When playing football, you should call it GOAT.

Chapter 99 Giant Slayer

“BUUUUUUUT! Roy! Roy! Roy!”

French commentator Dubois almost cracked his voice: "What a beautiful goal! Zidane's through ball, Henry's breakthrough, Pires's brilliant pass, and finally Roy's decisive strike! This is the art of French football!"

"Look at his celebration! 'Gates of Hell'! This young man is writing his own legend! He just turned 19 a few days ago, yet he already reigns supreme at the Stade de France like a king!"

"Israel's defense has been completely torn apart! Roy's shot was like a sharp military knife, piercing their heart! 1-0! France takes the lead! The game has only just begun, but Roy has already shown everyone—tonight, he is the master here!"

The 8th minute of the game.

Zidane received the ball in midfield and delivered a surgical through ball that pierced the Israeli defense. Henry received the ball on the left wing and, facing two defenders, skillfully changed direction to shake them off before passing it across to Pires who had made a run into the box!
Pires made no adjustment and directly passed the ball diagonally to the edge of the penalty area. Roy calmly controlled the ball, gently flicked it with his right foot, and then unleashed a left-footed curling shot!
The ball traced an elegant arc, heading straight for the top right corner of the goal!

Israeli goalkeeper Davidovich made a diving save, but it was too late.

"Bang!" The ball struck the underside of the crossbar with a thud and bounced into the net!
After scoring, Roy sprinted towards the corner flag, then suddenly stopped, crossed his arms in front of his chest, and sharply turned his wrists outward—his signature "Gates of Hell" metal salute!

He roared with his head thrown back, his eyes sharp as knives, exuding an aura of an invincible rising star!

The atmosphere among the home fans at the Stade de France was instantly ignited.

The chants of "ROI! ROI! ROI!" swept across the entire venue like a tsunami!

The camera panned across the stands, where French fans were waving their blue, white, and red tricolor flags wildly. Some fans even excitedly took off their jerseys, revealing Roy's number 11 on the back!
Santini roared and pumped his fist on the sidelines. He turned and yelled at the substitutes' bench: "See this?! This is our attack! This is our genius! Eight consecutive wins! We're advancing with a perfect record! We're creating a legend just like Jacquet's championship team!"

"Jacquet's record is right before our eyes, and so are yours."

His gaze swept over substitutes like Wiltord and Cissé, "They will all become part of this history."

However, beside the boisterous coaching bench, Domenech stood motionless, looking at Roy, who was celebrating, with a complicated expression.

His right hand clutched a sweat-soaked piece of paper: "Le Ciel (Qian), neuvième cinquième : le dragon volant dans le ciel. (Qian is Heaven, the ninth line of the fifth position, the flying dragon is in the sky.)"

In the field of French-language sinology, this translation was established by the renowned sinologist Remus Schereschewsky and included in the standard French translation of the I Ching. The term "九五" (nine in the fifth position) is not translated literally as a hexagram position term, in order to maintain the mathematical structure of the I Ching text.

The prophecy of the Chinatown fortune teller echoed in his mind:
"He will bring glory to France..."

Domenech's lips twitched slightly. His gaze swept over the spirited Roy on the field, then he looked down at the note, as if confirming some kind of destiny.

But the old fortune teller suddenly changed his tone: "However..."

He gave Domenech a meaningful look. "The brilliance of this dragon might blind some people."

Domenech asked hastily, "What do you mean? What will happen next?"

The old fortune teller shook his head mysteriously, his withered fingers rubbing lightly on the table: "Heavenly secrets cannot be revealed unless..."

Domenech understood and took out his wallet: "How much?"

The old man squinted and held up three fingers: "Three hundred euros, and I can do another fortune telling for you."

Domenech's mind was filled with the second hexagram.

The old fortune teller's voice: "This dragon will take you to the clouds, but it will also make you fall the hardest."

24 minutes.

Zidane deftly flicked the ball and turned in midfield, using an elegant "Marseille turn" to shake off the two Israeli players who were pressing him.

He looked up to observe, and with the outside of his right foot, he delivered a low, through ball that pierced the defense with surgical precision!
Roy, understanding perfectly, made a forward run, but deliberately let the ball slip by at the moment of contact, a brilliant move that left the defender marking him completely out of reach!
Henry received the ball from the other side and calmly slotted it into the far corner past the onrushing goalkeeper!
"Beautiful!!! Thierry Henry! France 2-0!"

The commentator exclaimed excitedly, "What a brilliant combination! Zidane's pass, Roy's clever dummy, and Henry's finish!"

Henry slid to his knees on the sidelines, opening his arms to accept the cheers of the fans.

Roy was the first to rush over and hug him, and the two smiled at each other.

The hug lasted just the right amount of time, showing the necessary warmth without seeming forced. Roy patted Henry's back lightly twice, and although Henry's lips curled up in a smile, his eyes never truly met Roy's gaze.

"So touching!"

The commentator's voice suddenly rose, "The rumors about Henry and Roy's internal strife have been completely debunked! Look at this hug, what perfect chemistry!"

"A united France is invincible!"

The commentator continued emotionally, "A legend like Henry and a rising star like Roy, their partnership is simply a once-in-a-century golden combination!"

39 minutes.

Pires was fouled just outside the penalty area, giving France a free kick in a very good position.

Zidane stood in front of the ball, his eyes sharp, and with a precise curving shot, he found Boumsong, who overpowered the defender and smashed the ball into the net!

Trezeguet sat on the far side of the bench, arms crossed, his eyes fixed on Santini.

He glanced at Henry on the field again, feeling uneasy.

They used to be partners in Monaco, but now Henry has never spoken up for him.

Trezeguet knew that if he played, Pires would have to give way.

Two days after training, Roy came over to chat with him.

Roy wiped his sweat and sat down on the bench next to him: "We could have had three top scorers in the league playing together, but now, the Serie A top scorer is stuck on the bench."

Trezeguet frowned upon hearing this, thinking it was a mockery from a young man.

But Roy then analyzed seriously: "David, your role as a target man in the penalty area is irreplaceable. With you there, Henry and I can move and maneuver more freely. And..."

He lowered his voice, "To deal with defenses like Italy's and England's, we need a penalty area killer like you."

Trezeguet was surprised to find that Roy knew his technical characteristics even better than the coaching staff.

Roy mentioned his success rate in aerial duels during his time at Juventus, as well as his ability to quickly turn and shoot after receiving the ball with his back to goal.

"Most importantly, I will bring this up with the coach when I have the chance. But as you know, I'm too inexperienced, so my words don't carry much weight."

He pursed his lips. "If only Thierry Ken could put in a good word for you. He was the one who recommended Wiltord to Santini last time he got a starting spot."

At this point, a hint of displeasure flashed across Roy's face: "I've never gotten along with that bastard Wiltord."

"David, you deserve more playing time."

Trezeguet suddenly realized that this young man might be the only one in the team who truly understood him.

He nodded without saying anything, but he kept those words in mind.

Looking at Roy and Henry running around on the field, he felt a tightness in his chest.

Santini favored the "two fast" combination (Henry and Roy), playing Zidane as a left winger and sacrificing Trezeguet's playing time.

Trezeguet's dissatisfaction stemmed from the fact that he could have coexisted with Henry, Roy, and Zidane in a 4-2-3-1 formation (Trezeguet up front, Henry on the left, Roy on the right, and Zidane as the attacking midfielder), but Santini insisted on having Zidane play on the wing, which relegated Trezeguet to the bench.

Intermission.

In the locker room, the players were chattering about the latest news.

When someone brought up Totti's comments a few days earlier that "Zidane is a loser," the atmosphere in the locker room suddenly became awkward.

“That guy said Zidane played like a loser in Italy,” Pires scoffed. “What a joke.”

Henry, wiping his shoes, said without looking up, "Totti is so confident now, saying he's at his peak at 27."

He scoffed, "It's a pity he didn't even get a chance at the Golden Globe."

Just then, Roy suddenly rubbed his thigh and said casually, "I've been training a lot lately, and my muscles aren't feeling too comfortable."

Before he finished speaking, several substitute forwards immediately perked up their ears.

Wiltord even put down his shoes and stared intently in the direction of the coaching staff.

Roy's gaze subtly swept over Trezeguet, who was bending down to tie his shoelaces, but his movements had noticeably slowed.

Zidane narrowed his eyes and interjected at the opportune moment: "Just listen to what Totti says."

He paused, tapping lightly on the locker with his fingers. "But now that we've secured our qualification, why don't we let Roy get some rest?"

Henry glanced thoughtfully at Zidane.

The atmosphere in the locker room suddenly became subtle.

Santini stood in front of the tactics board, his brows furrowing involuntarily. He noticed that Roy and Zidane's gazes were both drawn in Trezeguet's direction.

“Alright,” Santini finally spoke, “in that case, David, you’re ready to go on stage.”

His voice carried a hint of reluctance, yet also a sense of having no choice but to compromise.

Trezeguet slowly stood up, the faint smile on his lips deepening.

As he walked to the sidelines, he deliberately went around to Roy's side and patted Roy's back hard, the gesture almost intentionally affectionate.

"Get some rest," he said in a low voice. "Leave the rest to me."

Roy nodded, a perfectly timed smile on his face.

"For the sake of soap."

France won the match 3-0.

On December 13, 2003, the Louis II Stadium in Monaco was ablaze with stars as the World Music Awards ceremony was held.

Established in 1989 and sponsored by Prince Albert of Monaco, this international music award recognizes musicians who have made outstanding contributions to the recording industry, based on authoritative data provided by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) and major record companies.
As a rising star in the football world, Roy was not only invited to attend the event, but also to serve as an award presenter, awarding the "World's Best-Selling R&B Artist" award to Latin pop star Shakira.

The following day, the sports section of the Monaco Morning Post published some photos from the scene.

The camera captured the iconic moment when Roy handed the trophy to Shakira—the young player in a dark blue suit and the pop diva in a red dress exchanged smiles. The inside pages featured several photos of Roy interacting with other superstars: backstage with fellow presenter Anna Kournikova, the tennis beauty laughing heartily; and standing next to Eminem and 50 Cent, the two rap stars patting him on the shoulder as if he were a rising star.

But the most talked-about photo is of Roy with Paris Hilton.

This socialite, known for her flamboyant style, clung to Roy, her fingers, painted with glittery nail polish, resting on his shoulder.

Although Roy maintains a polite smile in the photo, his body is clearly leaning to one side, and his eyes reveal an undisguised unease.

According to reporters at the scene, when Hilton tried to take his arm, Roy "dodged it as nimbly as if he were dodging a tackle from an opposing defender."

On October 15, Roy's former Monaco teammate.

Mexican player Marquez spoke candidly about his transfer experience to a reporter from Spanish radio station CADA COPE.

"To be honest, it was Ronaldo who ruined my dream of joining Real Madrid."

Marquez shook his head with a wry smile, "Real Madrid was ready to sign me after the European Super Cup in Monaco last year. But at the last minute, they suddenly signed Ronaldo, and the deal fell through."

He took a sip of water and continued, "At the time, I did prefer to go to Real Madrid, after all, they have a lot of star players. But now I'm doing well at Barcelona, ​​the strength of this team is obvious to all."

When talking about head coach Rijkaard, Max frowned: "The coach's training methods are very special. Sometimes he trains until we're exhausted, but the next day he suddenly makes things so easy that it's baffling. To be honest, we players often don't understand his arrangements."

“In terms of tactics,” Max said in a low voice, “I think the coach is too conservative. Football requires a spirit of adventure, but Rijkaard always plays it safe. It won’t be easy to convince him to change.”

At this point, Max suddenly stopped and looked around warily.

He knew these words might cause trouble, but he had clearly been holding them in for too long.

This summer, Barcelona became the most expensive club in La Liga. After several rounds of matches, according to Rijkaard's tactics, apart from Van Bronckhorst, Marquez and Quaresma have not played in half of the games, and Rustu has not even made an appearance.

Luis Garcia, who performed exceptionally well for Atletico Madrid last year and was brought back by Barcelona this year, has only played for 4 minutes, which inevitably raises questions about the inclination of Rijkaard's "Dutch contingent".

Max sat on his sofa in his Barcelona home, watching a replay of Monaco's Champions League match on TV. He watched Roy sprinting across the field.

He suddenly remembered what the young man had told him after the victory: "When you stand on the pitch at Camp Nou and hear the Champions League theme song, you'll definitely remember tonight."

They had just lifted the Ligue 1 championship trophy together, and the locker room was filled with the smell of champagne.

He is indeed standing on the pitch at Camp Nou now, but the situation is completely different from what he imagined. Barcelona has no chance of qualifying for the Champions League this season, and their La Liga performance has been a mess, trailing league leaders Valencia by 10 points after six rounds, despite Valencia having played one more game.

Meanwhile, Monaco on TV were unstoppable in the Champions League, having just secured two consecutive victories. Max sighed.

He heard that the club did contact Roy in the summer, but they couldn't agree on a transfer fee in the end.

If only that kid who always brings victory were at Barcelona now.

On October 18, 2003, Monaco hosted Auxerre at the Stade Louis II.

Head coach Deschamps surprisingly placed both Roy and Giuly on the bench, clearly saving them for the upcoming Champions League.

The match was extremely close.

In the 63rd minute, Auxerre capitalized on a defensive error by Monaco to equalize.

The fans in the stands began to stir, with many chanting Roy's name.

But Deschamps remained seated on the bench, not even letting Roy get up to warm up.

The turning point finally came in the 87th minute.

Rothen delivered a precise cross from the left wing, and Morientes outjumped the opposing defender to head the ball into the net.

The score remained 2-1 until the final whistle, with Monaco securing a thrilling victory.

At the post-match press conference, a reporter questioned Deschamps' decision to rotate his squad.

Deschamps calmly responded: "We need all players to stay at their best. Today Morientes proved he is still a top striker, while Roy and Giuly will play a crucial role in more important matches."

On the same day, at Camp Nou in Barcelona.

Max stood in the players' tunnel and could hear the Barcelona fans singing outside.

Before the match, the two captains, Puyol and Naibette, walked at the front holding a banner that read "Against Violence"—the tragedy of a Deportivo La Coruña fan being murdered in last week's Copa del Rey added a somber tone to the game.

Barcelona controlled the tempo from the start. In the 6th minute, Saviola won a header in the penalty area, the ball grazed the crossbar and went out, much to Marquez's relief in the backfield. But after 20 minutes, Deportivo gradually found their rhythm. Pandiani's shot was saved by Valdes, and Marquez quickly cleared the ball with a long kick.

In the 28th minute, Andrade fouled Saviola and received a yellow card. Marquez went over to help his teammate up. He glanced at the scoreboard; 0-0, but Deportivo's counter-attacks were becoming increasingly threatening.

Sure enough, in the 41st minute, Capdevila crossed from the left, and Luke pounced on the loose ball to score. Max gritted his teeth; Cocu had missed his mark on that play.

In the second half, Barcelona brought on young player Santamaria, but the situation did not improve.

Deportivo continued to apply pressure, and Luque's cross nearly allowed Valerón to head the ball into the net.

Marquez tried several times to push forward and assist, but Deportivo's midfield pressure made it difficult for him to pass the ball out.

In the 70th minute, Puyol committed a foul, conceding a free kick, which Sergio converted directly. 0-2, and a few boos echoed through the Camp Nou.

In stoppage time, Max rushed forward to contest a header, but Deportivo's defense remained unmoved.

As the final whistle blew, Max walked off the field with his head down. Rijkaard walked past him, his face ashen.

Fans in the stands had already begun leaving early, while Deportivo players were embracing and celebrating – they were set to face Monaco in the Champions League in three days.

A heavy silence filled the Barcelona locker room. Max ripped off his soaking wet jersey and threw it heavily into the laundry basket.

"The first goal conceded, the entire defense was asleep?"

Puyol suddenly slammed a towel on the floor, the sound echoing through the locker room, "Especially you, Raphael (Max), were you watching the show when Luke was inside?"

Max suddenly looked up: "I'm going to cover Andrade, Kocu should be marking Luke!"

"Bullshit!" Enrique sprang up from the massage bed. "You fucking missed someone and you're trying to shift the blame?"

Max clenched his fist, his phone buzzing from inside his clothes behind him.

He opened it and saw a text message:
"Dude, is the grass at Camp Nou firmer than I expected?"

A Coruña, Spain.

Founded in 1904, Deportivo La Coruña Football Club finally made its debut in La Liga in 1941 after a long wait of 37 years.

However, the good times didn't last long. After 1946, the team went through several ups and downs, repeatedly oscillating between the first and second divisions, until it finally established itself in La Liga in 1991.

This team from the Galicia region thus began its astonishing rise to prominence in Spanish football.

After returning to the top flight, Deportivo La Coruña quickly became one of the most troublesome "giant killers" in La Liga.

Every season, they can cause huge trouble for traditional powerhouses like Real Madrid and Barcelona.

However, fate always seemed to play tricks on this team at the last moment—they repeatedly fell short at crucial stages of the championship race, leaving fans sighing with regret.

Nevertheless, Deportivo La Coruña's rise has earned them the respect of the entire Spanish football world. They successfully broke the long-standing "three-way rivalry" in La Liga, ushering in a new era of "four-way competition" between Real Madrid, Barcelona, ​​Valencia, and Deportivo.

The team's transformation is largely attributed to the arrival of the Brazilian star.

Since Bebeto, a member of the 1992 World Cup-winning team, joined Deportivo La Coruña, they have brought in nearly 20 Brazilian players in just six or seven years, including technically gifted attacking talents such as Rivaldo and Djalminha.

These Samba talents, with their dazzling footwork and creativity, have injected new vitality into this originally unassuming team.

In the 1999-2000 season, Deportivo La Coruña experienced the most glorious moment in the club's history.

Under the leadership of head coach Irureta, they defeated two giants, Real Madrid and Barcelona, ​​to lift the La Liga title for the first time in history.

Since the beginning of the 21st century, this team from the northwest coast of Spain has performed even more consistently, finishing in the top three of the league for four consecutive seasons and becoming a regular participant in European competitions.

However, his good fortune was short-lived. This summer, last season's European Golden Boot winner, Makaay, transferred to Bayern Munich for a high price of 1875 million euros.

The departure of this Dutch striker has significantly weakened Deportivo La Coruña's attacking firepower and deprived Irureta of a crucial part of his tactical system.

But it is precisely this predicament that makes Deportivo La Coruña the most dangerous opponent in the group. They are still strong in La Liga this season, having just thrashed Atlético Madrid 5-1.

This team has the blood of "giant killers" flowing in their veins; the more adversity they face, the more amazing their fighting power becomes.

Riazor Stadium has long been known as the "graveyard of giants," where many European powerhouses, including Manchester United, Arsenal, and Bayern Munich, have suffered defeats in the past five years.

Despite losing Makaay, Deportivo's midfield maestro Valerón still maintains a master level; his passing vision and creativity are enough to tear apart any defense.

In defense, the experienced central defensive pairing of Naibette and Andrade, with their excellent teamwork, has kept the team's average of only 0.8 goals conceded per game at home, ranking among the top three in La Liga.

What's even more frightening is their resilience at home – last season in the Champions League, they were the underdogs who beat Milan in the group stage, defeated Bayern Munich twice, and then drew with Juventus and beat Manchester United in Riazor.

Irureta's team excels at tactical maneuvering where the underdog triumphs.

Against technically skilled teams, they would use Duscher's tough interceptions to disrupt the opponent's midfield organization; against strong attacking teams, they could always deliver a fatal blow with Luke and Victor's lightning counter-attacks.

This "the stronger the opponent, the stronger the team" quality makes all the big clubs wary.

For the young Monaco team, the away trip to Riazor will be a true test.

Here, they not only have to compete against 11 players, but also face the thunderous cheers of 2 fans, as well as the "underdog" fighting spirit ingrained in the DNA of Deportivo players.

As Marca put it, "There are never any hot topics on the nights in Riazor."

Tactical meeting in Irueta.

Inside the locker room, the players sat in a circle, with Irureta standing in front of the tactical board, looking serious.

Irureta tapped Monaco's squad list with a marker and said in a calm tone:
“Monaco has two main playing styles – 4-4-2 and 4-3-3, but their core threats are actually quite similar. What we need to do is to cut off their source of attack.”

A few soft laughs suddenly rang out in the locker room.

Sergio curled his lip: "That kid who's not even twenty?"

But the laughter quickly subsided as everyone saw the coach's serious expression.

Don't be fooled by his age.

Irureta said coldly, "Last season's Ligue 1 Player of the Year has already scored 3 goals in this season's Champions League."

He paused for a moment, "This kid can accelerate from a standstill to 34 km/h in 2.7 seconds. His short-range explosiveness is comparable to that of a 100-meter sprinter. His shot conversion rate is 35%, and his long-range shot accuracy from outside the penalty area is also 18%."

Naibette unconsciously sat up straight.

Andrade stroked the stubble on his chin, recalling the game footage he had watched last week—Roy was indeed frighteningly fast.

“The most dangerous thing is,” Irureta continued, “that he doesn’t act like a young player at all, look at this.”

He opened his tactics book and pointed to the statistics, "His decision-making accuracy rate after touching the ball in the opponent's penalty area is 78%."

Argentine midfielder Duscher whistled: "Damn, that's taller than some of the old guys on our team. Right, Tristan?"

But the coach then added, "He's taller than Crespo!"

Duscher immediately dropped his flippant attitude.

Irureta didn't laugh: "So Andrade, you have to stick to him the whole time. Don't give him any room to turn around, don't let him accelerate."

He turned to the team and said, "Remember, teams that underestimated this 'kid' have paid the price this season."

The locker room was completely silent.

On the tactical board, Roy's name was surrounded by a red circle, just like the defenders of Deportivo La Coruña were about to do on the pitch.

“Guys,” Irureta tapped the tactical board, “Monaco is tough to deal with, but if we keep an eye on a few key points, we can stifle their attack.”

"When Monaco plays a 4-4-2 defensive counter-attacking game, Rothen crosses from the left wing to combine with Roy who cuts inside, Giuly breaks through and cuts inside on the right wing, Morientes acts as a target man to win headers, Pedretti organizes in midfield, Bernardi sweeps up, and quickly distributes the ball to the wings to create threats."

"When switching to a 4-3-3 formation to press forward, Roy and Pulso frequently switched positions to stretch the defense, Morientes maintained his role as a pivot, Giuly dropped back to organize, and Pedretti and Bernardi pushed forward to strengthen midfield control."

He turned to Manuel Pablo and Sergio:

"You two need to keep a close eye on Rothen. He likes to cross from the byline, so don't give him easy opportunities. Manuel, you mark him closely. Sergio, drop back to help defend as needed, and don't let Evra push too far forward."

Then, he looked at Andrade:

“Roy is their number one threat. He’s fast, technically gifted, and likes to cut inside. Don’t rush in to tackle him. Keep your distance and don’t let him get into the penalty area easily. If he moves to the right wing, Naibette and Manuel need to switch on him immediately.”

Then, he stared at Naibette and Andrade:

"Morientes is their pivot; most crosses go to him. You two take turns marking him and don't let him receive the ball comfortably."

He then turned his attention to the two midfielders, Sergio and Duscher:
“Giuly likes to drop back to receive the ball, Sergio, don’t let him turn around easily. If he moves towards the middle, Duscher, you need to mark him immediately.”

Finally, he looked at Valerón and left winger Luke:
"When you two get back to defend, you need to help Duscher and Sergio, and don't let Pedretti and Bernardi pass the ball out easily."

The tactics board mentions the counter-attack section:
“If they push too high,” Irureta told Luke and Sanchez, “you two use your speed to attack behind their full-backs.”

He patted Tristan on the shoulder:

"When you get the ball, don't get entangled with their center-backs, find Valerón or Luke as soon as possible."

He then made substitution arrangements:

“If Giuly and Roy switch positions frequently,” he told Scaloni, “you’re ready to come on and strengthen the right flank defense.”

The future Argentine champion coach was only twenty-five years old at this time.

Lionel Scaloni began his professional career with Argentine club Newell's Old Boys, and joined La Liga club Deportivo La Coruña in 1998, winning the La Liga title with the team in 2000.

“If you need to score,” he said, looking at Pandiani, “you go up and contest for headers, attack their defense.”

At last.

Irueta surveyed the entire team, his tone firm:
"Monaco has a strong attack, but their defense is not impenetrable. As long as we mark Roy, Morientes, and Giuly closely and are decisive on the counter-attack, we can beat them at home!"

The players nodded in unwavering agreement.

They knew that the key to this game was to execute the coach's tactical plan effectively.

(End of this chapter)