Chapter 34: The End of the Journey
Novara held a grand trophy presentation ceremony at Piola Stadium. After each player of Novara ascended the podium to receive their championship medals, an official from the Italian Football Association handed the "Wings of Victory" trophy to Novara's captain, Rubino. Rubino invited Bruno to lift the "Wings of Victory" trophy with him. Amid the cheers of over ten thousand Novara fans, the two held the somewhat small, light trophy aloft.
Afterward, Rubino gave a victory speech on behalf of the team, which also served as his farewell announcement. The veteran, soon to turn 36, decided to retire at the end of the season.
Following the ceremony, the entire Novara team boarded a bus for a grand parade through the city. While such celebrations might not occur for a powerhouse club winning Serie B, for a small team like Novara, winning Serie B was a monumental occasion.
That evening, the De Salvo family, the owners of Novara, hosted a celebration party at a hotel in Novarello. The players, dressed up, attended with family or girlfriends, except for Bruno, who arrived alone.
Recently, Bruno's girlfriend had broken off contact with him due to his somewhat aloof attitude, suggesting perhaps they were not meant to be. Moreover, Bruno didn't have any other significant romantic interests; his acquaintance Vanessa Hessler had met him only twice, and they hadn't even exchanged contact information, hardly qualifying as friends. Bruno naturally wouldn't invite her to the party as it would imply a declaration of their relationship.
At the party, the club owner, Massimo De Salvo, congratulated Bruno and expressed gratitude for his outstanding performance throughout the season. However, neither touched upon the topic of renewing his contract. This wasn't because there were two years left on his contract and no need for renewal but because De Salvo knew well that the small pond of Novara couldn't contain the soon-to-be soaring dragon, Bruno—even though Novara had been promoted to Serie A.
The De Salvo family, despite their wealth, had never been heavily invested in transforming Novara into a top Italian football club. Bruno knew from the lack of a pay raise proposal throughout the season that they had no intention of retaining him, and he had no desire to stay at a club with limited prospects.
Although he didn't explicitly state his intention to leave during the post-game interview, those words were just formalities for the media—believing them would be a mistake.
Both sides understood that with the season's end, their relationship would naturally conclude.
After Massimo De Salvo left, Giaretta stayed behind and quietly asked Bruno, "Tell me the truth, Bruno, are you planning to leave this summer?" Given their good relationship, Bruno pondered briefly before responding, "If the right opportunity comes, why not?"
Giaretta probed further, "What constitutes a 'right opportunity'? Are you looking for a big club or a high salary?" Bruno shook his head and explained, "Given my current situation, moving to a big club would be challenging. Even if I did, I couldn't be sure of my position. What's the point if I'm just warming the bench? And as for a high salary, who do you think would offer that to a newcomer like me who's only played one season?"
With a slight grin, Bruno added, "Cristiano, has any club made an offer for me?" Giaretta nodded, admitting, "Of course, talents like you will always have suitors. Several teams, including big names like Juventus, AC Milan, and Inter Milan, and upper-mid-tier clubs like Udinese, Napoli, and Sampdoria, have made offers. There are even some from teams fighting relegation..."
Surprised, Bruno chuckled, "I had no idea I was in such demand." Giaretta seriously added, "Do you not realize how popular you are right now? At eighteen, with 21 goals and 32 assists in Serie B, setting a new assist record for the league, everyone in Italy who cares about football is watching you. My colleagues tell me your fame rivals Juventus's new star, Paulo Dybala. I remember you haven't signed with an agent yet, right? I suggest you sort that out soon. This summer is going to be very busy for you."
Bruno sighed at the mention of signing with an agent. Many had approached him over the past few months, either volunteering themselves or recommended by teammates, but Bruno didn't trust them. With no doubts about his future and now equipped with an "extra edge," he didn't believe his development could be any less than his original trajectory.
Top stars usually have agents who are either trusted family members or top professionals. None of Bruno's family seemed capable of being an agent—his parents were uneducated, his brother was a third-tier professional player, and his sister was an ordinary worker.
So, professional agents were his only option. Yet, no top-tier agents had approached him. In Bruno's view, the real top-tier agents were Jorge Mendes and Mino Raiola, and neither had contacted him yet.
Scratching his head in frustration, Bruno remarked, "Let's wait and see. I'll settle this soon. If any club makes a convincing offer, just let me know, and I'll negotiate my terms directly with them."
Giaretta shook his head, "Don't come to me with this. I won't be Novara's general manager for much longer, so I won't be involved in any transfers."
Surprised, Bruno looked at Giaretta, who explained, "I've submitted my resignation and will leave at the end of the month."
Bruno inquired, "Where will you go?"
"Udinese," Giaretta replied.
Bruno was speechless, understanding perhaps why his future self transferred there; Giaretta likely played a crucial role.
Smiling, Giaretta said, "Interested in joining Udinese? I've recommended you to Mr. Pozzo, and he's very interested."
Bruno responded, "For me, it doesn't matter where I go. I just want to play football peacefully. If Udinese can guarantee my position and offer decent financial terms, that's acceptable."
"Alright, don't rush to decide. Once I start at Udinese, I'll handle your transfer properly," Giaretta whispered.
Bruno nodded, "No problem. I don't have the energy to worry about transfers right now. I'm about to join the Portugal U20 team and won't be back until July."
Giaretta, puzzled, asked, "Are you participating in the U20 World Cup in Turkey?"
"Yes," Bruno didn't hide it.
Startled, Giaretta exclaimed, "Then I need to act quickly."
Confused, Bruno asked, "What do you mean?"
Laughing, Giaretta explained, "You're going to the U20 World Cup. If I don't move fast and you end up winning, your value could skyrocket, and Udinese would have to pay a lot more."
Amused, Bruno murmured, "You really have a lot of faith in me..."
(End of Chapter)
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Chapter 35: Toulon Tournament
On May 21st, Bruno hurried to Toulon, France, to meet as planned with the Portugal U20 team. The team then began a week of intensive training in preparation for their first match in the Toulon Tournament against Belgium U20 on May 31st.
This edition of the Toulon Tournament included ten teams, including the host nation, France. The teams were divided into two groups, with Portugal in Group B alongside Brazil U20, Belgium U20, Mexico U20, and Nigeria U20. According to the schedule, each team would play against the other four teams in their group. The group winners would advance to the finals to compete for the title, and the second-placed teams from each group would play for third place.
The Portuguese Football Federation rented a training facility in Toulon for the U20 national team, serving as their base camp for the duration of the tournament. Including the initial week of training and the subsequent Toulon Tournament, the Portugal U20 team would be in Toulon for three weeks.
Upon joining the team, Bruno recognized many familiar faces, as most of these players would later play in top European leagues, including several in the English Premier League. For instance, goalkeeper José Sá played for Wolves, João Cancelo for Manchester City, Ricardo Pereira for Leicester, and João Mário had played for West Ham, while André Gomes was at Everton, and Tiago Ilori had been with Liverpool.
Initially, Bruno's arrival was met with lukewarm reactions from his peers. Despite his excellent performance at Novara, they did not see Bruno as particularly impressive, considering themselves among the elite of their age group, with many already playing in Portugal's top three leagues.
They regarded Bruno as just a player from Serie B, whose impressive stats were less convincing due to the league's lower status. However, Bruno wasn't bothered. Time would reveal everyone's true capabilities.
Indeed, once training began, those who had underestimated Bruno were quickly won over. Born in September 1994, Bruno was one of the youngest in the team, with only forwards Bruma and goalkeeper Bruno Varela being slightly younger. But Bruno's foundational skills displayed during training astonished his high-achieving teammates, and his exceptional technique during practice matches showcased what top-tier player capabilities looked like.
These young players, all around twenty years old and relatively naive, quickly accepted him once he demonstrated his abilities. Bruno also showed great adaptability; by the end of the week, he was already well-integrated with his new teammates.
On May 28th, the 2013 Toulon Tournament kicked off with a match between the strong South American side, Colombia U20, and South Korea U20.
Portugal U20 ended their week-long closed training the same day. The following day saw the first matches of Group B, with Mexico claiming a 2:0 victory over Nigeria.
Portugal's first match would be on the afternoon of May 31st, having a bye in the first round.
The Toulon Tournament, a long-standing youth football competition, began in 1967 and was established as an annual event in June 1974. It has always been highly regarded by FIFA and UEFA. Historically, players who participate in the "Toulon Tournament" are often seen as potential national team players, making it a cradle for international stars. During the tournament, numerous well-known scouts attend to identify and recruit potential new stars for European clubs.
As the Portuguese national anthem played before the game, Bruno felt an odd sense of unease. Coach Ramos had decided not to start Bruno, meaning he would watch the game from the bench at least until halftime.
Coach Ramos's strategy for the Portugal U20 team involved a 532 formation, which was slightly different from the 442 or 433 formations Bruno was accustomed to at Novara.
As the saying goes, "Fools rush in where angels fear to tread," and Bruno noticed that his new teammates were fearless on the field, using their speed to try to break through the opposition.
Belgium was not to be outdone, and both teams played aggressively, with fast-paced offensive and defensive transitions. Given that these were youth teams, the overall level of technical and tactical play was somewhat less than that of senior teams.
Belgium played a more integrated game with better defense, while Portugal focused on offense, mainly through the center, lacking effective attacks from the wings and appearing somewhat one-dimensional.
After withstanding Portugal's initial offensive, Belgium quickly stabilized their defense, thwarting several attempts by Portugal to play through balls behind their line.
As the match progressed, Portugal U20 gradually took control, unsettling the Belgians with their intense movement and pressure in the midfield, leading to frequent mistakes. One of the most critical occurred in the 29th minute when Portugal's number eleven, Bruma, intercepted the ball and dribbled past three defenders for a shot that the opposing goalkeeper brilliantly saved.
Five minutes later, Portugal's defense made a crucial error by not clearing a long pass properly, giving Belgium's number ten a chance. Unfortunately, he miscontrolled the ball, wasting an opportunity to score.
The first half ended goalless, and Bruno felt as if he were watching a group of kids fighting—energetic but lacking sophistication.
However, during halftime, Coach Ramos praised the team's performance and encouraged them to seize the game in the second half and secure a victory. But as the second half began, Belgium adjusted their tactics, intensifying their midfield pressing and capitalizing on Portugal's passing errors, which led to several dangerous counterattacks.
Especially in the 53rd minute, after intercepting a pass, Belgium launched a long ball to their forwards, leading to a series of passes that penetrated Portugal's defensive line. However, Portugal's starting goalkeeper José Sá made a crucial save to keep the score level.
Seeing the match's direction, Coach Ramos decided it was time for a change and signaled Bruno and forward Cavaleiro to warm up. In the 60th minute, Bruno came on for defender Ricardo Pereira, and Cavaleiro replaced forward Aradji.
With Bruno on the field as an attacking midfielder, Portugal U20's passing improved immediately, revitalizing their midfield and offensive play. In the 63rd minute, Bruno suddenly made a run to the right flank to receive a pass from João Mário, which he controlled superbly, turning to face the goal.
This move caught the Belgian defenders off guard, drawing three of them towards him and leaving João Mário unmarked on the right. Bruno then delivered a precise pass to João Mário, who, surprised by the pass, quickly chased down the ball.
Reaching the ball, João Mário realized he was unexpectedly unmarked and saw his teammates well-positioned in the box. He passed the ball across the face of the goal, and forward Esagio, rushing up, shot the ball past the Belgian goalkeeper.
1:0! The goal was a crucial breakthrough for Portugal U20, as games that remain scoreless into the 70th minute can lead to heightened anxiety and physical strain on the team pushing for a goal. Conversely, for the defending team, continuous successful defense can boost confidence, potentially leading to a counterattack that could change the game's outcome.
The goal also demonstrated the impact of fresh tactics and substitutions, underscoring the dynamic nature of football where a single moment can shift the momentum of a match.
(End of Chapter)
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