Chapter 106
Chapter 106
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 106
Chapter Title: The One Who Keeps His Word - Part 3
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June 4, 2022.
Before they knew it, the sunlight had grown intense, and the people walking through the streets of Florence were dressed lightly.
The city's skyline was no different from usual.
Yet, there was a subtle feeling of being unusually leisurely.
The streets, which should have been bustling, were relatively empty, and more than a few shops were closed despite it not being a weekend.
Just like a general strike had taken place, 'CLOSE' signs hung at every shop.
One might have a reason to complain about this, but people who checked the reason for the closure all turned away with a smile.
Everyone understood it was a valid reason.
-Closed from June 4th to 6th for personal reasons-
-Taking two days off-
-Going to watch soccer. Come again next time.-
-The owner is going to see Fiorentina win-
Everyone was heading to Rome.
It was a challenge for the championship after a whopping 22 years. 22 years.
While 22 years might sound like just a number, it was a long, long wait.
During the time Fiorentina couldn't get their hands on the trophy, five World Cups were held.
The child born at the time of their last championship had already become an adult and was quite old, and those who were in their twenties had become middle-aged.
After such a long time, Fiorentina was challenging for the championship once again.
Those who wanted to see with their own eyes the era they had only heard about from their elders, and those who wanted to return to that era.
Everyone was heading to Rome.
There were so many people who considered their livelihoods unimportant if only they could see Fiorentina win, live from the stadium.
That was how much the people of Florence had inflated their longing for the championship after 22 years.
"Heave-ho."
Amidst it all, Umberto, the owner of 'The Morning of Florence,' which claimed to be the best fruit shop in Florence, was shaking the dust off his hands after locking up.
As a shop that dealt exclusively with fresh fruit, Umberto had never taken more than a day off in over 20 years, but... this time, he had no choice but to leave the shop empty.
Because he absolutely wanted to see it with his own two eyes.
The sight of that boy, who was like a green apple visiting the shop every morning, becoming the hero of Fiorentina.
"Alright, that's that."
Umberto nodded with satisfaction after putting up the final sign.
The sign read:
We're closed until tomorrow. Cut us some slack. How often do you get a chance to go back to your twenties?
The phrasing was shameless for a notice of closure, but Umberto just chuckled.
It was a confidence born from the sincerity he had kept for 20 years.
"Let's go."
In order not to miss the train he had booked, Umberto hurried on his way.
···
June 5, 2022, 6:00 PM.
Rome, Italy. Stadio Olimpico.
The massive stadium, boasting a capacity of 70,000, was packed to the brim with spectators.
Frankly, the density looked like it exceeded 70,000 at a glance, enough to make the word 'sold out' feel inadequate, but regardless, it was sold out.
The official attendance count was 70,634.
As it was a match held at a neutral venue, exactly half were Nerazzurri and half were Viola.
The chants of the fans of both teams mixed together, creating a strange dissonance.
The whistle hadn't blown yet, but the vocal battle between the fans made it feel as if the match had already begun.
"Amala─!" "Pazza Inter, amala─!" "È una gioia infinita─!" "Che dura una vita─!" "Pazza Inter, amala─!"
Inter was thirstier for the championship than anyone else.
They had shown good performances throughout the season and achieved results better than expected, but ultimately, they had nothing to show for it.
They were eliminated in the Round of 16 in the Champions League, and in the league, they finished as runners-up, just 2 points behind.
And the team that took the championship with that 2-point difference was none other than AC Milan.
The two Milan teams are considered the most famous rivals in Europe, and since their rival had claimed the league championship, Inter was in a situation where they had to lift at least one trophy to avoid humiliation.
The Nerazzurri hoped that today's trophy would be the Coppa Italia, and their desperate longing, filled with a sense of crisis that they would be left with nothing if they lost, was being unleashed as a massive roar.
However... the voice of the Viola settled on the other side was no less formidable.
No, perhaps it was even bigger.
"Oh Fiorentina─!" "Di ogni squadra ti vogliam regina!" "Oh Fiorentina─!" "Combatti ovunque ardita e con valor!" "Forza Fiorentina─!" "Alé viola─!"
Inter won last year, didn't they?
This side has been trophyless for 22 years. 22 years.
The longing of those 22 years had finally reached its moment, and the voices of the fans, who had no intention of returning empty-handed, shook the very foundations of the stadium.
Everyone was of different ages, different jobs, and different lives, but in this moment.
In this moment, wearing the same purple jerseys and singing the same chants, the 35,000 were one.
They wanted Fiorentina to win.
WAAAAAAAAAAAAH─!!
With a huge roar, the players of both teams began to appear on the field.
*
As sports are by nature cruel, a final match has an even more brutal side to it.
Because in a single match, one side takes everything, and the other loses everything.
"Let's pour it all out. Just, let's pour it all out. There is no tomorrow. Let's fight as if we're going to kill them and die ourselves."
As the captain's voice, trembling slightly, reached my ears while we were huddled together in the center of the field, I swallowed hard.
Not just me, but the sound of others swallowing their spit could be heard from all around.
My body couldn't stay still, and the tension was so great I could hear my own pounding heart, but... it was surprisingly comforting to know that I wasn't the only one who felt this tense.
It's natural to be tense.
So there's no need to worry.
"Alright, let's go."
"Let's go, let's go!"
"Forza─!"
"Viola─!!"
Shouting 'Viola' for the last time this season, we scattered to our positions.
I too walked towards the center circle, twisting my neck and rotating my arms while scanning the entire stadium.
I could see many fans, and I felt a sense of responsibility at the same time.
What would happen if we lose?
Everyone would be sad. After coming all this way.
I couldn't even dare to imagine the scale of that sadness.
So, I decided not to imagine it.
If I fail... many people would be sad, but.
On the contrary, if I do well, many people will be happy.
I am a person blessed with the ability to make those people happy.
Also, I am a person blessed with the ability to make the people precious to me smile.
"...I can do it."
Repeating these things to myself, I waited for the whistle to blow.
This isn't my first final.
But it's my first time being this tense, so I felt like I had to mutter something like this.
...I said it with my own mouth.
That I would return to Florence holding the championship trophy.
"How do you plan to handle that?"
Jiu's voice popped into my head for a moment, and I let out a dry laugh.
She's right.
Why did I make such a promise?
But, you know.
Do you know that all the things I've said until now were things I couldn't handle either?
But I kept them.
Just because of that silly thought of wanting to look good to someone.
So today too... I will keep the words I have spoken.
PHEEEEEEEEP─!
Hearing the powerful sound of the whistle, I pushed off the ground with even more force.
*
It's cramped.
The first impression of the final was 'cramped.'
We came out in a 4-3-3 formation, and the opponent in a classic 3-5-2.
Just looking at the numbers, there are 8 players in the midfield, but in reality, there are even more.
The opponent, having many midfielders to begin with, was forming a very dense midfield line.
Our side also had Saponara and Romero, our seniors on the left and right, positioned high, while I was dropping down, which added another player to the midfield.
In reality, a phenomenon was occurring where nearly 10 players were crowding the midfield.
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Paang!
Paang!
Because of this, I could feel the tempo of the game was quite fast.
The opponent was connecting short passes in a narrow area, and no player was keeping the ball for more than three touches.
That was only natural.
Since everyone was maintaining a close distance, pressure was being applied to the player with the ball within three seconds.
Keeping the ball for a long time in this environment required considerable courage.
Still, seeing the opponent's form of passing the ball around in this narrow space gave a sense of confidence, but on the other hand, it also felt like they were tense as well.
It was because their passing looked less relaxed and more urgent, as if they were passing a ticking bomb.
The opponent is human too, and they were visibly tense.
"Hold your positions! Don't push up!"
Of course, the same was true for us, as we could see our formation wavering from moment to moment, but the captain's voice would straighten it out every time.
Seeing that, I suddenly kept getting the feeling of when I played for the U17 team.
The seniors who usually seemed so distant had faces that didn't look any different from the U17 kids.
That's why I felt the captain's role would be huge today.
Everyone was busy joking around at the training ground, but on the field, they all relied on the captain.
First and foremost, I was the same.
Paang!
Paang!
Anyway, the opponent's passing continued cautiously.
That sight felt so selfish that it almost made me angry for a moment.
It was clear they just wanted to touch the ball among themselves to adapt during the initial time when they needed to get used to the stadium.
Of course, the fact that I, their opponent, was getting angry meant that Inter was playing smartly.
"Slowly, don't run too much-"
As I was chasing the ball, Bonaventura, my senior, passed by me and said.
I slowed down a bit at his words.
While my range of activity was wide, from the front line to the midfield, my role was to spread my influence from the attack side.
That was the basics, but I seemed to have forgotten that basic thing in my slight impatience.
This is why the top scorer award isn't mine alone.
Right.
I need to work as a team, breathe with the team, and trust my teammates a bit more.
With that thought, I took a moment to catch my breath and spread my senses to get a view of the field from above.
Just because the space was narrow didn't mean my vision had to be narrow too.
I needed to get rid of my impatience and map out the situation in advance so I could continue my next play whenever the ball came to me.
And then, for a moment... I saw a vacant space.
An unwelcome pass from the opponent moved forward.
BOOOOOOM─!
A long, lofted pass flew towards the box.
A tall opposing striker was standing at the point where the ball was expected to drop.
And a sturdy attacker was seen approaching that area.
A big and small combination, straight out of a tactics textbook: Edin Džeko and Lautaro Martínez.
It might look a bit dated, but there's a reason things appear in textbooks.
Theory unfolds in practice.
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Paang!
The ball, having reached Džeko's head, dropped in front, and Lautaro quickly pounced on it.
Before the match, the coach had told us to be most wary of Lautaro.
And Lautaro showed the reason why with just his first touch.
BOOOOOOOOM─!
Without taking another step, he created the angle with just two touches and shot from there.
The shot, fired from directly in front of the arc, threatened the goal.
However, the defenders positioned right in front of the box had narrowed the angle well.
The shot went straight for the goalkeeper.
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Paang!
It was caught cleanly in his arms.
The goalkeeper, cradling the ball as if holding a baby, fell forward and scanned the area.
WOOOOOOOH─!
A roar filled with various meanings enveloped the stadium.
There was some distance involved, and the shot was aimed right at the goalkeeper.
Normally, it could have been a scene that passed by without much meaning, but... the atmosphere was definitely different today.
Just one confident shot drew a gasp from the spectators and took the atmosphere of the stadium, which made me understand why the coach told us to be wary of him.
"..."
Hmm.
Thinking about that, I suddenly got curious.
What did the opposing coach tell them to be most wary of among us?
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Tat-tat!
While preparing for the goal kick, I dropped a little deeper.
My teammates, seeing my form, exchanged glances...
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Paang!
The goal kick was taken short.
Paang!
Paang!
The ball then went from Milenkovic to Nastasic, then to Torreira, after which it reached Bonaventura's feet, and was then passed to me.
Tuk!
The pass came from behind, but since I had opened my body, I received it with the outside of my foot.
This made it easy to turn forward.
As I turned, the dense formation of the opposing players came into view.
For a moment, a desire arose.
Just now, the player we were supposed to be most wary of showed us the reason why...
I felt a desire to show my reason as well.
'Why I am the league's top scorer.'
Actually, it might be closer to a self-suggestion than a desire.
It felt like this was the only way to shake off this tension, so I repeated it in my head.
'I am the top scorer of Serie A, and the opponent cannot stop me.'
Saying this to myself, I thought I must be crazy from being so tense, but it didn't matter.
I have to go crazy anyway.
All the moments up until now have been like that.
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Tat-tat!
Two, three opponents closed the distance and approached.
Tuk, tuk!
However, instead of turning back again, I pushed the ball forward and advanced.
I intended to take control of the flow.
THE ONE WHO KEEPS HIS WORD - 4