Chapter 1 Coach, I Want to Play Soccer

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"On June 1, 1998, to mitigate the pain of failing to qualify for the World Cup for twelve consecutive years, the Portuguese Football Federation organized the Portuguese Diamond Generation Tournament,"

"The purpose was to discover domestic talents between the ages of 12 and 15, emulating the then-current Portuguese Golden Generation to brighten the future of Portuguese football."

"The event received strong support from the likes of Sporting Lisbon, Porto, and Benfica, the prime movers of the Portuguese league."

"The organizers invited Portuguese football legends 'Black Panther' Eusebio and the rising Portuguese star, Barca's core player, and one of Barcelona's few foreign captains, Luis Figo, as the youth initiators."

"They would form their own teams to clash at the peak event held at the Estadio Alvalade in Lisbon, the capital of Portugal."

"So far, Team Figo has invited talents from youth academies of various major clubs, including Hugo Almeida, Bruno Leve, Miguel Veloso, and Ruben Amorim."

"Among them, the most eye-catching is Cristiano Ronaldo from Madeira Island! Three years ago, he shone brightly at the Portuguese Golden Boy Cup, winning the title of tournament's top scorer."

"There is news that this summer, Chris will officially transfer to join Sporting Lisbon!"

"As for Team Black Panther, it's comprised of Sporting Lisbon's academy central defender Jose Fonte, Portimonense's academy midfielder Joao Moutinho…"

Assistant coach Trigella from Benfica's first team shook his head while listening to the news on TV.

This match was bound to be a lopsided game.

People nowadays are too forgetful.

Too few excellent players have joined Team Black Panther.

The real geniuses are actually on Team Figo.

Because the young people these days love Figo more.

Perhaps in another decade or so, the new fans won't even know there was a legendary footballer named Eusebio.

Just like it has only been three years, but who still remembers Deng Kai, the one who outshone Cristiano Ronaldo to win the Golden Boy Cup's best player award?"

Beep beep beep!

Trigella's phone rang.

He put down the glass in his hand and pressed the speaker button, "What's up, Pereira? Is there a change in the schedule the day after tomorrow?"

Pereira was the head of Sporting Lisbon's player recruitment department.

They were to attend the "Diamond Generation Tournament" with the club president, watching the game live the day after tomorrow.

However, the voice on the phone wasn't Pereira's.

It was a young voice.

"Coach… I want to play football!"

Then, silence fell on both ends of the phone.

In an instant, Trigella knew who was on the other end of the call.

Kai!

Deng Kai!

He had finally called!

He was willing to play football again!

Three years ago, to celebrate the Portugal national team's entry into the Euros, the Portuguese Football Federation organized the Golden Boy Cup.

José Fonte had made an impressive best defender of the tournament, but was stopped in the semifinals by Madeira Nacional's youth team led by a young Cristiano Ronaldo.

After the match, Fonte was invited to join the Sporting Lisbon academy.

The tournament's best scorer and Golden Boot, Cristiano Ronaldo, scored twice in the semifinal, single-handedly leading his team to the final, where he scored another brace.

After the game, Ronaldo received a grand invitation from Sporting Lisbon.

However, due to safety concerns, his parents wished for him to grow up a bit before living alone in Lisbon, so Ronaldo did not publicly join Sporting Lisbon's academy, but he started using their training programs early on, thereby getting branded with Sporting Lisbon's mark.

But Ronaldo's team was the runner-up that year.

The championship belonged to another obscure little team.

In that game, Ronaldo scored twice.

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But the opposing team's midfielder Deng Kai stood out among the rest, completing a hat-trick of assists, and winning the game three to two, lifting the Championship Trophy!

Deng Kai was also named the best player of the tournament thanks to his outstanding performance.

After the match, the youth departments of the three major Portuguese clubs all sent invitations to Deng Kai.

But Deng Kai rejected them all.

Just as the Portuguese clubs were puzzled, a journalist revealed that Barcelona had also sent a youth training invitation to Deng Kai.

That's because on the day of the Golden Boy Cup final, Johann Cruyff, the then coach of Barcelona and a legendary figure known as the "Flying Dutchman," was there in person.

He had gone there for Figo's transfer, but unexpectedly, not only did he take Figo from Sporting Lisbon, but he also discovered a promising midfielder.

Cruyff requested that Barcelona's youth department purchase Deng Kai.

This was Barcelona!

Who could refuse?

Yet, Deng Kai refused!

Once the news was reported, most of the football world knew about it.

It was rumored that this also became another rift between Cruyff and Barcelona's management, indirectly leading to his departure a year later.

But since Barcelona had made an offer, many clubs who had never seen Deng Kai play, all reached out with a trial invitation, adopting a 'give it a try' attitude.

This included Barcelona's arch-rivals Real Madrid, English Premier League giants Manchester United and Arsenal, German Bundesliga's Bayern Munich, and the Italian Serie A's big three Juventus, Milan, and Inter...

Without exception, Deng Kai chose to reject them all.

Some thought Deng Kai was holding out for a better offer, but he overplayed his hand.

Because his name contained the character "Kai," some media mocked him as "Football's Caesar."

German football emperor Beckenbauer was also known as Kaiser, but obviously, the media didn't mean Deng Kai was the next Beckenbauer.

They were saying that Deng Kai was like the biggest charlatan of the Brazilian football scene in the eighties, Carlos Caesar, who had no real strength or talent, just an empty name.

Carlos Caesar roamed the Brazilian football scene for more than twenty years without playing a single game, yet he was always considered a powerhouse star.

And Deng Kai, by rejecting all club invitations and trials, making himself out to be a rare talent, really did resemble Carlos Caesar.

"Really? Are you sure you want to play football and not study Sports Data Analysis at the University of Lisbon?" Trigella was the only person who had been following Deng Kai's news for the past three years.

He was a stubborn man who believed more than anyone else that Deng Kai would make it, even become a superstar.

He could never forget their last conversation when he invited Deng Kai to join Sporting Lisbon for the last time.

"Kid, I don't demand you join Sporting Lisbon, but with the Red Devils, the Gunners, Real Madrid, both Milans, and Juventus—so many powerhouses—you should at least choose one! If you don't play football, it's your loss and an even greater loss for world football!"

"Coach, I will play football, but not now. Right now, I have more important things to do!"

"Kai, think it over again. Your technical style has a bright future at Barcelona! Do you want me to contact Mr. Cruyff for you?"

"Thank you, Mr. Trigella, but really, there's no need. When I want to play football, you'll be the first one I come to!"

After that, Deng Kai left the football school he was attending and returned to the Portuguese twelve-year compulsory education system.

In just three short years, he completed all the content of the twelve-year compulsory education.

And he achieved excellent grades in both the eleventh and twelfth-grade final exams.

Ultimately, this year he was admitted ahead of time to the best university in Portugal, the University of Lisbon's College of Information and Technology, majoring in Sports Data Analysis.

But this talented student, now said he wanted to play football.

This was as incomprehensible as Deng Kai's decision to pursue studies after his initial success in football three years earlier.

Trigella could completely understand how the president of the University of Lisbon must feel at this moment.

There's never true empathy in this world.

Only shared suffering.

The thought processes of geniuses are forever beyond the comprehension of ordinary people.