Steven was a legendary defender, a name that carried its own weight. He had dedicated his years to the green fields, putting his sweat and soul into every match. He was like a relic from a bygone era, challenging the speed and tactical complexity of modern football. But now, far from those green pitches, he was in a white and sterile hospital room. The mirror in the doctor's hand reflected his face. However, this reflection wasn't the face of a man in his late thirties, worn out by years of toil. It was the face of a young man with short blond hair and ocean-blue eyes.
As the doctor held the mirror out to Steven, he watched the young face in astonishment. The experience of years, the fatigue of thousands of matches, and the scars of every injury were absent from this face. He was looking at a foreign face that wasn't his own. A complex, hard-to-understand confusion and a voice echoed in his brain: "Can the legendary defender of old adapt to modern football?" This question stirred a storm in his heart. A second question that followed turned that storm into a tsunami. "And as a striker?"
All the questions in Steven's mind materialized into a single sentence that escaped his lips: "Am I... reincarnated?" This surreal situation had completely turned his logic upside down. Would his life, dedicated to football as a defender, now start over as a striker? And what's more, during the fastest and most ruthless era of modern football...
Chapter 2: The Return to the Pitch
The next moment he remembered was like a sacred instant, where time and space intersected. A scene where the screams of thousands of fans hung in the air and stadium lights shone brightly... This moment, depicted on a single page, had activated all his senses.
"1995/1996 Champions League Final."
"Juventus vs Southampton."
"90+4..."
It was the final moments of the match, and the entire stadium held its breath. The 22 players on the field were not chasing a ball, but a piece of history. Every second, every pass, every shot was determined by history itself. The stands were packed to witness this historic moment. A fan, like a symbol of this very instant, was yelling with all his might, his arms raised: "Matteo! Isn't it time to take the stage?"
The name began to spread like a whisper, then grew into a massive chorus. "Matteo! Matteo! Matteo!" All the stands were chanting the same name at once. Matteo, a young striker with the number 10 on his back, was on the field at that moment. The fans' support was a source of pride for him. But at the same time, the number 10 he wore and the final, dying moments of the match placed a heavy burden on his shoulders.
He spoke to himself: "It's nice to have your support... but scoring a goal is not that easy."
Suddenly, a hand reached out from his left. It was his teammate, Lorenzo. He was pointing to an open space in front of him. Matteo pushed the ball forward with his left foot. He made a silent plea to Lorenzo: "Let's do this, Lorenzo!"
Lorenzo took the ball but hesitated for a moment. His eyes met the fierce gazes of the opposing defenders. He spoke to himself: "What kind of defense is this? They're not giving us any room to breathe."
Matteo approached Lorenzo and asked for the ball again. He began to explain his plan in his mind: "I hope they fall for the bait..."
At that moment, a large, long-haired defender with a captain's armband appeared right next to Lorenzo. It was clearly Southampton's legend, Steven Fox. His age, 34, made his experience and authority on the field palpable.
Lorenzo looked at Matteo. He had understood Matteo's plan. He smiled to himself: "Let's see if you can stop this one."
He suddenly passed the ball between Steven's legs. Steven looked at the situation in shock. He angrily said to himself: "Argh! How did I fall for that?"
Lorenzo started running down the left flank. Steven realized his mistake and began to chase after him quickly. He whispered to himself: "We're going to concede a goal, I have to stop him!"
Steven slid in for a tackle outside the penalty box to stop Lorenzo. Lorenzo, knowing that Steven's challenge was outside the box, smiled and threw himself to the ground. He spoke to himself mockingly: "Hahaha. He really did what Matteo said."
As soon as Lorenzo fell, he raised both his arms and looked at the referee. The referee clearly gave a penalty. Steven looked at the referee in shock: "A penalty?"
He quickly got up and ran toward the referee. He protested with open hands: "Are you kidding? I fouled him outside the box."
The referee ignored Steven's protests. He reached into his pocket and showed him a yellow card. Steven just stared at the referee. He shook his head in anger. Lorenzo also got up. The two exchanged looks. Lorenzo just smiled at Steven. This mocking smile made Steven even angrier. Just as he was about to walk toward Lorenzo, his teammate Grant Evan stepped in front of him. Grant was a short, short-haired striker. He was known by the nickname "The Player Beyond His Time," which spoke to his talent.
Evan spoke with a calm expression: "Calm down, you've already got a yellow card. Don't make our situation any worse."
Steven responded aggressively: "The game will be over after this penalty, what does a red card matter?"
Evan replied: "Get a hold of yourself. We don't know if the penalty will be a goal."
Steven walked past Evan and said: "I suggest you look at who's going to take the penalty."
Matteo picked up the ball from the ground and placed it on the penalty spot. The referee warned the players not to enter the penalty area. He blew the whistle. Matteo ran quickly and made a placed shot with his right foot to the right side of the goalkeeper. The goalkeeper dived in the direction of the ball, but it found the back of the net. As soon as he scored the goal, Matteo ran to the left to celebrate. Just then, the referee blew the final whistle. The Juventus players went wild. The Southampton players collapsed onto the ground. Only Steven and Grant were standing.
Steven stood with his hands on his hips, looking at Matteo. He spoke to himself: "We failed again." He bowed his head. He was sad. He whispered to himself: "And we lost because of my mistake."
Steven started to walk off the field. Just then, Lorenzo stepped in front of him. They stared at each other. Steven was looking at him fiercely. Lorenzo held out his hand. Steven also reached out his hand and they shook hands.
As Steven continued to walk, Lorenzo spoke: "You're too honest a person for football. I don't think you can win a trophy playing like this."
Steven looked sideways and replied: "You're right. To win, I have to be a bastard like you."
He continued to walk. Just as he was about to leave the field, his own fans began to applaud Steven. Steven looked at the fans with tears in his eyes and said: "I promise you, next year I will put this trophy in the museum with my own hands."
He left the field and headed toward the locker room. He opened the locker room door, went inside, and slammed the door shut. He sat down. He couldn't hold back anymore. He bowed his head, covered his face with his hands, and began to cry. He spoke at that moment: "Why do I always lose in the final? Losing in the quarter-finals or semi-finals wouldn't hurt this much, but why in the final?"
He lifted his head and looked at the ceiling. His eyes were completely filled with tears. He spoke again: "I said we would win next year, but I'll be 35. Can we really do it?"
At that moment, the door opened. His other teammates came in. Everyone was sad. Steven immediately wiped his tears. Grant turned to the left, took off his jersey, and looked at Steven as he spoke: "With my current mood, I can't handle the press conference, can you do it?"
Steven calmly replied: "No problem, I'll handle it."
He got up and left the room. He started walking to the left, and as he walked, he spoke to himself: "I said I'll handle it, but if they ask ridiculous questions, I don't think I can hold back. Whatever, I have to try to stay calm somehow."
He turned left again and they took his picture. There were microphones in front of him. He approached the microphone. He began to speak calmly: "First of all, I wish everyone a good evening. As you know, we couldn't get the result we wanted, so we apologize to our fans. We believe that we will achieve the results we want next year. We would be very happy if our fans continue to support us in the same way."
One of the reporters took the floor: "When we look at the penalty position, the foul clearly appears to be outside the penalty area. What are your thoughts on this matter?"
Steven replied with a calm expression: "Unfortunately, this is something that is in the nature of football. We would have liked the referee to make the right decision, but there is no point in talking about it now. Still, I hope that one day we can have the technology to prevent such situations."
Another reporter immediately spoke: "You were so sure you would win that you scheduled your best friend's wedding for the day after the match, but since you lost, will the wedding be postponed to another date?"
Steven replied with a grin: "It would be more logical for you to ask Grant this question, so I don't want to answer. Anyone else have a question?"
Another reporter spoke: "When you first started playing football, you said you enjoyed winning the most. But now, it looks like you're more of a loser than a winner. Even the opposing team's fans have started calling you 'The Uncrowned King.' What do you think?"
Steven looked at the reporter fiercely and replied: "Since you're not asking anything related to the match, I don't want to talk any further. Good evening to everyone."
Just as he was about to turn and walk to the left, one of the reporters suddenly spoke: "It would be better for you to quit football instead of continuing in this old state."
Steven turned back to the reporters and spoke with a fierce look: "What did you say?"