THE GREATEST OF ALL TIME

"Damn it! Why does this boy keep scoring against us?" Coach Diego Simeone cursed out loud after Zachary converted a 40-yard free-kick to score an equalizing goal for Juventus. The thunderous cheers around the stadium sounded like funeral songs in his ears, and he couldn't stop himself from punching the air in front of him. He really felt crestfallen and disoriented after his players conceded a goal that could potentially force his team out of the Champions League at the group stage.

Taking a deep breath, he turned toward one of his assistants and asked, "Juan! What is the score for the game between Olympiacos and Malmö?"

"Just give me a moment to check," Juan Vizcaíno, the assistant, said before playing around with the buttons on his tablet. Then, a few seconds later, his eyes lit up, and he turned to glance at his boss.

"What is the score?" Coach Diego Simeone hurriedly pressed for an answer. "Don't keep me guessing. Hurry up and spit it out."

"The score is 2:2," Juan answered with a smile. "Markus Rosenberg scored the equalizer for Malmö six minutes ago."

"Yeah!" The coach pumped out his fist, his eyes brimming with hope. "Things are not so bad. But we must still do our utmost to win this game if we want to be sure of qualifying. Otherwise, we'll really be fucked if Olympiacos scores a late winner against Malmö."

Juan Vizcaíno, the assistant, nodded but didn't say anything. He continued playing around with the buttons on his tablet while waiting for his boss' next set of instructions.

Coach Diego Simeone, on his part, cocked his head slightly to observe Massimiliano Allegri, Juventus' head coach, who happened to be voicing instructions to his players. Then, narrowing his eyes slightly, he said, "I don't know why that bastard, Max Allegri, is trying so hard to win this game. He has brought in all his crucial players, even though he has already qualified as first in the group. Truly annoying!"

"Boss!" Suddenly the panicked voice of the assistant rang in his ears. "Konstantinos Mitroglou has just scored the third goal for Olympiacos."

"What?" Coach Diego Simeone's heart jumped with unease.

"I said that Olympiacos has just scored the third goal against Malmö," the assistant said. "And based on the match statistics, Olympiacos is the better team compared to Malmö. So, they have a high chance of winning and qualifying for the next Champions League stage as the second team in Group A. That's unless we can up our game and defeat Juventus."

"Damn! How can they score so fast? We're really fucked."

Coach Diego Simeone felt like his world had been turned upside down. He knew that Olympiacos would reach ten points if they won the other Group A game. So, that meant that the only way for Atlético Madrid to surpass them in such a situation was by winning the game against Juventus. They had to defeat the Old Lady or otherwise face the shameful destiny of dropping out of the Champions League at the group stage.

"Coach!" Juan Vizcaíno, the assistant, called out. "What's your plan?"

Coach Allegri didn't answer right away. Instead, he turned his gaze to the pitch to observe Zachary, who was on the ball. The twenty-year-old playmaker was like a whirlwind as he cut through the middle, executing sidesteps to leave opponents in the dust. Zachary then exchanged a couple of one-twos with Fernando Llorente and Carlos Tevez as he speared deeper into Atlético Madrid's half. A few more strides brought him to the edge of the box, and he unleashed a curling shot toward the top right corner.

"Damn!"

At that moment, Coach Diego Simeone really thought that his team was about to concede the second goal. His heartbeat accelerated to abnormal levels, and he couldn't help but clench and unclench his fists as he watched the ball heading toward the goal. He was really nervous.

Fortunately for the coach, Miguel Ángel Moyá, the Atlético Madrid keeper, was alert and leaped to make the save. The shot-stopper flew through the air with a stunning acrobatic dive before punching Zachary's effort out of play for a corner kick. And with that, he'd saved Atlético Madrid from conceding a goal during the 83rd minute.

"Damn it!" Coach Allegri cursed for the umpteenth time that night. "What the hell are Gabi and Suárez doing on the pitch? They allowed Zachary to pass through our ranks with ease. They almost caused us to concede another goal."

"Boss!" Juan Vizcaíno, the ever-dutiful assistant, said. "Ibrahim Afellay has just scored the fourth goal for Olympiacos."

"What?" Coach Diego felt dizzy.

"I said," the assistant repeated, "Olympiacos has just scored the fourth goal against Malmö. Olympiacos now has a two-goal cushion with only seven minutes remaining to the ninety-minute mark. They will most likely win the other final Group A game."

"Shit! How are they scoring so many goals in a few minutes? Are they playing against Malmö's under-16 team?"

Coach Diego took a moment to organize his thoughts before saying, "Unless we defeat Juventus, we're fucked. Juan! Hurry up and tell Ñíguez and Turan to warm up quickly. I want them on the pitch in three."

"Okay, I'll tell..." Juan stopped his words midsentence and turned his focus to the pitch. The assistant's wavering gaze said it all. He clearly thought something unexpected was about to occur on the field of play.

With a shudder, Coach Diego Simeone followed suit and started observing the proceedings on the field of play. There was already chaos in Atlético Madrid's box since Andrea Pirlo was about to take the corner kick for Juventus. Players of both teams were already pushing and pulling each other as they fought to gain an advantage before the corner ball came in. They were obviously going all out to attack and defend.

However, Coach Diego Simeone's heart remained firm even after his eyes feasted on all the confusion within Atlético Madrid's box. He wasn't that worried, as his players were so good at defending corner kicks delivered into the box.

However, what really tickled the coach's intuitive sixth sense was the sight of Zachary standing before the edge of the 18-yard box. The cunning young bastard had been within the fray inside the box. But after seemingly arguing with one of the Atlético Madrid defenders, he'd turned away in anguish before slowly walking towards the edge of the box. And on reaching there, he'd immediately taken up the position while projecting a feeling of not being interested in the corner kick.

"Damn it! This is bad!"

An ominous thought immediately swirled around Coach Diego Simeone's mind. With all the haste he could muster, he started rushing towards the touchline while yelling, "Hurry! Close down Zachary quickly. Don't let him..."

But right before Coach Diego Simeone could finish the command, Andrea Pirlo took the corner. The Italian Maestro's passing skills were among the best in the world. So, he effortlessly floated the ball towards Zachary, who'd already positioned himself at the edge of the box.

Zachary, on his part, was like a mountain lion pouncing forward as the ball approached his position. With a mighty swing of his left leg, he connected with the ball from Pirlo on the volley and sent it flying toward the goal.

"Damn!"

Coach Diego Simeone's heart jumped into his throat as his eyes followed the ball's trajectory. The ball was so fast, and before he could even blink, it took a slight deflection off the foot of a player in an Atlético Madrid jersey before homing into the back of the net.

With that, the Italian giants finally completed their comeback with another goal from Zachary during the 85th minute. The score was thus 2:1 in favor of the team from Turin, and they were taking firm steps towards achieving their sixth consecutive victory in the Champions League.

"We're in trouble."

Coach Diego Simeone sighed with helplessness. He couldn't believe that his players had lost a crucial lead during the final minutes of gameplay. He was disheartened, and his mood was already sinking into the abyss of desperation as he watched the Juventus players celebrating on one side of the pitch.

"Boss!" Juan Vizcaíno, the ever-dutiful assistant, suddenly called out from beside him.

For some reason, Coach Diego Simeone felt his heart skip a bit. He turned to face his assistant and asked, "What is it this time, Juan?"

"Boss!" The assistant said. "David Fuster has just scored another goal for Olympiacos in the other final game of Group A. As we speak, the score is 5:2, and Olympiacos is on course to defeat Malmö."

"Eehh!"

Coach Diego Simeone's shoulders drooped as he received double emotional damage. He felt like the universe was working against his team, and he couldn't come to terms with the fact that a third-rate team like Olympiacos could score five goals in a single Champions League game. What was next? Were pigs about to start to fly? Everything didn't make sense to the coach, and he felt even more disoriented. At that moment, he really wished to abandon the game and return to the dressing room. But he knew he couldn't really follow through with the thought as he was the manager of a top European football club.

"Boss!" Juan Vizcaíno, the assistant, called out again.

"Yes, Juan," Diego Simeone said without masking the annoyance within his voice. "Don't tell me that Olympiacos has scored a sixth goal!"

"No, that's not it," Juan replied. "I only wanted to inquire whether I should continue prepping Ñíguez and Turan as substitutes."

Taking a deep breath, Coach Diego collected himself and said, "Go ahead and tell them to warm up. We'll throw everything we have at Juventus during these remaining few minutes. Maybe, we can cause a last-minute upset and qualify for the next stage of the Champions League. I hope that luck will be on our side."