Review (7/10)
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"Sorry to keep you waiting, Alberto!" Ethan apologized with a smile and sat down, speaking in a tone as if he were talking to an old friend he had known for a long time.
In fact, they had indeed been talking for a long time and were enjoying themselves.
"Oh, it's alright, Ethan. I'm not in a hurry anyway!" Alberto responded with a smile.
Sitting in front of Ethan was a tough Italian man in his forties. He was quite large, likely due to playing football since childhood, but his football career was not particularly glorious. Coming from the Roma youth academy, he spent his entire life playing for Serie C or even lower-tier teams.
After retiring at a young age, he chose to become a football coach. Currently, he was a member of the coaching staff at the local amateur club Ostiamare in Ostia, but the reason he chose this club was because of his son.
In fact, Alberto's son was not particularly outstanding at Ostiamare. As a 16-year-old striker, he had yet to show the qualities of an elite forward. This was why Alberto often took his son to Roma's youth academy for trials, but he was never selected once.
Sixteen was a very sensitive age. Top players were already able to compete in the first team at sixteen, and even if they were not that good, they at least showed some kind of strength or ability.
But Alberto's son had almost nothing worth mentioning: a small build, rough technique, and he was not tall or strong. He was even worse than an average 16-year-old player. The only thing worth noting was the intensity he showed once he stepped onto the pitch.
Although he played as a striker, he actually ran all over the field. This was one of the two main reasons the amateur club was willing to keep him: stamina and fighting spirit. The other was his father, who worked at the club.
But Ethan, as a transmigrator, knew that this kid, whom even an amateur club was reluctant to keep, was the future captain of the Italian national team and a powerful defensive midfielder coveted by top European clubs, Daniele De Rossi!
"To be honest, Alberto, I understand you're reluctant to leave Rome and Italy, but this isn't a long-term solution. You know this is just an amateur club. You're a good youth coach, and our team is working hard to build a youth system. We really hope you can join us."
Although Ethan wanted De Rossi, he was actually using Alberto De Rossi as the entry point.
For now, in terms of fame and potential, Alberto De Rossi was undoubtedly superior. It was said that even Roma's youth team trials would invite him to serve as a temporary coach. Later, after Daniele entered the Roma youth academy, Alberto became a coach for the Roma youth team.
Regardless of whether De Rossi had good ability, and he likely did, the mere fact that hiring him could secure Daniele was enough for Ethan to make up his mind.
This was a bit like how Ethan hired Jorge to keep Messi!
"Ethan, I'm glad to be appreciated by your club, but everything is fine for me in Rome. Also, I don't quite understand why an English team would come to Italy to pick a youth coach?" Alberto was clearly considering things thoroughly.
"Alberto, you said before that you've had professional football theory training, so I think you should know that the future trend of football development will be increasingly complex. It's no longer possible to simply pursue one style. For example, in Italy, can you conservatively just keep pursuing Catenaccio-style defense?"
"English football style is wide open, with long balls and crosses making a deep impression. But in the next few years, English teams, especially clubs, will become increasingly technical. Look at Arsenal in the Premier League right now."
"And Manchester United, who won the Treble last year. Do you think they still have a purely English football style?"
"On the basis of retaining core football philosophies, learning from others' strengths and being inclusive is the only way to stay successful." At this moment, Ethan thought of Ferguson and Barcelona. Their two tactical systems had been passed down, but they were actually always changing.
Looking at Arsenal, Professor Wenger's football literacy was beyond question, but why did Arsenal fail to achieve the glorious results of their early period later on? Could you say Arsenal's players were young?
To quote Mourinho, Arsenal said every year that their players were young, but what was the reality? After so many years, Fabregas matured, Van Persie matured, and even Walcott started to mature.
Could this group of players still be considered young?
Wenger was an outstanding coach, but it was hard for him to reach Ferguson's greatness!
"Your idea is quite special. Learning from others' strengths and being inclusive, I'm afraid few Italian teams would notice this right now," Alberto praised with admiration.
Ethan felt a wave of shame. He was only able to impress him with such authority by relying on football knowledge from more than a decade in the future and bits of information he had gathered from frequenting online football forums.
If he did this a few more times, he would probably think he was some kind of god!
"So, Alberto, I think you should go to England and take a look. Although Italian football is glorious now, I can guarantee you that the focus of fans worldwide in the next ten years will be the Premier League, and our club's goal is the Premier League!"
Ethan's face was full of confidence when he said this.
If Ethan did not have much confidence when they were in the North West Counties amateur league, then jumping from the North West Counties League Division Two to the National League made him feel as if he had suddenly broken free from many shackles and entered a much broader world.
What made Ethan even happier was that the work permit issue, which would cause the most headaches for Premier League teams in the future, did not apply in the English National League. It was restricted to the professional leagues. This meant that New Manchester United had no work permit worries for their recruitment this season.
Of course, this did not mean Ethan could recruit recklessly. After all, he still had to consider the team's current situation and whether people were willing to come!
"Honestly, Ethan, your ambition is tempting, and I believe in your sincerity and your understanding of future football. But I still have to say, I'm sorry. My family and I are used to living in Rome. I'm afraid if I suddenly make them move, they might find it hard to adapt."
Ethan laughed upon hearing this. "Alberto, in fact, I can guess some of your worries."
Being stared at by Ethan, De Rossi felt as if he were being seen through and could not help but feel a bit guilty.
"Is it because of your son, Daniele?" Ethan asked suddenly.
De Rossi was clearly taken aback, but soon turned it into a bitter smile and nodded. "He is very dedicated to football."
"What if I offer him a youth contract too?" Ethan asked again.
De Rossi was shocked again. "This..."
"Don't worry, Alberto. It's not because of you, but because I trust you. To be honest, you've always believed Daniele could become an excellent player, which is why you take him to the Roma training camp every time. He disappoints you every time, but you still haven't given up, have you?"
"Have you heard of Ivan Gattuso?" Ethan asked.
"Of course. I heard AC Milan have their eye on him!" De Rossi was clearly familiar with Serie A.
Ethan nodded with a smile. "Yes, him. I think Daniele has a quality very similar to his. If Daniele really joins our team, I think I would consider letting him play as a defensive midfielder. You know, his running ability has always been excellent. As for his physical fitness, I think we can help him through proper training and a scientific diet. Our club has always been equipped with experts in this field."
De Rossi was shocked to hear this because Daniele had always played as a striker. However, he was not stubborn and quickly understood Ethan's point.
Since he had not shown talent as a striker, why not try a different position?
"Honestly, Alberto, our club really needs you to join. You can voice your opinions or any ideas you have for the club, and we will do our best to satisfy you!" Ethan had shown his utmost sincerity.
Alberto thought for a while, clearly moved by Ethan's pitch, and finally nodded.
"Alright, Ethan, I agree to consider your proposal, but I can't guarantee anything right now. I still need to discuss it with my family, especially my wife, who also has a job here."
Ethan laughed heartily. "That's no problem. Our club will help contact jobs for your wife. You know, English fans are very passionate and loyal. Once they hear that the wife of a club coach is looking for a job, a crowd of people will surely scramble to hire her. Your wife can take her pick then."
Ethan spoke humorously, and Alberto laughed as well.
Having resolved another concern, De Rossi clearly became interested in Ethan's offer, and Ethan struck while the iron was hot, introducing his determination in running the club.
When De Rossi heard that Ethan had spent three million pounds on a training base, his expression was so shocked he could have fit an egg in his mouth. This made Ethan, who had intended to mention his plan to buy the City of Manchester Stadium, swallow his words.
After a pleasant conversation, the two parted ways happily.
Ethan stayed at a hotel in Ostia for the time being, waiting for news from De Rossi.
But to Ethan's surprise, early the next morning, De Rossi came looking for him directly.
(To be continued.)
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◇ One bonus chapter will be released for every 100 Power Stones.
◇ You can read the ahead chapter on Pat if you're interested: p-atreon.c-om/Blownleaves (Just remove the hyphen to access normally.)