Unbelievable arc

Rohan took a couple of steps back and stopped about 6 feet from the ball.

Since a chip shot was out of the question and going for the angle might send the ball over the bar, he decided to curve it around the wall.

"Bang!"

With a dull thud, the ball rocketed towards the right side of the wall.

It wasn't high off the ground, just at shoulder height, and it looked like it was going to miss the goal.

"This isn't going in."

As Nuno silently predicted the outcome, he started walking towards Rohan.

Regardless of the result, he was determined to keep Rohan on the team today.

The first free kick alone was proof enough of his talent.

And to be honest, Rohan had already won.

Nuno had been silent earlier just to see how far Rohan could push his limits.

Now, it seemed his talent was exceptional, though not quite top-tier yet,he still needed more polishing.

But even so, Nuno was very satisfied.

After all, a grassroots team like Valencia didn't often get the chance to snag such a talented young player.

As Nuno was pondering how to develop Rohan, the next moment left him speechless and rooted to the spot.

The ball, initially heading out of the goal, suddenly swerved after passing the wall, taking an incredible curve towards the net.

The speed and the wicked curve left the goalkeeper, Alves, no chance to react before the ball hit the back of the net.

"Whoa!"

The noisy stadium fell silent, shocked.

It took a few seconds before someone uncertainly asked, "Was that a banana shot?"

"Man, the boss has found a real gem."

The players, who had initially been dismissive of Rohan, now crowded around him, showering him with praise.

"Hey, bro, you're amazing! I've never seen anyone bend a free kick like that."

"With you on the team, we might just give Real Madrid and Barcelona a run for the league title this year."

While his teammates were enthusiastic, Alves looked like he had been drained of all energy, slumping to the ground, his face full of regret and frustration.

Why on earth did he have to provoke such a talent?

Not only was it embarrassing, but now he might be forced to leave the team—a total loss.

He could play it off as a joke, the bet they had made, but with Rohan's displayed talent, becoming the team's favorite was just a matter of time.

Having offended him now, Alves knew his days at the club were numbered.

Better to leave with some dignity.

Alves struggled to his feet and walked over to Rohan.

The 60 feet felt like miles.

With what seemed like the last bit of energy in him, he said, "Rohan, I lost. I apologize for my earlier behavior."

"And I honor our bet. I'll submit a transfer request to the club now."

He bowed deeply to the coach and his teammates: "I've enjoyed my time at Valencia. Thank you all."

"Wait a minute."

Nuno stopped Alves as he was about to turn away, then looked at Rohan: "Rohan, about the bet... I was wrong. This is a serious matter concerning a player's career. I should have stopped it from the start."

"Look, Alves is a good keeper, and with the team in the thick of the Champions League, it's risky to change goalkeepers now. How about if Alves apologizes, and we call it even?"

Nuno's tone had changed from dismissive to conciliatory, as if he was on equal footing with Rohan.

Rodrigo clapped Rohan on the shoulder, smiling: "Rohan, the boss has a point. Be the bigger man and let it slide."

He had planned to ask Alves to forgive Rohan if he lost.

Life's funny that way.

Seeing Rohan unmoved, the flicker of hope in Alves' heart died.

He racked his brain for a way to defuse the situation.

"Rohan, to show my remorse, I'm willing to pay two million euros as compensation, just hoping..."

He didn't finish his sentence, but the implication was clear.

He hoped he could stay.

But that was too hard to say out loud.

"Alright, for the two million... ahem!"

Rohan cleared his throat and continued.

"Since you've apologized sincerely, let's just drop it. But let's not have a repeat!"

Honestly, it wasn't about the money for Rohan!

Alves had apologized so earnestly that kicking him out now would seem heartless.

Being new to the team, it really wouldn't be good to stir up such a big fuss.

Besides, if this got to President Neville, there was no guarantee it would end well for him.

And with the coach and teammates pleading on his behalf, he had to give them some face.

Plus, despite his sharp tongue, Alves was a solid goalkeeper. Only conceding 32 goals last season was proof enough.

If Rohan wanted to succeed at Valencia, he'd need to rely on people like him.

After weighing his options, Rohan decided to take the high road and teach him a lesson instead.

"This..."

Hearing this, Nuno and Rodrigo wanted to say something but ended up just sighing in resignation.

You mess with someone, you pay the price.

Alves didn't hesitate and transferred the money right there in front of everyone.

If it meant keeping his job, losing a year's salary was no big deal.

He could always earn it back.

And he had a feeling that Rohan's future achievements would rival those of Messi and Ronaldo.

Taking a loss in front of such a person wouldn't be too bad, he believed.

Once the money was received, Rohan was pleased internally, but his face remained expressionless as he waved his hand dismissively, "Let's just leave it at that."

"Thank you, Rohan!"

Alves rushed forward, his eyes teary as he hugged Rohan tightly. "You're the most magnanimous and talented Indian player I've ever met."

Probably the only Indian player he'd met, Rohan thought to himself, but he just smiled warmly, "We're all teammates here. There's no hurdle we can't get over together, and the team needs you."

Hearing this, Alves breathed a sigh of relief.

He was really afraid Rohan would hold a grudge and cause trouble for him later.

"Anyway, thank you..."

As he tried to continue expressing his emotions, Nuno quickly clapped his hands to interrupt, "Alright, everyone back to training."

He paused, then turned to Rohan, "Rohan, come with me. There's a fitness report that needs to be completed."

Rohan nodded, feeling a bit uneasy.

His attributes, apart from speed, weren't that great.

This side of things might just reveal his true form.

With a bit of trepidation, Rohan followed Nuno across the green pitch to the designated area.

As he remembered, the test included physical fitness, basic skills, and the most important part, team play.

Considering Rohan's demonstrated prowess in free kicks, Nuno decided to skip the team play and just test physical fitness and basic skills.

But to his surprise, Rohan's physical fitness and basic skills were average.

Nuno looked at the report, then at Rohan, and finally pegged him as a clutch performer.

Bad data, but exceptional on-field performance.

Seeing that Nuno didn't ask anything, Rohan breathed a sigh of relief.

His biggest fear was being benched long-term due to poor fitness data, which would be detrimental to his growth.

After a brief exchange with Nuno, Rohan hurried back to the field, eager to start his intense training.

According to the system, there were two ways to improve specific skills.

One was to directly add system-awarded skill points.

The other was through specialized training, although the number of sessions required would increase with the skill rating.

Rohan planned to at least boost his passing skill to 70 before using skill points to push it to 80.

This would save a lot of time.

He silently congratulated himself as he repeatedly practiced receiving and passing the ball with the help of a field assistant.

This passing drill went on until 11 PM.

Except for quick bathroom breaks to "recharge," he hardly stopped.

The field assistants couldn't keep up with the intense training and had to be rotated out.

Now, the only companion he had left was the cold ball machine.

His potential was limitless.

Watching from the sidelines, Nuno silently marveled and felt fortunate for the team.

In his years as a coach, he'd seen many talented young players.

But most were just flashes in the pan, quickly lost to media hype and the high life.

Rohan, with his talent and hard work, reminded him of Ronaldo.

The latter was already a Ballon d'Or winner, a world-renowned footballer.

Rohan might not reach those heights, but he wouldn't be far off.