Check out advanced chapters on P@treon: [email protected]/CosmicKaminari
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Lance's memory of Genk was already a bit hazy.
From starting football at age 6 to training with the youth team from 8-12, it was mostly within the Genk academy.
Actually, calling it a youth team was more like a community activity under professional coaching.
After all, Genk is a small town with fewer than 60,000 people.
The official Genk academy was limited to U17/U19.
Furthermore, with the club's debt exceeding 30 million euros, the team didn't have much funding or talent to maintain a U13 youth academy.
Every time he trained at the community football pitch, 10-year-old Lance could only watch U17 academy player Kevin De Bruyne train with envious eyes.
He envied him for having a professional kit, and boots and shin guards provided by the club.
He envied the Flemish regional media interviewing De Bruyne.
Who would have thought that Lance, now the world's most valuable superstar, who shakes up the global football landscape, at that time, only wished to join the Genk first team and become De Bruyne's teammate.
Later, before his wish could be fulfilled, Lance's entire family moved to Munich.
He heard that Genk had always struggled, qualifying for the Champions League three times in a row but failing to advance to the group stage.
It wasn't until 2011 that Genk surprisingly made it to the Champions League group stage, which provided enough broadcasting revenue, and the Champions League earnings significantly improved the club's finances.
From then on, the soil of Genk, a town of 60,000 people, also cultivated a second-tier professional club in Europe, and continuously supplied famous world-class players to Europe.
This included Kevin De Bruyne, Courtois, Leicester City's main defensive midfielder Ndidi, Liverpool's famous forward Benteke, Japanese international Junya Ito, Belgium's midfield core Amadou Onana (not Manchester United's butter-fingered goalkeeper Onana)...
Lance himself could be considered half a 'Genk youth product.'
"Lance, you're going back to Genk, huh?"
"Yeah, I don't even know who's left on the actual team. Everyone from back then has probably left..."
Lance only held a limited, almost negligible affection for Genk.
He didn't have much affection for Bayern Munich either.
His rise and takeoff mostly began at Bayer Leverkusen.
Lance felt relatively closer to Bayer Leverkusen and its fans.
"Hugo, Frank, they're all there."
"No, they're still there?"
"Uh... strictly speaking, they just returned this summer. When they called me before, they even mentioned you."
"Huh? No way."
"Yes, they said that even when you were 10 years old, they could tell you were extraordinarily talented."
In the video call, De Bruyne's expression clearly couldn't hold back.
Lance was speechless.
He was just naive when he was 10, not stupid.
At that time, the manager, now assistant coach, Hugo Broos, once cursed him, pointing at his nose.
"You have no physique, no technique, no speed. Give up your football dreams! You'd have a better future going back to Asia to play ping-pong!"
Manager Frank Vercauteren also indirectly evaluated Lance.
"He's not qualified to be a professional player, give up."
Alright, alright, I became a superstar, and now you say I'm extraordinarily talented.
D-Day has happened, and you're with the Allies now?
"Anyway, going back to Genk is good. Just treat it as revisiting old haunts."
"Your draw isn't bad either. Making it to the quarter-finals shouldn't be a problem."
Manchester City, as group winners, drew group runners-up Porto, which was also a very favourable draw.
De Bruyne pouted.
"Are you questioning us? Manchester City will definitely make the quarter-finals."
"Not necessarily. It would be terrible if you messed up and lost to Porto. Manchester City has always been bad in Europe."
"That's when I wasn't there! It'll definitely be different with me!"
"Alright, alright, it'll be different."
Lance almost couldn't hold back his laughter.
De Bruyne was older than him, but his mental age felt like that of a simple, honest middle school student.
A little teasing and he'd get flustered, which was a bit amusing.
"I'll crush you in the quarter-finals then!"
"Fine, just pray you don't run into us!"
"Hey, what are you guys talking about!"
At this time, WhatsApp video chat had already developed a group chat mode, and De Bruyne just pulled Son Heung-min into it.
From the video, Son Heung-min seemed to be walking and resting on a treadmill.
"We're talking about the Champions League. We might even meet in the quarter-finals."
"Ah — shibal! Goodbye!"
Talking about the Champions League?
Sorry, Tottenham doesn't have the Champions League!
Son Heung-min dejectedly hung up the video, and it was De Bruyne and Lance's turn to snicker.
Good friends are for tormenting.
"I'm going to train. Let's both try to reach the quarter-finals."
"Good. It would be great if we could meet in the final."
He hung up the video.
Kevin De Bruyne sat up from a gym machine.
Everyone saw Lance's effort and achievements.
This kid had already carved out a place for himself in La Liga, but De Bruyne hadn't conquered the Premier League yet!
This season, an unknown Leicester City was surprisingly at the top of the league.
Where would Manchester City, Chelsea, Liverpool, and Arsenal put their faces?
As for Manchester United?
Manchester United had long lost face.
"Your friend?"
Next to him was Manchester City's midfield maestro, David Silva.
In a lineup centred around Silva, Yaya Touré, and Agüero, they had edged out Manchester United to win the club's first Premier League title.
The 93:20 miracle was the turning point for Manchester.
De Bruyne still respected this "senior" quite a bit.
"Yes, I was just chatting with Lance."
"Ah? Lance?"
David Silva reacted strongly.
"Oh right, you're former teammates, so your relationship must be very good."
??
De Bruyne was stunned. Seeing David Silva's shocked expression, was Lance putting that much pressure on him?
Clearly, Silva didn't want to meet Atlético Madrid in the quarter-finals.
Anyway, it was only December, and there was still some time until the Champions League knockout stage in February next year.
De Bruyne immersed himself in focused training.
He wanted to become stronger, to prove himself to be the "world's best midfielder" that Lance had predicted.
At the same time, he also hoped to—
defeat Lance!
Even if only once!
...
Marca reports, the 15/16 Champions League draw ceremony took place in Monaco last night at 8 PM.
The matchups are as follows:
Paris Saint-Germain vs Chelsea
Bayer Leverkusen vs Zenit Saint Petersburg
Barcelona vs Arsenal
Atlético Madrid vs Genk
Manchester City vs Porto
Real Madrid vs Manchester United
Wolfsburg vs Roma
Juventus vs Bayern Munich
Amongst them, the clashes between Real Madrid vs Manchester United, Juve vs Bayern, Barcelona vs Arsenal, and Paris vs Chelsea are particularly noteworthy.
Atlético Madrid, Manchester City, and other teams drew favourable matchups, with a high probability of securing a spot in the Champions League quarter-finals.
Please tune in to Moviestar +, Spanish National Television, Madrid TV, and other channels to follow the Champions League knockout stage...
...
They say the Premier League has no winter break.
In reality, La Liga also had no winter break this year. At most, there was a one-week Christmas holiday without matches, and Atlético Madrid had scheduled matches for the rest of the time.
On the bus heading to Málaga for an away game, Saúl next to him kept complaining.
"Damn it!! I also want to go to the Bundesliga. Nearly a month of winter break, just thinking about it feels great."
"Then go. Bayern would definitely want you."
"This..."
Saúl was just talking big. With a star like Lance on the team, who would want to transfer to another team in the winter window?
Lance actually couldn't be bothered with Saúl, that clown.
His mind was completely on tomorrow's match against Málaga.
"Does the system still have bugs? Will it ban me again?"
The next day, when he arrived at the stadium, he stood at the centre circle, waiting for kickoff with a nervous heart.
He summoned the system and checked...
Thankfully, the previous bug was just an anomaly.
The template could equip items normally.
Lance couldn't help but curl his lips into a sinister smile.
This expression was accidentally seen by the opponent.
The Málaga players standing opposite Lance simultaneously felt an invisible pressure wash over them at that moment!
Damn it, is that Conqueror's Haki?