Chapter 89
Chapter 89
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 89
Chapter Title: Whale in a Well - 2
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They say the last time our team made it to the Champions League was a full 13 years ago.
Thirteen years ago... I was three years old.
For 13 years, we haven't been to the Champions League, which is why there are no seniors on our team who have ever played in it.
The captain and Torreira are the only ones with any Champions League experience, but they were with other teams at the time.
"...What was it like?"
At my question about what it was like to play in the Champions League, the captain looked at me with an utterly dumbfounded expression.
At the same time, the other seniors burst out laughing.
...Why are they laughing?
As I tilted my head in confusion, Bonaventura spoke up.
"You're the only one who can bring up the Champions League in front of the captain."
"Why...?"
"He's got a pretty painful memory of it. Captain, is it okay if I tell him?"
At Bonaventura's question, the captain just gave a resigned shrug.
Bonaventura continued.
"That was the year before last, right? When the captain ditched us and went on loan to Inter. He played in the Champions League there."
"Yeah."
"But he got torn to shreds. Completely ripped apart. Like this."
Bonaventura, making a terrifying face, mimed tearing a jersey apart.
This made the other seniors burst out laughing again, and the captain's expression turned to one of utter disgust.
I couldn't believe the captain got torn apart like that, so I asked.
"Torn to shreds how...?"
"Who was the opponent again, Captain?"
"...Borussia Dortmund. Hakimi. I got played for a fool. He still shows up in my dreams sometimes."
The captain said, furrowing his brow.
As if the memory of that day was still vivid, the captain even shuddered as he spoke.
"That kid was just ridiculously fast. It felt like driving a Ferrari against him. He'd just breeze past me and I couldn't catch him at all. By the time I turned my head, he was already long gone. I'm not slow myself, so that's how I ended up getting played."
The captain's spirit visibly deflated with every word he said.
"Our forwards scored two goals that day, but I got pierced through for three goals, and we lost. Two of those goals were from Hakimi. We lost because of me, simple as that."
The captain said bitterly, and Bonaventura patted his shoulder.
"It's okay, it's okay. Thanks to that, you couldn't even last a year before coming back to our team. Inter was so impressed, they signed Hakimi the very next season."
"Thanks for nothing, you prick."
The seniors laughed.
But I felt a chill run down my spine.
The captain is the leader of our team, and the leader of our defense.
I'm not part of the defense, so I don't know the details, but I've seen him give all sorts of advice to the other defenders.
Most importantly, up until now, I've never seen the captain get completely overwhelmed without being able to do a thing about it.
Not against Juventus, not against Inter, Milan, or Napoli.
I've seen him struggle at times, but he's never been a weak link in our defense.
And yet, there's a player out there who made him so breathless... I can't even begin to fathom how good that player must be.
The world really does feel so much bigger now.
How much more do I have to work to catch up?
"That player... he must be famous, right?"
"Hakimi? Of course he's famous. Last year... oh, you wouldn't know since you never faced him. He's in Paris now, right?"
"Yeah."
"A player like Hakimi would easily make the top ten in his position, wouldn't he?"
"Ah..."
Top ten in his position...
Hmm.
Well, that makes it a bit easier to understand.
If it's a player who ranks among the world's top ten wingers... it's understandable to get torn apart by him.
For some reason, I feel a sense of relief.
"And I didn't even know a forward of that caliber existed."
I really am an idiot. I've just been playing soccer, but I know absolutely nothing about it.
It's only now that I'm hearing the name of a winger who ranks in the top five in the world for the first time.
I should start studying the players more seriously from now on.
As I was thinking that, Bonaventura tilted his head.
"A forward?"
"Huh?"
"Hakimi isn't a forward, is he? He's a fullback."
"...A fullback?"
"Well, he's a fullback who's better than most wingers. Did you really think the captain, who's not a winger but a defender, got torn apart by another defender?"
"..."
I was at a complete loss for words.
Not a forward, but a defender...?
You're telling me a defender completely tore apart the captain, who holds his own against Serie A wingers?
"Ah..."
...The world isn't just big, it's terrifyingly huge.
And there are terrifyingly many geniuses.
"What's with that look on your face?"
"Huh? Ah, no..."
"Don't tell me you're scared?"
"It's just... I'm realizing how big the world is."
At my words, the seniors gave gentle smiles.
I wonder what they mean by those smiles.
The captain spoke.
"The world is a big place. I'm starting to realize that more and more myself. When I was a kid, I thought I was the best. I was the best in my neighborhood. But after joining the youth academy, where all the best kids from the neighborhood were gathered, I realized I was nothing. And then what about the pros? The only ones who make it up from that youth academy are the ones who survived, so the fact that I've managed to stick around this long is a miracle in itself."
Bonaventura picked up where the captain left off.
"Even becoming number one within this Italy requires divine help, and outside of Italy, there are even more monstrous creatures swarming around. The world really is a big place."
I nodded, and the captain put his hand on my shoulder and said,
"Still, there's no need to be scared. We might be at the level of just barely scraping by here, but you're different, rookie. You're a world-class talent. A talent too precious to be confined to this small peninsula."
I gave an awkward smile at his words, and the captain spoke as if I didn't believe him.
"I'm serious. It wasn't just Hakimi. Back then, we also faced Barcelona. We saw Messi, Suárez, Griezmann—players that send shivers down your spine just hearing their names. But when I look at you, I don't get the feeling you'd be overwhelmed by those guys. I'm being honest."
At the captain's words, I glanced at the other seniors, and not a single one of them was laughing.
The captain continued with a serious face.
"The players I've faced myself—Hakimi, Griezmann, and that kid Ansu Fati who seems to be the hot thing lately. But do you know who's even harder to stop than them? It's you, during practice. Everyone will probably realize it by next season. That the real deal is you."
With the captain saying all this, I had no choice but to nod.
I said,
"That player, Hakimi... if I ever get to face him, I'll get revenge for you."
"Revenge? Hahaha! Yeah, I'm counting on it. Please, tear that bastard to shreds. You're the only one who can do it for me."
"Even Hakimi will become the 'captain before Hakimi' in front of our rookie. Talent is all relative, you know."
"Shut up, you bastards. There are some guys who can make even the same words sound annoying. You guys go get ready for training!"
With a kick from the captain, Bonaventura and the other seniors cackled and headed for the training ground.
I watched them go and chuckled to myself, then it suddenly occurred to me.
To be able to tear apart a top-ten fullback, just how high in my own position would I have to rank?
Could I even make the top 100 right now?
I don't know.
The world is just so vast.
There's no telling what kind of monsters are out there across the sea; to make any rash judgments... I still know far too little.
"Should we get going too? To get revenge, we have to make it to the Champions League first. And for that, winning this week's match is the first step."
"Right."
Thinking about the vast, wide world, I can't help but work harder.
Before, I thought things would be okay once I settled in a bit, but the higher I climb, the more I realize I need to stay humble.
I nodded and prepared for training.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
"What exactly is the problem?"
"It's a problem on a fundamental level."
"Well, of course. It's all a problem, but let's get a bit more specific now."
"Hah, geez. Where do I even begin..."
Inside a cozy studio.
Two men sit facing each other in front of cameras arranged in a circle.
These two, who are scratching their foreheads with gloomy expressions, are the hosts of a talk show called 'Total Football'.
Today's topic on Total Football, which covers all soccer news across Italy, was... the complete elimination of Serie A clubs from the Champions League.
"Well, everyone knew Juventus wasn't in the best of form lately. But no one expected them to get eliminated by losing to Villarreal."
"And no one expected them to lose 0-3 at home, either."
"And the elimination of AC Milan and Inter, who are leading the league, is nothing I even want to talk about."
"That's the reality. The fact that the teams ranked 1st and 2nd in our Serie A are powers that can't even get past the Champions League Round of 16—that's the reality of Serie A right now."
As if to suggest that Italian soccer has fallen into crisis, the studio lighting even turns red.
The crisis was a crisis.
AC Milan, currently leading the league, finished last in their group stage and suffered a shocking elimination.
Inter, who barely made it to the knockout stage, was eliminated by Liverpool, and even Juventus was eliminated by Villarreal, so all the Serie A teams were wiped off the bracket.
In particular, Juventus's elimination in the Round of 16 was the biggest shock, considering they had reached the final and were considered championship contenders just a few years ago.
"Our international competitiveness has completely fallen. I'm worried we might even lose our status as one of the top four European leagues."
"No. It should fall. That's what's right. That way, everyone will come to their senses. What kind of top-four league is it if not a single team can make it to the quarterfinals?"
"Now, now, please calm down for a moment."
"Is this a situation where I can just calm down? Give me a break. What's the point of Milan and Inter being dominant in the league? It's meaningless if they can't flex their muscles when they go abroad. It just means they're all 'frogs in a well'."
"That's a well-known fact. We're here to pinpoint what the problem is. Let's have some coffee first."
The hosts both took a sip of their espresso and sighed in relief.
"First of all, I think the biggest problem is the structure where a handful of teams monopolize all the promising players."
"You're referring to how all the players flock to Juventus and the two Milan clubs?"
"Yes. Any player who seems even remotely promising all gravitates to those teams. Vlahovic is a prime example this time. When all the players flock to one side, one side gets fat and sassy, while the other teams get withered away. What do you think happens then?"
"A league structure with a giant head and a deformed body is created."
The panelist nodded emphatically.
"Think about it. This might be sorry to say for some fans, but let's say there's a match between Juventus and Spezia. Is this match exciting? Are you looking forward to seeing who wins?"
"Not at all. Juventus is going to win anyway."
"That's the problem. Except for a few top teams, there's no competitiveness within the league. If you only face teams like that in the league, how can you possibly compete against the top teams in Europe? It's like, if you're just playing against teams like Venezia and then suddenly you face Real Madrid, how can that possibly be a fight?"
"The gap is huge."
The host nodded and agreed with the panelist's long speech.
Then the host threw in a counter-question.
"But isn't it similar in Germany or Spain? They also have a structure where Bayern, Real, and Barca monopolize everything."
"That's true, but their weight class is completely different from ours. This is the perfect example. Villarreal is currently 8th in La Liga. And that Villarreal beat Juventus. Where are we ranked 8th?"
"8th place... that would be Atalanta."
"Can Atalanta beat Bayern? Can they beat Real, or Barca?"
"It wouldn't be easy."
"Let's be honest. They'd get crushed."
This time, both the panelist and the host nodded.
The host spoke.
"Then, is there no hope? Among the teams that didn't make it to the Champions League this season, there are a few that are causing quite a stir, right? Napoli, Lazio, and Fiorentina. Especially Fiorentina is on the verge of catching up to 2nd place Inter. They've beaten all the top teams in their recent matchups as well."
The panelist nodded at those words.
A slight smile spread across his face, which had been full of anger until then, at the mention of Fiorentina.
"Honestly, I'm not sure if they have what it takes to compete. For one, they lack experience. You could say the same for Napoli, but for a team like Fiorentina, this is practically their first time competing. They don't have a single player with Champions League experience."
"It sounds like you're just shooting in the dark, so let's be honest for a moment."
"About what?"
"The hottest player in Serie A lately. How competitive do you think Lee Jee-an is? Is he a player who only works in Serie A, or can he become a player ranked among the best in all of Europe?"
The moment Lee Jee-an's name came up, the panelist, who had been speaking his mind freely, became cautious for a moment.
"Uh, first of all, he's a sixteen-year-old player. How can I, of all people, make a judgment on such a young player so soon?"
"That's exactly why we invited you on the show."
"Damn it. So I just have to tell you what I honestly think?"
"That's your job. That's why we're paying you to appear."
"Wow, you sure know how to put it nicely."
The panelist let out a sigh and continued.
"Well, there are cases like Ansu Fati, who debuted at a very young age and then got plagued by injuries, so this might be a rash judgment."
"Let's assume there are no injuries."
"Then he's obviously one of the world's greatest talents."
"Regardless of age?"
At the host's persistent questioning, the panelist took a step back.
"I can't say for sure, but at the very least, I think he's the best among players we classify as young. No, that kid is sixteen years old."
"Then if Fiorentina makes it to the Champions League next season, do you think Lee could show the same kind of performance against teams like Bayern, Real, or Manchester City?"
In response to the question of whether Lee Jee-an could become the hope of Serie A, the panelist answered.
"I think he can. Lee is not a frog in a well. He's a whale in a well. He's a talent that's destined to one day leave the well for the sea."
As he said that, the panelist suddenly spread his hands wide.
Ten fingers bloomed like a flower.
"This is just my personal opinion. I already think Lee is a talent that belongs in the top ten of his position."
"Top ten in Europe?"
"Yes."
"In that position, which is filled with the best of the best talents? If you're talking about similar types, you have Messi, Griezmann, and even players like Thomas Müller..."
Famous names poured out of the host's mouth one after another.
But the panelist firmly shook his head.
"Including all of them. Top ten."
And then he added something that was completely at odds with his firm expression.
"If not, then I'm wrong."
The two hosts laughed heartily and raised their espresso cups.