God Of football

Chapter 112: A Little Bit Of System

After the goal, Ruben Baraja subbed Izan off. Although a 2 goal lead was still fragile especially playing against a team like Athletic Bilbao at home, Ruben Baraja planned to defend with his soul.

Izan, who was coming off, was met with a standing ovation from the away crowd. Although it wasn’t as big as it would be if this was the Mestalla, Izan still enjoyed it.

”Iiizaan! Iiizaan! Iiizaan!” The fans shouted, stretching his name a bit as he came off.

This was a history-defying moment, as no player had received a standing ovation from any crowd at his age.

Izan met Mark on the touchline and hugged the latter. ”Defend well and I’ll help you find a girlfriend?” Izan said playfully as he let go of Mark.

As Mark’s face came into view, Izan felt something different. A sense of determination brewing in the eyes of the Mark.

”Oh, I think he took it seriously, ”, Izan said as he approached Baraja. ”Took what serious?” Baraja said with a smile as he hugged Izan.

”I said I would help him find a girlfriend if he defended well”.

”Hahahaha, No I was wondering why his demeanour changed. Poor dog” Baraja said as he let go of Izan.

”Anyways, you were unplayable today. Thank you” Baraja said, receiving a curt nod of acknowledgement from Izan as he walked towards the kit manager.

”Thank you, Jorge” Izan said as he took the jacket. The kit manager smiled at Izan as he went to the bench. Receiving pats from his teammates, Izan sat down as joined them in watching the match.

.....

”Hahahahaha” Izan joined his teammates in laughing as his teammates laughed at Pietro for his missed shot in the final minutes of the game.

The Match had ended four goals to two in favour of Valencia. After Izan came off. Athletic opened up and started playing more fluidly.

As the main source of danger, Izan had gotten off, and Ernesto Valverde attacked more without worrying about a sudden counter.

This tactic was very good as it led to a goal. In the 67th minute, Nico Williams cut inside from the left and released a shot towards the far post.

The shot from Nico Williams was unreachable even for someone of Marmadashvili’s stature. After the goal, the Athletic fans confidently celebrated, thinking it was the start of a comeback but boy were they wrong.

Pietro, who had turned prime Zidane, controlled the field as the Frenchman would do. He threaded dangerously long passes to his teammates while toying with opponent defences.

His attacking run led to a corner kick that was ultimately struck into the net by Jose Gaya.

After the latter scored, he ran towards his bench and pointed at Izan before making a crying gesture with his hands.

”So immature,” Izan said as he stood up and applauded the defender. The faces of the Athletic Bilbao fans sunk into despair as they conceded once more, and immediately after, they thought they were on to something.

After the restart, the match dulled but a few attacking threats from both sides. One which led to Pietro coming face to face with Unai Simon but the former blasted the ball over the the crossbar.

[Present]

”Hmmph, you guys don’t know anything. I was actually about to score, but then I saw a kid with cardboard in the stands saying he wanted the ball,” Pietro said with his arms folded.

”That’s a bitch and weak-ass excuse,” Cenk said with a smirk. ”Ahem* Language”, Ruben Baraja, who was at the front, said, looking at Izan.

”Come on Coach, really, him? This kid you’re worried about is tied on goals for the top scorer spot with Jude Bellingham, and he leads the assist charts by a margin of 3 assists, and you’re worried about us saying a few cuss words” Cenk said in disbelief.

As the words finally sank, some of the players couldn’t help but stare at Izan. A few reserve players who heard this finally came to a realisation and even felt envious of his talent.

Ruben Baraja, who saw this, smiled at them. ”You guys do know that Izan was almost kicked out of our Academy right?” Baraja said receiving gasps of shock from most of his players, save a few who already knew.

”Is the Academy that good?” Mosquera said in disbelief.

”Is the Valencia academy teeming with players that are better than Izan? Then why am I playing” Corriera said with a nervous smile.

”Don’t kid yourself; if that was it, none of you would be on the team right now”, Baraja said. ”Well, except for Izan”, Baraja added, looking at Izan like he found gold.

The players rolled their eyes in indifference as Ruben Baraja fanned over Izan. ”Ahem*, he was actually deemed not good enough and was almost dropped, but then after a couple of weeks not seeing him because of a break in the youth football Calender, Izan came back and impressed Oryazabal in training”.

”For those who don’t know him, he used to play for Valencia and is now in charge of the u17s”, Baraja explained.

”Nothing changes overnight. The potential for Izan was there but he just needed something to unlock it and his was training.

Training till he felt his legs go weak, and even then, he would still stand up with his hands.

If anyone gets good, I won’t care to throw them into the starting lineup” Baraja said before looking away.

Izan looked on with his mouth open as he stared at Baraja. ”Wow, did I really do that” Izan thought with a laugh, thinking of the details Baraja had exaggerated.

The young players on the team, especially Sosa Herrera who had been with Izan and had watched his rise felt the words resonate.

Izan looked at the fired-up players in shock. ”A lot of hard work and a bit of system if you’re untalented like me,”, Izan thought as he smiled at his teammates.

After a bit of banter, the players relaxed in their seats, some sleeping while others listened to some music.

Izan and Sosa played some Fifa 23 on a portable game console he had bought before Izan made a mental note to buy the FC 24.

He wanted to check his rating in the game but he won’t be in the game unless he turns 16 in November.

After turning 16, he would be eligible, but not before a title update was in order.

.....

The media storm surrounding Izan reached new heights after his dazzling performance against Athletic Bilbao.

The young prodigy showcased his vision and precision, assisting three goals in a thrilling 4-2 victory.

Headlines from major sports outlets across Europe hailed him as a ”generational talent,” while social media buzzed with fans dissecting his every pass.

At home in Valencia, Izan tried to stay grounded. Komi, his mom, kept the household calm despite a few reporters camped outside their modest home, hoping for a glimpse or comment from the rising star.

Meanwhile, Hori, his sister, teased him endlessly about his newfound fame.

”Should we start looking for a new house with good security”? Izan thought as he watched the scene in front of him.

After a while, the doorbell rang. Izan came down and walked towards the door before looking at the monitor beside it. He saw Miranda standing behind him and quickly opened it.

”Izan a few questions”.

”What club are you movi-”

*BANG*

Izan shut the door. ”Hello, generational genius,”, Miranda said before walking towards the couch. Izan rolled his eyes and followed her.

Carrying a sleek briefcase and an air of importance, Komi and her kids watched her as she went about her things.

Sitting at the dining table with Komi and Izan, Miranda laid out her plans.

”First off, congratulations again, Izan,” she began. ”That performance against Bilbao has opened doors we didn’t anticipate this early. Several major brands are interested in sponsorship deals. This time a few clothing brands in the mix.”

Izan blinked, momentarily overwhelmed. ”Sponsorships? Again?”.

Miranda nodded. ”It’s no small thing, Izan. These brands want to align themselves with your image—talent, humility, and potential.

But you have to be careful about which partnerships you choose. They’ll shape your public identity as much as your game does.”

Komi looked concerned. ”And how do we make sure this doesn’t distract him from his studies or football?”

”Good question,” Miranda replied. ”We’ll focus on deals that require minimal time commitments from Izan. Things like brand endorsements, where he only needs to appear for a shoot or wear their gear during games.

We’ve already got Adidas so the clothing brands which just require a photoshoot and some collaboration with other figures will do. I’ll handle the logistics.”

As they discussed further, Miranda made it clear she had Izan’s best interests at heart. ”Your football comes first,” she said firmly. ”No deal is worth jeopardizing that.”

By the end of the evening, Izan felt a quarter as excited as Hori who was moving about.

To him, the world was moving fast around him, but with Miranda and his family by his side, he knew he was in good hands.

As Miranda left, she turned to Izan. ”Rest up, kid. The world’s watching, and you’ve got more magic to deliver on the pitch.”

”Especially with some matches coming up,” she said before walking to the kitchen with Komi.

A/n: Have fun guys. I came back tired so I couldn’t release any additional chapter.

I wanted to have some chapters in stock but I get sidetracked by a lot of things. Watching YouTube, lying on the couch, contemplating life, you know the usual.

Anyways gifts= Bonus chapters

Golden tickets= Bonus chapters.

Feeling Good day= Bonus chapter

Birthday= Bonus chapter.

Love you’ll.

Sorry guys but I’m having trouble with the privilege tier right now. Any suggestions.