THE GREATEST OF ALL TIME

Zachary wasn't aware of all the publicity efforts put in motion by the General Manager of Juventus since he had switched off his phone the previous night to avoid distractions. He had zero knowledge about how his incredible performance against Malmö was fast pushing him to global stardom. He was just in his own small world, trying to recover from his post-match fatigue without a care for anything else.

He spent a large part of his day off cooped up in his hotel room, going through light exercise routines to quicken his post-match recovery. He performed yoga in the morning, ate a sumptuous room service meal at noon, then went through another yoga routine before activating the GOAT Skills simulator to refine his ball skills. He spent hours practicing free kicks, step-overs, Marseille turns, shooting techniques from inside and outside the box, and other skills within the freakishly realistic virtual world of the system. He didn't stop training until late in the evening, long after sunset.

After stretching his body and going through a warming-down routine, he cleaned up and later feasted on another meal before jumping into bed for the night. He was soon deep in slumberland, dreaming about winning the Ballon d'Or.

The following morning, he woke up early as usual at around six. He was soon in autopilot mode, going through his yoga routine and then cleaning up and having breakfast before readying himself for Juventus' team training that day. And by 8:00 AM, he'd already donned his tracksuit, ready to head out of the hotel.

He scooped up his phone from a nearby table and booted it up for the first time since the night of the match. The next moment, it started vibrating with various SMS, WhatsApp messages, and voicemail alerts -- all tell-tale signs that many people had tried to contact him when his phone was off the previous day. But him being Zachary, he still ignored all the notifications and chose to call Angelo Mattiello, his guide and interpreter, first. He was eager to find out whether the Italian had already arrived to pick him up and transport him to the Juventus training center.

"Hello, Zachary," Angelo replied from the side of the line right after the call connected. "How's your morning?"

"Pretty good," Zachary responded. "Where are you? Have you arrived yet?"

"Yes," Angelo said. "I'm already here in the parking lot of the J Hotel, waiting for you."

"Okay, then," Zachary said. "Wait for me a little longer. I'll be down in five minutes."

Zachary immediately ended the call before shoving the phone into his tracksuit's trouser pocket. He then stepped into his glossy green Nike Flex sneakers before throwing his gym bag over his shoulder and exiting his hotel room.

A few minutes later, he had already descended the stairs and arrived at the reception area of the J Hotel. His gait exuded unbridled confidence as he walked towards the counter to hand in his room key. But on the inside, he was in a confused state. He couldn't understand why all the people he'd met on his way down the stairs had exhibited peculiar mannerisms.

For instance, the often mean-faced middle-aged waitress that usually dusted the walls flashed him a smile when he greeted her. Then, there were the other hotel workers who gave him slight bows when he passed by them. And now, after arriving in the hotel's lobby, the same scenario was playing out again, and everyone was stealing glances at him as if he was some tourist attraction. The whole situation was odd, especially since he was in the J Hotel -- a facility that usually hosted several famous names from Italy's football scene all year round. People at such a hotel should not have given him all that attention and respect even if he was a footballer under contract with Juventus.

"Zachary!" The familiar and beautiful waitress at the counter said, standing up on seeing Zachary arrive. "Good morning to you." She greeted in English as her face lit up with a smile. She was a brunette with a full figure, dimpled cheeks, and the brightest blue eyes that Zachary had ever seen.

"Good morning to you, too, Antonella," Zachary responded, flashing her a smile. "Here is my key. Please instruct someone to clean my room when I'm away."

"Don't worry. I'll surely do that," Antonella readily agreed and received the key from Zachary. "Are you heading out for training?"

"Yes," Zachary said. "I'm off to the Vinovo to attend the team training until evening."

"But you're very early today!" Antonella remarked. "Anything special going on at the training center?"

Zachary nodded. "We're starting preparations for the game against AC Milan today. So, I naturally have to go early."

"Aha!" Antonella exclaimed. "Now I remember. You play AC Milan on Saturday night. Do you think we will win?"

"Of course, we'll win," Zachary assured, grinning. "Make sure you keep your eyes on the screen on Saturday night. We will discipline those AC Milan boys at the San Siro until they start crying out to their mamas. You wait and see."

Antonella chuckled and said, "Then, I'll eagerly await the match on Saturday. Otherwise, I wish you luck in your training today. Have a good day."

"Have a good day, too," Zachary said and stepped away from the counter. He quickly walked out of the hotel before rushing to the parking lot.

A few minutes later, he linked up with Angelo, and off they went, cruizing into the wide streets of Turin. Angelo was, of course, the driver driving Zachary to the Vinovo for training. He was on the steering wheel while Zachary was in the back seat of the comfy Citroën.

"Did you watch the sports news yesterday?" Angelo asked after another few minutes of driving.

"Nope," Zachary replied and started going through the notifications on his phone. "I haven't watched the news like for forty-eight hours."

"Then, you missed out big time," Angelo said. "What were you doing? The whole of Italy and Europe was going on about your hattrick against Malmö yesterday. But you didn't bother to follow! You're one weird guy."

"It was a hattrick against a weak team," Zachary said. "I thought that very few people would care. That's why I didn't bother watching the news."

"You couldn't have been more wrong," Angelo pointed out. "You're now like a superstar in Italy. In fact, I would advise you to get some bodyguards soon. Otherwise, you won't get a moment of peace while moving around Turin. Fans will be lining up to acquire your autograph whenever they see you."

"So, that's why everyone at the hotel looked at me as if I was an alien," Zachary remarked, feeling a headache coming. He was beginning to understand that fame wasn't always a good thing. "I really need to hurry and purchase a house to escape the scrutinizing stares of all those hotel employees." He sighed.

"Indeed, you should," Angelo agreed while rounding a roundabout and steering the car into another street. "That reminds me. A good villa is up for sale in Pinerolo, in a locality just thirty minutes away from the Vinovo. It has a swimming pool and many other amenities that could suit your tastes. Moreover, the owner is selling it at a relatively low price as his company has just declared bankruptcy. So, I really hope that you spare some time to look at the villa and see if you like it."

"How much are they selling it for?" Zachary asked, glancing up from his phone.

"1.5 Million Euros," Angelo replied. "But it would even go for 2.5 to 3 million if the owners weren't desperate to sell. It is located in a good neighborhood in Turin."

"Oh, I see," Zachary intoned. "Then, let's look at it on Sunday afternoon. That will be the day after our match against AC Milan."

"Okay," Angelo readily agreed. "I'll schedule an appointment to look at the house with the real estate agents. They will be ready for you on Sunday afternoon."

"Good, I'll buy it if I like it," Zachary said and returned his attention to his phone. He was still going through the notifications, including an email from Emily about a new endorsement contract offered by Nike. So, he remained silent until he arrived at the Vinovo fifteen minutes later.

-----

Zachary tossed everything else out of his mind and immersed himself into training after arriving at the Vinovo. He ignored all the attention he was getting from the media and spent the entire day going through team drills under the strict supervision of the coaches. And as usual, he didn't shortchange himself while refining his ball skills or training his physical fitness.

While training, Zachary also noticed that most of his teammates' attitudes towards him had changed. It seemed they had totally accepted him into the team after he scored the hattrick against Malmö. Unlike before, they all looked at him with respect and adoration. They were even eager to chat and get on good terms with him whenever an opportunity presented itself.

"Zachary!" Kingsley Coman intoned when the players were enjoying their lunch at the canteen. "Don't forget to pass to me during the match against AC Milan. I also want to rub off your glory and score some goals."

Zachary chuckled and said, "Don't worry. I'll pass the ball to you as long as I'm on the pitch and you're in a strategic position. You have my word."

"Excellent," Kingsley said, grinning. "Now, I'm eagerly waiting for the match on Saturday. I want to score a goal."

The rest of the players chuckled at that before starting to discuss other things. They talked about many concerns, including their objectives, the tactics used by their coach, and their upcoming fixtures. They were obviously using their lunch break to bond as a team.

The next few days passed quickly as the Juventus players went through strict drilling routines to hone their tactics. And soon, Friday, the eve of the day when they would face off against AC Milan, arrived with regal ease. It was finally time for the Old Lady players to test themselves against another top Italian team. As a result, the entire focus of the Italian football community was beginning to zero in on the famous San Siro Stadium in Milan, Italy.