On the way through the tunnel, most of Zachary’s teammates congratulated him on his feat of scoring his first goal for Juventus. They were super happy for him and encouraged him to net more goals during the pre-season and when the new Serie A season commenced.

Zachary, of course, received their good wishes politely without revealing any excess emotions. But on the inside, he was super happy since he was gaining the trust of his new teammates at the speed of a rocket escaping earth’s gravity.

He couldn’t have imagined or dreamed of a better start to his journey as a Juventus player. He was on cloud nine, especially since he could feel his confidence and sharpness on the pitch returning to him much faster than he had anticipated. He reckoned that he might be able to fit into the Juventus team fully if he could continue putting up solid performances while scoring a few more goals during the pre-season.

As a footballer, who had experienced two lives, Zachary understood the importance of teamwork. He had long comprehended that on a football team, it was not the strength of the individual players but the unit’s prowess and how they all functioned together as a whole that mattered. He knew that even the most talented players would find it difficult to realize their potential if they couldn’t straighten their character and become team players. They would find it almost impossible to play at their peak if they couldn’t gain the trust of their teammates and coaches.

For instance, Zachary succeeded at Rosenborg because all his former teammates trusted him. When they were on the pitch, they would never think twice before passing the ball to him during crucial moments. Even the coach would allow him plenty of freedom on the field due to his trust in his overflowing team spirit. And that permitted him to play incredibly well and showcase his skills without any hindrances, week in, week out.

Having learned all those lessons, Zachary was determined to follow the same model during his tenure at Juventus. First and foremost, he wanted to become a good colleague who had a good relationship with his teammates and understood them well. Then, he would be able to play football without worrying about other players or coaches hindering the progress of his career.

“Zachary! A moment please!” Maurizio Trombetta, the assistant coach in charge of the first team, called out to him before he could step into the dressing room.

Zachary immediately turned around and realized that the coach was chasing after him. He stopped in his tracks and waited for the man to catch up to him.

“You have one responsibility before heading into the dressing room,” the assistant coach said after standing before him. “We need you to do the post-match press conference, especially since you scored your first goal for Juventus today.”

Zachary raised a brow, glancing at the Italian coach. “But I don’t speak Italian, and this is the pre-season. Is this really necessary?”

“Very,” Coach Maurizio Trombetta replied. “There have been a few traces of negative publicity about you floating around in the news. Some football pundits predicted that you would become a flop at Juventus. Now that you’ve scored, we want you to get out there and assure the fans of how well you’re settling in at Juventus.”

“Again, I have to ask: Is this really necessary? If I continue performing well on the pitch, the negative publicity will go away!”

“That’s not enough at a big club like Juventus,” Coach Trombetta replied. “You have to remember that you’re a public figure. Many football fans in Italy and other countries are interested in everything about you, including your lifestyle and match fitness. For instance, the publicity office reported that many fans have been asking why you’re not starting for Juventus. Due to the predictions by the pundits, the fans have doubts about you and are constantly wondering whether you’re finding it difficult to adapt to life at Juventus. They fear that you might become a flop at the club. And that impacts your shirt sales and, in turn, affects the club’s income. So, we can’t let this negative publicity continue floating around. We need you to do a press conference so that you can assure the fans of how you find life in Turin perfect and what goals you’ve set for yourself at the club.”

“Okay, then,” Zachary said, nodding. “Lead the way to the press area. Let’s get this over with.”

Coach Trombetta smiled. “Don’t worry,” he said. “We arranged a press conference in a way that one reporter interviews you. Just take the whole thing as a conversation with a beautiful reporter and talk about your goals and aspirations at the club. I’m sure you’ll do okay, and before you know it, it’ll be over.”

“I understand,” Zachary said. “Let’s go.”

Coach Trombetta nodded before leading the way. They traversed the sparkling hallways of the ANZ Stadium and arrived before a door in a matter of seconds. The coach pushed it open, and they stepped inside a relatively large room that was supposedly the press area of the famous stadium in Sydney.

Zachary immediately looked around after entering the room. There was a camera crew and a few other stadium officials organizing the room for the press conference. But what caught Zachary’s eye and caused him to halt in his tracks for a moment was a familiar and beautiful blonde lady in a Juventus number 10 jersey.

“It’s you!” Zachary exclaimed after setting his eyes on her gorgeous face. He immediately recalled that she was the reporter who had stealthily shoved her business card into his pocket while he was in France about to play against Lyon.

“It’s nice to meet you again, Zachary,” she said, smiling. “Congratulations upon your move to Juventus.” She stood up from her seat and extended her hand.

Zachary’s expression turned unnatural after recalling how her stunt of shoving her name card into his pocket had almost caused him trouble with Camilla. But he forced himself to remain calm as he took her hand for a firm handshake. “Thank you,” he replied and immediately asked, “Are you a Juventus fan now?”

“You can say so,” she replied. “I became a supporter about two weeks ago.”

“Two weeks ago!” Zachary’s expression turned more strange after comprehending that that was the time when he’d just joined Juventus. He couldn’t help but wonder whether the beautiful reporter before him was one of those stalker types he’d once read about in celebrity magazines.

“Do you two know each other?” Coach Trombetta asked from the side after noticing Zachary’s strange mannerisms.

“She once interviewed me,” Zachary responded, not wishing to go into the details.

“Yes, indeed,” the lady reporter confirmed with a smile. “I interviewed Zachary before Rosenborg’s Europa League game against Lyon last season.”

“Oh, okay,” Coach Trombetta intoned. “This makes things easier since you two know each other. Let’s get straight into the press conference. I’m sure Zachary wants to get this over with, so he can return to his hotel room to rest. He must be tired after playing the game.”

The lady reporter nodded and instructed her crew to start up the cameras. They worked quickly, and all the machines came alive in seconds. Then, a minute later, Zachary and the reporter took their seats, and the press conference started.

“Hello, viewers,” the lady reporter said, smiling and facing the cameras. “I’m Éléanor Bohen from ESPN. With me here is Zachary Bemba, the man of the hour, who scored his first goal for Juventus today. He also provided the incredible assist that resulted in Juventus’ 3rd goal against the A-League all-stars during injury time.”

She turned away from the camera and faced Zachary. “Zachary! Thank you for staying back to talk to us. How do you feel after scoring your first goal for Juventus?”

“I feel really great,” Zachary replied. “I can now sleep at ease knowing I didn’t disappoint my coaches and teammates when I got the opportunity to bury the ball into the back of the net.”

Éléanor chuckled. “Your goal was incredible. The shot was powerful, and even the keeper couldn’t react. How did you manage to strike the ball in such a perfect manner?”

Zachary smiled. “Luck and technique,” he replied. “I was lucky to be in the right place and thus allowed Pogba to pass to me. Then, I relied on my technique to smash the ball into the back of the net without allowing any opponents to close me down. That’s how I did it.”

“You make the process sound so simple,” Éléanor remarked.

“It’s quite simple if you train,” Zachary responded.

Éléanor laughed. “Let’s talk about something other than the match. You have spent more than two weeks with Juventus. Are you settling in well?”

“I’m trying,” Zachary replied. “I’m obviously working hard to fit into the team and also elevate my game to the next level. I spend nearly every waking hour training as I want to improve myself and succeed at this great club.”

“Can we expect to see more phenomenal performances from you in a Juventus shirt?”

“Definitely,” Zachary replied. “I have great belief in myself. I’m confident that if I continue working hard, I’ll eventually cement my place on the starting line-up and play good and consistent football. But as you also know, I have only spent slightly over two weeks with Juventus. I still need a little more time to settle down and return to my peak.”

“It’s nice to hear that, Zachary,” Éléanor said. “But what about the language barrier issue? Do you face any problems during training or matches because you can’t speak Italian?”

“The language barrier is obviously a bit inconveniencing,” Zachary said. “But it’s not a big problem that can affect my training or performance on the pitch. Some coaches and teammates speak more than two languages. They always act as my translators when we’re on the field of play or on the training ground.”

“Do you plan on learning Italian?” Éléanor asked.

“Yes, I do plan on learning Italian,” Zachary said. “I have already enrolled in a language school. If all goes well, I should be able to speak and understand Italian by the end of the year.”

Éléanor smiled. “I’m sure the Italian fans will love that. Based on what you have said, you seem to be having an easy time settling down in Turin well. Is that right?”

“Indeed, I’m settling in well,” Zachary agreed. “I’m starting to enjoy my time here at Juventus.”

Éléanor nodded with a smile. “Then, I wish you luck. And hopefully, we’ll be able to see you scoring more goals for Juventus soon.”

“I certainly will,” Zachary said. “I will try my best to succeed at this club. That, I promise.”

“Excellent,” Éléanor said, smiling. “Thanks again for taking the time to talk to us even after playing a game. We wish you all the best during your time at Juventus.”

“Thanks,” Zachary replied, and the interview ended.