When playing football, you should call it GOAT.

Chapter 3: Was God's most beloved son named Didier Deschamps? (Please continue reading!)

Roy looked out the airplane window.

As the flight altitude gradually decreased, we could see the scenery more than ten kilometers away: the gentle and long coastline of Nice contrasted sharply with the towering cliffs of Monaco.

The seawater gradually changes from deep blue to light blue, and Monaco Bay is like an arc-shaped emerald inlaid on the golden coast. The reclaimed land presents regular geometric shapes, and the superyachts of the rich are lined up in the harbor like toys.

Monaco is like a miniature model, with the Stade Louis II, the casino dome, and the royal palace clearly visible.

The plane landed at Nice Airport.

Half an hour later, Roy walked out of the airport.

At the pre-arranged pick-up location with the Monaco club, an old-fashioned Matra Sinca Basila sports car was parked.

Roy, who had some knowledge of cars in his previous life, was immediately intrigued.

With a three-door, three-seat layout, a mid-engine design, a futuristic look, and a flamboyant bright yellow color, this car made a brief appearance in the 007 film "The Man with the Golden Gun".

"Get in the car, our rising star."

An elderly man with silver hair wearing sunglasses leaned against the car, pulled his sunglasses down to reveal his eyes, glanced at Roy, and then said kindly.

"I thought it would be a club's van or something. What should I call you, sir?"

Jean-Pettit.

Roy, having done his research, nodded: "Mr. Petit, the shield of Monaco? It's a pleasure to meet you, sir."

"Of course you can leave your luggage in that car."

Petit pointed to a French-plated van with a red and white diamond-shaped badge and a seven-tooth gold crown not far away.

"Ah? Haha, just the right sword to pick up Monaco!"

He opened the sports car door: "You and I will ride in this one."

Settle your luggage.

After getting in the car, the stylish old sports car drove out of Nice Airport.

Few men would be uninterested in such an old-fashioned sports car. Noticing Roy's curious gaze, Petit turned her head and said, "I was young once too. I bought this car when I got my first big contract."

He continued, "In 1987, I picked up a coach from Nancy in this car. He had just led his team to relegation. I don't know if Michel Platini would be angry to hear this, but I didn't trust him at the time."

"At the time, he lived in a small apartment a few hundred meters from the beach, with only a bed, a sofa and a TV, and clothes were scattered everywhere."

"I'm worried that Monaco will become like his room."

"But it turns out I was wrong. That season he led us to the Ligue 1 title!"

Roy wasn't familiar with this history, so he tentatively asked, "Arsène Wenger?"

"That's right! Hoddle and Hartley were fantastic that season!"

“In 1993, I used this car to pick up a sixteen-year-old boy. We had wanted him since he was thirteen, so we sent him to Clairefontaine for two years. You should be familiar with that place.”

“He left us with many wonderful memories. Six years later, I was the one who took him to the airport to begin his less-than-happy trip to Italy.”

"But all that is in the past now. His name is Thierry Henry."

Petit chatted with Roy along the way, but instead of taking him to the training center, he went through French customs into Monaco. The vehicle passed through the main gate of the Stade Louis II and entered the F1 Monte Carlo circuit, with the azure Mediterranean Sea appearing on their left.

As the journey continued, the yacht's masts sliced ​​through the blue sky, crew members used high-pressure water guns to wash champagne stains off the deck, helicopters flew directly from Nice Airport to the rooftop helipad of the Grand Paris Hotel, and in front of the gilded entrance to the Monte Carlo Casino, doormen in tuxedos opened the doors of luxury cars, from which socialites in fur coats gracefully descended, their waists slender and delicate, their long heels striking the ground, their calves forming beautiful curves.

"I used to always tell young kids that football should be pure!"

Pettit looked at Roy, who was gazing out the window: "But then it suddenly occurred to me that the first thing I did with the money I earned was to buy this car."

"There were also nights when I was fooling around in bed with three pretty girls at the same time."

After the vehicle toured the world's most expensive 2.08 square kilometers, Pettit said:
“Young players are not monks in a monastery; their ambition and desire should be inspired.”

"The world of football is rapidly tilting towards fame and fortune! Your value will continue to rise, and you'll earn more and more money—there's nothing shameful about that."

"You just need to remember that everything you just saw, everything you want, can be obtained from the game."

Roy nodded and said softly:
"I came into this world to win everything."

That evening, Roy was put up in a hotel in Monaco.

The following day, we went to the Grace Medical Center in Monaco as scheduled. This top-tier private hospital, named after the most beautiful princess, has the best medical equipment and doctors in all of Europe.

One of these areas belongs to the Monaco club's medical examination center.

Petit continued to accompany her.

Blood tests, cardiopulmonary function tests, maximum oxygen uptake tests, lactate threshold tests, musculoskeletal examinations, and isokinetic muscle strength tests.
"Fantastic! Fantastic! This child is simply a work of art born for sports!"

The club doctor exclaimed in amazement as he looked at the data compiled on the computer screen.

Upon hearing this, Petit watched Roy running on a treadmill inside the capsule, his mouth covered by a plastic mask, a monitoring device attached to his chest, his sculpted muscles moving like a machine as he exercised, each run seemingly repeating the previous movement. Petit nodded in satisfaction.

"Next, welcome to experience the unique features of Monaco."

After completing his medical examination, Roy was taken to the temporarily closed Monte Carlo circuit, a special procedure not performed by other clubs – the F1 track endurance test: new signings must complete a five-kilometer interval run with testing equipment on their legs to test the knee joint pressure during emergency stops in corners.

Later, after Monaco was acquired by Russian oligarch Dmitry Rybolovlev, a special procedure was added, known as a yacht balance assessment: new recruits were required to undergo a one-legged, blindfolded test on Rybolovlev's yachts to examine their core stability. However, this procedure has not yet been implemented.

Next is the explosive power matrix detection and vertical jump.
The club doctor was shocked once again.

"A 3.79-second sprint time in the first 30 meters—that's top-level sprinter level?"

"0-10 meters in just 1.8 seconds, my God! That's absolutely better than 99% of professional players!"

"The highest instantaneous speed in the 10-30 meter range is 36 kilometers per hour?"

"The cadence was 4.9 steps per second for the first five steps, and the average cadence was 4.4 steps per second?"

The doctor felt like he was about to faint. What kind of monster had he signed up for?
There's no way to be biased towards the past when it comes to physical talent. With the advancement of sports science, the average physical qualities and athletic performance of players will definitely surpass those of players from past eras.

Roy, who has awakened the talent template of "young Mbappe", is just that abnormal.

There's no suitable name to describe it other than "monster".

After all testing procedures are completed.

Roy finally traveled to the La Turbie training center in the club's van.

I finally met the Monaco manager there.

He was the absolute core player and captain during his playing career, winning the Champions League twice (1993 Marseille, 1996 Juventus).

He was a key midfielder who led the national team to two consecutive major tournaments (the 1998 World Cup and the 2000 European Championship) and retired a little over a year ago to coach Monaco.

Didier Deschamps, whose coaching career surpassed Zidane's and was officially recognized by FIFA as the "most successful French coach of the 21st century," is now considered the most successful French coach of the 21st century.

A broad, flat forehead, a square jawline, a straight nose, and an expression that never smiles, exuding a leader-like coldness and authority.

"Hello, kid."

Deschamps spoke calmly, but joy was still evident in his eyes.

“I watched the video of your Copa del Rey match. Well, we happened to have an analyst there who filmed your performance on the field.”

His sharp breakthroughs and composed shots made him look nothing like an eighteen-year-old player, after watching that videotape.

Deschamps is absolutely certain that Roy's performance will not be a flash in the pan.

He may be a perfect fit for his tactics in the future.

Aside from that goal, what attracted him even more were those "ineffective runs" that didn't get possession of the ball, which Real Madrid fans jokingly called "headless flies."

He is often in a dangerous but exquisite offensive position. The danger refers to being within the defensive radius of the defender, which requires extreme confidence in his explosiveness.

He just didn't get the ball, but his off-the-ball movement seemed pretty good.

Why did Real Madrid let him go so easily?
Even if they can't play for the first team, they can be loaned to other La Liga teams to gain experience.

Deschamps even suspected there was something fishy going on.

When the club doctor reported the physical test data, the French version of "Guess what?" sounded surprised.

Deschamps subconsciously believed that Roy must have some kind of lesion in his body.

"Statistically speaking, he may possess historically significant talent!"

This world is insane.

Is Real Madrid really that rich in talent?
Or perhaps God's most beloved son was named Didier Deschamps.

___________
"After Van Gaal's dismissal, and following successful negotiations in Madrid, FC Barcelona decided that Serbian Antić would officially become the head coach of Barcelona, ​​and would coach until the end of La Liga in June this year. If Barcelona qualifies for the Champions League next season, the contract will be automatically extended for another year."

— Mundo Deportivo

"With the Serie A winter transfer window about to close, Capello has finally gotten the striker he wanted – Chievo's Marazzina. After Batistuta joined Inter Milan, Roma has a new center forward. Spanish veteran Guardiola has returned to Brescia as he wished."

—Corriere dello Sport.

A local Barcelona radio station, while discussing the reasons for Barcelona's poor performance this season, cited Rivaldo's departure as a major factor, describing it as a defection and giving him the nickname "Donkey." Rivaldo, through his local Barcelona lawyer, sued the radio station. The local court dismissed the case, refusing to hold the station liable. The judge stated that the reason for this ruling was simple: as a star player, Rivaldo should be distinguished from ordinary citizens and should "respect critical remarks." Rivaldo will have to endure this officially recognized nickname for some time to come.

— Gazzetta dello Sport

"Roy has transferred from Real Madrid Castilla to Monaco for a fee of 300k."

—Transfermarkt (Germany)

PS: The news at the end of the chapter is not included in the daily word count and is considered extra content.

(End of this chapter)