Soccer: I became Bruno Fernandes.

Chapter 267: The Prodigy

December 13th, 8:45 PM.

23-year-old Argentinian forward Mauro Icardi stood on the Friuli Stadium pitch, waiting for the referee's whistle to start the match. His gaze, however, was fixed on the center arc in Udinese's half.

Bruno!

In the past two or three years, Icardi had often heard about Bruno. He was the hottest young player in Europe and was even a top contender for this year's FIFA Ballon d'Or. Everyone believed he would become the world's best player after Messi.

Despite being Argentinian, Icardi didn't feel the need to defend Messi because their relationship wasn't good. As a rising star from La Masia academy, Icardi naturally wanted to build a good relationship with Messi, his senior in the national team. However, due to a public incident, Messi didn't like him and even somewhat despised him.

Sampdoria was where Icardi's dreams took off. In 2011, in the 40th round of Serie B, Sampdoria defeated Juve Stabia 2-1. Icardi came on as a substitute for Bruno Fornaroli, making his professional debut and scoring his first career goal in the 84th minute, helping the team secure a last-minute victory.

At Sampdoria, Icardi gained many things: goals, recognition, applause, and even women. Through relentless pursuit, he managed to make his teammate and mentor Maxi López's wife, Wanda, his own. Now, Wanda was not only Icardi's wife but also his agent.

...

This woman also brought trouble for Icardi, angering many Argentinians, including legends like Maradona, Messi, and Di María. Maradona openly called Icardi a traitor, saying he would need a lifetime to make up for what he did to Maxi López. Messi, though not publicly hostile, was frequently reported by the media to despise Icardi. This was understandable, given Messi and López were good friends, and no one wanted to deal with someone with Icardi's reputation.

Currently, Udinese was at the top of the standings, with Inter Milan second but nine points behind. With the season nearly halfway over, Inter Milan had to beat Udinese in this match to keep their title hopes alive. If they fell 12 points behind, dreaming of overtaking Udinese would be futile. The whole of Italy was likely watching, hoping Inter Milan could defeat Udinese. Otherwise, if Udinese led by double digits halfway through the season, the league title race would be as good as over.

Therefore, for Inter Milan and for justice, Icardi had to take down Bruno and Udinese in this match!

...

In Inter Milan's tactical setup, Icardi was the sole forward and the core of their attack. As the match began, Icardi was very active, frequently posing threats. Within two minutes, he made a quick run down the right, leaving Udinese's left-back Cancelo behind and crossing to the far post. Maguire cleared the ball, but not far enough. Inter Milan's midfielder Jovetić quickly followed up with a volley, producing the first shot of the match!

The entire attacking sequence was swift and well-coordinated, causing chaos in Udinese's defense. Luckily for Udinese, Jovetić's volley was slightly off-target.

Inter Milan's strategy to strike first was evident. With Danilo out injured, Udinese fielded a combination of Maguire and veteran Domizzi. Despite conceding the first chance, Udinese remained calm and organized their defense well. Inter Milan aimed to press their advantage, especially through Icardi, who was determined to prove himself.

...

Although Udinese conceded early pressure, they quickly stabilized and launched counter-attacks. Five minutes in, Maguire, from the back, made a long pass to the left wing. Bruno found space, controlled the ball with his chest, and cut inside. Inter Milan realized the danger too late, with Montoya and his midfield teammates rushing back, but Bruno's speed was a significant advantage.

After cutting inside, Bruno passed to the middle, where French forward Thauvin received it. Thauvin deftly controlled the ball, evaded a defender, and then lobbed it behind the defense. Bruno, having changed direction after his pass, made a quick run into the space behind the defense.

With Inter Milan's defense caught off guard, Bruno reached the ball in the penalty area. As Handanović rushed out, Bruno decisively shot, cleanly and quickly, sending the ball into Inter Milan's net.

1-0, Udinese took the lead at home!

...

"GOOOOOOOOOOOAL!!!!!!"

"An early counter-attack from Udinese, with Bruno opening the scoring just five minutes in."

"A brilliant attacking move, simple yet deadly."

"Bruno and Thauvin showed great understanding."

...

After scoring, Bruno slid to his knees in the corner, celebrating with the Udinese fans' cheers. He had been shortlisted for this year's FIFA Ballon d'Or final three, but he wasn't satisfied. His goal was the ultimate prize in a month, so he needed to perform even better.

Guidolin, on the sideline, was visibly excited by Bruno's goal. But he was used to it by now; Bruno's form this season was exceptional, driven by his deep-seated desire.

"We can achieve great things this season," Guidolin said confidently.

Portoloucci nodded in agreement. "Indeed, but we need to strengthen our center-back position."

"I've already instructed the scouting team to investigate. It might have to wait until the winter break," Guidolin replied.

"The most important thing is to maintain Bruno's current form," Portoloucci added.

Guidolin smiled slightly. "At least until January next year, we have nothing to worry about."

...

Portoloucci laughed and nodded. Indeed, until the biggest award was decided in January, Bruno's form would not falter. As long as he maintained his current form, and the other Udinese players didn't hold him back, Udinese would be unstoppable.

Some say football is a team sport, which is true, but that doesn't mean it doesn't produce heroes or prodigies. Throughout history, many legendary stars have emerged. Things others couldn't do, they could; situations that seemed hopeless to others, they brought hope; things others didn't dare to think about, they not only thought about but also dared to do and succeeded.

This is the difference between a superstar and others.

From last season, Bruno had shown the qualities of a superstar, and this season marked his complete transformation. From the season's start until now, everyone increasingly recognized that Bruno was already a superstar.

Just like the first goal earlier, Bruno's decision-making was crucial. Thauvin was important, but he was merely executing Bruno's idea. Without Thauvin, there would still be Di Natale or someone else. But without Bruno, that attack wouldn't have happened.

He was Udinese's superstar! Even Guidolin, who usually treated players as robots, had to admit that if he and Udinese wanted greater success, such as defending the league title or the Champions League, they needed to rely more on Bruno, as he was their most crucial competitive edge. Without Bruno, Udinese's competitiveness in Serie A or the Champions League would drop a level.

Before Bruno's arrival, Udinese struggled to achieve breakthrough results. Despite occasionally qualifying for the Champions League, they often got eliminated in the qualifying rounds, mainly due to the lack of a star player. Di Natale was good, but not enough. From 2013 to now, in two and a half years, Bruno's rapid growth and exceptional progress made everyone inside and outside the club believe he was the key factor Udinese had been looking for.

Guidolin described him as the key to victory, and indeed, he was also the key to the team's title hopes.

(End of chapter)

Friends, if you want to read chapters in advance, subscribe to my patreon.

You can also buy the book if you are only interested in reading the novel.