My Football Legends Chat Group-Chapter 66: Spain U21s

The next day, Rio was on his way down to the training pitches at Thorp Arch after the tactical meeting had ended. Since the conversation with his father last night about the "Player of the Month" bet, it was as if a fire had been lit inside of him.

"Hey, Rio. Are you okay?" Archie Gray asked, trailing behind him, kicking at the grass.

Rio had barely spoken a few words throughout the whole morning, not even bragging about his 80-yard goal from yesterday.

’How can we win every game?’

In his previous life simulations, Leeds had made it to the playoffs but choked in the final. This was thanks to a lack of leadership when the pressure got high.

This immediately showed whenever they conceded a goal; heads would drop, and the crowd would turn toxic. Since he had changed the timeline with his rabona and the Hull demolition, he couldn’t count on flying under the radar anymore.

Even if he were to become the "King of Elland Road" with his S-Grade physique, Rio knew that he would not be able to achieve the Premier League dream on his own. After all, football was a team sport.

Unless he had the stamina to dribble past eleven players every single game, he could forget carrying the team himself.

"Rio! What the fuck is wrong with you?" Archie finally had enough of being ignored and stepped in front of Rio, grabbing his arm.

Rio stopped in place, seeing the annoyed look on the teenager’s face.

"I need you to stop playing like a kid," He said simply, his gaze not leaving Archie’s face.

"Huh!? What the hell are you talking about?" Archie’s response was almost too polite for suddenly being criticized out of nowhere. "I assisted your first goal!"

Rio continued his walk towards the pitch, only stopping after a few steps near the center circle.

"The Championship title... We’re going to win it this year, so I’ll need your help." His tone was sharp, carrying the Captain’s Presence flowing from within.

Archie felt a shock creep up from his toes, assaulting his whole body. What kind of crazy words was this person speaking? What right did a winger who had only started one game have to make such a declaration?

However, despite knowing just how outlandish it sounded, there was a part of Archie that was filled with excitement. It was the same feeling that he got on the pitch whilst watching Rio smash that volley yesterday.

He wanted to believe in these words, just like the fans did.

"A-Alright. Let’s go win the fucking league then."

A smirk teased the corner of Rio’s lips before he nodded. With his knowledge of the future and the System, he would be able to identify those within the team who had the potential to get better.

Not only this, he could identify mental weaknesses within the squad, putting him in the best position to suggest tactics and make demands.

However, even if he had the information, there was no way that the senior pros like Ayling or Cooper would listen to a nineteen-year-old Spaniard just yet. Which meant he needed to work his way up the pecking order, even making use of the manager to accomplish his goals.

With the Captain’s Presence skill, he believed such a thing would be possible. Yet to have the most effect, he would need to dominate training.

[Chat Room Active]

Hand_Of_King: You tell him, kid! A general needs soldiers. If they are soft, make them hard.

Total_Football_14: Do not just shout. Show them. If Archie plays a bad pass, you demand a better one. Standards, Rio. Standards.

Zizou_5: And maybe buy him lunch. Criticism is better with food.

Rio chuckled internally. Zizou always focused on the vibes.

After getting changed into his training kit, Rio and Archie met up with the other players on the pitch who had already begun their warm-ups. It was the full squad today, including the ones who didn’t play against Hull.

Ethan Ampadu saw Rio and nodded in his direction, acknowledging his presence. Rio nodded back, his mind calculating what to do with the Welsh midfielder.

Since his potential was SS+, he could be a great boon in the coming months for Leeds. However, the "Chelsea Loan Fatigue" was still lingering in his status, specifically affecting his risk-taking.

If Ethan continued to play safe passes sideways, he could become a bottleneck in the middle of a match against a low block, potentially costing them points. Rio could not afford to take such a risk, not when his father’s business and his own pride rested on it.

Before he could continue on this line of thought, Manager Farke made his way onto the field, followed by the coaching staff carrying bags of bibs.

"Good, everyone is here," Farke concluded, his voice booming.

His eyes moved over the players on the field, brightening briefly as they passed over Rio. In truth, he was a little worried that Rio might be complacent after the 4-0 win, but seeing the intense look in the boy’s eyes, he relaxed.

"Today we’ll be having a practice match. Starters vs The Rest."

Instantly, murmurs broke out around Rio and the other players. This was something that occurred usually on Thursdays, not Monday mornings. It was the opportunity for the bench players to smash the starters to prove a point.

While it was meant to be a recovery session for some, no one treated it as such under Farke. Since the inception of "Murderball," training was war.

Rio first looked at Archie, then at Ethan. These were his two midfield engines that he would need to rely on.

"I’ll be picking and coaching The Rest team while my assistant, Eddie, will be taking over the Starters," Farke stated, a sadistic glint in his eye.

Everyone except for the bench players and Rio seemed to be surprised by this fact. One would usually think that the Manager would stick with his winning XI to work on shape, however, this was not the case.

Farke liked to test the mentality of his winners. He wanted to see if they could function without him screaming instructions every two seconds. He wanted to see if they could lead themselves.

This was another reason why Rio respected the man in front of him. Aside from his tactical knowledge, he was really invested in the psychology of the group.

"Rio. You are with the Starters," Farke said, throwing a red bib at him. "Don’t get comfortable."

Rio caught the bib. He looked at the players wearing red: Meslier, Ayling, Rodon, Struijk, Byram, Ethan, Archie, Summerville, Piroe, Rutter.

And him.

Then he looked at the opposition. The "Rest" team included Gnonto, Bamford, James, and Anthony. Players who were angry they didn’t start yesterday.

"This is going to be fun," Rio muttered.

"Alright!" Farke blew his whistle. "45 minutes. If the Starters lose, they run laps. If the Rest lose, they clean the boots."

"Let’s kill them!" Gnonto shouted, looking directly at Rio. The Italian winger was clearly jealous of Rio’s sudden rise.

Rio just smiled, activating his System interface.

[Match Initiated: Training Ground War]

[Opponent Difficulty: High (Angry Bench Players)]

[Objective: Win the match and keep a Clean Sheet]

[Reward: Skill ’Defensive Command’ (Grade B)]

"Listen up!" Rio shouted, clapping his hands.

The Starters turned to him. Usually, Cooper or Ayling would speak. But the sheer weight of Rio’s voice—amplified by Captain’s Presence—made them stop.

"Gnonto is fast," Rio said, pointing at the opposition. "But he hates defending. Ethan, Archie. When we win the ball, look for me immediately. I will isolate him."

Ethan blinked. He was the senior midfielder. He should be calling the shots. But something about Rio’s tone made him nod.

"Got it," Ethan said. "What about Bamford?"

"Let him run," Rio grinned. "He’s offside half the time anyway."

A ripple of laughter went through the Starters. The tension broke.

"Okay," Ayling grinned. "Let’s do what the kid says."

PEEEP!

Farke blew the whistle to start the game.

The Rest team started aggressively. Gnonto flew down the wing, trying to expose Rio’s defensive side.

"Come on, Golden Boy!" Gnonto taunted, trying to push the ball past Rio.

In the past, Rio might have bitten on the feint.

But now?

[Titan’s Core: Active]

Rio stepped across. He didn’t tackle; he just occupied the space.

THUD.

Gnonto ran into Rio’s shoulder and bounced off, tumbling onto the grass.

"Foul!" Gnonto screamed.

"Play on!" Farke shouted from the sideline, grinning. "Too soft, Willy!"

Rio took the ball calmly. He looked up.

"Ethan!"

He played a sharp pass into the midfield. Ethan received it. Usually, Ethan would play it safe back to the defenders.

"Turn!" Rio screamed. "Forward!"

The command bypassed Ethan’s "Chelsea Fear." It was an order he couldn’t refuse.

Ethan turned. He saw the space. He played a beautiful through ball to Piroe.

Piroe smashed it home.

1-0.

"Yes!" Ethan shouted, looking at his feet in surprise. "I can do that?"

Rio jogged over and slapped Ethan’s chest. "You can do that every time. Trust your eyes, not your fear."

Ethan looked at Rio, a strange expression on his face. It was respect.

Farke, watching from the sideline, scribbled furiously on his notepad.

’He isn’t just playing,’ Farke thought. ’He is coaching them.’

The game continued. The Rest team grew frustrated. Bamford tried to rough up the defenders, but Rodon and Struijk were solid, organized by Rio’s constant communication from the wing.

"Shift left! Watch the runner! Squeeze up!"

Rio’s voice was the soundtrack of the session.

By the 40th minute, it was 3-0.

Gnonto was panting, hands on his knees. "Fuck sake," he muttered. "He’s everywhere."

Rio walked past him. "You’re too wide, Willy. If you tuck inside, you’d get the ball more."

Gnonto looked up, ready to snap. But he saw Rio’s face. It wasn’t mocking. It was genuine advice.

"Shut up," Gnonto grumbled, but he moved inside for the next play.

PEEEP! PEEEP!

Farke blew the whistle.

"Starters win. 3-0. No laps for you."

The Starters cheered. Archie ran over to Rio.

"We destroyed them!" Archie beamed. "And Ethan played like Pirlo!"

"He did," Rio smiled, looking at Ethan who was high-fiving Piroe.

Farke walked over to the center circle.

"Good intensity," Farke said, looking around. "But remember. We have bigger tests. The international break is here. Some of you go to your countries. Some of you stay."

He looked at Rio.

"Rio. You stay. Spain U21s didn’t call you up."

A silence fell over the group. Everyone knew Rio deserved a call-up after his performance.

Rio felt a sting of disappointment. Mateo was going to the Spain camp. He wasn’t.

But then, he smiled.

"Good," Rio said loud enough for everyone to hear. "More time to get stronger."

Farke nodded, impressed. "Exactly. We work. We improve."

As the players walked off to the showers, Rio felt his phone buzz in his pocket.

He checked it. It was a message from Elena, his dad’s contact.

Elena: Jorge Mendes is angry you ignored him. He’s talking to the Spain U21 coach. That’s why you weren’t called up.

Rio stopped walking. His grip on the phone tightened until his knuckles turned white.

"Politics," Rio whispered. "Fuck politics."

[Chat Room Active]

Hand_Of_King: They try to block you? Ha! Let them. It just makes the explosion bigger when you break through.

Total_Football_14: Use this anger, Rio. Two weeks of training. You can transform the team in that time.

Zizou_5: And when Mateo comes back... show him who is the real boss.

Rio put the phone away.

"Archie!" Rio called out.

"Yeah?"

"We’re not going home yet. We have shooting practice."

"But... we just played 45 minutes!" Archie groaned.

"Do you want to win the league or not?"

Archie sighed, dropping his bag. "Fine. But you’re buying lunch."