The Greatest of all Time

Chapter 401 Post-Match Analysis and Trophy Ceremony

　　Emilia Vasquez, the experienced and beautiful ESPN presenter, was on duty for the Europa League finals that night. She smiled at the cameras in the studio and said, “What a match we’ve had on our hands tonight. Rosenborg Ballklub has just defeated Sevilla by four goals to two in tonight’s dramatic final. The Norwegian giants are this year’s Europa League champions. As we wait for the organizers and officials to finish setting up the podium for the trophy presentation, let’s hear from our pundits. Let’s hear about their take on the just-concluded final.”

”Guys!” She turned towards Ole Gunnar Solskjær and Juninho Pernambucano, the two ex-professional footballers who were the in-studio pundits for the game. “What are your thoughts?”

Ole Gunnar Solskjær smiled as the cameras focused on him. “I think Trondheim is a very fitting home for the Europa League trophy this year,” he said. “With the way the Rosenborg players played during this Europa League campaign, they deserve the trophy. They deserve all the glory that comes with winning tonight’s final. On their way to the finals, they defeated Red Bull Salzburg, Standard Liège, Fiorentina, Juventus, Lyon, and Benfica, among other teams. All these are very experienced clubs on the European stage, with big annual budgets and many skilled players and coaches. However, all that didn’t matter to the Rosenborg players. They gave more than a hundred percent in all the matches and bested one opponent after the other. They have now won the final and are about to go home with the Europa League trophy.”

”You’re right, Ole,” Juninho chimed in. “Rosenborg’s drive to win during this campaign has been phenomenal. Then, there’s Zachary Bemba, the young midfielder who’s always working miracles on the pitch. Defeating Rosenborg with him on the squad is a tall order. Additionally, their squad exudes a sense of togetherness. They never say never, and to a certain extent, their whole squad reminds me of the 1994/95 Ajax team that won the Champions League. They are a team that doesn’t appear strong on paper, but when you face off against them, you’ll find yourself two goals behind in a matter of minutes.”

”Let’s look at the final today,” Emilia Vasquez said as the cameras focused on her. “The match was filled with a lot of ups and downs. Wasn’t it?”

”True,” Ole concurred. “As usual, Zachary worked his magic early in the first half to set up Tobias for Rosenborg’s opening goal. But during the same half, Sevilla responded, and Carlos Bacca scored twice within a ten-minute window to put Sevilla ahead. Then Zachary rose to the occasion and scored that beautiful free-kick.”

”Indeed, it was a beautiful free-kick,” Juninho agreed. “It was text-book perfect and well-placed. Zachary’s technique left no chance for the keeper to make a save.”

”But that wasn’t the end of his brilliance,” Ole continued. “During the 87th minute, he raced all the way back to his goal and made two timely goal-line interceptions. Zachary saved Rosenborg from conceding a third goal but didn’t stop at that. He then initiated a counter before running from one end of the pitch to the other to score the third goal for Rosenborg. For me, this was the defining moment of the final.”

”That’s true,” Juninho remarked. “If Zachary hadn’t made that timely defensive interception to stop Sevilla from scoring, his team wouldn’t have won the final. I was even more impressed by his determination when he countered immediately to score Rosenborg’s third goal. Let’s also not forget about the fourth goal. He initiated a counterattack that led to the fourth goal while resisting a foul. His pass easily found Kasongo, and the rest is history. In my book, he has really done a lot for the Rosenborg team, and he’s the undisputed best player of the tournament.”

”True that,” Ole agreed readily. “Zachary has scored twenty-three goals and provided five assists during this tournament. He has broken the all-time goal-scoring record for a single Europa League tournament. If he isn’t the best player, then who is?”

Emilia Vasquez chuckled. “After winning the Europa League trophy tonight, Rosenborg has also completed a season treble. They won the Norwegian Cup and domestic league last year in December. And now, they’re Europa League champions after beating Sevilla in tonight’s final. In all the tournaments they have played since last year, Zachary’s brilliance has been a crucial factor that has continued to drive their success.”

”Yes, that’s correct,” Ole said. “Zachary was the top scorer in both the domestic league and Cupen. His goals have helped Rosenborg overcome many opponents since last year. And let’s also not forget his performance in the Europa League against European giants like Juventus, Lyon, and now Sevilla. I don’t care what anyone says, but this young man deserves this year’s Golden Boy award. He also deserves to be on the FIFA best player award list. At least, he should be within the top fifteen.”

Juninho chuckled. “There’s still the World Cup coming up in June,” he said. “There might be young players, like Raheem Sterling, Ousmane Dembele, and others, who might rise to the occasion and perform well during the World Cup. They could even overtake Zachary’s rating on the FIFA best player list since he won’t be participating in the World Cup. Remember: The tournament has a big sway on the player rankings.”

”I highly doubt the possibility,” Ole said, shaking his head. “Zachary’s performance this season has been otherworldly. I don’t think any other young player can outperform him during the World Cup. It’s not possible.”

”Let’s end the debate here for a moment,” Emilia Vasquez chipped in with a chuckle. “Thank you guys for your analysis. But first, let’s return our focus to the proceedings on the pitch. The organizers have finished setting up the podium, and the trophy ceremony has just begun. At the moment, they are about to present the golden boot to Zachary Bemba. Our dear viewers! Stay tuned as we take you back to the Juventus Stadium — the venue of the Europa League final.”

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”Ladies and gentlemen,” the announcer’s voice resounded across the stadium. “This young man has been incredible throughout the entire Europa League season. His 23 goals for Rosenborg make him the indisputable top scorer of the tournament. Ladies and gentlemen! Let’s put our hands together for this season’s Europa League Golden Boot winner – Zachary Bemba.”

The cheers around the stadium hit another thunderous peak as Zachary marched toward the podium. There was a slight swagger in his step as he immersed himself in the joy of winning another individual accolade. But that didn’t hinder his actions in any way. He stepped forward and received the shiny Golden Boot from the ambassador for the final. After that, Zachary posed for a few photos with his award before rejoining his excited teammates.

The proceedings moved forward quite quickly, and soon, the Sevilla players stepped forward to receive their runners-up medals. They all lacked energy and enthusiasm as they ascended the podium. Losing that night’s Europa League final had obviously hit them hard.

Zachary watched them out of the corner of his eye. He didn’t feel guilty about changing history and stealing a trophy that could have been theirs in another lifetime. He was too excited and overwhelmed by a sense of contentment to bother with such unwarranted feelings.

Moreover, he understood that he had to step over both strong and weak opponents to achieve glory. So, he had long prepared himself to rob many more trophies and accolades from their would-be-owners of his previous life. With the system in hand, he was sure he could achieve the feat.

”Ladies and gentlemen,” the announcer’s voice resounded again. “Please put your hands together for the champions of the Europa League as they step forward to receive their medals.”

”Finally,” Zachary mumbled as he followed his teammates up the podium. The line moved forward quickly, and before long, he stood before the ambassador for the Europa League final. He shook hands with the gentleman and received his medal before joining his teammates on one side of the podiums.

By then, the Rosenborg fans around the stadium were already cheering like mad. They continued singing and vocalizing the popular Rosenborg chants as the players received the medals, one after the other. And finally, their voices hit a crescendo when the crucial moment of the trophy presentation ceremony arrived.

Tore Reginiussen, the Rosenborg captain, stepped forward and received the Europa League trophy from the ambassador for the final. He immediately raised it with both hands to send the stadium into a wave of excited frenzy.

It was a historic moment, and all eyes and cameras were on the Rosenborg captain. However, Tore didn’t allow all the attention to create any blemish on his bearing as a captain. He quickly returned to his teammates and presented the trophy to them as the cheers of the Rosenborg fans continued resounding across the stadium. What followed was an unforgettable night of euphoria and jubilation.

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