Chapter 15: Three Musketeers (Edited)

After accompanying Maia to the hostel, he took a taxi directly to the café. Alex estimated that he would be about five minutes late, which wasn't too bad.

When he arrived and entered the café, Alex was surprised to find his two guests sitting at the same table, but looking at each other as if they were mortal enemies.

It was only then that Alex remembered they had played for rival clubs. While some players from rival clubs maintained good relationships, these two clearly did not.

After clearing his throat and seeing that they had already noticed him, Alex said, "Hello, Xabi, Diego. How are you? Sorry for being late; I was delayed by something."

Diego, who was a little unhappy with Xabi, immediately laughed upon hearing Alex. "Haha, Alex, no problem. It's been a long time. How about you? I was surprised when I received your call."

Xabi, his thoughts complex but well-hidden, replied smoothly, "Yes, Alex, it has been some time. Time flies; it's already been three months since we last met."

Alex took a good look at Diego. Although they kept in touch, it had been quite a while since they had seen each other. Diego no longer had the aura of the best player in the World Cup or the two-time European Golden Boot winner; he seemed more like a hot-tempered old man than the energetic player of 2010.

"Haha, Diego, good to see you. You've aged gracefully. You know, I've been quite occupied these past few days—I'm a head coach after all."

Then, turning to Xabi, Alex continued, "And you, Xabi, stepping into coaching must come with its challenges. How have your results been?"

Diego, still jovial despite the tension with Xabi, replied first, "Thanks, Alex. Age catches up with everyone eventually, right? Coaching must keep you busy too. How's Sunderland treating you?"

Xabi, maintaining his composed demeanor, nodded thoughtfully. "Indeed, coaching has its demands. Our results have been mixed, but we're making progress. How about you? Coaching at the professional level must be quite the challenge."

Alex replied, "Well, you know, Sunderland and I are inseparable. I'm happy for you. I'll be facing my first big challenge in two days against the second-ranked team in the league, though I'm confident in my abilities." Pausing for a moment, Alex added, "But let's set that aside for now. We'll have plenty of time to catch up. I called you today because I really need your help."

The atmosphere at the table of tThe atmosphere at the table among the three people finally turned somewhat serious.Alex said, "You know, Sunderland's situation is quite delicate. As a team with the potential to compete for the championship in the 2nd division, we're currently only ranked 13th in the 3rd division. But the situation isn't desperate since we're only 11 points away from first place and there are still 33 games left."

"I have confidence in myself, but I also know I can't do everything alone. Diego, I know that you've obtained a degree in business management and have aspirations to enter team management."

"I think this is a good opportunity. You can start by being my assistant. Once we achieve good results, my power and influence within the team will greatly increase, and I can make you a member of the team management by then."

Alex then turned his attention to Xabi, knowing that convincing him would be more difficult than convincing Forlan. He said, "Xabi, I know that being the head coach of Real Sociedad B team is great, but you know, it's just a team in the Segunda División B (4th division). Even if you lead the team to good results, no one will notice it. Plus, Sociedad only signed you for one year."

"They don't really trust you but just want to use your name to attract players. But here, it's in England. There may be a debate about whether it's the best league, but at least it's the most commercialized and watched. Once we get good results, you can definitely have your chance."

"Although we are also in the 3rd division, only one division above you if compared, as long as you do enough research, you know that we definitely have the strength to fight for the top in the 2nd division. This means as long as everything goes right, this season we can definitely be promoted to the second division."

"You know that the second division is a completely different story from the third and fourth divisions. We will have more money, meaning we can buy good players. By then, we can build a Premier League-level team."

In fact, Alex was right because in the original time and space, although they terminated at the 8th position, they have 59 points while the 2nd ranked Rotherham United only have 62 points, just 3 points more than Sunderland, if not for the league being suspended due to the pandemic, Sunderland may have upgraded to the Championship (2nd division).

After finishing speaking, Alex, who was a little nervous, took a sip of the coffee that had been placed there by a waiter. He wondered how many times he had rehearsed this scene and this discourse in his mind.

Seeing them genuinely reflecting on his proposal, he said, "How about this: we have a game in two days against the 2nd ranked team in League One. You can go and watch, then inform me of your decision afterward."

After discussing and persuading the two, they exchanged polite words, and Alex left, knowing they couldn't have a lengthy discussion and his time was limited today.

Diego, bidding farewell to Alex, couldn't help but sigh. "Alex is still as straightforward as ever. Anyway, I was starting to get interested in tennis before, I might give it a try since I was looking for an opportunity."

Xabi, seemingly reflective, said, "Let's first see if they have the strength. We can discuss the rest later, although I think it will be difficult for him to convince me to leave the Sociedad B team."

When Alex returned to the hostel, Maia was lying lazily in bed, amusing herself with her phone. She said to him, "I didn't expect you to meet Diego Forlan and Xabi Alonso. Someone took a photo of you with them and posted it on Instagram. I didn't expect it was them you wanted to meet."

Alex marveled at the power of the internet. "Well, it doesn't really matter since people would find out sooner or later."

Remembering she had taken a bath, the rush of adrenaline must have calmed down. He said, "Let's not talk about football. Have you thought about your goal now?"

Maia was a little embarrassed, then sighed. "Oh, I admit it was the rush of adrenaline, but since I already said I will do it, I will try my best."