"I came to talk to you about my position," Kai said bluntly.
"I know my seniority and versatility may not be as strong as some of the others."
"But I know what I can bring to this team. And for that, I need support."
As long as the topic wasn't nightlife, Ricardo Quaresma immediately switched into big-brother mode.
"Kai, I know this is your first time in the national youth team. I've been through that stage too."
"But what you need to do is obey the coaching staff's arrangements and wait for your opportunity — not form cliques. That kind of behavior will only hurt your performance on the pitch."
Kai wasn't discouraged by the official reply. He smiled calmly.
"The double attacking-midfielder system actually frees the wingers and wide attackers. You've seen it in training these past few days."
"Hugo Viana's partnership with Cristiano Ronaldo has been extremely important."
"Cristiano isn't as polished as you yet, but his numbers recently aren't far behind yours."
"And Viana's statistics are strong as well."
"But that kind of freedom hasn't reached you."
"Because Raul Meireles isn't Viana. Even playing as an attacking midfielder, he's fundamentally a central midfielder."
"He can't deliver the kind of killer pass you need. At best, he uses your gravity to create space for long-range shots."
"I don't think the head coach — or you — are satisfied with that."
"A team that fails to unleash its strongest star can't truly be called successful."
"It might beat average opponents."
"But it won't beat elite ones."
"Only superstars defeat super-teams."
"And there's only one superstar in this squad."
Kai looked him straight in the eye.
"That's you."
He wasn't just competing with Meireles.
And he certainly wasn't competing for the sake of ego.
His goal was to maximize the team's strongest offensive weapon.
That was what Coach Violante wanted.
Without that, even if Portugal U16 advanced further in the European Championship, it would mean little.
Not to Violante.
And not to Quaresma.
Those two voices carried more weight than the rest of the squad combined.
Violante wanted beautiful football at the European Championship.
Quaresma wanted dominance — a professional crushing youth-level defenders.
Quaresma was already a recognized Portuguese star. Viana's reputation couldn't compare.
Just like when global superstars enter youth competitions — their individual needs outweigh the collective.
Quaresma studied Kai carefully.
The kid was sharp.
Not only did he know the "secret password" to open doors at night — he understood people.
No superstar tolerates being sidelined.
Stars deserve resources.
This world has never been absolutely fair.
Give special treatment to special talent — that's how things work.
Viana naturally drifted left. His habits favored that side. Ronaldo's pace complemented him perfectly.
But on the right?
Quaresma had no engine.
He'd tried the Meireles model.
Didn't work.
So that left one option.
"What's your plan?" Quaresma asked.
"Tomorrow's training match," Kai said calmly. "Come to the substitute team. I'll give you a beautiful assist."
Quaresma frowned.
"Who else? Ronaldo? Viana?"
Kai shook his head.
"If they come, it won't prove anything."
"You want just the two of us?" Quaresma stared at him. "The strength gap between the starters and substitutes isn't small."
Cristiano Ronaldo, Hélder Postiga, Viana, Meireles — that core was strong.
Kai smirked.
"What? You don't think you can do it?"
"If not, I'll go find Ronaldo. He's not as strong as you yet, but I'm confident I could help him break through our defense."
Quaresma straightened instantly.
"Who says I can't? I'm a first-team player at Sporting CP. Carrying you is easy."
"As for Ronaldo? He's still just a kid."
He was right. Next season, Quaresma would almost certainly play in the Primeira Liga — possibly even start.
The next day's training match shocked everyone.
Substitutes 3 – Starters 5.
They lost.
But barely.
Compared to previous days, it was a completely different story.
Quaresma scored a hat trick.
Kai assisted twice.
After the match, Coach Violante was smiling for the first time in days.
Quaresma had been fully activated.
Unlike Ronaldo, who required service, Quaresma could ignite himself.
But if someone fed him properly?
He became terrifying.
Now the coaching dilemma was crystal clear.
Double defensive midfielders increased stability — but turned Quaresma ordinary.
Double attacking midfielders sacrificed some defense — but unleashed him.
This wasn't about Kai versus Meireles.
It wasn't even about formation.
The real question was:
Do you want Quaresma to play like a regular player?
Or like a superstar?
The answer was obvious.
Among youth players, Quaresma was elite.
His market value was already rumored to be around six million euros — more than double the combined value of several teammates.
Eighty percent of the fans followed the team because of him.
Treating him as just one-eleventh of the squad?
That would be unfair.
What he contributed already exceeded that fraction.
If he received three-elevenths of the team's resources — maybe even four — it still wouldn't be excessive.
Because his impact could reach nine-tenths.
In the end, Violante made the call.
Double attacking midfielders.
Kai at right midfielder.
Meireles moved deeper into central midfield.
Meireles wasn't happy — but he had little choice.
Miguel Veloso and Marcos Semedo were natural defensive midfielders. If Meireles refused, he could lose his spot entirely.
This kind of positional compromise was everywhere.
João Pereira lost the starting right-back role to José Bosingwa — though offensively Pereira might have been stronger.
Veloso and Semedo were defensively superior, yet sat on the bench.
A younger center-back had similar ability to Ricardo Duarte, but seniority kept Duarte starting.
Cristiano Ronaldo, Sporting's top U15 striker, had to adapt and play wider to support Viana.
Kai, naturally an attacking midfielder, often dropped deeper to cover defensive gaps for Viana. Their tactical weights were clearly different.
Eleven individuals.
Constant friction.
Constant adjustment.
Eventually forming one whole.
That was football.
And as preparations concluded, the European Under-16 Championship officially began.
Portugal was drawn in the same group as hosts Czech Republic, Poland, and Switzerland.
Fortunately, they avoided the powerful Netherlands.
The real battle was about to start.
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