God Of football

Chapter 96: We Have Your Back

Izan woke up the next day feeling refreshed. The trip with Hori and Komi, the previous day had successfully helped him relax.

”Things are going a bit fast” Izan muttered as he sat in his bed. Many talented players fail under the pressure from the spotlight and Izan hoped not to be one of them.

Miranda had called the day before, mentioning interest from some Premier League clubs. Even some brands had tried to get in contact with Izan hoping for cooperation as riding on his current popularity would be good for them.

This could be detrimental to a young footballer but Izan’s worries were not much as he had Miranda as an agent. Even though it was just a working relationship that brought them together, Miranda had his best interests at heart.

And if he ever deviated from football, he had his family to pull him back. Izan, now up and running, came back home after completing his daily task.

Waking up and training had now become akin to breathing for Izan. After an hour passed, Izan was ready to leave for school.

After a kiss on his forehead, Izan set off to school on his bike. ”At this point, my age is turning out to be a nuisance,” he thought.

He couldn’t even drive if he wanted to. For now, his salary was sitting idle in a bank account Komi had made for him.

Izan breezed through school with the ease required of a straight-A student. Most questions from the studied subjects that day didn’t even pose a threat to Izan’s intelligence.[lmao]

The Mathematics teacher decided a pop quiz was in order after he finished a topic. Most of the students, especially the boys, looked at Izan with envy when he submitted his test ahead of time.

”This is truly not fair,” a student with freckles said.

”If you want to write some overpowered character, why not put him in a fantasy novel like Shadow Slave? This is real life. I don’t think anybody is bricked up like that” another student spoke.

”Yeah, the Author’s probably delusional”.

As the students kept shitting on the Author, Izan got permission from the school to close early and went ahead to the Cuidad Deportiva.

Training would begin in an hour and the distance to the Cuidad was about 30 minutes with a bike.

....

Coach Rubén Baraja (leaning over the tactics board) spoke ”Moreno, Real Sociedad is no joke. They’re sitting in the top 10 for a reason”.

”And the reason they are not placed higher is because they drew with Girona, who haven’t lost a match since the start of the season, and they also lost to Madrid, so for some tough teams like that, they’ve done well”, Baraja continued.

”Their midfield is their engine—Merino and Zubimendi control the tempo like maestros. How do we stop them?” Assistant Coach Moreno asked.

”It’s true, their midfield is their heart. But I’ve been watching clips from their last few matches. They struggle when pressed high. If we start aggressively and force turnovers early, we can unsettle them.” Baraja said, nodding thoughtfully

”Hmm, pressing high is risky, especially with their pace on the flanks. Kubo and Oyarzabal can punish us if we lose structure.” Moreno said.

”Agreed, but that’s where Guillamón and Javi Guerra come in. If they stay disciplined, we can recover quickly. Plus, their fullbacks overlap a lot—there’s space in behind if we counter swiftly.” Baraja countered.

”I like that. We’ll need Thierry and Gayà sharp defensively but ready to burst forward on the counter. And what about our attack? Duro has been isolated in recent games.”

”True. Let’s try setting him up as more of a target man. He can hold up the ball while Almeida and Fran Pérez make runs off him. Their centre-backs hate dealing with pace.” Moreno spoke.

”I see. And maybe we can exploit set pieces too. Real Sociedad concede a lot from corners and free kicks” Baraja said after staying silent for a while.

”Absolutely. Diakhaby and Duro are our aerial threats, but we need pinpoint delivery”.

Moreno and Baraja looked at each other for a while before shaking their heads.

”He played too much against Atlético. I’ll bring him on to keep match sharpness, but he won’t play much, so let’s hand that task over to Pepelu or Almeida or even Gaya. No room for sloppy execution here.”

Baraja (pausing): ”What about substitutions? Real Sociedad tends to ramp up intensity after the 70th minute. We can’t let fatigue cost us.”

”We’ll save Vázquez and Pietro for that phase. They’ll bring fresh energy to the midfield. And if we’re chasing a goal, I’d consider bringing on López. His unpredictability can open them up.” Moreno said, spinning the pen in hand.

”That Sosa kid had been good too. If there is an opportunity, let’s let him play,” Baraja said. Valencia didn’t have much of a transfer budget so they could only rely on talents.

”Good. Now, defensively, Mamardashvili must be at his best. Sociedad loves to test keepers from range.” Baraja followed up.

Moreno, (standing up)”He’s been in great form. If he keeps his composure, we can weather the storm. The key is staying compact and disciplined. No lapses in concentration.”

Baraja, (clapping his hands) said, ”Perfect. Let’s drill these ideas into training. Real Sociedad won’t expect us to come at them like this.”

Moreno: ”They’ll know they’ve been in a fight by the final whistle. Let’s go for it!”

”Oh, that looks like Izan”, Moreno said, causing Baraja to turn around. The duo looked through the glass and saw Izan coming into the grounds with his bike.

”Can’t this kid take a break? I’m scared he’ll even get injured” Baraja said, shaking his head.

”Don’t worry. I’ve talked to the senior physio, and he said the training he does is good for his body. He mentioned that he was even surprised by such unnatural but effective methods” Moreno said, trying to get Baraja to calm down.

”Oh, okay then, let’s head once the other guys come”, Baraja said, turning to look at the tactical board on his right.

.....

Izan stood at the centre of Valencia’s state-of-the-art training pitch, fully focused as he performed a series of intense football drills.

Clad in the team’s training kit, his youthful determination was evident in every movement.

He started with agility ladder drills, his feet moving like lightning as he darted through the rungs with precision.

The coaches nodded in approval, impressed by his quick footwork and balance. Next, he transitioned to cone dribbling.

Izan, weaving through the tightly placed markers with the ball glued to his feet, showcased his exceptional close control.

”I’ve always seen him dribble, but how does he do it?” Fran Pérez said. ”I get that he’s good, too good actually but what he does is nuts”.

”Then you should have seen him with the youth side. Mr Oryazabal told me that if Izan wasn’t with them, they wouldn’t have won the UEFA Youth League.

Pietro said the same too” Diego Lopez said.

As the session progressed, Izan moved to passing drills. He hit pinpoint passes into small targets and executed perfectly timed one-twos with his teammates, demonstrating his impeccable accuracy and vision.

The next challenge was a shooting drill, where Izan unleashed a series of powerful and precise shots into the top corner, leaving the third-choice goalkeeper, Raul Giminez, scrambling.

During a small-sided game, Izan displayed good composure under pressure as he always did, threading a perfect through ball to set up a teammate’s goal.

His ability to read the game and adapt quickly was evident as he intercepted passes and initiated counterattacks with precision.

Izan, with boundless energy and vision, was the main attraction during the Valencia main team’s training session.

Some of the u19 players stood behind the metal net watching Izan. His lean yet muscular frame moved with grace as he showcased his impressive ball control and sharp tactical sense.

”Now I know why Oryazabal tells us to watch this kid. He’s too good” One of the u19 players said

As the session came to an end, the coaches clapped, and his teammates gave him a thumbs-up, recognizing the dedication and raw talent of the young player who was quickly making his mark in the football World.

”Izan”, Coach Baraja said as he approached the locker room after the session.

---

Ruben Baraja smiled, ” Izan, how are you feeling? You’ve been working hard out there lately, and I can see the hunger in your play. But I want to hear it from you—how’s everything?

” I’m feeling good, míster. A bit tired, to be honest, but in a good way. Every training session feels like I’m improving, but sometimes, it’s a lot to take in” Izan said, thinking about the talk with Mirànda.

Ruben Baraja, leaning forward, spoke, ”That’s natural. You’re stepping into a big role, and the pressure can feel like a lot, especially in a club like Valencia. But remember, you’re here for a reason. We believe in you, and your talent is undeniable”.

”Thank you, Coach,” Izan said

”Just keep your head in the game and leave the other thing for your agent. She seems nice, and she’s also very good from the way she negotiated with us,” Baraja said, remembering how Miranda drained them.

”Okay, Coach, I’ll keep that in mind,”, Izan said.

”You bring energy, creativity, and a fresh perspective. That’s something the whole of Valencia admires. Trust me, you are a star in the making,” Baraja said, putting his hand on Izan’s shoulder.

Izan nodded at Baraja. ”Just keep doing what you’re doing, and the rest will take care of itself, okay?” Baraja said before walking off, leaving Izan to his thoughts.

A/n: First of the day guys.Have fun.

10 golden tickets= 1 bonus chapter

100 Powerstones= 1 bonus chapter

[released the same day]

1 car: 2 bonus chapters

Thats all I can do for the time being. I’ll try to stockpile some chapters and release. I think we over also said something about mass release this new year so watch out. Anyways bye for now