THE GREATEST OF ALL TIME

Zachary returned to the dressing room after going through the mandatory post-match interviews. He didn't spend much time conversing with his teammates but headed to the bathrooms, where he enjoyed a relaxing cold shower.

Fifteen minutes later, he emerged from the shower feeling refreshed. He changed into a brand-new Juventus tracksuit and then said his goodbyes to his teammates and coaches. As usual, a few players more familiar with him tried to invite him to the post-match victory celebrations in the city. He rejected them in the politest way he could think of before matching out of the locker room. He walked quickly with a slight swagger in his step and soon arrived at the parking lot reserved for the Juventus players.

More than two hours had elapsed since the end of the match between Juventus and Genoa, and the clock hands around Turin had already pointed to the seven o'clock mark. The sun had just descended below the horizon in the west, and the evening had begun to cast its dusky gown upon the city. But even then, the enthusiastic Juventus fans, who should have already headed home, were still camping around the parking lot. They stood beyond the barricades created by the security team, eager to catch brief glimpses of the players leaving the stadium.

"Zachary! We love you..."

"Zachary! Nice play today..."

"Zachary! An Autograph..."

A commotion broke out beyond the barricades of the parking lot as Zachary slowly made his way to his car. He, of course, waved back to the fans while smiling to acknowledge their support. However, he ignored all their requests for autographs.

Zachary was really exhausted after playing more than 90 minutes of intensive Serie A football. He couldn't spare any time for the fans, as all he could think about was to return home and begin his post-match recovery. Zachary also desired to enjoy a sumptuous home-cooked meal before heading to bed early. That way, he would be fresh and well-rested before traveling to Abidjan, Ivory Coast, the following evening.

"Boss! Congratulations upon yet another impressive performance."

A buff man with well-trimmed dark hair, prominent sideburns, and sharp blue eyes greeted Zachary as he approached his Audi RS 7. His name was Lorenzo Riccardo, and he was the bodyguard Zachary had hired about a month ago. On top of being skilled in both hand-to-hand and armed combat, the man was also proficient in many other areas. He had taken over from Angelo as Zachary's driver and was always acting as his shadow whenever he moved around Turin.

"Thanks, Lorenzo!" Zachary replied with a smile. "Let's get out of here. I really can't wait to reach home. I feel like I will collapse if I don't get some rest soon."

With that said, they both got into the car, and Lorenzo started the engine. With expert ease, he eased the car out of the parking spot, and a few minutes later, they were already moving through the lane heading away from the stadium.

As the car moved, the fans camping beyond the road continued yelling Zachary's name. He rolled down the window and waved at them. But that simple action sent them into more frenzy, and the bolder ones couldn't hold in their urge to rush towards the car.

Fortunately for Zachary, the stadium security did their job well and prevented the fans from blocking his departure away from the stadium. And since there were no obstructions, Lorenzo successfully guided the car into the main road and sped off towards Pinerolo, Turin, where Zachary's mansion was located.

After spending more than half a year in Turin, Zachary had already become familiar with all the sights along the road from the Juventus Stadium to his mansion. He turned away from the passing scenery beyond the car window and focused on his phone.

Leaning back into the car seat, he browsed the current sports news on his phone. He switched from page to page and ignored most of the information and gossip online until a certain headline caught his eye.

"Juventus to face off against Real Madrid in the Champions League quarter-finals," the headline read. "Who will come out on top after this battle between football giants?"

Zachary was not surprised by the news of Juventus having to face off against Real Madrid in the Champions League quarter-finals. He had followed the quarter-final draw on Friday and was aware of who would face whom in the next stage of the prestigious European competition.

Borussia Dortmund would face Monaco, Juventus would battle Real Madrid, Paris Saint Germain would take on Barcelona, and finally, FC Porto would play Bayern Munich. The respective teams would play away and home legs in their bids to qualify for that year's UEFA Champions League semi-finals.

Having already known about the Juventus vs. Real Madrid fixture, Zachary turned his focus to the article comparing the two teams. At first, he was reading it eagerly, but after a few minutes, he creased his brows with displeasure.

The author, who happened to go by the name Mitch Brown, wasn't so objective with his analysis of the two teams. He wrote about how Juventus and Real Madrid were equal on most fronts, including squad depth, current form, team creativity, and so on and so forth. But when concluding the article, the writer mentioned something that displeased Zachary. He boldly declared that Juventus would lose to Real Madrid after the two quarter-final legs simply because the team from Turin lacked the rich experience the Spanish giants had already amassed playing at that stage of the Champions League.

Being a player who had already fallen in love with playing at Juventus, Zachary couldn't accept such a declaration. He just shook his head and switched to another article. But that was after vowing to prove Mitch Brown wrong when Juventus finally battled against Real Madrid. He would prepare adequately for the quarter-final that was less than a month away and do his all to help his team overcome Real Madrid.

"Bzzt Bzzzt! Bzzt Bzzzt!"

Zachary's phone vibrated and interrupted his browsing a few seconds later. On noticing that the call was from Eric Bailly, his former teammate on Rosenborg's team, he readily tapped the accept button and held the phone against his ear.

"What's up, Zachary?" Eric Bailly's voice sounded from the phone speaker. "How are you doing?"

"I'm doing okay," Zachary replied. "How about you?"

"Also doing okay," Eric said. "But by looking at the current sports news, I can confidently say I'm not doing as great as you. Your skills have evolved quickly, and you're scoring goals like nothing. Congrats, man!"

"Thanks." Zachary chuckled. "I have also been following the Premier League, and you're not doing bad yourself! You have already solidified your position as one of the main center-backs of Tottenham. I guess congrats are in order."

"Thanks!" Eric said from the other end of the line. "I can't fall behind after seeing you achieve all the success. I have been working hard to improve my skills."

"I'm glad to hear that," Zachary said. "As Coach Johansen used to say, the sky is the limit if we continue working hard. How's Kasongo, by the way?"

"He's doing fine. I thought you guys were in touch. Why are you asking me about him?"

"I think he decided to give me the cold shoulder after the news of my switching citizenship to Ivory Coast started circulating on the web. Sometimes, he doesn't pick up my calls. And when he does, he only complains about how I betrayed my homeland."

Eric Bailly chuckled. "That's Kasongo for you. He doesn't mince words when expressing his displeasure. But since you guys go back a long time, he should be able to accept your reasons for switching nationality if you talk to him."

"I hope that is the case."

"Well, that brings me to my reason for calling," Eric Bailly continued. "There's word going around that you'll join us in Abidjan for the friendlies against Angola and Equatorial Guinea."

"That's true. Of course, I can't ignore my first invite to the national football team."

"Excellent!" Eric Bailly said excitedly. "When do you plan to travel?"

"Tomorrow evening. My flight is scheduled to take off from Turin at 7:15 PM tomorrow. I should arrive in Abidjan at around 1:00 PM the day after."

"That's a long flight," Eric Bailly said. "I'm also traveling tomorrow evening. But I'll arrive in Abidjan much earlier than you. Let's link up when we get there. Since it is your first time in Côte d'Ivoire, I'm volunteering to be your guide. I'll show you around the place. What do you think?"

"No problem," Zachary said. "Let's link up after arriving in Abidjan. Even though I already have a guide, I will still rely on you to introduce you to my new teammates."

"Someone seems to be under pressure. Don't worry! Most of those on the Ivorian National Football team are eager to have you on the squad. They won't give you any hard time as you try to fit in."

"Then, that will be a relief," Zachary said. "I don't wish to butt heads with anyone just after joining the team."

"I don't think such a scenario will happen," Eric declared. "Just feel at ease. You'll get a warm welcome when you arrive in Abidjan. You'll even be overwhelmed by the fans and coaches willing to welcome you to the National Football team."

"Okay, Eric," Zachary said, choosing not to linger on the topic. "I'm just from playing a match. Let's end our conversation here so I can get some rest."

"Sure!" Eric said. "We'll have all the time to catch up when we meet in Abidjan the day after tomorrow. So, good night and see you soon."

"See you soon! Bye."

Zachary ended the call. Right then, he noticed that Lorenzo, his new bodyguard, was already easing the car into the driveway heading to his estate. He shoved the phone into his pocket and leaned back into his seat as they approached his mansion.