Soccer: I became Bruno Fernandes.

Chapter 34: The End of the Journey

Novara held a grand trophy presentation ceremony at Piola Stadium. After each player of Novara ascended the podium to receive their championship medals, an official from the Italian Football Association handed the "Wings of Victory" trophy to Novara's captain, Rubino. Rubino invited Bruno to lift the "Wings of Victory" trophy with him. Amid the cheers of over ten thousand Novara fans, the two held the somewhat small, light trophy aloft.

Afterward, Rubino gave a victory speech on behalf of the team, which also served as his farewell announcement. The veteran, soon to turn 36, decided to retire at the end of the season.

Following the ceremony, the entire Novara team boarded a bus for a grand parade through the city. While such celebrations might not occur for a powerhouse club winning Serie B, for a small team like Novara, winning Serie B was a monumental occasion.

That evening, the De Salvo family, the owners of Novara, hosted a celebration party at a hotel in Novarello. The players, dressed up, attended with family or girlfriends, except for Bruno, who arrived alone.

Recently, Bruno's girlfriend had broken off contact with him due to his somewhat aloof attitude, suggesting perhaps they were not meant to be. Moreover, Bruno didn't have any other significant romantic interests; his acquaintance Vanessa Hessler had met him only twice, and they hadn't even exchanged contact information, hardly qualifying as friends. Bruno naturally wouldn't invite her to the party as it would imply a declaration of their relationship.

At the party, the club owner, Massimo De Salvo, congratulated Bruno and expressed gratitude for his outstanding performance throughout the season. However, neither touched upon the topic of renewing his contract. This wasn't because there were two years left on his contract and no need for renewal but because De Salvo knew well that the small pond of Novara couldn't contain the soon-to-be soaring dragon, Bruno—even though Novara had been promoted to Serie A.

The De Salvo family, despite their wealth, had never been heavily invested in transforming Novara into a top Italian football club. Bruno knew from the lack of a pay raise proposal throughout the season that they had no intention of retaining him, and he had no desire to stay at a club with limited prospects.

Although he didn't explicitly state his intention to leave during the post-game interview, those words were just formalities for the media—believing them would be a mistake.

Both sides understood that with the season's end, their relationship would naturally conclude.

After Massimo De Salvo left, Giaretta stayed behind and quietly asked Bruno, "Tell me the truth, Bruno, are you planning to leave this summer?" Given their good relationship, Bruno pondered briefly before responding, "If the right opportunity comes, why not?"

Giaretta probed further, "What constitutes a 'right opportunity'? Are you looking for a big club or a high salary?" Bruno shook his head and explained, "Given my current situation, moving to a big club would be challenging. Even if I did, I couldn't be sure of my position. What's the point if I'm just warming the bench? And as for a high salary, who do you think would offer that to a newcomer like me who's only played one season?"

With a slight grin, Bruno added, "Cristiano, has any club made an offer for me?" Giaretta nodded, admitting, "Of course, talents like you will always have suitors. Several teams, including big names like Juventus, AC Milan, and Inter Milan, and upper-mid-tier clubs like Udinese, Napoli, and Sampdoria, have made offers. There are even some from teams fighting relegation..."

Surprised, Bruno chuckled, "I had no idea I was in such demand." Giaretta seriously added, "Do you not realize how popular you are right now? At eighteen, with 21 goals and 32 assists in Serie B, setting a new assist record for the league, everyone in Italy who cares about football is watching you. My colleagues tell me your fame rivals Juventus's new star, Paulo Dybala. I remember you haven't signed with an agent yet, right? I suggest you sort that out soon. This summer is going to be very busy for you."

Bruno sighed at the mention of signing with an agent. Many had approached him over the past few months, either volunteering themselves or recommended by teammates, but Bruno didn't trust them. With no doubts about his future and now equipped with an "extra edge," he didn't believe his development could be any less than his original trajectory.

Top stars usually have agents who are either trusted family members or top professionals. None of Bruno's family seemed capable of being an agent—his parents were uneducated, his brother was a third-tier professional player, and his sister was an ordinary worker.

So, professional agents were his only option. Yet, no top-tier agents had approached him. In Bruno's view, the real top-tier agents were Jorge Mendes and Mino Raiola, and neither had contacted him yet.

Scratching his head in frustration, Bruno remarked, "Let's wait and see. I'll settle this soon. If any club makes a convincing offer, just let me know, and I'll negotiate my terms directly with them."

Giaretta shook his head, "Don't come to me with this. I won't be Novara's general manager for much longer, so I won't be involved in any transfers."

Surprised, Bruno looked at Giaretta, who explained, "I've submitted my resignation and will leave at the end of the month."

Bruno inquired, "Where will you go?"

"Udinese," Giaretta replied.

Bruno was speechless, understanding perhaps why his future self transferred there; Giaretta likely played a crucial role.

Smiling, Giaretta said, "Interested in joining Udinese? I've recommended you to Mr. Pozzo, and he's very interested."

Bruno responded, "For me, it doesn't matter where I go. I just want to play football peacefully. If Udinese can guarantee my position and offer decent financial terms, that's acceptable."

"Alright, don't rush to decide. Once I start at Udinese, I'll handle your transfer properly," Giaretta whispered.

Bruno nodded, "No problem. I don't have the energy to worry about transfers right now. I'm about to join the Portugal U20 team and won't be back until July."

Giaretta, puzzled, asked, "Are you participating in the U20 World Cup in Turkey?"

"Yes," Bruno didn't hide it.

Startled, Giaretta exclaimed, "Then I need to act quickly."

Confused, Bruno asked, "What do you mean?"

Laughing, Giaretta explained, "You're going to the U20 World Cup. If I don't move fast and you end up winning, your value could skyrocket, and Udinese would have to pay a lot more."

Amused, Bruno murmured, "You really have a lot of faith in me..."

(End of Chapter)

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