FOOTBALL! LEGENDARY PLAYER-Chapter 214: Football First

As the players prepared to leave, they exchanged phone numbers and social media contacts. Despite their clubs’ rivalries, the shared experience had created a connection among young talents navigating similar journeys at different clubs.

"See you on the pitch," Erik Pierters said as they parted ways. "But next time without all the cameras and lights."

"And without needing twenty takes to make a pass," Amani added with a laugh.

The drive back to Utrecht gave Amani time to reflect on the experience. The commercial world operated differently from football – more controlled, more repetitive, more focused on appearance than efficiency. Yet there were similarities too – the attention to detail, the pursuit of excellence, the collaborative nature of success.

Sophia called as he neared Utrecht. "How did it go?"

"Good, I think. Different than I expected, but interesting."

"The production team already sent me a message. They were very impressed – said you were a natural on camera and extremely professional."

Amani smiled at the compliment. "When will we see the final commercial?"

"They’ll send a preview before it goes public. Launch is scheduled for February 10th, with the social media campaign starting a week earlier."

"Will I need to do anything else for it?"

"There’s a launch event in Amsterdam you’ve been invited to attend, along with the other featured players. We’ll coordinate with the club to ensure it doesn’t interfere with your match schedule."

After returning to his apartment, Amani called his mother to share the experience. Her face brightened the screen as the video connection established, bringing her warm smile into his Utrecht apartment.

"My son, the commercial star," she teased. "How was it?"

"Exhausting," Amani admitted. "We spent two hours filming what will probably be ten seconds in the final commercial."

"That’s how these things work. Like surgery – hours of preparation for minutes of actual procedure."

They talked for nearly an hour – Amani describing the production process in detail, his mother listening attentively and asking thoughtful questions. Her perspective, as always, helped ground him.

"Remember," she said before they ended the call, "these opportunities come because of your gift, not the other way around. Stay focused on developing that gift."

"I will, Mama. Football first, always."

The following morning, Amani received a message from Jordy Zuidam, Utrecht’s Technical Director, asking him to stop by his office. Wondering if something had gone wrong with the commercial shoot, Amani made his way to the administrative building with slight apprehension.

"Ah, Amani," Zuidam greeted him warmly. "How was the commercial experience?"

"Very interesting," Amani replied. "Different from what I expected, but a good learning experience."

"The Adidas team contacted me afterward. They were extremely impressed – not just with your technical ability, which they expected, but with your professionalism and maturity."

Amani nodded, relieved that the feedback was positive.

"They’ve proposed something additional," Zuidam continued. "They want to feature you more prominently in their social media campaign for the boot launch. Not replacing the group concept, but supplementing it with additional content focused specifically on your passing vision."

"What would that involve?"

"Another half-day shoot, here at our training facility. More technical, less production-focused purely on your passing skills rather than the commercial storytelling elements."

Amani considered this. "And the club is comfortable with this additional involvement?"

"We are, with the same conditions as before. It must work around your training, match, and school schedule. Your development remains the priority."

"Then I’d be happy to do it."

Zuidam nodded approvingly. "Good. Sophia will coordinate the details with Adidas." He paused, studying Amani for a moment. "You’re handling this well – the attention, the commercial interest, the growing profile. Many players much older than you struggle with these aspects."

"I have good guidance," Amani replied simply. "From the club, from Sophia, from my mother."

"Indeed. And that support system will become increasingly important as your profile continues to grow."

The supplementary shoot took place the following week at Utrecht’s training facility – a much smaller production than the main commercial. Just Amani, a technical director, two camera operators, and a small support team.

"We want to capture what makes your passing special," the technical director explained. "The vision, the execution, the deception – all the elements that have people talking about your game."

The session focused entirely on Amani’s passing range – from simple five-yard balls to 60-yard switches of play, from disguised passes to no-look assists. Without the production complexity of the main commercial, this shoot felt more natural, closer to a training session with cameras present.

The System provided guidance throughout:

[PASSING SHOWCASE: Comprehensive range demonstration]

[PERIPHERAL VISION+: Optimal activation for visual narrative]

[DE ZWARTE DOOS: Controlled demonstration of spatial manipulation]

"That’s incredible," one of the camera operators commented after Amani executed a particularly deceptive pass. "How do you see those angles?"

Amani smiled but offered no explanation. The System’s enhancements to his natural vision and spatial awareness weren’t something he could easily describe – and certainly not something he wanted to discuss.

"Just practice," he said instead. "Lots of practice."

The footage from this supplementary shoot would be used to create a special feature called "The Vision" – a social media exclusive highlighting Amani’s passing ability as a showcase for the new Predator boots. Adidas planned to release it three days before the main commercial, creating anticipation for the full campaign.

As January progressed and the winter break neared its end, Amani’s commercial involvement with Adidas became just one element of his preparation for the season’s second half. Full team training resumed, tactical meetings increased in frequency and detail, and friendly matches were arranged to rebuild match fitness.

Throughout this period, Sophia kept him updated on the commercial production progress. "They’ve sent the first edit of your feature," she told him one evening, sharing her tablet screen during a meeting in her office. freeweɓnovel-cøm

The one-minute video was visually striking – high-contrast lighting, dynamic camera movements, and precision editing that highlighted the technical perfection of Amani’s passing. Interspersed with the football action were brief interview segments where he discussed his approach to the game.

"Vision isn’t just about seeing what’s happening now," his voice narrated over footage of a no-look pass. "It’s about seeing what will happen next – reading movements, anticipating spaces, understanding intentions."

The feature concluded with a simple tagline: "Amani Hamadi. The Vision. Predator Edge – available February 10."

"What do you think?" Sophia asked as the video ended.

"It’s... strange seeing myself like that," Amani admitted. "But the football looks good."

"It looks exceptional," Sophia corrected. "This will generate significant attention when it releases."

"When does that happen?"

"February 7th – three days before the main commercial and product launch. We should prepare for increased media interest around that time."

As January drew to a close, the final preparations for the Adidas campaign coincided with Utrecht’s preparation for their first competitive match after the winter break. Coach Wouters maintained his careful management of Amani’s involvement, starting him in the final friendly match but confirming he would return to a substitute role for the Eredivisie restart.

"The commercial activities haven’t affected your training performance," Wouters acknowledged during their pre-match discussion. "But we maintain our long-term perspective. Progressive development, not excessive exposure."

Amani nodded, understanding and appreciating the approach. The careful management had worked perfectly so far, allowing him to develop at an accelerated pace while protecting him from burnout or injury.

The evening before the Eredivisie season resumed, Amani received a package from Adidas – the final production version of the Predator Edge boots he would be promoting, along with a personal note from the marketing director:

"Amani – Thank you for your professionalism and talent during the Next Generation campaign. Your feature ’The Vision’ has tested extraordinarily well with focus groups and our internal team believes it will be the standout element of the campaign. We look forward to continuing our relationship as your career progresses. – The Adidas Team"

The System provided its assessment as Amani examined the boots:

[COMMERCIAL INTEGRATION: Successful alignment with football development pathway]

[BRAND RELATIONSHIP: Foundation established for potential future expansion]

[PROFILE EVOLUTION: Controlled growth maintaining development priority]

For Amani Hamadi, the Adidas opportunity represented another step in his rapidly evolving journey, not just as a footballer, but as a young professional navigating the modern sports landscape. The commercial world had opened its doors, offering new experiences and opportunities beyond the pitch.

Yet as he packed his bag for the next day’s match, it was the familiar routine that centered him – boots (his current match pair, not the new promotional ones), shin guards, jersey, the methodical preparation that preceded every game. Commercial opportunities might come and go, but the foundation remained unchanged.

Football first. Always.

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