THE GREATEST OF ALL TIME
chapter-199

Zachary and his teammates arrived at Værnes Airport in Trondheim on a Scandinavian Airlines flight at exactly 10:05 that night. They went quickly through procedures at the airport, and by 10:20 PM, they were already on a bus back to the city center.

Zachary was in the best of moods as the bus traversed the familiar airport road. He was still soaking in the delightful feeling of scoring a hat-trick to help his team return home with three points at the end of the night.

He felt like singing the Survivor band's hit song — 'Eye of the Tiger' out loud. But he was well aware that his voice wasn't good enough to pull off such a catchy tune without attracting some mockery from his teammates. He could only rock his head from side to side following its beat as it played in the deepest confines of his mind repeatedly.

"So, where will we be having this dinner, Mikael?" Zachary heard Coach Johansen ask as the bus emerged from a tunnel and continued along the road from the airport. The coach was seated closest to the door, in the row right before Zachary's seat. "I hope it's not someplace chaotic. I'm way too old for that." He added, sighing like he was really an old chap.

"Don't worry, coach," Mikael, seated beside Zachary, was quick to reply. "We're heading to a cozy place called Una Pizzeria Bar in Solsiden. There won't be any noise or chaos since we've booked it for the entire night."

"Una Pizzeria Bar," Coach Johansen mumbled as if mulling over the name before turning his head around to look at Mikael. "Is that the place that sells late-night Italian Pizza with drinks?"

"Yes, exactly," Mikael replied. "I selected it because they've got quick service. So, we'll be able to conclude our dinner quickly and then go home to sleep before it's too late."

"Oh," Coach Johansen said, turning back to face the front of the bus. "That should be fine, I guess. Thank you for making the arrangements."

"It's my pleasure," Mikael said. "I hope everyone gets to enjoy the night. That includes you, Zachary." Mikael said, turning towards him.

"I love Pizza," Zachary replied. "So, I'll certainly enjoy the night. Thank you, Mikael."

Thirty minutes later, the whole Rosenborg squad sat in the cozy Una Pizzeria Bar, feasting on good food washed down with drinks. Mikael had gone ahead and invited the players that hadn't been on the match squad as well. So, it was nearly a full-house, with the entire Rosenborg team present at the Pizza bar.

Out of everything going on, Zachary particularly enjoyed eating the pizza.

He ignored the chatter around him and focused on gouging himself with Italian pizza. The match had drained his stamina reserves. So, he was intent on replenishing them before dinner ended. But he made sure to steer clear of alcoholic drinks since he was well aware they could hinder his future growth as a player.

The minutes went by fast as he savored the unique taste of the food, and soon it was time for Coach Johansen to give his address.

"I hope all of you are enjoying the evening," the coach began, standing up and snapping his fingers to draw everyone's attention. "Anyone bored?" He probed, sweeping his gaze across the players.

"No, coach," the players replied, but not in sync.

"The dinner is perfect. We should do this more often..."

"We're only missing the chairman and the sporting director…"

"..."

For the next few seconds, the players responded to Coach Johansen's probing with various answers, some of which were totally off-topic.

"Okay, guys," Coach Johansen said, raising his arm to request silence. "I know that we are all happy after winning the match. But let's quieten down first—so that I can first finish delivering my message to you. We don't want to spend all night here."

The players complied without any questions since it was their coach speaking.

"Starting today, May 25th, until June 18th, we'll be taking a short break," the coach continued after a short pause.

"Yesss, it's a holiday!" One of the players shouted. It seemed he'd lit a fuse among the rest of the souls within the Pizza bar. For the next minute, they clapped their hands and cheered excitedly just because the coach had freed them for the break.

Zachary, though, did not join in. He continued feasting on his pizza since he didn't see the whole point in celebrating the commencement of a break.

Instead of resting, he would have preferred to continue playing matches and training to improve himself using Rosenborg's first-rate facilities. Even when he returned to Lubumbashi in Congo, he planned on doing just that. At the very least, he would train with his old club, TP Mazembe, to keep himself fit and in tip-top shape.

"Quiet," Coach Johansen snapped. He was surprisingly sharp, and the players quietened down immediately. "We don't have all night. So, first, listen." He added, frowning slightly.

"As of right now, we're beginning our short break from competitive football," the coach continued, glancing around. "So, you're free to do whatever you like or go wherever you wish to go—since you'll have no commitments to the team during the break."

"But I expect you to continue leading proper lifestyles befitting professional athletes even during the holiday," the coach emphasized, narrowing his eyes. "Don't ingest any illegal substances. Don't drink excessive alcohol or, if you can, avoid it completely. Continue working out and exercising with the ball on a regular basis."

The coach paused for a moment, taking a hearty sip from a glass of wine. "Do as I say, not as I do," he mumbled, placing his glass back on the table, and the players laughed at that.

"I want you all to remember that there'll be a medical right after the break," he continued after a moment. "Should we find that you're out of shape or you have been doing anything you shouldn't have, you will become an enemy of mine right away. And being an enemy of mine means that you might not see your name on the match squad for the rest of the season. Are we together?"

"Yes, coach."

"Good." Coach Johansen nodded, half-smiling. "I'm glad we're on the same page. But there's one more thing. Even though the official break is up to June 18th, I expect you to return to Trondheim for the official start of team training on the 15th. That is a must for any player that wishes to be part of my starting line-up. Please do not be late. Not even for a single day." The coach's tone had already turned solemn and melted the festive mood in the Una Pizzeria Bar.

"Are we together, guys?" He shouted, glancing around.

"Yes, coach."

"Good, good," Coach Johansen said. "Since we have finished discussing all the important stuff, I guess you can go ahead and enjoy tonight. But only tonight. Don't get too used to just enjoying. Instead, you've got to continue working hard as professional athletes so that you can maintain your fitness over the break. Are we together, lads?"

"Yes, coach," Zachary heard the rest of his teammates reply a bit too enthusiastically, maybe be because the coach was nearing the end of his address. It seemed they couldn't wait for him to conclude so that they could go—do their own things, whatever those were.

"Zachary!" Coach Johansen said, turning toward him abruptly. "Can you step out for a minute? I want to talk to you about a few things."

"Oh!" Zachary said, placing down his small chunk of pizza. "I'll be right out. Just a minute." He said, starting to pick up his gym bag.

"Okay, I'll be waiting for you on the balcony," the coach said. He then turned around and started walking out of the room.