Chapter 140: The First to Leave

Chapter 140: The First to Leave

The contract renewal negotiations seemed to have reached a deadlock, but Mendes appeared confident. He assured Bruno that there was no need to rush; he should focus on his training, as a satisfactory contract would eventually be offered.

Beyond the contract discussions, Mendes brought Bruno some good news that delighted him: numerous companies were queuing up to collaborate with him, a testament to his stellar performance in the previous season.

Although the official best player selection by the Italian Football Federation wouldn't be announced until the end of the year, other media outlets had already named their best players shortly after the Serie A season concluded. Among the most notable was Italy's leading newspaper, "Corriere dello Sport," which chose Bruno as the best player based on player ratings throughout the 2013-2014 season.

During that season, Bruno had played 36 Serie A matches for Udinese, scoring 18 goals and making 23 assists, leading his team to a third-place finish. His performances frequently earned him high post-match ratings, with a season-average rating of 8.77, placing him well ahead of any other player in Serie A.

Additionally, the renowned tactical analysis website "Squawka" included him in its team of the season. According to "Squawka," Bruno's 36 appearances produced 18 goals and 23 assists, along with 112 key passes—a figure unmatched by any other player and significantly higher than the second-best contributors, Candreva and Pjanic, who each made 75 key passes.

With his outstanding performances, Bruno became the season's top assist provider in Serie A, setting a new record with 23 assists, surpassing the previous record of 16.

However, Bruno's most impactful performances came in the Europa League. Despite the Europa League's lower profile compared to the Champions League, it remained a significant European competition. Bruno excelled over 16 matches in the Europa League, scoring 13 goals and providing 9 assists, earning both the top scorer and top assist provider titles. His stellar performance in the final, where he scored twice, was crucial in leading Udinese to lift the trophy, earning him the match's best player award.

These accolades meant more potential sponsors were eager to sign endorsement deals with him. Bruno was pleased with this development, as it made the grueling training sessions seem less tedious.

While Bruno was not one to chase money indiscriminately, he welcomed the opportunity to earn more, provided that the partnerships were with reputable brands. He advised Mendes to avoid controversial brands, even if they were well-known and offered lucrative deals, especially those involved in issues like racial or regional discrimination.

Mendes was pleased with Bruno's mindset, as it aligned with his strategy of carefully managing Bruno's image and securing high-quality endorsements rather than hastily signing multiple deals.

In addition to these sponsorship deals, a significant endorsement opportunity was on the horizon with sports brands—crucial for any footballer. Mendes was in talks with Nike, Adidas, and Puma, all of which were interested in Bruno. Mendes was negotiating to see which brand would offer the most favorable terms.

Mendes also inquired about Bruno's brand preference, as some players have strong loyalty to specific brands. Bruno, however, had no specific preference, which was good news for Mendes, allowing him to maximize his negotiating power.

While deeply immersed in training in Udine, Bruno couldn't escape the World Cup atmosphere permeating the city. Everywhere he went, he saw promotional posters for the Italian national team, and people wearing the team's jerseys.

At home, after a day's training, Bruno would watch World Cup matches on TV, a way for a professional player like him to gain experience.

Bruno paid close attention to Portugal, his directly related national team, and ignored the Chinese team, which had no chance of participating in the World Cup. However, Portugal's performance was disappointing, particularly in their opening match, a 4-0 defeat by Germany, which sparked significant media outcry in Portugal calling for coach Paulo Bento's resignation.

Many speculated on whether having Bruno on the team would have changed the outcome. Though it was agreed that Germany might still have won, perhaps not so overwhelmingly.

Bruno chuckled at such speculation; hypotheticals based on conjecture served no practical purpose.

He knew that even if he had participated, he might not have been able to change the outcome significantly. Portugal managed a draw against the USA in their next match, keeping their hopes alive, but it was clear that Paulo Bento's days were numbered.

In another timeline, Bento might have lasted until September, but now, due to his circumstances, he was likely to be dismissed two months earlier.

As predicted, despite Portugal's win over Ghana in their final group game, they were eliminated, and the calls for Bento's resignation reached a fever pitch. Shortly after returning from Brazil, the Portuguese Football Federation announced his dismissal without immediately naming a successor, indicating they were still evaluating candidates. Bruno knew that Fernando Santos, currently the coach of the Greek national team, was likely to be the next coach of Portugal.

With July approaching and the summer transfer window opening, the international football scene was poised for a flurry of activity, especially in a World Cup year.

Udinese, known for being a "selling club," was likely to see many departures due to their strong performance last season. Bruno was aware that when the new season started, many familiar faces would be gone, and new ones would join.

However, he hadn't expected that the first to leave would be his close teammate, Mahrez. On July 1, just as the summer transfer window opened, Udinese officially announced that Algerian midfielder Riyad Mahrez was transferring to the newly promoted English Premier League club Leicester City, thanking him for his contributions over the past season and wishing him success.

This news surprised Bruno, who immediately contacted Mahrez, still competing in the World Cup with Algeria. Algeria had performed well, advancing to the round of 16, where they were narrowly defeated by Germany.

After chatting with Mahrez, Bruno understood that the transfer was driven by a very generous offer. As a newly promoted team, Leicester City's primary goal was to avoid relegation, which represented significant economic benefits. Leicester viewed Mahrez, who had an impressive season at Udinese, as a key target in their efforts to strengthen their squad for the Premier League survival battle.

(End of Chapter)