the S-grade agility enhancement elixir? And two, will its effects hinder me from performing at my best come January when the football season restarts?"

"DING"

"There will be a few side effects as the S-grade elixir will push your agility to a new grade in only a short span of a few hours," the AI replied. "You won't be able to control your body well, and naturally, you'll find it hard to execute your skills fluidly over the next few days."

"How many days are we talking about exactly?" Zachary inquired.

"Ten days, give or take," the AI replied. "However. with your SS-grade game intelligence, you should be able to overcome the side effects of the elixir in roughly ten days. Of course, you'll have to go through a targeted training routine to achieve the desired result."

"Excellent!" Zachary couldn't contain his happiness. Juventus' next game would be against Inter Milan on Tuesday, 6th January 2015. That implied that he had a full thirteen days to undergo targeted training and overcome the side effects of the S-grade elixir. In essence, nothing was stopping him from consuming the S-grade agility enhancement elixir.

Report chapter Comments

The S-grade agility enhancement elixir looked like a small red berry with glittering lights enveloping it. Inhaling deeply, Zachary summoned it from the system inventory and swallowed it in a single gulp.

What followed was what he pretty much expected. A refreshing feeling spread from his stomach and washed over his entire body. Then, a tingling sensation spread across his spine and extended toward his mind. He swallowed hard as his muscles started to spasm, and before he could adapt, his eyes rolled backward, and everything turned dark. The elixir had caused him to black out again, and he fell back into his bed without any awareness of what was around him.

--

The following morning...

"This is ten percent luck, twenty percent skill... fifteen percent concentrated power of will. Five percent pleasure, fifty percent pain, and a hundred percent reason to remember the name..."

The familiar beat of Fort Minor's 'Remember the Name' hit single woke Zachary up the following morning. It was his ringtone, and on hearing it, his eyes opened, and he took in everything around him.

Suddenly, he felt the world he perceived had somehow changed, as everything seemed to be in slow motion. The swaying of the curtain in the morning breeze was a bit off, while the sounds picked up by his ears were more drawn out. For a few moments, he was in a bizarre state, and it seemed like he was watching his hotel room from another dimension. Then, just as he blinked, everything returned to normal, and the feeling disappeared, seemingly as if it had just been an illusion.

"The effects of the system's elixirs are growing more and more bizarre as they improve in grade."

Zachary pushed himself off the bed and focused his senses. The morning sunrays streamed through the shy gap between the curtains and illuminated his facial features. He smiled, feeling refreshed. Obviously, the S-grade agility enhancement elixir had done wonders and allowed him to perceive the world in a slightly different mode from before.

"Who could be calling at this time of the morning?"

Zachary had forgotten to put his phone in silent mode the previous night. It continued ringing and repeating the same chorus of Fort Minor's Remember the Name hit single to capture his attention.

Zachary groaned and picked up the phone from the table. After glancing at the screen, he smiled as the call was from Samson Damata, the coach from Lubumbashi, DRC.

"Hello, coach!" Zachary said after accepting the call.

"Hello, Zachary!" The coach replied in Kiswahili. "Let me start by congratulating you upon winning the Supercoppa and the Golden Boy award."

"Thanks, coach," Zachary responded.

"How are you doing these days?"

"I'm doing okay. Just pushing on to constantly improve my skills and become a better player. Aside from that, there's nothing else going on in my life."

"Great to hear that. Your grandma would be proud of you if she were still around. May her soul rest in peace."

"That's very kind. Thanks."

"Zachary!" Coach Damata's voice turned a bit solemn. "Did you decide to change your citizenship to another country? There's a rumor floating around that you'll be representing Ivory Coast during international football games. Is that true?"

Zachary's heartbeat quickened. He had only told Emily about switching his citizenship to Ivory Coast the previous night. She would obviously not leak the news to anyone as she was a reliable agent who prioritized his needs above everything else. So, how did Coach Damata, who was all the way in DR Congo, find out about the issue?

"Coach!" He said a bit hesitantly. "Where did you hear this rumor?"

"You didn't deny it," Coach Damata said, sighing. "The claim must be true. The rumor originated from the Twitter account of an upcoming Italian journalist named Fabrizio Romano. In his post, he claimed that you would not represent DR Congo but Ivory Coast in the near future. He also claimed that the information is totally reliable since he obtained it from a reliable source within CAF."

A light bulb went on in Zachary's head, and he finally knew who had leaked the information. Most likely, Ivory Coast had submitted the change of citizenship certification papers to Africa's football governing body, hoping to meet the requirements for him to participate in the AFCON as an Ivorian. However, the CAF officials had probably not kept the matter confidential and leaked it to Fabrizio Romano and a few other journalists. That should be how the information got out.

Zachary sighed and inhaled deeply. He didn't wish to lie to the coach, who had been a friend to his late grandma. He switched the phone to his other ear and said, "Coach! The information is true. I will not be representing DRC during internationals but Ivory Coast."

There were a few seconds of silence at the other end of the line before Coach Damata spoke again. "Why?" He asked. "You were born in DR Congo! Why change citizenship to another country?"

"Well..." Zachary inhaled deeply and informed the Coach about his desire for glory during international competitions like the World Cup. In as few words as possible, he ensured that the coach understood his reasons for joining the Ivory Coast side before ending his explanation.

Coach Damata, on his part, seemed utterly depressed after hearing Zachary's reasons for changing his citizenship. But as an elder, he still said encouraging words to Zachary and exchanged some more small talk with him. Then, after wishing him success in his international career, the coach said his goodbyes and ended the call.

"This is really not easy."

Zachary shook his head after ending the call. Talking to Coach Damata had filled him with a feeling of guilt. But again, as a player yearning for big things, he quickly pushed the negative thoughts to the back of his mind. He would not change his decision to play for Ivory Coast as that was the most likely way for him to gun for the World Cup while representing an African nation.

As for representing DR Congo, he would no longer think about that. His home country had a lot of challenges, including underfunding of the sports sector and corruption on the managerial level. All those problems prevented DRC's national team from achieving any football success on the international scene. So, Zachary was better off helping his country in other areas, like building schools and football academies, instead of playing football, which would most likely not achieve anything for them.

"System!" Zachary said, returning his focus to the important matters at hand. "Please bring up my physical fitness and soccer technique attributes."

"DING"

"Command received. User's fitness attributes coming up shortly."

A soft smile lit up Zachary's face as he pushed all the depressing stuff to the back of his mind. He blinked his eyes reflexively and focused on the information that had just appeared on the translucent crystal-like display before him.

--

USER STATS

--

-Physical Fitness (Av. Rating: S)

Balance and Coordination: S- (S)

Agility: SS

Strength: S

Stamina: S

Endurance Points: 17,500/18,000 (S)

--

-Soccer Technique: [Av. Rating: S]

Ball Control: S

Dribbling Skills: S- (base stat still to be determined)

Passing Accuracy: S

Body Control: A (S)

--

NB: The grades in the brackets represent the user's base stats or, in other words, the user's attributes while not under the influence of the elixir's side effects.

--

Zachary's nodded after reading through his new stats. As expected, the S-grade agility-enhancement elixir had pushed his agility attribute to the SS-grading. He was now among the Juventus players with the highest agility on the squad.

Over the past month, he had utilized the system's snooping tool to spy on the stats of his teammates. Most of them only had an agility stat of S-, and even a player like Stephan Lichtsteiner, known as the Swizz Express because of his daring speedy runs through the wings, only possessed an agility statistic of S. Perhaps, the only player in Juventus that could match Zachary's enhanced speed and agility was Carlos Tevez, the Argentine striker.

"With an SS grade agility," Zachary thought, "I can probably take my game to another level."

Agility was a crucial attribute for both attackers and defenders in football. On the sporting field, high agility could allow the player to react quickly to a stimulus, often presented by an opponent's movement, before a change of direction or speed. The attribute was the crucial determinant of how swiftly the player could transition from one motion to another without impacting his balance. As such, exceedingly agile footballers like Lionel Messi, Arjen Robben, and Cristiano Ronaldo could stop quickly, change directions, and keep moving in one fluid movement. They were the true-blue stars of the game due to their exceptionally high agility.

Zachary had always yearned to increase his agility attribute so as to become swifter on the ball and more deadly with his dribbling skills. He often dreamt of utilizing high agility and potent dribbling to break deadlocks and impact games. He wanted to evolve into a true-blue ball wizard the world had never seen, and now, he was just a step closer to that goal.

"I wonder what Messi's agility is?" Zachary pondered. He had a gut feeling that once-in-a-generation players like Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Ronaldinho all possessed SSS-graded agility. That was why they could easily play around with top defenders in all the top leagues just by relying on their dribbling skills.

"I should focus on improving myself step by step." Zachary resolved.

The S-grade agility enhancement elixir had lowered his 'Body Control' and 'Balance and Coordination' stats to the A and S- grading, respectively. So, his next step was to undergo targeted training to overcome the side effect while also pushing his dribbling skills to the next level. Moreover, he had to overcome the side effect within thirteen days max or risk playing against Inter Milan while not at his best.

Report chapter Comments

Rumors about Zachary changing his football allegiance from DR Congo to Ivory Coast continued floating around the internet throughout the Christmas holiday. But of course, most football fans, especially in Europe and South America, took them in with a grain of salt as they were yet to hear any official statement from Zachary's publicity team. Moreover, they couldn't conceptualize why Zachary would change citizenship from one African country to another.

As far as the fans were concerned, all African nations were 'weak ants' that would not go far in international football competitions. So, why would Zachary initiate the cumbersome process of switching citizenship to another African country? Why would he escape one hopeless nation and join yet another? Why not join powerhouses like France, Belgium, or the Netherlands that could increase his chances of gunning for the world cup? Most fans outside of Africa were that skeptical about the rumors concerning Zachary's alleged change of citizenship.

The days went by quickly, with neither Zachary's team nor the Ivory Coast officials confirming the news. And as Christmas Day approached, most football fans worldwide began to dismiss the rumors about Zachary's change of nationality as pure lies. But then December 26th, the day known as Boxing Day, arrived, and everything was made clear by a hint from Sidy Diallo, the Ivory Coast Football Federation president.

During an interview with a reporter from The Guardian, the president was asked whether the rumors about Zachary were true. Sidy Diallo, the man himself, smiled and replied, "The tittle-tattle about Zachary Bemba switching citizenship to Ivory Coast is obviously false. His mother is from Ivory Coast, so the boy is not changing his citizenship status. He is simply returning home after spending some time away. I don't get why that is a surprise."

"Mr. President!" The Guardian reporter said after quickly catching the hint. "Does that imply that Zachary will represent Ivory Coast during international football competitions? Will he play for the Ivorian national football team during the upcoming African Cup of Nations?"

"I can't speak about what will happen in the future as I'm not God," the president replied. "But I can say with a hundred percent certainty that Zachary Bemba is in the process of returning home. We're processing the necessary documentation, and he should be ready to join us for international friendlies later in the year. As for the AFCON, that won't be possible unless something unexpected happens. That's all."

The clarification from the Ivorian Football Federation president finally cleared the air, and fans and critics around the globe began to believe the gossip about Zachary changing his football allegiance to Ivory Coast. They then took to the internet and started discussing the matter on various social media platforms.

--

"At least he didn't switch to one of the filthy rich European or Arab countries," a netizen commented in response to the post concerning Zachary's change of nationality on The Guardian's page. "He can still promote African football while playing for a country that obviously has more chances to go further in international competitions, like the World Cup."

"I feel sorry for DR Congo," another netizen commented with regretful emojis. "They have lost so many exceptional players to rich countries. Players like Romelu Lukaku, Christian Benteke, Vincent Kompany, Michy Batshuayi, and Steve Mandanda could have all teamed up to make a dream team for DR Congo. But alas, all those talented players were snatched up by rich countries. And now, another upcoming and talented prospect (Zachary Bemba) has already been snatched. Moreover, it's not by a rich European country but another African country! Shame! Shame! Shame!"

"I'm not complaining," another netizen commented. "I'm from Ivory Coast, and I can't wait to see Zachary team up with midfield general - Yaya Touré."

"I don't care what anyone says," a critic posted. "However, Zachary is just a typical greedy player. He has betrayed his homeland and sold his services to another team with big bucks. Truly a disappointment..."

--

In the meantime, Zachary was still 'enjoying' his Christmas holiday in Doha, Qatar. He didn't care in the slightest about the internet debate about him since he was busy undergoing targeted training to overcome the side effects of the S-grade agility-enhancing elixir.

He had consulted Bjørn Peters, his fitness trainer, who had readily designed a training routine to match his goals. And throughout the Christmas holiday, he had been following that very routine to stabilize his 'Body Control' and 'Balance and Coordination' stats while also improving his dribbling skills. He was so focused on his training and naturally had no time to concern himself with the chatter and rumors on the web.

Every morning, Zachary would start his day with a light morning jog. Then, after breakfast, he would go through a light gym session before eating another light snack and heading to one of the indoor training turfs near his hotel.

On the training turf, Zachary would go through several agility and coordination drills, which included Side Shuffles, Carioca Sideways Runs, Lateral Ladders, Shuttle runs, Cone Work, Ball Work, and other similar routines. Then, after enjoying a sumptuous lunch at his hotel, he would rest or go on a tour around Doha for the rest of the day before going to bed early and then resuming the same routine the following day.

Zachary was in beast training mode. He was consistent in his endeavors, and by January 1st, 2015, he had already accomplished some incredible results. His 'Body Control' and several other stats had already jumped all the way past the previous S grades and risen to the SS grading. For sure, Zachary's stats were improving at a much faster rate than he could have previously expected.

Zachary was so astonished by his rapid progress, but at the same time, also encouraged to continue with his training. He couldn't rest on his laurels before he digested all the benefits of the S-grade mental-conditioning and agility-enhancing elixirs he had consumed over the past few weeks. He was super motivated.

Zachary turned his entire training focus to his dribbling skills after overcoming the side effects of the S-grade agility-enhancing elixir. He spent most hours of his next two days on the training turfs in Doha while tirelessly going through Cone Weaves, Zigzag Slaloms, Diagonal Dribbles, Square Turns, Shuttle Runs, and several other exercises to improve his dribbling.

Zachary worked himself like a maniac, and by the end of January 2nd, he finally digested all the benefits of the S-grade agility-enhancing elixir. He pushed his dribbling skills stat to the SS grading and returned to his hotel feeling like a king.

Later in the evening, after enjoying a room service dinner, he washed up and packed his luggage in preparation for his return back to Turin the following morning. He finished everything by 8:30 PM and settled on his bed in his nightwear. He was ready to check his training progress on the system interface before entering between the sheets to rest for the night.

"System!" Zachary called out in his mind. "Please bring up the breakdown of all my attributes."

"DING"

"Command received. The breakdown for the user's attributes will be coming up shortly."

The dim fluorescent light illuminated the hotel room's interior while highlighting the smile on Zachary's face. He inhaled deeply before focusing on the information that had just manifested on the crystal-like display that had appeared before him.

USER STATS (Breakdown)

--

-Physical Fitness (Av. Rating: S)

Balance and Coordination: SS

Agility: SS

Strength: S

Stamina: S

Endurance Points: 17,500/18,000 (S)

--

-Soccer Technique: [Av. Rating: SS]

Ball Control: SS

Dribbling Skills: SS

Passing Accuracy: SS

Body Control: SS

--

-Game Intelligence: (Av. Rating: SS)

Spatial Awareness: SS

Tactical Knowledge: S

Risk Assessment: SS

--

-Mental Ability and Mindset: (Av. Rating: S)

Soccer Passion: SS

Composure and Mental Strength: SS

Coachability: A

Self-Motivation: SS

--

-X-Factor (Av. Rating: SS)

Consistency Factor: SSS

Luck Factor: SS

Supernormal Factor: S

Match Winning Factor: SSS

--

"This is crazy!"

Zachary was both shocked and excited beyond measure after perusing through his stats. Happiness resonated through him. He even jumped from the bed and executed a series of wiggly dance steps in his hotel room.

Ever since the time he consumed the S-grade mental-conditioning elixir, his stats had been rising like a rocket. First and foremost, his game intelligence had soared to the SS grading. Then, he performed incredibly well during the Supercoppa and won the S-grade agility-enhancing elixir, which continued enhancing his stats. His agility had later risen to the SS grading after roughly ten days of training, and he had also pushed his dribbling skills to the same grade.

But that was not all.

In addition to improving his agility and game intelligence, he had also gained a boost in all his football skills, thus pushing his Ball Control, Dribbling Skills, Passing Accuracy, and Body Control to the SS grading. His other attributes, including Mental Ability and X-Factor, had also evolved and risen to the same grade. He was a totally different version of the player he was a month ago.

"But what happened?" Zachary wondered. "System! Why are my stats experiencing a meteoric rise within a short span of just weeks?"

"DING"

"The user's rapid progress boils down to three phases," the AI replied. "One, the user gained unmatched confidence after winning the Golden Boy award. And with that, there was an associated increase in mental ability and a culmination of ball skills."

"Two," the Ai continued, "The user utilized the S-grade mental-conditioning elixir and pushed his game intelligence to the SS grade. With the increase in the game intelligence, the user finally met the conditions to evolve his game after a period of dedicated training. And that also allowed the user to utilize all his skills in the most effective way."

"Three, the user triumphed over Napoli during the Supercoppa and won his first silverware with Juventus. He also won an S-grade agility elixir from the system, which pushed his already close-to-breakthrough agility to the SS grade. And with the breakthrough, there were even more benefits. The user evolved all his ball skills and Balance and Coordination stats to the SS grading. All in all, the user should note that the origin of everything is the increment in the game intelligence attribute. And as long as the user can improve his game intelligence to another level, he will always be close to achieving breakthroughs in other aspects."

"Oh!"

Zachary finally saw the light. Most of his stats that had experienced a dramatic rise over the past few weeks depended on the game intelligence stat. Be it Ball Control, Dribbling Skills, Passing Accuracy, and Body Control — they all required high spatial awareness, impeccable risk analysis, and exceptional tactical knowledge for perfect execution. It was a simple truth as a player wouldn't be able to utilize spaces well to execute dribbles or unleash pin-point passes without a matching level of intelligence.

Of course, physical fitness also mattered. For instance, after Zachary consumed the S-grade agility-enhancement elixir, he evolved his agility to the SS grading. He then gained the ability to make movements quicker, and that allowed his ball skills to improve to a higher level. He was now able to react to an incoming ball faster or swiftly change directions almost instantaneously to escape a tackle. All in all, everything boiled down to his marked increase in game intelligence coupled with his SS-grade agility.

"Sweet! With these stats, I can finally refine my ball skills to an unbelievable level. Maybe, I'll be able to match those once-in-a-generation players within the next half of the season."

Zachary's hopes had already soared into the night skies of Doha. Inhaling deeply to calm himself down, he dismissed the system interface and finished his preparations for his trip back to Turin.

Then, at around nine, after chugging down some warm water, he jumped into bed and soon entered the warm embrace of a relaxing slumber. He had finally finished his Christmas holiday training, and all that remained was for him to return to Turin and wow all the opponents and football fans alike.

--

Zachary took a flight from Doha to Turin the following morning. After arriving and resting for a night at his mansion, he headed to the Vinovo, where he linked up with his teammates and coaches to go through his first official training with Juventus in the new year.

The winter in Turin was mild, with daily temperatures much warmer than those he had previously experienced while staying in Trondheim, Norway. Zachary felt that the weather was perfect, and he was in his best state while performing the various tactical drills under the supervision of the coaching staff.

His enhanced stats were already working wonders on the field, and nothing could stop him from outperforming his teammates on the training ground. He was like a true ball wizard on the pitch, and whether it was perfect dribbles or pin-point passes through a hoard of players, he continually executed them flamboyantly like the best of Maestros. He performed so well over the two days of training to the point of amazing his coaches and teammates alike.

"Zachary!" Patrice Evra, the French left-back, called out to him after training on Monday evening. The two of them had already finished taking a shower. They were, at the moment, heading to the tactics room for the pre-game tactical meeting that preceded their home battle against Inter Milan.

"What's up, Patrice?" Zachary said while slowing down his steps to wait for the Frenchman.

Evra smiled and patted Zachary's back. "You were so badass on the training ground today. Your skills are improving at an abnormal rate. What is your secret?"

"Secrets are not meant to be shared," Zachary responded with a chuckle. "That aside, you look well-rested after taking all that time off. Did your injury heal well?"

Evra grinned. "Well... you saw me during training! Didn't you? I can now say that I'm as fit as a fiddle. I'm only waiting for Coach Max to give me an opportunity to make a comeback during an official match. Let's hope the boss will give me a chance during tomorrow's game against Inter Millan."

"Congratulation upon your successful recovery," Zachary said with a smile. "With your return, we have more than enough squad depth to maintain our perfect winning streak. By the way, what is the status of Andrea and Marchisio? Are they recovering well?"

"Yes..." Evra replied while quickening his step to match Zachary's long strides. "Pirlo should be fully fit within two weeks, give or take. He should return to the squad before our Serie A home game against Chievo Verona. Claudio Marchisio, on the other hand, needs more time. He can only achieve complete recovery around the first week of February."

"That's all good news." Zachary smiled. "With their return, we'll head into our next Champions League fixture with our strongest side."

Evra furrowed his brows. "We'll be facing Bayer 04 Leverkusen from German. Right?"

"Yes, that's true. We'll face Bayer 04 Leverkusen away from home in the first leg of the Round-of-Sixteen on February 25th. Then, on March 17th, we'll host them in Turin for the return game."

"Oh!" Evra exclaimed, seemingly thinking about something. "Bayer 04 Leverkusen's coach is Roger Schmidt. He's a tricky one and not easy to defeat. I have watched a few of their games this season, including the one against Borussia Dortmund. They are a team that plays good attacking football under their coach. If we're not careful, we might not easily overcome them."

"Yes," Zachary agreed. "Their coach is one of the most underrated coaches in Europe. He was formerly the coach of Red Bull Salzburg. He gave my former team a hard time when we played against him during last year's Europa League. He likes playing counterattacking football, and I guess he will do the same thing when he meets us during the Champions League Round-of-Sixteen stage."

pαndαnoνɐ1--сoМ "That's a given..." Evra said. "But I still believe no team can stop us this season if we play at our best. We have the capability to beat the world's best teams, including Bayern Munich, Barcelona, and Real Madrid. What could bring us down are game tactics, squad selections, and injuries. Nothing else!"

"Don't jinx us," Zachary said.

Evra shook his head and pursed his lips. "I heard the news about you joining the Ivory Coast National team. I guess we'll be enemies during international competitions from now on."

"Yeah! You better be prepared. Otherwise, you'll be in for a serious walloping when we play against you."

"Dream on!" Evra chuckled again. "But can I ask why Ivory Coast? Why not join another country with better prospects?"

"Well... My biological mother is from Ivory Coast, and my gut feeling tells me I will fit well in the team. Additionally, they are one of the few African countries with many upcoming young footballers on the international scene. If I join them, we'll have all the arsenal we need to gun for the late stages of the World Cup as an African nation."

"Oh! So, your dream is to win the World Cup with an African nation?"

"Yes, that's my dream. And I guess it's the dream of many African footballers who have ever played in the big leagues."

Evra sighed. "That's a noble dream, my friend. But it will be hard. I wish you all the luck as you try to realize it..."

The two of them continued talking until they entered the tactics room. Zachary parted with Evra and conversed with a few teammates and coaches for the next few minutes. Then, when 5:00 PM arrived, he found a random seat and settled down to listen to Coach Max Allegri's address.

Coach Max Allegri, on his part, spoke for only an hour. He first welcomed the team back from the Christmas Holiday before explaining the tactics for the game against Inter Milan. He then read out the squad and assigned individual roles to the players that made his starting line-up before concluding the tactics meeting.

Zachary thought about the tactics as he drove back to his mansion later that evening. Coach Max Allegri had totally switched up Juventus' tactics for the game against Inter Milan, and the team would be utilizing a new 4-3-1-2 formation instead of their traditional 5-3-2 formation. Moreover, the coach had also given Evra, the player from injury, a starting position as the left back. The tactics and line-up confused Zachary, and he wondered what was going on through the coach's mind.

"We also won't be utilizing any wingers during the game. We only have the left and right defensive midfielders in our squad. They aren't wingers in the traditional sense of football, and I wonder whether they can deliver enough crosses into the opponent's box!"

Zachary continued thinking about Max Allegri's tactics as he guided his Audi RS 7 into the driveway leading to his mansion. He parked the car in front of the house before picking his gym bag out of the back seat and heading towards the house.

The clock hand pointed to the 7:45 PM mark when he stepped into his mansion. All the other house occupants, including Bjørn Peters, Inger, and the maids, were still awake. They greeted him enthusiastically and asked him about his day.

Zachary replied to all their queries with a smile etched on his face before enjoying a light dinner and heading to his room for the night. As usual, he didn't forget to go through his pre-bedtime yoga routine to relax his muscles after a tiring training session. Then, as the clock hands pointed to the 9:15 mark, he washed up and jumped into bed to rest for the night.

Zachary wanted to sink into a relaxing slumber as soon as possible. He hoped to enjoy more than eight hours of rest so as to allow his body to return to its peak condition before the following day's match against Inter Milan. He wanted to do everything right in order to achieve the best state possible during the game.

However, when he got in between the sheets, sleep wouldn't come, and his mind started wandering. He thought about many things, including his failed relationship with Camilla, the death of his grandma, and his recent change of nationality to become an Ivory Coast citizen. Many more thoughts raced through his mind, and he finally realized the meaning of true loneliness while pushing for greatness.

Sure, his football career had progressed at an unbelievable speed. The investments he had made were also promising. But aside from those two elements, he had not developed the other aspects of his life, the most miserable of those being his social acumen.

First and foremost, he was out of touch with most of his previous acquaintances, including his relatives, former teammates, and other people he knew during his younger years. He had also broken up with Camilla, and it was as if he couldn't maintain all his relationships long enough. He was alone in every true sense of the world, and the only good thing he had going for him was his football.

"After tomorrow's game," Zachary resolved, "I have to spare time and reach out to my former acquaintances like Kasongo, the Ottersons, Marta, Melissa, my former teammates, and my former coaches. I must constantly check up on them, but aside from that, I also have to continue working hard to progress my football career. Football is the greatest thing in my life, and I should endeavor to do my utmost not to lose it."

With the resolutions made, Zachary's mood lightened. He was no longer thinking of random things, and a few minutes later, he sank into the warm embrace of slumber and soon started dreaming about winning the Ballon d'Or.

Report chapter Comments

---

The Greatest of all Time #Chapter 531 Against Inter Milan - Read The Greatest of all Time Chapter 531 Against Inter Milan Online - All Page - Novel Next

Tuesday, January 6, 2015.

Juventus Stadium, Turin, Italy.

Time: 9:00 PM

--

FWEEEEEEE*

The referee blew the whistle, and the highly anticipated Serie A face-off between Juventus and Inter Milan commenced. The cheers around the stadium hit a thunderous crescendo as Carlos Tevez, the Juventus striker, kicked off the game with a backward pass. He booted the ball all the way to his backline and found Giorgio Chiellini, one of the two Juventus center-backs, for the night.

Giorgio Chiellini, on his part, was pretty relaxed as he linked up with the ball. He then flicked it to Leonardo Bonucci, his counterpart in central defense, to kickstart a period of dominance by the Juventus squad.

Everything was plain sailing for the Juventus players during the opening fifteen minutes. The players in the striped black and white jerseys moved the ball around the field immaculately while effortlessly monopolizing the ball possession. They relied on their exceptional midfield to dictate the proceedings and gained more and more momentum as more minutes flashed by. Their superiority while in their 4-3-1-2 formation was clear for all watching the match, and they looked more and more like the team that would score the opening goal for the night.

But then, the game situation changed during the 21st minute after Roberto Mancini, the Inter Milan head coach, made a surprising first-half substitution. The Italian tactician bravely took Zdravko Kuzmanovic, a midfielder, out of the game and replaced him with Lukas Podolski, an attacking player who could play on both flanks and also as a center-forward. It was a thoughtful substitution on Roberto Mancini's part, and with that, the game changed beyond measure over the next few minutes.

First and foremost, Inter Milan switched from a 4-3-1-2 to a 4-4-2 formation after Lukas Podolski stepped onto the pitch. Danilo D'Ambrosio, Juan Jesus, Andrea Ranocchia, and Hugo Campagnaro continued maintaining Inter Milan's backline of four. Then, Mateo Kovacic and Fredy Guarín adjusted slightly to play as the central midfielders while working hand-in-hand with the freshly introduced Lukas Podolski and Gary Medel to complete Inter Milan's new midfield of four. And lastly, Mauro Icardi and Hernanes maintained their positions as the two strikers to complete Inter Milan's 4-4-2 tactical formation.

The transformations were made in a seamless manner on the field of play as the game continued. And slowly by slowly, the Inter Milan players adjusted to their new roles and started playing meaningful football for the first time that night.

Of course, Inter Milan didn't try to beat Juventus in its 'own game' of slow but steady possession football. Instead, most of the Inter Milan men just sat back and weathered Juventus' relentless attacks while waiting for an opportunity.

Their defense was solid, their midfield compact, and they tirelessly matched Juventus run for run. They were also patient in their approach and only ensured that Juventus would not threaten their goal. But when an opportunity arose, they would not hesitate to play a long ball forward, hoping to find either Mauro Icardi or Hernanes, the two strikers who were the only Inter Milan players without defensive duties on the night. But those times they attacked were few and far between as they were clearly focused on the defensive side of the game.

More minutes passed, and Inter Milan's tenacity on the field of play remained beyond what words could describe. The men from Milan were obviously on the back foot, but they stayed disciplined and performed their duties flawlessly against the much stronger Juventus side. Their hard work evidently paid off, and Juventus only managed to create three opportunities throughout the rest of the first half.

The first opportunity arose when Zachary unleashed a sudden and brilliant through-pass to set up Fernando Llorente for a perfect one-versus-one with the Inter Milan keeper during the 35th minute. However, the Spanish striker failed to beat the keeper and thus missed out—on the opportunity to put Juventus in the lead.

Zachary then created the second opportunity by drifting into the wing and unleashing a teasing cross toward the box during the 38th minute. He managed to pick out Carlos Tevez, who immediately controlled the ball and unleashed a snap-shot goalward. However, nothing came of the Argentine's thoughtful attempt due to the brilliance of the Inter Milan keeper, who spared no effort to save the shot.

pαndαnoνɐ1--сoМ The third and final opportunity for Juventus during the first half was initiated by Patrice Evra during the 43rd minute. The left-back sprinted through the wing like a whirlwind before squaring the ball into the middle to find Zachary, who happened to have dashed into an unmarked pocket of space a few yards away from Inter Milan's box.

Zachary, on his part, made the perfect connection with the ball and unleashed a first-time missile of a shot toward the goal from more than thirty yards away. His execution was flawless, and he caught the keeper napping. However, the ball swerved and deviated from its intended trajectory at the last minute before smashing off the post and heading out of play. And with that, the score remained deadlocked at 0:0 as the players headed for the halftime break.

--

"Guys!" Coach Allegri said to his players after they settled in the dressing room during the halftime break. "Games like this are the ones that will make or break our indomitable success this season. If we don't win, our momentum will lower, and we'll find it hard to attain victory during the next few games. But if we can play brilliantly and defeat Inter Milan right now, at the start of the new year, we'll build up even more momentum to face all our future opponents. We'll gain unlimited confidence, and no other team — whether in Italy or Europe, will be able to match us this season. So, guys! Let's treat this match as a must-win game. Let's treat the match as a final. Let's go out there, utilize all our chances efficiently, and take the lead as soon as possible during the second half. Are you guys with me?"

"Yes, coach," the players replied, more or less in unison.

"Are you guys with me?" The coach asked again.

"Yes, coach!" The voices of the players were even louder that time around.

"That's the spirit." Coach Max Allegri smiled and swept his gaze around. "I know that Inter Milan is a good side. They have relatively skilled players in all areas of the field. But again, so what? The strength of their squad and all their preparations don't matter because of one single reason. We're better as a team. We're are a stronger team, and if we can play at our best, we'll be able to send them back to Milan crying. So, let's play with confidence during the second half and win this game. Clear?"

"Yes, coach."

"Good." Coach Allegri smiled and said a few more encouraging words to the players. He then assigned a few individual roles to all the players before sending them back to the field of play.

"Zachary! A moment please!"

A familiar voice called out to Zachary as he was about to follow his teammates and return to the field of play. Inclining his head to look, he noticed that it was Maurizio Trombetta, the assistant coach in charge of the first team, who happened to have called his name.

"Coach! Is there anything else?" Zachary said and stopped in his tracks.

"More instructions from the boss." The assistant coach went straight to the point. "During the first half, we noticed your impact on the pitch wasn't high. You're not as sharp as you were during the Supercoppa final! Is there a problem?"

"No, coach," Zachary replied. "I was just growing into the game while studying the Inter Milan players. I'm confident that I'll perform better during the second half."

"Then, that's good," Coach Trombetta said. "Try to take more risks and take on the opponents with your dribbling when you see fit. Additionally, whenever there's a chance, don't hesitate. Try to test the keeper from a distance. Maybe you will succeed and score. Is that clear?"

"Yes, coach," Zachary replied.

"There's also something else we noticed," Coach Trombetta continued. "There's a lot of space we can use on the flanks. With your speed and dribbling skills, you have a high probability of beating either Danilo D'Ambrosio or Hugo Campagnaro, the opposing wing-backs, during one-versus-one situations. So, try your best to float into the wings and take them on with your dribbling and speed. If you succeed, break into the box and try to score or set up one of your teammates. Is everything clear?"

"Yes, coach."

"Good." Coach Trombetta smiled. "I wish you all the luck during the second half. We have to win this game."

"We surely will," Zachary promised. Then after chugging down some more water, he exited the dressing room and headed to the field as he thought about his first-half performance against Inter Milan.

During the first half, his condition had been slightly off due to the recent rapid growth of his attributes. His timing and reactions had been slightly off, especially since he hadn't gotten used to the SS-grade agility. His body would, at times, move faster than his brain anticipated, and that would cause his actions to be out of sync.

But fortunately, Zachary overcame the slight difficulty towards the end of the first half. His SS grade game intelligence had worked wonders and allowed him to adapt to his recently enhanced attributes during an intensive match. He was now at a hundred percent match fitness and ready to perform at his best during the second half.

Report chapter Comments

The game recommenced after the second-half whistle sounded. But surprisingly, it wasn't Juventus on the front foot during the minutes after the restart. Instead, it was the Inter Milan players who initiated the first attack of the second half.

A minute after the restart, the Inter Milan men flew forward like a pack of predators on the hunt after winning back possession from Juventus. They exchanged lightning-fast passes through the middle as they cut through Juventus' formation at breakneck speed. They made it to the space before Juventus' box within seconds, and the ball naturally found its way to the feet of Mateo Kovacic, their attacking midfielder.

It was the perfect chance to catch Juventus off-guard, and Mateo Kovacic didn't disappoint. He twisted and turned at the edge of the box before threading a teasing and brilliant ball into the box.

"Whoosh..."

A player in a dark blue jersey moved like the wind and dashed into the box. It was Mauro Icardi, the Inter Milan striker, and he had just beaten the off-side trap before connecting with the through pass from Kovacic.

What followed was pretty much what everyone in the stadium expected. Mauro Icardi utilized his skills to bring the ball under control. Then, before any of the Juventus defenders could react, the Inter Milan striker unleashed a powerful drive past Buffon, the Juventus keeper, and scored Inter Milan's first goal for the night. He had drawn first blood and put his team in the lead during the 47th minute of gameplay.

--

Juventus FC 0 : Inter Milan 1

--

Roberto Mancini, Inter Milan's head coach, smiled and raised his arms high when the ball nestled into the back of the net. He felt at ease as his players had utilized their first opportunity during the second half to score their first goal for the night. They were now in the perfect position to sit back and play defensive football while waiting for a chance to counterattack.

Coach Roberto Mancini celebrated for a few seconds and then tried to relax. But as the excitement of the goal left him, he realized that he was still tense. He couldn't seem to calm down, especially since he couldn't be sure of the result until he totally neutralized Zachary Bemba, Juventus' playmaker.

The boy's skills were just messed up, to the point of causing opponents misery. Coach Roberto Mancini understood that it was imperative that he bring out all his guns to contain the young playmaker. Or else, the boy would create a goal-scoring opportunity or even find the back of the net before the final whistle sounded.

"What to do?" Coach Mancini started caressing his chin as he thought about the problem. The game was about to restart, and he had to make a tactical switch before Juventus could find a way to crawl back into the game.

"Why not let Mateo Kovacic mark Zachary Bemba throughout the rest of the game," Fausto Salsano, his assistant coach, suddenly suggested. "Although still young, Kovacic is a great technician with excellent motor abilities. He's also highly versatile, and he'll be able to match Zachary's athleticism. Moreover, we don't need him to freeze Zachary out. All he has to do is delay him for a few seconds during crucial moments — and then that will allow his teammates time to regroup and deal with the danger."

"That may actually work." Roberto Mancini smiled. "Thank you, Fausto."

"No need for thanks," the assistant replied. "I'm just doing my job."

Roberto Mancini nodded. "We'll need to make some slight adjustments to give Kovacic the freedom to mark Zachary. Firstly, we must switch from a 4-4-2 to a 4-5-1 formation. The extra man in midfield will cover the gaps left behind by Kovacic while he follows Zachary around."

"So, we need to make a substitution. Right?" Fausto Salsano asked.

"Yes, that's what we must do," Roberto Mancini replied. "We'll bring on Yann M'Vila, a defensive midfielder, in place of Hernanes, the striker. Yann should be able to play well in the midfield and help cover Kovacic when necessary."

"Excellent," Fausto Salsano, the assistant, said. "I'll go and prep Yann as a substitute. He should be able to enter the field in five minutes tops."

"Okay. You do that." Roberto Mancini said and then refocused on the game that had just recommenced.

The Juventus players had already reacted as expected after conceding a goal. They were, at that moment, moving the ball around the field while trying their best to stretch Inter Milan's defensive shape. They were doing their best to create spaces and find the opportunity to launch a deadly attack against Inter Milan.

Coach Roberto Mancini continued watching expressionlessly for a few more minutes. He was only waiting to bring on the substitute before instructing Mateo Kovacic to mark Zachary. So, he remained calm, knowing that the hard times were about to pass even as he watched the much superior Juventus side dominating his team in all areas of the field.

But suddenly, something transpired on the field that caused Coach Roberto Mancini's heart to skip a beat. Zachary Bemba floated toward the right wing and linked up with a diagonal pass from Arturo Vidal. The young playmaker controlled the ball perfectly before taking off like a bullet from a gun's muzzle. His acceleration was incredible, and before Roberto Mancini could blink, the young ball wizard had already initiated a one-versus-one situation against Danilo D'Ambrosio, Inter Milan's left-back.

"Whoosh! Whoosh..."

Zachary stepped over the ball twice as he slowed down slightly. He then leaned towards the left, seemingly as if he was about to cut past Danilo D'Ambrosio and rush toward the middle.

But just as Zachary was about to complete the move, there was a slight pause in his movements, and he utilized his left boot to scoop the ball back toward himself. He then swiftly changed his center of gravity and fed the ball through Danilo D'Ambrosio's legs before continuing on with his mad sprint toward Inter Milan's box.

"Damn it!"

Coach Roberto Mancini couldn't help but let out a few expletives after witnessing Zachary's skills in action. The boy had performed a series of movements, including slowing down, a side step, and an elastico dribble before accelerating again. He completed everything gracefully and without losing his balance, thus denying the defender any chance to recover. His exceptional sprinting abilities had also come into play, and Zachary had left the helpless guy in the dust. He was now swiftly bearing down on Inter Milan's box, and for sure, Roberto Mancini's team was in a precarious situation because of his wizardry.

--

"Zachary! Zachary..."

The cheers around the stadium rose to a higher volume as Zachary cut into the pitch like a whirlwind from the right flank. He soon came across the roadblock that was Juan Jesus, the Inter Milan center-back, who was out to mark him.

The defender swiftly approached Zachary, all guns blazing, as if he was about to commit murder. His expression was hideous, and his entire aura explosive as he tried to close down Zachary's run. The perfect metaphor to describe him was a speeding train, and he looked like he was willing to risk everything and smash Zachary to bits while defending his side.

Zachary, on his part, wasn't the least bit fazed by Juan Jesus' momentum. His SS-grade game intelligence immediately worked wonders, and he utilized his SS-grade agility to perform another series of swift movements.

His two boots became like the rims of a motorbike in motion as he executed lightning-fast stepovers. And an even more surprising fact was that he didn't touch the ball even once as he continued sidestepping and approaching Juan Jesus, the defender, whose body was already wiggling left and right — as if in sync with Zachary's step-overs.

A second or two later, the moment arrived when the two players were just about to collide. But just at the last instant, when Juan Jesus was stretching out his foot to tackle the ball, Zachary's SS-grade agility and game intelligence attributes came into play again.

With the simplest of touches, he utilized the outside of his boot to move the ball slightly to the right, just a few centimeters beyond the reach of the defender's boot. Then Zachary followed that up with another swift change of his center of gravity and an explosive acceleration towards the right. And with that, he seamlessly skirted past the defender and continued on with his insane sprint into Inter Milan's box.

pαndα,noνɐ1,сoМ All of Zachary's motions were completed almost instantaneously. And before Juan Jesus could understand what was happening, Zachary had already speared deeper into Inter Milan's box to initiate a one-on-one face-off against Samir Handanovic, the opposing goalkeeper.

Zachary's overly-high mental strength, graded at SS by the system, allowed him to remain composed even at the most crucial moment. He rushed past the keeper with a simple deft touch before hammering the ball into the back of the net to score Juventus' first goal for the night.

--

Juventus FC 1 : Inter Milan 1

--

"Oh, my goodness me!" Fabio Crudeli, the commentator, yelled as the score on the stadium's jumbotron changed to indicate that Juventus had scored an equalizer. "What a sensational goal we've just witnessed. Zachary has done it again. He has just slalomed his way from the right wing all the way into the box before scoring Juventus' 1st goal during the 50th minute. This young man is flying, and his timing is just perfect. Just barely three minutes after Inter Milan scored their opening goal, Zachary responded with one of his own. The score is now 1:1, and everything is back to square one."

David Ferrini, the co-commentator for the day, chuckled. "I can say that Zachary's skills are now close to the top of the international football scene. The two Inter Milan defenders stood no chance against his potent dribbling, and he effortlessly left them in the dust with his swift footwork. This goal has the potential to become the goal of the season."

"Indeed," Fabio Crudeli agreed. "There's also something else I noticed. Zachary makes all his dribbles and sidesteps look simple, but they still remain highly effective against defenders. For instance, while approaching Juan Jesus, he didn't touch the ball even once while executing his step-overs. Then, just abruptly, he tapped the ball slightly, and from there on, Juan Jesus couldn't see his shadow. Zachary was already hammering the ball into the back of the net while Juan Jesus was still frozen at the edge of the box, looking around for his trace."

David Ferrini chuckled. "It's always distressing for any defender to face off against a player as swift and skilled as Zachary. The young Maestro has all the qualities to make any defender feel hopeless. He is highly agile and can unleash brilliant game-changing through passes out of the blue. He has nice physicality, and now, he has proven that he can dribble like Ronaldinho. So, how the hell are defenders and coaches supposed to contain him?"

"The match has just recommenced," Fabio Crudeli said lightly. "Let's return to the action on the field of play. Maybe, we'll soon get an answer on how to contain Zachary Bemba from the experienced Inter Milan coach - Roberto Mancini."

--

Zachary had long understood that the best way to devastate an opponent and make them feel hopeless was to 'hit them hard' when they were down. He knew that he had to destroy Inter Milan's confidence before they could reorganize, so he went into action as soon as the match recommenced.

He floated toward the right wing again right after Juventus won back the ball from Inter Milan. He then linked up with a linear ball from Stephan Lichtsteiner, and from there on, it was as if he was repeating the actions he had performed only a few minutes prior.

He accelerated to top speed within an instant and pumped his legs like the pistons of a Ferrari on a racetrack. His pace was so out of this world — and within seconds, he initiated another one-versus-one against Danilo D'Ambrosio, the very same left-back he had beaten only a few minutes ago.

Zachary was so heartless in his approach. His SS-grade agility came into play, and he ruthlessly side-stepped past the defender, who was already feeling low on confidence. His skills were as potent as ever, and a moment later, he left the helpless defender in the dust. Zachary then accelerated along the touchline before cutting back into the pitch like a predator on the hunt.

A second or so later, Zachary met another barrier. It was in the form of Fredy Guarín, the Inter Milan defensive midfielder who was closing down Zachary with a ruthless sliding tackle. The midfielder's boot was like a serpent sliding over the grass, and his intent was obvious. He was willing to rely on any means, whether foul or fair, to take down Zachary and stop him from continuing his sprint toward Inter Milan's box.

At that moment, Zachary's high mental strength worked like a charm, and he remained composed while facing the sliding tackle from Fredy Guarín. Zachary utilized his high agility and exceptional ball control to scoop the ball up and lift it over the approaching defensive midfielder's body. And finally, as a finishing touch, he leaped over the opponent before realigning his posture and continuing on with his insane sprint toward Inter Milan's box from the right flank.

Zachary completed the entire series of movements and beat Fredy Guarín without losing his balance. His following actions were like sorcery against the opponents due to his high agility and game intelligence. He effortlessly stepped past another opponent a moment later. And then, as the cheers around the stadium hit a crescendo, he dashed into the box and faced off against the Inter Milan keeper, who had rushed out to greet him.

It was at that moment that a peculiar feeling of calmness descended upon Zachary's entire being. His SS-grade game intelligence came into play again, and he judged the actions and intentions of a keeper within a split second. Then, with a smile etched upon his face, he dug his boot under the ball and looped it over the keeper's head to find the back of the net. And with that, he had scored another dazzling goal and put Juventus ahead during the 52nd minute of gameplay.

"GOAAAL..."

The stadium exploded with cheers as Zachary raced to the corner flag and slid on his knees to celebrate. The Juventus fans were yelling like crazy as they had just witnessed more magic from Zachary.

Zachary, on his part, couldn't contain his happiness. He had taken a gamble and floated toward the right wing to attack immediately after the restart. His gamble had paid off, and he had scored Juventus' second even before three minutes had elapsed from the time he netted the first. His dare-devil attitude had obviously worked wonders and allowed him to bag the two goals within a short span of less than three minutes.

--

Juventus FC 2 : Inter Milan 1

--

"It's another wonderful goal from Zachary," Fabio Crudeli, the commentator, said as the cheers started dying down. "Just barely three minutes after he scored the first, he has added to his tally with another sensational goal. He has again slalomed his way through Inter Milan's defense before brilliantly beating the keeper and putting Juventus ahead during the 52nd minute. He's truly a sensation on the football field, and considering his form, no one can stop him."

"Yeah, he is a true sensation," David Ferrini, the co-commentator, agreed. "He has caught Inter Milan's defense napping twice within less than three minutes. It takes a dare-devil attitude to achieve such a feat in a highly competitive game of a top league like the Italian Serie A. If he continues like this, he will win both the Serie A Player of the Season and Golden Boot without any challenge."

"But what do you think about Inter Milan's defense?" Fabio Crudeli asked. "Zachary has torn through them twice and scored on both occasions during the past three minutes. Don't you think they aren't doing enough to stop him?"

"Well..." David Ferrini shook his head and sighed. "The Inter Milan defenders are all top footballers on the international stage. They have always been professional and unrelenting on the football field. So, they should be doing the same in this game and going all out to stop Zachary from making an impact. But the problem comes from Zachary's potent skills. He is so swift with the ball and fast at finding the gaps. He's utilizing everything he has to render the Inter Milan defenders helpless while also finding opportunities for his team. Unless Roberto Mancini can devise targeted tactics to stop the boy's antics, he might even score one or two more goals before the game ends tonight."

"Well, back to the pitch," Fabio Crudeli said. "Roberto Mancini has switched up Inter Milan's tactics. He has just introduced Yann M'Vila, a defensive midfielder, in place of Hernanes, the striker. With the substitution, Inter Milan has switched from a 4-4-2 to a 4-5-1 formation, and surprisingly, Mateo Kovacic, one of their central midfielders, has begun shadowing Zachary's every move. Most likely, Roberto Mancini wants the young Mateo Kovacic to man-mark Zachary for the rest of the game."

"The man-marking strategy might not fully contain Zachary, especially today when he's at the top of his game," David Ferrini hurriedly said. "But at least Mateo Kovacic's presence will delay him at certain crucial moments and stop him from effortlessly cutting through Inter Milan's defense."

--

On the field of play, the game had already recommenced. The Inter Milan players were on the ball and moving it around with the evident intent to stretch Juventus' defensive shape. They continued playing short passes among the defenders on the backline for the next few minutes. It was as if they were inviting the Juventus players to high press if they wished to touch the ball.

"High press! Go for the ball..."

As usual, Coach Max Allegri couldn't bear to see the opponents holding possession for long. He started roaring from the home team's technical area to encourage his players to high-press and win the ball back.

However, right before the Juventus players could heed their coach's instructions, an abrupt change occurred on the field of play. Inter Milan switched gears through Yann M'Vila, their newly introduced defensive midfielder. The substitute unleashed a sudden defense-splitting pass toward the other side of the field, just behind Juventus' backline.

The pass was so abrupt that it caught all the Juventus defenders napping. Most of them could not react in time as Lukas Podolski came out of nowhere and beat the offside trap to connect with the ball right at the border of the defensive third.

"Lukas! Podolski! Lukas..."

The visiting fans began yelling Lukas Podolski's name after he beat the offside trap and initiated a footrace toward the box. Their voices were filled with boundless excitement since the striker of their team was only a second away from creating a one-versus-one situation against Gianluigi Buffon, the Juventus keeper. Evidently, they were dreaming about the moment the German forward would find the back of the net and bring the game circumstances back to level terms.

But who was Gianluigi Buffon? He was the Juventus captain renowned for his consistent performances throughout his career. His concentration, calm composure under pressure, athleticism, quick reflexes, acrobatic dives, and bravery were insane on the mortal level. For sure, the experienced keeper had outstanding shot-stopping abilities, which allowed him to produce almost impossible saves at crucial moments.

That time was business as usual for Gianluigi Buffon. He raced out of his goal like a force of nature and threw everything on the line while closing down the swiftly approaching Lucas Podolski with a desperado attitude.

Finally, it was as if time had slowed as the moment just before the two men were about to collide arrived. Gianluigi Buffon lunged forward to scoop the ball away from Lucas Podolski's feet. But Lukas, on his part, just shoved the ball to the side, hoping to dodge the keeper's lunge before scoring in an empty net.

But could that be the end of the tense moment? The answer was no!

Just at the last instant, when Lucas Podolski was about to dribble past Gianluigi Buffon, the keeper freakishly contorted his body while mid-lunge. Buffon controlled his lunging speed before kicking out with his left boot to poke the ball away from Lucas Podolski's feet. Moreover, he completed all the actions in a skillful way by tapping the ball first before sending the striker tumbling to the ground.

"Foul! Red Card..."

A thunderous roar sounded within the Juventus stadium immediately after. The Inter Milan fans and players were obviously incensed. They continued yelling for the referee to carry out justice by showing Gianluigi Buffon a red card and offering a free kick to Inter Milan.

Report chapter Comments

Chapter 534 A Performance for the History Books

The referee had been well-positioned and seen what had transpired between Gianluigi Buffon and Lucas Podolski. So, when he heard the cries for a foul from the Inter Milan players and fans alike, he didn't even think twice before waving his arms dismissively to shut them down. He remained totally deaf to their appeals and boldly signaled for the game to continue.

Of course, the Juventus defenders didn't need the reminder from the referee to get on with the game. Leonardo Bonucci, the center-back, was already in action, and he had just smashed the ball toward the middle of the pitch, where Carlos Tevez happened to be lurking.

Carlos Tevez, on his part, dashed away from the defender marking him and connected with the ball. He leaped off the ground and brought it under control with his chest before flicking it toward his right to find Fernando Llorente, his counterpart on the striking line.

Fernando Llorente also took one touch on the ball to bring it under control. He then kicked it backward to find Simone Padoin, the only Juventus midfielder, who happened to be unmarked at that juncture.

"Pa..."

Simone Padoin's boot produced a slight sound as he connected with the pass from Fernando Llorente. Then, as usual, he first looked in Zachary's direction to assess whether the young playmaker was in a favorable situation. But alas, Zachary was already tightly marked by Mateo Kovacic and Yann M'Vila, the two Inter Milan central midfielders, and thus wasn't the perfect outlet for the ball at that very moment.

Lightning-fast thoughts raced through Simone Padoin's mind, and he chose the second-best option after briefly surveying the situation on the pitch. The midfielder twisted and turned to avail himself some more space before unleashing a lofted pass over the entire midfield and toward the left wing. His passing accuracy was spot-on, and he smoothly picked out Patrice Evra, the Juventus left-back who had long initiated a daring run into Inter Milan's half.

"Pa..."

The sound of chest muscles meeting synthetic leather sounded as Evra controlled the ball on the left flank. He chested it forward skillfully and continued sprinting along the touchline to advance Juventus' lightning-fast counterattack against Inter Milan.

Evra was like a true-blue incarnation of Usain Bolt, and a few seconds later, he stepped past the border of the final third and squared the ball toward the space before the box. He was, of course, trying to find either Carlos Tevez or Fernando Llorente, the two Juventus strikers that had the habit of lurking around the area.

"Whoosh..."

In the middle, Carlos Tevez's exceptional sprinting speed came into play. The Argentine moved like the wind and left the Inter Milan defenders in the dust before connecting with the square pass from Patrice Evra. Then, before any of the other players could react, he drew his leg back and unleashed a powerful curling shot toward the inside of the far post.

At that moment, it seemed like the time for Juventus to score the third goal had arrived, and the cheers around the stadium rose up a notch. But the next instant, those cheers turned into dejected sighs when Samir Handanovic, the Inter Milan keeper, executed an acrobat dive to punch the ball out of play. The Juventus fans were obviously feeling down after their team failed to convert an excellent chance and score their third goal during the 59th minute.

"Don't mind! Don't mind! Let's forget about the missed chance and prepare for the corner..."

Coach Max Allegri's loud voice sounded from Juventus' technical area as the players readied themselves for the corner kick. He was obviously reminding his players not to dwell on the past but to focus on the present. He wanted them to forget Carlos Tevez's missed opportunity and then go all out to get something out of the corner kick.

FWEEEEEEE*

The referee's whistle sounded a few seconds later, and Simone Padoin took the corner kick. The midfielder sent a lofted ball from the corner spot that cut through the air like a surface-to-surface missile. Its speed was so swift, and its trajectory teasing as it soared toward Inter Milan's already crowded and chaotic box.

At the edge of the box, Zachary was attentively tracking the ball using his peripheral vision. At the same time, he also observed the reactions of Mateo Kovacic and Yann M'Vila, the two Inter Milan central midfielders who were marking him. Then, a second or two later, after he accurately judged their intentions and impending actions, he sprang into action.

"Whoosh..."

He moved like the wind while utilizing his impressive physical fitness attributes to escape the harassment of the two opponents marking him. He dashed toward the area close to the penalty spot with a death-or-glory attitude and leaped off the ground like a Ninja.

The CR7 Aerial Finishing Juju worked wonders at that moment, and he easily towered over all the players in the box before connecting with the corner ball. He tilted his head slightly and guided the fast-incoming ball toward the top left corner with a skillful but delicate touch.

"Whoosh..."

The ball traveled like a bullet toward the goal, and as expected, Samir Handanovic, the Inter Milan keeper, reacted immediately. The shot-stopper executed an acrobatic dive, hoping to save the situation. But alas, Zachary's header was just too powerful, and the ball brushed by his fingertips before homing into the back of the net. And with that, Zachary had just scored his third goal for the night and extended Juventus' lead during the 61st minute.

--

Juventus FC 3 : Inter Milan 1

--

"GOAAL..."

It was as if there were explosives going off within the Juventus stadium after Zachary scored the third goal for Juventus. The Juventus fans couldn't contain their excitement, and they vocalized the famous victory chants of Juventus with their all. Their voices shook the stadium to its very core as the Juventus players gathered at one of the corner flags to celebrate the third goal.

"Well..." Fabio Crudeli, the commentator, said after the cheers started dying down. "I guess that is it for Inter Milan. Zachary Bemba has just obliterated them by scoring his third goal for the night. The young playmaker has extended Juventus' lead after getting to the end of the corner ball and finding the back of the net with a powerful header during the 61st minute. What a night for the young man!"

"Indeed, what a night for Zachary Bemba, the twenty-year-old Juventus playmaker," David Ferrini, the co-commentator for the day, chimed in. "He has just completed another hattrick during a Serie A match and helped his team overcome Inter Milan, one of their most powerful rivals in Italy. His performance this season deserves to go down in the history books."

"David!" Fabio Crudeli, the other commentator, called out. "Do you see any way for Inter Milan to crawl their way back into this game?"

"I really don't see a way!" David Ferrini was quick to reply. "The Juventus players have been exceptional during today's game. They have worked hard and played brilliant football to overpower Inter Milan in all areas of the field. I'm sure they will continue doing just that to achieve their desired result. Moreover, there's also Zachary, who has been beyond exceptional. He is an ever-present threat in front of Inter Milan's goal, and I don't think there's a chance for Inter Milan to turn the situation around while he's still on the field of play."

"Good analysis," Fabio Crudeli commended. "I'm of the same view. Zachary is too much for the entire Inter Milan team. He's at the top of his game today, and I can't visualize just how the men from Milan can turn this game around with him on the pitch..."

--

The commentators were spot-on with their projections. During the final twenty-plus minutes, Inter Milan devoted plenty of manpower to contain Zachary. They utilized Mateo Kovacic and Yann M'Vila, two of their central midfielders, to shadow Zachary's movements. In doing that, they undoubtedly reduced Zachary's impact on the field of play. But as a negative, they also left a lot of gaps in midfield as the two men kept running all over the pitch while trying to keep up with Zachary.

What followed was pretty obvious. The other Juventus players, including Carlos Tevez, Álvaro Morata (the substitute), Simone Padoin, and Arturo Vidal, brilliantly utilized the gaps left by the two players marking Zachary. They created chances during the final few minutes and allowed Juventus to put two more goals past Inter Milan.

Carlos Tevez scored the fourth goal for Juventus during the 78th minute after skillfully linking up with a pin-point through-pass from Arturo Vidal. Then, Álvaro Morata, the substitute striker, found the back of the net during the 84th minute after a lightning-fast exchange of short passes between him and Simone Padoin, the other Juventus midfielder. And with that, the score was finally 5:1 in favor of Juventus as the game headed into the final few minutes.

From there on, it was all about game management for Juventus. The players in black and white didn't relax even after Álvaro Morata scored the fifth goal. They continued playing short but steady passes while occasionally employing some time-wasting strategies until the final whistle sounded after three minutes of added time.

Report chapter Comments

Chapter 535 Incredible Match Statistics

Beatrice Paretti, the Sky Italia journalist, hosted the Serie A post-match show that evening. Right after the interviews with the coaches and players, she smiled at the cameras and said, "Welcome back, our dear viewers, from that exciting Serie A battle between Juventus and Inter Milan. It was business as usual for the Juventus squad as they thrashed Roberto Mancini's struggling Inter Milan by a score of 5:1."

"Zachary continued his exceptional scoring form and put three past the Inter Milan keeper to complete yet another hat-trick this season," she continued. "Then, as a finishing touch, late goals from Carlos Tevez and Álvaro Morata sealed the pummeling of the team from Milan. What a game we've just witnessed! With me in the studio are two gentlemen who are former professionals that played in the Italian Serie A. They will help us analyze and scrutinize why Juventus was able to thrash Inter Milan by five goals to one. Alessandro Costacurta and Roberto Baggio! Welcome to the Sky Italia studio. We're glad to have you here."

"Thank you, Beatrice," The two pundits replied, more or less in unison as the cameras focused on them.

"Let's get straight to business." Beatrice Paretti smiled at the cameras. "Roberto! You just watched the game. What was the difference between the two teams? Why was Juventus so overwhelming on the field of play to the point of thrashing their old rival, Inter Milan, by five goals to one?"

"Well, the answer to that question is quite simple," Roberto Baggio said while smiling at the cameras. "The difference between Juventus and Inter Milan was one young player - Zachary Bemba. His display was so awe-inspiring during the game, and Inter Milan had no way to handle him. His performance today was a 10/10, and he literally destroyed the opponents just by himself."

"His three goals were quite impressive," Beatrice Paretti hurriedly chimed in as the cameras focused back on her. "I haven't seen such goals in a Serie A match for quite a while."

"Yes, they were quite spectacular goals," Roberto Baggio agreed. "The first and second were pretty much the same. Zachary Bemba escaped his markers and drifted from the midfield toward the wing. He then relied on his swift acceleration to set up a one-versus-one against Danilo D'Ambrosio, the Inter Milan left-back. His unparalleled skills allowed him to dash past the defender and slalom his way past a few more opponents before stepping into the box and finding the back of the net. Those two goals were, in every true sense, spectacles for the record books."

"As for the third," Roberto Baggio continued, "It was a typical forward's goal converted from a corner kick. Zachary Bemba showcased his game reading, timing, and finishing skills by towering over everyone else in the box and finding the back of the net with a powerful header. The goal might have looked simple to a layman's eyes, but to all who have ever played professional football, they would have a different perspective. Zachary did everything right from the time the corner was taken. He utilized his wits to escape the harassment of his markers before timing his run perfectly and connecting with the ball. Zachary did just enough to guide the ball into the back of the net. He didn't apply too much force while heading but merely utilized the ball's momentum to generate enough power to beat the keeper and bag his third for the night. His finishing at that moment was the pinnacle of goal scoring, even at the world-class level."

"Thank you for your analysis, Roberto," Beatrice Paretti said. "I have just looked at the game statistics between the two teams. They are quite astonishing. Juventus dominated Inter Milan in all aspects of the game. Let's have a look as we continue with our analysis."

And with that said, the game statistics appeared on the screens around the studio. Beatrice Paretti and the two pundits immediately focused on the stats before continuing their post-match analysis.

GAME STATISTICS

-Score (Goals)

Juventus FC (5) : (1) Inter Milan

--

-Goal Scorers

Mauro Icardi (Inter Milan) 47'

Zachary Bemba (Juventus) 50', 52', 61'

Carlos Tevez (Juventus) 78'

Álvaro Morata (Juventus) 84'

--

-Ball Possession

Juventus FC (72%) : (28%) Inter Milan

-Shots on Target

Juventus FC (9) : (3) Inter Milan

-Shots off Target

Juventus FC (3) : (4) Inter Milan

--

-Corner Kicks

Juventus FC (8) : (2) Inter Milan

-Fouls

Juventus FC (7) : (11) Inter Milan

-Yellow Cards

Juventus FC (0) : (2) Inter Milan

--

-Big Chances

Juventus FC (10) : (3) Inter Milan

-Big Chances Missed

Juventus FC (5) : (2) Inter Milan

--

-Passes

Juventus FC (732) : (271) Inter Milan

-Accurate Passes

Juventus FC (653/89%) : (204/75%) Inter Milan

"This is pretty much what we expected," Alessandro Costacurta, the other pundit present in the studio, said after glancing at the statistics. "Juventus was overwhelming in all areas. Their 5:1 thrashing of Inter Milan doesn't come as a surprise to me."

Roberto Baggio pursed his lips and said, "At least my old team, Inter Milan, didn't lose out against Juventus in all aspects. They have more shots off-target, more fouls, and more yellow cards than Juventus. That should count for something. Right?"

The others in the studio chuckled at that.

"Alessandro!" Beatrice Paretti hurriedly chipped in. "Look at the time for Zachary's three goals. He scored during the 50th, 52nd, and 61st minutes. That implies that he destroyed Inter Milan in a brief span of less than a dozen minutes. Truly surprising!"

"Yes, the fact that Inter Milan conceded the three goals in such a short time period also surprised me," Alessandro Costacurta said. "I think the Inter Milan players switched off for a bit during those minutes, and Zachary being as sharp as he is, took advantage of their laxity. He first scored two goals within a window of fewer than three minutes before adding the third that pretty much sealed the deal. If Roberto Mancini had taken measures to contain him right after Inter Milan scored, the result might have differed greatly from what we see now. Zachary might not have scored those three goals, and Inter Milan would have had a chance to win or draw the game."

"I have a different opinion," Roberto Baggio hurriedly said. "Coach Roberto Mancini tried to contain Zachary Bemba by man-marking him with Mateo Kovacic and Yann M'Vila, during the final twenty-five minutes. But what was the result? Sure, Zachary's impact on the game was reduced. However, it was at the cost of leaving gaps that were readily utilized by the other Juventus attackers to put two more goals past Inter Milan during the late stages. So, following that reasoning, the result wouldn't have varied from what it is now, even if Coach Roberto Mancini had utilized two players to mark Zachary from the very beginning. Inter Milan would have only contained Zachary, but Juventus would still thrash them overwhelmingly."

"Let's look at Zachary's statistics for the game before we continue," Beatrice said, and the screens around the studio flashed to show a select few of Zachary's stats against Inter Milan.

ZACHARY BEMBA'S STATS

-Minutes played: 90'

-Goals: 3

-Assists: 0

--

-Shots on Target 4

-Shots blocked 1

-Hit the Woodwork 1

-Dribble Attempts (succ.) 6(5)

-Big Chances Missed 2

--

-Touches 89

-Accurate Passes 71 (97.2%)

-Key Passes 3

"Look at his passing accuracy," Roberto Baggio hurriedly drew the viewers' attention to that specific statistic on the screen. "Zachary was so flawless with the ball that he achieved a 97.2% passing accuracy statistic against Inter Milan. He didn't lose possession unnecessarily — a feat that allowed him to have a maximum impact throughout the entire ninety-plus minutes of the game."

"The statistic that really impresses me is the success rate of his dribble attempts," Alessandro Costacurta, the other pundit, chimed in. "Zachary attempted six dribbles and succeeded in five of those. Moreover, three of those resulted in big chances for Juventus, implying that his creativity within the opponent's half is truly terrifying. He's really maturing fast and quickly becoming a playmaker that can threaten any defense within the top leagues in Europe."

"Yes, he is improvement has been lightning-fast," Roberto Baggio agreed. "His hat trick today has allowed him to push his Serie A tally to 20 goals. Additionally, he previously scored two goals in the Supercoppa and nine in the Champions League. So, as we speak, his season total in all competitions is 31 goals, and he has achieved such a feat at a point just after the mid-season mark."

"I'm just wondering whether Zachary will go on to score 60 goals by the end of the season," Beatrice Paretti said. "If he can score thirty-plus goals right after the mid-season mark, why can't he score 30 more before the end of the season? We might be looking at a player that might break most (if not all) goal-scoring records in Europe."

"Success doesn't come that smoothly in football." Roberto Baggio chuckled. "Sure, Zachary is a once-in-a-generation young talent. I'm sure that he will score more goals before the season ends. But again, we must understand that coaches and defenders will study and assess him as he continues playing. They will come up with targeted strategies to contain him, and that will limit his goal-scoring opportunities. I'm no prophet of doom, but there's also the question of whether Zachary can remain a hundred percent match-fit for the rest of the season. Going by the norm, there should be more and more days when he feels tired as the season progresses into its late stages. The fatigue would affect his consistency in the long run, and he might not be able to maintain his goal-scoring form."

"We've talked about Zachary a lot today. Haven't we?" Beatrice Paretti said with a smile. "Let's now focus on his team. Juventus has been impressive this season. After beating Inter Milan today, they extended their perfect winning streak in the Serie A to seventeen games. Moreover, they also have six other wins from the Champions League's group stages and one more from the Supercoppa final when they defeated Napoli. They haven't lost or drawn even a single game and are probably the best-performing team in Europe this season."

"Yes, Juventus' form this season is so astonishing," Alessandro Costacurta said with an audible sigh. "In my honest opinion, I think they will win the Serie A without any challenge. They have won all games and amassed all the 51 points they could possibly get from their 17 Serie A games this season. They are already ahead of the second-placed AS Roma by 12 points, which puts them in the perfect position to win this year's Serie A. They are really flying as a team, mostly because of the overwhelming displays by Zachary Bemba, their young playmaker, who is like a magician on the field of play."

Beatrice Paretti smiled. "Juventus will face off against Napoli next Sunday, on the 11th of January, 2015. It will be the second meeting between the two teams this season, and this time around, it's in the Serie A. Juventus won the previous battle between the two sides during the Supercoppa final. Can they repeat the same performance and extend their perfect winning streak in the Serie A this season to 18 games?"

"With the form that Juventus is on, I don't see any way Napoli can defeat them," Roberto Baggio said as the cameras focused on him. "Juventus will head into the fixture with all the momentum to attain victory, especially after having already beaten Napoli in the Supercoppa by four goals to zero. But again, football is sometimes unpredictable. Maybe something unexpected could happen, and we could see an upset by Napoli."

"In that case," Alessandro Costacurta said lightly, "The sun might just set in the east on the day Napoli manages the upset against a Juventus team that is in good shape. The future is always unpredictable."

The others in the studio chuckled and ended their analysis of Juventus. They then proceeded on with the show and started discussing the other teams in the Italian Serie A.

--

Chapter 536 Another Victory and a New Challenge

Five days later, on Sunday, January 11th, 2015, the Juventus squad traveled to Naples for their away Serie A match against Napoli. The kick-off was at 8:45 PM, and the game between the two sides proceeded as expected.

Despite being at an away ground, Juventus got off to a flying start and showed no signs of relaxing even for a minute as they ran the Napoli defense ragged through the first half. The Old Lady players were exceptional on the attack, and they had a surprising total of thirteen shots on target during the opening half an hour. However, they still failed to break the deadlock until the 38th minute, right after Arturo Vidal came alive with some magic within the midfield.

After winning an aerial duel close to the center circle, Arturo Vidal moved like the wind and flew toward the other side of the pitch at breakneck speed. He then exchanged a couple of quick one-twos with Carlos Tevez through the middle before receiving the ball again and breaking into an unmarked pocket of space before Napoli's box. Then, as a passing angle opened up, the Chilean remained composed and threaded a fantastic through pass to Zachary Bemba, who continued his rich run of goal-scoring form by finishing superbly from a tight angle.

The opening goal calmed the nerves of the traveling Juventus supporters, who had previously feared that it would be one of those evenings where the ball would not just go into the back of the net, no matter how hard the players tried. Their worries were soon proven true as Rafael Cabral, the Napoli keeper, made several impressive saves to Deny Carlos Tevez on multiple occasions. Then, during the 43rd and 45th minutes, Álvaro Morata and Stephan Lichtsteiner missed clear goal-scoring opportunities that could have allowed Juventus to extend their lead before the half-time break.

The second half commenced after fifteen minutes, and Napoli came out of the tunnel as a much-improved side. The men in blue utilized a mixture of foul play and tight man-marking strategies to contain the on-form Zachary while also doing their best to attack. However, their attacking efforts fell short on several occasions, and they didn't really manage to test Gianluigi Buffon even once during the opening minutes of the second half.

The Napoli players were, of course, not just going to give up even after failing to score on multiple occasions. They committed more men forward and launched more and more fierce attacks on Juventus' defense as the game approached the 65th minute. They looked like a totally different version of their side from the first half and even came close to scoring during the 68th and 71st minutes.

But right as the Napoli men were at the peak of their momentum, they faced the challenge most attack-oriented teams face when playing Juventus. As they committed more numbers forward, they attracted increasingly dangerous counterattacks from the highly-technical Juventus players, like Zachary, who almost doubled Juventus' lead during the 76th minute. Napoli only survived due to the brilliance of Rafael Cabral, the Napoli keeper, who again palmed Zachary's grounded shot out of play to keep his team in the game.

Juventus' lead was eventually doubled during the 82nd minute after Raúl Albiol, the Napoli center-back, failed to control a long ball up the pitch on the left side of his goal. Zachary, who happened to be lurking close by, didn't waste any second pouncing forward like a predator and winning the loose ball. He then accelerated to top speed almost instantaneously before squaring a pass to Álvaro Morata, who unleashed a curling shot past the keeper and scored Juventus' second for the night.

The score was then 2:0 in favor of Juventus, and what followed was pretty much an uneventful final few minutes. The Juventus players resorted to time-wasting strategies to kill off the game by playing monotonous but pointless possession football to deny Napoli any chances to create opportunities. And just like that, the men in striped black and white jerseys maintained their two-goal lead and attained victory after five minutes of extra time.

--

Having won their away Serie A game against Napoli, the Juventus players became more spirited about the season. They returned to training after just one day of rest and turned their focus to the next fixture, which happened to be a Coppa Italia home game against Hellas Verona.

The Coppa Italia was Italy's flagship domestic cup. Over the past few years, it continued to enjoy remarkable growth. Many clubs in all of Italy's top divisions were eager to join the tournament and strive for the sizeable financial and reputational rewards that came hand in hand with lifting the trophy.

As a football powerhouse in Italy, Juventus had never neglected the domestic cup since its inception. That year was no different, and the Juventus coaches were all eager to partake in the competition. They pushed the players to work hard for the following three days in preparation for their first Coppa Italia match against Hellas Verona.

Zachary was among the key players working tirelessly to attain tip-top match fitness before the game. He didn't complain when the coaches pushed him hard but quietly followed their instructions to the very last detail. He was as focused as ever as he wanted to raise his skills and compete favorably with the best in the world.

In the meantime, the rest of the players couldn't contain their desire to win every competition they participated in. Most of them even gave a training maniac like Zachary a run for his money as they prepared for the Coppa Italia.

Zachary was particularly impressed by the work ethic and determination of Andrea Pirlo, the Maestro who happened to have just returned from injury. Andrea was no longer relaxed during training but worked harder than the rest of his teammates, including Zachary.

Be it gym work in the morning, ball work at lunch break, and extra agility drills late in the evening — Andrea went through them all on a daily basis during those three days before the game against Hellas Verona. He was really going all out to recover full match fitness and return to the squad.

The days went by quickly as the Juventus players trained intensively. And just like that, Wednesday, January 14th, which happened to be the eve of the day when they would face off against Hellas Verona, arrived.

Coppa Italia," the system AI's apathetic voice followed. "The conditions required to initiate the 23:28

2014/15 Coppa Italia Mission have been met."

On that day, the Juventus players trained only up to 3:00 PM. Then, they showered and rested for an hour before heading to the tactics room to attend Coach Max Allegri's pre-match address for the game against Hellas Verona.

Coach Max Allegri, on his part, didn't waste a lot of time on the tactics, as he had already gone through the entire game plan during the past few days of training. He straight away highlighted a few crucial points before naming the squad, which without a surprise, included the just-recovered Andrea Pirlo. Then, the coach assigned individual roles for the game before sending his players back to their homes for the night.

--

"DING"

The system notification sounded in Zachary's mind right after he stepped into his room later that night.

"The system has detected that the user is now part of the Juventus squad playing in the 2014/15 Coppa Italia," the system AI's apathetic voice followed. "The conditions required to initiate the 2014/15 Coppa Italia Mission have been met."

"DING"

"The 2014/15 Coppa Italia Mission initiated successfully."

"Does the user wish to view the mission details right away?"

"Yes, please bring up the details," Zachary answered. In the meantime, he switched on the light and settled on his bed.

"The user's command has been received," the system AI said. "Mission details will be coming up on the interface in a bit. The user can take his time reading them."

The space before Zachary shimmered with a bright luster after the system notification ended. The crystal-like display that was the system interface manifested out of thin air, and Zachary immediately focused on its contents.

GOAT MISSIONS

--

#NEW MISSION: 2014/15 Coppa Italia Challenge

-The system has detected that the user is part of the Juventus squad that will play the 2014/15 Coppa Italia. The system has designed an associated mission for the event.

--

-The user needs to accept the mission first to stand a chance of winning rewards after completing the milestones below.

--

Milestone 1: Play 80% of the 2014/15 Coppa Italia fixtures.

Milestone 2: Help your teammates become the 2014/15 Coppa Italia Champions.

Milestone 3: Provide the most assists in the 2014/15 Coppa Italia tournament.

Milestone 4: Become the top scorer of the 2014/15 Coppa Italia tournament.

Milestone 5: Become the MVP of the 2014/15 Coppa Italia tournament.

--

Rewards:

-Milestone 1 completion reward: 100 Juju-points

-Milestone 2 completion reward: 2000 Juju-points

-Milestone 3 completion reward: 10,000 Juju-points

-Milestone 4 completion reward: 20,000 Juju-points

-Milestone 5 completion reward: A random-effect elixir that can increase one of the user's fitness attributes by an entire grade. The specific attributes that can be improved after consuming the elixir include Balance and Coordination, Agility, Strength, Stamina, and Endurance.

--

NB: There will be additional rewards if the user realizes any other milestones that can unlock hidden missions.

--

-The user can choose not to accept the mission.

Accept *Reject

--

Punishment if none of the milestones has been achieved after the stipulated time (In case the user accepts).

-Minus 70,000 Juju-points

The user has to complete at least one milestone before the tournament ends to escape the penalty.

--

Remarks: Every little victory counts: Never underestimate the power of small but consistent wins whose effects compound over time.

Zachary immediately accepted the mission after reading the mission details. Then, he spent the next few minutes washing up before jumping into bed for the night. He was eager to get ample sleep so that he would be fresh and well-rested for the following day's game against Hellas Verona.

The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

Report chapter Comments