Lazy Genius Striker [EN]: Chapter 185

< The Most Splendid – Episode 184 >

What a way to end the season! West Ham defeats Fulham 4-0, achieving 36 wins, 2 draws, and 0 losses! An undefeated season! West Ham etches their name in history, achieving the first undefeated season since Arsenal in 2003/04!

This was the last evaluation match, a send-off ceremony of sorts, before the Champions League final.

In this game, with all the starters playing, West Ham completely dominated Fulham, winning 4-0.

And,

36 wins, 2 draws.

They finished the season undefeated.

An undefeated championship.

They finished the season without a single loss in the league.

“Awesome!”

“The best team in history!”

“I’ve already booked my flight to Berlin! Please do well in the final too!”

The last game of the season.

Although it wasn’t a home game, the players and coaching staff spent a long time greeting the fans who traveled all the way to the away game, expressing their gratitude for the unwavering support.

And,

Now, everyone’s attention was focused on Berlin, where the Champions League final would be held.

ㆍㆍㆍ

-[Champions League FINAL] A year-long journey culminates as the last two teams standing, Real Madrid and West Ham, arrive in Berlin.

-[PHOTO] Fernando Viega, looking bright and ready, completes adaptation training at the Olympiastadion!

-[PHOTO] West Ham players enter the Olympiastadion!

-[PHOTO] Johan Van, aiming for his first Champions League title, warms up with ease!

-Kylian Mbappe, “My condition is optimal… I’m not nervous at all. I’ll perform just as well as last year.”

-Juan Gonzalez vows revenge, “I will avenge the defeat in the last Euro final… I will definitely stop Johan Van.”

-Shea Bellamy, “Nervous? No way. I’m just thinking of last year’s Euro final.”

-When reporters asked for a word of resolution… Johan Van simply stated, “Resolution.”

Berlin, the capital of Germany, where the final will be held at the Olympiastadion Berlin, felt more crowded than usual.

The frequent sounds of English and Spanish on the streets made the reason clear.

“I’m forever blowing bubbles, in Berlin!”

Hammers [West Ham fans] were singing West Ham’s anthem as if Berlin were London.

“Hola, señorita!”

“Hala Madrid!” [Go Madrid!]

Real Madrid fans were enthusiastically flirting around.

“You’re going to go home crying!”

“You’ll have to swim back!”

The atmosphere was filled with pleasant rivalry between the two teams’ fans, though sometimes it escalated into serious arguments.

The final is just a day away.

*

“What? Is everyone gathered here?”

“We were listening to this old man’s stories. Sit down,” someone replied.

“Looks like nobody can stay still.”

This was the lounge of the hotel where the West Ham players were staying.

Petrovic, who had come out to the lounge because he felt stuffy in his room, chuckled at seeing his teammates doing the same thing.

The players were all gathered in the lounge without even planning it.

Of course, it seemed like everyone was having trouble falling asleep.

It would be strange if they could sleep.

Tomorrow is the Champions League final.

“Where were we?”

“About how you felt when you took the last shot with 2 minutes left and it didn’t go in.”

“Ah, right. It was the worst.”

The players gathered around Kane were listening to Kane’s old stories.

The story of when Kane played in the Champions League final for Tottenham in the 2018/19 season.

At that time, Tottenham lost to Liverpool 0-2 and finished as runner-up.

Kane was there, on that ground.

Kane, who was aiming for his first career title, was frustrated at the threshold of winning, losing to Liverpool.

Kane shook his head, as if the memory was still vivid.

“When the ball I kicked went straight to the goalkeeper, I felt it. God wasn’t helping us. We prepared really hard and fought equally. If we had a little luck, we could have won.”

Everyone knows.

What a single match means.

Determining the winner and loser in a single game.

This is not just about skill affecting the outcome.

Perhaps even more than skill, some kind of cosmic energy has a greater impact.

It’s not for nothing that there’s a saying that the championship is determined by God.

The final has always been a stage where incomprehensible things happen, and there have been fewer finals than expected that went as many people predicted.

The players who heard Kane’s story look quite uneasy.

It can’t be helped.

If tomorrow’s outcome is not in their hands, but in the hands of an uncontrollable God, they can’t help but be anxious.

Because they are in a position to be chosen by God.

However,

Kane grinned.

“One thing is for sure, tomorrow won’t be like that day. Who do you think God will choose?”

Who do I think God will choose?

“There’s already a guy who’s been chosen. On our team.”

The players all nodded at Kane’s words.

A guy chosen by God.

A talent bestowed by God.

A guy born with the talent to sleep soundly and comfortably on the night before the Champions League final.

“From the beginning, God was on our side.”

“That’s right. From the moment he joined our team, God was on our side.”

“God won’t suddenly betray us.”

“Then he’s not God. He’s a thug.”

“Are you listening? If you betray us, from then on, you’re not God, you’re a thug.”

The players chuckled.

After talking about trivial things, they felt much more at ease.

That’s right.

Perhaps from the moment Johan chose West Ham, or even from the moment his father joined West Ham.

May 28, 2029, the fate of this day may have been decided.

Fate is fate because it cannot be resisted.

Then, shouldn’t we just relax and entrust ourselves to it?

Johan, chosen by God, chose West Ham, and all they have to do is follow Johan and win.

Just like they did in the league, now in the Champions League.

“I think I’m starting to relax a bit now.”

“That’s right. I don’t know what will happen when I enter the stadium tomorrow, but at least I don’t think I’ll be up all night.”

“Shall we go in now?”

“Okay. Everyone, have the best dreams possible. Because something even better will become reality tomorrow.”

Unlike when they first gathered here, when everyone had tense faces, the expressions of the players returning to their rooms were much more relaxed.

*

At a similar time, at Real Madrid’s lodging.

Uno Lopetegui, a Real Madrid youth player and reserve player, couldn’t easily fall asleep and came out of his room.

He was so nervous that his body was trembling slightly.

Even though he knew he wouldn’t be in the starting lineup tomorrow.

In all likelihood, he won’t even step onto the field as a substitute.

He hasn’t been promoted from the youth team to the first team for very long, so the fact that he’s here is just the coach’s consideration for him to experience the atmosphere of the final.

But he’s still nervous.

Because it’s the final.

The Champions League final.

Isn’t it strange not to be nervous when he might be stepping onto that stage that he’s only dreamed of since he was a child?

He couldn’t fall asleep easily.

‘Hmm?’

Lopetegui, who was heading to the lounge to kill some time, tilted his head at the noisy voices.

When he reached the hallway leading to the lounge, he saw several veteran players sitting around a table in the lounge.

“What are you doing? Are you stupid?”

“No, that’s not it. Why did I put this out?”

“You really shouldn’t gamble. You’ll lose all the money you’ve saved so far.”

…Are they playing a card game?

The captain, Juan Gonzalez, and midfielders Diego Casas, Thomas Stein, were playing a card game.

These three are the most experienced veterans on the team.

“Ah, this is boring. Make it more fun.”

“It’s not fun because everything shows on his face.”

“Shall we try another game?”

At first, he thought that even those experienced veterans were nervous and were relieving their tension with a card game, but that’s not it.

Somehow, a feeling of boredom and weariness emanated from them.

Like standing in a long line in front of a restaurant.

A feeling of wanting time to pass quickly.

No tension was felt from them at all.

‘As expected…’

A strange sense of respect arose.

Even he, who wasn’t starting, was so nervous that he couldn’t sleep, but they, who were going to start, weren’t nervous at all.

Seeing them so calm even though they were facing a bigger stage than any other game, they seemed like bigger people.

Just seeing those seniors made Lopetegui feel at ease.

‘There’s no use in me worrying.’

Lopetegui smiled and turned away.

He didn’t need to worry about anything.

Tomorrow, they will win.

ㆍㆍㆍ

-Villarreal coach Fernandez, “Real will win. They are special in the Champions League.”

-Real Madrid president Moreno, “History will continue… I have no doubt about winning.”

-Manchester City coach Jose Ernesto, “Having faced both Real and West Ham, I would side with West Ham.”

-Barcelona president Hugo Talles, “Johan was like an accelerator. Because he goes further as you step on it. West Ham will win. We didn’t lose because we were bad.”

-Atletico Madrid coach Darin, “Johan is not Premier League level. Real will be very embarrassed.”

Amidst the flood of comments from various figures ahead of the final.

The day of the decisive battle dawned, and the Olympiastadion Berlin was packed with tens of thousands of people.

The atmosphere of the stadium was electric.

Real Madrid fans, dressed in white, occupied half of the stadium, and West Ham fans, dressed in maroon and sky blue, were engaged in a shouting match, singing their respective anthems.

Soon, the opening ceremony by a famous singer begins.

A singer who is gaining quite a bit of popularity comes out and performs, but the fans of both teams seem a little distracted as they are too busy competing with their cheers.

After the opening ceremony, a giant ball-shaped flag symbolizing the Champions League is brought out by dozens of children.

And,

The players enter.

“Lets go! Hammers!”

“Hala Madrid!”

A huge cheer erupts for the entering players.

An atmosphere that makes your heart swell and your mind go blank.

The expressions of the West Ham players looked quite determined, and the expressions of the Real Madrid players looked more calm.

Bbam bbam bbam-!

After the players finished entering and lined up, the Champions League theme song ‘Ligue Des Champions’ began to play.

“The Champions!”

After the chant that makes your heart swell ends.

The Olympiastadion is filled with a huge applause.

It’s an applause full of anticipation, expecting a great game.

Now, the camera starts to scan the Real Madrid players one by one from the far left.

The faces of prominent players pass by.

There is not a single player who is not a star player.

Perhaps that’s why, there is no sense of tension at all.

Next, the camera moves to the West Ham players.

The camera passes by from goalkeeper Jeff Hurrichel.

Again, everyone is hiding it, but it feels like tension is leaking out.

However, the player standing at the end is different.

“···”

Just like in the Euro final.

Johan stood calmly.

A more comfortable face than the Real players who have already experienced this stage.

Of course.

Because Johan only has one thought in his head.

‘When this is over, it’s really over.’

I want to finish the game quickly.

Of course, with a victory.

That’s all.

After deciding the first kick with a coin toss, the captains shake hands and promise fair play.

And,

Both teams of players gathered briefly and stood in front of the camera.

The front row squats down, and the back row stands and puts their arms around each other’s shoulders, a typical photo formation.

Click-!

A photo of these members, which may be the last.

The players who finished taking the photo started running to their respective positions.

Some jumped up and down, and some tried to shake off the tension by spinning their arms around.

And Johan slowly walked towards the center circle.

He looks unusually huge today.

“Peeeeeeep-!”

Paah-!

The game started with Johan’s first kick.